Music, Mandarin, Movie, TEACH, Birthday Card,

I have a big problem with earworms, i.e. getting tunes stuck in my head. I kept hearing 'What a Feeling' lately and I could not remember what the name of the film was. I Googled this morning and of course it was Flashdance. Then they just played 'Hungry Eyes' but I remembered that was Dirty Dancing. - or where I know it from anyway. Not long ago I had 'Close Every Door to Me' stuck in my head. That's from Joseph and his Technicolour Dreamcoat.

Today, Tuesday, we are going for my free birthday lunch at Mandarin. Just come back after stuffing myself. I forgot the Moon Cake (Moon Festival right now) but the entrance to the washrooms is right by the counter where the Moon cake is so whilst I was waiting for Matt, I helped myself to a couple of pieces. I would have kicked myself if I had forgotten and then realised when I got home.

Just watched To Sir With Love, one of my favourite movies with Sidney Poitier. I really enjoyed seeing it again.

Tomorrow, Wednesday, I go to the first course for caregivers at the Alzheimer Society. Will be interesting to see what its about. It is called TEACH.

This is one of the funniest birthday cards I have ever seen - from Ladydog. Hope you can read it OK.

This seems like a good recipe and I think, with adaptation, I can cook it in the Instant Pot.

Miracle Mango Salsa Chicken

A one-dish chicken and rice dish that's ready in a snap

6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 cup long-grain white rice
1 16-oz jar mango salsa
1.5 cups water

1. Preheat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat.

2. Sprinkle the chicken thighs with salt and pepper on both sides. Add 2 tablespoons oil to the skillet and sear the chicken thighs until browned well, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove the chicken to a plate.

3. Add the rice, 1 1/2 cups water and 1 cup of the mango salsa. Stir and bring to a boil. Add the chicken back to the top of the rice, reduce to a simmer, cover and cook until the chicken and rice are cooked through, 17 to 20 minutes.

4. Serve up a pile of rice, topped with the chicken and garnished with additional mango salsa.

  OR

 Add everything to Instant Pot - cook for 5 minutes, plus 10 minute natural release.


Source: The Pioneer Woman

















Have a great day
 

Grammar and Music, Science TV, Bowling,

Funny, I heard a song on the radio this morning which drove me up the wall "I don't know nothing" and it was repeated lots of times. I emailed the DJ whom I know from various recipe broadcasts I have done for him, and he said if bad grammar in songs was going to worry me, I would be in a world of hurt. Suggested I stick to orchestral pieces and then played Albatross on the radio for me. It is true, there is lots of bad grammar in songs but this one particularly hit me today as it was so often repeated during the song. Albatross is by Fleetwood Mac and I first came across it when I met Matt over 45 years ago, he had ordered it from a music store and just got it when I first met him.



I just watched two fascinating programmes on PBS. One about solar eclipses which covered how man finally learned how to predict when and where they would happen, and explained the importance of the sun's corona which is hotter than the sun itself (they don't know why) and sends out bursts of energy which can adversely affect earth. The second programme was about the Voyagers 1 and 2. Considering the time this programme was initiated and how little computer ability was available, it was a remarkable achievement. The computers of the day were about as strong as the buzzer on our key chains. The two Voyagers are now out in space way out of our solar system  having examined several worlds on the way to outer space. An incredible feat of science. The Voyagers will last longer than earth is predicted to do. The records they carry will last for billions of years. Would be nice to think there really was someone out there and that they would pick up these messages from Earth.

Much to our disappointment, the work at our bowling alley will not be finished until next week so we may not be able to bowl there until September. However, we are planning to go to Victoria Bowl which is 'just up the road' from us.

I have been using baby Bok Choy quite a lot lately and really enjoy it. This is a very simple recipe which I found at Bon Appétit.

Garlicky Bok Choy

This bok choy recipe is flavored with garlic and soy sauce.

1 Tbs vegetable oil
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 shallot, chopped
1 lb baby bok choy, rinsed, cut into quarters, with core intact
1 Tbs reduced-sodium soy sauce

1. Heat oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add garlic and shallot and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add bok choy, soy sauce, and 2 Tbsp. water and cover immediately. Cook 1 minute. Uncover and toss, then cover and cook until bok choy is tender at the core, about 3 more minutes.

Servings: 4

Author: Sara Dickerman + Marissa Lippert
Source: Bon Appétit

Have a great day
 

Flash Drive, Bowling, Romanian Recipe

A little while back I bought a very inexpensive portable radio from Walmart. I hadn’t realised when I bought it that it had the capability of taking a flash drive and a card. So I have been making a flash drive of MP3s to play – some while ago, I copied all our LPs and 45s on to CDs but the CDs wouldn’t play on our player although they play fine on the PC so now they have been copied to the flash drive and it’s nice to hear some songs we haven’t heard in a while. Artists most of you wouldn’t bother with but we enjoy, Sinatra, Sammy Davis, Ella Fitzgerald and many others. It’s amazing how much this little 2 gig flash drive holds, I haven’t even filled it up half way yet.

We are so happy, we get to go bowling again today. Two whole weeks and we have missed it. The banquet is going to be next week now. We don’t care so long as we get to bowl LOL.

Sorry I didn’t get round to posting this recipe yesterday. This is the recipe from last Saturday. This vdersion comes from Big Oven. Alex mentioned it looked like lasagne, but it isn’t, I can assure you.

Varza à la Cluj (Cabbage from Cluj, Romania)

Varza à la Cluj is a specialty food from Transylvania, it's minced meat, cabbage and rice baked in sour cream. Delicious!!

Ready in 2 hours

Ingredients

 
1 head of cabbage
1 medium sized onion
2 garlic cloves
1.5 lb of minced meat (I've used beef; pork, lamb . You could even use a combination)
2 tablespoons of butter (or oil)
1 cup of rice
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons paprika
2 cups of sour cream
0.5 cup of Milk
Original recipe makes 10 Servings

 

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 375.
Shred the cabbage and onion.
In a large pan, over medium heat melt the butter. Add the cabbage, salt, pepper and 1 tbsp paprika. Sauté for about 15 minutes or until it softens. Set aside.
While the cabbage is cooking cook the 1 cup of rice in two cups of water with a bit of salt. set aside.
Brown the meat with the onion, garlic, salt, pepper and 1 tbsp paprika. Set aside.
Combine your cabbage, rice and meat into a large baking dish or casserole. (Some people like to separate them into layers but I like it all mixed up)
Combine the milk and the sour cream in a large enough bowl and then pour this mixture over the dish letting it seep to the bottom.
Lower the temperature and let it all bake until it is tender at 350 for about 90 minutes. The top should be crispy brown and bubbling.
Serve this with toast and put some extra sour cream on top.

Have a great day