Dentist, Bowling, Nexen Pipeline Oil Leak.

I ca't remember if I mentioned that I broke a tooth last weekend. I wasn't going to do much about it but then it started to be somewhat sensitive. Our dentist was in the next town so I decided to try and get in to one close by, I did, and they gave me an appointment that morning (Thursday) when they built up my tooth and filled it again as well. Gentle as you can possibly imagine. I was delighted. Of course things have changed a lot in my lifetime. I had been put off, scared, by dentists since I was a teenager and went to a dentist who did 5 fillings at one time without injections, plus he was more interested in my developing figure than in dentistry. Thank God we have health insurance though, the cost was over $385 but I ended up paying $100. That was quite enough thank you very much. Because of my fear of dentistry over the years, I need several things done so I will be going back in a couple of weeks for some estimates. Maybe can't afford it all anyway. We shall see. Wish my teeth looked half as good as those in the picture.

After that we dashed home for lunch and because I was told not to eat for a couple of  hours, I drank some Glucerna which I had left over from when I was so ill a few months ago. Then off to the bowling alley. What a waste of time and money that was. We both bowled appallingly. Just in case, for supper we had some Tuna done Matt's Way so I didn't really have to do much chewing. Not a very exciting day but quite scary enough for me being so petrified of dentistry.

Oh dear, just spotted a headline talking about a leak of 5 million litres of emulsion from a Nexen pipeline in the Alberta oilsands. That is going to put the cat among a lot of pigeons I'm thinking. There has been a lot of fuss about the oilsands in recent years and this won't help calm the issue down. This picture shows the area where the spill has taken place. I haven't read the article properly, getting on for my bed time. But if  you want to follow the link you may do so.

If you live near the sea, this should be a good recipe for you. When we lived in the Carolinas, it would have been great for us too. Makes me hungry just reading it. I love cooking al Cartoccio.

Grilled Shellfish and Vegetables al Cartoccio

Contributed by Cesare Casella

Serves: 4

Cartoccio means “paper” in Italian, which refers to the wrapping used to make packets for grilling. Here, foil packets preserve every drop of the delicious seafood juices for sopping up with crusty

bread.

Ingredients

1. 1 bunch Broccolini
2. 8 fat asparagus spears
3. 8 small carrots with some stem attached
4. 8 large red radishes with some stem attached, halved lengthwise
5. 4 medium tomatoes, halved crosswise
6. 1 red onion, cut into 1/2-inch-thick wedges through the root end
7. Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
8. Salt
9. 16 small oysters, such as Wellfleet, scrubbed
10. 16 littleneck clams, scrubbed
11. 24 large mussels, scrubbed
12. 4 large basil sprigs
13. Warm crusty bread, for serving

1. Light a grill. In a large bowl, toss all of the vegetables with olive oil and season with salt. Pull out the Broccolini and grill over moderately high heat until lightly charred, about 1 minute per side. Transfer to a large plate. Pull out the asparagus and carrots and grill for about 1 minute, until lightly charred; transfer to the plate. Grill the radishes, tomatoes and onion wedges, cut sides down, until lightly charred, about 2 minutes. Add to the other vegetables.
2. Tear off eight 16-by-18-inch pieces of heavy-duty foil. Layer the sheets in pairs. Divide the oysters, clams and mussels among the four pairs of foil and drizzle with olive oil. Arrange the vegetables over the shellfish and drizzle with more olive oil. Add a pinch of salt, a basil sprig and 1 tablespoon of water to each. Fold the foil tightly into neat rectangular packets.
3. Arrange the packets on the grill. Cover and cook over moderately high heat, rotating once or twice, until the packets are puffed and sizzling, about 25 minutes. Serve right away with bread.

Have a great day
 

Heat, Cell, FIFA, Oil Spill, Health

At last Sunday morning the intense heat let up – we had some rain on Saturday which I guess helped. It is still pretty warm mind you but NOT the thick, muggy heat which makes it difficult to breathe. I basically stay in doors in weather like that, I can’t hack it unless I have a pool handy to fall into. I miss the one we used to have when we lived in Cambridge some years ago. It was an above ground pool, quite big, a 30 ft. oval I recall, and we spent a lot of time on the deck or swimming in it.

I have spent a lot of time playing with my new phone. I discovered it had a lock on it, I took that off. Although I think it is a good idea, Matt would never manage to deal with that in a thousand years. Technology is certainly not his forté. I sent a couple of text messages to a friend just to try out the little keyboard, what a difference, instead of having to jab a number several times for each letter. Much easier. Of course I only have 40 minutes a month so I cannot do too much sending and receiving. One thing I discovered, my memory card from my old phone works like a charm (they told me it wouldn’t) which makes me wonder if I wouldn’t have done better to have my old SIM card, too late now though. One thing I didn’t realise, if I call 911 which is the emergency number over here (999 in the UK) it is free wherever I/we are so that is useful to know.

So Spain won the cup, I have no doubt the country were celebrating like mad last night. The Netherlands has nothing to be ashamed of, neither of them have ever won the cup or nearly done so before, so I would say that was a pretty good job by both teams. Germany came third which is maybe some consolation for the country, I know our friend here was disappointed. But at least they weren’t disgraced like some of the teams. It is, after all, only a game, but devotees get so emotionally involved with the whole thing, something I do NOT understand.

BP are working on a new cap http://tinyurl.com/39wjteo for the oil leak but meanwhile the oil is gushing free and unrestricted. Maybe I am a  bit slow, but I don’t understand why the proposed drilling from the side can’t be done til August. This picture from CBC shows workers cleaning up oil booms.

Another ezine I get is Real Age and the latest one talks about flat bellies. Apparently dieting  is not the way to achieve one, but exercise is. There is an article here http://tinyurl.com/2vlmnla, there was also a healthy recipe from Eating Well. We enjoy salmon so this will go in our favourites.

Grilled Salmon with North African Flavors

EatingWell.com

Our version of the classic North African herb paste known as chermoula serves as both a marinade and a sauce for this richly flavored salmon. If it is too cool to grill outdoors, you can roast the salmon at 450°F for 12 to 15 minutes.

Serves: 4  

1/4 cup(s) low-fat or nonfat plain yogurt

1/4 cup(s) chopped fresh parsley

1/4 cup(s) chopped fresh cilantro

2 tablespoon(s) lemon juice

1 tablespoon(s) extra-virgin olive oil

3 clove(s) garlic, minced

1 1/2 teaspoon(s) paprika

1 teaspoon(s) ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon(s) salt, or to taste

Freshly ground pepper , to taste

1 pound(s) center-cut salmon fillet, cut into 4 portions (see Tip)

1 lemon, cut into wedges

Directions

1. Stir together yogurt, parsley, cilantro, lemon juice, oil, garlic, paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Reserve 1/4 cup for sauce; cover and refrigerate. Place salmon fillets in a large sealable plastic bag. Pour in the remaining herb mixture, seal the bag and turn to coat. Refrigerate for 20 to 30 minutes, turning the bag over once.
2. Meanwhile, preheat grill to medium-high.
3. Oil the grill rack. Remove the salmon from the marinade, blotting any excess. Grill the salmon until browned and opaque in the center, 4 to 6 minutes per side. To serve, top each piece with a dollop of the reserved sauce and garnish with lemon wedges.

Have a great day.