Friday, Grandma Dragon, Pig Tails.

Thanks for the well wishes yesterday, I did feel quite rough for a while. Slept well, however, and Friday was another day. I finally managed to get my hair cut. I was planning to go on Tuesday (I was already overdue) and was called in to see the specialist, Wednesday the hospital, Thursday unwell, so Friday morning, fairly early I got it done. I am in the middle of doing Christmas cards too and had requested a delivery of envelopes (and ink) from Staples who decided they were out of card sized envelopes. Phoned local store they said they had lots, so dropped in there after my hair cut. Also got a couple of small ring binders which had been suggested for keeping our Blood Pressure records. They give you a book with the machine and once that is filled you can’t get another. They do have sheets you can print on line which is fine for me, but Matt doesn’t use computers. Trouble these days, we are so electronically minded we forget there are still a lot of people who neither have a clue nor want to. Several of the people we know in the bowling alley, seniors, couldn’t be less interested in any form of computer. Don't understand it myself, but there you are, there are thousands out there.

Al Diaz recently said I was like his grandmother so as he claims 800 yrs, I figured that has got to make me over 3,000 years old.
I think I am wearing pretty well under the circumstances. I could use a few of my grandsons dwarves as my cleaner has quit recently.

Today we are going to the Legion in the next town for our annual pig tail dinner, well I eat pig tails, Matt eats schnitzels.  Of course, after all this dieting, I probably should run a mile from pigtails but I really do enjoy them. I only have them once a year. Of course I only have lots of things once a year or at least not very often, if I let go every time I wouldn’t have lost any weight at all. They have a band from Newfoundland (well supposedly) who play ‘down ‘ome’ music which Matt hates but I love. It’s lively and good to listen to. I can’t really dance any more, although I haven’t tried lately, but I couldn’t last time I tried. Hips and all that stuff.

This is an unusual risotto which I found on Cooking.com and as I love risottos anyway I decided to share it.

Pumpkin Risotto

Source: Food and Wine

Serves 6

This healthier risotto is full of the hearty, earthy flavours of fall, and makes an elegant first course at any dinner. Wine Recommendation: 1992 Kenwood Sauvignon Blanc

INGREDIENTS

For the Pumpkin:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 pound fresh pumpkin or butternut squash, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch dice (1 1/3 cups)
2 medium white onions, finely diced
3/4 cup dry Riesling
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly grated nutmeg
About 1 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
1 teaspoon salt
For the Rice:
7 cups Vegetable Stock for Risotto or canned low-sodium chicken broth
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1-1/2 cups arborio rice (about 11 ounces)
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (optional)
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

DIRECTIONS

FOR THE PUMPKIN:
Heat the oil in a nonreactive medium saucepan. Add the pumpkin and half of the onions and cook over moderately high heat, stirring frequently, until the pumpkin is just tender, about 7 minutes. Stir in the wine, nutmeg, white pepper and salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 12 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly. In a food processor, puree the pumpkin mixture until smooth. Transfer to a small bowl.

FOR THE RICE:
In a medium saucepan, bring the Vegetable Stock for Risotto to a boil over moderate heat. Reduce the heat to low and keep the stock hot. In a nonreactive medium saucepan, heat 2-1/2 tablespoons of the butter until it begins to sizzle. Add the rice and the remaining onions and cook over moderately high heat, stirring with a wooden spoon, until the onions are translucent, about 7 minutes. Immediately stir in 1 cup of the hot stock and cook, stirring constantly, until all of the liquid has been absorbed, about 2 minutes.
Reduce the heat to moderate and gradually add 3 more cups of the hot stock, 1 cup at a time, stirring and cooking until each cup is almost absorbed before adding the next, about 15 minutes. Stir in the pumpkin puree. Continue adding the remaining 3 cups stock, 1 cup at a time, stirring and cooking as above, until the rice is tender, about 10 minutes longer. The risotto will be quite loose. Stir in the parsley and the remaining 2-1/2 tablespoons butter.

TO SERVE:
Spoon the risotto into 6 warmed soup plates and sprinkle the Parmesan on top. Serve immediately.

Have a great weekend

New Money, New Student, Pig Tails, Twilight, Dancing and Pain.

Would you believe, the government have issued a new polymer $20 bill and Ticket machines in three major cities will not accept it. I must admit I haven’t tried using them in any machines myself but I had heard rumours of this problem. I actually saw my first $100 bill this week. They really do feel different after using the old bills for so long. That white bit in the photograph has pictures inside it, looks odd doesn’t it?

A 105 yr old woman living in a nursing home in Tierp, Sweden, was informed that a spot had been reserved for her in a class of kids turning 6 next year. This letter was sent to all children born in ‘07. Anna Eriksson was indeed born in ‘07, but 1907 and someone failed to notice the actual year of her birth. Quite funny really, the school would love her to come and have a visit with them.

Sunday I had an email from a good friend in the States suggesting I google her 5 yr old grandson’s name – Billy Wagenseller. Obviously I did so and lo and behold here is this youngster with his picture all over the internet because he is the youngest Vampire in the Twilight Saga, Breaking Dawn part 2. What a handsome boy he is and how proud grandma and parents must be. I wasn’t going to bother with the Twilight Saga movies, having read the books, but now I think I have to see it. He doesn’t look too undead to me though!!  Maybe I should go to the theatre and yell out, I know his grandmother, when he comes on screen. No? He started his career modelling at 18 months apparently. He has a Facebook Page too. I friended him of course.

Saturday night we went to eat pigtails, well I did anyway. I had my allocation of three and some sauerkraut. Two of the pigtails were in barbecue sauce, not sure what the other was, but had apple sauce with it. Delicious. Had to virtually take a bath afterwards of course. I have decided I should get some pigtails and roast them crispy in the oven which is the way Matt likes them. There is always a Newfie band for the pigtail dinner; unfortunately Matt can’t stand it apart from which they are very loud, I love the music, its lively and makes you want to move. Two of our women friends had to dance together as their husbands were not available, one was sick, one was working in the kitchens. They both love to dance. So do I, but my dancing days are done. What tees me off is a couple of friends always join us and they are in their 80s and dance up a storm – they leave way after we do. I should be that fit. We went back to one friend’s house to visit her sick husband. He is suffering from terrible back pain and living on Percoset at the moment. This happens to him a couple of times a year and the docs have said they could operate but he might end up in a wheel chair. Something wrong here somewhere. I think doctors have a tendency to think “well they’re old” or something or have not experienced major pain themselves so have no idea what their patients are going through. It was just the same with my shoulder a year ago. Grrrr.

By the way, I ate a couple of my lobster tails last night, delicious.

I have always loved ‘things’ in rice paper, the look of them always appeals to me, so when I saw this recipe it caught my attention straight away.

Rice Paper-Wrapped Salad Rolls

WebMD Recipe

Similar to a salad that has been rolled up, this dish is usually eaten as a snack, although it also makes a lovely lunch. The key is to make the rolls tight, and that requires practice. You can substitute chicken, beef, or tofu and mushrooms for the filling. Grilled fish such as salmon also works well. You can serve whole or cut into smaller pieces to make them easier to serve and share. The recipe calls for untrimmed pork because the dish benefits from a little fat.

Ingredients

• 1/3 pound pork shoulder, untrimmed, cut into two pieces
• 12 medium-size raw shrimp, unpeeled
• 8 12-inch round rice papers, (plus some extras)
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small head red leaf lettuce, leaves separated and washed
• 4 ounces rice vermicelli or rice sticks, boiled 5 minutes, rinsed, and drained (find these in the Asian section of your supermarket)
• 1 cup bean sprouts
• 1/2 cup mint leaves

Instructions

1. Cook the pork in boiling salted water until done but still firm enough for slicing, about 30 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, bring another small pot of water to a boil. Add shrimp and cook until they turn pink, about 3 minutes. Rinse under running water and set aside to drain. When they're cool enough to handle, shell, de-vein, and cut in half lengthwise. Refresh in cold water and set aside.
3. Remove pork from heat and drain. When cool enough to handle, slice into thin slices, about 1 by 2 1/2 inches. Place on a small plate and set aside.
4. Set up a salad roll "station": Line a cutting board with a damp kitchen towel. Fill a large mixing bowl with hot water and place nearby. (Keep some boiling water handy to add to the bowl) Arrange the ingredients in the order they will be used: pork, shrimp, rice vermicelli, bean sprouts, mint, and lettuce.
5. Working with 2 rice paper sheets at a time, dip 1 sheet, edge first, in the hot water and turn to wet completely, about 10 seconds. Lay it on the towel. Repeat with the second sheet and place it alongside the first. This allows you to work with one while the second is setting.
6. Line the bottom third of the rice sheet with 3 shrimp halves, cut side up, then top with two slices of pork. Add 1 tablespoon rice vermicelli, 1 tablespoon bean sprouts, and 4 to 5 mint leaves. (Arrange the ingredients so the rolls end up being about 5 inches long and 1 inch wide.) Halve a lettuce leaf lengthwise along its center rib. Roll up in one piece and place on the filling. (Trim if too long.) While pressing down on the ingredients, fold over the filling, then fold in the two sides and roll into a cylinder. If paper feels thick, stop at three-quarters of the way and trim the end piece. (Too much rice paper can make the rolls chewy.) Repeat with the remaining rice papers and filling.
7. To serve, cut rolls into 2 or 4 pieces and place them upright on a plate.

Have a great day