Restaurant, Take-Out, Doc, Spanish, Book,

Well, so much for restaurant dining or not, Matt decided he couldn't walk into a restaurant with his walker, although he has done it before. He said I was to go along which of course is nonsense. I said I wouldn't go without him which sparked an argument and tears because he wanted me to go etc. etc. In the end I phoned ladydog and we decided to order in. Matt enjoyed what I ordered him. I wish I could say the same thing about what I ordered. We had one funny about it, she asked me to order her some lobster bisque which she wanted for supper. When she saw the bill she thought they had charged her 18.49 for the bisque. So did I, I phoned the restaurant and the cashier checked it and said no, it had been $8.49 then I really looked at the bill which said something like "bisque bowl849" which we had both read wrongly. Duuh. Whilst I was doing this ladydog did the dishes for me so it was almost like eating out, almost. She and I had a lot of laughs, I'm not sure what about, but it was good. Because we were laughing Matt was laughing too although he cannot have known what we were talking about.

Anyway, I was somewhat disappointed to put it mildly.

I then got a call from the family doc who made some suggestions about what I could do to help Matt's bed sore pain. Once I had finished talking to him, I got a large bath towel and rolled it up so it had two high parts on either side. I can't get a definite answer as to whether it hurts, but he hasn't been moving and fidgeting and all the other things one does to get out of pain. So I guess it is working.

I'm learning Spanish, right? on Words for Wednesday there is a short story in Spanish, a message left for me in Spanish and a lot more Spanish which everyone seems to understand but me!!! My own message I managed to get translated with the help of Duolingo, but I didn't want to try to get the whole story translated. It occurred to me I am not doing as well as I think I am. Apart from anything else I need George to practice the little bit I know, and I guess it is going to be a while before I can "speak" Spanish.

Ladydog lent me a book, the one by Alex Trebek. The Answer is.... Reflections on his life. Matt said he had seen that face before. I told him yes, at 7:30 every week night for 20 odd years. But he still didn't know who it was. I will enjoy reading it. Looking for the picture I realise he has written before, I didn't know that. Such a pity about his cancer.

I always used to enjoy Giada de Laurentis cooking. Used to watch her regularly once upon a time.

Linguine with Shrimp and Lemon Oil

For the lemon oil
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 lemon, zested

For the pasta
1 lb(s) linguine pasta
2 Tbs olive oil
2 shallots, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
16 oz frozen shrimp
¼ cup lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
1 lemon, zested
1 tsp salt
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
3 oz arugula (about 3 packed cups)
¼ cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped

For the lemon oil

Combine the olive oil and the lemon zest in a small bowl and reserve.

For the pasta

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid.

Meanwhile, in a large, heavy skillet warm the olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallots and garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add the shrimp and cook until pink, about 5 minutes. Add the cooked linguine, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, and pepper. Toss to combine. Turn off the heat and add the arugula. Using a mesh sieve, strain the lemon zest out of the reserved lemon olive oil and add the oil to the pasta. The zest can be discarded. Add some of the cooking water to desired consistency. Add the chopped parsley to the pasta and toss to combine. Serve immediately.

Yield: 4 - 6

Author: Giada De Laurentis

Have a great day, stay well, stay safe.
 

Canada Day, Taxation, Spanish, Shopping, Berries,

Happy Canada day to all my Canadian friends.

Well, it appears I was right in my surmise that the money from the government would be taxable. I would rather not have it in that case. Wonder if you can send it back?

Busy morning today, first the PSW came and then a bit later the physiotherapist. I must admit I had forgotten he was coming. The two of them got talking and turned out to be a league of nations with Vietnam, Colombia and Great Britain represented. They physio talked to the PSW in Spanish and they understood one another!!! Mind you, I understood them too. Later when the PSW phoned to say he would be coming again tomorrow, I used some Spanish and he did understand me. I think yesterday it was more because he wasn't expecting me to speak his language (I hope).

Later in the day, Kathy came with the shopping. She was somewhat later than usual as she had been on a longish trip to Aylmer, I think, to get fresh strawberries straight from a farm she knows well. She brought me a punnet which we ate later. I was astounded, they were delicious. I haven't had such naturally sweet berries in years. Didn't need to use sugar at all which mostly we do. I see why she bothers to drive so far, mind you, she buys a whole flat for herself and freezes them. 

Luckily I unloaded some of the shopping whilst she was still here and discovered that they had sent me something like 20 bananas. I had called earlier to ensure that they sent me enough as they didn't last week. I ended up giving about half a dozen to Kathy. Turned out that being an idiot, as I frequently assure you I am, I had also ordered Diet Tonic instead of the regular stuff. They will not take stuff back at the moment so I ended up emptying it down the sink. Only cost me $1 a bottle, thank goodness, but Matt can't stand the stuff. They had also emailed me and said they didn't have strawberries but when I unpacked they had sent me some anyway. Not as good as the ones Kathy brought though. We finished off the stuffed peppers and ate the strawberries for dessert.

ladydog was supposed to be playing in her band this evening, Oh Canada, for the celebration tomorrow. They were playing in various parks. Last I heard she said rain was forecast. Not round here, so hopefully they got away with it.

This struck me as a good thing for dessert on Canada Day.

Mango and Lime Crepe Cake with Lime Caramel

Aside from its deliciousness, the beauty of this cake is that it gets better in the fridge for up to 2 days, meaning you might have forgotten about making all the crepes by the time you sit down to enjoy a slice. If making crepes isn’t your thing, the easy lime caramel and chopped macadamias are great over tropical-flavoured ice cream, too.

LIME CARAMEL
½ cup (125 mL) sugar
¼ cup (60 mL) water
½ cup (125 mL) whipping cream
4 tsp (20 mL) lime juice
? tsp (0.5 mL) salt
2 Tbs (30 mL) butter

CREPES
2 cups (500 mL) milk
4 eggs
¼ tsp (1 mL) salt
5 Tbs (75 mL) melted butter, divided
1 ¾ cups (425 ml) all-purpose flour
½ cup (125 mL) sugar
2 Tbs (30 mL) finely grated lime zest
? cup (80 mL) water
2 large, ripe mangoes, peeled and thinly sliced
½ cup (125 mL) chopped salted macadamia nuts

1. For the lime caramel, combine sugar and ¼ cup (60 mL) water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook until syrup is amber-coloured. Remove from heat, slowly add cream (mixture will sputter) and stir until syrup is dissolved. Stir in lime juice, salt and butter. Allow to cool briefly before covering; refrigerate until chilled, about 2 hours. (Caramel keeps for 5 days in the refrigerator).

2. For the crepes, combine milk, eggs, salt and 3 tbsp (45 mL) melted butter in a blender; pulse to combine. Add flour and blend thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight.

3. Heat an 8-inch (20-cm) nonstick skillet over medium heat. Brush with a small amount of the remaining 2 tbsp (30 mL) melted butter. Pour ¼ cup (60 mL) batter in pan and swirl to evenly coat bottom with batter. Cook for about 1 minute, or until top of crepe appears set and bottom is golden.

4. Gently lift crepe with a spatula and flip over. Cook 30 to 45 seconds longer, or until firm and bottom is golden in spots. Remove to a plastic-wrap-lined plate. Repeat with remaining batter to make 16 crepes, brushing pan with a small amount of butter between crepes. Stack crepes on top of each other with a layer of plastic-wrap between each.

5. In a small bowl, combine sugar, lime zest and 1/3 cup (80 mL) water; stir to dissolve sugar.

6. Place 1 crepe in the centre of a 10-inch (25-cm) serving plate. Brush crepe with lime zest syrup, and top with another crepe. Once again, brush with syrup. Continue until you have 4 layers of crepe and syrup. Cover fourth crepe with a single layer of thinly sliced mango and top with another crepe. Brush with syrup and repeat process until you have 4 layers of crepe containing 4 crepes each, and 3 layers of mango. Cover and refrigerate until crepes have softened and cake is completely chilled, at least 4 hours or overnight. (Cake will keep for up to 3 days in the refrigerator).

7. If serving entire cake at once, drizzle caramel over the whole cake and sprinkle top with macadamias. (Otherwise slice into 8 slices, dress individual slices with a tablespoon of caramel and a spoonful of macadamias; return remaining slices to refrigerator until ready to dress and serve).

Servings: 8

Source: LCBO

Have a great day, stay well, stay safe.
 

Laundry Day, Laundry Locks, Cleaning Help, Spanish,

Worked my little (I wish) butt off this Saturday morning. As I have mentioned I do the laundry then, this time I decided part way through to do the sheets at the same time. That meant 4 trips to the laundry room, there and back, for me that ends up being somewhat painful. Oh for back to normal. Then if I could get Matt taken care of, maybe I could get some of my problems taken care of. I had thought of doing a pork tenderloin recipe in the Instant Pot but decided I had done enough work for the day and as I had some Italian sausages already prepared, that's what we ended up with for supper.

One thing I haven't figured out in close on 20 years, is the lock on the laundry doors. If you go to the laundry room at 7:56 or somewhere round about, you can't get in. Dead on 8 you can. And yet it doesn't look like there is an electronic lock which unlocks all 9 floors at once. But I have never seen anyone running from floor to floor to do it. Must ask the super.

In the afternoon, Sarah came to do some housework for me. She also put the bed sheets back on for me. It occurred to me, having noticed my hair earlier, that wearing a hijab was a great way to hide bad hair. I mentioned it to Sarah and she agreed. She said it also is useful if you don't want to colour your hair. Maybe I should wear a hijab, especially at the moment. Doesn't help you men though. Turns out Sarah is originally from Pakistan. It is wonderful how she and Kathy help me.

Doing my Spanish later, I discovered some delightful, and fairly humorous little playlets which you can listen to and take part in by answering questions as you go along. Mind you they are somewhat overacted but that is to make sure you really understand the mood of the character, I suppose.

This looks delicious. Seems like one could use chicken thighs though. They are so flavoursome.

Asian Orange Chicken

A delicious citrus chicken recipe with flavors reminiscent of the orange chicken from a popular

restaurant in the mall.

Sauce:
1½ cups water
2 Tbs orange juice
¼ cup lemon juice
1/2 cup rice vinegar
2 ½ Tbs soy sauce
1 Tbs grated orange zest
1 cup packed brown sugar
½ tsp minced fresh ginger root
½ tsp minced garlic
2 Tbs chopped green onion
¼ tsp red pepper flakes
3 Tbs cornstarch
2 Tbs water

Chicken:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 cup all-purpose flour
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
3 Tbs olive oil

1. Pour 1 1/2 cups water, orange juice, lemon juice, rice vinegar, and soy sauce into a saucepan and set over medium-high heat. Stir in the orange zest, brown sugar, ginger, garlic, chopped onion, and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat, and cool 10 to 15 minutes.

2. Place the chicken pieces into a resealable plastic bag. When contents of saucepan have cooled, pour 1 cup of sauce into bag. Reserve the remaining sauce. Seal the bag, and refrigerate at least 2 hours.

3. In another resealable plastic bag, mix the flour, salt, and pepper. Add the marinated chicken pieces, seal the bag, and shake to coat.

4. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Place chicken into the skillet, and brown on both sides. Drain on a plate lined with paper towels, and cover with aluminum foil.

5. Wipe out the skillet, and add the sauce. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Mix together the cornstarch and 2 tablespoons water; stir into the sauce. Reduce heat to medium low, add the chicken pieces, and simmer, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Servings: 4

Source: allrecipes

Have a great day
 

Church Notice, Shopping, Exercises, More Shopping, Flowers,

I picked this picture up from Mark Koopman's Blog and thought it was rather amusing.

This morning our cleaner came so I dashed down to the store to pick up my grocery order. Karen is good enough to bring it up from the garage for me. But then I have to put it all away. I ensure anything frozen is stored instantly and then I need a rest, even if I didn't bring up the stores. I could use the Christmas Gift of about 20 years. Santa, are you listening?

After lunch went down to exercise class, only two of  us there so the class was abbreviated. Not sure why. I still need as many exercises as usual. Especially as I will miss Friday again. Zoey is coming to lunch. I think she is bringing ladydog with her.

Returning from exercise class, I zonked out in my armchair. I was pretty tired, all this running around I guess. I remembered too, that I had not been to the bread store and I am short of the buns I like. Have to do that on Thursday. One thing I did buy today was a Poinsettia for the dining table. They looked so pretty on the cafeteria tables last week. Got a small Christmas Cake too. I really don't need it, but it's Christmas, whine, whine. Picture of both Poinsettia and Amaryllis which has thrown out quite a few more flowers.

Before I wrote this blog I did half an hour of Spanish. I really should try and do it earlier in the day.

Both ladydog and I love scallops and I think it was ladydog said everything tastes better with capers. This seemed an unusual way to serve scallops. Haven't got enough cauliflower though - I keep ricing it instead of using rice. Never heard of marcona almonds.

Seared Scallops with Cauliflower, Capers and Raisins

Chef Way A cauliflower puree and a drizzle of balsamic reduction accompany tender sautéed

scallops. Easy Way Cook bits of cauliflower in the skillet with the scallops, omitting the time-consuming puree. Add a splash of balsamic vinegar at the end of cooking—no reducing necessary.

1/2 small head of cauliflower, cut into small florets (4 cups)
1 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil
12 jumbo scallops (1 1/2 pounds), side muscle removed
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 Tbs unsalted butter
1/4 cup chopped roasted almonds, preferably marcona
2 Tbs drained small capers
2 Tbs golden raisins
2 Tbs balsamic vinegar
1 Tbs chopped flat-leaf parsley

1. Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the cauliflower and boil over high heat until just tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain, shaking off the excess water.

2. In a large skillet, heat the oil until shimmering. Season the scallops with salt and pepper; add to the skillet in a single layer and cook over high heat until golden and crusty, about 2 minutes. Turn the scallops. Add the butter, cauliflower, almonds, capers and raisins and cook undisturbed until the scallops are white throughout and the cauliflower is lightly browned in spots, about 1 minute longer. Add the balsamic vinegar and stir gently to coat. Transfer to plates, garnish with the parsley and serve.

Servings: 4

Source: Food and Wine

Have a great day
 

Cake, Coffee Morning, Spanish,

The other night I scanned and emailed a document for a friend in the building and she gave me a piece of carrot cake as a reward. We had a taste that night and finished it Tuesday night for supper. I christened it Poison Cake. It was absolutely delicious and just the kind of cake I should stay well away from. I could feel the inches piling on as I ate it.

Been a pretty quiet day today, sunny weather but of course fairy cold although maybe not that cold for this time of the year. I was told it was 8°C which isn't too bad. Or as I said to ladydog, a balmy summer's day. I did my Spanish this afternoon, I am beginning to get beyond stuff  that I learned some 50 years ago. Now my brain is really working overtime.

Well, being Wednesday, I am supposed to meet some or all of the Alzheimer Group, but as I haven't had any kind of reply from any of them, I guess I could be sipping coffee all alone. I am a little annoyed that nobody has bothered to reply. If something doesn't happen I will abandon the whole thing.

Amongst the many hundreds of recipes I am getting for Thanksgiving, this is a simple little appetizer or hors d'oeuvres.

Goat Cheese-Stuffed Roasted Figs

Simple, sweet, and totally indulgent, these figs will be the talk of your party... even though they will

be the easiest appetizer to make!

12 figs
Goat Cheese
Warmed honey

1. Quarter 12 figs, cutting three-quarters of the way down. Stuff the figs with goat cheese. Roast in an oiled pan at 425° for 12 minutes, until softened. Serve drizzled with warmed honey.

Yield: 12 figs

Source: Food and Wine

Have a great day
 

Friday, Mandarin, Kelp, Supper,

I'm really in the wars lately, I was just heading up the hallway to put on my coat and damned me if my hip (replaced one) didn't give out and I could hardly move.  Decided couldn't go to lunch. Staggered back into computer room to email ladydog. Came out and my hip was perfect. So I then phoned her and used her husband's number instead. Got her just having got out of the shower and cancelled my previous message. What a life I am leading. I persuaded Matt to bring his walker and cross the garage with me, just in case, but everything seems OK although a tad sore.

Got to the restaurant to discover the parking lot was crowded, however, managed to get a Wheel

Chair Spot. Couldn't get our usual table because there was a huge party (Christmas?) in that room so we were shown to a different part of the restaurant. I complained because the table was "round the corner" and a longish walk to the buffet tables, particularly for Matt, the hostess wasn't too happy but one of the waiters who has been there for years, said give them what they want, satisfy the customer or words to that effect. Eventually ended up in another room and still a bit of a walk, but not as bad as the first. I phoned ladydog to tell her where we were seated. Then got my soup, hot and sour of course, yummy. Eventually ladydog arrived carrying a flowering Amaryllis. It had started flowering early apparently so she brought me my Christmas gift sooner than intended. Lovely isn't it? I've never had an Amarylis before, always admired them.

Matt had forgotten it was a buffet so we dragged him off to get his food. I then did a plate for me with lots of mussels on, they are delicious and I always eat some. Only trouble is the shells take up a lot of room. I did get some kelp salad on my plate though, I love that stuff. Dunno why I don't buy some, there is an oriental store which sells it.

I have just been doing some Spanish, think I have finally sorted out the two forms of "to be". Don't know if I ever knew them before. One is permanent ( I am Jo), the other impermanent (I am angry). However, Japanese is much more difficult because they use the same word but the intonation conveys different meanings. Western ears are not usually tuned to such nuances. Tried to learn it once, managed a few phrases here and there but that was it. More interesting learning languages from countries you know. At one time I knew a section of Spain extremely well. Also I have a very good friend in Mexico and it would be fun to write to her in her own language. Mind you her English is excellent. I don't anticipate being able to get that good in Spanish. Ain't got long enough!

Never been so stuffed as I was today after Chinese food. Usually it dissipates quickly in my experience, but not today. I couldn't have been less interested in supper. Luckily I had planned coconut shrimp so all I had to do was put them in the air fryer and open a packet of sauce. I gave Matt an bunch of grape tomatoes and then two of my shrimp (unheard of). Poor soul didn't even get dessert, I completely forgot it. Even now, at 11 p.m., I still feel full. Most unusual. Forgot to mention, in passing, I mentioned it was ladydog's birthday when being seated. Before we left they brought her a cupcake with a candle and we all sang Happy Birthday much to her embarrassment.

So, being an idiot, I set off to find a recipe to share. I went to my email programme and received the draft of Liz Seckman's latest book. I assured her I would not start reading straight away, so what do I do, get started reading. Stopped myself and closed down the PC. As I was doing so, I remembered I hadn't chosen a recipe, duuh. I am typing on my laptop and I don't have any recipes here. Actually, just remembered I have a couple. Hm, I'd forgotten this recipe, wonder if I have all the ingredients for supper tomorrow.

Crispy Lamb With Cumin, Scallions and Red Chiles

The Dongbei restaurant in Queens, makes an elegant, tender version of a popular Dongbei stir-fry of lamb with dried chilies, made fragrant and crunchy with cumin seeds — a legacy of the nomadic Mongols who long ruled Central Asia, carrying spices on horseback along with their arrows. Lamb is considered a Northern taste and excessively “strong” by many Chinese cooks; it is always cooked with powerful aromatics, like chili peppers and garlic, to subdue it.

1 Tbs egg white
1 Tbs rice wine or dry sherry
2 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp salt, more to taste
½ tsp black pepper
1 lb boneless leg of lamb or lamb shoulder, cut into strips about 1/2 inch by 2 inches
3 Tbs vegetable oil
2 Tbs cumin seeds, lightly cracked in a mortar or grinder
2 Tbs whole dried red chile peppers, about 2 inches long
4 scallions, white and green parts only, cut on diagonal into 1-inch lengths
sesame oil for seasoning

1. In a bowl combine egg white, wine, cornstarch, salt and pepper. Add lamb and set aside to marinate 1 hour.

2. Heat a large wok or skillet over high heat until a drop of water sizzles on contact. Swirl half the oil into wok and carefully add lamb, spreading it in a single layer. Let sear a moment, then stir-fry briskly just until lamb is no longer pink. Transfer to a plate. (If your wok is not large enough to hold all the lamb, do this in 2 batches, using extra oil.)

3. Swirl remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons oil into empty wok, add cumin seeds and chiles and stir-fry a few seconds until cumin seeds start to pop. Press chiles against sides of wok to char their skins.

4. Add scallions and stir-fry 1 minute. Then return lamb to wok and stir-fry 1 to 2 minutes more until lamb is cooked through. Turn off heat, sprinkle with salt and drops of sesame oil, and serve immediately.

Source: The New York Times

Have a great day
 

Unwell Again, Mandarin, Boo-Boo Plants, Cooking

Would you believe, having got over my stint with IBS, I then felt sick and dizzy most of the day. No idea why. I had a touch of a headache too and wondered if I was heading for a migraine but didn't thank goodness. Boring. So, of course, having intended to go bowling this afternoon for a while, I ended up sleeping the time away. Missed the exercise classes too this week. Will have to make up for it next week.

Friday we are going to lunch at Mandarin with ladydog for her birthday. Haven't been there for quite a while - think I mentioned. Had some onion soup today which was tasteless so am looking forward to Mandarin's Hot and Sour Soup. It is the best I have ever tasted.

By the way, I have been keeping up with my Spanish every day. Seem to end up doing it late at night.

Have you come across Boo-Boo Plants? I got an ad from them, in the mail I think. Looked them up today, they are cute. Thinking of giving some as presents. On their website you can see more of these tiny plants in their miniature terrariums.

Now I will have to do my chicken breasts dump and go recipe. Of course, we don't have Target any more (didn't catch on round here) so I just use a Barbecue sauce I can get here. I also used peppers and onions this time. We both enjoyed it and have leftovers for another day. This time I did rice, next time I may well to cauliflower rice. It is so very easy.

INSTANT POT HAWAIIAN BBQ CHICKEN

4-6 Boneless Chicken Breasts (mine were still frozen!)
1 Bottle Archer Farms Hawaiian Style Barbecue Sauce (from Target)
1 20 oz can Pineapple Chunks (do not drain - you need the juice so it will pressurize!)

1. Place frozen chicken breasts in the Instant Pot and cover with sauce. Empty can of pineapple chunks and juice on top. Close the lid and turn the knob to SEALING.

2. Set the timer to 25 minutes if your chicken is frozen or 18 if you chicken is thawed.

3. When it is done, turn the knob to VENTING. When the pressure is released, take the lid off.

4. Shred chicken and return to the Instant Pot so the chicken will be well coated with sauce. Serve over rice or cauliflower rice.

5. Sometimes I also throw in a chopped up green pepper and chopped onion . . . it tastes good with or without it.

 Source: Six Sisters

Have a great day
 

Tuesday Morning, The Orkin Men, Costco, Razor, Spanish, Seven Drunken Nights,

Unbelievably, having claimed tiredness last night, I went to bed fairly early, for me, and ended up not doing more than possibly dozing a bit until gone 3 a.m. with the result that I slept in this morning. Not long been up when the super knocked on the door to tell us the Orkin men were on their way (ants again) so I threw some clothes on. Matt was in his dressing gown, more respectable than a night dress. They came in, trotted round the apartment and deposited some kind of liquid in various places and off they went. About 5 minutes I would guess. Not sure how many apartments they visited but quite a lot I believe. So then I had breakfast. Matt had finished his as he made it earlier. He eats the same thing every morning anyway. Boooooring. I have recently been having a smoked salmon and scrambled eggs kick, I also make an oatmeal congee which I have mentioned before. Once in a while, and when I am in a real hurry, I might eat some of the cereal Matt consumes regularly.

Later we got a parcel from Costco and it turned out that it was not what I ordered so I had to contact them about it. They said I could and wanted me to take the heavy parcel in to my nearest Costco, you must be joking, I explained I was a very senior citizen so they said they would email me a label and I could then call UPS. Much better. Wonder how long it will take to get the email.

Later the new razor I ordered for himself arrived and I gave him the parcel to unpack. Next thing I know, he had it on charge in the kitchen with the razor in the dish rack!!! So I transferred it to his bathroom. It takes 8 hours to charge the first time which upset him but he doesn't need to try and shave until the morning.

During the afternoon I decided to do my Spanish lessons - I will be interested to  know how ladydog did with her Spanish on her vacation. She is coming for a visit, with Zoey, on Thursday.

This evening we watched Celtic Thunder Legacy II. A favourite. I wanted to find out where on YouTube the song Seven Drunken Nights was so I could copy the URL for our exercise instructor. I actually found 2  versions but it's the second one we prefer. So then I thought I would include it here for your amusement.


I love shrimp and I am very fond of snow peas and ginger so this was a no brainer for me. May try it on Friday although I was thinking of other things to cook. It seems that Grace Parisi comes up with some very good recipes

Gingered Stir-Fry with Shrimp and Snow Peas

Large nonstick skillets that can create a sear are ideal for stir-fries. For this recipe, Food and Wine's

Grace Parisi creates layers of flavor with Chinese chile-garlic sauce and matchsticks of fresh ginger.

1/2 cup chicken stock or low-sodium broth
2 Tbs low-sodium soy sauce
1 tsp Chinese chile-garlic sauce
1 tsp cornstarch
2 Tbs vegetable oil
1/4 cup fresh ginger, cut into fine matchsticks
1/2 lb snow peas
1 lb medium shrimp, shelled and deveined
4 small scallions, thinly sliced on the diagonal
Steamed rice, for serving

1. In a small bowl, whisk the chicken stock with the soy sauce, Chinese chile-garlic sauce and cornstarch.

2. In a large nonstick skillet, heat the vegetable oil until shimmering. Add the ginger matchsticks and stir-fry over moderately high heat until they are softened, about 1 minute. Add the snow peas and stir-fry until crisp-tender and the ginger is beginning to brown, about 2 minutes. Add the shrimp to the skillet and stir-fry for about 1 minute. Add the scallions and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Whisk the chile sauce, add it to the skillet and stir-fry until the shrimp are opaque throughout and the sauce is thickened, about 1 minute longer. Serve with steamed rice.

Servings: 4

Author: GRACE PARISI
Source: Food and Wine

Have a great day
 

Spanish, Bowling, Thanksgiving, Nothing Like A Dame,

I have kind of got into the habit of doing my Spanish in the morning which works out much better, although I won't be able to on Wednesday as that is my last TEACH session at the ALZ Society. I will miss it. A  very helpful course and I hope they will have others in the future. Although I have been imposing on ladydog  to keep Matt company - and clean the silver LOL. Mind you I think if Zoey (the dog) was there I don't think Matt would notice anything else.

Monday is bowling and I don't know if Matt will bowl or not - he was talking about trying yesterday, but that was yesterday. Keep your fingers crossed for me that I can bowl as well as I did last week.

I can't believe it is our Thanksgiving next Monday. Seems only a short while ago since we were celebrating it last time. I cannot remember, for the life of me, if we bowl that day or not. Will have to check. Mind you I cook on the Saturday anyway.

Watched a super documentary last night, Nothing Like a Dame with Judi Dench, Joan Plowright, Maggie Smith and Eileen Atkins. All have been awarded honours by the Royal  and therefore should be addressed as Dame Judi, etc. It was absolutely hilarious, especially between Maggie Smith and Judi Dench. One of the funniest things I have seen in years. It was brilliant. I didn't know Joan Plowright was married to Sir Lawrence Olivier either which made her both Lady Joan and Dame Joan. Lots of jokes about their ages and Maggie Smith told Judi Dench that she MUST get hearing aids.

When I saw this recipe, I couldn't resist it. Looked so delicious. In my case I would probably use Scotch whisky instead of Bourbon but otherwise, yum. Actually rum would also be good I think. Depending on your diet considerations, I might whisk up some cream, rather than milk, as a  topper. (And I wonder why I am gaining weight?)

Bourbon Hot Cocoa

Chocolate and bourbon? Say no more. Make this delicious hot chocolate recipe from scratch on a

cold winter day.

½ cup bittersweet chocolate pieces
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
4 cups fat-free milk
2 Tbs honey
½ cup (4 oz.) bourbon
Ground cinnamon (optional)

1. In a medium saucepan stir together chocolate pieces and cocoa powder. Whisk in 3½ cups of the milk and the honey. Cook over medium heat just until boiling and chocolate pieces are melted, whisking constantly. Stir in bourbon. For frothy topper, pour the remaining ½ cup milk into a medium bowl. Microwave 20 to 30 seconds or just until warm. Beat with whisk until frothy. Serve cocoa with frothy topper and, if desired, sprinkle with cinnamon or additional cocoa powder.

Servings: 6

Source: Diabetic Living Magazine

Have a great day

Spanish, Exercises, Cooking, The Highwaymen, Gumbo.

You may remember I am learning Spanish and last night, I was still doing lessons at gone midnight. By the time I had finished, I really didn't want to blog and anyway hadn't a lot to write about, so, sorry, being lazy.

Not that I have a lot to write about today, I had a thoroughly lazy day really. I didn't even go to exercise class, slap hand and go to bed with no tea. My excuse was I was hurting, my reason was I was again being lazy. I just seem to have been on the go lately.

Admittedly Thursday I spent a lot of time making cole slaw. Easy if you are fit, tiring and painful if you are not. Today I made the shrimp and leek recipe I posted on September 25. We both enjoyed it. Matt wasn't too sure at first,  but after he had been eating it for a bit, he decided he liked it. I liked it from the start. Of course it has no spiciness too it which maybe what threw him off. It is really easy to make, I wasn't sure at first, but it was. I cooked the pasta in the Instant Pot of course, then I can forget about it until it's done and concentrate on the rest of the recipe. It is certainly a recipe I will be making again although of course we have leftovers already. Probably eat them Sunday depending on what I decide to cook for Saturday night.

I was wondering, in bed last night thinking about it, does anyone ever cook my recipes? If you don't, you are really missing out on some good nosh.

We just watched "The Highwaymen", with Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash and Chris Christopherson. I could name all of them except Waylon Jennings. We are not supposed to be Country Music fans but we both thoroughly enjoyed the concert and I certainly was familiar with most of the songs. I would love to get the DVD, but not at $50 something. Lot more on the TV of course as they were fund raising once more.

Well, getting pretty late again, did my Spanish earlier, so this is it for tonight.

I haven't made a gumbo since we came back from the Carolinas. This recipe turned up today on MyRecipes.com and I thought, why not. Saving it I noticed they said frozen okra, sorry, I would not use that unless I had to. I haven't seen okra for a while, but there must be somehwere I can get it.

Smoky Shrimp and Chicken Gumbo

Freeze leftover stock up to three months, and use for chowder or risotto.

Stock:
1 lb unpeeled medium shrimp
8 cups water
1 tsp black peppercorns
4 garlic cloves, crushed
3 large celery stalks, chopped
3 bay leaves
3 medium carrots, coarsely chopped
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
Gumbo:
6 Tbs canola oil, divided
2.25 oz all-purpose flour (about 1/2 cup)
6 skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 cups finely chopped white onion
1 Tbs Creole seasoning
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 medium celery stalks, chopped
2 medium tomatoes, finely chopped
1 large green bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
3 cups fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
2 bay leaves
1 cup frozen cut okra
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco)
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
2 cups hot cooked brown rice

1. To prepare the stock, peel and devein shrimp, reserving shells. Cut each shrimp in half lengthwise; cover shrimp, and refrigerate.

2. Combine reserved shrimp shells, 8 cups water, and next 6 ingredients (through onion) in a large Dutch oven, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 1 hour. Strain mixture through a sieve into a bowl; discard solids. Set aside 3 cups stock; keep warm. Reserve the remaining shrimp stock for another use.

3. To prepare the gumbo, heat a large cast-iron skillet over low heat; add 1/4 cup canola oil. Cook for 2 minutes, swirling to coat pan. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup. Gradually add flour to oil, stirring constantly with a whisk until smooth. Increase heat to medium; cook for 8 minutes or until the flour mixture is caramel-colored, stirring frequently. Cook 2 minutes or until mixture is chestnut-colored, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; slowly add warm shrimp stock, stirring until smooth. Pour stock mixture into a large bowl.

4. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add chicken; cook 7 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Add onion and the next 5 ingredients (through bell pepper); sauté for 3 minutes. Return stock mixture to pan; add broth and bay leaves. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer for 45 minutes.

5. Add okra and next 3 ingredients (through black pepper). Simmer for 30 minutes.

6. Combine shrimp and paprika; toss to coat shrimp. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add shrimp; sauté for 2 minutes or until the shrimp are done. Stir shrimp into okra mixture. Discard bay leaves. Serve over rice.

Servings: 8

Source: Cooking Light

Have a great weekend.
 

Weekend, Spanish, Pork Tenderloin,

Went to Victoria St. Market on Friday to get some more of their cole slaw. Also bought some bananas to last us til the next shopping and found I hadn't bought enough even then, duuh. I particularly like a banana ever day because I tend to get cramp in one part of me or another which can be damned painful. Like a fool I looked at their desserts and I was in the mood for chocolate (not sure when I am not in the mood for chocolate) so ended up buying two delicious desserts. When will I ever learn? There is a poster in the store saying they will deliver to your door, but it doesn't give any details.

Still working on my Spanish although I came across an anomaly on Friday. One of the women in the exercise class had on a shirt which said "Como la flor". Como, to me, means I eat. However, it turns out it has a double meaning, in this case, Like a Flower, but in other cases it means I eat. How very confusing.

Matt announced that when he had finished the current bottle of gin,  he was quitting drinking it!! I wonder if he will remember that. He always says how nice his Bombay Sapphire is when he has a drink. We shall see.

I cooked a pork tenderloin on Saturday but it was a recipe I have posted fairly recently so I found this one today and thought it sounded pretty good. Pork tenderloin is a relatively inexpensive meat, especially compared to pork chops. Pork and apple always go well together.

Pan-Roasted Pork with Apple Chutney and Pepper Relish

3 1/2 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil
1 Granny Smith apple, cut into 1/4-inch wedges
1/2 cup white wine vinegar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 Tbs mustard seeds
1/4 tsp whole allspice berries
1 pinch cayenne pepper
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 jalapeños, seeded and finely chopped
1 large red bell pepper, cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 large yellow bell pepper, cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 small red onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 large garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup minced, peeled fresh ginger
2 12-ounce pork tenderloins

1. In a medium skillet, heat 1/2 tablespoon of the olive oil. Add the apple and cook over high heat until browned on the bottom, about 3 minutes. Add the vinegar, brown sugar, mustard seeds, allspice and cayenne and simmer over moderate heat until thickened, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

2. In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Add the jalapeños, red and yellow peppers, onion, garlic and ginger. Cover and cook over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer the pepper relish to a bowl and wipe out the skillet.

3. In the same large skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Season the pork tenderloins with salt and pepper and add to the skillet. Cook them over moderate heat on 4 sides until lightly browned, about 3 minutes per side. Cover and cook, turning once, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center registers 145°, about 10 minutes. Transfer the tenderloins to a carving board, cover loosely with foil and let rest for 10 minutes. Slice the pork 1/3 inch thick and serve with the chutney and pepper relish.

Servings: 4

Source: Food & Wine


Have a great day
 

Duo Lingo, IP Recipe.

Can't remember if I mentioned that Jan made me aware of a site called Duolingo where she was learning Spanish. I thought I would try brushing mine off as I think I have forgotten a large amount of it. Maybe I will brush up my French afterwards - when you don't use these languages much, you get somewhat rusty.

I cooked cauliflower in the basket I bought for my Instant Pot. I found a recipe which said for tender cook it for 2 minutes. Matt ate a few very crisp pieces and said it was raw. So next time I tried 3 minutes, better but I think 4 will do the trick. The person who wrote the recipe must have a very odd idea of tender cauliflower.

So having realised I hadn't got enough soy sauce for the recipe I posted the other day and being too busy to go and get some, I hunted around for a good sauce to use on the sirloin steak. I give you the original sauce I found, but I added some mushrooms to the shallots - turned out to be delicious. I didn't drain off the mushrooms and shallots either, I liked them left in although I guess if I were trying to impress someone I wouldn't. Don't do much impressing chefs any more though LOL. Of course we finished off our meal with Chocolate Wave Cake. Only trouble is, being my birthday meal, I had to cook it!!

Red wine jus

Create a red wine jus to serve alongside beef dishes. A classic French sauce made with red wine, port

and shallots, it's an ideal topping for steak

2 tsp olive oil
2 shallots, finely chopped
175 ml port
175 ml red wine
1 rosemary sprig
1 bay leaf
800 ml beef stock
2 Tbs butter
pinch sugar

1. Put the olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat and fry the shallots until golden and caramelised, about 10 mins.

2. Add the port, wine and herbs and simmer for 10 mins, or until reduced by half.

3. Pour in the stock and continue to cook until reduced by half again, then strain, discarding the shallots and herbs.

4. Transfer the sauce into a new pan and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter, then season to taste.

Source: BBC Good Food

Have a great day
 

Cinco de Mayo, Spanish, Chinese Lunch.

I sent my dragon grandson, Al Diaz at Dragon on a Mission, who lives in Mexico, a Cinco de Mayo funny on Facebook on Monday and he replied to me in Spanish. Now once upon a time I spent a lot of energy on learning Spanish. However, I am afraid I have forgotten a lot of it. So, I looked up grandson in Spanish and replied. However, whilst looking it up I came upon a programme which teaches one Spanish for free. So, I decided to brush up on the language. We will see how I get on. I wonder if they do the same for French. I have both languages on CDs, but like the way this is working. My French is a lot better than my Spanish mind you. I even used it at work for a while here although I have trouble understanding French Canadians.

Out and about yesterday, I saw a sign which amused me “If time is money, are ATMs Time Machines?”.

We went for our Chinese lunch at the Mandarin yesterday and thoroughly enjoyed it. They issued passports a while back and you have to get 3 stamps to enter for a trip to Japan. There are several pages you can fill up giving you more than one chance. Not usually lucky at these things but you never know. Not sure why Japan and not China, although they do serve sushi there.

We decided to get our ears lowered (hair cut) in the afternoon and there is a Chinese restaurant (Sam’s Chinese Kitchen) quite close to the salon. I asked the proprietor if she had eaten there she said yes and it was very good. Also that they got very busy, particularly at the weekends and anyone she had recommended also liked it. Will have to check it out. It may surprise you to know we love Chinese food!!!

Bowling today. Just the two of us.

For Sunday supper I made Devilled Eggs and Triple Hot Coleslaw. May seem like a funny combination but we enjoyed it. During April I messed about with devilled eggs to get one that actually tasted devilled. Devilling was something the English used to do a lot of, but the food was hot and spicy not bland like most of the devilled eggs today. This is what I ended up with. The eggs are covered with Saran wrap so they won’t dry out.

My Devilled Eggs

As a supper dish


4 eggs, hard boiled
2-3 tsp Hellman's mayonnaise
1/2 tsp (or to taste) Coleman's mustard powder (I actually used a whole tsp).
1 tsp white wine vinegar
6-8 drops Texas Pete (or to taste)
Salt and pepper
Paprika

Peel eggs and cut in half taking out the yolks and putting in a small bowl. Mash with a fork. Add mayonnaise and continue to stir then add all the other ingredients individually. Mashing in with each addition. Then put the resulting mixture back into the egg whites and sprinkle with paprika. This is very much a matter of taste. For the slaw, I usually buy a pre-chopped bag of slaw and add onions as there are none in it.
Servings: 2


Triple Hot Dressing for Cole Slaw

The Ultimate Hot and Spicy Cookbook

1 Tbs Dijon mustard
2 tsp creamed horseradish
1 tsp Tabasco scuae
2 Tbs wine vinegar (white or red)
5 Tbs olive oil
salt and ground black pepper
cayenne pepper (optional)

1. Beat all ingredients together until oil is incorporated. If you like it really hot and spicy, add the cayenne, otherwise just pour dressing on a coleslaw salad and toss well. Leave it to stand for at least an hour tossing a couple of times more. Check the seasoning just before serving.

Have a great day