Bowling, Staples and Construction, Christmas Cards.

Well, I didn't bowl as well as a Thursday, but I did bowl better than usual so my average went up a smidgin and I do mean a smidgin. I think, but won't know til Thursday, that we may have beaten the team we were playing against. At the moment we are 6 out of 9 which is a considerable improvement on last place. We have a few months to go to climb a bit higher. I don't anticipate getting to the top, our team is not good enough, even with handicaps, but we should be able to get somewhat higher. I get so annoyed with myself that I can bowl a turkey on a Thursday but never for league play, well these days anyway, although I did get a couple of chickens (our name for 3 spares in a row). One of our team, who is normally pretty good, did very badly in the first two games but finally picked up in the last one.

Tomorrow I get a delivery from Staples as I needed some more photographic paper to print the Hallowe'en photos from the Exercise class. Turns out I got two packs for the price of one. I was concerned as I thought they might deliver today, Monday, but they assured me it will be Tuesday. At least they will be able to get into the building OK. The tiling in the main lobby is almost done. Looking pretty good too. I guess they have now done all the odd numbered floors and have to go back and do the even numbers. There seem to be two guys working now, maybe someone else has been hired. I felt a bit sorry for the one guy working on his own, there is a lot to do.

It being November, I have suddenly thought I need to get on with Christmas cards. I am not sure I am going to send as many this year. It's not the cards, its the postage which gets you. So, if someone has email, they will probably be getting an ecard this year.

A friend in England brought this recipe to my attention. She made it and said it was delicious. I have now discovered I can buy lamb shanks from my local grocery store, frozen, so guess what? By the way, my friend used chicken stock, lamb stock not being readily available. I think I might choose beef stock.

Vietnamese lamb shanks with sweet potatoes
BBC Good Food

Meltingly tender and full of classic Asian flavours, these lamb shanks are perfect for freezing

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 tbsp groundnut oil
4 lamb shanks, about 350g each
2 onions, halved and cut into half moons
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh root ginger
3 garlic cloves, finely sliced
2 red chillies, both deseeded, one chopped and one thinly sliced
1 tbsp soft brown sugar, plus 1 tsp
3 star anise
2 lemongrass stalks, tough outer leaves removed, then bruised
1.2l lamb stock
1½ tbsp tomato purée
4 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into big chunks
2 tbs fish sauce
Juice of 2 limes
Big handful of mint leaves, torn
Handful of basil leaves

Method

1. Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a heavybottomed
casserole, season the shanks, then brown them 2 at a time
on all sides, adding the remaining oil for the second batch. Remove
the lamb and add the onions. Fry them quite briskly, about 30 secs,
add the ginger, garlic and chopped chilli, then turn the heat down and
cook for 1 min. Add 1 tbsp sugar, stir, then add the star anise,
lemongrass, stock, purée and seasoning. Bring to the boil.
2. Cover and cook in the oven for 1½ hrs, then add the sweet
potatoes and cook for 1 hr more. The lamb should be completely
tender and almost falling off the bones. Stir in the fish sauce, lime juice
and 1 tsp sugar to just lift the flavour, then scatter with the mint, basil

Have a great day