Holiday Weekend, Belly Fat,

What a weekend, first of all we have another massive volcano in Iceland spewing smoke and ash in all directions and closing airports then a monster tornado on Sunday night in Joplin Missouri. The present death toll is 117 people and this morning they are talking about the possibility of another tornado in the area. One scary comment I heard, the sirens went off but people ignored them thinking it was yet another false alarm and didn’t get off the streets. Bearing in mind what happened to the houses, I can’t see it made much difference. Other people complained there was insufficient warning – I heard 17 minutes quoted. From all one hears, there isn’t a whole hell of a lot you can do with a tornado unless you have an underground shelter and not everyone does. I think if I lived in Tornado Alley in the States I would be sure to have one in my yard. We had one heck of a rainstorm here last night too, thought it might be a hangover from the Missouri storm.

This morning the water is being turned off in our building, so I have to go shower before they do so. Meanwhile, we had some really bad thumps driving the car home yesterday so Matt has to go have it checked out. Please cross your finger for us.

According to an article I was reading at the weekend, legumes of all kinds are helpful in reducing belly fat together with pears and plain popcorn. I am not quite sure how true that is, but this soup certainly looks delicious. I love beans anyway. The following is a quote from Real Age who send me a regular newsletter “All legumes are full of protein and fiber -- two well-known appetite crushers. And thanks to their dark color, black beans are also one of the highest in flavonoids of all the beans. And research shows that flavonoids may thwart the storage of excess tummy fat.” We had some at the weekend and it was very good. Didn’t have fresh cilantro of course, added some dried. Also a dollop of Greek Yoghurt.

Spicy Black Bean Soup

From Good Housekeeping

Canned beans make this soup a snap to prepare, and the right blend of spices gives it a Tex-Mex wallop of flavor.

Calories 137 per serving

6 first course servings

Ingredients

1 tablespoon(s) vegetable oil

1 medium onion, chopped

2 clove(s) (garlic) finely chopped

2 teaspoon(s) chili powder

1 teaspoon(s) ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon(s) crushed red pepper

2 can(s) (15 to 19 ounces each) black beans, rinsed and drained

2 cup(s) water

1 can(s) (14 1/2 ounces) chicken broth

1/4 cup(s) coarsely chopped fresh cilantro

Lime wedges

Directions

1. In 3-quart saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 5 to 8 minutes. Stir in garlic, chili powder, cumin, and crushed red pepper; cook 30 seconds. Stir in beans, water, and broth; heat to boiling over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes.
2. Spoon one-third of mixture into blender; cover, with center part of cover removed to let steam escape, and puree until smooth. Pour puree into bowl. Repeat with remaining mixture. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve with wedges of lime. Makes about 6 2⁄3 cups or 6 first-course servings.

Have a great day

Nudity Causes Quakes, Shatner for Governor, Eyjafjallajokull,

Well this story is more in Glenda Larke's line than mine, however, a Muslim cleric in Iran, Ayatollah Kazem Sedighitold, has stated that extra-marital sex and girls who do not dress modestly and appropriately can cause earthquakes. http://tinyurl.com/y5cfb6d Where does anyone get this nonsense from? Do they really, honestly, believe it? Actually from the news report I heard, thousands got together and demonstrated whilst wearing scanty clothing. The funny thing is, whilst this was happening, a small quake occurred. One girl was laughing about it saying 'whooppee she had caused a quake". I read that this kind of thing has been used before to bring people in line. Maybe in the past, but surely most people are too well informed to be taken in. Did you know there is a movement afoot to make William Shatner (Captain James Kirk) the new Governor General of Canada? It started as an internet joke but has now spread and become huge, there is a big page on Facebook devoted to 'Shatner for Governor'. I heard people express the belief that if he could run the Enterprise and do all the wonderful things he did in Star Trek he would be perfect. Hunh?? He is an actor, not a starship pilot. Wake up people. Once again, are they kidding or do some people really believe this? Even Leonard Nimoy (Mr. Spock) is supporting his candidacy. As far as I know, Shatner himself has not said anything yet. I am not sure who selects Governor Generals, but this is not a good choice. Fluent French speaking is a requirement too and I understand he doesn't speak fluently. He is a Canadian of course, but hasn't lived here in many a long year. I qualify better than he does *g*. One of the biggest stories at the moment is that Wal-Mart in the States is being sued for sex discrimination. Lots of money involved if it can be proved. Women are claiming they were not paid similar wages to their male colleagues, not were they promoted as frequently. We shall see. The last report I heard of the Icelandic Volcano was that the ash clouds are now hanging over Iceland causing all kinds of problems although their airport is finally opening after a 3 day shut down. Eyjafjallajokull is still spewing ash but the plume is not high enough to reach the jet streams so not causing as much problem. Hopefully everyone will finally be able to get home from wherever they were stranded, I know Glenda Larke (Tropic Temper) has a flight for the 29th - lets hope all goes well for her after being stranded in the UK for so long.

I made myself a batch of Asparagus soup on Sunday and am now looking for more recipes to try. This one came from the Asparagus Growers Marketing Board of Ontario. Mind you, before I can try it, I have to go back and buy more asparagus. Grilled Asparagus with Lemon Aioli

1 head garlic, cloves separated and peeled pinch saffron (optional) 2 to 3 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice 1 tbsp finely grated lemon zest 1 cup mayonnaise salt and pepper 1 lb Ontario asparagus, trimmed 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 1 to 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar salt and pepper

Lemon Aioli: In a small saucepan, cover garlic with water; bring to boil. Reduce heat to simmer; cover and cook until very soft, 30 to 40 minutes. Drain and pat dry. If using, stir saffron into lemon juice; set aside to dissolve, about 5 minutes. In food processor, process garlic and lemon zest; to form puree. Add mayonnaise and lemon juice mixture; process until well blended. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Grilled Asparagus: Preheat barbecue or grill on high for about 10 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-high. Place asparagus in shallow pan; add oil and toss to coat well. Grill until tender-crisp, about 3 minutes per side. Brush with vinegar; season to tast with salt and pepper. Serve immediately with Lemon Aioli as a dip or as a drizzle.

Prep time: 1 hour Yield: 4 to 8 servings Have a great day

Volcano, My Favourite Greenery,

According to reports British airports are going to be fouled up for some time due to the ash coming from the Icelandic Volcano. Really must be quite something. I can’t imagine what it must be like for people in England, something they will never have experienced before. I wonder what effect this will all have on the weather as well. I believe it can be quite serious also the health of the people. There’s a series of picture here http://tinyurl.com/y3x4n5b which you may like to see. Together with a report detailing the movement of the ash cloud. There is also an interesting piece of film from ABC here http://www.cbc.ca/video/#/News/ID=1470068444t and an even more interesting report from Good Morning America here http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/ where Neil Karlinsky is actually reporting from Iceland this morning. Funny, the GMA hosts say they can’t pronounce the name of the volcano so they needed an expert to do so for them, it is called Eyjafjallajökull. The British are, of course, worried about the economic fallout although it isn’t just Britain but a large swath of Europe which is covered by the ash fallout.

My taste buds are beginning to sit up and take notice as asparagus season draws closer. For those of you who have been reading for some time, you will remember I go nuts about the gorgeous green stuff. I have determined I will make a lot more soup this year following the recipe from Tim Barrie’s mom which is some of the best asparagus soup I have ever tasted. I al so probably need to make more asparagus pesto this year, I am getting pretty low. I will be passing on asparagus recipes to you so that if you too are in an asparagus season wherever you live, you can take advantage of it.

Many of my friends go nutty about potatoes, I actually find I don't enjoy them as much as I do the ones we used to get in Europe. Malta especially had wonderful potatoes, and last time I was in the UK I enjoyed the potatoes served there, they seem to have a lot more taste. Like most people I do like French Fries but avoid them and I like a baked potato, usually with just butter on them. This recipe was sent by Cooking.com this morning and I thought my potato loving friends might enjoy it.

Loaded Twice-Baked Potatoes Source: © EatingWell Magazine 4 servings Think of baked potatoes as nature's mini casseroles: an edible dish that can hold up to a hearty stuffing. Russets have just the right balance to make a perfect twice-baked potato: enough starch to keep its structure, enough moisture to endure the double cooking. Make It a Meal: A tossed green salad with your favorite dressing will round out this meal. Make Ahead Tip: Prepare and stuff potatoes. Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Microwave and serve. INGREDIENTS 4 medium russet potatoes 8 ounces 90%-lean ground beef 1 cup broccoli florets, finely chopped 1 cup water 1 cup reduced-fat Cheddar cheese, divided 1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper 3 scallions, sliced Tip: Vegetarian variation: Replace the ground beef with a soy-based substitute or omit the beef altogether and increase the broccoli to 1 1/2 cups and the cheese to 1 1/4 cups. DIRECTIONS Pierce potatoes all over with a fork. Place in the microwave and cook at 50% power, turning once or twice, until the potatoes are soft, about 20 minutes. (Or, use the "potato setting" on your microwave and cook according to the manufacturer's instructions). Meanwhile, brown meat in a large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring often, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl. Increase heat to high, add broccoli and water to the skillet, cover, and cook until tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Drain the broccoli; add to the meat. Carefully cut off the top third of the cooked potatoes; reserve the tops for another use. Scoop the insides out into a medium bowl. Place the potato shells in a small baking dish. Add 1/2 cup Cheddar, sour cream, salt and pepper to the potato insides and mash with a fork or potato masher. Add scallions and the potato mixture to the broccoli and meat; stir to combine. Evenly divide the potato mixture among the potato shells and top with the remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Microwave on high until the filling is hot and the cheese is melted, 2 to 4 minutes. Have a great day