Guest Post, Bowling, Cholesterol,

Once again I am delighted to say I am doing  a guest post on The Really Real Housewives of America although as I mentioned to them once, maybe it should be North America. Today is recipe day, one actual recipe and one "what I do to make:" recipe. The chicken recipe we actually ate last night and I made some cole slaw to go with it.  Actually this slaw recipe is one I picked up from a friend quite a few years ago and haven't made for a while. Been cheating by buying bagged slaw. Not as good as making it yourself.

Tuesday we went bowling, the alley is now back on winter time. All the leagues are starting this week with the exception of the Seniors' Winter League which starts next Monday, yesterday being Labour Day of course. However, it does mean this week we can have at least one day interval between games. I am delighted to say I was bowling quite well. Beat Matt in two games and he creamed me in the third. We are both looking forward to the beginning of our winter league.

This morning, Wednesday, I have blood work. I have been 3 months without a cholesterol pill. They give me such cramps. As my doc has decided I really don't have diabetes (hmm!) after all, I said in that case can I stop the pill. I had to be off it for a while for them to find out if that's a good or bad thing. If you have diabetes they want your cholesterol to be as low as possible. I won't know the results for a week unfortunately.

This is a very simple recipe but one that we have always enjoyed when I am not too lazy to make it.

Selma's Cole Slaw

1 head cabbage, hand shredded
2 sticks celery, shredded
1 cucumber, chopped
1 green pepper, seeded, chopped
1 med carrots, grated
1 large onion, or more, chopped
2 Tbs Mayonnaise
1 Tbs Vinegar
salt and pepper

1. Prepare vegetables in a large bowl. Mix mayonnaise, vinegar and seasonings. Toss vegetables in dressing. Taste and adjust seasoning to preference.


Have a great day
 

Wipers, CPAP, Statins.

Maybe we are behind the times, but we went to the store on Saturday and on walking back to the car Matt spotted a Volvo with wipers on its headlights. We had neither of us ever seen that before, however, Googling I found lots of pictures of cars with headlight wipers. I wonder how they work in the snow.

When I went to the Sleep Management Group it turned out they didn’t have a nasal pillow similar to the one I had seen at the clinic. Although they stock the same brand name, they don’t have that particular one. I ended up getting a different full mask and after discussion, she decided to up the level of pressure from 9 to 10. When I got home I put the flash drive into my computer and she did whatever they do in order to increase it. My friend can do that for himself, but I can’t and have to rely on them to do it for me. The USB port is on the left of the machine – small slot at the side. I had trouble figuring how it went into the computer, it doesn’t look like a regular flash drive. I am providing all this information as there appear to be a number of bloggers out there who have to go through this procedure. I finally spent some time working with the ‘clock’ face figuring out how to set alarms, change times, change humidity, etc.

I have been taking a statin, Lipitor, for a number of years. Because one is diabetic, reasonable levels of cholesterol become too high. I don’t tolerate any kind of cholesterol medication too well and get the most terrible cramps even though I am on a very low dose. I also take several other pills to help with cramp, makes it better, but doesn’t fix it. Now I am beginning to hear/read/see reports which say that cholesterol isn’t the big problem that it has been touted as being.  This article quotes a world renowned heart surgeon and his current thinking. Dr. Dwight Lundell is the past Chief of Staff and Chief of Surgery at Banner Heart Hospital , Mesa , AZ. His private practice, Cardiac Care Center was in Mesa, AZ. Recently Dr. Lundell left surgery to focus on the nutritional treatment of heart disease. He is the founder of Healthy Humans Foundation that promotes human health with a focus on helping large corporations promote wellness. He is also the author of The Cure for Heart Disease and The Great Cholesterol Lie. This is, by no means, the only source of this kind of information. I might say that I have been saying, for years, eat real food, full fat creams and cheeses, etc. except eat them in moderation. Most low fat products, apart from being full of chemicals, taste pretty awful as well IMHOP.

For me, only two weeks left before asparagus season is all over for another year.  You'll hear me crying wherever you live. Here is another recipe from The Guardian.

Hungarian-style asparagus

Sparga siitve is a very tasty dish which can be served with vegetables and salads or with bread or a pilaf. Hungarian asparagus is long, thick and white, but the green British variety will do just as well. You can also use yoghurt instead of sour cream.

Serves 4-6
 
900g asparagus, trimmed
(and scraped if using white asparagus)
½ tsp sugar
300ml sour cream or yoghurt
1 tsp plain flour
1 large egg yolk
1 tsp salt
1 tsp paprika
½ tsp sugar
25g fresh breadcrumbs
25g unsalted butter

1 Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6. Wash and drain the asparagus thoroughly. Simmer for 5 minutes in boiling water and drain. Pat dry with kitchen paper and arrange in a large, greased ovenproof dish.
2 In a small bowl, mix together thoroughly the sour cream or yoghurt, flour, egg yolk, salt, paprika and sugar. Pour this evenly over the asparagus. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the top and then dot with small knobs of the butter. Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes or until the top is golden.

Have a great day

World's Tallest Building, Cholesterol.

Good Morning America are doing some travelling this week, their theme being BIG. Chris Cuomo was visiting Dubai's tallest building, the Burj Dubai, which is in the desert. I believe they are building yet more such structures according to an email with pictures I was sent recently. If you are interested there is an article and some video if you click here which gives you views of this incredible monument to engineering and architecture. It is, or will be when finished, the tallest building in the world, it is 1,000 ft. taller than the previous record being held by the Taipei 101 in Taiwan. I remember when the Empire State Building held that title. This building is twice as high. It is worth watching the video to see some of the views and comparisons. If you explore Good Morning America this morning there are several articles about Dubai. I gather even they are feeling the financial pinch. Maybe they can't buy new diamond studded cars this year!!! I wrote about it last year check here when I first heard about it. Bowling again today, so wish me luck. Didn't do too badly last week, but I am not very consistent lately. Told you winter wasn't over yet, we had a smattering of snow overnight. Not very much of it, but enough to turn everything more or less white. I am always on the lookout for foods which are reputed to lower cholesterol. According to RealAge a new study see here shows that chickpeas (garbanzo beans) tend to both lower cholesterol and to lower weight. All good stuff in my book. Most nuts are supposed to lower cholesterol along with anything containing Omega-3 Fatty Acids, like salmon. Fragrant Chickpea Stew Serves 4 When time is of the essence, this hearty stew makes a quick meal. It has a complex, almost beefy flavor that develops when the onion and garlic are cooked until dark brown. Accompany with steamed rice or whole-wheat flatbreads (chapatis). Ingredients * 1 tablespoon canola oil * 1 teaspoon cumin seeds * 1 medium red onion, chopped (1 cup) * 5 medium cloves garlic, minced * 1 tablespoon coriander seeds, ground (see Ingredient Note) * 1 cup water * 1 red potato, scrubbed and cut into 1-inch cubes * 1 19-ounce or 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed * 1/2 teaspoon salt * 1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper * 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro, divided * 1 medium tomato, cut into 1-inch cubes Directions 1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat; cook cumin seeds for 10 seconds. Add onion and garlic; cook, stirring, until dark brown, 5 to 8 minutes. Add coriander; cook, stirring, for 20 seconds. Stir in water, potato, chickpeas, salt, pepper and 1 tablespoon cilantro. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until the potato is tender, 15 to 20 minutes. 2. Add tomato, increase heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, for 1 to 2 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon cilantro and serve. Have a great day.

Theatre

I thoroughly enjoyed my trip to St. Jacob's Country Playhouse yesterday. Dirty Rotten Scoundrels was a hoot and really well done. My only complaint was I had booked seats too close to the stage which was not good. If given my preferences, I prefer a balcony seat in any theatre. I don't know why people like the "stalls" I have never enjoyed them. I always remember being close to the stage for a performance of Macbeth at The Old Vic in London, England and being able to see Macbeth shower the rest of the cast with his spit. It totally detracted from his performance as far as I was concerned. That is the only thing I remember about that show. Its rather the same with performances on TV. It destroys the magic when you can virtually see a singer's tonsils, or see a performer sweating. That apart, it was a really good show and if you live locally, I hope you will go and see it. My nominee for best performance was the actor who played the French Chief of Police - sorry didn't keep my programme, I recycle them at the theatre - he was very good. I did have another complaint, I didn't win the 50/50 draw which yesterday came to $290. Maybe one day, if I go to the theatre often enough, they always have one. Learned something new this morning, Matt rarely gets bitten by a mosquito and I always get bitten badly; according to a doctor on Good Morning America it is probably because my body is more efficient at getting rid of cholesterol through the skin. This is an internet article here which will tell you more about it. The doctor on GMA also discussed various remedies which people use and said which did or did not work. She recommended Avon's Skin So Soft for children in particular. I must admit that didn't work for me but some people swear by it. I couldn't find the actual GMA article on the net this morning. I receive an email on a regular basis from Mushrooms Canada, this is the recipe I got yesterday which I think I will try the next time we are grilling. I love mushrooms of any kind although my favourites are Portabellas gently sautéed in butter.

Marinated Mushroom and Veggie Kabobs

Great with grilled poultry or meats. Vary the vegetables and marinade. For a Greek flavour serve with cooked rice or pitas.

1/4 cup	olive oil	50 mL
2 tbsp	white wine or herb flavoured vinegar	25 mL
2 tsp	dried tarragon leaves	10 mL
2	cloves garlic, minced	2
1/2 tsp	ground black pepper	2 mL
16	large fresh Mushroom Caps	16
12	mini red potatoes*	12
1	large red or green pepper seeded	1
	cut into 1" (2.5cm) pieces
2	medium zucchini, cut into 1" (2.5cm) chunks	2

In large bowl, whisk together oil, vinegar, tarragon, garlic and pepper; stir in mushrooms, potatoes, peppers, and zucchini to marinade. Marinate at least 30 minutes or up to 4 hours, tossing occasionally. Thread mushrooms, potatoes, peppers and zucchini alternately onto metal skewers; reserve any marinade. Grill or broil kabobs over medium high heat, turning several times and brushing with reserved marinade, about 12-15 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

Makes 4 Servings

*Mini potatoes are about 1-1 ½ “(2.5-3.5 cm); if not available cut small potatoes in half or quarters and precook for 2-3 minutes.

Greek Style: Substitute lemon juice for vinegar, dried oregano and mint for tarragon, and add a pinch of hot red pepper flakes to the marinade. Substitute large cherry tomatoes for potatoes, and add red onion wedges. Grill 8-10 minutes; serve with grilled whole wheat pita halves, tzatziki and crumbled feta.

Have a great day.