Bendy Toys!! Book, Actor.

A friend sent me this link over the weekend. Both Matt and I consider this quite incredible, Matt, being an ex gymnast, was particularly impressed. http://www.jokeroo.com/bin/player.swf?5f9f_f369 Do have a look.

Last night I finished a book called The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell. What a powerful novel. In a way I am very sorry to have finished it. It is the story of a Jesuit mission to a planet in the Alpha Centauri system – the party consisted of 4 Jesuits and 4 civilians. They went because a San Juan receiver had picked up the most wonderful music coming from a planet in the area. The expedition ends up in disaster, but how it all happens is an excellent read. The story is predominantly told by the surviving Jesuit priest. If you get the chance, do read it. The author won all kinds of awards for this book which are well deserved. I did find the story a tad slow to get into at the beginning but…….

Oops, now I am in trouble, my friends have been discussing Colin Firth and I hadn’t a clue who he was. I am assured he is the most gorgeous specimen of manhood to walk the earth!!! He has actually just received a Golden Globe award for his role in The King’s Speech. As I have not yet seen that movie and am not sure whether I saw Love Actually, I don’t really know how I would have come across him before. Oh, Google says he played a couple of other roles I must have seen as I did watch Bridget Jones’ Diary, not sure if I saw his version of Pride and Prejudice.

I have always enjoyed Picadillo, the South American ground beef dish, we have made it several times over the years. The following recipe is a new twist on an old theme, its part of their healthy meals series in Eating Well.

Apple Turkey Picadillo

From EatingWell: September/October 2007

This twist on the Latin American staple is made healthier with lean ground turkey and crisp apples. It doubles well. Try tucking it into whole-wheat tortillas or serve over instant brown rice for a quick and healthy supper.

2 servings

Ingredients

2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/3 cup finely chopped red onion

1 clove garlic, minced

8 ounces 99%-lean ground turkey

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

1 medium tart green apple, peeled and chopped

1 cup chopped tomato

3 tablespoons chopped green olives

1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/4 cup sliced scallion greens

Preparation

1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cook until soft, stirring often, about 2 minutes. Add turkey; cook, stirring and breaking up, until lightly browned, 4 to 6 minutes.
2. Stir in cumin, oregano, salt, pepper and cloves; cook for 30 seconds. Stir in vinegar, scraping up any browned bits. Stir in apple, tomato, olives and Worcestershire sauce. Reduce heat and gently simmer, stirring often, until any liquid in the pan has reduced to a syrupy glaze, about 8 minutes. Stir in scallion greens and serve.

Nutrition

Per serving : 246 Calories; 8 g Fat; 1 g Sat; 5 g Mono; 45 mg Cholesterol; 17 g Carbohydrates; 30 g Protein; 4 g Fiber; 488 mg Sodium; 360 mg Potassium

1 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 1 fruit, 4 very lean protein, 1 fat

Have a great day

Overslept, Floods, Atomic Industry

Oops, we overslept this morning, most unusual for us. Went to bed relatively early as well. Guess it doesn’t really matter. Woke up to fairly thick snow again. Roads are pretty white although I just saw someone drive one as though it was bare and dry!! It finally looks like winter in Canada round here.

This is the most incredible picture I have ever seen, talk about co-operation. This picture was taken in the Queensland floods by Armin Gerfach. A green frog riding on the back of a brown snake. http://tinyurl.com/47goeeh If only we humans could co-operate as well as this.

Being up so late I have no idea what is going on in the world, however, on a quick check of the news doesn’t seem to be much that’s changed. Although it appears that Canada has been trying to sell its nuclear power agency, why? However the talks have collapsed. I cannot imagine why we would want to sell this agency – ah, it appears it is desperately overrun on costs which is making us taxpayers foot the bill. Read about it here http://tinyurl.com/4bbb8vk There are some fairly cogent arguments at the end of the article.

Eating Well are promoting healthy eating this week and here is another of their recipes in this class. I have always enjoyed Sichuan dishes.

Sichuan-Style Chicken with Peanuts

From EatingWell:  February/March 2005, EatingWell for a Healthy Heart Cookbook (2008)

The piquant Sichuan Sauce (which doubles easily) works well with almost any stir-fry but particularly enhances dishes with meat, fish and poultry. When stir-frying chicken, always spread the pieces in the wok and let them cook undisturbed for 1 minute before stirring. This allows the chicken to sear and prevents sticking. To smash the ginger, use the side of a cleaver or chef's knife.

4 servings

Ingredients

Sichuan Sauce

• 3 tablespoons reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 2 teaspoons Chinkiang rice vinegar, (see Note) or balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1/4 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper, plus more to taste

Chicken

• 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast, or thighs, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 teaspoon Shao Hsing rice wine, (see Note) or dry sherry
• 1 teaspoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 2 1/2-inch-thick slices ginger, smashed
• 2 cups sugar snap peas, (8 ounces)
• 1/4 cup dry-roasted peanuts
• 1 scallion, minced

Preparation

1. To prepare Sichuan sauce: Whisk broth, tomato paste, vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, cornstarch and crushed red pepper to taste in a small bowl.
2. To prepare chicken: Combine chicken, rice wine (or sherry), soy sauce, cornstarch and garlic in a medium bowl; mix thoroughly.
3. Heat a 14-inch flat-bottomed wok or large skillet over high heat until a bead of water vaporizes within 1 to 2 seconds of contact. Swirl oil into the pan, add ginger and stir-fry for 10 seconds. Carefully add the chicken mixture, spreading it out. Cook until the chicken begins to brown, about 1 minute. Using a spatula, stir-fry for 30 seconds. Spread the chicken out again and cook for 30 seconds. Continue stir-frying until the chicken is lightly browned on all sides, 1 to 2 minutes. Add snap peas and stir-fry for 1 minute. Stir the Sichuan Sauce, swirl it into the pan and stir-fry until the chicken is just cooked through and the sauce is slightly thickened and glossy, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Transfer to a platter (discard the ginger) and sprinkle with peanuts and scallions. Serve immediately.

Nutrition

Per serving : 273 Calories; 12 g Fat; 2 g Sat; 6 g Mono; 66 mg Cholesterol; 11 g Carbohydrates; 28 g Protein; 3 g Fiber; 177 mg Sodium; 427 mg Potassium

1 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 1/2 other carbohydrate, 1 vegetable, 3 lean meat, 1 fat

Tips & Notes

• Make Ahead Tip: Prepare Sichuan Sauce (Step 1); cover and refrigerate for up to 1 week.

• Notes: Chinkiang is a dark, slightly sweet vinegar with a smoky flavor. It is available in many Asian specialty markets. If unavailable, balsamic vinegar is an acceptable substitute.
• Shao Hsing (or Shaoxing) is a seasoned rice wine. It is available in most Asian specialty markets and some larger supermarkets in the Asian section. An acceptable substitute is dry sherry, sold with other fortified wines in your wine or liquor store. (We prefer it to the “cooking sherry” sold in many supermarkets, which can be surprisingly high in sodium.)

Have a great weekend

Brisket, Lottery, Stealing.

Following my recipe yesterday, I phoned around to see if I could buy brisket. It turns out that our regular supermarket doesn’t have it – they don’t cut their own meat. However, there are a couple of other supermarkets when I can buy one. I think I have to order when I want one though. Its odd, but I suppose these days most people can’t be bothered to cook those cuts which take longer to prepare which is a shame because they miss out on some wonderful meal. That is one thing I can thank my parents for, my father had far ranging tastes and my mother learnt to cook practically anything you can think of with the obvious result that I too have far ranging tastes and thank goodness, so does Matt. I cannot imagine living with someone who didn’t “eat”. I had an uncle who wouldn’t eat onions and my aunt had to do separate casseroles for him and for us when we visited. That particular occasion she had made a classic English Trifle for dessert and I thought she hadn’t put any cream on it. Little did I know that in the Channel Islands, where my aunt and uncle lived, cream was the same colour as custard. Delicious stuff, wish I could get hold of some right now.

We have some friends who recently won a big prize in one of our many lotteries here. They were telling us about their trip to the Toronto offices to collect their money. Once they got to the Ontario Lottery office, there were there for some 3 1/2 hours. That seems somewhat excessive. It would also present me problems as I have to eat at lunchtime. I guess I won’t buy any tickets just in case *g*. I gather they are pretty careful and you have to answer all kinds of questions, fill out forms, have your picture taken and so on, everything to ensure that you are the actual winner. Bearing in mind the ‘hoo' ha’ going on with the group of 19 from Bell Canada who won a $50 million prize and then had some of the other employees trying to muscle in, I can see why they are so careful. As you can see from the picture, there are an awful lot of ways to lose (or win) money in Ontario apart from those where you pick your own numbers.

I have been reading blogs by authors who’s books are being offered illegally on the internet for free. Do read Glenda Larke’s Tropic Temper post and the post she directs you to. I think its terrible that web sites carry illegal books and take no responsibility for the offerings posted on their sites. It is, plain and simple stealing. No-one would like to work hard for a year and then not get paid and yet people download freebies without giving a thought to the consequences.

In one of my ezines, Recipe du Jour, I got this recipe which I thought sounded great. As you know, I am in to soups of all kinds so I thought I might give it a whirl. There was no picture. So I found one on line. I haven’t a clue what wheat beer is, but I have no doubt I will find out. OK I Googled and here is a picture of some. I thought it might be a dark beer but it obviously isn’t. I am not really a beer drinker, but it doesn’t look bad. Light American beers are fine for me.

Sausage and Cabbage Soup

12 ounces linguiça (Portuguese) or Polish sausage, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 onion (6 oz.), peeled and chopped
1 large clove garlic, peeled and minced
5 cups fat-skimmed chicken broth
1 bottle (12 oz.) wheat beer (hefeweizen)
1 pound thin-skinned potatoes (1 1/2 in. wide), scrubbed and quartered
1 1/2 quarts finely shredded cabbage (8 to 12 oz.)
1 cup sliced carrots (1/4 in. thick)
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1/2 teaspoon whole allspice
1/2 teaspoon peppercorns
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
Whole-grain mustard

In a 5- to 6-quart pan over medium-high heat, stir sausage often until lightly browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Spoon out and discard all but 1 tablespoon fat from pan.Add onion and garlic to pan; stir often until limp, 3 minutes.Increase heat to high. Add broth, beer, potatoes, cabbage, carrots, coriander, allspice, and peppercorns (wrap and tie spices in cheesecloth
if desired). Cover and bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are tender to bite, 10 to 15 minutes. Discard spices if wrapped. Stir in parsley. Ladle soup into bowls. Serve mustard alongside to add to taste.

Makes 6 servings.

Have a great day

Mudslide, Die in Paris.

Reports on the dreadful mudslide in Rio de Janeiro this morning, the death toll is in the 350 mark. What a dreadful way to die. These weather related disasters continue to pile up lately. I guess its something we can expect – I could be wrong but I think we cause a lot of situations by denuding hillsides so they no longer have anything holding the earth, it rains and hey presto, a mudslide. Nevertheless it is terrible if you are on the receiving end of it. Read here. http://tinyurl.com/6anugzp The flooding in Australia doesn’t seem to be receding either, Brisbane is inundated at the moment not to mention vast stretches of country as big as Germany and France combined. Yesterday was the one year anniversary of the Haiti earthquake and it doesn’t seem as though a heck of a lot has been achieved there either.

Yesterday we received a copy of French Marilyn’s book Die in Paris which Matt has started reading. I am not sure whether I will read it as I am not much into non-fiction. The story is about a Parisian who was purportedly helping the Jews and others escape during World War II. He was, in fact, killing them. Thanks for the book Marilyn.

Maybe it’s the time of year, but ever since I bought my new slow cooker, I am receiving recipes for it. This recipe calls for cutting the brisket into pieces, in my pot I don’t think that will be necessary. I am not sure, mind you, just how available brisket is and will have to go hunting around maybe. It used to be easy to buy in the UK, but I don’t know about here.

Slow-Cooked Brisket in Onion Gravy

From EatingWell: January/February 2011

This brisket is cooked with beef broth and loads of onions that melt down into a luscious gravy. Serve the brisket and gravy over a mound of steaming mashed potatoes with a side of green beans or sliced carrots for a perfect Sunday dinner.

14 servings

Ingredients

5 pounds flat-cut beef brisket (see Note), trimmed

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

4 large onions, thinly sliced

6 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper

1 6-ounce can tomato paste

2 cups reduced-sodium beef broth

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons butter, softened

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

Preparation

1. Cut brisket into two or three pieces small enough to fit into a Dutch oven; pat dry. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in the Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and brown the brisket one piece at a time, about 2 minutes per side, adding an extra tablespoon of oil if necessary to prevent sticking. Transfer the brisket to a 5-quart (or larger) slow cooker.
2. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the pan. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 3 to 6 minutes. Add garlic, thyme and pepper and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Stir in tomato paste. Add beef broth and salt; bring to a boil.
3. Transfer the onion mixture to the slow cooker. Cover and cook until the brisket reaches desired tenderness (see Timing Tip), 4 to 5 hours on High or 8 to 10 hours on Low.
4. Transfer the brisket to a cutting board and slice or shred. Place in a serving dish; cover to keep warm. Transfer the gravy to a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and boil rapidly for 5 minutes to reduce slightly.
5. Meanwhile, mix butter and flour in a small bowl until smooth and creamy. Once the gravy has reduced, lower the heat to maintain a simmer. Stir in Worcestershire sauce. Whisk half the butter mixture into the gravy and return to a simmer. Cook, stirring, until it thickens slightly, 1 to 3 minutes. If the gravy does not thicken enough (it should have the consistency of a cream soup), add the rest of the butter mixture and repeat. Do not overcook. Serve the brisket with the gravy.
6. Variation: Use 3 cups leftover brisket and 2 cups gravy to make Brisket Sloppy Joes. Heat 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add 1 seeded and diced green bell pepper and 1 seeded and minced jalapeño pepper (optional) and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Add 1 drained 14-ounce can diced tomatoes, 2 teaspoons chili powder and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add 3 cups chopped Slow-Cooked Brisket, 2 cups Onion Gravy, 2 tablespoons molasses and 2 tablespoons brown sugar; stir well. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes to meld flavors. Serve on warm whole-wheat or onion buns.

Nutrition

Per serving : 248 Calories; 10 g Fat; 4 g Sat; 5 g Mono; 65 mg Cholesterol; 8 g Carbohydrates; 30 g Protein; 1 g Fiber; 386 mg Sodium; 455 mg Potassium

1/2 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 1 vegetable, 4 lean meat

Tips & Notes

• Make Ahead Tip: Prepare onion mixture (Step 2) using 2 tablespoons oil (instead of 1) to cook the onions. Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days. To finish, complete Step 1, bring the onion mixture to a simmer and finish with Steps 3-5. The cooked brisket and gravy can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. Equipment: Large (5- to 6-quart) slow cooker

• Timing Tip: Cook the brisket for the shorter amount of time suggested if you prefer firmer, sliceable meat. If you like it to be falling apart, for shredding rather than slicing, set your timer for the longer time.
• Note: Brisket cuts are notoriously fatty, but the flat “first-cut” is much leaner than the fattier “point cut.” It may be worth calling ahead to make sure your supermarket or butcher has one on hand.

Have a great day

Penguin, Dieting, Random Act of Culture.

I had an email from Monterey Bay Aquarium yesterday about the birth of a Penguin chick, the first of its kind in their history. I thought it was so cute, I would share the picture with you.

Sorta funny, Matt went all the way over to Cambridge Memorial Hospital to arrive there for a cortisone shot in his hip. No-one knew anything about it and they finally looked at his appointment card, its for next week. Neither of us noticed. What a pair or idiots.

There was a segment on dieting traps yesterday on GMA. Showing that even “diet” food can be worse for you that you realise. Not sure it wasn’t more of a book promotion, but some of the information was worth having http://tinyurl.com/48xcxzm You can also find a recipe for cookies which are supposed to be great for people with diabetes, and to taste nice as well. I am not quite sure where one buys soy protein, but I expect a health food store would carry it if no-one else. Not that I can talk when it comes to weight, but I have always tended to shy away from “diet” foods, very often they don’t taste all that good anyway. My policy is, generally, to eat most things, but in moderation. I mean, low fat cheese is disgusting stuff in my opinion.

Random Act of Culture, what a wonderful way to be entertained whilst you are having lunch.

Lime and Ginger Grilled Salmon

Source: Derf at Food.com

Ingredients:

Servings: 2

1 teaspoon finely grated lime rind

1/4 cup lime juice (about 1 large lime)

2 teaspoons vegetable oil (Becel)

1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely minced

2 (6 ounce) salmon steaks

Directions:

Whisk together lime rind, lime juice, oil, ginger and jalapeno.

Set aside a teaspoon of the mixture.

Place salmon steaks in a dish just large enough to hold them.

Pour remaining lime juice mixture over salmon and turn to coat.

Marinate at room temperature for 15 minutes, turnig once (Do not marinate longer than 30 minutes or the salmon will go mushy).

Preheat bbq to medium high and grease grill.

Bbq salmon turning once, until cooked through, about 3 to 4 minutes on each side.

Remove to platter and spoon reserved lime juice mixture over salmon.

Serve immediately.

If you wish to broil salmon, place on a rack set over a pan.

Broil about 4 inches from heat, turning once, until salmon is cooked through, about 3 to 4 minutes per side.

Have a great day

Nostalgia, Chocolate

Sunday evening we hauled out our projector and boxes of slides and spent a couple of hours of looking at old pix taken in the 70’s. This included when we first arrived in Canada so there was a preponderance of Niagara Falls photos, haven’t been there in years, and The African Lion Safari in Rockton, Ontario. In recent years Matt did some security work there for a while so we did go there once in the last 10 years when we got in for free. What really teed me off with these photos, how slim I was at that time. I had joined Weight Watchers in England before we came to Canada and lost 56 lbs so I was really looking good for a while there. Not only that, we looked so young. There were also lots of snow pictures, we don’t seem to see snow like that these days.

http://tinyurl.com/2ue4cxy read this article and it tells you all the benefits of eating just a small portion of dark chocolate every day. Not very much, about the size of a Hershey’s Kiss, and not sweetened or, again, not very much. But its so good for so many things. I wonder if anyone has ever suggested to Hershey’s that they make a Kiss with dark chocolate. I could eat 365 of them a year!!!

I have had a slow cooker for quite a number of years now and have always found it very useful. However, my one bugaboo was that I could not remove the inside for washing so had to be extremely careful not to get the electrical connections wet and which made it always a pain to wash. Yesterday, we had to go into a local hardware store and I started looking at some slow cookers; we ended up buying one, somewhat bigger, with a stone interior which can be removed and if wanted, can be used as a serving dish. Mind you this stone dish is extremely heavy. It is also programmable if one wants, not that I think I will, more for people going to work than me. So, now I need more recipes to take advantage of my new small appliance.

Here is, obviously, a slow cooker recipe. My only problem is the use of canned soups and I would be very much inclined to make my own sauces/soups but it does make it an easy recipe. I would certainly use fresh mushrooms.

Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff

Source: Betty Crocker

Stroganoff, once only weekend special can now be served weeknights thanks to slow cooking.

Prep Time 15 Minutes

Total Time 8:15 Hrs:Mins

8 servings

2 pounds beef stew meat

1 cup chopped onion

1 can (10 3/4 ounces) condensed cream of golden mushroom soup

1 can (10 3/4 ounces) condensed cream of onion soup

1 jar (6 ounces) Green Giant® sliced mushrooms, drained

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, cubed

1 container (8 ounces) sour cream

6 cups hot cooked noodles or rice

 

In 3 1/2- to 4 1/2-quart slow cooker, mix beef, onion, soups, mushrooms and pepper.

Cover and cook on low heat setting 8 to 10 hours or until beef is very tender.

Stir cream cheese into beef mixture until melted. Stir sour cream into beef mixture. Serve over noodles.

Time Saver

Save time and tears. Use pre-chopped onions found in the freezer case of your supermarket. Thaw before adding.

Have a great day

Insurgents, Gunmen, Netflix, Books

Saturday afternoon I heard a somewhat scary report on the radio, although I didn’t catch all of it, it was about Muslim insurgents – not sure which country - having declared people could not touch nor walk with others who were not family. They are boarding public transport with guns to ensure that this is not happening and that women are not travelling alone. Women may no long work which is causing extreme hardship in many families and, of course, women have to wear the full hijab showing only their eyes. Matt’s comment was – no wonder so many come over here. But, even when they do, the men seem to enforce these kinds of rules anyway. In this day and age of liberation for women, this is quite frightening. I often wonder what it is about women that these insurgents are so scared of, their own inability to resist temptation perhaps?

Saturday also gave us the shooting of a congresswoman, Abby Giffords, who right now is still fighting for her life although she is very lucky not to have died on the spot with a bullet to the head. Both a 9 yr. old girl and a district judge did. Sadly the 9 yr. old was born on 9/11 and was amongst those kids who were labelled Children of Hope. I heard there were 13 shootings with 6 people dead. I know three of those shot were Giffords’ aides one of whom was killed outright and sadly, had just become engaged. Everyone spoke very highly of both Gifford and the judge. The little girl, Christina Green, was interested in politics and had gone with her uncle to meet the congresswoman. The picture shows Abby Giffords with her husband Captain Mark Kelly, an astronaut. His brother is currently up in the space station. And still, Americans fight for the right to bear arms.

Saturday again, I watched Lucky Number Slevin on Netflix. It starred Josh Hartnett, Morgan Freeman, Ben Kingsley and Bruce Willis. An excellent movie, not new, but good. I am beginning to be a fan of Netflix, the only trouble being that a lot of the things I am looking for are unavailable. There was an episode of one of my favourite TV shows on last night, I missed it in favour of the movie. It’s a British programme called New Tricks – I checked it out on Netflix and every season is unavailable.

I have just finished the second book in The Inheritance Trilogy by N.K. Jemisin, it is called The Broken Kingdoms. Once again I enjoyed it very much and am looking forward to the third book which is due out this year.

One of my newsletters this morning was all about cakes, just what I need. However, I thought this one looked delicious. Matt wouldn’t like it, cheesecake is one of his favourite desserts, but he likes a really good, rich cheesecake with nothing on it or in it to change the flavour. I suspect this recipe would be extremely rich and one could only manage a small slice.

Amaretto Fudge Cheesecake

Source: Cooking.com

12 servings

A thin slice of this decadent dessert is all you need to satisfy your sweet tooth. INGREDIENTS

For Crust:

One 11-ounce box chocolate wafer cookies

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

For Filling:

10 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

20 ounces cream cheese

2/3 cup sugar

1 pint sour cream

1/4 cup amaretto

2 drops almond extract

5 large eggs

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

DIRECTIONS

FOR THE CRUST: Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Butter 9-inch-diameter springform pan with 2 3/4-inch-high sides. Finely grind cookies in food processor. Mix in butter. Press mixture over bottom and 3/4 of the way up sides of prepared pan.

FOR THE FILLING: Stir chocolate in top of double boiler set over simmering water until melted and smooth. Remove from heat. Cool 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Using electric stand mixer and paddle attachment, beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl on medium speed until fluffy, scraping down sides of bowl occasionally. Add next 3 ingredients, beating until blended after each addition. Beat in melted chocolate. Beat in eggs 1 at a time. Mix in flour just until blended. Transfer filling to prepared crust.

Bake cheesecake until edges are firm and center is softly set, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Transfer pan to rack and cool. Cover and refrigerate until cheesecake is cold, at least 4 hours or overnight.

Using knife, cut around sides of pan to loosen cake. Remove pan sides. Cut cheesecake into wedges and serve.

Have a great day

Birds, Birds, Birds. Golden Voice, Technology

I was reminded today about the odd story concerning hundreds of birds dropping dead from the sky in both Louisiana and Arkansas on different days. Plus reports from a woman in Kentucky who found dozens of dead birds in her yard. They are examining the birds to see if they can see why this is happening, but I must admit, my first thoughts were of Glenda Larke’s book Gilfeather where something similar happens. If you haven’t read the book, I won’t tell you what happens.

Another story in the news was that of a homeless man who has a ‘golden voice’. In fact we saw an interview the other day; he used to be on radio as an announcer at one time but fell on hard times through drugs and alcohol, etc. but he is now 2 years clean. His name is Ted Williams and since he was discovered he has been offered all kinds of jobs using his voice. Read the full story here http://tinyurl.com/2wtb6ye where you can also hear him speak.

There was a segment on GMA today talking about cell phone and technology and saying how much more advanced the rest of the world was compared to the US (and by extension Canada). I had already been told cell phones were much cheaper in the UK, it appears that is the case in much of the rest of the world and the apps available are much better. Africa in particular is very advanced in their use of cell phones which did surprise me. In Dubai they have built a complex which uses smart pod cars for transit, these do not have drivers and are considered to be very “green”. Their hi speed internet access is much more widely available and much faster than what is available here.

I thought I would pass on a Kraft healthy recipe today for an easy breakfast. Obviously they are advertising Kraft products, but you can replace with what is available in your area.

Tex-Mex Morning Scramble

Kraft

4 servings

What You Need

2 cups cholesterol-free egg product

1 cup BREAKSTONE'S or KNUDSEN 2% Milkfat Low Fat Cottage Cheese

1 green pepper, chopped

1/2 cup chopped onions

1/2 cup KRAFT 2% Milk Shredded Mild Cheddar Cheese

1/2 cup TACO BELL® HOME ORIGINALS® Thick 'N Chunky Salsa

Make It

BEAT egg product and cottage cheese with whisk until well blended; set aside.

COOK vegetables in medium nonstick skillet sprayed with cooking spray on medium-high heat 2 to 4 min. or until crisp-tender, stirring occasionally.

ADD egg mixture and Cheddar; cook on medium heat 8 to 10 min. or until egg mixture is set, stirring frequently. Serve topped with salsa.

TACO BELL® and HOME ORIGINALS® are trademarks owned and licensed by Taco Bell Corp.

Kraft Kitchens Tips

Serving Suggestion

Serve with cantaloupe slices or your favorite fruit.

Hips, Mug Rugs, Illegal Books,

This morning Matt has to go see our Orthopædic surgeon, i.e. the guy who did Matt’s hips and knee and also my hip. (Makes us sound like a couple of old crocks). He has been having considerable pain in his right hip – actually the second he had done – so we are wondering if it needs replacing. We hope not, but….. so please keep your fingers crossed.

We took down our decorations yesterday and somehow I lost my regular mug rugs (similar to those in this picture). I have three Christmas ones which I have been using for a few weeks now and several which I use all during the year. I don’t know where I put them, I have hunted absolutely everywhere, I think I am going bonkers!!! The friend who made them originally has offered to make some more, which is great, but it shouldn’t be necessary.

There has been some discussion on Facebook about people illegally downloading books. I didn’t actually know it was possible, but I agree with my author friends that it is stealing. Their work is sold in book stores and every freebie means a little less money earned for their hard work. It is one of the disadvantages of the internet that if someone puts anything on the web, the rest consider its OK to download. To a certain extent I agree with this philosophy, but of course in many cases, such as novels, these things are not put there by the authors or publishers, but by someone unconnected with them. Most of us wouldn’t break into the author’s homes and steal their work, but we are quite happy to do so if its on the web. There doesn’t seem to be any way you can stop it either. I am not quite sure why people put books on the web for others to get free, they aren’t making any money either, or am I wrong? Seems a lot of effort for nothing.

We are still getting Christmas cards. I had not considered that the bad weather in Europe which grounded so many planes also prevented mail getting through. Never even thought of it. I’ve heard that mail in the UK didn’t get to other parts of the UK for weeks either, let alone from the UK to Canada.

Oh, forgot to mention, we have booked our vacation in North Carolina again. The rent for the cottage we stayed in last year has increased, however, a couple of friends have decided to go with us, so that will make for a somewhat cheaper rental. This year all linens are included which saves us packing sheets and towels etc. although is probably the reason for the increase in fees.

Here is a version of a very old soup, Scotch Broth, which can be done in a slow cooker. In this hemisphere, good, warming, comfort soups are just right for our winter weather. Of course most of us wouldn’t have lamb or mutton stock, so we would have to adapt with beef bouillon. Pearl Barley is one of those rarely eaten foods (here at least) which is very good for you.

Scotch Broth

Source BBC Food
Ingredients
250g/8oz carrots, peeled, diced
250g/8oz turnips, diced
2 onions, peeled, diced
1 celery stalk, diced
1 leek, white part only, sliced
75-125g/3-4oz pearl barley
125g/4oz dried peas, soaked in water for 4-5 hours, drained
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2.3litres/4 pints lamb or mutton stock
85g/3oz kale, chopped (optional)
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preparation method
1. Heat all of the ingredients, except the kale, in a large saucepan until boiling.
2. Reduce the heat and simmer gently for a 2-3 hours, or until the peas and pearl barley are soft.
3. Stir in the kale and cook for a further 10-12 minutes, or until the kale is tender. Season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper

Have a great day

Twelfth Night, Autism and Hockey.

Today is Twelfth Night or Epiphany. It is, to me, the day we take down our decorations. For once I won’t be particularly sorry which is odd, I normally feel sad to remove them each time. They are a pain to put up and a pain to take down – Matt keeps saying why bother and I call him a Grinch, but I am beginning to wonder why I do bother. We shall see at the end of this year if the Grinch wins.

Something of a shocker this morning, the British medical journal, The Lancet, has revealed that the research done in 1998 by a Dr. Wakefield, in Britain, linking vaccinations with autism is actually false. According to GMA people are up in arms as their children got very sick because they didn’t have these vaccinations (rubella and measles, MMM) although other parents swear their children developed autism after receiving such vaccinations. It appears that Dr. Wakefield used fraudulent information for his research to prove his theory. He defends himself today, but it appears he did perpetrate a fraud on the public with this research. Autism is such a terrifying disease for parents that they don’t need these extra problems.

I don’t really follow hockey, ice hockey that is, when I lived in the UK hockey meant field hockey to most of us. However, it is always nice when our teams win, so Canada is now devastated their junior team got beaten by the Russians 5-3 last night in Buffalo. We have the silver medal, but I know most people expected the Canadian team to get the gold. Canadians seem to feel that hockey is their game and therefore they should always win.

Last night I tried cooking the dish we had been served at our friend’s house, we had a piece of pork which had been in the freezer for a while. It turned out very well if not quite the same as their dish.

Tim's Pork Loin

1 pork fillet
2 onions, sliced
1 large can of tomatoes
Oregano to taste and Seasoning

1. Cut pork into 1 inch slices, place into slow-cooker.

2. Fry onions till golden brown, add tomatoes and bring to the boil. Add oregano and seasoning then add all to slow cooker.

3. Cook for approx 4 hrs, till pork is cooked, Serve with rice or pasta.

Have a great day

Snow, Speeding, Mockingjay and Anatto.

Well we finally had some more snow. Not a lot you understand, but enough to turn everywhere white again. The local road was certainly covered but Matt left at 7 to go shopping and said the driving wasn’t too bad. What a funny winter for us. We’ll have to move back to Europe for winter snow at this rate.

Funny story on GMA today, a couple heading to the hospital because she was having a baby, her waters broke in the car so he put his foot down. A cop car started chasing him so he called 911 told them what was happening and they conveyed that to the cop car who then proceeded to escort them to the hospital. She got there with 10 minutes to spare. They had a baby boy, when the husband left the delivery room the cop congratulated him and then handed him a ticket for speeding. He had actually clocked 102 mph. The courts are sticking to the charge as well. Legally they are right, but……… You’d think the cop and then the courts would have cut him some slack.

I have finally got hold of the last book in the Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins. It is called Mockingjay – so far this has been a very good series although its classification is actually young adult. The first book details how young people are taken from their homes and forced into the Hunger Games in the capital where they are expected to kill to win the games. The protagonist is a young girl called Katniss who’s performance at the games inspires a revolution. Excellent story.

Yesterday I made Shrimp Creole or Camarones a la Criolla as it is called in my Time Life book. My recipe is actually a combination between that recipe and another – don’t know who was the author of the second recipe. One recipe talks about using anatto oil, anatto being basically a colouring agent which grows in the Dominican Republic (a tour guide picked some of the seed pots and smeared it on our hands and faces, but they use it a lot in cooking). These seeds are not exclusive to the DR, but just where I happened to come across them although I had already used anatto powder in cooking.

Shrimp Creole

1/2 Cup chopped onion

1/2 cup chopped green pepper

1/2 cup chopped celery

2 cloves garlic crushed

3 Tbs canola oil mixed with 1 tsp liquid anatto

2 cup fresh tomatoes or

1 16 oz can tomatoes, drained

1 6 oz can tomato paste

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp chili powder (or 1 1/2 tsp finely chopped fresh chillies)

1 Tbs Worcestershire sauce

1/2 tsp tabasco

1/2 cup sherry

1 lb shrimp, cleaned and deveined

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

1 Tbs finely chopped parsley

1 bay leaf

Black pepper

Hot cooked rice

Heat the oil in a medium sized pan over moderate heat. Add the vegetables, cooking for about 5 minutes stirring frequently until soft but not brown. Add tomatoes, herbs, sugar salt and a little pepper. Cook briskly until most of the liquid has evaporated and the mixture is fairly solid. At this point you can hold the sauce until you are ready to serve. Later add Worcester sauce and Sherry to the mixture adding Tobasco if needed. Then add the cleaned shrimp and cook for 4-5 minutes until they are pink.

Serve over hot cooked rice.

Have a great day

Lottery, Movie and Technology

Last Friday the Max Millions lottery was drawn with a major prize of $50 million. It was won by 19 people at work who had only recently started playing their game together. They ended up with $2,631,578.95 each. Not a bad little haul. Matt had a ticket and didn’t get a cent. Oh well. One thing I like about this particular lottery, as I said the major prize was $50 million but there were 18 $1 million prizes available too which is kind of what I have been saying for years. Instead of giving just one lump sum they needed to split it up, and that’s what they have done.

I have been trying out Netflix and last night I discovered an excellent movie called Sneakers. Everyone, but everyone was in it. Robert Redford was the main character, then there was Sidney Poitier, Ben Kingsley, Dan Akroyd, River Pheonix, and then right at the end, James Earl Jones. There were lots of other people but not names I was familiar with. It was made in 1992 and I thoroughly enjoyed it, exciting story, lots of action, right up my street.

When we went to our friend’s on Saturday I was introduced to an iPad which I had never actually seen before. Fascinating gadgets, we were looking at some of their pics on it and then I was shown that it would also access the internet so long as there was available Wifi. The next day I started wondering so I asked on Facebook how you typed on it. I am still getting answers, but apparently there is an app for typing on the screen. Another FB friend said he has a small wireless keyboard which I think would be more convenient for someone like me. Not only that I would think the screen would get filthy – especially for me as I have to use a lot of hand cream – I get my hands near water and they become totally dehydrated. I will have another look at them when I get down to the States again, but as I am sure Matt will point out, I may want one, but I don’t really need one.

Talking to our team captain at bowling yesterday, we were discussing the peanut butter balls that she made for Christmas which were delicious. I was hoping Matt wouldn’t want his share!!! I asked her if she had ever heard of Martha Washington Creams, she hadn’t and asked for the recipe. Not being a computer person, I will have to take it in for her next week. However, I thought I would share it with you, it is a very simple recipe which I got from a friend in the States – she used to make them every Christmas. I found lots more recipes on the internet which contained more ingredients, but I like these fine.

Martha Washington Creams

1 box confectioner's sugar 1/2 lb Butter Medium Sweet chocolate

1. Mix butter and sugar to creamy consistency. Refrigerate. When firm, make into balls and dip in chocolate. Keep refrigerated.

2. If liked, you can use melted white chocolate to decorate.

Have a great day

Weather, Bowling and Dinner

I see lots of reports and pictures of flooding in Queensland, Australia, and according to the news today it is getting worse. An area bigger than Texas has been inundated. So many places have been flooded recently. I was going to say this year, but obviously it is a different year. There is no doubt that the world’s weather is changing, but whether it is caused by global warming or something different, I don’t really know. There seems to be a fair amount of argument amongst the scientists about global warming so at the moment there is no definitive answer.

Hey, we get to go bowling today, first time in two weeks. All our league days fell on holidays – we could have gone bowling on our own but didn’t – possibly because the lanes might have been pretty crowded. Apart from anything else, I need the exercise, I haven’t done much of anything over the holidays other than gain weight that is.

Saturday night we went to friends for dinner. We haven’t really spent time with these friends for some while so it was really enjoyable to be with them and to catch up with our lives. We had a very good meal and I must admit I went a tad heavy on the wine. One thing we ate was a paté basically made from smoked Mackerel and Philly cheese. I remember when we lived in NC we used to buy something similar from Sam’s and also later to make a copycat version, but I am damned if I can find a recipe on my PC.

We were talking about red onion marmalade that night and I thought I had a recipe for it, if I do, I can’t find that either. However, I found this one on the internet which sounds pretty good, if a bit complicated. I have followed it by another recipe which isn’t quite so complicated and includes North American measures.

Red Onion Marmalade

Source Good Food

2kg red onions or regular onions

4 garlic cloves

140g butter

4 tbsp olive oil

140g golden caster sugar

1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves

pinch of chilli flakes (optional)

75cl bottle red wine

350ml sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar

200ml port

Halve and thinly slice the onions, then thinly slice the garlic. Melt the butter with the oil in a large, heavy-based saucepan over a high heat. Tip in the onions and garlic and give them a good stir so they are glossed with butter. Sprinkle over the sugar, thyme leaves, chilli flakes if using and some salt and pepper. Give everything another really good stir and reduce the heat slightly. Cook uncovered for 40-50 minutes, stirring occasionally. The onions are ready when all their juices have evaporated, they're really soft and sticky and smell of sugar caramelising. They should be so soft that they break when pressed against the side of the pan with a wooden spoon. Slow cooking is the secret of really soft and sticky onions, so don't rush this part.

Pour in the wine, vinegar and port and simmer everything, still uncovered, over a high heat for 25-30 minutes, stirring every so often until the onions are a deep mahogany colour and the liquid has reduced by about two-thirds. It's done when drawing a spoon across the bottom of the pan clears a path that fills rapidly with syrupy juice. Leave the onions to cool in the pan, then scoop into sterilised jars and seal. Can be eaten straight away, but keeps in the fridge for up to 3 months.

Red Onion Marmalade

Bon Appétit | February 1997

The Winds Cafe
Yellow Springs, Ohio

Yield: 2 1/2 Cups

1/4 cup olive oil
6 cups thinly sliced red onions (about 3 1/4 pounds)
1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
1 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup dry Sherry
1 1/2 tablespoons grated peeled fresh ginger
1/2 cup raisins

Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add onions and dried red pepper. Cover and cook until onions are tender, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Add brown sugar, vinegar, Sherry and ginger. Cook uncovered until onions are very tender and mixture is thick, stirring frequently, about 20 minutes. Add raisins and cook until mixture is very thick and dark, stirring frequently, about 20 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cool completely. (Can be prepared 4 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

Have a great day

 

Our NY Eve,

We ended up having a very quiet New Year’s Eve, neighbours who were going to join us ended up with nasty colds. So we had a simple dinner of Escargots Bourgingnon which we bought frozen, a fillet steak accompanied by sautéed Portabello mushrooms and a slice of red velvet cheese cake, the whole accompanied by an absolutely delicious Clos du Val Napa Valley Zinfandel. I love Zinfandels anyway, but this was a particularly good one, a deep, deep red with a gorgeous bouquet. It was recommended by one of the staff at the LCBO and was really an excellent recommendation. We will be replacing it asap.

When I was in San Francisco in 1988 I am very sorry I didn’t make the effort to visit Napa Valley, just think I might have found this Zinfandel earlier. Please note I am NOT talking about white zinfandels here, those are actually pinkish and somewhat sweet.

After dinner we basically watched TV (I watched a Star Trek movie) until it was time to switch to the celebrations taking place in both Times Square, New York city and Livingstone Square, Buffalo. These shows are crammed full of advertising, I guess because they know millions will be watching. Very irritating just the same. There were a million people in New York and they said it was a record crowd in Buffalo. I was sipping on champagne and Matt was drinking a more mundane beer, he will only drink champagne if it is doctored with brandy, sugar, orange peel and bitters. A very lethal drink mind you. I am afraid I find all the many huge, well lit, flashing ads in Times Square detract from the Waterford Crystal ball when it falls to announce the new year. It is a beautiful and expensive item, but all the thousands of lights spoil its effect. The one in Buffalo is somewhat smaller.

So now its 2011. We made such a big fuss of the millennium 11 years ago, and now most of us have forgotten it. One thing I would love to have seen, in China, not quite sure where, they had a firework dragon climbing a tower, I bet that was something to see. Adelaide had a stupendous firework display over Sidney Harbour which was also something worth seeing I understand. I should be so lucky.

So today its back to reality although we are going out for supper tonight so long as colds are not holding them up as well. Then I have to do something about weight, I have been piling it on over the holiday season. Matt has been eating just as much as I have and hasn’t gained an ounce, grrrr.

Here is a recipe from Mushrooms Canada which looks as though it wouldn’t bee too bad nutritionally.

Baked Eggs with Mushrooms

1 tbsp vegetable oil
8 oz fresh sliced fresh Mushrooms
1/3 cup diced red pepper (optional)
1 tbsp minced fresh parsley (optional)
1/4 tsp each salt and pepper
1/2 tsp dried thyme, tarragon or basil (optional)   
4 large eggs
1/3 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Preheat oven or toaster oven to 350 ºF (180ºC). In a medium skillet heat oil over medium – high heat, sauté mushrooms 5-7 minutes or until lightly browned and moisture is released. Add red pepper, parsley, salt, pepper and herb if using; sauté 1 minute. Spoon evenly into 4 lightly greased (6 oz/ 90 mL) ramekins. Crack one egg into each ramekin and sprinkle cheese evenly on top. Bake in oven for 10-12 minutes (baked eggs are done when whites are set and puffy but yolks are just starting to set). Serve with toast to dip in the soft yolk.

Makes 4 servings

Tip: If using wide gratin dishes in place of ramekins make a well in the middle of the mushrooms and crack eggs into the well; increase cheese to ½ cup (125 mL). For brunch bake herbed tomato halves in the oven with the eggs.

Variations:
1. Substitute Swiss or havarti with jalapeno cheese for Cheddar.
2. Substitute diced cooked ham for red pepper.
3. Substitute ½ cup (125 mL) salsa or chili sauce for the red pepper, salt pepper and herbs.
4. French Style: for a softer texture eggs may be baked in a water bath. Place the filled ramekins in a roasting pan or baking pan (large enough so they are not touching each other). Place the pan on the oven shelf and pour in enough boiling water into the pan to reach ½ -2/3 up the side of the ramekin. Bake as directed 12- 15 minutes.

Nutritional Information: Calories: 152, Sodium: 263 mg, Protein: 9.4 g, Fat: 11.7 g, Carbohydrates: 2.6 g, Dietary Fibre: 0.9 g

Have a great weekend