Egg Slicer, Amended Recipe, Canola Honey.

I have and egg slicer and we do use it for slicing eggs. We enjoy egg sandwiches now and again. But this Mad Genius video shows you three other uses for your slicer which I think are a great idea. Particularly the mushrooms which would have to be nice and fresh.  This guy also has some other genius ideas and if you follow the link you can click on previous ideas of his. I tried to embed the video but something seems not to be working so I recommend you go to the link to see what I am talking about.

I posted a recipe the other day for Asparagus alla Milanese which I thought sounded good. However, I googled it for calories and they were pretty high, so, instead of using so much butter, I adjusted the recipe for us. I cooked the asparagus in boiling water until tender, about 3 mins, (instead of frying in butter) then once drained I plated them and sprinkled a very small amount of Parmesan over the spears. I then added a couple of poached eggs (poached in vinegar water not fried in more butter) and a small pat of butter for the flavour. Delicious. One thing I might do next time is serve this over toast in order to catch the egg yolks; the yolk which was on the asparagus made a delicious flavour sensation.

I recently mentioned buying some honey from Barrie’s when I got my asparagus. On the lid there is a sticker saying canola. I wasn’t sure why so I asked, apparently the hives are in a field of canola. I know nothing about canola (other than using the oil) so I finally Googled to discover that a field full of canola (actually I believe the real name is rape seed) is absolutely gorgeous. A bee’s paradise. The honey is delicious. I mentioned I haven’t had fresh honey in years, and decided to try plain yoghurt and honey the way the Greeks and Turks eat it (or did when I was there) with a dollop of honey. Absolutely delicious. much better than all these other flavours introduced into yoghurt IMHOP.

I came across this recipe again yesterday and as it is several years since I last made it or posted it, I thought I would share it again. It is delicious and the one I just saw had frosting on it as well. Obviously you can turn this out if you wish and decorate it how you like.

CHOCOLATE MUG CAKE

4 Tbs flour
4 Tbs sugar
2 Tbs cocoa
1 egg
3 Tbs milk
3 Tbs oil
3 Tbs chocolate chips (optional)
a small splash of vanilla extract
1 large coffee mug

1. Add dry ingredients to mug, and mix well.  Add the egg and mix thoroughly. Pour in the milk and oil and mix well.  Add the chocolate chips (if using)and vanilla extract, and mix again.
2. Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes at 1000 watts (high).
3. The cake will rise over [above] the top of the mug, but don't be alarmed!
4. THE MUG WILL BE HOT; USE MITTS FOR REMOVING FROM MICROWAVE
5. Allow to cool a little, and tip out onto a plate if desired.
6. EAT!

Author Notes
(this can serve 2 if you want to feel slightly more virtuous).
And why is this the most dangerous cake recipe in the world?
Because now we are all only 5 minutes away from chocolate cake at any time of the day or night!

Have a great day

Bowling, Election.

I had a moderately good day at bowling on Wednesday, not sure what I will do today. The last couple of weeks we have all (our team) been bowling below our averages. I keep getting the days wrong and bowling up a storm on Thursday when it doesn’t matter what my score is!! Very frustrating to say the least. This week we were bowling against the top bowlers in the summer league and they were not up to par either so maybe we were affecting them too. We had a book with lots of coupons in it the other day and found four which were buy one game get one free. Having checked, we will be using these on Thursdays, they are worth $9 to us and we can using them on non league days. The owner even suggested we got hold of all the coupons in the thrown away books. Good idea but too late now unfortunately.

Today is our provincial election. I am sick of all the phone calls we have been getting. I was really irritated at getting one call where the candidate addressed me as Josephine. I am old fashioned, you don’t call me by my first name unless you know me. Mind you, I was interested at the technology which allowed them to do that. Presumably if Matt had answered the phone it would have used his name. It was all recorded of course. I get fed up anyway, I will vote for whoever I want to and no amount of phone calls will change my mind. At least the campaigning does NOT last as long as it does in the States. That drives me nuts and of course we get a lot of the TV ads up here anyway. We usually vote at a school just down the road, but they are pulling the place apart. The kids are still there, but there sure would be no room for an election booth. Looking for a pic of the school, this one has our apartment building in the background.

Here is another recipe I liked the look of. I do like quinoa and of course I like shrimp. It looks a lot but quinoa is very easy to prepare. Maybe I will try this at the weekend. Today I made another batch of tomato soup. I have now run out of storage containers.

Spicy Grilled Shrimp with Quinoa Salad

Serves 4
Total: 58 Minutes
Recipe from Cooking Light.

 

• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice, divided
• 10 teaspoon olive oil, divided
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
• 1/8 teaspoon Spanish smoked paprika
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped and divided
• 24 large shrimp, peeled and deveined (about 1 pound)
• 3/4 cup uncooked quinoa
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon honey
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 cup canned organic chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 cup diced peeled avocado
• 1 ounce feta cheese, crumbled
• Cooking spray
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Preparation

1. 1. Preheat grill to high heat.
2. 2. Combine 2 tablespoons lime juice, 1 tablespoon olive oil, chili powder, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, black pepper, hot sauce, paprika, and 2 garlic cloves in a medium bowl. Add shrimp; toss well. Marinate in refrigerator 30 minutes.
3. 3. Rinse and drain quinoa. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion to pan; sauté 3 minutes. Add remaining 2 garlic cloves and quinoa; cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add 1 cup water; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 13 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Cool. Combine remaining 2 tablespoons lime juice, remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, remaining 1/2 teaspoon cumin, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and honey in a large bowl; stir with a whisk. Add quinoa mixture, tomatoes, chickpeas, avocado, and cheese; toss gently.
4. 4. Remove shrimp from bowl; discard marinade. Sprinkle shrimp with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Thread 3 shrimp onto each of 8 (6-inch) skewers. Place skewers on grill rack coated with cooking spray. Grill 2 minutes on each side or until done.
5. 5. Divide quinoa mixture evenly among 4 plates. Top each serving with 2 skewers. Garnish with cilantro.

Have a great day

Funeral. Lunch

Whilst at the doctor’s we were watching the funeral for the three Mounties who were shot in Moncton, NB. They were holding it in the local arena as there were thousands there including Mounties from all over the country and other uniformed groups, I was unable to identify them, but it was a very impressive sight. The Prime Minister and the Governor of Canada were there and last, but not least, the families entered. Then the caskets were brought in by a parade of Mounties (Royal Mounted Police) and each casket was borne by a troop of Mounties and draped with a Canadian flag. All that red from their uniforms together with the red flag was quite spectacular. I started to tear up and was glad we were called away before I really dissolved into tears. One of the three who were shot was a dog handler and there was at least one dog in the crowd, I am not sure if it was his dog or not – yes it was, this was his K-9 partner with another officer. There were also a lot of very young babies there which I thought was a bit stupid as the service was expected to take three hours. Quite a lot of young kids too. One part of the arena was a sea of red with all the uniforms.

Matt had a check up visit with his cardiac doc today (everything OK) but we didn’t get out til late and as it was not local we went out for lunch. We went to a restaurant we hadn’t been to for a number of years, Galt View, which is right opposite the hospital in Cambridge and therefore does a huge business. We haven’t been there for a long time though and I realised it had changed hands, about a year ago the waitress told me. The menu was much smaller and somewhat different. I ordered a Reuben and Matt had a BLT. I didn’t like the way they served the Reuben – not as a sandwich exactly, but more like an open faced sandwich. The mustard came in small packets which were impossible to open and when I finally did get one open I ended up with mustard squirting all over me, I was not happy. Anyway, I had to eat with a knife and fork – to me a sandwich should be something you can pick up – and I wasn’t happy. Nothing wrong with the taste, but I wouldn’t order one there again. Actually there was far too much corned beef on it anyway and the bread was too soggy to pick up. Matt’s BLT was fine.

One thing that tickled me was the ubiquitous Heinz Ketchup. Made me think of when we first came to Canada and noticed every table had ketchup on it which was used profusely. I figured Heinz must be delighted with Canadians although I think I remember it being the same in the US. It may well be the same in England these days. Heinz ketchup was certainly available when we left, but you didn’t see it on every table in cafes and restaurants.  Of course you don’t see it on the table in gourmet restaurants.

OK, not asparagus today, saw this and thought it looked good. Me being me of course I wouldn’t use low fat anything. I would also make my own pesto, in fact regular basil pesto keeps well in the freezer, another thing I freeze in ice trays and then wrap and store.

Manicotti with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

WebMD Recipe

If you’re feeding a crowd, double the recipe. Set each manicotti on top of a small pool of red pepper sauce on the dinner plate, or serve them with an ample drizzle of the red pepper sauce on top. If you want to skip roasting the peppers, substitute 1 cup of bottled roasted red peppers for the 2 sweet red peppers.



Ingredients

• 8 large dried manicotti pasta shells or similar
• 2  sweet red peppers
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup 1% milk
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 1/2 cups low-fat or part-skim ricotta cheese
• 3/4 cup chopped spinach, thawed, with excess water gently squeezed out
• 6 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup prepared pesto sauce, found in the frozen pasta section
• 4  green onions, white and part of green, chopped
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• salt and pepper to taste
  

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Coat a 9x13-inch baking dish with canola cooking spray.
2. Boil manicotti shells according to directions on package until tender. Drain, rinse with cold water, and carefully set aside.
3. While manicotti is boiling, turn on the broiler. Cut each red pepper into quarters and remove inside flesh and seeds. Cut each quarter in half to make eight strips total. Lay strips, skin side down, on a nonstick baking sheet (line with foil for easy cleanup, if desired). Brush the tops of pepper strips with olive oil. Broil until the top sides are nicely brown, watching carefully. Flip and broil until brown. Let peppers cool slightly. Preheat oven to 350°F.
4. In a food processor, puree pepper strips with milk, garlic, and pepper to taste. Add salt to taste if desired. Keep sauce at a low simmer in a small, covered, nonstick saucepan while you bake the manicotti.
5. Mix filling ingredients (ricotta, spinach, Parmesan cheese, pesto, green onions, and Italian seasonings) in a bowl with spoon or fork. Stuff shells with the cheese mixture. Arrange in a baking dish. Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes, then uncover and bake 10 minutes more.
6. Serve one or two manicotti shells per person; decorate each shell with ample red pepper sauce.

Have a great day

Summer, Grocery Store,

Maybe summer has come at last. I spent 20 minutes on our balcony and found it way too hot for sunbathing. I keep thinking of the song I mentioned before, June is Busting Out All Over. It certainly seems to be here at the moment. We are both very careful about sunbathing but we like to get a little colour and a dose of Vitamin D. Unfortunately our balcony isn’t really suitable for getting backs and backs of legs done.

The other day when in our grocery store, Zehrs, I bought some of their mini naan bread which I had seen advertised on TV. Monday I got round to eating it. I enjoyed it, I ate some with smoked salmon on for lunch and then had the other one (two in a pack) with soup at supper time. However, I don’t think I would bother again. Once upon a time I used to make a lot of curries which is where one would normally serve naan bread, but since I lost my sense of smell, I basically can’t taste curry any more which is a big disappointment as I used to love them and all the trimmings which go with them. I have made them once in a while, but not as frequently as I once did. Funnily enough I have never eaten naan bread before despite all the curries I have consumed in my life time. I did like it with the soup. I must say our local grocery is introducing a lot of different products these days. I am sure I mentioned their Triangoli which are triangular ravioli stuffed with a rich truffle mushroom filling. Amongst other things they have sushi which was introduced when we were in NC. We’ve bought it a few times, considering they cannot use raw fish (too far from the sea), it’s not bad. There are lots of other things which I haven’t had a chance to check out (Matt does the shopping at 7 a.m. and I refuse to get up so early) but I did spot a Kimchi Noodle Soup packet which I bought and haven’t yet tried.

Here is yet another asparagus recipe. For those of you who don’t enjoy asparagus, you haven’t much longer – just til the end of the month.

Roasted Asparagus with Garlic-Lemon Sauce

2 bunches asparagus (about 2 pounds), trimmed
2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1/8 tsp salt
2 Tbs low-fat mayonnaise
2 Tbs shredded Parmesan cheese
2 Tbs water
2 anchovy fillets, minced
1 small clove garlic, minced
1 Tbs lemon juice
2 chopped hard-boiled eggs

1. Preheat oven to 425°F.
2. Toss asparagus with oil and salt in a large bowl. Spread on a baking sheet and roast, stirring once halfway through, until tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
3. Combine mayonnaise, Parmesan, water, anchovies, garlic and lemon juice in a small bowl. To serve, drizzle the asparagus with the sauce and top with hard-boiled egg (if using).
Servings: 4

Source: Eating Well

Have a great day

Superstition, Shootings.

I meant to cut my nails last week, thought about it on Friday, couldn’t because Matt’s mum believed you shouldn’t cut nails on a Friday. Intended to do so on Saturday but didn’t get round to it. Can’t cut them Sunday because my mum believed you shouldn’t do so on Sunday. So it will have to be Monday. Matt would tell you he is not superstitious, but he too won’t cut his nails on either of those days. However, he never knocks on wood or crosses his fingers. Odd really because his dad was extremely superstitious and if he happened to walk between two nuns on his way to work he would turn round and go home. His family were fishermen in northern England and one of their superstitions was to never say Pig. They always said gissy, even to the extent of calling Pig Island in the mouth of the River Weir, Gissy Island. I actually couldn’t find it on the maps today. All this making me think, where did it all come from? There is a Wiki article about the origins a lot of which appear to be founded on religious practices and beliefs. In fact, once, any religion which differed from one’s own was relegated to superstitious beliefs. Still is in some places. Then there was the belief in myths and legends which sprang up not to mention poor old women who were designated as witches and blamed for bad weather, a blight on one’s animals an unusual death in the family and so on. One wonders who they blamed after they had disposed of the current witch. I personally would never open an umbrella indoors nor put shoes on the table. As for breaking a mirror, definitely 7 years of bad luck. This picture seems to demonstrate quite a few at once. I love black cats though and would have one if I got a cat at all. Of course if I spill salt, a pinch automatically gets thrown over my shoulder. Logically I know it’s all ridiculous, but I still do these things.

There seems to be a lot of shooting crimes in the last few day starting with the young man in New Brunswick, and finishing, today with another cop shooting in Las Vegas with school shootings in between. What is the matter with these people, a lot seems to be perpetrated by youngsters. I know years ago when National Service was abolished in the UK many of us thought it was a bad thing as it taught youngsters to become responsible people. I had an uncle who was a case in point. When he went in to the RAF to do his two years, he was a total tear-away and a hair’s breadth of becoming a criminal – he had certainly stolen his father’s car and gone for joy rides. Within 6 weeks he was home on leave for exemplary behaviour. I would certainly vote for the reintroduction of National Service or the Draft or whatever it is called in your country.

This is another excellent way to serve asparagus.

Asparagus alla Milanese

28 stalks of asparagus, medium size
4 Tbs unsalted butter plus 4 tablespoons
4 large eggs
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

1. Bring 4 quarts water to boil and set up ice bath. Trim asparagus of hard ends and drop into water. Cook 70 seconds. Remove with tongs and refresh in ice bath. Drain and set aside.
2. In a 10 inch to 12 inch sauté pan, heat 4 tablespoons butter until very dark brown. Add asparagus and toss until warm. Remove asparagus and divide among 4 plates. Towel off sauté pan and add remaining butter. Cook until foam subsides. Crack eggs in and cook sunnyside up, about 2 minutes. Place one egg over each plate, sprinkle with cheese and serve.

Source: Food TV

Have a great day

Saturday Recipe

This one was on Cooking.com and was from Eating Well, a magazine we used to take when in NC and it was always full of wonderful recipes. You could also serve sautéed asparagus. One thing I miss, we used to buy a gallon of bay scallops for $8. Small but delicious and they would have worked with this recipe.

Seared Scallops with Crispy Leeks

Source: © EatingWell Magazine
Active Time:  30 Minutes
Total Time:  30 Minutes
4 servings

Herb-crusted scallops served with crispy baked leeks make an easy yet impressive dish to serve to friends. You may have seen “frizzled” or fried leeks on a restaurant menu before, but you might not guess how easy they are to make at home. Here we toss thinly sliced leeks with paprika- and garlic-seasoned flour and bake them until crispy. While the leeks bake you have time to sear the scallops. Serve with: Mashed potatoes and kale sautéed with garlic.

INGREDIENTS
1 medium leek, white and light green parts only
2 teaspoons plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 pound dry sea scallops, tough side muscle removed

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 425°F.
Cut leek in half lengthwise, then cut each piece in half crosswise. Cut each quarter into long, thin strips. Rinse the strips in hot water and pat dry. Toss in a medium bowl with 2 teaspoons oil. Sprinkle flour, paprika, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder and 1/4 teaspoon salt over the leeks; toss well to combine. Spread in an even layer on a baking sheet. Bake, stirring once or twice, until the leeks are crispy and golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Let stand on the baking sheet until the scallops are done.
Meanwhile, combine the remaining 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder and 1/4 teaspoon salt with Italian seasoning, lemon zest and pepper in a small bowl. Pat scallops dry and sprinkle both sides with the seasoning mixture. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the scallops and cook until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Serve the scallops with the crispy leeks on top.

Have a great weekend.

Subway, Moncton Gunman. D Day.

Once in a blue moon we have a Subway sub for supper (or lunch when we are travelling) and Thursday there was a blue moon (what you didn’t see it?) so down we popped to get our subs. I noticed their ad for soups one of which was Thai coconut curry which sounded good so I decided to try it. Matt didn’t get one. It was very good, not very spicy, but pretty tasty nevertheless and I enjoyed it. I enjoyed the sub too as it’s quite a while since we last had one. I left Matt to do the dishes LOL. It cost us about $8 and is well worth it I think. Mind you the soup was a tad higher in calories than I expected. Oops. We noticed they have cut down on paper napkins, they used to stuff a load of them into the bag.

We have a gunman on the loose in Moncton, New Brunswick at the moment.  People are being told to stay inside and lock their doors. He has already killed three RCMP officers and wounded two. The suspect is a 24 yr. old Jason Bourque. People in Moncton are terrified. Some even got to watch some of the shootings outside their homes. According to friends and acquaintances, Bourque was anti police and somewhat anti authority of any kind. I do so hope they catch him soon.

Today is D Day or the day on which the allies invaded Europe in World War II. Often referred to as the Normandy Landings. Not something I remember anything about. It was basically the subject of the movie The Longest Day which  was an excellent movie.

Today is also go get some more asparagus day.

Asparagus and Cheese Omelette Wrap
Readers Digest

2 eggs
1 Tbs water
1 tsp chipotle purée (optional)
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbs chopped fresh chives or green onions
1/2 cup grated smoked cheddar or smoked mozzarella
3 spears asparagus, trimmed, cooked and diced
1 10 inch whole wheat flour tortilla

1. Beat eggs lightly with water, salt and chipotles.
2. Heat oil in a 10 inch nonstick skillet and add eggs. When eggs start to set, swish them around so that the unset top rotates to the bottom. Sprinkle with chives, cheese and asparagus. Cook a minute longer, just until cheese starts to melt.
3. Meanwhile, warm and soften tortilla in a skillet (about 1 minute) or microwave about 10 seconds, or wrap in foil and heat in a 300°F oven for 10 minutes. Slide the omelette onto the tortilla and roll up. Cut in half on the diagonal for a sandwich or in slices for appetizers.

Servings: 1

Author Notes
These are great for a breakfast or brunch sandwich. You can make them ahead and wrap in foil and reheat in the oven, or you can slice them for little appetizers and serve hot or cold.

Have a great day

Bad Research, CPAP, Bowling and Brie.

I have just returned a book to the library unfinished. The story wasn’t too bad, but the telling was long winded and it was full of inaccuracies. The tale was set in England during World War II (well a lot of it was) and I think the author should have done much better research than she obviously did. What made it worse was it was set, for the most part, in the county of Kent which is where I used to live and the setting was supposed to be by the English Channel but she mentioned a town as a close location, which is many miles from the Channel. A lot of the story was to do with evacuees – children who were sent to what was thought to be safe areas. Kent county was NOT one of those areas, they were shipped up north. Kent was much too close to London and suffered a lot of bombing. Then there were several children of one family who were generally not split up between homes. So to all my author friends, please do your research if you are using genuine backgrounds. That is one of the advantages of creating your own world I suppose, but then you have to be consistent.

I am sorry to say my CPAP mask was no better when I got to bed on Tuesday night so Thursday I am going back to get it checked out. I don’t understand, for the best part of a year I had no problems then the mask started leaking. Now it seems to continue leaking no matter what. Very frustrating.

Wednesday bowling  wasn’t much good again. I was doing so well earlier this year, now neither of us are bowling well, nor are the other two members of our team. All of us are experienced bowlers and capable of turning in better performances that we are giving at present. Oh well, it’s fun and the exercise isn’t bad. The worse you bowl the more exercise you get.

I bought a piece of Brie de Meaux the other day at Vincenzo’s, my favourite store. Unfortunately it doesn’t last long. We are going up that way again today so maybe we’ll get some more especially as it is on special this week. Well I hope it still is anyway. This one was so soft and creamy it was absolutely delicious. I discovered they now have an Indian food counter with a guy cooking the food right there. That’s a new one. I didn’t stop to examine what he had but I would like to check it out. I could mortgage the farm in that store, there is so much I would like to buy.

Here’s a very simple asparagus recipe. I must try this tomorrow.

Asparagus with Curry Butter

2 tsp butter, melted
1 tsp curry powder (see Tip)
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp salt, or to taste
2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 shallot, finely diced
1 bunch asparagus (about 1 pound), trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces

1. Combine butter, curry powder, lemon juice and salt in a small bowl.
2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add shallot and cook, stirring, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add asparagus and cook, stirring, until just tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir the curry butter into the asparagus; toss to coat.

Servings: 4
Yield: 1/2 cup each
 
Tip: Check the ingredient label on your brand of curry powder: if it has added salt (as some do), you may omit the salt in the recipe or salt to taste.

Source: Eating Well

Have a great day

CPAP Service, Jeopardy Champ,

Today I went for my annual service on my CPAP machine and equipment. When they called me originally I said I hadn’t been using it lately because I couldn’t stop my mask leaking air. They told me I probably needed a new cushion. I didn’t have a clue that they didn’t last. After checking the machine over and making sure everything was working fine, she changed the cushion which is the part that fits on your face. Then she tried it out on me with the air and nary a leak anywhere. I will watch for this in future. Thankfully we have insurance though, it was $85. I nearly fell off my chair. I guess I just don’t keep up with the times. I just saw an ad for a National Geographic Atlas for $104.95 which shook me rigid. The CPAP check up was totally free by the way. I decided to let Tina of Life is Good know about this, she has a more efficient CPAP company by the sound of it, and has already had her cushion changed a couple of times. I wish my lot had warned me.

We were both very sorry to see Julia Collins get beaten in her 21st game on Jeopardy Monday night. The guy who beat her kept making a tutting noise when he answered so Matt refused to watch him on Tuesday and was delighted when he got beaten too. I had actually guessed Julia had been beaten because she was interviewed Monday morning on Good Morning America and I didn’t think she would be in New York when the Jeopardy programme is in California. I was so hoping she would match or beat Ken Jennings but it wasn’t to be. She will, of course, be invited back for the Tournament of Champions when she will come up against Arthur Chu who also did very well.

I am trying, by the way, to encourage all my blogging friends to use the bee logo on their blog sites.

The picture on this recipe really caught my eye so I had to get the recipe it looks so good. It doesn't say but I am assuming the cans are in their own juice. It is certainly what I would use.

Fruit Salad With Pudding!

By Laura70 on July 11, 2003


Servings: 15

 

"I get compliments on this fruit salad wherever I take it. It is super easy to make and a great dish to bring to a potluck or family party. Kids love it too. Everyone asks "what's in the sauce"? The secret ingredient is the vanilla pudding mix."

Ingredients

• 1 (29 ounce) can peach slices, undrained
• 1 (20 ounce) can pineapple chunks, undrained
• 1 (3 1/8 ounce) box dry vanilla instant pudding mix
• 1 lb strawberries, stemmed and quartered
• 1 banana, sliced
• 1/2 pint blueberries
• 1 bunch grapes ( I use the red ones)
• 1 -2 tablespoon sugar (optional)

Directions

1. In a large bowl, combine peaches, pineapples, and vanilla pudding mix.
2. This includes the juices from the cans.
3. Mix well until pudding is dissolved.
4. Stir in strawberries, banana, blueberries, grapes, and sugar if desired.
5. Chill.

Have a great day

Stranded Dolphins, Asparagus, Bees.

This is an incredible piece of footage. I had to share it in case you haven’t seen it. I can’t believe some of those people who were just standing about and watching.


As you will have noticed, I am always rabbiting on about asparagus and how much I love it. Not only that, it’s good for you, really good for you. It has been used since ancient times to detoxify the body and today we know there is science behind this ancient practice. If you read this article in National Health Sherpa you will discover that asparagus is a real power house of nutritional benefits. It is full of vitamins and I quote:

"There’s no doubt about it: Asparagus is one of nature’s healthiest vegetables.  Along with potassium, it’s also an excellent source of many other vitamins and minerals necessary for optimal health.”

That’s just part of it, if you check the article there is so much more to be obtained by eating asparagus. It includes antioxidants, it is an anti inflammatory, a cancer prevention ingredient, a good digestive and so on and so on. Plus, IMHOP, it’s delicious.

I have been doing a lot of worrying about bees lately which is why I have the sign on the right.  Bees are such cute little critters, especially bumble bees, and generally putter about gathering nectar from all kinds of sources and pollinating at the same time. One of the things I find somewhat irritating is the confusion in North America between bees and wasps. There is actually a lot of difference, but so many people persist in calling wasps bees. Just saw something on TV where they were talking about bee stings, or yellow jackets. They were wasp stings. One thing with a bee, if it stings you, it leaves its stinger in you and then the poor bee goes off and dies. You should be sure to remove the stinger from the site. The wasp on the other hand goes off to sting again. Personally I like bees, to me they are working really hard pollinating plants and making honey. Without them (they are dying off in droves) we will be in serious trouble. I realise I have addressed this topic four times in my blogging life. Maybe I should address it more often. SAVE THE BEES and save our future. 

 Once upon a time we used to watch Giada di Laurentis’ TV show every day without fail. and I have cooked many of her recipes. This one came from Food and Wine and I thought it was worth sharing. Not only that, it is a fast and simple recipe to prepare. Never tried fried capers, but love capers.

Lemon Spaghetti with Shrimp

Contributed by Giada De Laurentiis

• TOTAL TIME: 45 MIN
• SERVINGS: 6

• •FAST

Fried capers add a crisp, pungent hit to De Laurentiis's lovely seafood pasta. The sauce that coats the spaghetti is a simple mix of olive oil, Parmesan and lemon.

1. Vegetable oil, for frying
2. 1/4 cup capers, rinsed, drained and patted dry
3. 1 pound spaghetti
4. 2/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
5. 1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
6. 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
7. 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (from 3 lemons)
8. 1 pound large shrimp, shelled and deveined
9. Salt
10. Pepper
11. 1/2 cup chopped basil, plus more for garnish

1. In a skillet, heat 1/4 inch of vegetable oil until shimmering. Add the capers and fry over moderately high heat, stirring, until browned and crisp, 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the capers to paper towels to drain.
2. In a saucepan of salted boiling water, cook the spaghetti until al dente. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking water.
3. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk 2/3 cup of the olive oil with the grated cheese, lemon zest and lemon juice.
4. In a very large skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil until shimmering. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper, add to the skillet and cook over moderately high heat, turning once, until just opaque, 4 minutes. Reduce the heat to moderate and add the pasta, lemon sauce, half of the reserved pasta water and the 1/2 cup of basil. Cook, tossing, until the pasta and shrimp are coated, 2 minutes, adding more of the pasta water if the spaghetti is dry; transfer to shallow bowls, garnish with basil and the fried capers and serve.

Have a great day

Kismet, Insider Trading?

In Arlee Birds Battle of the Bands on Sunday he had three versions of This is My Beloved. I had never heard Julie Andrew’s version of this song before although it is a favourite song of mine. I saw the show Kismet on the London Stage as a young woman and was enthralled with the songs and music at the time. Alfred Drake was the star and gave a brilliant performance. So for those of you who don’t know it here is the clip Arlee played. He also played the original classic version of the music and a jazz version.



I was in tears listening to this piece of music. In the show, it is sung by the two lovers both on stage but each in their own setting and unaware of the other. They have both been asked to describe their love, he, as the prince, is asking his staff to find her and she is telling her father about the young man she has met but doesn’t really expect to see again. She does not know he is the prince. Thank you Arlee for bringing this to my attention. That being said, I played it for Matt and he didn’t like it, nor did a lot of the commenters on Arlee’s blog. Oh well, takes all sorts. I hope you enjoyed it.

The golfer, Phil Mickelson is being investigated because of an insider trading scandal, somewhat like Martha Stewart by the sound of it. I am sorry, but I am at a total loss to understand if someone tells you to buy shares and you do so, how you are being a criminal. Maybe the person who told you is, but not you. If a friend comes up to you and tells you that such and such a store has a good sale on and you go buy the goods, isn’t that the same action? What’s criminal about that? Phil himself denies any wrongdoing. I hope he is cleared because he is a very popular golfer and generally a really nice young man.

This is a really nice tasting starter. Only one month left for fresh asparagus for me sadly.

Asparagus, mozzarella and prosciutto parcels

16 asparagus spears, trimmed
125 g ball mozzarella , sliced into 4
8-12 slices  prosciutto
3 Tbs olive oil
1 Tbs red wine vinegar
a small bunch basil , finely shredded
salad leaves to serve

1. Blanch the asparagus for 2 minutes then refresh under cold water. Cut each mozzarella slice in half and sit both pieces on top of 2 spears of asparagus. Top with 2 more spears then wrap the asparagus in prosciutto so the mozzarella is enclosed (you will need 2 or 3 strips).
2. Heat a little olive oil in a pan, then carefully fry the parcels until the prosciutto has crisped and the mozzarella oozes.
3. Whisk together the olive oil and vinegar and add the basil. Serve each parcel with salad leaves and a little dressing drizzled over.

Servings: 4

Have a great day