Noodle Accident, Stolen Paintings, Scrooge,

Once in a while I enjoy spicy Noodle soups for lunch - the oriental ones are the best. So Friday was one of the days I decided on the noodles for lunch. Having made the noodles with hot water I sat down to eat them and somehow, not sure how, I knocked the whole lot over me and mostly on the floor. It was pretty hot too. What a mess. Picking up the noodles wasn't too bad, but cleaning up all the liquid was a pain in the butt. I worked on it a lot that afternoon, but decided to let it all dry and see what I had achieved. Not too bad, it will have to be done again, but I think I can leave it til after Christmas.

I also made my rum butter for the Christmas Pudding - I figured I hadn't got enough butter so had to defrost some which meant I had to wait a while before I could finish making it. I did though and it is now frozen.

Just seen an FB post from my sinlaw (the artist) about valuable paintings worth ­£160,000 having been stolen from a zoo. He wants to spread it around to make the pictures "too hot to handle". Good idea. This is a picture of one of the paintings, which I think is fabulous.

There are pictures on the BBC site of some of the other paintings, do have a look, they are wonderful.

Sunday night I watched the musical version of Scrooge with Albert Finney. Hadn't seen it before, I enjoyed it. Pretty well done. Nice to see familiar English actors too.

Denise from My Life in Retirement enquired about the Reindeer Cake shown in my Saturday blog. Here is the recipe. Hmm, they said it was easy!

Chocolate Peppermint Reindeer Cake

CAKE
2 cups sugar
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp baking powder
1 tso baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup boiling water
6 candy canes, crushed in a food processor
FROSTING
2 cups unsalted butter
1 tsp peppermint extract
6 cups confectioners' sugar
2 tsp clear vanilla
2 Tbs heavy whipping cream
1 tsp salt
ANTLERS
2 large candy canes
12 small candy canes
ADDITIONAL ITEMS
white pearl food spray to cover cake
wooden cake dowel rods to hold up the cake
white chocolate candy melts
red edible glitter

1. For the reindeer, make this cake recipe twice back to back.

2. FOR THE CAKE:.

3. Heat oven to 350. Place 3 cups of water in a saucepan and set on the stove with a high heat.

4. In a stand mixer, blend sugar, milk, oil, eggs and vanilla. In a large mixing bowl combine dry ingredients. Slowly mix into wet and when just incorporated pour in one cup of boiling water. Pulse until thoroughly mixed and pour into two parchment lined Loaf tins. Bake 45 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Wrap and chill well before cutting and assembling cake.

5. TO ASSEMBLE:.

6. Slice your loaves into two layers. Mix buttercream frosting and spread generously between each layer. Sprinkle with chopped candy cane before stacking each new layer. Chill continuously to ensure cake keeps a firm shape. Once stacked, using a serrated blade, carve out general reindeer shape. Once desired form is taken do a smooth crumb coat using additional frosting. Do final coat using clean fresh frosting. Chill when it looks how you want it and use a fork to create added grooves and dimension.

7. FOR THE ANTLERS:.

8. Slightly melt candy canes in a 300 degree oven and bend into desire shapes (Watch your fingers, it's hot!). Adhere to one another by placing an end under a flame for a moment and sticking to a larger piece (They burn very quickly so be stealthy and don't be devastated if any are ruined). Once done pierce the top of you cake with a pointed end and coast delicately with white candy melts.

9. FINISHING TOUCHES:.

10. Finish by spraying with edible pearl spray and placing a bed of coconut around your reindeer. (If you're a terrible person and don't like coconut, you can also use powdered sugar or crushed candy canes instead. Paint on a glittery red nose for an extra festive touch!

Servings: 10

Author: ChristineMcConnell


Have a great day
 

Health, Gingerbread Cake, Saturday Recipe

Thanks for the good wishes everyone. Had a bit of a scary time on Thursday. Got back from a pretty successful afternoon's bowling and almost the minute of stepping into the apartment I started to feel unwell. I finally decided I might be having a heart attack so better to be safe than sorry I called an ambulance. Ended up with the fire dept. first and then the ambulance. Just as an example when I heard the siren and then the engine hoot, I choked up just for a second or so. Anyway, everyone took my blood pressure (we'd taken it anyway) and I had taken aspirin. Took a low dose then the dispatcher told me to take another and chew it. I did, horrid. They tested my sugars too which I had also done, took what I think was an ecg and everything showed fine. They said I could have a blood test at the hospital to be sure but I declined as everything appeared OK. Very pleasant and helpful bunch although one of the people from the fire department seemed to think I was a 6 yr old, she asked me my name and responded 'what a pretty name', then later they asked me to smile and she said 'what a pretty smile'!!! Anyway, for the rest of the evening I didn't feel too good but knew I wasn't having a heart attack so that was OK. Had a sleep which helped. Whilst the paramedics were here, I couldn't stop shaking. Partly because I was cold I think. Eventually covered myself up with a blanket and Matt did me a hot pad. Went to bed early. So that's why I wrote my last blog.

I just came across this incredible picture of a gingerbread castle which I had to share with you - the article gives details and shows the items individually but this picture alone impressed me. Isn't it a fantastic creation?

And then look at this - oh to be so clever.

I thought these looked absolutely delicious for those of you who are prepared to take the time and make the effort I think they will be well worth it.

Caramel “Falafel”

Pastry genius Dominique Ansel improves on the ethereal cream puff with a crunchy coating of chocolaty panko and a salted caramel filling. When it's fried, it looks like a golden falafel.

CHOUX
1/4 cup whole milk
5 1/2 Tbs unsalted butter, cubed and softened
1 tsp granulated sugar
1 tsp kosher salt
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
3 large eggs
1 large egg beaten with
1 large egg yolk
FILLING
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
2/3 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp fleur de sel
COATING
1 cup panko
1 Tbs unsweetened cocoa powder
1 large egg beaten with
1 large egg yolk
Grapeseed or canola oil, for frying
Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

1. Make the choux Preheat the oven to 375°. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. In a medium saucepan, combine 1/3 cup of water with the milk, butter, granulated sugar and kosher salt and bring to a boil over moderate heat. When the butter melts, add the flour all at once and beat with a wooden spoon until a tight dough pulls away from the side of the pan, about 2 minutes.

3. Scrape the dough into a medium bowl. Using a wooden spoon, beat in the eggs one at a time until smooth. The dough should be glossy and fall slowly from the spoon in thick ribbons. Scoop the dough into a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain tip. Pipe 1 1/2-inch mounds onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing them 1 inch apart. Brush the mounds with the beaten egg. Bake the choux for about 30 minutes, until browned and puffed; rotate the sheet halfway through baking. Let cool completely.

4. Meanwhile, make the filling In a medium saucepan, combine the cream, corn syrup and brown sugar and bring just to a boil, stirring. Keep warm over very low heat.

5. In another medium saucepan, cook 1/4 cup of the granulated sugar over high heat, without stirring, until it starts to caramelize, about 3 minutes. Gradually whisk in the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar, letting it start to caramelize before adding more. Cook, swirling the pan occasionally, until a deep amber caramel forms, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and carefully whisk in the warm cream mixture.

6. Bring the caramel to a boil over high heat and cook, whisking occasionally, until it reaches 228° on a candy thermometer, about 12 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the fleur de sel. Let cool completely. Transfer to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/4-inch plain tip. Refrigerate until just chilled, about 45 minutes.

7. Insert the piping tip in the bottom of each choux and pipe in the caramel filling.

8. Make the coating In a medium bowl, whisk the panko with the cocoa powder. Brush each choux with some of the beaten egg, then dredge in the panko and return to the baking sheet. Freeze overnight.

9. In a large saucepan, heat 3 inches of oil to 350°. In batches, fry the choux over moderate heat, turning, until browned and crisp, about 4 minutes per batch. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the falafel to paper towels to drain. Let stand for 10 minutes, then dust with confectioners’ sugar and serve

Servings: 20

Source: Food and Wine

Have a great day
 

Sorry

Not feeling the greatest tonight so this is it.

Have a great day

Shopping, Turkey, Dry Aging,

Busy day, went shopping first of all and spent a lot of money, some of which was for Christmas. Actually, although my bill totalled over $200, I had 50,000 points so got $50 knocked off the bill and then earned 26,000 more points. I love this point system. I have been looking at turkeys and was talking to a local market about fresh ones, they are somewhat expensive, but when I looked at the ones in the grocery store today, they were not cheap either and one had a choice of a Butterball which has synthetic basting in it, or a two stuffing turkey which could be stuffed with who knows what. So when I got home I ordered the more expensive fresh turkey. I had never been on the website for the market store, called Victoria Street Market, and when I did I was amazed to find that they do dry aged  meats. We have been buying the odd thing from them for a while, particularly sausages, but now I am going to try their beef. It will be expensive, but better than Matt throwing stuff away because he says it's too tough. The picture shows their dry aging room which is visible from the store.

I have been searching for a Carrot Cake recipe for ever. It was first published in the LCBO (lquor board) magazine Food and Drink but I didn't know when. I did know I had blogged about it once many years ago. I even asked the LCBO if they could find the recipe. However, I was looking for straight carrot cake - it turned out the title was actually Honey Butter Carrot Cake with Toasted Pecans and Citrus Cream Cheese Icing. which explains why I couldn't find it. The picture of the cake was on the cover of that issue of Food and Drink but the picture they have that I can find online, only shows a slice of the cake. I am hoping they can provide me with the cover picture.

When we got home, the bug man had been for the ants. Couldn't see anything. Eventually I found

little bubbles of something all round the apartment. Clear liquid but obviously thicker than water. Not touched it though. Hope it works. Not my hand, but I wanted to show you how tiny these things are. I am not even sure the ones in the picture aren't bigger than ours. I gather they are sugar ants, but, in that case, why the heck are they in the bathroom?

After lunch I was too knackered to go to exercise class so we hung around until it was time to go get my CPAP machine replaced. That didn't take very long at all. The rest of the afternoon we just relaxed. Forgot, picked up The Santa Clause, one of my favourite Christmas movies. Watched it in the evening and Matt said he couldn't understand why I liked it so much. Not sure whether he is a Scrooge or a Grinch. Tomorrow we are joining the Travel League for lunch and then bowling. First time for a while. Not joined them for a couple of months.

Being Christmas time I thought a nice easy dessert might be useful. I love Tiramisu and this looks like a pretty good substitute.

Brownie Tiramisu

Coffee, raspberries and sweet cream cheese take brownies to an even yummier level in this easy-to-

make tiramisu.

6 brownie squares (2-1/4 inch)
1/4 cup brewed strong MAXWELL HOUSE Coffee, cooled
4 oz (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
1-1/2 cups milk
1 pkg. (3.4 oz.) JELL-O Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding
1 cup thawed COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, divided

1. Cut brownies into bite-size pieces; place in 6 dessert dishes. Drizzle with coffee.

2. Beat cream cheese with mixer until creamy. Gradually beat in milk. Add dry pudding mix; beat on low speed 2 min. Add 1/2 cup COOL WHIP; mix well. Spoon over brownies.

3. Top with remaining COOL WHIP, berries and grated chocolate.

Servings: 6

Source: Kraft

Have a great day

Carols, Canadian Medical News, Trump's Walls, Weather, Ants.

Well, well, well. For years I have been irritated by the carol We Three Kings as sung in North America because the final word of the chorus was, from what I was taught, incorrect. Today I decided to check it. Now I find that I was taught incorrectly and the North American words are right.  The difference being the last line of the chorus as I was taught was "Guide us by thy ancient light". Now I have discovered that "Guide us to thy perfect light" is the correct wording. I checked Wikipedia and then I decided to check a carol book I have had forever - since 1953 - and blow me, that is the wording in my Oxford Book of Carols. Now I wonder where I got a different version. I was in the school choir once upon a time, so maybe the music teacher gave us that version. I might say I love real Carols. A lot of the Christmas songs irritate me, but a good, old fashioned carol I always enjoy. I often wish I had heard Matt sing as a boy, he was one of the top boy choristers in England and at Christmastime he used to go from door to door singing. He also used to sing at weddings for the local dockyard and the naval officers. As well as singing in their church. Once upon a time, he made a record, but he doesn't know what happened to it. Such a shame.

Had to go to our doctor's today for Matt to get a refill. She wasn't as busy as usual and had time to talk to us a bit. She had mentioned something before, but today explained that the Liberal government have, I think, passed an act creating an oversight committee in the Health Ministry. The members of this committee are able to visit any doctor and ask to see the patient's files. Basically the intention is to ensure the doctor is following correct procedures and practices, but it means that there will be no confidentiality any more and the doctor/patient relationship will be seriously damaged. From what she was telling us, patients tell their doctors all kinds of things they would not want known elsewhere and their right to privacy would be infringed. This is only a concern of Canadians of course. I was horrified though. Not that I give a hoot if anyone sees our files, but I can imagine many cases where the patients would be really upset. The doctor mentioned things like sexually transmitted diseases, infidelities, mental problems and so on, none of which would people want others to know. I emailed everyone I could think of and also published it on Facebook. I think we need to really protest.

Trump built a wall in Scotland and expected the residents to pay for it. This is actually old news, but there is a newer article in the NY Times showing a huge berm Trump has built in front of someone's home in Scotland because they would not sell him their house.

I might say it is very cold here at the moment, there is a bit of a walk from the parking lot to the doctor's office and I froze in the wind. A lazy one, it went through you instead of round you. We also have plenty of snow which I do hope will hang around til Christmas. We have been spoilt having so much warm weather for so long.

Don't think I have mentioned we have ants, seen them in Matt's bathroom, the kitchen and my computer desk. Didn't occur to me to mention it but happened to go collect mail and the new supers were there as well as the Building Manager. I mentioned ants and was told to put in a work order which I did straight away and there is a pest control guy coming tomorrow. However, typically, I haven't seen an ant since.

I love Sweet Potatoes, unfortunately, Matt does not so I probably will never get to try these.

Chile-Garlic Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Give ordinary roasted sweet potatoes a big flavor boost with this quick, Asian-inspired seasoning

mix.

1 1/2 lbs sweet potatoes, scrubbed (and peeled, if desired), cut into 1-inch wedges or pieces
4 tsp extra-virgin olive oil or canola oil
1 Tbs chile-garlic sauce (see Note)
1 Tbs reduced-sodium soy sauce
1/8 tsp ground white pepper

1. Position rack in lower third of oven; preheat to 450°F.

2. Combine oil, chile-garlic sauce, soy sauce and white pepper in a large bowl. Add sweet potatoes; toss to coat with the seasoning mixture.

3. Spread the potatoes evenly on a rimmed baking sheet.

4. Roast, stirring once or twice, until the potatoes are tender and browned, 20 to 25 minutes.

Servings: 4

Tips
Chile-garlic sauce (also labeled chili-garlic sauce, or paste) is a blend of ground chiles, garlic and vinegar. It can be found in the Asian section of large supermarkets and will keep for up to 1 year in the refrigerator.

Source: WebMD Recipe from EatingWell.com

Have a great day
 

Bowling,, Snow, CPAP Machine,

Woo hoo, for once bowling was good. For both of us and for the team generally - we were all there and everyone was doing pretty well. It was such a nice feeling.

The bowling alley was giving out calendars to everyone and I got my usual foodie one. There are some delicious looking recipes coming up for the year, I will, no doubt, be sharing  them in the future.

Although I am delighted we didn't get the snow received by many places, we certainly got a good dollop of the white stuff. Gives me a chance to post a snow rabbit.

I didn't mention before, we had a power outage at the weekend and when I
went to reset the clocks I discovered my CPAP machine was dead. Tried it in another outlet, still dead. I phoned the company I got it from and they are trying to find out if there is any warranty at this stage, I have had it 3 years. Our insurance don't cover me for a new one unless it is 5 years, so I might be SOL. I can't believe it happened. We have had plenty of power outages in the years I have owned it. Typical, of course, I haven't used it as much as I should lately and just when I had decided I really must start doing so again, this happens.

Here's a nice easy recipe for supper tonight.

Orange-Sauced Chicken

Orange-Sauced Chicken is a super-fast supper (think 10 minutes!) that’s rich with flavor, yet only has around 200 calories per serving—which means you don’t have to feel bad about going in for seconds.

Orange juice, chicken broth, orange marmalade, and fresh lemon juice combine to make a truly irresistible sauce for chicken breasts dredged in Italian-style breadcrumbs. Orange marmalade can be found near the jams and nut butters at your local grocery. Serve over sticky white rice with mixed vegetables on the side.

1/4 cup fresh orange juice
1/4 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 Tbs orange marmalade
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
3/4 tsp cornstarch
1/8 tsp dried crushed rosemary
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 (4-ounce) skinless, boneless, chicken breast halves
1 Tbs Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs
1 tsp olive oil
Cooking spray
1 tsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1. Combine first 8 ingredients in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk.

2. Dredge chicken in breadcrumbs.

3. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add chicken, and cook 3 to 4 minutes on each side or just until lightly browned on both sides. Add broth mixture; cover, reduce heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, 4 to 5 minutes or until chicken is done. Sprinkle with parsley

Servings: 2

Source: MyRecipes

Have a great day

Stupid Story, As We Know It,

So about a week ago we decorated for Christmas. Fine. But I have placemats which I use for Christmas time. They are dark green with gold poinsettias. I could not find them. Not only that, but I have extra place mats of the ones I use every day. Because of their tendency to curl, the Christmas ones that is, I have, for years, store them under the mattress on Matt's bed but because of a) bed bugs and b) new carpet in his bedroom, they were not there. So where on earth were they. I think I searched every nook and cranny in this apartment and in our storage area, but no luck. Finally, Saturday afternoon, I realised there was a plastic storage box in the computer room which I hadn't checked, and yes, they were there. I can't believe it took that long to figure out where they were. I did throw out a lot of stuff during the bed bug phase earlier this year, but I really didn't think I had thrown these out.

There is one heck of a storm crossing the United States at the moment (Sunday) although from what I can see, it is not expected to visit our neck of the woods. On the TV they were talking snowfalls of 30 inches in some areas, yuk.

A friend of mine, Carrie Butler, is releasing her new book today, It is called As We Know It and I had the privilege of proofing it for her a while back. It is a very unusual story and and excellent read. I have always been nervous about earthquakes and this is the background of Carrie's story. At the moment only Amazon seems to have a paperback.

About the Book: Deep beneath the ocean, stretching hundreds of miles alongside the Pacific Northwest coastline, lies the Cascadia subduction zone—a fault on the verge of unleashing a catastrophic earthquake, thirty times more powerful than the San Andreas. Unfortunately, like most tourists, Elena Cordova is oblivious.

She’s got her own pent-up stress to deal with, a humiliating breakup that’s driven her to end her tenure as a human doormat once and for all. So, when a pickpocket makes off with the last remnant of her relationship, she takes action—only to get trapped with him when disaster strikes.

Now, if either one hopes to survive, they’ll have to get past their initial impressions and work together . . . because in fifteen minutes, half the town will be underwater.

Ebooks:

• Amazon Kindle (US)
• Barnes & Noble
  
• iTunes
• Google Play
• Kobo
• Smashwords

Note: Amazon links also available in UK, DE, FR, ES, IT, NL, JP, BR, CA, MX, AU, and IN.

About Carrie: Carrie Butler is an award-winning author and the owner of Forward Authority full-service studio—not to mention an inbound-certified marketer with a penchant for superhero socks and Firefly. Time away from her desk is spent playing with her rescue pup, yelling at the TV during hockey season, and indulging in target-based recreation. Otherwise, you’re likely to find her glued to her chair, discovering new ways to share her daydreams...


Here's an interesting recipe from England. What to do with all the leftovers after Christmas. Of course not everyone will have all these ingredients but it would be a case of mix and match I guess.

Christmas Dinner Pie

This mouth-watering Christmas dinner pie has to be one of the best ways to use up your leftover

Christmas food. It's the perfect Boxing Day treat, serving around 6 people and taking just 1 hr to prepare and cook. This delicious pie is layered with leftover turkey, ham, stuffing as well as veggies too like carrots, Brussels sprouts and red cabbage. The shortcrust pastry pie keeps all of the flavours and juices neatly tucked inside ready for the big reveal. This recipe uses a genius time saving cheat of readymade shortcrust pastry but if you prefer making your own go for it! Serve with plenty of gravy and watch this meaty pie disappear in seconds.

500 g is 17.6 oz
200 g is 7.06 oz

500 g shortcrust pastry
1 egg, beaten
200 g braised red cabbage
200 g sage and onion stuffing
200 g baked ham
200 g roasted carrots
200 g cranberry sauce
200 g cooked turkey
handful Brussels Sprouts, halved
200 g sausagemeat stuffing
gravy, to serve

1. Lightly grease the base and outside of an up-turned 18cm round cake tin, line the outside of the base with baking parchment and cover the sides and edges with tin foil. Heat the oven to 200C, gas 6.

2. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface to a rough 32cm circle. Place over the outside of the lined cake tin, fold the pastry around the sides to line the sides tightly and trim. Brush with egg wash and chill for 30 mins, then bake for 20 mins, keeping it upturned.

3. Collect and roll out the pastry trimmings into a 20cm circle and chill for 30 mins.

4. Once the pastry has cooled, carefully remove the cake tin, plug any holes with any extra pastry and begin to fill the pie. Spoon in the braised red cabbage, stuffing, ham, carrots, cranberry sauce, turkey, sprouts, sausage stuffing and top with the pastry lid.

5. Brush with egg wash, cut a cross in the centre of the lid and bake for a further 20 mins. Slice and serve warm with gravy.

Servings: 6

Tips
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat thoroughly before serving again.

Source: GoodtoKnow

Have a great day
 

Saturday Recipe

This is a recipe from Knorr (the K is pronounced by the way) using their dry soup mix. I have a lot of faith in their products and think this should be great. It says removed gills, if desired. I have never yet figured why anyone would do that.

Arugula and Artichoke Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

4 large portobello mushrooms, stems and gills removed (about 4-5-inches diameter)

2 cups cooked brown rice*
1 can (398 g.) artichoke hearts, well drained , chopped and patted dry
1 bag (142 g.) arugula (about 5 cups), roughly chopped
1 cup chopped roasted red pepper, drained and patted dry
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1/4 cup Hellmann's® Real Mayonnaise
1 package Knorr® Cream of Leek Dry Soup Mix

1. Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Remove gills, if desired, from mushrooms by scraping and scooping with a spoon. Arrange mushrooms gill-side up in 13 x 9-in. (3.5 L) baking dish; set aside.

2. Combine rice, artichoke hearts, arugula, roasted red pepper, sour cream, 1/4 cup (60 mL) cheese, Mayonnaise and Knorr® Cream of Leek Dry Soup Mix in large bowl, until well blended. Pack mixture firmly into mushrooms, mounding slightly. Pour about 1 tablespoon (15 mL) water into bottom of pan. Cover pan tightly with aluminum foil and bake 25 minutes or until mushrooms are tender.

3. Uncover and sprinkle mushrooms with remaining 1/4 cup (60 mL) cheese. Bake 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

4. A cup uncooked brown rice yields about 3 to 4 cups cooked rice.

Servings: 4

Tips
You can take out the inside of the mushroom caps if desired. Scratch delicately the inside of the cap with a spoon.

Each serving of this dish is an excellent source of fibre and calcium.


Have a great day
 

TV Ads, Winter Weather, Bowling,

I don't watch a heck of a lot of TV and mostly when I do it is on one of three stations which don't have advertising. The only channel I watch that does have ads is the one showing Jeopardy which is my favourite show. Even that half hour show has three ad breaks. However, Thursday night I was thinking that I wasn't seeing any of the Christmas shows, etc. so I found Snow White and the Huntsman on the Home Channel. I stood it for about an hour and then I had had enough. I think I saw more advertising in that time than I ever did movie. So, turned off the TV and ordered it from the library instead. I really don't understand how anyone can put up with it. There is only one advantage I can see, you might need a coffee or bathroom break but otherwise, no thank you.

The weather has been absolutely perishing today. When we went to the bowling alley at noon, there

was one hell of a gale blowing and that, of course, made it even colder. I got from the car to the alley as fast as possible. When I went inside there was one heck of a loud bang - we figured it was scaffolding being blown off the roof - they are having work done. I bowled pretty well today, for a change, and was thoroughly teed off when right at the end, Matt kept throwing strikes and beating me. Well he did that twice, the third game I actually won.

Talking of weather, we are pretty lucky that we haven't really had much snow at all, Buffalo, which is not really that far from us, as the crow flies, has been deluged with the white stuff. :Lake effect snow as they are south of the lakes. I am told that the roads in our sister town are pretty bad. I call it a sister town because you can't really tell, except for signs, where one town ends and the other begins. Round here the roads weren't too bad.

Here's something a bit different and something I will certainly plan on making.

Fragrant Fish Soup

1 cup jasmine rice
2 cups water
1 zest and juice of lemon
4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
1 lb tilapia fillets or other firm white fish
4 cups bite-size pieces arugula or watercress, tough stems removed (about 1 bunch)
1 cup finely shredded carrots
1/4 cup very thinly sliced fresh mint
2 scallions, finely chopped

1. Combine rice and water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat; cover and cook until the water is absorbed, about 20 minutes. Stir in lemon zest and juice.

2. Meanwhile, bring broth to a simmer in another medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat so the broth remains steaming, but not simmering. Add fish and cook until just tender, about 5 minutes. Remove and break into bite-size chunks.

3. Divide the lemony rice among 4 bowls. Top with equal portions of the fish, arugula (or watercress), carrot, mint and scallions. Ladle 1 cup of the warm broth into each bowl and serve.

Servings: 4

Source: EatingWell.com

Have a great day
 

Exercise Class

Wednesday, I went to the exercise classes for the first time in a while and much to my delight I managed to do everything without much problem. We also had a stand in trainer who was so much better than the woman we have permanently. She really doesn't have a clue and her classes are boring because we do the same exercises every time plus she doesn't do them correctly - when compared to all the other instructors we have had - I have thought of complaining but I don't want to be a sh*t disturber. With the result that I don't go very much which is cutting off my own nose I guess. The regular woman is a nice enough person, but just not very good at running an exercise class. The woman who moved in across the hall from us, came twice and hasn't been since. She told me about their boring classes at another location so she probably thought the same here.

My good friend Alex J. Cavenaugh has a short story out today called Cassa Dawn. It is a prequel to

the successful Cassa stories and if you click on the link it will take you to Alex's blog and the information on where to purchase.

There is a video on Alex's blog too. I will certainly be picking up a copy. It turns out that yet another of his books, Dragon of the Stars is now on audio as well. I personally prefer not to listen to audio, but if you enjoy audio books, I can highly recommend the story.

Bowling for us today of course. I do hope we make a better showing than we did on Monday

Christmas is coming and what a wonderful time to have mulled wine. Such a traditional winter drink in England although not so much these days. I had never heard of a Lady Apple. They appear to be European so probably not available in North America.

Mulled Wine

20 whole cloves
2 tangerines, clementines, or small oranges
2 750-ml bottles Merlot
3 cups fresh apple cider
8 Lady apples (optional)
2 cinnamon sticks plus 8 for garnish (garnish optional)
2 green cardamom pods, cracked
2 cups tawny Port

1. Press stem (pointed) end of 10 cloves into each tangerine, piercing through the skin. Place tangerines, wine, cider, Lady apples (if using), 2 cinnamon sticks, and cardamom pods in a large pot. Bring to a bare simmer over medium-low heat; cook gently for 20 minutes. DO AHEAD: Mulled wine can be made 2 hours ahead. Cover and let stand at room temperature. Rewarm gently over medium-low heat before continuing.

2. Stir in Port. Divide among glasses; garnish each with a cinnamon stick and a Lady apple, if desired.

Servings: 12

Source: Bon Appétit

Have a great day
 

A Good Book, Bowling, Scammers,

Er, sorry, I forgot. Monday night just about to go to bed and realised I hadn't written a blog for Tuesday. You will have to blame Mercedes Lackey, I was enjoying one of her stories so much, I forgot what the time was and that I hadn't written a blog. Which book you ask? From a High Tower, it is one of her Elemetal stories based on well know fairy tales, this one is based on the story of Rapunzel, but very loosely. I think it is one of the best ones of the series. I have never come across a Mercedes Lackey book that I haven't enjoyed mind you. She is an excellent author and has written a ton of very good stories, most famous being the Valdemar series. So, not my fault really.

Monday bowling was pretty dreadful, not only that, we were the only two of our team there, one member had apparently just lost his father and the other had bowled ahead, but not up to his average by any means. Matt and I had one good game a piece but that was it. Our hard won 5th place will be history I'm afraid.

By the way, can you believe I got another phone call from the scammers on Monday. You'd think they got the message or maybe they thought I could still be conned. Got more phone calls on Tuesday too. One right after another.

Had a phone call today which the id told me was the Rising Dough Bakery, I answered said "The

Christimas puddings are here". She had no idea what I had said, when she did she figured I was psychic. Didn't seem to get it how I had figured it out. Like I get calls from the bakery daily!!! We decided to shoot over there straight away and got the pud, a mince pie, some scones and some Cornish Pasties. Expensive trip. Then, I needed honey, same district. We headed off to the farm only to find one road leading there is shut for 2 years. Horrors, I will have to find out how else to get there before Asparagus comes into season.

I had just finished supper and went on line to look for a recipe, this one made me want to try it right away. If you are entertaining at Christmas and need something for your guests to snack on, this looks like a perfect choice.

Tortellini Skewers

4 Tbs olive oil
2 Tbs jarred pesto
2 tsp red wine vinegar
2 packages spinach tortellini, cooked and cooled
2 pints cherry tomatoes
12 oz fresh Mozzarella, cubed
¼ cup fresh parsley, minced

1. Mix together the olive oil, pesto and vinegar in a bowl.

2. On small skewers, thread 1 tortellini, 1 cherry tomato and 1 mozzarella cube per skewer. Lay the skewers on a platter and lightly drizzle the dressing over

3. Serve immediately or refrigerate. Sprinkle on the minced parsley just before serving.

Servings: 18

Author: Ree Drummond

Have a great day
 

Warning, Granddaughter,

Saturday we decided to decorate - these days that is a long and painful effort on our parts. We were both bad tempered and fed up when the phone rang and I was a bit frazzled. There was a voice asking if I was me to which I replied yes. They then enquired if I had received the emails they had been sending me about my out of date software and I said no. I did ask if this was Rogers (my ISP) and was told yes it was. You must remember, I was busy and not thinking. I was asked to go to my computer and to check msinfo which I did. Then I was told to start doing other things and I realised what they were trying to do was to get me to download a programme so they could access my computer. So I hung up on them. Phew. If I hadn't "woken up" I might have been in real trouble. I phoned Rogers, and told them what had happened as I wanted them to know there was someone out there trying to hack into my system. The scammer phoned me once more but of course I didn't answer, they phoned me twice more later in the day. I am telling you this so that if it happens to you, you will be warned. And don't think to yourself, I am too clever to get conned that way, I thought I was too.

Our granddaughter - the one who has just had her opening night in We Will Rock You on the cruise ship Anthem of the Seas, had her 21st birthday on Sunday. Her father tells me that passengers on the ship keep stopping her to congratulate her on her performance. Pretty good for a youngster of her age I think.

I had my first taste of pizza some 60 years ago in Paris (France) and didn't much like it. I was with a boyfriend  whom, at the time, I was somewhat gaga about, so I didn't say anything. These days, we very rarely eat pizza although do enjoy it once in a while, a very long while though. To North American pizza fanatics that must seem very odd. I just came across this pizza idea which I thought sounded good. I like goat cheese and figs.

Goat Cheese, Fig, and Basil Pizza

4 oz package dried figs, chopped
1 Tbs aged balsamic vinegar
3 Tbs water
1 large pizza crust or 4 round pita breads
1 cup crumbled soft goat cheese, (a 4-ounce package will yield 1 cup)
3 Tbs chopped fresh basil
1 Tbs pine nuts
1/2 - 1 Tbs  olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.

2. Combine the figs, balsamic vinegar, and water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

3. Place the figs in a small bowl. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper.

4. Top the pizza with the goat cheese and figs, and sprinkle with the basil and pine nuts. Drizzle the olive oil over the top. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the cheese melts.

Servings: 8

Source: WebMD



Have a great day
 

Saturday Recipes

Because I was delinquent with my blog yesterday, Alex J. Cavenaugh said I should post two recipes today, so here you are.

Roast Pork With Milk

A bistro basic that the critic Bryan Miller brought to The Times in 1988 with the help of Pierre Franey, this luscious roast of pork comes from the kitchen of Adrienne Biasin, who for years ran a homespun and legendary restaurant in Paris, Chez la Vieille. The meat is first browned over the stovetop to sear in the moisture, then braised slowly in onions and milk. The pan juices are set aside

to form the base of a gravy, and the roast is finished in the oven. It takes some time, but is beyond easy to make, and pairs well with a glass of Beaujolais and dreams of travel. (Sam Sifton)

1 3-pound boneless loin of pork
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 Tbs olive oil
12 small white onions, about 3/4 pound, peeled
1 quart milk
¼ cup heavy cream

1. Rub the pork with salt and pepper.

2. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven. Brown the pork well in the oil on all sides over medium heat for about five minutes. Add the onions, then stir and brown for five minutes more.

3. Drain off all the fat. Add the milk and cover. Bring to a boil and simmer over low heat for one-and-a-half hours. Remove the lid and cook another one-and-a-half hours until the milk is almost evaporated.

4. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425°F degrees.

5. Strain the milk gravy into a saucepan, add the cream and bring to a simmer. Save the onions and the milk residue. Place the roast in the oven and cook 10 minutes or until brown.

6. Slice the meat and serve it with the gravy spooned over and the onion mixture on the side.

Servings: 4

Source: Andrew Scrivani The New York Times

Because it so expensive lamb is not something I cook often in Canada. I used to prepare it a lot in England. Anyway, I saw this recipe and decided I might try it the next time I have a leg of lamb.

Myra Waldo's Swedish Lamb

Craig Claiborne brought this marvelous dinner-party centerpiece to The Times in 1958, after securing it from Myra Waldo, a globetrotting food and travel writer who edited “The Complete Round-the-World Cookbook,” featuring recipes gathered by Pan American Airways. Mr. Claiborne recommended this one in a column in the newspaper four years later: a leg of lamb roasted above carrots and onions, broth, hot coffee, cream and a sprinkling of sugar. Really! The result on the plate

is remarkable in the way the richness of the sauce mingles with the big taste of the lamb. All we needed to do to improve it was exchange the beef broth Claiborne used (too tinny in flavor) for some of the low-sodium chicken variety. (Sam Sifton)

1 Tbs salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 five-pound leg of lamb
3 onions, sliced
3 carrots, sliced
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 ½ cups hot strong coffee
½ cup heavy cream
1 Tbs sugar

1. Rub salt and pepper into the lamb. Place the lamb in a roasting pan and surround with onions.

2. Roast in a hot oven (425 degrees) for 30 minutes and skim off the fat.

3. Reduce heat to moderate (350 degrees) and add the carrots and broth. Roast 30 minutes longer and add the coffee, cream and sugar. Continue roasting, basting frequently, for 40 minutes.

4. Transfer lamb to a warm platter and force the gravy through a sieve or purée in an electric blender.

Servings: 6-8

Source: Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times

Have a great weekend
 

Brian Skerry, Bowling, Tired,

I was unable to stay long enough at the theatre on Wednesday night to see if my questions were answered. However, I went on to Brian Skerry's Facebook Page and he answered them there for me. I have been wandering through his web site too and a number of the pictures we saw at the theatre are there on the website. But there was one particular shark picture with the shark partly resting on the ground but rearing up to look nose to nose with a diver. I thought it was particularly great. Not found it yet though.

Being a Thursday we went bowling of course and I did manage to beat Matt once.

I'm sorry, started this blog with good intentions but I am absolutely worn out. Not quite sure why but.... I am off to bed.

Have a great day
 

Email Problems, Narrow Boat, Christmas, National Geographic Live,

What a day was Tuesday. I couldn't send emails and then discovered there were quite a lot of them which hadn't gone out. I called Rogers TechXpert and they worked on it, leaving me a message saying it was fixed. It wasn't I called them back and after some time I got it fixed on both desktop and laptop. I also got them to change the protocols from imap to POP. The imap was giving me all kinds of problems although I had been assured it was the way to go etc. etc. My systems did NOT like it one bit. This meant that for most of Tuesday evening I couldn't use my computers.

I was somewhat surprised today to learn that my cousin and her husband, who are living in New

A Narrow Boat

Zealand, are returning to the UK and have bought a Narrow Boat with which to cruise the canals in England. She sent me pix of the interior, looks pretty good and a nice place to live. My cousin has lived on a boat for a large part of her life when she and her sisters went to live with my parents when they lost their own. I was astounded when I heard this because I thought they were a fixture in NZ, he has children living there. My cousin has now lived in Malta, England, South Africa and New Zealand. She certainly gets around. I am pretty sure some friends of mine own one of these Narrow Boats too. If the weather is nice, not a bad way to live although she tells me they are planning to spend the winters touring Europe in a camper. I wonder how they will find England now, after Brexit?

Just realised today is December 1st. Only 24 more to go. I have bought some chestnuts to make stuffing for the neck of the turkey. Maybe this weekend I will go through the laborious job of cutting, boiling and peeling them. I hope there are enough, quite a few appeared to have bug holes when I was picking them out. Still no sign of the Christmas Pudding I ordered from England. They assure me it will be here before Christmas but I am beginning to wonder. I wish now I had made my own.


Well we have just returned from our local theatre having watched and listened to Brian Skerry the National Geographic underwater photographer. I was absolutely fascinated. Matt less so unfortunately. He showed us pictures which told stories about the oceans - mostly stills but there were a few videos. There was a question and answer session afterwards but Matt wanted to leave so I never got my questions answered. When asked about the most dangerous sea creature he said a salt water crocodile. His comment was if you were in the water with a croc of a certain size, you were definitely on the menu. He talked to us about sharks and told us how many thousands were being killed each year, many of them for shark fin soup. He also talked a lot about seafood farming. The new farms are designed in such a way that either the sea currents, or filter feeding shellfish, can deal with the pollution caused by such masses of fish. I have linked his name with his Facebook Page where you will find many of his stunning pictures. He was asked if he was a vegetarian. He said no although he had tried to be. Said he was extremely fussy about what fish he ate and it's sustainability. There are so many creatures which are on the verge of extinction.

Whilst waiting for the show to begin, we got talking to the man sitting next to Matt. Turned out he was a bass player for the Kitchener Symphony Orchestra. He told us he had spent time in England, playing in Birmingham and has also played at the Albert Hall in London. Interesting guy.

Practically every recipe I come across for carrots adds all kinds of sweetening in one way or another. Carrots do NOT need sweetening in my opinion, they are sweet enough on their own, and this one doesn't do so.

Grated Carrot Salad with Citrus and Pistachios

The sour-bitterness of the grapefruit and blood orange make the carrots taste extra sweet in

comparison in this salad recipe.

¼ cup raw pistachios
1 oro blanco or ruby grapefruit
1 garlic clove, finely grated
¼ cup olive oil
2 Tbs fresh lime juice
¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
¼ tsp ground cumin
Kosher salt
12 oz carrots (about 5), peeled, coarsely grated or julienned
1 blood orange, peel and white pith removed, sliced into rounds, quartered
¼ cup cilantro leaves with tender stems, divided
¼ cup parsley leaves with tender stems, divided

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Toast pistachios on a rimmed baking sheet, tossing once, until golden brown, 5–8 minutes. Let cool, then coarsely chop.

2. Meanwhile, cut all peel and white pith from oro blanco; discard. Working over a small bowl, cut along sides of membranes to release segments into bowl; discard membranes.

3. Whisk garlic, oil, lime juice, red pepper flakes, and cumin in a medium bowl to combine; season dressing with salt. Add pistachios, carrots, and half of oro blanco and blood orange and toss to combine. Season with salt and let sit until flavors meld, 25–30 minutes.

4. Just before serving, mix in half of cilantro and parsley. Top with remaining herbs and citrus.

Servings: 4

Author: Ludo Lefebvre
Source: Bon Appétit

Have a great day