Lunch, Tenderloin Drama, Nutcracker Movie, Washing Avocados,

Took one of our friends to lunch at the Red Lobster today as a small thank you for all she did whilst I was in hospital. We all three decided to really treat ourselves so had the Ultimate Feast.

Friend chose a slightly different version which had lobster mac and cheese in it. Matt suddenly realised at the end that he wasn't really into eating crab legs so I was kind and helped him out!! As usual my main complaint, the shrimp in the middle were in a sauce and had their tails on. The ones on the left had their tails on too but they were dry. The red dipping sauce was slightly spicy too and I ate it OK. Excellent lunch. Matt and I had a Chocolate Wave Cake to bring home and as it normally comes with ice cream, we ate the ice cream there. They decorated it with chocolate sauce and, something not done before, they sent us home a little pot of chocolate sauce too. Yummy.

Afterwards, we picked up groceries. I had, as usual, ordered on line and one of the things I ordered was a whole beef tenderloin which was on sale for $32 reduced by $33. (Not sure how long this link will last) When I got there, I received a shock, the beef tenderloin I had was $86. I sent it back. The butcher apparently said he had never heard of a tenderloin at this price - my friend was going to buy one as well. Then she suggested we split the $86 tenderloin which would give us both quite a lot of meat. So when we got home, that's what we did and whilst at it, she cut my half into steaks etc. Once she had gone, I double checked the web page and the acknowledgement of order from the store. In both cases, the tenderloin was still listed at that price. I then decided to phone the store manager and complain. He too had never heard of this price nor had he seen the web site. However, he offered me vouchers for the difference so I was happy with that. Angie, who is the manager of the Click and Collect department, brought them in on her way home. She also took pix of the web page with the offer as they had not seen it. Anyway, I ended up with quite a chunk of tenderloin for a very reasonable price plus a bunch of vouchers to use on my next order.

My friend was telling me she planned to go see the movie of The Nutcracker danced by the Bolshoi Ballet next weekend, said I wouldn't mind going.

I just read an article about washing avocados and thought, how unnecessary. I was wrong, apparently the skin can hold a lot of germs and such which can get into the flesh when you cut the flesh. Never thought of that. Not had an avocado in a while, I do enjoy them.

I am stealing from Closet Kitchen by Kevin Lynch once again. This looks fabulous and just what I would enjoy. Doesn't it look delicious.

Baked Brie with Cranberry Sauce

ingredients

• 1 sheet puff pastry (thawed)
• 1 cup cranberry sauce
• 1 round of brie

directions

1. Lay the puff pastry out flat and place the brie onto it.
2. Spread the cranberry sauce over the on the brie.
3. Fold the pastry over the top of the brie.
4. Bake in a preheated 350F/180C oven for 25 minutes.

Have a great day
 

Recipe

I am spending a lot of time looking for non spicy recipes at the moment. I found three I liked the sound of which involved cooking shrimp in olive oil. I ended up amalgamating them all and taking some shortcuts and ended up with the following recipe which turned out very well.

Shrimp in Garlicky Oil - Jo's Version

16 large shrimp - peeled
6 Garlic cloves
6 Tbs olive oil

For the dipping sauce
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/2 tsp anchovy paste - or to taste
1-2 tbs Hellman's mayonnaise

1. Rinse shrimp in cold water and let them drain in a colander.

2. Meanwhile mix dipping sauce ingredients.

3. Press the garlic cloves with a knife blade to release the flavour when you fry it.

4. Fry the garlic for approx. 5 mins. on a low heat in the olive oil. Turn garlic and fry for 5 mins more. Turn up the heat and then put the garlic into the pan spreading out til all in contact with pan bottom. Fry them til colour changes then turn and fry until second side is pink. The shrimp are ready when you feel resistance on pressing them. Serve immediately.

I served with risotto, sorry, out of a packet. Very good though. You don't have to stand for hours stirring.


Have a great day
 

Pressure Pain, Blogging, Meals on Wheels, Christmas,

I have some advice for you all. If you ever end up with a long stay in hospital, or any kind of bed, if someone tells you to move or get up because of bed sores, do it. They know what they are talking about. I googled bed sores when I came home and hadn't realise they are really pressure sores caused, obviously, by continued pressure on your flesh. It has taken me over 4 weeks to be able to sit without pain any more. Not funny I can assure you. Hospital is no place for sick people!

Been writing this blog over a week or so. I still don't have the energy to write as often as I did. No doubt it will come back. Unfortunately, although Matt is very good at helping where he can, he is not able to do a terrific amount and I find I am having to cook quite a bit. All my energy is going into that instead. He is still having Meals on Wheels three times a week which takes the onus off me occasionally. Nope, I don't think I could eat them. Some of them look pretty good, they provide a soup, a main meal including veg and a dessert. Not a bad deal at all. Means I can give him soup or something for supper without feeling guilty. I am managing to eat more as the time goes by but still cannot handle anything remotely spicy (hot) seems that the inside of my lips, in particular, just can't handle it. I am so hoping this will wear off as I used to love really spicy (hot) things. Kimchi noodles in particular. I have two packets in the cupboard. Maybe I have to build up my tolerance again, but when Dijon mustard burns, I have a long way to go. At least I am drinking coffee again, I found it very uninteresting for a week or two.

Ended up in hospital for a few hours the other night. Well, I have not seen a cardiologist yet, and I have no idea what a heart attack feels like, I was already unconscious last time. I was having pains in my chest so in I went. Seems to have been nothing, they didn't tell me it was anything of any importance any way. Didn't get home til 3:30 a.m. so were a bit tired the next day.

We were hoping to go to the bowling Christmas lunch on the 17th, but there are some wicked stairs to climb which I don't think I can cope with. Decided to go  to the Red Lobster instead and take our friend who gave us such marvellous support during and after my illness. We owe her a lot more than lunch at the Red Lobster, but a lot of it is kind of unpayable. Actually, I could practice stairs in this apartment building. We have a plethora of  them which I normally avoid like the plague. God forbid there should be a fire, although I would have less trouble getting down 5 floors than I would climbing up. We have another friend who also supported us during this time but as she lives quite a distance away and is still a working girl, more difficult to entertain her.

This is one of my favourite desserts. A very English pudding. Never actually made it and this recipe comes from a Canadian.  However, couldn't resist it, and I might even try making it after the holidays. Wonder how it would taste to me at the moment?

Sticky Toffee Pudding

For the date pudding:

8 oz dried dates, pitted and chopped
1 cup boiling water
1 tsp baking soda
2 Tbs butter, room temperature
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
2 large eggs
1 Tbs molasses
2 Tbs golden syrup (or corn syrup)
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour (gluten-free for gluten-free)
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

For the toffee sauce:

1/2 cup heavy/whipping cream
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup butter
1 Tbs molasses
2 Tbs golden syrup (or corn syrup)
1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)

1. For the date pudding:

2. Soak the dates in the just boiled water along with the baking soda for 15 minutes before pureeing in a food processor.

3. Mix the pureed dates, butter, brown sugar, vanilla, eggs, molasses and golden syrup.

4. Mix the flour, baking powder, baking powder and salt before mixing into the wet ingredients.

5. Pour the batter into a greased baking pan and bake in a preheated 350F/180C oven until a toothpick pushed into the center comes out clean, about 15-20 minutes for a muffin pan,to about 30-40 minutes for a cake pan.

6. Enjoy while still warm from the oven topped with the toffee sauce!

7. For the toffee sauce:

8. Heat everything in a saucepan over medium heat and cook until smooth and the sauce thickens a bit, about 5 minutes.

Servings: 12

Author: Kevin Lynch
Source: Closet Cooking

Author Notes
Option: Replace the dates with prunes!

Tip: Make the toffee sauce a day ahead and simply warm it before using.


Have a great day
 

t'is the Season,

Disappointingly, we will not be doing much this Christmas. At the suggestion of a friend, we hauled out some decorations, one box was enough, so have a few things on display. I had given up on the Christmas tree last year, way to much effort then, when we were fairly healthy.

I bought a boxed stuffed turkey breast, cooked one at Thanksgiving and doing another for Christmas. It worked very well just for the  two of us.

Came across this recipe and couldn't resist sharing it. I love meringues, or used to. Not sure what I really like to eat any more. Tried some salmon cooked in foil. I know I have posted the recipe before. For me I cut out the ginger and Tabasco. Anything the slightest bit spicy (as in hot) tends to burn my mouth off. Such a pity. I love Oriental Kimchi Noodles (or I used to).

Spiced Italian Pecan Meringues

3/4 cup shelled pecans
3 large egg whites
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp grappa
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground cloves

1. Preheat the oven to 300°. Spread the pecans on a small rimmed baking sheet and

2. toast, tossing them halfway through, for about 20 minutes, until browned. Transfer to a work surface and let cool, then coarsely chop.

3. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk, beat the egg whites at medium-high speed until foamy, about 30 seconds.

4. Beat in the sugar 1 tablespoon at a time until the whites are stiff and glossy, 5 to 7 minutes. Beat in the grappa, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the chopped pecans.

5. Spoon heaping tablespoons of the meringue onto the prepared baking sheets, spaced

6. inch apart. Bake for

7. minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 200° and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, until the meringues are firm on the outside but still chewy in the center. Transfer the baking sheets to wire racks and let cool completely.

Source: Food & Wine

Author Notes
Make Ahead

The meringues can be stored in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Have a great day

Me

Hi, it's me, yes really. I am still not 100% and not likely to be so for a while. The  hospital don't really know what happened, I had some poisons in my gut but they don't know where they were coming from and I also had a small heart attack apparently. I don't remember any of this except for collapsing in the bathroom which, being small made it difficult for the parameds to get me out. Matt had managed to dial 911. Not a fun 3 weeks, I gather at one point it was touch and go, I know I was sure I was going to die, but I guess I changed my mind 'cos I am still here.

I was delighted with all the good wishes I received from you, my blogging friends. Not sure I will be a regular blogger just yet a while. Probably now and again if anything.

The hospital food was appalling. Omelettes you could pick up by one corner and they stayed straight in your hand!!! Of course some of the time I was on liquids. The broth they send was OK, but the jellos were almost hard, and I was craving milk which they wouldn't give me for the longest while.

The upshot of all this is that I have lost my taste buds. Everything tastes like cardboard except for things like orange juice and milk etc. I made a cauliflower cheese (big effort) and because I used spicy cheese, I could taste that. My biggest disappointment was when I tasted smoked salmon. To me it was just a block of salt. Horrible!! First night I was home, tried a brandy and soda. Lost it in the middle of the night; couple of days ago, tried a sherry, burnt my mouth. Oh well, guess I won't be doing much drinking for a while. Am trying to cook a few things but it is hard work for me. Everything hurts if I stand around for too long.

I now have my own walker, rollator, been using one from a rental company, (government paid the rent). A friend from the bowling alley came over and put it together for me on Saturday. As it turned out it wasn't too difficult and Matt and I might have been able to assemble it ourselves. However, the friend did it much quicker than we would have. I like these rollators, it means I can walk a bit and then rest when necessary. Only trouble is, they are a bit heavy and awkward to put in the trunk of the car.

Ladydog told me she missed a particular recipe whenever I posted it so I thought I would post it again just for her. This recipe was originally a pie filling made by Paul Hollywood of British Bakeshow Fame. However, I am not a big lover of pies or pastry so I make this as a main dish. I added carrots to the original recipe. Often buy a barbecued chicken, eat one meal off it and use the rest for this dish. It's good.

Leftover Chicken and Ham 

1 1/2 ounces butter
1 lge carrot, chopped
2 large leeks, washed and roughly sliced
finely grated zest and juice of 1 orange
3 tbs medium sherry
3 Tbs plain flour
2 cups chicken stock (or 1 cup left over gravy and 1 cupl stock)
1 heaped tsp wholegrain mustard
3/4 cup single cream
1 1/2 lbs left over turkey meat, cut into bite size pieces or chicken
1/2 lb left over ham, cut into bite size pieces (optional)
2 Tbs tarragon, roughly chopped
salt and white pepper

1. Melt the butter in a large frying pan over a medium heat and add the leeks and carrots to the pan with the orange juice, zest and sherry. Cover and cook gently for 6 minutes, stirring occasionally until the leeks are just tender. Remove the lid and increase the heat, reduce the liquid until you are left with a few spoons of the buttery liquid. Sprinkle the flour over the leeks and stir to mix evenly. Gradually add the stock, simmer for 5 minutes until the sauce has thickened slightly. Add the mustard, turkey and ham and stir. Finally add the tarragon and cream. Season to taste with a little white pepper and salt.

Source: Adapted from Paul Hollywood's Pie

Have a great day

Mandarin, Cooking, Hospital,

Ii either post too early or forget to post at all!!!!

Our trip to Mandarin was relatively successful, I say relatively because there was one kid running up and down the restaurant and another sitting in a high chair, banging her feet and periodically emitting and ear piercing shriek. Really made our day. However, the food was good, as usual. I primarily went Japanese this time with the odd Chinese thing thrown in. They did still have some Moon Cake so I had a little of that and some super ice cream that I cannot remember the name of. I had some last time but still don't know the name. It is lavender in colour mixed with some white.

We then collected the weekly shopping - new girl working there. Seems very capable. The click and collect manager is on holiday. When we came home and had finally put the shopping away, I decided to make the bean dish I posted the other day. Having done so, I realised we didn't need a heavy supper after our lunch so we had Cambazola Cheese and one of my heavy buns LOL. Will save the beans for tomorrow when I come back from the hospital.

In case you don't remember, I am going for a CT Angiogram Wednesday afternoon. Not 100% sure what that is although I know they give you a dye. Not sure why I never thought of Googling before. This is what I got "CT angiography uses a CT scanner to produce detailed images of both blood vessels and tissues in various parts of the body. An iodine-rich contrast material (dye) is usually injected through a small catheter placed in a vein of the arm." I have had something similar before and I believe the dye upset me a bit. I just found out what CT stands for, Computed Tomography. 

I just bought a roast and came across this recipe which I thought I might try.

Slow Cooker Pot Roast

1 (4 -5 lb) beef roast, any kind
1 (1 1/4 ounce) package brown gravy mix, dry
1 (1 1/4 ounce) package dried Italian salad dressing mix
1 (1 1/4 ounce) package ranch dressing mix, dry*
1/2 cup water
1 cup red wine
potatoes, carrots, mushrooms, celery and onion

1. Place beef roast in crock pot.

2. Mix the dried mixes together in a bowl and sprinkle over the roast.

3. Pour the water around the roast.

4. Cook on low for 7-9 hours.

* Use onion soup mix instead of ranch.

6. Add one cup of red wine.

5. Add potatoes, carrots, mushrooms, celery and onion 2-3 hours before end.


Servings: 8

Source: Genius Kitchen

Have a great day
 

Bowling, Opioids, Mandarin,

Bowling today of course, and my first two games were appalling. You would have thought I had never held a bowling ball in my life, I redeemed myself with my third game, but my average has taken a plunge. One thing, however, I wasn't suffering as much pain in my legs as usual. Not sure what's doing that, could be a combination of things. Whatever it is, I was grateful.  Despite my performance we took 6 of the 7 points available. We are currently in 4th place. Having phoned ahead, I dropped into The Grain Harvest where I buy buns I like, she had saved me 48 (if they go in the freezer they are sold for half price, I'm not stupid!!) however, that's a lot of buns, and heaving them upstairs to the apartment was not easy. Had to sit for a while. However, I have enough for quite a few lunches. So the pain got me in the end!!

Duuh, I wrote to the wrong political office so they referred me to the right one and I composed another email about Tylenol 3. I wish I had a magic wand, I would gift some of these politicians with the kind of pain seniors get, just for a couple of days, so they would know what it's like. Not just seniors of course, but they are apparently being targeted at the moment.

Tomorrow (today now I guess) we are going to the Mandarin for lunch with our usual friends, seems like quite a while since we went but Moon Festival is still on so it can't be that long ago. Wonder if they will have any moon cake left. I recall, one year, going late in the season of the Moon Festival and they had run out of moon cake.

Using leftovers (Marmalade Pork Tenderloin) for supper Monday night, I needed an extra and had some spinach in the fridge so I prepared this, it wasn't bad. Of course, I didn't make nearly as much as the recipe says.

Garlic Sautéed Spinach

1 ½ lb(s) baby spinach leaves
2 Tbs good olive oil
2 Tbs garlic, chopped (6 cloves)
2 tsp kosher salt
¾ tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbs unsalted butter
Lemon
Sea or kosher salt (optional)

1. Rinse the spinach well in cold water to make sure it's very clean. Spin it dry in a salad spinner, leaving just a little water clinging to the leaves.

2. In a very large pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil and saute the garlic over medium heat for about 1 minute, but not until it's browned. Add all the spinach, the salt, and pepper to the pot, toss it with the garlic and oil, cover the pot, and cook it for 2 minutes. Uncover the pot, turn the heat on high, and cook the spinach for another minute, stirring with a wooden spoon, until all the spinach is wilted. Using a slotted spoon, lift the spinach to a serving bowl and top with the butter, a squeeze of lemon, and a sprinkling of sea or kosher salt. Serve hot.

Servings: 6

Author: Ina Garten

Have a great day
 

Waterups, Senior Medications, Cooking, Dr. Who.

This is a fascinating picture, a storm called Callum is causing the water to go upwards instead of down - Scotland.

I have written to our MP this morning about the treatment of seniors as addicts. I have also written to CARP (same as AARP in the US) in the hope that they too will become involved. Having already endeavoured to spread the information on Facebook. I do not use Twitter unfortunately, at this time it is perhaps a pity that I don't.

I kind of planned ahead this weekend. Friday I cooked Thai Pineapple Shrimp Curry which is enough for two meals, finished it Sunday night, then Saturday I did
Marmalade Pork Tenderloin which will give us supper for Monday. Mine didn't look anything like the picture but it was delicious nevertheless. I am thinking I will do the Stewed White Beans I posted the other day for Wednesday - I have an afternoon CT Angiogram to go for so suspect we will be fairly late home. The Curry calls for toasted peanuts but I usually use toasted cashews which we have in house all the time. Recently discovered where to buy them at half the price I pay in our regular grocery store. It is Bulkville, but unfortunately a bit of a walk for me. However, it can be done. In fact I will walk to the bench right outside the store, wait for my legs to stop hurting and then go into the store. Reversing the process when I come out.

Tomorrow is, of course, league bowling which we both look forward to. The son at the alley is a Dr. Who Fanatic and they have just introduced a Barbie Doll of the current Dr. Who - a female!! I was telling him he should buy it as it will probably be worth a fortune in 50 years or less. It occurs to me the programme has to have been running 50 years (actually 55) or more. Just read this interesting snippet on Google Doctor Who first appeared on BBC TV at 17:16:20 GMT on Saturday, 23 November 1963; this was eighty seconds later than the scheduled programme time, due to the assassination of John F. Kennedy the previous day. I didn't remember that. I used to watch the programme when it first started. 

Brussels should be getting good now, never so nice in the summer. This seems a tasty way of eating them.

Bacon and Brussels Sprout Slaw

1 cup thinly diagonally sliced carrots
1/3 cup thinly sliced green onions
1/4 cup canola mayonnaise
3 Tbs apple cider vinegar
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled
12 oz Brussels sprouts, shredded (about 5 cups)
2 Tbs toasted sliced almonds

1. Combine first 8 ingredients in a large bowl, stirring to coat. Let stand at room temperature 10 minutes. Sprinkle with almonds

Servings: 6

Source: Cooking Light

Have a great day

Thursday, Friday. Food Prep,

Sorry no blog yesterday, this sleepiness is getting a bit much. Admittedly I did watch TV late last night, but I slept for a lot of the rest of the day, particularly during one of my favourite programmes, Jeopardy.  We went bowling in the afternoon and didn't do too badly. I am taking so many pain killers these days I don't know what is working, if anything, or not. The Lyrica may be helping, Matt says 'well I am not in pain when I am asleep', true, but being asleep all the time is not my way of living a good life.

Friday I planned to make a Thai shrimp supper plus pickle a couple of veggies for myself. After lunch I sat down for a while, and zonk, I was asleep. I did wake up in time to get everything done, but of course having to do everything at once caused pain. I have to sit down all the time. Cannabis is now legal in Ontario (Canada?) wasn't it before when I first purchased some? So now, fingers crossed, our insurance will help with the price and then perhaps I can take the recommended dose.

At dinner Friday night I mentioned that I couldn't think what to cook for Saturday night. Matt doesn't understand, he thinks you can just conjure something up 10 minutes before you sit down. He used to cook but I guess he has forgotten now. He says everything I cook is wonderful, don't know how he can tell, he covers it all with black pepper.

Mexico celebrates The Day of the Dead at the end of October and there are lots of delicious recipes associated with this period. This is a fairly simple one. Flan is one of my favourite desserts, I am sure I would love this one.

Chocolate Flan

1/2 cup sesame seeds
2 Tbs agave syrup
kosher salt
1 cup granulated sugar, divided
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 cups whole milk
2 tsp crushed ceylon cinnamon sticks
1 vanilla bean, split
1/2 cup cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-processed)
6 large eggs

1. Cook ½ cup sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat until it begins to melt and turn brown around the edges. Using a heatproof rubber spatula, pull melted sugar at edges toward center of unmelted sugar. Continue cooking, pulling in melted sugar, until all the sugar is melted and caramel is uniformly dark brown (it should smell toasty but not burnt), 10–12 minutes total (if you still have undissolved lumps of sugar, stir off heat until they melt). Pour caramel into 8"-diameter cake pan to create an even, 1/8"–¼" deep layer. Let cool.

2. Bring 1 cup water to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Whisk in cocoa powder until no lumps remain, then add cream, milk, vanilla bean and cinnamon stick and return to a simmer. Remove from heat and let steep 30 minutes.

3. Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 350°. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Purée eggs with sugar and ¼ teaspoon salt in a blender until smooth and sugar is dissolved, about 1 minute. Strain chocolate mixture into egg mixture and blend at low speed to combine, discard solids. Skim foam off the top and transfer to prepared baking dish.

4. Line a roasting pan with a thick kitchen towel; this will keep baking dish from sliding and will insulate flan, preventing it from overcooking. Set dishes on towel and place roasting pan in oven. Pour boiling water into pan until it reaches the same level as flan in baking dishes. Bake flan until it looks set like Jell-O (it will wobble when gently shaken), 35–45 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool. Cover with plastic and chill until set and cold, at least 3 hours and up to 24.

5. Meanwhile, increase oven to 350°. Toss sesame seeds, syrup, and ¼ teaspoons salt in a small bowl. Scrape onto a silpat- or parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet and spread in a even layer. Bake brittle until sesame are golden brown and syrup is bubbly, 15–20 minutes. Let cool until hardened, then break up into small pieces; discard any dark brown, bitter pieces.

6. Run a small knife around edges of flan to loosen. Invert onto a platter and top with crushed candy.

Tips: Do Ahead: Flan can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Unmold and serve

Source: Genius Kitchen

Have a great weekend

Mountains, Elephants in London, Spam,

The current Windows 10 Lock Screen shows snow topped mountains. Looking at the picture, it occurred to me that I have never seen real mountains. Or if I did I was too young to remember. I should put that on my bucket list, they are so majestic. Although, unlike the two fellers in The Bucket List (Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson,  I can't afford to go see the Himalayas and even if I could, I no longer have the ability to climb them. That is one of my favourite films by the way. Matt's too.  Also those actors are two of my favourites.. I thought they were wonderful in this movie. The Rockies are probably more in my reach these days. I started thinking about this some more and remembered that I had seen the fjords of Norway and Norway has mountains. I don't remember seeing them although  the fjords are extremely high. Same in, what was, Yugoslavia. Fjords and what I would describe as high hills

If my typing appears weird, it's the Lyrica. I am getting to be a bit zombie like, if this continues I will be stopping them.

Came across and email from World Wild Life Fund - Ahead of the London Conference on Illegal Wildlife Trade later this week, we're making some noise with a life-size elephant travelling around London. Although normally found on the plains of Africa, we've released this majestic elephant hologram as part of our Stop Wildlife Trafficking campaign, which is supported by players of People's Postcode Lottery. I would think this would really make you Stop and Think. Look at the size of that thing. There is a London  Double Decker Bus in the background.

I have been spammed lately and I was thinking, what is the point of sending silly, meaningless messages to someone's blog. Seems daft to me.

I thought this looked good, I don't use my slow cooker nearly enough, it is rather large. I wonder what they use to make this look shiny, olive oil sprinkled over top perhaps?

Slow cooker Spanish chicken

1 Spanish onion halved and sliced
12 large bone-in chicken thighs, skin removed
225 g pack chorizo picante, thickly sliced
3 pack pack fmixed colour peppers, cut into chunks
150 g (drained weight) pitted Spanish pimento stuffed green olives
300 ml dry white wine (serve the rest of the bottle with the meal)
300 ml chicken stock
1 Tbs tomato purée

1. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large frying pan. Fry 1 sliced Spanish onion for about 5 mins until golden.

2. Tip into the slow cooker pot (we used a 6.5-litre model), then fry 12 large bone-in skinless chicken thighs and 225g thickly sliced chorizo picante in the same pan until starting to colour – you will need to do this in two batches.

3. Add to the slow cooker with 3 mixed colour peppers, cut into chunks and 150g pitted Spanish pimento stuffed green olives.

4. Tip 300ml dry white wine, 300ml chicken stock and 1 tbsp tomato purée into the pan.

5. Scrape up any bits stuck to the bottom, then tip into the slow cooker, cover and cook on Low for 6 hrs.

Servings: Source: BBC Good Food.



Have a great day
 

Coffee Maker, Bowling, Cousin,

Had a lovely time Monday evening, I decided to clean the coffee pot. That went OK, but I decided it needed a bit more so sent some more vinegar water down it, next thing I knew, there was water leaking all over the place and Matt and I cleaning up everywhere. Decided to let it cool and try again, same thing!! I finally tried it, once more, but this time kept it in the sink just in case, yup it leaked all over again. Just water, not coffee. So that was the end of that machine. Luckily, I had a brand new one in a closet. Not sure how long I have had it, the warranty is probably expired, nevertheless it should work for a long while. I think this is the one I have, not totally sure. Looks similar anyway. I am so glad we had that one in the cupboard. I would be lost without my decaf coffee.

Didn't have a very good game on Monday. Only the two of us as a lot of people were celebrating. Some teams were down to one and ended up bowling with other people. Having discussed it with one of the owners and his son, we have decided that when the couple who used to play with the rest of our team, return, we will just form a 2 person team on our own as these days we are both so very slow. Not sure how they will split the scores, etc.

Had a delightful chat with one of Matt's distant cousins who lives somewhat up north of us. Hoping she will be able to drop in when she comes south in November.

I tried this recipe out for supper tonight, it was pretty good. Will make it again. I cheated and used canned beans. We both enjoyed them - enough for two suppers.

Stewed White Beans with Tomatoes and Rosemary

1 lb dried white beans, such as Great Northern or cannellini, picked over, rinsed, and drained
1 onion, 1 half finely chopped (1/2 cup)
1 carrot, cut crosswise into thirds
1 celery stalk, cut crosswise into thirds
1 dried bay leaf
1 can (28 ounces) whole plum tomatoes, with juice
2 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/8 tsp red-pepper flakes
1 sprig rosemary
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

1. Soak beans in water overnight. Drain, and transfer to a large pot. Cover beans with 4 inches water. Add the intact half of the onion, the carrot, celery, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer until beans are tender but not bursting, about 1 hour. Drain, and remove onion, carrot, celery, and bay leaf; discard.

2. Pulse tomatoes, with juice, in a food processor until coarsely chopped. Heat oil in a medium heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add chopped onion, the garlic, and red-pepper flakes. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion and garlic are tender but not browned, about 3 minutes. Add tomatoes and rosemary. Bring to a boil.

3. Add beans, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until tomato sauce thickens, about 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Serve warm, and drizzle with oil just before serving.

Servings: 8

Source: Martha Stewart

Have a great day

Pain, Solar Panels,

Pain in Canada. This article was given to me,  by my doctor, when she was telling me how and why I was being treated like an addict - she told me it made interesting reading. She was right, it does. My Year on Death Row This is from a woman who has worse pain trouble than I do. Suicide has been on her horizon because of such extreme pain. I am not really surprised. The situation in Canada is ridiculous. Basically if you are in pain and take pain pills, you are an addict!!! I have been given Lyrica which, at the moment is doing nothing for pain but it sends me to sleep all the  time. I am being weaned off my Tylenol 3 and if at the end,  I am still in pain, surprise, surprise, they will send  me to a Methadone clinic!!!!!!! Sorry, but I object to being treated like an addict. There are doctors who have lost their licenses because they are not obeying the new laws properly and have actually given their patients sufficient medication for  their pain. I have posted a lot of this on Facebook and am requesting those who can, to share.

Can't remember if I have mentioned this before, but I was re-reading a blog - A View from The Bench - about their installation of solar panels. My comment was surprise it has taken so long for North America to catch on to solar. I was in Greece 60 years ago and they were installing solar panels all over. The farmer at the asparagus farm I go to, has installed solar panels on his home and some farm buildings. A few years ago, he had a field which was going to lie fallow for 20 years so he applied to the local council to be allowed to install solar panels. In the end, they wouldn't let him do so. How stupid he could have provided a lot of power to the local grid.

Bon Appétit have a few Bean recipes I thought I might try. This is one of them.

Sausage, Greens and Beans Pasta

1/3 cup olive oil
2 sprigs rosemary
8 oz spicy Italian sausage, casings removed
1 15.5-ounce can chickpeas or cannellini (white kidney) beans, rinsed, patted dry
¼ cup dry white wine
12 oz paccheri, rigatoni, or other large tubular pasta
Kosher salt
8 cups (lightly packed) torn escarole, kale, or Swiss chard leaves
¾ cup finely grated Parmesan, divided
Freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbs unsalted butter

1. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot over medium-high. Fry rosemary, turning, until crisp, about 2 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain.

2. Add sausage to same pot and cook, breaking up with a wooden spoon and stirring occasionally, until browned and cooked through, 8–10 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a plate.

3. Add chickpeas to pot and cook, tossing occasionally and mashing some chickpeas with spoon, until browned in spots, about 5 minutes. Transfer about half of chickpeas to plate with sausage. Add wine to pot, bring to a boil, and cook until liquid is almost completely evaporated, about 2 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until very al dente, about 3 minutes less than package directions.

5. Using a spider or a slotted spoon, transfer pasta to pot with chickpeas and add escarole and 1 cup pasta cooking liquid. Cook, tossing often, until escarole is wilted, pasta is al dente, and sauce is thickened, about 4 minutes. Add another ¼ cup pasta cooking liquid, then gradually add ½ cup cheese, tossing until melted and dissolved into a luxurious, glossy sauce. Thin with more pasta cooking liquid if needed. Season with pepper, and more salt if needed. Add butter and toss to combine, then mix in reserved sausage and chickpeas.

6. Divide pasta among bowls. Crumble rosemary over top and sprinkle with remaining ¼ cup cheese.

Servings: 4

Author: Claire Saffitz
Source: Bon Appétit

Have a great day
 

Happy Thanksgiving Canada

I cooked our stuffed turkey breast on Saturday and it was pretty good, we both enjoyed it. I also found a cabbage and mushroom dish which I served with it. I followed it with Chocolate Lava Cakes with cream. I had a little problem with the Cabbage recipe, it doesn't say drain the cabbage or not, so I drained it and then realised that I needed the stock so I added wine and it turned out fine. I have also added don't drain to the  recipe.

Green Cabbage and Mushrooms

1 small green cabbage, cored and diced, about 6 cups
1 cup vegetable broth
1 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1/2 lb mushrooms (shiitake, if possible)
1 1/2 Tbs cornstarch mixed into 1/4 cup cold water
1 Tbs fresh dill weed, chopped, or 1 teaspoon dried
1/2 tsp paprika
Salt and black pepper to taste

1. In a covered pot over high heat, steam the cabbage in the stock for 5 minutes until it is just wilted and still bright green. Remove from heat and remove cover. Don't drain.

2. While the cabbage cooks, heat the olive oil in a large skillet or wok, and sauté the onion and mushrooms until they brown. Add the cabbage and heat through, mixing well.

3. Stir the cornstarch mixture well and add it to skillet. Bring mixture to boil, stirring, until liquid thickens. Reduce heat and season to taste with dill, paprika, salt and pepper.

Servings: 6

Author: Andrew Weil MD
Source: WEIL

Have a great day

Canadian Thanksgiving.

Although it is not yet Thanksgiving in the States, I thought some of you might enjoy these funny sayings.  I thought this was a good one.

 On hunting your own Thanksgiving turkey: “Last Thanksgiving I shot my own turkey. It was fun. That shotgun going, Blam! Everybody at the supermarket just staring. Why track them when I know where they are?” —Kenny Rogerson

All I have to do now is to make up my mind exactly what to have with our stuffed bird. In fact if you cooked this for Thanksgiving, you wouldn't need to stuff the bird perhaps.

Mushroom, Apple and Walnut Stuffed Acorn Squash

4 small-medium sized acorn squash, seeded, cut in half lengthwise
Salt and pepper
2 Tbs (30 mL) olive oil
8 oz (227 g) fresh mixed mushrooms (portabella, shiitake, oyster), coarsely chopped
2 celery stalks, thinly diced
2 Ontario apples*, peeled and finely diced
3 Tbs (45 mL) butter
1 Tbs (15 mL) fresh sage leaves, finely chopped
1 cup (250 mL) vegetable stock
½ cup (125 mL) walnuts, roughly chopped
1 small loaf of day-old sourdough or French bread, cut into ¼ inch cubes (approximately 5 cups)

1. Preheat oven to 350°F/175°C.

2. Cut acorn squash in half lengthwise. Remove the seeds. Season the     inside with salt and pepper. Place cut side down on a baking sheet  lined with parchment. Bake about 30 minutes or until soft.

3. Meanwhile, in a large sauce pan heat olive oil. Add mushrooms and sauté for 3-4 minutes. Add celery and continue to sauté for 5 minutes.   Lower heat and add apples. Continue to cook until apples become  tender, about 5 minutes. To the pan add butter, sage, and vegetable stock. Heat just until butter is melted. Remove from heat and allow to     cool.

4. Place chopped walnuts and diced bread in a large bowl. Pour warm vegetable stock mixture over bread. Using your hands toss the bread until it is well coated and most of stock is absorbed.

5. Remove squash from oven and turn it cut side up. Divide the stuffing among each squash half; spoon the stuffing into the cavity of each squash until filled. Return to 350°F/175°C oven and bake until stuffing is golden brown, approximately 15-20 minutes.

6. Serve hot alongside a festive ham or weeknight roast chicken.

7. Serve and Enjoy!

Servings: 8


Tip: Use Ontario Idared, Golden Delicious, Honeycrisp, or Empire  apples.

Source: Mushroom Canada and Ontario Apple Growers

Have a great weekend and Happy Thanksgiving to all my Canadian friends.

Missing Blog, Thanksgiving,

Sorry no blog yesterday, was a bit under the weather. Still am, not bowling today.  My IBS is playing me up.

By the way, on Tuesday I got the results from my Ultra Sound and, just as I thought, I am suffering from venous deficiency, i.e. not enough blood getting to my legs. The study compared to an ultra sound I had in 2017. One of the things mentioned on the results is dyslipidemia. Never heard of it so Googled. Reading to the bottom it says:

You could have dyslipidemia and never know it. Like high blood pressure, high cholesterol doesn’t have obvious symptoms. It’s often discovered during a routine blood test.

However, dyslipidemia can lead to cardiovascular disease, which can be symptomatic. High LDL cholesterol levels are associated with coronary artery disease (CAD), which is blockage in the arteries of your heart, and peripheral artery disease (PAD), which is blockage in the arteries of your legs. CAD can lead to chest pain and eventually a heart attack. The main symptom of PAD is leg pain when walking. I  have been putting up with pain in my legs for a few years now and nobody knew this before!!!

On the advice of the Manager of the Click and Collect Department at my grocery, I have decided to try a stuffed breast of turkey for our Thanksgiving Dinner. It apparently takes 2 1/2 to 3 hrs to cook and will be a reasonable size for Matt and I. The picture looks good of course. I hope it will turn out to be as good as it looks. We will be having our dinner on Saturday. I have been toying with the idea of getting more pre-prepared meals to save me spending so long in the kitchen when it hurts. However, from the above, maybe I won't be doing that anyway.

I thought this sounded a very unusual recipe. Chorizo is certainly available round here. We have a strong Portuguese contingent in the next town. They look absolutely delicious. I first 'met' chorizo in Spain where my parents lived for a few years.

Chorizo Stuffed Bell Peppers

6 bell peppers, tops cut off and seeded
1 lb chorizo sausage
1 stalk celery, minced
1 carrot, minced
1/2 cup chopped onion
4 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste
1 (14.5 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, chopped
1 Tbs Worcestershire sauce
chopped fresh parsley
chopped fresh basil
1/2 cup uncooked long grain rice
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/3 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1/3 cup shredded Mozzarella Cheese
1 (10.75 ounce) can tomato soup

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Place peppers in boiling water, and cook 5 minutes. Remove, and set aside to cool.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

3. In a large skillet, cook chorizo until almost brown. Drain fat. Stir in celery, carrots, onions, and garlic. Cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, parsley, basil, rice, and water. Cover, and simmer until rice is cooked, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat, and mix in Monterey Jack, Cheddar, and Mozzarella cheeses.

4. Place peppers upright on a baking sheet. Stuff each pepper with the chorizo mixture. Sprinkle extra cheese on top.

5. In a small bowl, combine tomato soup with just enough water to give the soup the consistency of gravy. Pour generously over peppers. Cover with foil.

6. Bake in preheated oven about 30 minutes.

Servings: 6

Source: AllRecipes
Author: MALAPSO

Author Notes
Aluminum foil helps keep food moist, ensures it cooks evenly, keeps leftovers fresh, and makes clean-up easy.

Have a great day
 

Bloody Government

I am not a very happy camper at the moment. To start off, went for a 5 p.m. appointment with the doctor to discuss the ultra sound I had. Apparently there are blockages which is why I am going for a CT Angiogram. Fine. But - we both wanted some Tylenol 3 for our aches and pains. You should see all the hoo ha we have to go through. The government, in its wisdom, seem to have decided that anyone taking Tylenol 3 must be addicted and therefore has to be weaned off. We have both been given decreased scrips decreasing the amount we are given over a period of time. Bugger whether we are in major pain or not. If  we are still in pain (you think) we will be sent to a methadone clinic where we will be given some other medication which is non addictive. Tylenol 3 is an opioid apparently and people are dying, in Canada, at the rate of 11 a day because of opioids. This means the rest of us have to be punished by withdrawing our pain meds. This is bad enough for Matt and I, but for people in major pain all the time will also have to go through this process. I don't understand the thinking. In our case, there is no way Matt and I are addicted, but we are in pain. I am seriously thinking I had better start making some noise. We both had to answer masses of questions then complete a form and do a urine test. We have now got prescriptions which get less every time you need a refill and if you run out before the specified date, tough bananas. Hurt you oldster, hurt.

In my case, I have been given a scrip for Lyrica but she is holding off on Matt for now because he has two new meds from the Geriatric Clinic. I guess she will put him on Lyrica later. But, if Lyrica was any good, surely they would have recommended it before!!!

So, sorry, I am somewhat annoyed and not really in the mood to say anything else nor to look for a suitable recipe.

Have a great day
 

ISWG Anthology, Present, Bowling,

ISWG are presently looking for authors of YA short stories with the theme as shown below. These anthologies seem to get a pretty wide audience so I do hope you will consider submitting a story.

The annual IWSG Anthology Contest is open now! YA Romance, theme: masquerade. Get the details - http://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/2018/08/the-2018-annual-iwsg-anthology-contest.html @TheIWSG #writingcontest 

Unfortunately I don't write stories. I used to write poetry once upon a time - nothing like the modern stuff  - mine rhymed which is what poetry used to be all about.

I was thrilled to bits today to receive a birthday present from a group of friends. We are the Dragon Fellowship and I came to be known as Grandma Dragon. I even have a book dedicated to me by Liz Seckman, to Jo Wake, grandmother to dragons. Matt took this photo of me and as I said to the group, I look 100 plus not 80. Guess I am a) a tad tired and b) my back has been giving me trouble and c) maybe I really look that ancient and am kidding myself. Anyway, for what it's worth, here is my great sweatshirt being worn by some old broad. Thanks so very much to all of the group. Can't wait to wear it bowling.

Talking of bowling, I had two pretty good games and we thought we had won all three until they ran the results on the computer. Turned out we had only won one game because there was a new guy who didn't have an average until the computer worked it out at the end. I was so disappointed.

This seems like a good way to cook a turkey. I love sauces of any kind made with Port. As an aside, did you know Knorr is pronounced with the K sounded?

CITRUS HERB-ROASTED TURKEY and PORT GRAVY

1 orange, halved
2 pots Knorr® Homestyle Stock Chicken, divided
1/4 cup (60 mL) chopped fresh herbs *
2 Tbs (30 mL) olive oil
1/2 tsp (2 mL) ground black pepper, divided
2 sweet onions, quartered
10 lb and a bit (5 -kg) turkey, giblets and neck removed
1/4 cup (60 mL) port wine
1/4 cup (60 mL) water
2 Tbs (30 mL) all-purpose flour
2 Tbs (30 mL) heavy cream or whipping cream

1. Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Squeeze juice from ½ of the orange; set aside.

2. Combine 1 pot Knorr® Homestyle Stock - Chicken, herbs, olive oil, orange juice and 1/4 tsp. (1 mL) black pepper in small bowl. Rub mixture under and over turkey skin. Arrange remaining 1/2 orange and onions inside cavity of turkey. Arrange turkey in roasting pan on rack.

3. Roast turkey 45 minutes.

4. Decrease oven to 375°F (190°C) and roast 1 hour. Baste turkey and turn pan in oven. Continue roasting until meat thermometer inserted in thickest part of thigh reaches 180°F (90°C), about 1 hour. Remove turkey from pan and keep warm. Skim fat from pan drippings, then pour drippings into measuring cup. Add enough water to bring total liquid to 2 cups (500 mL).

5. To make gravy, add drippings mixture, wine and remaining 1 pot Knorr® Homestyle Stock Chicken to roasting pan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, scraping up brown bits from bottom of pan. Combine 1/4 cup (60 mL) water with flour in small bowl, then stir into pan. Cook, stirring frequently, until gravy is slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Strain, if desired. Stir in cream and remaining black pepper. Serve gravy with turkey.

* Thyme leaves, sage, parsley and/or rosemary

Source: Knorr

Author Notes
If desired, supplement pan drippings with a giblet stock in place of water. To make stock, bring giblets, neck and 4 cups (1 L) water to a boil in saucepan. If desired, add carrot, onion and celery. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, 1 hour, then strain and use.

Have a great day

Cold, Medical, Junk Food, Thanksgiving,

It's cold. After all the fantastically warm weather we have had for months, it suddenly seems like winter. Maybe not quite that bad but what a contrast to the weather we have been having. Not only that, I am having to dress up warmly indoors as the heat is not yet turned on in the building. I can't remember when they do turn it on, I am guessing October 1, or today, but I don't know. I am also wondering if there is a new Superintendent yet. I have seen the previous assistant, I thought he had quit but obviously not.

Matt had bad back spasms on Saturday which apparently caused some kind of panic attack and I ended up calling the ambulance. They gave him pain meds and a muscle relaxant and I brought him home again. He has a scrip for a muscle relaxant but I am not sure he really needs it. Looking at the scrip I see they have our old doctor listed, but we changed and I did tell them when I was there but far be it for someone to think if I had changed, Matt would have done too. I have emailed them but I guess I should phone and make sure.

Sunday morning I watched Dr. Jennifer Ashton on GMA talking about dieting and junk food. Apparently it has been discovered that people actually have withdrawal symptoms on days 2-5 (I think) when cutting out junk food. They are just as addicted as people with drug or alcohol addictions. As she said, junk food is calorie rich and nutrient poor. Her advice, eat from the farm and not from the factory. I thought that was an excellent motto to adopt.

Canadian Thanksgiving is a week today, October 8. Many people will be stuffing themselves on turkey and ham and other goodies. I thought this would be an appropriate recipe for the feast. I am not yet sure what, if anything, I will cook specially for Thanksgiving.

Maple Pecan Pie

I used the recipe for the pecan pie filling that I found on Joy of Baking as a start and

replaced the corn syrup with maple syrup.

1 1/2 cups pecans
1 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup maple syrup (or golden syrup)
1 Tbs bourbon (optional)
1/4 cup unsalted butter
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
1 pie crust, chilling in the fridge until used

1. Bake the pecans in a preheated 350F/180C until nicely toasted, about 8-12 minutes.

2. Heat the sugar, syrup, bourbon and butter in a large saucepan until it boils, stirring constantly.

3. Remove from heat and let cool.

4. Beat in the eggs, cream, vanilla and salt.

5. Spread the pecans over the bottom of the pie crust.

6. Pour the liquid mixture into the pie crust.

7. Bake in a preheated 350F/180C until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 40-50 minutes.

Servings: 6

Author: Kevin Lynch
Source: Closet Cooking

Have a great day