PSW, Stress Test, Toothache, Soup,

David criticized me for fussing about the PSWs, but Tuesday morning one came at 7 and Matt would NOT get up. Neither for her or for me. Said he had had a bad night! I don't really think so and anyway he sleeps a lot during the day. I have been assured they will come at 9 tomorrow. We shall see.

Wednesday I have this "stress test" which takes 3 hours. I have now been told I must not drink even decaf coffee for 12 hours before. I can have a light breakfast and take a snack, for after, It's called a Persantine Cardiolite Scan and I will be slightly radioactive after it. If one was travelling by plane, they would give you a certificate to pass you through the check point.

Before he went into hospital Matt complained of toothache. I told his nurse. Tonight he is complaining again so obviously they didn't do anything for him. I just emailed a local dentist and asked if they could assist me.

Ladydog brought me some leeks from the Mennonite stand and I have finally managed to deal with them, boy were they filthy, and chop them up for soup which I am, of course, making in the Instant Pot. Supper is now ready for Wed. night.

I don't actually have a slow cooker any more, I gave it away, but one can use an Instant Pot as a slow cooker. Actually, don't see why I couldn't do this in the Instant Pot anyway.

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, stay well, stay safe.
 

IP, Matt, Il Volo, Soup. PSW,

Just got a pop up ad for "Instant Pot Home made Wine". Really? Maybe I should look into it. I did and I think I will continue to buy wine from the liquor store, thank you.

Just a quickie tonight. Picked Matt up at 2:00 today, he was so very pleased to see me. Think he thought I had abandoned him. Once I got him home he didn't seem to remember he had been in hospital nor what had happened there.

We watched Il Volo as there was nothing on TV for us tonight. Matt absolutely enjoys them. So do I of course.

Basically threw some beans and veg in the Instant Pot to make 15 Bean Soup. Very tired this aft so slept and didn't make supper until a bit late. Jeopardy is now going through another tournament. Oh for some new stuff.

PSW coming at 7 in the morning. Regular guy was scheduled for 10 so I pitched a fit. Trying to keep Matt from dressing before 9 is hard enough. The 7 a.m. is temporary they tell me, it had better be. So, I'm off to bed.

Nightie Nightie.

Have a great day, stay well, stay safe.
 

Cheering Up, Lunch, Respite, Scheherezade,

It's the little things. Around Friday supper time I was feeling a bit down and lonely when I heard a knock on the door and it was Karen, my next door neighbour, with some, what she called, Long Johns. They were a long donut with cream in. I picked one up for dessert. Chatted to her for a bit and off she went. I felt much happier after. Then I got an email from ladydog suggesting we went out for Sunday lunch/brunch which will make a nice change.

Just come back from lunch which turned out to be a treat from ladydog. She is so very good to me/us. We ended up going to Oscars which isn't far from me and where they are very popular for breakfasts and lunches. They are not open in the evening. I might say it is raining quite hard. I ordered a crépe

with bananas, fresh cut strawberries, whipped cream, chocolate and strawberry sauce which I hadn't realised came with a side of bacon, scrambled eggs, home fries and toast. I ended up with two plates and the only thing I left was some home fries. My waist line is expanding again. One thing I really enjoyed was the toast, it was real toast not the dried bread I get out of both my toaster oven and the air fryer. I also had lots of coffee (decaf) and thoroughly enjoyed it all. Thanks again ladydog. 

I phoned the hospital this morning and spoke to Matt's nurse, he is doing fine she said, he had his shower this morning and his breakfast. She says he is eating well and is her best behaved patient. I spoke to the nurse again this afternoon and asked her what she thought about him going into respite when I go into hospital for an operation. She said she thought he would be fine, he is doing well at the moment. It seems that there is an unexpected result from his hospital visit, I have been worrying for months about this situation and it seems I have been worrying unnecessarily.

I was reminded today of Scheherazade which I haven't heard for many a long year. Used to be one of my favourite pieces to listen to. As I sit here typing I am enjoying the Sinfónica de Galicia conducted by Leif Sergestram (who looks like Santa in tails) playing it. I really don't know if we still have a copy, I must check it out. I think my memory is going back some 60 years when the girl who was my flat mate had a copy of it which we played on her very up to date, at that time, radio and stereo system. For those of you who are interested, here it is.




I would like to listen again, but I end up with very swollen feet sitting forever at my PC. Maybe later.

Funny, the spelling of swollen just didn't look right so I had to Google it to be sure. Odd how words can suddenly look wrong.

Blackened Shrimp with Citrus and Roasted Fennel

You don’t need to grill outdoors to get smoky char on this shrimp dish, just a quick spice rub and a hot skillet. The fennel and shallots caramelize and become tender as they roast, and the orange slices

become concentrated and fragrant. The multigrain medley is a fun alternative to brown rice; it includes brown, red, and wild rice, plus quinoa. Can’t find it? Use any precooked brown rice or quick-cooking quinoa

2 small navel oranges
2 medium fennel bulbs with stalks (about 7 oz. each)
1/4 cup olive oil, divided
1 tsp kosher salt, divided
6 small shallots, halved
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp chopped fresh thyme
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp chopped fresh oregano
1/4 tsp ground red pepper
1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails on
2 (4.4-oz.) pkg. precooked multigrain rice medley (such as Minute)

1. Preheat oven to 425°F.

2. Grate one orange to equal 1 teaspoon rind; reserve. Cut oranges crosswise into 1/3-inch-thick rounds. Remove stalks from fennel; chop fronds to equal 2 tablespoons and reserve (discard stalks). Cut fennel bulbs into 1/2-inch-thick wedges. Combine orange slices, 2 tablespoons oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, shallots, and fennel wedges in a bowl. Arrange fennel mixture in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake at 425°F for 25 minutes or until fennel is tender and lightly charred.

3. Combine remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, paprika, and next 4 ingredients (through red pepper) in a ziplock bag. Add shrimp, seal, and shake to coat. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add shrimp; cook 3 minutes or until done.

4. Heat rice medleys according to package directions; place in a bowl and stir in reserved 1 teaspoon orange rind. Divide rice mixture, fennel mixture, and shrimp among 4 plates; sprinkle evenly with reserved fennel fronds.

Servings: 4

Source: Cooking Light

Have a great day, stay well, stay safe.
 

Matt, Movie, Spanish,

I called the hospital around 9 and was told to call back at 11 as "she hadn't visualised him yet" - I thought he was in Emergency but it turned out they had him in a ward. After a lot of hoo ha, I ended up speaking to him, he wasn't very happy and didn't really know where he was. Later the doctor - I presume the "she" - phoned me and said as far as the TIA was concerned he was fine. They want to do a CT scan tomorrow apparently (today I guess) and would keep him til Monday. I was surprised but the doctor said she thought I might like a respite. I wasn't sure about that because I know he will be distressed not being with me. Discussing it with ladydog later she thought it was a good idea. I haven't really made up my mind.

I spent the rest of the day reading and doing nothing much of anything. I got rather bored. Lonely too I guess, we haven't been away from one another this long for a very long time. I had a few naps in the afternoon but got a couple of phone calls which woke me up. In the evening I watched Jeopardy and then rented an On Demand movie, The Secret Garden. I read the book a long time ago but had totally forgotten the story. Colin Firth was in it and he has always been a favourite of mine. I enjoyed the movie very much. Think I can watch it again if I want to for the same price. Hope so, it wasn't cheap.

Also, did my Spanish during the day - I only do a few minutes a day but seem to be getting somewhere with it. Still at a very simple stage though. Amazing what I have forgotten but also amazing how I remember certain phrases every so often when they crop up.

For lunch I had left over Pho from our Viet/Thai lunch on Thursday and then for supper I had some cevaps. I enjoy them and they always remind me of Yugoslavia, as it was when I was there anyway. Technically I should have served them on a bed of chopped onion as they did when I was there. One of the PSWs we had a while back came from that part of the world and said he made his own cevaps. I cheat and buy them. I believe they are made by double mincing the meat, they are then made into small sausage shapes but no skins.

Saturday morning is wash day and I have a pile of stuff to do, later I will phone the hospital and see how things are and maybe talk to Matt. At that time perhaps I will make a decision about bringing him home.

I am not sure how authentic this is, I know I was told that they minced their meat twice to make it really fine. That was when I was in Yugoslavia.

Serbian Cevapcici

A delicious little sausage-like meat. Great served as a sandwich.

1 ½ lbs ground pork
1 lb lean ground beef
½ lb ground lamb
1 egg white
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp cayenne pepper
½ tsp paprika

1. Preheat a grill for medium-low heat.

2. In a large bowl, combine the ground pork, ground beef, ground lamb and egg white. Add the garlic, salt, baking soda, black pepper, cayenne pepper and paprika. Mix well using your hands, and form into finger length sausages about 3/4 inch thick.

3. Lightly oil the grilling surface. Grill sausages until cooked through, turning as needed, about 30 minutes.

Servings: 4

Author: AMERICANBRUNETTE

Have a great day, stay well, stay safe.
 

Sleep, Food, Massage, TIA,

Early night be damned, it was gone 11 by the time I got to bed. Then I couldn't sleep again. I even took a sleep aid but it didn't help. Most nights I go to bed and zonk out, but not the last couple. Oh well, better luck tonight.

Ladydog is picking up some Viet/Thai food for lunch today which will make a change. Oh, that reminds me, it turns out the Sweetbreads weren't rotten at all, they were in the freezer. Looks like I am going to end up with 2 lbs. Luckily Matt doesn't mind leftovers. I never understand people who won't eat them, I know a number of people who turn up their noses at "réchauffés" which wouldn't work for us as I frequently cook for two meals at once or for the freezer. I know at least one person who doesn't like food that has been frozen. Our food was good and I still have enough to have lunch tomorrow. Ladydog also picked up some cherries from VSM along with the sweetbreads. The cherries turned out to be $20 a bag, about 1 kilo. They'd better work at that price. Ladydog apologised, she hadn't realised how much they were until she looked at the bill. She also brought us some fresh corn on the cob, a bunch of nice leeks and some tomatoes. I think we came out of the deal pretty well.

Odd, last night I gave Matt a massage on his thigh and he was moaning and groaning at me. This morning I have just done it again and no yelling at all. Maybe I wasn't doing it hard enough!

10:00 p.m. I just sent Matt off in an ambulance as he was having TIA (mini stroke) symptoms. He has had them before, probably why he has ended up with dementia. I requested that I NOT be called at 3.a.m. this time. Actually the symptoms had more or less disappeared, but they took him anyway. Just as well. One of the women, both of them were women, asked if I needed more help. I said definitely, she said she would tell whoever that I needed some. Wonder what that will produce.

I am not actually worried too much, because he has had these symptoms many times, but one never knows I guess.

 Friday - Posted this for the wrong time this morning. Don't know what's happening with Matt. Just rang the hospital and was told he was on a ward and to call back at 11 a.m.

Asparagus, Onion and Potato Gratin Makes a Great Vegetarian Main

This meatless main dish is hearty and cheesy yet light enough for spring. Be sure to use fat asparagus spears; thinner ones will overcook. Feel free to use 4 oblong, shallow gratin dishes for individual

portions

1 1/2 lbs fingerling potatoes, quartered
Cooking spray
1 lb fat fresh asparagus spears, trimmed and cut into 3-inch pieces
6 spring onions, trimmed to 5 inches and halved lengthwise
1 cup whole milk
1 oz all-purpose flour (about 1/4 cup)
3/4 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
3 oz aged Gruyere cheese, shredded (about 3/4 cup)
2 Tbs olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 oz multigrain bread, finely chopped or torn
1 Tbs chopped fresh parsley

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.

2. Place potatoes in a Dutch oven; cover with cool water. Bring to a boil over high; reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until almost tender, about 10 minutes. Remove potatoes with a slotted spoon; place in an 11- x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.

3. Add asparagus to boiling water; cook 1 minute. Add onion halves; cook 1 minute. Reserve 1/2 cup cooking liquid; drain asparagus mixture. Arrange asparagus and onions in baking dish with potatoes.

4. Whisk together milk and flour in a small saucepan. Add reserved cooking liquid. Bring to a simmer over medium-high; cook until thickened, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Add salt, pepper, and cheese; stir until cheese melts. Spoon evenly over vegetables in baking dish. Bake at 375°F until top is bubbly and lightly browned, about 30 minutes.

5. Meanwhile, heat oil in a small skillet over medium. Add garlic; cook until fragrant, about 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add bread and parsley, and toss to combine.

6. Remove gratin from oven. Preheat broiler to high with oven rack in upper middle position. Sprinkle breadcrumb mixture over gratin; broil until browned, 1 to 2 minutes.

Servings: 4

Source: Cooking Light

Have a great day, stay well, stay safe.
 

Sorry

Think I will try for an early night tonight. Still got lots to do before I can turn in so talk to y'all tomorrow.

Have a great day, stay well, stay safe.
 

Bacon, Salad, Alzheimer Spouses, Cherries,

I just saw an article about cooking bacon. I like mine good and crispy so I use a paper plate, put a

double layer of paper towel on it, three rashers of bacon and then another double layer of paper. Cook in the microwave for 3 minutes and it comes out really crispy and there is no fat to bother about. I guess if you like it softer, you would decrease the time. For my English readers, the only bacon we get here is what we used to call streaky. Can't get regular back bacon. You can get it made into peameal bacon which comes in a lump and is covered in cornmeal. Never tried it, guess I should one of these days. Actually just read the article I linked it to and it sounds pretty tasty. It also has quite a history.

Been wanting to make the tomato salad I posted the other day, Sesame, Tomato and Cucumber Salad.

I decided to try it tonight, didn't have all the ingredients, I used some Siracha sauce instead of hot peppers and sweet onions instead of green onions but it turned out very well, I was quite pleased with it. Tasted delicious. I also used that very expensive tomato I bought at Victoria St. Market on Monday. It was worth every penny.  The blog seems to have got a bit turned around with the picture appearing twice. Guess I will have to go back and alter it.

Today we had another Alzheimer meeting with spouses using Zoom. One of the women told a hilarious story about a happening during last couple of weeks, we were all in fits. Nice to have something to laugh about for a change. It really is good to talk to the other spouses and hear their stories which dovetail with one's own. However, there will be one meeting more this month. We are able to join lots of other meetings but we all felt it was a good idea to keep this group together. I offered to host such meetings and everyone seemed enthusiastic.

Kathy brought my groceries this afternoon but didn't bring Oates. Think she was a tad busy. She is off camping for a couple of days apparently. By the way, I didn't get my cherries, they didn't have any although they were shown online. Apparently one can get cherry tablets and a cherry juice. I'm not big on juices but....

Another recipe I never tried. Not sure Matt would like farro though.

Brothy Beans and Farro with Eggs and Mushrooms

Stirring a raw egg yolk into each bowl at the end adds silkiness, heft, and protein. But this dish is satisfying without it, too. The secret to delicious-tasting beans is infusing the cooking liquid with aromatics like onions and garlic, then seasoning it liberally at the end until it's just shy of salty

1 small onion, unpeeled, halved
1 medium carrot, peeled
4 garlic cloves, 1 smashed, 3 finely chopped
1 ½ cups dried gigante, runner, or lima beans, soaked overnight, drained
1 cup farro or spelt, soaked overnight, drained
Kosher salt
2 red Fresno chiles, seeds removed, finely chopped
1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tbs finely chopped rosemary
8 oz maitake or shiitake mushrooms, torn into bite-size pieces
2 tsp sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
Freshly ground black pepper
4 large egg yolks, room temperature

1. Bring onion, carrot, smashed garlic, beans, and 14 cups water to a boil in a medium pot, reduce heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until beans are creamy but still intact, 70–90 minutes (time will vary depending on size and age of beans). Using a slotted spoon, transfer beans to a medium bowl; discard onion, carrot, and garlic.

2. Return broth in pot to a boil and add farro. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until grains are tender, 25–30 minutes. Remove from heat and return beans to pot; season generously with salt. Let sit 15 minutes to infuse beans and grains with flavor. (If you have the time, cook the beans and the grains a day ahead so they can really soak up the broth. If not, no worries—just keep going.)

3. Cook chopped garlic, chiles, and ? cup oil in a medium skillet over medium heat, stirring often, until garlic is golden, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat and mix in rosemary. Transfer chile-garlic oil to a small bowl; season with salt.

4. Wipe out skillet and heat remaining 3 Tbsp. oil over medium-high. Cook mushrooms, undisturbed, until browned underneath, about 2 minutes. Toss and continue to cook, tossing every so often, until mushrooms are browned and crisp in most spots, another 6–8 minutes. Splash vinegar over mushrooms, season with salt and pepper, and give skillet a few shakes to combine.

5. Ladle stew into bowls and top each with some crisped mushrooms and an egg yolk (if using); drizzle with chile-garlic oil.

6. Break egg yolk and stir into soup just before eating to give it a more silky consistency.

7. Do Ahead: Stew (without mushrooms, egg yolks, and chile-garlic oil) can be made 3 days ahead. Let cool; cover and chill

Author: Andy Baraghani
Source: Bon Apppétit

Have a great day, stay well, stay safe.
 

Exercises, Excuse, London Broil, Alz. Spouse's,

So having decided to do exercises in the afternoon, I forgot today. I do have an excuse mind you. I might say that Matt's right thigh muscle doesn't seem to bother him any more but the left one still does. He  may not realise it, but I think even that one is getting better. Not very fast, but nevertheless... Also, I have started massaging him and this morning the PSW took it on himself to do what I did with massage so that was good. He also took it on himself to change the pillow cases which is all very well, but if he wants to do that, better to do it at the weekend when I do laundry anyway. Will have to talk to him next time he comes in.

My excuse was Victoria Street Market. I dragged myself out (not a good day for me today) to go there and get the sweetbreads we had ordered for ladydog and I. When I got there, they told me they were no good any more and had gone rotten!!! Said I should have been in last Tuesday. Only trouble was, when Brad, one of the butchers phoned me, it was later in the week and he said that he had found out nobody had phoned me. I just did not have  time to go in until today, never occurred to me they would spoil, figured they would be refrigerated. I was a tad annoyed to put it mildly. Apparently they are going to phone about it and then call me. Hopefully they can get them in for Thursday which means ladydog can pick them up on her way past. So, the only thing I got was a $3 tomato. Big and juicy, hope it tastes as good as it looks.

Tomorrow morning is the Alzheimer Spouses Zoom meeting. I need to make sure Matt knows where I am and how long I have been there. Last time he swore he hadn't seen me all morning and was very upset with me!!

I contemplated buying a sirloin steak. I had completely forgotten a recipe we used to do regularly on the barbecue when we lived in NC and then did on our indoor/outdoor grill. We called it a London Broil, but were very surprised to come back to Canada and find a London Broil was a totally different thing altogether. Anyway, I suddenly remembered it the other day and decided that a thick sirloin steak would be a good cut to buy. Looking at the recipe, I see we used to use inside round when we bought it here. In NC we just bought a London Broil.

London Broil

For Flank steak, use same marinade (only less) and flash fry in skillet for about 5 minutes a side. Let

stand for 5 or 6 minutes before cutting diagonally.

5 Cloves garlic, crushed
1 1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup veg oil
1/4 cup of oregano
6 slices ginger, slivered
2 tsp hot sauce
salt and pepper
4 lb london broil 2" to 3" thick (inside round)

1. Mix up marinade. Marinate meat for several hours, minimum 8 hours,  the longer the better, store in fridge and turn frequently.

2. Light barbecue and get it good and hot then reduce heat to medium to cook. Suggest you  remain with meat initially to reduce flare ups. Give it 10 mins on the first side, baste and then turn, then cook 5 mins a side until you have cooked for a total of 25 mins. from the start.

3. THINK PINK (we think red)

4. Let the meat stand 10 - 15 mins before carving. Carve at a bias across the grain, not straight up and down.

Servings: 8

Source: Ramsey's

This is the recipe we use.

Have a great day, stay well, stay safe.
 

Dementia Book, Exercises, Zoom Meeting, Cherries,

At the recommendation of the Alzheimer spouse's group, I got "Loving Someone with Dementia" from the library. At first I wasn't sure I was going to read it after reading the first chapter but then I found it got more interesting so glad I persevered. One thing described at the current stage of the book is the extreme isolation which can happen to a caregiver. That is very true and thanks to people like ladydog and Kathy, it has alleviated mine somewhat. However, I think this current situation with Covid-19 must have made it a heck of a lot worse for a lot of caregivers many of whom have been cut off from their families and friends. Even though things have eased up a little, we still can't get close and hug people which for many of us is a big problem. One of the things discussed so far is lack of awareness too. I know I didn't know and "passed on the other side of the road" when I was told someone's spouse had Alzheimer's. Partly, probably, because I didn't want to know. I think many people tend to withdraw.

I finally solved a small problem. Matt has exercises to do and they are done with the PSW in the morning and again with me in the evening. However, Matt doesn't really have any interest in TV these days, unless it is a music show, so tends to go to bed early, often when I am right in the middle of a show I like. I don't get a lot of opportunity to watch such shows and a couple of times I let him go to bed without doing the exercises but then I felt guilty. Solved the problem by doing them at 4 in the afternoon. I have also been giving him some massage as suggested by the physiotherapist.

Tuesday morning is another Zoom meeting of the Alzheimer Spouses. This time I will have to keep an eye on Matt as last time he got upset thinking I hadn't been around all morning. Confusion. The meetings are usually 1 1/2 hrs but that was too long for him. He does seem to have lost any conception of time, or what time things happen like lunch and supper for instance.

I mentioned my gout the other day, I discovered that cherries are supposed to be good for gout so I have ordered some in my shopping this week. I like black cherries anyway and this is the time of year for them. I should probably give up booze too.

I wanted to eat this right off the picture. I really will have to try this.

Instant Pot Japanese Cheesecake

3 large eggs
4 oz cream cheese
4 oz white chocolate
1 tsp orange extract optional

1. Leave cream cheese out of the fridge for about 1 hour before cooking.

2. Separate yolks from egg whites and let them rest in the fridge until it’s time to use them

3. Melt chocolate in the microwave. Mix warm melted chocolate with cream cheese and stir until you obtain a smooth cream.

4. Add egg yolks, orange extract, and stir again until you obtain a soft and homogeneous batter.

5. Separately, beat your cold egg whites with an electric mixer, until they become stiff and glossy.

6. Slowly add your beaten egg whites to the other mixture, taking care of not forming any lumps and obtain a fluffy and smooth batter.

7. Line a cake pan with parchment paper.

8. Pour your batter into the cake pan.

9. Cover with foil.

10. Pour 1 1/2 cups of water into your Instant Pot and place the trivet correctly.

11. Place your cake pan onto the trivet.

12. Cook at high pressure for 17 minutes.

13. Let the steam release naturally and carefully remove your cake from the trivet.

14. Let it cool and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.

Servings: 5

Source: Corrie Cooks

Have a great day, stay well, stay safe.
 

Quiet Day, Fish, Diet, Shopping,

A quiet day once the PSW had gone. Actually it's working out well, one of the two guys who come here now takes out the garbage, the other takes out the recycling. Only thing I am not sure about is how thorough they are about Matt's exercises. Doing them with him tonight he seemed to be less able than usual. Maybe I should see what they are doing more often.

Tonight we had salmon for a change. I enjoy that fish and am not sure why we don't eat it more. In fact we both enjoy all kinds of fish, but these days it tends to be pretty pricey. VSM has a very good fish department - not bad at the grocery store either, and I should take advantage. I just took out some smoked trout to defrost for my breakfast. I have had it for weeks and kept forgetting it. I checked up on gout the other day and one of the things I need to do is lose weight again. I blame my hospital stay a couple of years ago, ever since I came home and decided to eat, I can't stop. Having lost 50 lbs in 2013 and kept it off for 5 years I am not too happy with myself but it is difficult because these days I eat a good meal and 5 minutes later I am hungry. Every time I start to diet, I go off it by supper time. Of course, for the gout, I need to stop drinking, they say wine is OK but spirits are not. We kinda stopped drinking wine as a bottle is 3 glasses each and Matt seemed not to cope with it too well lately.

I need to get down to the store in the morning, I want more artichokes and at least one bottle of tonic for Matt. He has been drinking small bottles which come from Quebec, I discovered, but the large bottles work better.  Oh, and artichokes don't have many calories. Trouble is, Saturday is laundry day, I could have gone this aft. but I just slept and slept this afternoon. Then I fell asleep watching TV this evening. I ought to be rested by now!!!

This recipe appealed to me particularly because I figured one could cook it in the Instant Pot or by stovetop. Not quite sure how readily available shoulder or butt of pork is available. Will have to make enquiries.

Braised Pork with Citrus

The combination of citrus and spices marks this as a dish typical of many of the cuisines of the Caribbean.

For the marinade:
1 cup (250 ml) orange juice
1/4 cup (60 ml) lime juice
2-4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 Tbs (15 ml) finely chopped fresh ginger
1 tsp (5 ml) crushed black peppercorns
1/2 tsp (2 ml) cinnamon
1/2 tsp (2 ml) ground allspice
1/2 tsp (2 ml) dried oregano
1/2 tsp (2 ml) dried thyme
Salt to taste
1 Tbs (15 ml) vegetable oil
2 lbs (900 g) boneless pork shoulder or butt, cut into 3-inch (7 cm) pieces
1 cup (250 ml) beef or chicken stock
1/2 cup (125 ml) orange juice
1 15-oz (425 g) can tomatoes, drained and chopped
2 bay (laurel) leaves
Hot sauce to taste
Chopped cilantro (coriander leaves) for garnish
Lime wedges for garnish

Mix the ingredients for the marinade in a bowl and add the pork, stirring to coat the meat. Refrigerate covered overnight, stirring occasionally. Remove the pork from the marinade and reserve the marinade. Heat the oil in a large pot over high heat and brown the pork in batches. Transfer the pork to a plate and add the reserved marinade, stirring to dissolve the brown bits in the bottom of the pot. Reduce the marinade by half and add the pork and remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer covered until the meat is tender, about 1 hour. Serve garnished with cilantro and lime wedges.

Yield: Serves 4 to 6.

Source World Wide Recipes

Have a great weekend, stay well, stay safe.
 

Busy Morning, Library,

Crawled out of bed this morning and immediately stripped mine. Matt got up shortly after so I stripped his and took it all to the wash, including his blankets. 8:45 Karen the cleaner arrived and made up the beds, 9 the PSW arrived. According to my tracker I have done 1,477 steps just going to the laundry room and back. Later I had to wash some towels which needed doing. Basically I was doing laundry for 3 hours. However, Matt is clean and the apartment is clean so that's good. Matt likes Karen, he thinks she is funny. I am now waiting for ladydog and Zoey. Should have called her after I got the blankets out of the dryer. Where she crocheted them the other day, they have ripped again. Maybe I had better buy him a new blanket. I found a blanket yesterday which was similar. I ended up buying it today.

Zoey and ladydog arrived for lunch and we had a long chat. Matt enjoyed feeding Zoey her dog biscuits. He shovels them into her, and Oates, so quickly. Hasn't got the sense to hold them back. Happened to mention I had a library book to pick up so ladydog took me down to the library. The librarian brought the book out to me and said she would exchange the book for the dog. I said fine by me, not my dog. She was very struck by Zoey. The book was "Loving Someone with Dementia" which had been recommended by several people on the Alzheimer Spouse's Group.

Pork Tenderloin Diablo

"This is a great pork recipe. Mustard is a classic with pork, but when you add the extra zing of horseradish and cayenne, and then smooth it out with a little cream and butter, well, it's devilishly 

delicious."

1 (1 pound) whole pork tenderloin
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 tsp vegetable oil
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 Tbs heavy cream
1 Tbs extra-hot prepared horseradish
1 Tbs Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 Tbs cold butter
1 tsp chopped fresh chives

1. Heat oil in an ovenproof skillet over high heat. Cook pork until browned on one side, 3 to 4 minutes. Turn over pork and transfer the skillet to the preheated oven. Cook until pork is browned and still slightly pink in the center, 20 to 25 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 145 degrees F (63 degrees C). Transfer pork to a plate.

2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Season pork with salt and pepper.

3. Remove any excess oil from the skillet and place it over medium-high heat. Pour in chicken broth and bring to a boil, scraping any browned bits off of the bottom of the pan. Whisk in cream, horseradish, Dijon mustard, and cayenne pepper. Continue cooking until the mixture is reduced to a thick sauce, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in cold butter. Stir in chives.

4. Slice pork into 1/2-inch slices and serve topped with sauce.

Servings: 3

Tips
Aluminum foil can be used to keep food moist, cook it evenly, and make clean-up easier.

Author: Chef John
Source: AllRecipes

Have a great day, stay well, stay safe.
 

EKG, Wing Mirror, Massage,

Well, I went and had my bosom hurt and my ribs jabbed. Much easier for a guy to have an EKG than a woman. At least this time it was a woman doing the test, previously I had it done by a man and  maybe he was short of breath and always breathed heavily, but.... I have never been sure.

I left home a little bit late and, of course, hit every red light between here and there, and there are a lot of them. I took Matt's walker (easier to put in the trunk) and when I got there the door was right opposite the car (no wheelchair parking spot) so I just took my cane. Mistake. Wrong door, had to walk a short distance to another door, inside I had to walk a fair distance, for me, to get to the elevator which I then realised I could have approached from the front of the building and it would have been much easier. Took the elevator and had another longish walk to the EKG consult. By the time I got there I was knackered and wishing like hell I had brought the walker.

Must admit I don't use my right hand wing mirror much but needed it today and couldn't see anything in it. I thought it had been knocked out of alignment or something. When I finally was able to check it out, I found the mirror was missing. Couldn't see that from the driver's seat, not a sign of broken glass or anything, just no mirror. Very odd.

When I got home, Kathy had a movie on the TV and Matt was kind of playing with the dog. They loved very comfortable. She wouldn't let me pay for the Subs - said it was her treat. She is not supposed to be treating us!!

Well, the masseur came. He brought his own table etc. and he barely touched Matt, and Matt was groaning and yelling. So, I don't think that was much use. I will have to try massaging him myself anyway. Nice man, good looking and extremely fit. The masseur said not to push Matt if he didn't want to do it again. I wish I could afford him for me regularly, I could use a few good massages. Used to really enjoy them many years ago. One thing I wondered about, he got Matt to lie on the table with his feet up on a bolster. Looked uncomfortable to me. Matt just went  to bed and we went through all his exercises, I then got Matt to lie on his stomach and massaged his back, didn't hurt. I then got him to lie on his side and massaged his bad leg, didn't hurt either. Didn't do either very hard, but nor did the masseur. I think the legs up position hurt as much as anything. Me being the expert of course.

I bet this is another recipe I could make in the Instant Pot.

Sweet Potato and Butternut Squash Soup

2 Tbs olive oil
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
¼ tsp salt
1 medium butternut squash, peeled and diced
1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced
4 cups vegetable broth
½ cup full fat coconut milk
½ tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp ground ginger
¼ tsp curry powder
a dash of chilli powder

1. In a large pot, on medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the carrot, onion and salt. Cook for about 5 minutes, and then add the spices.

2. After everything has been mixed together, add the squash and sweet potato, then pour in the vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cover while allowing it to cook for approximately twenty minutes or until the veggies are very tender.

3. Using an immersion blender or regular blender, puree the vegetables. The texture should be smooth. Transfer mixture back to the pot then pour in the coconut milk. Stir to combine then heat it through on medium-low heat for about 5 minutes.

Yield: 4

Source: Iris

Have a great day, stay well, stay safe.
 

PSWs, Kathy, Cardiologist, Physiotherapist, Masseur,

I can't believe that Matt has a PSW every morning and doesn't remember them. He is convinced he dresses himself every day!! This morning he told me he didn't want the guy who was coming. I said he should tell him himself, of course he didn't and wet off with him as meek as a lamb!!

Kathy and her dog Oates picked up the groceries for us today and we had a visit. Only problem was, I got a phone call right in the middle from the cardiologist's office. I now have an EKG tomorrow at 12:50 and a stress test (the type where they inject you with something which stresses the heart) on the 19th. Takes about 3-4 hours I gather and then a follow up appointment on December 2. Unbeleivable. However, she did say they might be able to change that at a later date. She offered me appointments at 8:30 a.m. but I said I didn't get going at that time of the morning so managed to get some later in the day.

In fact, the phone has been ringing nearly all day. I was trying to prepare lunch and it rang twice. Always someone important enough that I had to concentrate on that instead of lunch. I was beginning to get to the stage of tearing out my hair. It's already going grey!!

Kathy has very kindly offered to bring Subs and have lunch with Matt when I go to have my EKG so that is one worry off my mind. Ladydog is going to come over when I go for my stress test. It is so nice to have good friends.

In the afternoon the physiotherapist came and because Matt is still having a lot of pain in the muscle of his left thigh, he has recommended deep massage. However, that is likely to cause Matt some pain so, although he told me how to do it, I think I would get yelled at if I caused Matt pain. Actually, I just gave him a light massage and that seemed to go OK. The masseur is coming tomorrow afternoon at 4. $60 for half an hour!! Our insurance coughs up with $25. Better than nothing I suppose. I don't think I am going to get him in too often. Can't afford that.

I just found this recipe from 2014 and I think it would be an easy adaptation for the Instant Pot.

Mexican Chicken Pepper Casserole

2 Tbs vegetable oil
3 lb chicken pieces
1/2 lb Mexican sausage, cut into chunks
3 cloves garlic minced
1 red pepper, diced
1 large carrot thinly sliced and cut into squares
1 cup celery, thickly sliced
3 cups chicken stock
2 Tbs finely chopped parsley
1 1/2 cups long grain rice
2 bay leaves

1. In a large frypan over medium heat, cook chicken pieces in oil on both sides until lightly browned. Remove from pan and place in casserole dish. In the same fry pan, cook sausage until lightly browned. Add to the casserole. In same fry pan cook garlic until just softened, add stock, vegetables, parsley, rice and bay leaves. Season to taste. Pour mixture over chicken in casserole. Bake in preheated 325°F oven for 1-1/2 to 2 hours or until chicken cooked. Remove bay leaves before serving.

Servings: 8

Have a great day, stay well, stay safe.
 

Shhh, Blogger, Weather, Visitors,

So far I haven't cut myself or done any other damage. The finger I slammed in the door periodically aches like hell though. Pretty sure I didn't break it but I certainly didn't do it any good. On the advice of ladydog and Denise, I have ordered some arnica gel so we will see how that helps.

I see, in fact, that we are not going to be tied into the new Blogger format and can opt to stay with the legacy format which I will certainly be doing. I have tried the new blogger a few times and it doesn't do what I want it to do apart from the business of only 5,000 labels. I don't know what they expect us to do, those of us who have been blogging for years probably exceeded that limit ages ago. For me, and I think several others, they can keep their new format.

Been a quiet day, it is, of course, a holiday anyway, but not much happening except we had a thunderstorm with a lot of rain this afternoon. Came down in buckets again. By now the ground must be able to soak up and make use of the water it is receiving. I hope, anyway.  It does help to cool things down - I am getting fed up with the heat as I am sure a lot of us are. We can't even sit on our balcony, it is just too damned hot.

Tomorrow, today for you, Kathy is bringing Oates to see us when she brings the shopping for me. Have to phone the store early, I forgot Matt's luncheon meat. Looking forward to seeing Oates again, a really nice, friendly dog. Good for Matt too, makes him forget his troubles. He got some funny ideas in his head this afternoon, first he was going on about masks and me having to spend money to get them and why was I wearing them anyway. He never has grasped the idea of Covid-19 and has totally forgotten what epidemics and pandemics are. Later he was worried about something or other but he didn't know what it was!! His left leg has been troubling him quite a bit, the muscle in his thigh, luckily the physio is coming tomorrow so will ask his opinion. I think it's reaction to being re-awakened as it were.

Here is yet another recipe I need to try.

Grilled Salmon with Tomato Caper Vinaigrette

Spicy grilled salmon gets topped with fresh tomato caper vinaigrette.

Vinaigrette
3 ripe beefsteak tomatoes cored, seeded and diced
1/4 red onion finely chopped
2 Tbs capers drained
1/4 cup sherry vinegar
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp finely chopped thyme leaves
2 Tbs chopped basil leaves
salt and fresh ground black pepper
Salmon
4 8-ounce salmon filets with the skin
canola oil
salt and fresh ground black pepper

1. Combine all the ingredients for the vinaigrette in a medium bowl. Let sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. If made in advance, store in fridge and remove and let come to room temperature and mix well before serving.

2. Heat the grill to medium-high heat.

3. Brush the salmon on both sides with oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill skin side down for 3-4 minutes (this was enough for me). Turn and move to a cooler part of the grill to cook for 3-4 more minutes.

4. Serve the salmon with the vinaigrette over the top.

Servings: 4

Source: Sidewalk Shoes

Have a great day, stay well, stay safe.
 

In the Wars, New Blogger,

Today is Civic Holiday here so happy holidays to my Canadian readers.

I'm in the wars lately. I cut my right thumb somehow and it hurts quite badly and is somewhat swollen, then I was attacked by the fridge door which caused a bloody (literally) gash in my arm and then Saturday I slammed my finger in the patio door when closing it, another bloody mess. I think it has finally stopped bleeding. I am not a happy camper. Maybe I should stop doing things at all. I have found a pair of thin rubber gloves I can wear in the shower to protect my finger as I don't want it to start bleeding again, I really made a mess of it, there was blood all over the place for this injury. Maybe, as that's three times, I will stop hurting myself. I hope. Ladydog suggested arnica, not familiar with it, so I Googled it. Doesn't seem to be very efficacious to me.

I started typing on the new blogging system, decided to revert to the old one. I found a save button, it didn't save it, so now I don't know what I wrote. I hate the new format, it is awful. Not only that, it keeps telling me I can only have 5,000 labels. So what am I supposed to do? I don't have a clue how to delete the old ones. They don't seem to be taking into account those of us who have been blogging for  years.

This morning I asked the PSW to open up a box of Depends for me, bad finger etc. I also wore the rubber glove and ended with it full of water, guess that doesn't work. Funny washing your hair with a glove on.

Well, guess I had better go and think about supper. I have some Portabellas so will do them with some cold meat and I'm going to bake a couple of potatoes. Ladydog has told me she cooks hers in the microwave and then finishes them in the air fryer so I am going to try that.

I could never cook this as is, Matt hates peeling shrimp. He doesn't like eating with his fingers in any form whatsoever.

Doc Ford’s Yucatan Shrimp Recipe

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large clove garlic, minced
Juice of two large limes
1 tablespoon Indonesian sambal (sambal oelek)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 pound large, fresh, shell-on shrimp
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Preparation:

In a small saucepan set over low heat, melt 1 tablespoon of butter. Add the garlic and cook, stirring for 2 minutes. Add remaining 3 tablespoons butter to saucepan. When it melts, stir in the lime juice, chili sauce, salt and pepper. Turn off the heat and allow the sauce to rest. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Add the shrimp and cook for 2 minutes or until they are just firm and pink. Do not overcook. Drain into a colander and shake over the sink to remove excess moisture. In a large bowl, toss the shrimp and chili sauce. Sprinkle with cilantro and toss again.

Source: Cannons Marina

Have a great day, stay well, stay safe.
 

Shopping, Gout, Lunch, Cooking.

After I had approved the bed making this morning, LOL, I phoned the grocery store to discover the artichokes had come in last night. I decided to shoot down and get some (if shooting is any longer possible) I had also called Victoria St. Market as, for some reason, the grocery store has no tonic water. They had some smallish bottles so figured I would go there too. I parked round the back of the  grocery store as I figured it was easier for me, walking with a cane, than the other side. I was lucky and picked up a shopping cart near where I parked. I then saw a young man bringing in carts and disinfecting them so asked him to disinfect mine. All set so I went in and found the artichokes. I also picked up a couple of white flesh peaches, these are the only ones which fit the freestone description. They are not very ripe yet but they should be OK later. I picked up a few other things like raspberries and Portobellas,then back to the car. Went to VSM and picked up the bottles of tonic, ended up with two lots just in case. They had more fresh corn so I decided to get some. Saw some home made looking butter tarts which I thought Matt would enjoy. I had one later in the day, not bad. Don't think I will eat any more though, not good for my sylph like (I wish) figure.

Getting home, my feet were killing me. Did I tell you I have gout in my big toes. I am a tad embarrassed - not sure why except, to me, gout is something old men who sank a bottle of port every day, suffered from. I remember one saw pictures of them with a foot up on a stool with the foot being swathed in bandages. It's something which comes and goes and right now it is raging in both feet. I take medication but it doesn't seem to be doing anything at the moment.

By this time, of course, it was lunchtime so I made lunch for both of us and, at the same time, popped a couple of artichokes in the Instant Pot. Didn't really mean to, but couldn't resist them once they were cooked so finished off my lunch that way.

Finished my book and started the Alex Trebek book which I got from ladydog. Didn't get very far when I couldn't keep my eyes open. Not the book's fault, I was just tired.

I had taken shrimp out of the freezer for supper and I suddenly thought of the Jambalaya recipe I have been making for years and yet not for a number of years. It used to be a big favourite of a friend in NC who had a shrimp boat and would give me a pile of shrimp so I would make it and bring it to a party. He would then eat it for breakfast and for any meal he had enough left for. I don't really know why I haven't made it for so long. Anyway, I realised I had some rice from last night so off I went. I had to improvise a bit mind you. I used a red pepper, sweet onions as I had no green onions and I used grape tomatoes which worked fine. Of course I had to cook the shrimp but chilled them in the freezer for a while. Not that long although I then left the whole dish in the fridge until I was ready to serve and got complaints that it was too cold. I thought it was fine myself. The recipe came from the Cambridge Times (think that's what it was called) many a long year ago. I also cooked the corn beforehand and much to my surprise, Matt ate his.

Jambalaya

2-1/2 cup water
1 cup converted rice
1 tsp salt
3 tsp red pepper sce (hot)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 garlic clove, crushed
1/2 lb cooked shrimp (I usually use more)
1 cup diced ham
1/2 med green pepper cut in 1 x 1/4 in strips
4 green onions, with tops, sliced
2 med tomatoes, roughly chopped

1. Bring water to boil, add rice, 1 tsp salt and red pepper sauce. Simmer 20 mins. covered. Remove from heat, let stand approximately five mins til liquid has disappeared. Put in a large bowl. Combine garlic, oil, remaining salt with rice. Add rest of ingredients except tomatoes. Chill a minimum of 3 hours. Stir in tomatoes to serve

Servings: 4



Have a great day, stay well, stay safe.