Anna N

Wouldn’t that be a bay leaf wreath? Say that three times quickly.

Rusty iron. I drank it as a child.

😂😂 Good catch. I never noticed it but it is rather blatant.

The first book of Dorie’s that so disappointed me. So much of it seems to me like little more than tweaks of well-known recipes. Deja vu all over again. For instance this is part of the head note to the recipe for gougéres: “This version, one of my current favorites, has a structural tweak: Instead of the usual 5 eggs in the dough, I use 4 plus a white—it makes the puffs just a tad sturdier. In addition, I’ve downsized the puffs, shaping them with a small cookie scoop. And I’ve added Dijon mustard to the mix for zip, and a surprise—walnuts. These changes are small, but gougère lovers will pick up on them immediately.” Or this for pimento cheese: “My version is straight-up and simple, a blend of sharp and extra-sharp cheddar, pimentos, mayo, salt and cayenne. (Don’t think that the small amount of cayenne is stingy—its flavor builds as the cheese rests.)” Yawn. And she offers yet another recipe for butternut squash soup. Truly I think a recipe for this soup would have to incorporate chocolate chip cookies for me to sit up and take notice. I just don’t think the book is up to Dorie’s standard. YMMV

Finally we have air conditioning! I suspect we will be mighty glad of it tomorrow when the hot humid weather moves in here.

Used to love it. Can’t stand it now.

Good morning. Just now Kerry collected three dozen unwashed eggs that had been left at the clinic for her by one of her colleagues. There are other eggs in the refrigerator but there’s something decadent about eating an unwashed egg in the morning!* At my age you take all the decadence you can get. Look at the colour of these yolks: oops. A bit blurry. But how to enjoy these eggs? My first thought was Scrambled eggs simmered in salsa. But I wasn’t at all sure how ample our supply of salsa might be. So I went with my second thought. Scrambled eggs seasoned with Trader Joe’s umami seasoning here. I think I might have enjoyed it better had I used a little less. I tried hard to be light with the sprinkling but the holes in the shaker are pretty large. Damn. I think my eyes are blurry and I didn’t even have two cocktails last night. The nice thing about my decision is that the eggs simmered in salsa remain in my future. *Yeah, yeah. I washed them.

For $1.30 Canadian, I couldn’t resist.

Must be. She hasn’t worked in emerg for more than a week.😂

Well apparently even air-conditioning technicians operate on Island time. The promised 930 return is now almost 2 hours past!

Good morning. Wished I hadn’t had that second cocktail last night. But it had been a rough day. A new air conditioner is being installed in the condo and there was a service man in and out all day long. I found it pretty much impossible to do anything other than sit in my chair and make myself scarce. The estimated time for installing the air-conditioner had been 3 to 4 hours. They were wrong. They will be returning today for another 3 to 4 hours after being here for many more hours yesterday. So before the fun begins I thought it wise to make myself some breakfast. A cheddar and tomato melt. Messy but good.

Love to get your opinion on taste and texture.

Exactly! Well almost. NO TURKEY.

If it wasn’t for the turkey....

I was just thinking that I don’t like turkey but one could surely make baby marrots using chicken breast. Not something I’m likely to do but makes for a fine mind experiment. It is almost a given that we will soon see marsnips, meets, mutabagas....

Well I missed the lightning deal which was most likely for a hardcopy anyway but you piqued my interest. I need something to read and for $9.99 Canadian (for the Kindle edition) I have now scratched that itch. Thank you.

Exactly.

I did not find it sweet. At least not abominably so. To me it seemed right on between sweet and bitter. YMMV.

Despite taking pains to make this salad, it was as tasteless as a plate of water. The zucchini was as limp as a dish rag, the tomatoes lacked any flavour and the dressing also fell flat. Even my garlic toast didn’t measure up. The lamb chops and mint sauce were excellent. Despite shortcomings I still over ate.

When it comes to value for your recipe dollar, I sometimes think magazines are the route to go. I threw this into the grocery cart when Kerry and I were shopping the other day. Granted there is nothing here that is cutting edge or even slightly frou-frou. Most of us have probably made many of these recipes many times. Perhaps it is more of an aide memoir but I count around 16 recipes that appeal to me and that I am likely to make. Not bad for $11.99 (and probably much cheaper in US funds). .

Yup. Who knew that @liuzhou was that good looking!

Leisurely breakfast: Very thinly sliced, toasted Pugliese-style bread with Smoky Blue, Unexpected Cheddar, Sicilian lemon marmalade, and a few Bing cherries. First time sampling the Unexpected Cheddar. I hope it won’t be the last. Although it is Prime Day(s) on Amazon even here in the far north, I lack the patience for this kind of sale strategy. When I did briefly ask to see what books might be on sale I was offered Macramé at Home! My interest is currently on two Canadian “cook books”. The first, The Last Schmaltz, Kerry told me about after she had listened to a program on CBC radio where it was discussed. The other, Joe Beef: Surviving the Apocalypse: Another Cookbook of Sorts, I learned about by accident while I was surfing the web. Apparently Canadian cookbooks do not get anywhere near the exposure that one might expect even in Canada. Both of them interest me as sources of entertainment only. I am not expecting to find them on sale but I do put a few pennies aside for my annual trip to the Island. I can easily afford both in Kindle editions. The only question remaining is do I want either?😂 Sometimes I enjoy the anticipation much more than the execution of an idea. OK back to folding laundry.

This morning we both begin moving slowly but by 930 we’re on our way to Espanola to see what we could get up to. Our first stop was a new store that we had spotted on our way through Espanola when we arrived a week ago on Friday. Called A Little Bit of Everything It was more or less a dollar store but the prices were not particularly dollarish. However the name was appropriate because there was everything from party supplies to a “Vespa” to new and used refrigerators. We did not exactly break the bank there. I bought a spray bottle which apparently isn’t a spray bottle and a one dollar jar of French’s spicy mustard. Came to a bit over $3. From there we headed to Giant Tiger and The Independent Grocer where Kerry grabbed some groceries. That brought us to lunchtime and we headed to our favourite little café in Espanola, Shays. It has come under new ownership since we were last here. The husband of the owner was playing server and doing it to impress upon one and all how rushed he was. It was quite comical and he was a very pleasant fellow despite his off-Broadway theatrics. Kerry’s tea. The cup looks a little odd but that is due to the reflections. Is a perfectly fine ceramic mug designed to look like a tin mug. Instead of the usual pile of disposable milk packages, Kerry was presented with her own plastic “cow”. She attempted to milk it! I asked for just water with my meal and although I eventually figured out that it was the glass that was coloured and not the water I found it very difficult to even sip. Who thought this was a good idea? she ordered the toasted club which was quite satisfactory except for the inclusion of American cheese. Since when does cheese belong on a club sandwich? I initially ordered a simple roast beef sandwich but was talked into a grilled roast beef sandwich by our “overworked” server. Not sure I shouldn’t have stuck with my first choice! This was far more than I can eat in a single sitting. I am not usually salt averse but this had enough to keep me afloat had I tossed it into the bathtub. Despite all my whining the food was quite good and we did enjoy our meal as we usually do at this particular café. After lunch we hit another grocery store before heading home. Just as we pulled out of the last grocery store I spotted a nest on top of a utility pole. Kerry is trying to upload a video to show you what we saw. If she fails we will show you some still photographs. Our timing to reach the bridge was off and we arrived just in time to see it closed to allow boat traffic through. So we enjoyed watching all that money move back-and-forth under the bridge. And here is our loot from Espanola.

No arguments there so long as you want fried rice.

“...there is no substitute for butter. I like toast on mine.” she had me right there.