HERE  IT  IS  ! 

 The  perfectly  thoughtful,  practical  and  reasonably  priced  gift 
 your  friends  and  relatives  will  be  using  more  often  than  not. 

Now,  please  know  that  absolutely 

 NO  ONE 

asked  me  to  write  this  on  NINJA's  behalf.

 This   NINJA  EXPRESS  CHOP   came  last  week 
as  a  credit  card  points  trade 
 and  these  pics  were  taken  in  my  kitchen  today.



You  can  buy  yours  at 

TARGET 

 K~MART 

AMAZON 

 
 Originally,  I  wasn't  at  all  happy  about  any  of  the  redemption   items, 
 but  my  plan  was  to  cash  in  on   accumulated  points  and  cancel  the  card.  

 I  was  also  disgusted  that  4,000  points  afforded  me  a  mere  $ 20.00  item. 
 I  certainly  wasn't  expecting  much  from  this  appliance.

It  was  SO  DELICIOUS  . . .

didn't  even  need  salt  . . .

devoured  the  entire  thing !

YUM !!!

Anyway,  I  LOVE  this  thing

and  hope  it  lasts  awhile.

It  seems  like  it  will.




Your  comments  are  most  appreciated

and  your  personal  info  remains  private.




HAPPY  CHANUKKAH

MERRY  CHRISTMAS

ONE  CUP  
of  the cooked  stuff 
is  said  to  yield: 

BETA  CAROTENE           2.6 mg      VITAMIN  C               44 mg
FOLIC  ACID           69  mcg
CALCIUM                158  mg
POTASSIUM           631  mg
MAGNESSIUM         19  mg


It also contains 

GLUCOSINOLATES 
click  on  highlighted  word  to  learn  more

which  have  been  known  to  inhibit  cancer 
when  ingested  in 
small  doses.

ADD  TWO  CLOVES 
MINCED  GARLIC,
about a 
TABLESPOON  FRESH 
GRATED  GINGER
OR  USE  THE  POWDERED 
GINGER  IF  YOU  MUST
SPLASH  IN  about 
1/4  CUP  of  KEY  LIME  JUICE
and  a TABLESPOON  or  MORE  of  TAMARI  or  SOY  SAUCE
DRIZZLE  IN   HALF  TEASPOON  of  SESAME  OIL
POUR  in  RESERVED
SHRIMP  SKIN  LIQUID
without the skins o'course

A  DASH OR  TWO  TOBASCO
AND  FINALLY
THE  RAW  SHRIMP !!!

know it or not...

believe it or not...

you are taking part in ancient rituals
that celebrate the same basic thing.

That mutual celebration is
the celebration of

MIRACLES

orchestrated by

the One and Only,

Omnipresent, Omnipotent, Omniscient


GOD !

At  this  time  of  year,  it's  customary  to  enjoy

Potato Pancakes

{ aka  LATKES  }

They are delicious, nutritious,
home inspiring soul food,
ridiculously easy to throw together
with readily available and inexpensive ingredients.
Here's what you'll need
to  serve  SIX  people:

• 6  MEDIUM  POTATOES

• 2  EGGS
  
  • 1  MEDIUM  FINELY  GRATED  ONION
• 
  1/3  to  1/2  CUP  FLOUR
• 
  1  TEASPOON  SALT
  
• 
  1  TEASPOON   DILL  WEED,
  { OPTIONAL }
• 
  SOME  CHOPPED  PARSLEY,
  { OPTIONAL }
• 
  A  SPLASH  OF  LEMON  JUICE, 
  { OPTIONAL }
  

WHAT  TO  DO  WITH  WHAT  YOU  HAVE:

Peel  the  potatoes and drop them in icy cold water,
which will help prevent them from turning brown as you work.

*   Some folks prefer to leave skin on the tater.   *
That's where most vitamins are. 
If that's what you decide to do,
the pancakes will not be as "pretty". 
But, who cares !
Right ? 
Just be certain to clean them
very well before proceeding !

Into a large bowl
grate the potatoes as finely as you can,
and splash them with some lemon juice,
which will also prevent them from turning brown as you work.

Sprinkle the potatoes with salt
and allow them to rest at room temp
for about 10 to 15 minutes.

WASH  YOUR  HANDS  VERY  VERY  WELL

Using your hands, grab a large wad of potatoes and
S Q U E E Z E 
them so that most liquid oozes back into your bowl.

Place the squeezed taters into a new bowl.

When all taters have been squeezed,
you will notice a
WHITE  RESIDUE
on the bottom of the original bowl.
THIS  STUFF  IS  POTATO  STARCH !
It's what helps make the LATKES  crunchy !

Carefully pour off the water
and use a spatula to add this potato starch
back into your taters !

Add remaining ingredients,
being especially mindful when adding the flour.

You may not need as much flour as you think.

The goal is to use as little flour as possible;
just enough to hold the mass together.

Mix all together and form into
small 4 or 5 inch circular pancakes.

FRY  in  MEDIUM  HIGH  HOT  OIL . . .

NOT  SMOKING HOT

. . . first one side til golden
and flip !

It's a  MUST  to serve these with
SOUR  CREAM
and/or
APPLE  SAUCE !!!

It's also traditional to serve them with a Mushroom Gravy...
but that's a recipe for another time.

SIMPLY  DELIGHTFUL !!!

In 1943, Norman Rockwell rendered
this  heartfelt  image
of  a  WW2  refugee
thanking  God  for  her  meal. 

The  painting  was  used
as  the  cover  for
The Saturday Evening Post.

It  shows  evidence  of
an unseen generous US Soldier
who has loaned the young woman
his  large  coat
to  stay  warm.

Although seventy years have passed
since  that  insane  era,
the  image  can  very  easily  be
believed  in  our  own  time,
for  we  still  haven't  solved
the  problem  of  people
suffering  in  similar  situations.

The madness of war continues
under  a  new  name
and  the  innocent
continue  to  be
the  greatest  victims.

As the Roman Empire,
founded on military might,
fell apart,
so we live
in a similar period of decay.

The Founder of Harvard University's
Sociology Department,
Pitirim  Sorokin,
observed  that  our  culture  is
oriented  towards  the  physical  senses;
has  exhausted  itself
and  is
d i s s o l v i n g;
proving  that  the  future
MUST
reform itself around
other ideas and purposes.


Let's hope we are able to form around
the idea and purpose of

L O V E

which brings with it many spiritual fruits,
such as

JOY  -   WISDOM  -  UNDERSTANDING  -  COUNSEL 

KINDNESS  -  GOODNESS  -  PATIENCE 

FAITHFULNESS  -  GENTLENESS  -  SELF  CONTROL  

FORTITUDE  -  KNOWLEDGE  -  PEACE 

{ to name a few }

as opposed to egomania, greed
and other hate filled havoc wreaking ideologies
before  we  all  perish !

For those of you who have
a tremendous amount to be grateful for,
and will be concerned about roasting the finest Turkey ever,
I share the following reliable and successful technique:

PERFECT   TURKEY  or  TURKEY  BREAST 

EVERY  TIME  !

Done in almost half the time of most recipes,
this no fail method will bring you the result.  

The  only  requirements  for
the  success  of  this  procedure  is
knowing  the  total  weight  of
your  oven  ready  bird,

{ which includes the weight of the stuffing, if any },

and Aluminum Foil or tight fitting cover for the roasting pan. 

You'll need to do a bit of math,
so get your pencil and paper ready.

CLEAN, SEASON,
{Bell's Seasoning is as good as it gets,
or create your own mixture.
Some folks swear that the enzymes in dried Apricots
added around the bird,
help in making it even juicier,
giving a different unexpected flavour,
despite the sulphites. 
Some criss cross the breast with bacon
for yet another dimension of flavour. 
This bacon is removed before the last half hour of roasting.},
STUFF,   {if desired- but REMEMBER to know the approximate weight of your stuffing},
AND  TRUSS  THE  BIRD.


COOKING  TIME  FORMULA  FOR  TWELVE  POUNDS  OR  LESS  OF  TURKEY:

15,{ FIFTEEN }, MINUTES  PER  POUND  PLUS  AN  ADDITIONAL  15,{ FIFTEEN }, MINUTES.

EXAMPLE:   TEN  POUND  TURKEY  PLUS  ONE  POUND  STUFFING  IN  BIRD 
EQUALS  ELEVEN  POUNDS  OVEN  READY  BIRD.    

{11  pounds oven ready bird }  X  { 15  minutes } =  165 minutes  +  15  minutes  =    180 MINUTES 

or  3 HOURS  COMPLETE  START  TO  FINISH  ROASTING  TIME.

 
COOKING  TIME  FORMULA  FOR  OVEN  READY  TURKEYS 

WEIGHING  MORE  THAN  TWELVE  POUNDS:

15,{ FIFTEEN }, MINUTES  PER  POUND  FOR  THE  FIRST  TWELVE  POUNDS, 
PLUS  12,{ TWELVE }, MINUTES  PER  POUND  FOR  EACH  POUND 
OVER  THE  ORIGINAL  TWELVE  POUNDS,
PLUS  AN  ADDITIONAL  15,{ FIFTEEN }, MINUTES.

EXAMPLE:   FOURTEEN  POUND  TURKEY  PLUS  TWO  POUNDS  STUFFING  IN  BIRD 
EQUALS  SIXTEEN  POUNDS  OVEN  READY  BIRD. 

{ 12 pounds }  X  { 15 minutes }  =  180 minutes 
PLUS  { 4 pounds } X { 12 minutes } = 48 minutes 
PLUS  an additional  15 minutes. 

FULL  ROASTING  TIME  CONSEQUENTLY  EQUALS  243  MINUTES 
or  4 HOURS and  FIVE  MINUTES  !!!

Now that you know what your roasting time will be,
this is the procedure:

PREHEAT  OVEN  TO  400 DEGREES !

PLACE  BIRD  IN  ROASTING  PAN  AND  SEAL WELL  WITH  ALUMINUM  FOIL 
LEAVING A BIT OF SPACE  BETWEEN THE FOIL AND THE BREAST
SO THE SKIN WON'T STICK TO THE FOIL.

PLACE  BIRD  IN  OVEN. 
SET  TIMER  FOR  FIFTEEN  MINUTES  !!! 
WHEN  TIMER  RINGS, TURN DIAL ON OVEN TO  375 DEGREES. 
DO  NOT  OPEN  OVEN  DOOR  !!!

NOW  CALCULATE  WHAT  TIME  IT  WILL BE  WHEN 
THERE  IS  A  HALF  HOUR  REMAINING  OF  YOUR  FULL  ROASTING  TIME. 

WHEN  THAT  TIME  COMES, 
OPEN  OVEN  DOOR  AND  REMOVE  ENTIRE  ROASTING PAN FROM OVEN. 
CLOSE  OVEN  DOOR  AS  SOON  AS  POSSIBLE  TO  KEEP  HEAT  IN. 

CAREFULLY,
{ and I mean carefully as steam will wildly escape at this point },
REMOVE  FOIL,
{ and bacon if you used it }. 
REPLACE  BIRD  INTO  OVEN  AND  ROAST  FOR THE FINAL  HALF  HOUR.

YOUR  BIRD  IS  NOW  PERFECTLY  ROASTED  AND  GOLDEN  ! 
REMEMBER  TO  ALLOW  IT  TO  REST  FOR  TWENTY  MINUTES  BEFORE  CARVING  !

!!!   HAPPY  THANKSGIVING  !!!

As we ate pungent Puttanesca Pasta,
Nigel and I planned the week ahead.

With both of us working
on the Triplex Reorganization Project,
it would be complete in a week,
instead of two. 

This would give us time together
before his Employer returned
with wife and children.  

We went back to the triplex that evening
to settle in til the job was finished.

For the sake of convenience,
we agreed to share the Master Suite
on the top floor
that had an adjoining bath. 
The other rooms had already been
cleaned and made up.


Did I mention that Nigel is a lifelong friend; like a brother to me ?

So, dear reader, don't get any wrong  "ideas"  here.

There  NEVER  has been,

and  NEVER  will  be

any hanky panky between us.


And, so it was that Nigel claimed the left side of the King bed by the window
and I, the right, near the bath and  door.

Several paper sacks of metal hangers still leaned against the foot of the bed.
I placed my suitcase on a bench against the opposite wall  and removed my toiletries.

Nigel used the bath first and reappeared with
blue and white striped Brooks Brothers pajamas

properly buttoned

to the

neck. 

He hobbled into bed, obviously exhausted,
and immediately curled himself into a ball.

He needed to fall asleep undisturbed,
but
I was wired,
excited about my trip
and filled with thoughts of things I wanted to see and do.

I grabbed my book and went down a level to the kitchen.

A cup of tea and a scone,

{ Nigel had baked the day before },

helped

me

unwind.

The scones turned out to be

OUT  OF  THIS  WORLD !

{ Best I ever ett ! }

!!!  THANKS  NIGEL  !!!

for sharing something so out of this world,
with the world !

Out of this World Tea Scones
 
WHAT  YOU'LL  NEED:

2     Cups all purpose flour
2     Tablespoons Sugar
1     Tablespoon Baking Powder
1/2  Teaspoon Salt
1/3  Cup dried currants - or - raisins -
        or - chopped dates - or -
        dried cranberries,{ OPTIONAL }
6      Tablespoons UNSALTED BUTTER
        at room temperature,{ A MUST ! }
1      Beaten Egg
1/2   Cup Whole Milk
1      Slightly Beaten Egg for
        brushing on top prior to baking

                                
                                WHAT  TO  DO  WITH  WHAT  YOU'LL  NEED:

                                 1.    Preheat oven to 425.
 
                                 2.    Thoroughly stir flour, sugar, baking powder and salt together in a bowl.  
 
                                 3.    Stir in dried fruit of your choice, if desired.
 
                                 4.    Cut in butter until the mix resembles coarse crumbs.
 
                                 5.    Add One beaten egg and milk stirring just until dough clings together.
 
                                 6.    Knead gently,{ 12 to 15 strokes }, on lightly floured surface.
 
                                 7.    Gather into ball, flatten and roll out to 1/2 inch thickness.
 
                                 8.     Use a glass or a round pastry cutter and cut into 12 to 16 scones.
 
                                 9.    Place on ungreased baking sheet, leaving a bit of space between them

                               10.    Brush scones with slightly beaten egg.

                               11.    Bake at 425 for 12 to 15 minutes until golden brown.

                                                                       Enjoy warm or at room temp,
                                                                                    as they are...
                                                    or accompany with whipped cream and strawberries,
                                                        jams or anything else that pleases your palate !

                                                           I hope to read your comments about them !
                                                                        Aint they the bestest ever ?

                                                             

                                                                            TO  BE  CONTINUED...

It's soon to be All Hallow's Eve;
the perfect time to tell a spooky story !

I could tell one of UFO's
or Angel Visitations.
But I think one about Ghosts
would probably be best.

You decide whether or not
it ever really happened.
 
No matter,
truth is always stranger than fiction
and even a vivid imagination has
a hard time making up stuff,
especially when there are witnesses.

So...as all good stories begin...



Once upon a time,
and a long - long time ago,
I came to visit a dear friend in London, 
who remains as close as a brother to me.
 
At the time, Nigel,
{ who will laugh at his nom de plume
which I have chosen more for his delight than his anonymity  },
was employed as a Man's Man in London.

In other words, he was a domestic; a Butler,
despite the fact he studied under Julia Child for years
and is an excellent Pastry Chef.

His second floor flat on the Kings Road in Chelsea, directly faced the Royal Stable.
Every day began with Royal Horse Guards in handsome uniforms of black, red and gold,
effortlessly lining up 30 or so gleaming  black stallions in the twilit morning sun. 

With an invisible command, the steeds swiftly raised their heads and legs high in unison
and pranced, clip clopping in the early hour of silence, through the misty London streets. 

There was something ethereal about watching this display at the crack of dawn
while having coffee that left me feeling good and strong for hours.

Though I was on vacation and his people were on holiday in the south of France,
Nigel was deep in the midst of reorganizing their triplex next door. 

I enjoyed spending my first day  exploring London on my own
and planned to catch up with my friend for dinner.

That evening found Nigel replacing every metal hanger
in the Master's immense clothes closet
with a new wooden one.  

I gathered the metal hangers and placed them in paper sacks
at the foot of the unmade King size bed. 

We happily chatted and worked for hours until we realized it was too late for going out.

London evenings have a foggy foreboding appeal, and this evening,
being my first, seemed especially other worldly to me.

I was glad when Nigel suggested we return to his flat
to enjoy a quick Italian dish of pasta with savory Puttanesca Sauce.

You may want to try this one on your Vegan dinner guests !
The beauty of this dish rests not only on the speed of which it can be put together,
but also the flexibility dependent upon ingredients you have on hand.

ITALIAN  PUTTANESCA  SAUCE

YOU  WILL NEED  SOME
OF  THE  FOLLOWING:

BUTTER,   { 2 Tablespoons }

ONION,     { finely chopped }

GARLIC,    { one to three cloves -
                   mashed or minced }

TOMATOES, { use a can of crushed or chop up several fresh ripe ones }

BLACK  OLIVES, { 1/2 Cup - if you have it - sliced or diced }

GREEN OLIVES     with or without
PIMIENTO, { 1/2 Cup - sliced or diced }

ARTICHOKE  HEARTS, { 1/2 Cup - if you have it - marinated or canned, chunked }

SUN DRIED  TOMATOES, { a few or more pieces - if you have it - softened and chopped }

CAPERS, { 1 teaspoon or more }

ANCHOVIES, { 1 or 2 or 3 filets -
a most excellent "secret" ingredient, if you have it, as they will dissolve and those who claim they don't like them will  LOVE  them here, if you dare divulge !!! }

CHOPPED  FRESH  PARSLEY
CHOPPED FRESH  BASIL

1 or 2 CHERRY  PEPPERS - chopped 
- OR -
1/2 tsp or more of RED PEPPER FLAKES
- OR -
a few splashes TOBASCO

OLIVE  OIL
GRATED  CHEESE

WHAT  TO  DO  WITH  WHAT  YOU  GOT:

• In a large pot, melt butter and quickly saute onions.

• Put everything else,{ EXCEPT OLIVE OIL and GRATED CHEESE }, in the pot and bring to a boil.
  

• Turn down to a simmer for about 15 to 18 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  

• In the meantime, choose a pasta and cook it al dente; usually 8 minutes ! 
  

• Drain the pasta and stir in some Olive Oil.

• Spoon a serving of pasta into a bowl.

• Spoon some sauce over the top.

• Scatter some  GRATED  CHEESE over that

• and drizzle with some more  OLIVE  OIL.

• Pour a glass of red wine and break off a chunk of nice bread.

• Smile on yourself and enjoy good eats !

TO  BE  CONTINUED...

If you're a dog owner and a dog lover, then you've certainly checked out the lengthy and weird ingredient list on containers of dog treats.  You've also paid a small fortune for these questionable edibles, many of which are packaged here in the USA, but are created overseas in places where standards are not high; like China.  What are you actually feeding your beloved pooch ?  Will your devoted pet fall victim to poisoning while you're getting ripped off ?

When I bought my cute pup at a yard sale a dozen years ago, I never planned on having to make my own Dog Treats, and eventually, my own Dog Food !  Her mother was a purebred Chow and her father,  a purebred Dalmatian.  She looked like a black bear cub and I simply fell in love.

Thank God  for the nasty white stuff we call snow that first winter of Miss Abbey's life !  When she urinated blood, I ran to a fabulous Vet  who discovered she was suffering from food allergies.

I quickly learned that Dalmatians need to be fed a different diet than the average dog.  Their ability to process proteins apparently has been hindered by a great many years of domestication.  Chicken was the greatest culprit for her and I had to find an easy solution using healthy ingredients that didn't include chicken lips,{ OH NO !!! }.

Here's just one of my many tasty and nutritious Homemade Dog Biscuit recipes that I have made hundreds of times.  It's very easy, quick and  inexpensive.  I hope you try it some evening while you're watching TV.  Your dog, { like mine did }, will look at you in astonishment once he/she realizes you were making this especially for them and declare, "Wow ! You weally do wuv me !"