Vancouver Winter Olympics

As the countdown to the 2010 Winter Olympics nears its finish, the enthusiasm of fans and athletes cranks way, way up. It's one of those times when people who normally DO sports with all the verve of champion amateurs and top ranking professionals take the role of SPECTATOR just to see how they stack up. My Sweetie Pie, Michele, is no exception. (Of course, her ability to assume the role of a mere watcher of speed and figure skating is severely hampered by her consummate lust to compete in and/or judge those sports - She easily becomes overwhelmed by a craving for the smell and feel of metal on ice and for the music of the rink. She then quickly heads for the nearest ice patch and leaves me alone to contemplate my sedentary nature or maybe take a nap. :=P )

Starting Friday, over seventeen days, 2,500 athletes from 80 countries will compete in 86 medal events.

ICE events:

Bobsled
Curling
Figure Skating
Hockey
Luge
Short Track Speed Skating
Skeleton
Speed Skating

SNOW events:

Alpine Skiing
Biathlon
Cross-Country
Freestyle
Moguls
Nordic Combined
Jumping
Snowboarding

The schedule is here: http://www.vancouver2010.com/olympic-schedule-results/

Want to follow Team USA in the 2010 Olympics? Link to http: //teamusanews.org/ where you can regsister for the latest info and updates. (Thanks to Liza Peiffer at Team USA News for providing us with the link!)

N.B. ~ The pixxies were taken at our ice rink which will be open to the public until St. Patrick's Day, the official start of spring (for some ppl) http://slurl.com/secondlife/Malvern/180/240/91/

I Can Haz Cheezburger!!!!

Dis be boutz teh song, "Cowz wif Gunz."

Cowz iz F-A-T, S-T-U-P-I-D, D-U-M-B hurd anjimalz. Dey iz not kittiz!!! Dere mindz reflekt upon nuthin. Dey cannot organize cept to mill aboutz.

So dey iz razed to be eeted by other anjimalz, namely youz adn me. Dey makz gud burgerz.

Teh song sez a leader cow emergicated mongst dem name of Cow Tse Tongue. Smarter den most, he hided in teh forest, readed books on revolooshun. He speeked boutz justice, but nobuddy paid no a10shun at allz.

But wen he mooed "We must fite adn escape or be dedz!" they paid a10shun. Dis cow wuz den took away by teh thoriteez. Nobuddy spected he hadded an Uzi. He broked loos adn setted teh killing floor on fire yelling, "Run cowz run!"

He picked up teh horn of a bull adn jumped up on teh hay, adn gotz teh cowz singing:

"We fitez for free cowz
And holdz hi our larj hedz
We gon run freely wif teh Buffalo, or bee ded
Cowz wif gunz."

Dey crashed teh gate, tipped a truck, and setted fire to teh feed. When po-lice ppls came, dey throwed cowpies. Dey setted fire to lunch stands. All teh while dey sang:

"We fitez for free cowz
And holdz hi our larj hedz
We gon run freely wif teh Buffalo, or bee ded
Cowz wif gunz!"

Teh President wuz tired of teh bullshit. teh cowz wuz surrounded by 10,000 copperz and - OH, NOES!!!! - teh cowz wuz outsmarted (adn outgunned).

Teh cowz waited and prayed. dey mooed dere last moos, dey chewed dere last hay. TRUST ME, LOL, NO CHICKENZ CAME TO DERE RESCUE!!!!

Dis is why I can haz cheezburger!!!!

Happy New Year!!!

Goodbye aughts, hello oats...

~ Oatmeal ~

The dour grain
Food of poverty
Feed for the dray
Gray in my bowl
Old and cold

Boiling water
Steamy kitchen
Hot coffee
Hills and vales of porridge
In my bowl
Rivulets of cream
And a handful of raisins

Puffed fat and creamy
Lovely in my bowl
Sticking to my ribs
Can be supper too
In another world

Congee gruel
Crispy fried scallions
Sweet or salty soy
Kanji, ganji, bubur
Okayu, juk, lugao
Barley, quinoa, rice
Sesame, chili, tiger sauce

Golden oat grains
Big, round, delicately brown
Crisp crumbled bacon
Sun in my bowl
Amazing rich and full

~ Gudrun Gausman


That was an original poem by ME. :=)

So, the "aughts" are over and it's a New Year once again. What exactly are we going to do to improve ourselves? Well, we don't want it to be too hard, and we don't want to give up being [n]aught[y] (even though the aughts are over). Hmmmm...

Oatmeal (1) may help reduce high blood pressure, (2) may reduce the risk for type 2 diabetes, (3) contains a wide array of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants and is a good source of protein, complex carbohydrates and iron, and (4) may actually reduce the risk for certain cancers.

We all know about adding fruit, nuts, cinnamon, and sweeteners to oatmeal, but other things can make it very different indeed. It's not just for breakfast any more. So for the new year, eat more oatmeal! (And No, I don't work for the Quaker Oats Company.)


GOLDEN OATS MEDLEY (instead of rice, noodles or other grains) ~ The Quaker Oats Wholegrain Cookbook

Ingredients (Serves 4)

1 1/2 cups Quaker Oats, uncooked
1 egg, beaten
3 Tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
1/2 cup chopped green pepper*
3/4 cup chicken or beef broth
1/4 teaspoon salt

Combine uncooked oats and beaten egg in medium sized bowl; mix until oats are thoroughly coated. Saute green pepper in butter in a large skillet. Add the oat mixture to the green pepper mixture. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly for 1 to 3 minutes, or until the oats are dry, separate, and lightly browned. Add the broth and salt and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the liquid evaporates.

*Try some fried onion along with the green pepper.

VARIATIONS using the basic “Golden Oats Medley” recipe above...

GOLDEN OATS ORIENTAL: Substitute 3/4 cup water and 2 Tblsp soy sauce for broth. GOLDEN OATS PILAF: Substitute 3/4 cup mushroom slices and 2 Tblsp chopped green onion or chives for green pepper. GOLDEN OATS FLORENTIN: Substitute 1 cup chopped spinach or broccoli for green pepper. GOLDEN OATS ROMA: Substitute 1 cup thinly sliced zucchini and 1 garlic clove, minced for green pepper. GOLDEN OATS LORRAINE: Add 2 crisply cooked bacon slices, crumbled. GOLDEN OATS PROVENCAL: Add 1 medium sized tomato, chopped. GOLDEN OATS WITH HERBS: ADD 2 Tblsp parsley flakes, 1/2 tsp oregano leaves, 1/2 tsp basil leaves.


MARK BITTMAN'S OATMEAL WITH SCALLIONS AND SOY SAUCE

Ingredients (Serves one)

1 cup rolled oats (steel cut recommended)
2 cups water
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 Tablespoon scallions for stirring, 1 teaspoon for garnish
A couple shakes of sea salt

1. Combine water, salt, and oats in a medium saucepan and turn the heat too high. When the water boils, turn to low and cook, stirring frequently, until the water is just about absorbed (about 5 minutes).

2. Turn off heat, stirring in 1 tablespoon of scallions and soy sauce while the pot cools down. Sprinkle that last teaspoon of scallions on top for extra crunch.

Note: You can also do this in the microwave. Some will call this sacrilegious, and sure, maybe the texture is compromised a tad, but if you're in an office or getting anxious thinking about a pot, it's fine. Just cook the oats, water and scallions for 2 1/2 to 3 minutes, and add soy sauce and extra scallion garnish after.


A description of "congee" is here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congee

I made you cookie... but I eated it.

Cookies CAN buy you love. Not the kind that cools in the warmth of the sun, but the kind that lasts at least as long as there are cookies on the plate. It has always been clear that if you give someone a cookie, you have fed them, but that if you give them a really good cookie recipe, you have given them not only a gift that provides sustenance, but also the means to obtain undying love. But this is true ONLY if they prepare them correctly and don't eat them all themselves...

Here are TWO recipes for really good cookies. Merry Christmas!!!!!!!!!

Date Nut Pinwheels

Filling:

1 1/4 cups (8 oz) chopped dates
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Dough:

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar (firmly packed)
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour (plus extra for rolling surface)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon soda
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon clove (optional)
wax paper or parchment


Prepare dough:

Sift together flour, salt, soda, cinnamon, and optional clove.

Cream butter gradually adding brown sugar. Add 1 unbeaten egg and the vanilla, creaming well.

Blend in the sifted dry ingredients.

Chill the dough for about an hour. (You can divide the dough in half, put it in plastic wrap or bags, and flatten it somewhat as this is what you're going to do anyway.)


Prepare date filling:

Combine pitted chopped dates, sugar, and water in saucepan. Cook over low heat until thick, stirring constantly. Cool thoroughly. Add chopped walnuts.


Roll, cut, and bake:

Roll out half the dough on a floured surface to a 10"x18" rectangle, trimming ragged edges. Spread with half the filling. Roll as for jelly roll starting with the 10" side. Wrap with wax paper or parchment. Repeat with the remaining dough.

Chill at least 2 hours.

Cut into 1/4" slices (turning the roll as you cut so as not to flatten it on one side), and place onto lightly greased baking sheets at least 1 inch apart.

Bake in moderately hot preheated oven (400ºF) 8-10 minutes. (These burn easily, so watch them closely.)

Makes two to three dozen cookies.


Russian Tea Cakes

1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar (plus approx 1/3 cup additional for coating)
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 teaspoon salt

Heat oven to 400ºF.

Mix butter, 1/2 cup powdered sugar and the vanilla in large bowl. Stir in flour, nuts and salt until dough holds together.

Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place about 1-2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until set but not brown. (Don't burn the bottoms.) Remove from cookie sheet. Cool slightly on wire rack.

Roll warm cookies in powdered sugar; cool on wire rack. Roll in powdered sugar again.

Makes about three dozen cookies.

Girl on Ice

Michele, ma belle, je t'adore.

For any of you who are interested in my short new erotic fantasy, it is here:

http://dreamaware.blogspot.com/

Also, the blog containing this fantasy links a "how-to" site on "lucid dreaming" (or dreams you know you're having). This site promises that its techniques will allow you to control your dreams and will make your dreams what you want when you want. LOL.

Boeuf Bourguignon

As the days turn cooler, comfort foods such as stew come to mind. What better than this, the grandest of all stews?

There are hundreds if not thousands of recipes for boeuf bourguignon, but, strangely, all of them are more or less identical. My recipe will be presented two ways. (Reasons: [1] My son hates mushrooms, the poor misguided child, and [2] some ppl like their beautifully sauteed mushrooms straight up.) The essential ingredients for boeuf bourguignon are, of course, bacon, beef, onions, and two (2) bottles of good red wine (one for the stew, the other for drinking). Additionally, I find that a Manhattan (shaken, not stirred) serves to keep me out of the wine until the food is well under way. In my Manhattan (a drink invented by Lady Randolph Churchill, Winston's mother, in case you’re of the opinion a whiskey drink is not ladylike), I place two Collins maraschino cherries with stems. Now, in this blog, Gudrun does not normally endorse any company, product, or institution, but just this once I'm going to make an exception. Collins cherries (found primarily in liquor stores) are much larger, plumper, and tastier than supermarket maraschinos. But you have to buy the big bottle... the ones in the little bottles are (or seem to be) smaller. It also helps if you marinate them in brandy. But I digress...


Technique #1 - Everything in the Pot

2.5 lbs beef - well marbled rump or chuck (rule of thumb - 1/2 lb per person)
1/2 in thick slice bacon
12-14 v small onions
salt & pepper
2 tblsp flour
good red wine (something you would enjoy drinking)
pinch thyme
bay leaf
4 sprigs parsely
small clove garlic
1/2 lb fresh mushrooms, whole (if small), sliced, or quartered
1 tblsp tomato paste

Cut the meat into 1-1.5 inch cubes. Cut the bacon into small strips or cubes ("lardons"). Lightly brown the bacon in your nicest, heaviest stew pot, then remove and reserve the bits. Brown the onions in the fat, then reserve them with the bacon.

In the same pot, brown the meat thoroughly, tossing with salt and pepper, and letting the juices in the bottom of the pot get very dark. Add the onions and bacon, sprinkle with flour, and brown slightly. Add wine to barely cover the meat, and add the thyme, bay leaf, chopped parsley, and crushed garlic. (I use fresh parsley and garlic, not the stuff in jars.) Cover and simmer 1 1/2 hours.

Clean and prepare the mushrooms. (Okay, I do buy fresh sliced mushrooms!) Add the mushrooms and tomato paste, simmering another half hour or so, and correct the seasonings if necessary.

Serve with a salad and crusty French bread and butter (for sopping up the gravy).


Technique #2 - Mushroom Lovers/Haters

Same list of ingredients. Cook the stew as above, but don't put in the mushrooms. Separate preparation preserves the delicate mushroom flavor for the aficionado, and segregates the mushrooms for those who don’t like them.

2 tblsp butter
1 tblsp oil
1/2 lb fresh mushrooms, whole (if small), sliced, or quartered
Optional: 1-2 tblsp minced shallots

Clean and prepare the mushrooms. The mushrooms must be DRY and the skillet un-crowded.

Heat the butter and oil over high heat. As the butter foam subsides add the mushrooms. Toss and shake the pan. As soon as they have browned lightly, remove from heat. This should take 4-5 minutes. Toss the shallots with the mushrooms if desired and sauté 2 minutes. Season to taste.


Wine: The obvious choice to cook boeuf bourguignon and accompany it would be a French Burgundy. While these have the reputation of being quite expensive, excellent bottles of “village” wine can be found in the $15-20 range. And red Burgundies are Pinot Noir (except for Beaujolais), so there are plenty of reasonably priced domestic examples of this variety (as well as Gamay) to choose from. But any full-bodied, young red will do. The dish would be great made with a Rhone, Bordeaux, Rioja, Chianti, domestic cabernet, or whatever. (~N.B. - See vintage chart in February 13th blog, "It Was a Very Good Year...")