A New Recipe

   Still mild - temperature  around zero - but a white covering with a bit of ice underneath. Have to be careful with your footing. It has been a very strange January with hardly any precipitation of any kind. I stepped outside all kitted out for a walk this afternoon but one foot on my icy path made me reconsider and I decided to give it a pass today. I got lots of exercise yesterday, Fitness class in the morning, a longish walk in the afternoon and  dancing at night, so I slept well!

   I'm snacking on cheese and crackers at the moment with some smoked salmon and a glass of wine, but later I am going to make a new dish - Ginger Marmalade Chicken with rice.  I bought a jar of pureed ginger as I am tired of having the fresh ginger dry up in the fridge. It's not an ingredient I use too often. The dish is made with chicken breast meat but I am using thighs as I find them much juicier. It shouldn't be too hard to alter the recipe. I bought a large cabbage this morning so will make some coleslaw to have with it. Yesterday I made some Cheese Biscuits and managed not to burn the bottoms this time! I lowered the temperature of the oven and gave them an extra 10 minutes and that seemed to work. They were quite good.

   Lots of good shows on TV tonight so I'd better get cracking! I am getting very bad about leaving dishes in the sink so will try to clean up as I go tonight and have some time to wash my plate before settling in front of the fire with the remote at hand.

My Longest Swim So Far

   20 laps at the swimming pool this afternoon and I really needed the exercise after sitting at the bridge table for three hours! I hit about 100 balls at the golf clinic this morning but that doesn't really count as exercise as the only exertion it requires is bending to pick up the balls. I was pretty beat by the end of my swim (the last lap was really slow) but if I can keep it up it should pay dividends in improved stamina.

   I enjoyed the bridge today - even played one hand really well - although I did make one big mistake in the bidding and left my partner high and dry with no support. I will know better next time!

   Fish for dinner tonight, probably fried with mashed potatoes and peas. That's the easiest. As I had a light lunch (we eat while we are playing) I will have an avocado and grapefruit salad to start. I had that last night with some shrimp, it was delicious! but tonight I'll leave off the shrimp and just add some cherry tomatoes and sliced red onion.

Six big luscious shrimp on a bed of avocado, grapefruit, tomato and red onion with a spicy mayo dressing. Yum!

Eating Out Again

   It has been a heavy few days on the food side of things for me. After Saturday's Burns' lunch I ate very little until James's birthday dinner on Sunday. He's now 5 and had a smart new haircut for the occasion. We had two delicious salads followed by pulled pork on a bun - all very tasty. And, of course, cake! It was a "Mud Cake" complete with chocolate sponge (the mud), caramel pudding and whipped cream. And don't let's forget the worms (gummy worms actually and nice and chewy they were too). I had a great time playing with the kids before and after the meal - they're always good for a laugh. Lucy the dog was there too and brought her servants (Steve and Alison) along for the ride.

   Monday was relatively light on the food until the evening at dance group where someone brought sandwiches and someone else brought a huge box of chocolates. Of course I once more indulged - just to help clear the plates, you understand!

   Today was ladies' lunch with RWTO and it was quite unusual - a lovely Greek salad with pita for starters followed by chicken kebabs with tzaziki sauce, roasted potato wedges and rice. We were all looking for something green on our plates, beans, peas, broccoli, anything to vary the monochrome palette of the meal. Nevertheless it was tasty and filling, and was followed by a humungous slice of Baklava which I adore. While we finished off with tea or coffee we had a fascinating speaker - a quilter who had brought along some of her 200 (yes, that's right) quilts to show us and give us a little history of how she came to take up this craft. I'm quite keen to give it a try - on a small scale of course!

   Got these nice pictures of some of  the plants brought in from the garden in the fall. They have managed to produce some flowers despite the lack of sun - so cheering on a dull winter day.

These fuschia flowers are just opening - hopefully the plant will survive until it's warm enough to go back outside in the Spring.

 

I have been clipping sprigs off this Rosemary plant but must have missed a couple of sprouts which have managed to produce flowers.

Robbie Burns Lunch

   I attended a wonderful Robbie Burns lunch today at a church hall. The food was good and very plentiful (second helpings of everything ,of which I took full advantage) , the haggis was very tasty and, best of all, it was a free meal as we were part of the entertainment!

   The haggis was piped in and a kilted member of the church gave the "Address to the Haggis". After the meal there was "Toasting the Lassies and Laddies", some Burns' songs and poems, a comedian and, finally the Scottish Country dancers (us). We did a couple of reels and a strathspey, then we had the audience up for a couple of ceilidh dances. A couple more dances and a sing-a-long of well known Scottish songs and the entertainment was over. Quite an entertaining afternoon.

    I am still stuffed from lunch so will just have soup and a sandwich later this evening, then an early night after a bit of TV.