Mississippi Roast

An easy roast on GMA today.  Maybe I'll try it.
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/recipe/mississippi-roast-robin-chapman-36577072

Robin Chapman's Mississippi Roast
Add This Popular Recipe to Your Menu!
From the Kitchen of Robin Chapman
Servings: Unknown
Difficulty: Easy
Cook Time: Over 120 min

Mississippi resident Robin Chapman is the unlikely star behind 
the Mississippi Roast, a slow-cooking dish with surprisingly 
simple ingredients that has become one of the most popular 
recipes on the Internet. Chapman says she shares credit for the 
recipe's fame with her friend Karen Farese, who helped launch the 
recipe to stardom by putting it in her church's cookbook. 
Chapman shared her famous recipe on "Good Morning America." Try 
it in your own kitchen!

Ingredients
(3-4 pound) roast, your choice of cut 

One stick butter 

1 package au jus gravy mix 

1 package Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix (dry) 

Pepperoncini peppers, number to your liking and a little juice

Directions


Sometimes we use chuck, sometimes sirloin tip, sometimes rump.

Sometimes we sear it. Sometimes we don't.


Put roast in slow cooker.
Add other ingredients.
Salt and Pepper 
if you like and cook on until tender.


Recipe courtesy Robin Chapman.

Recipe styled by Karen Pickus, chef/food stylist, "Good Morning 
America.”

Copyright © 2016 ABC News Internet Ventures

Mint Date Range

So that I don't have to look this up again.

Found it here https://mint.lc.intuit.com/questions/948537

Mint Jami, Sr. Community Manager

 

2 years ago

By design, Mint does not have a way to filter the transactions by date range on the Transactions page. This page will only allow you to search by Description and Category. However, there is a workaround you can try that should get you the desired results.

When you go to the Transaction page, the URL will be displayed as: https://wwws.mint.com/transaction.event.
If you add the following (with the date range you'd like to see) at the end of the URL above, it should pull transactions for that specific range: https://wwws.mint.com/transaction.event?startDate=01/01/2015&endDate=12/31/2015

For example, you would like to see transactions from June 01, 2014 to June 30, 2014 only, then the URL should look like this:https://wwws.mint.com/transaction.event?startDate=06/01/2014&endDate=06/30/2014

After that, as with any view in Transactions, you can then Export the list if you wish.

ADDITION FOR CHROME USERS: Though not from Mint, there is a Chrome extension that will allow you to select a Transaction date range, located here: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/mint-date-range/ndgpkdndeiehpgihohneegnmcdflpbmd?hl=en-US

Pretzel Crusted Chocolate Cake With Peanut Butter Frosting

This chocolate cake was on GMA this morning and is going to be the dessert I bring to Patti's for superbowl.  Picture to come when I make it (hope I remember - to take the picture and to make it.)

Pretzel Crusted Chocolate Cake With Peanut Butter Frosting

Click here for link to original

Servings: Unknown
Difficulty: Moderate
Cook Time: 30-60 min

Ingredients
For the Pretzel Crust
2 cups pretzels, finely crushed
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon salt

For the Chocolate Cake

2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil
1 cup hot French vanilla coffee

For the Frosting

8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 cup confectioners sugar
1 1/4 cup peanut butter
1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup heavy cream milk as needed to thin


Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13 pan with a non-stick
spray.
In a medium bowl, mix together the pretzels, sugar, butter and
salt. Add to the bottom of the pan, press down for even
distribution and bake for 10 minutes.
Remove and set aside.
In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, salt, cocoa powder and
baking soda together.
In a large bowl, add the sugar, eggs, vanilla, milk and oil. Beat
until creamy, then add the dry flour ingredients and combine,
then slowly add in the hot coffee.
Pour the cake mixture over the pretzel crust and bake for 30 to
35 minutes, let cool.
To make the frosting, add all the ingredients together and beat
until creamy. Check for consistency, add milk to thin as needed.
(I use Chocolate Cashew Milk for this, but use whatever milk you
have.) Once the cake is cooled, frost it and cut into slices and
serve. Drizzle with a chocolate sauce, if desired.

Recipe courtesy Gina Ferwerda.

Recipe styled by Karen Pickus, chef/food stylist, "Good Morning
America.”

Copyright © 2016 ABC News Internet Ventures

My Note:  After making this I calculated the WW Smart Point Values.  And after calculating I think the best idea if you are watching your weight is to just to take a lick off someone's fork.

The totals for each section are:
Crust:   120
Cake:    152
Frosting;  113
Total:   385
Now how many servings?  If you have a 1" x 1" piece then there are 117 servings which would put it at only 3 SPV per piece.  However realistically if you do a 2 x 2 piece you would get approximately 29 pieces which would be 13 SPV or a 1"x2" would be 6 SPV.  Probably before smart points it wouldn't be so much but there is a lot of sugar in this recipe and the points are really high for sugar.
But it's for the Super Bowl.  I'm sure I'll never make it again.  Hope everyone likes it and I don't have to take any home.

There is a ton of frosting and it is really soft so could be swished off, but it is good!!

Turkey Chili Variation

This recipe was in the paper this morning and I might try a few of the suggestions in it, such as the soy sauce and cocoa - don't know about the beer.

A tastier, healthier turkey chili

By Melissa D'Arabian

The Associated Press

Everyone has a favorite chili recipe, and this is the time of year to break out yours, invite over some friends and yell at football players on TV.

Maybe it’s time to try a new, healthier recipe, too? Chili is classic American comfort food, so we automatically assume that it can’t be healthy. But since it is so darned tasty, it’s worth the price of admission to try. And while I’m not against the occasional indulgence, I also love a recipe that manages to be both comforting and healthy.

Enter my game day turkey chili. Stay with me, here. This won’t be your typical turkey chili because I have a few tricks up my sleeve. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good turkey chili. But they do occupy a special place in the stratified chili eco-system. Put them in a chili competition and you will see they land well below the fatty brisket chilies that feature tiny puddles of tasty melted fat that pleasantly coat the palate.

Turkey chili, if I’m honest, has been relegated to the “at least it’s hot” status for too long.

Here are my tricks. First, make it a red chili. White chili, step aside for a moment. The red part comes from tomato, which is healthy, and frankly just feels like comfort food. Second, skip the salt. Instead, use soy sauce directly on the meat after cooking it. This is perhaps the greatest tip I can give you regarding ground turkey! White-ish meat in a deep red chili looks a little strange. You are reminded that you are eating The Healthy Turkey Chili.

But deepen that meat color just a little with the soy sauce and you are back in the land of Real Meaty Chili. The soy sauce also adds tons of rich, savory meaty flavor, a big benefit for a meat that can taste a little flat.

Final tip: Add a bit of unsweetened cocoa powder, which deepens both the color and the flavor. This is turkey chili done right! And so, 2016 is off to a good start.

GAME DAY TURKEY CHILI

Start to finish: 45 minutes

Servings: 8

2 teaspoons vegetable oil, divided

1 pound lean ground turkey

2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce

2 teaspoons smoked paprika

1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped

1 red bell pepper, cored and finely chopped

12-ounce light beer

Two 15-ounce cans low-sodium black beans, drained and rinsed

14-ounce can low-sodium tomato sauce

Two 14-ounce cans crushed tomatoes

2 tablespoons chili powder

Dash of cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon cocoa powder

Hot sauce, to taste

Plain low-fat Greek yogurt, to serve

Chopped scallions, to serve

Shredded cheddar or Mexican cheese, to serve

In a Dutch oven or other large, heavy pot over medium-high, heat 1 teaspoon of the oil. Add the turkey and cook, breaking it up, until cooked through, about 7 minutes. Sprinkle the turkey with the soy sauce and smoked paprika, then mix until well-coated. Continue to cook until any moisture in the pot is gone, about 3 minutes. Spoon the meat out of the pan and set aside.

Return the pot to the heat and add the remaining oil. Add the onion and red pepper, then cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Increase the heat to high, then add the beer to deglaze the pan, scraping the bottom to loosen any stuck bits. Simmer for 2 minutes. Return the meat to the pot, along with the beans, tomato sauce, crushed tomatoes, chili powder, cayenne and cocoa powder. Bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low, then simmer for 30 minutes.

Serve with hot sauce, yogurt, scallions and cheese on the side.

Nutrition information per serving: 320 calories; 90 calories from fat (28 percent of total calories); 10 g fat (3 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 50 mg cholesterol; 660 mg sodium; 33 g carbohydrate; 11 g fiber; 10 g sugar; 24 g protein.

Cookies, cookies, cookies

Good to know cookie info and some recipes from WW 

No matter how vigilant you may be about what you eat, it is awfully hard to turn down a chocolate cookie. So there's no sense in not enjoying these wonderful treats — especially when they can fit so easily into your choices for healthy eating. Being able to bake treats with low PointsPlus™ values is just a matter of knowing a few secrets.

1. Replace half the fat of any cookie recipe with an equivalent amount of unsweetened applesauce or mashed-up, ripe banana. If you do so, always double the amount of vanilla or other spices in the recipe.
   
2. Always cream the butter or shortening for at least 2 minutes in the mixer at medium speed. More tender cookies have more air beaten into the batter. But once you add the flour, never beat the batter, only stir with a wooden spoon, just until moistened and incorporated. You don't want the glutens to get stiff.
   
3. If a recipe calls for two whole eggs, use 1 whole egg and 2 egg whites; if it calls for 3 whole eggs, use 1 whole egg and 3 egg whites.
   
4. Replace walnuts, pecans, and hazelnuts with almonds, pine nuts, pumpkin seeds, or unsalted sunflower seeds.
   
5. If you replace buttermilk or sour cream with low-fat buttermilk or fat-free sour cream, use cake flour rather than all-purpose flour for more tender cookies.

Brown Butter Banana Cranberry Bread

I'm really getting into recipes all of a sudden.  So today is a good day for baking - it's freezing out, only in the 30s for the first time in ages, but tomorrow it's going back to the 40s and then even almost 60 for Christmas Eve - can you believe?
We were out of banana bread so I thought I would make one with cranberries this time and came across this recipe.  I can't wait to taste it.  The raw batter, I guess you're not supposed to eat that but I always have, was delicious and now that it's baked it smells so good.

This is where I got the recipe from  http://joythebaker.com/2014/12/brown-butter-banana-cranberry-bread/ and I made it as stated except for the topping,  I left that off.   If I was making it for company or to take somewhere I would put it on but for just us, which is really just Larry, we didn't need the extra half stick of butter.  But if you go to the link above, it sure does look good with the topping.

Brown Butter Banana Cranberry Bread

For the Bread
6 ounces unsalted butter, melted and browned to just over 1/2 cup of butter
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
2 large eggs
3/4 cup lightly packed brown sugar
1 1/4 cup mashed banana (from about 3 medium bananas)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1 1/2 cups whole fresh cranberries

For The Crumble
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons lightly packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9×5x3-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray and line with parchment paper leaving about two inches of parchment paper to hang over two sides of the loaf pan. Parchment paper will make the loaf much easier to remove from the pan.
2. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Butter will begin to foam and crackle as it melts. When the crackling subsides, the butter will begin to brown. Swirl the pan as the butter cooks. When the butter browns and begins to smell nutty, remove the pan from the flame and transfer the butter to a small bowl. Taking the butter out of the hot saucepan will stop the butter from overcooking and burning. Set aside to cool.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and cardamom.
4. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, sugar, mashed bananas, vanilla extract, and yogurt. When butter has cooled, whisk in the browned butter.
5. Add the wet ingredients, all at once to the dry ingredients. Fold together, making sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl to reveal any hidden pockets of flour. Fold together ingredients, but try not to over stir. Fold in the cranberries.
6. To make the crumble, combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and rub together with your fingertips until crumbly.
7. Spoon batter into prepared pan. The pan will be very full. Leave out a spoonful of batter if you're worried about the bread baking over. Make a few muffins with the scooped out batter. Bake the loaf for 50 minutes to 1 hour, or until a skewer inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to rest in the pan for 15 minutes, before inverting onto a wire rack to cool completely.
8. Bread will last 4 days, well wrapped at room temperature. This loaf also freezes well.


joy the baker http://joythebaker.com/

Socks

I've made a bunch of socks over the last few years and every time I have to finish it using the grafting stitch I have to look up how to do it.  I finally found a site that has really good instructions with really good pictures so that it was easy to do.  I'm posting the site here so that it will be easy to find again.
http://www.cometosilver.com/socks/SockClass_Toes2.htm

I think I'll also look up their instructions for making socks too.  Larry wants me to make a pair for him but they take me forever and his feet are too big!!

This is the pair I just finished.

I also found this pair in my knitting bag, who knows how long they've been there.  They were done except for pulling a couple of ends through.

Here are two more that I made but never posted.

Italian Wedding Soup

I got a bunch of coupons in the mail from Weight Watchers and there was a recipe with the one for Smart Ones for Italian Wedding Soup that used 2 packages of Three Cheese Ziti with Meatballs.  The picture looked really good so I thought I would make it.  When I got to the store I just couldn't bring myself to buy that prepackaged food so I bought a pound of 90% fat free ground beef and made my own meatballs.

Italian Wedding Soup

(serves 6-8)

Meatballs

1 lb ground beef

1/4 cup panko or bread crumbs

1/4 cup milk

1 egg

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

Blend egg, milk, onion and garlic in blender

Add to ground beef

Add cheese and panko and combine

Make into small meatballs and put on baking sheet with parchment paper.

Bake in 350℉ oven for 15 minutes

Soup

2 tbsp olive oil

1 onion minced

2 cups carrots diced into 1/4 inch pieces

2 stalks celery diced into 1/4 inch pieces

2 - 32 oz chicken broth

pasta for soup

escarole or spinach, chopped - as much as you like

Freshly grated parmesan cheese

Heat the olive oil in a soup pot and add onions, carrots and celery.  Saute until tender.  Add some of the chicken broth to continue cooking until it is softened. 

In the meantime, cook the pasta in a separate pot. 

Add the remaining broth to the soup pot and bring to a boil.   Add escarole and simmer until wilted.  Add the meatballs (may only want  to make 1/2 pound because you get a lot of meatballs).

Put pasta into a bowl.  Ladle in the soup with all the yummy ingredients and sprinkle with shredded parmesan cheese.

Serve with a warmed crusty bread.  We love Wegmans multigrain baguette

Note:  can also beat an egg and add to soup like egg drop soup

How to Kill a Day

I had the whole day to myself yesterday. I could have caught up on things I wanted to do after I came home from yoga. Before yoga I started gathering pictures into a folder in iPhoto for a magazine I was thinking of doing. However, sometime during the day I got sidetracked (diverted to distraction??) and thought of getting a picture for a digital Christmas card. Then I started looking for some cute things to do with photoshop and after watching a couple of videos realized I hardly know how to do anything in photoshop.
I tried a bunch of things, still not getting why my text doesn't work right but was able to try some new things. So after staying up until midnight I came up with these, which I'm not that impressed with.
Hopefully I do something a little more worthwhile today like practice the piano or clean up the office.

I made this one using a picture from Friday night but it is much too formal.

This was the original picture of us that I wanted to use.

When I came up with the Holiday "Cheer" I thought I needed a better picture showing cheer and chose this one and got a little more creative with the santa hats.  I like this one the best, a little goofy.

Cranberry Martini

Karen had these at Thanksgiving and I had two. Boy were they good. Later that week when I got the recipe from her she said she gave it to me last year after Thanksgiving too. Sure enough I had it, but this year I made them.

Ina Garten once filmed a Food Network special called Thanksgiving Live to answer viewers’ questions about cooking Thanksgiving dinner. Bobby Flay made a delicious cranberry martini to sip while they worked (what a good idea!). They look so festive and her guests loved them! Infuse the vodka with the orange zest and cranberries at least 2 days ahead.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup (8 oz./250 g) sugar
• 1 cup (4 oz./125 g) fresh cranberries
• 6 (1 x 3-inch/2.5 x 7.5-cm) strips of orange zest, plus extra for serving (see note below)
• 1 (750 ml) bottle good vodka, such as Grey Goose
• 1 cup (8 fl. oz./250 ml) cranberry juice cocktail, preferably tart
• 1/4 cup (2 fl. oz./60 ml) Triple Sec
• Ice

Directions:

Several days ahead, place the sugar, cranberries, 6 strips of orange zest, and 1 cup (8 fl. oz./250 ml) of water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes, until the cranberries start to pop open. Pour the vodka into a large pitcher, add the cranberry mixture and store covered in the refrigerator for at least 2 days and up to 5 days.

When ready to serve, strain the vodka mixture, reserving the cranberries and discarding the orange zest. Stir in the cranberry juice cocktail and Triple Sec. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice, add the drink mixture, shake for a full 30 seconds (it’s longer than you think!) and strain into martini glasses. Rub the rim of each glass with fresh orange zest, spoon a few cranberries into each glass and serve ice cold. Serves 6.

Note: Ina Garten uses a vegetable peeler to make strips of orange zest.

Make It Ahead: Prepare the entire cocktail mixture and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Shake with ice before serving.

Recipe from Ina Garten, Make It Ahead (Clarkson Potter, 2014)
Can also find it  here on the Williams Sonoma site (http://www.williams-sonoma.com/recipe/cranberry-martinis-14.html)

Kale Salad

Ann brought this salad to dinner on Friday and it was delicious - who would have thought, considering it was kale.

She sent me the recipe today which is from
http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2013/08/kale-salad-with-pecorino-and-walnuts/

Kale Salad with Pecorino and Walnuts
Like I did on a recent ice cream cake, please consider this a tale of two recipes, one that’s bare bones (add the raisins, walnuts and crumbs without the extra prep) and one if you’d like to get a little more depth from each. Both work, but the slightly longer prep (toasting the nuts, the crumbs in olive oil, plumping the raisins, etc.) really makes the salad sing and will not be regretted. You can choose your own adventure, too, doing more for some ingredients and less for others.

1/2 cup (105 grams or 3 3/4 ounces) walnut halves or pieces
1/4 cup (45 grams or 1 1/2 ounces) golden raisins
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon water
1/4 cup panko (15 grams or 1/2 ounce) or slightly coarse homemade breadcrumbs (from a thin slice of hearty bread)
1 tiny clove garlic, minced or pressed
Coarse or kosher salt
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 bunch (about 14 ounces or 400 grams) tuscan kale (also known as black or lacinato kale; this is the thinner, flatter leaf variety), washed and patted dry
2 ounces (55 grams) pecorino cheese, grated or ground in a food processor, which makes it delightfully rubbly (1/2 cup total)
Juice of half a lemon
Freshly ground black pepper or red pepper flakes, to taste


Prepare walnuts: Heat oven to 350. Toast walnuts on a baking sheet for 10 minutes, tossing once. Let cool and coarsely chop.

Prepare raisins: In a small saucepan over low heat, simmer white wine vinegar, water and raisins for 5 minutes, until plump and soft. Set aside in liquid.

Prepare crumbs: Toast bread crumbs, garlic and 2 teaspoons of the olive oil in a skillet together with a pinch of salt until golden. Set aside.

Prepare kale: Trim heavy stems off kale and remove ribs. I always find removing the ribs annoying with a knife, because the leaves want to roll in on the knife and make it hard to get a clean cut.

Instead, I’ve taken to tearing the ribs off with my fingers, which is much easier for me. Stack sections of leaves and roll them into a tube, then cut them into very thin ribbons crosswise.

Assemble salad: Put kale in a large bowl. Add pecorino, walnuts and raisins (leaving any leftover vinegar mixture in dish), remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and lemon juice and toss until all the kale ribbons are coated. Taste and adjust seasonings with salt, pepper and some of the reserved vinegar mixture from the raisins, if needed. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving, if you can, as it helps the ingredients come together. Just before serving, toss with breadcrumbs and, if needed, a final 1 teaspoon drizzle of olive oil.

Karen's Cranberry Pie

I have bridge at my house today, in the afternoon for the first time ever in our 47 year history.  I was looking for something to make for dessert and was going to make a cranberry apple dessert and then I remembered Karen's Cranberry Pie and thought that I would make it so we could have it in her memory.  After I had it at her house at bridge I used to make it for Thanksgiving a lot but haven't made it in ages.

Karen we miss you!  Read about Karen here and here.

Cranberry Pie

2 cups fresh cranberries
1/2 c walnuts or pecans
1/2 cup sugar

Butter square pyrex pan or round layer cake pan and spread cranberries, nut and 1/2 cup sugar over the bottom.

2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 cup flour
1/2 cup melted butter
1/4 c melted crisco (I use butter here too)
dash salt

Beat eggs well.  Add sugar gradually.  Add remaining ingredients and beat well.  Pour over cranberries and bake in 300℉ oven for 1 hour.  Serve warm with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Note:  I made it again 10/07/2019 and it wasn't until I was looking for the recipe on 10/03 that I saw that it wasn't in my recipe index so added it then.

I have bridge here 10/24/2022 and will make it again.

Sweaters and Sheets

I saw this on Facebook.  It's from Everything My Momma Taught Me

Hanging Sweaters on Hangars
It was posted here-->   https://www.facebook.com/aprildawn1977/videos/10153106334111044/?fref=nf

How to Fold Fitted Sheets is 3rd video down on this page --> https://m.facebook.com/Everything-my-Mumma-has-taught-me-tips-and-tricks-for-everyday-life-1514430222183046/

Need to make sheet video full screen

Green Smoothies

When I came home from visiting Laura and Greta I saw that BJs had the Nutri Ninja Auto-IQ with Smooth Boost on sale.  Greta had one that I tried and I thought why not.  I wasn't sure that I would use it that much or that it would be any better than my ancient Oster blender but decided to get one and that we would try some healthy "green" recipes.  The next day I bought some kale (already had the spinach) and yesterday I made our first green smoothie - - not bad so I'm putting some smoothie recipes here.  The recipe book that comes with the Ninja has the ingredients listed in some glowy light green and is really hard to read.

How to Clean a Burnt Pot

This happened to me once before, only much worse but I was so frantic about getting it fixed that I never took any pictures.  This time I was much more relaxed, even though it occurred in the middle of my cooking, so I took pictures.

I was making chili and also catching up on watching "How to Get Away with Murder."  I guess I got really engrossed in the show and when I got up to stir the chili (I hadn't but in the tomatoes or beans yet) it was all burnt on the bottom.  I quickly shut off the stove and transferred what I had so far into a bowl.  I then looked up how to clean the pot since I didn't remember and I didn't document it the last time.  Below is what my pot looked like to start.  All that you see was firmly stuck to the pot.

Flu shot

Last Friday I got a flu shot and then Wednesday night I thought I was coming down with something.  Sure enough, Thursday I had a fever of 101.7 in the late aftrenoon.  I decided to take my temperature after I went to bed and tried to warm up under lots of covers.  Friday I felt better but now this morning (Saturday) I woke up with a relapse of the fever.

I think the same thing happened last year but I don't have it documented.

Carrot and Ginger Bisque

Carrot and Ginger Bisque

Larry had this soup on our NCL cruise and it was so good that I wanted to make it.
This is the recipe that was adapted from here.

Ingredients
3 tablespoons butter or extra virgin olive oil
2 cups onion chopped
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
2 pounds carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
1 tablespoon minced or grated fresh ginger
1 apple peeled and sliced
3 large strips of zest from an orange (or not)  I like it better without

Salt and pepper

1 Melt the butter in a soup pot over medium heat and cook the onions and carrot, stirring occasionally, until the onions soften, about 5 to 8 minutes. Do not let the onions or carrots brown. Sprinkle a teaspoon of salt over the carrots and onions as they cook.

2 Add the apple, stock and water and the ginger  the strips of orange zest. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook until the carrots soften, about 20 minutes.


3 Remove the strips of orange zest and discard. Working in small batches, pour the soup into a blender and purée until completely smooth.  I waited until it was fairly cool.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Could vary by adding cumin for more zip.

Garnish with chopped chives, parsley, or herb of your choice if desired.


P.S.  I went to my recipe index to add this recipe and saw that I had a Carrot-Ginger Bisque recipe there from 2012, guess I never made that one.

Multitasking

Larry pointed out this article to me this morning since I am guilty of multitasking - and never accomplishing anything.  I read it and thought it had a lot of good points so I'm putting it here as a reminder to myself.

The original article appears here http://greatist.com/happiness/is-multitasking-bad-plus-how-to-stop

Why multitasking is a waste

KATIE GOLDE
GREATIST

Reality check: We live in a busy world where a million things are happening at once. For many of us, multitasking is a way to keep up with the grind. From checking email at brunch with friends to finishing a status report during a staff meeting, a lot of us are trying to accomplish a lot — all at the same time.

Here’s the problem: Only two percent of us multitask effectively. That means the remaining 98 percent of us are running around like headless chickens in the name of “productivity.”

So what to do? It’s time to put down your smartphone, lift up your head, and actually listen to that funny joke your friend is telling or that question your boss is about to throw your way. Increased productivity is available to us all — and surprisingly, it may come in form of doing only one thing at a time.

WHAT’S THE DEAL?

Just so we’re all on the same page, multitasking means trying to do more than one thing a time. In the era of smartphones, tablets and laptops, it’s easy to multitask without even realizing it. After all, most of us have checked Facebook in chemistry class or during that long conference call (at least once). Multitasking with a phone (or iPad, tablet, etc.) is so prevalent that one study called it the “epidemic of distraction.” Contrary to popular thought, addiction to mobile electronic devices may actually impair multitasking, lower performance, and result in cognitive overload. Guess we aren’t as productive with that iPhone as we thought, huh?

YOUR ACTION PLAN

As it turns out, our brains aren’t very good at doing more than one thing at a time. One study found that the brain may get overwhelmed when faced with multiple tasks. Researchers found that when we attempt to multitask, the brain “bottlenecks” the information and quickly moves its attention from one thing to the next, instead of addressing the items simultaneously. Rather than becoming more productive when faced with multiple tasks to accomplish at once, this suggests we really only become more frazzled — and thus less able to handle the challenges of a high workload.

While most of us are susceptible to multitasking, research suggests people who have a harder time blocking out distractions and focusing on a single task are more likely to be multitaskers. And those who multitask usually overestimate how successful they are at doing so (sorry, guys). 

But there’s hope yet. Once you’re willing to accept that multitasking isn’t doing you any favors, follow these tips for focusing on one thing at a time — without sacrificing productivity. 

1. Put down your phone (or tablet or laptop … ) 

Block out distractions while you work, hang out with friends or play the guitar by turning off the phone, TV and anything else that draws you away from what you’re actually doing. 

2. Get into a routine. 

This can be helpful if you spend a good chunk of your day on the computer or working from home. Instead of diving in to tasks willy-nilly, set up a schedule that tells you what to work on and when (and be sure to incorporate some breaks into the day). That way, you’ll know what to expect from yourself each time you sit down to work (and you’ll be less tempted to goof off on ESPN.com or tinker with household repairs). 

3. Set goals. 

Know what you’re going to do before you start doing it. If you have no clear path, distractions can come easily. Before starting a new task, take a few minutes to plan out the steps you’ll need to complete and in what order — that way, you’ll be less able to wander. An important step of goal setting? A quality to-do list. 

4. Eat a good breakfast. 

Turns out taking a second to chow down on a healthy breakfast can help boost concentration and focus. Bonus points if that meal includes some protein. 

5. Meditate. 

Studies suggest that regular meditation can boost brain function and is associated with better focus and attention. It can also help reduce stress when a massive to-do list is looming. 

6. Block it out. 

Can’t beat distraction with willpower alone? Don’t worry: There are applications out there that will shut down distractions on your media devices. An app called Dark Room transforms your computer into a focused writing space. For $15, the app Anti-Social will stop you from checking social media while working. And Rescue Time allows you to block select sites and track the amount of time you spend on various activities, so you can adjust accordingly. 

7. Listen well. 

We’re not being the most productive when we’re half listening to someone while checking our phone, Facebook and LinkedIn all at once (also, it’s just plain rude). To be a better listener (and get the info you need the first time), face the speaker and look him/her right in the eye, and stay present with the conversation. Who cares if you have 12 unread emails? This person deserves your attention. 

8. Cut out clutter. 

To help avoid distractions, stay organized. Find a place for everything on your desk, and keep your paperwork in order so you’re not wasting time searching through piles of files (say that five times fast). This goes for your desktop too: Keep files organized and close extra browser windows and tabs so you can work with a clean screen. For an extra boost, apply some feng shui principles to your workspace. 

9. Give yourself a break. 

Catch yourself staring at your computer? Literally, just staring at it? Probably time for a break. Studies show taking brief breaks during a task can improve focus. So walk around the block, get up and do some jumping jacks, or take five minutes to face the wall and breathe deep. 

10. Read about it. 

Want even more tips? There are plenty of books available that will help you develop strategies for achieving better focus and deeper concentration. Check out this list to get started: http:// amzn.to/1NBQVIj It may not be easy to quit, but science says multitasking isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Staying focused and concentrating on one task at a time is worth a shot. And who knows? We may end up getting more done — a

1st Day in San Francisco

What a great day!

We started off with coffee at the hotel.  

Then  going to Old St Mary'sCathedral on Califorrnia St. aat the corner of Grant, the first cathedral built in San Francisco for the  express purpose of serving as a cathedral in 1853.

When it was built it was the tallest building in San Francisco and all of California.

From there we had an hour to get to Jane's on Fillmore to meet Meg and Aris for brunch which was only 1.6 miles away so we had time to wander around Chinatown before going there. 

 What we thought was going  to be a nice leisurely walk turned out to be a hike fit for mountain goats.  We were going along great till we came to the first uphill.  Then we had a big downhill only to find another uphill but we finished off with a downhill.  We were so happy when we finally reached Fillmore, where Jane's, our brunch place was.

We had a  nice brunch and then took an Uber to do a hike at  Land's End which was so beautiful.  During the walk we reached 10,000 steps according to my fitbit and by the end of our day we had over 15,000.  

After our  walk we Ubered back - first dropping off Meg and Aris.  Instead of going into our hotel we walked down to the ferry terminal and wandered around.   

We bought a bottle of wine, some English Cheddar and a small loaf of sourdough bread and took our aching bodies back to our room.

Tomorrow is our wine tour.

Things Discovered on the Way to Finding Other Things

You can change your text to speech here http://ctrlq.org/listen/

Converting various types of files
http://www.labnol.org/software/how-to-convert-files/19523/
I haven't checked this out yet and it's from 2012 so there may be better options