The World According to Me

Okay, I admit it. I’m a huge baseball fan. There are few places I’d rather be than at a ballpark watching a good game. This makes winter painful for me as there are no games to watch even on tv. I eagerly anticipate spring training every year waiting for more coverage as the players trickle back. I start watching our college team (they had their home opener last weekend and went 4-0!) since their season starts earlier. I even watch the pre-season games that they put on tv. I even admit to watching the Red Sox play games in Japan this weekend.

But finally, it is officially here. Even if the game took place in Japan, the regular season has started! This is the day that every team has a shot, every new player has fulfilled a dream and every sports fan has hope in their heart. Too bad going to work got in the way of me watching the game live. Thank goodness for recorders!

Easter is celebrated on the Sunday after the first full moon following the spring equinox (March 21). I’m not super clear on the reasons why, but in 325 AD the Christianity Council in Nicea decreed that Easter could no longer coincide with Jewish Passover. What we have today is the solution to that scheduling problem.

Because of this decision, the earliest Easter can fall is March 22. This year is the earliest Easter since 1818. There won’t be another one this early until 2160. The earlier Easter falls the more people are still eating Valentine’s and Christmas goodies. So if you are a merchant counting on chocolate sales, you want Easter to fall later but for the rest of us, the early holiday is great for our pocketbooks and our waistlines!

Have a Happy Easter everyone

I hate the Monday after the time changes. It doesn’t seem to matter whether we are going forwarded or back it is still a pain. I hated that it was dark this morning as I was getting ready. I hated that not every clock has changed so you can’t be sure what the time really is. I hate getting up earlier. I hate feeling like I have a slight case of jet lag without having gone anywhere interesting. I hate feeling like I’ve lost that hour. I know we haven’t really lost it but it feels like we do. I used to ask my mother when I was a kid “But where does the hour go?” She always told me that it was moved to the fall because the weather was better. Didn’t really satisfy me then and it doesn’t really now either.

I know there are people who like the fact that it is lighter, later. That doesn’t win me over. Maybe I should move to a place that doesn’t observe the time change, like Saskatchewan.

Apparently the UN has declared this the International Year of the Potato. I’m not sure why the UN felt it necessary to claim a year for a vegetable. I happen to love potatoes but wasn’t aware they were in need of such support or celebration. According to the UN the potato will help meet the food security challenges that the world will face, mainly because it can be grown quickly, on little land in even the harshest climates. They are a good source of energy, rich in potassium and vitamin C. They are also very tasty. Sadly most of the potatoes grown in North America are made into french fries. Much of the rest are simply baked or boiled.

Here is a recipe that may make you take another look at the potato. These take a lot of work but are worth the effort.

Gnocchi

2 lbs baking potatoes
2 large egg yolks
pinch salt
1 1/4 - 1 1/2 cups flour
3 cups tomato pasta sauce
grated parmesan cheese

Bake the potatoes until tender. Cool enough to handle. Cut and scoop out as much of the flesh as possible. Mash thoroughly. Mix in the egg yolks and salt. Mix in one cup of the flour until well combined. Transfer the dough to a floured work surface and knead into a ball that is dry to touch, incorporating 1/4 to 1/2 cup more flour as needed.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Divide the dough in quarters. Roll each quarter in a 3/4 diameter log. Cut into 1 inch pieces. Flour your finger and make a dimple in each piece of dough. Use a fork on the non dimpled side to make ridges. Place on baking sheet.

Preheat the oven to 200 F. Lightly brush a large baking sheet with olive oil. Cook the gnocchi in the boiling water (in batches) until they float to the surface. Scoop out of the water with a slotted spoon and place on baking sheet. Keep the cooked ones warm in the oven while you cook the rest. Divide the gnocchi among pasta bowls and cover with sauce and sprinkle with cheese.

For a new take on mashed potatoes try this favorite of mine.

Cream Cheese Mashed Pototoes

2 lbs potatoes (baking potatoes work best)
1/3 cup butter
1 stick cream cheese (about 1 cup)

Boil and mash potatoes. Add butter and cream cheese and mix until melted throughout. If potatoes are too stiff, add milk until creamy.

Hopefully I (and the UN) have inspired you. Go forth and explore the possibilites of the potato in celebration.

I heard about a weird event today. It involves curling with rutabagas. Sure this must be a joke, I did a search and found a group that claims that February is Rutabaga Month. There is an International Rutabaga Curling Championship at the Farmer’s Market in Ithica, NY. Unfortunately, the event has already happened this year, but they are hoping to become an Olympic Sport by 2010. For more check out their blog at http://rutablogger.blogspot.com/

If you’d rather eat your vegetables than play with them, here are a few recipes for you to try.

Rutabaga and Apple Casserole

3 cups peeled sliced rutabaga
2 med. apples, sliced
1/2 c. brown sugar, packed
3 tbsp. butter
Salt

Cook rutabaga slices in boiling salted water until just tender; drain. Place half of slices (rutabaga) and half of apple slices in greased 1 quart casserole. Sprinkle with half of brown sugar and dot with half of butter. Sprinkle with salt. Repeat layers. Bake, covered at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Rutabaga Fries

1 pound rutabaga
1 large egg
1 tbsp mayonnaise
1 tbsp mustard
1/4 tsp sea salt (can use any large grain salt)
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp garlic powder
black pepper to taste
1 - 1/2 cups of parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Peel and cut the rutabaga into long strips (think homestyle fries). Beat the egs, mayo, mustard, and spices until well combined and place in a shallow dish. Spread the cheese out on a plate. Dip the rutabaga sticks into the egg mixture to coat and then roll in the cheese. Transfer to baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes. To brown the tops broil for a minute or two. Best served hot.

And remember rutabagas are a root vegetable so they tend to go well in recipes with other root vegetables. Mash them with potatos, parsnips and carrots. Add them to your pot roast or roast them on their own.

Don’t stress. Being single is fabulous. If you are on your own today, grab a cup of tea and open a box of chocolates and write down what you love about being single. Some of my top reasons to love being single:

My space is my own. I don’t have to pick up after anyone but myself. No dirty socks that couldn’t find their way to the hamper, toilets seats left up and dishes anywhere but in the kitchen. If I choose to blare Great Big Sea or Disney songs from the stereo, there is no one there to complain. The bonus with this is no one ever steal my covers or hogs the bed. Well except my cat.

My time is my own. I don’t have to ask permission to lunch with my friends, go out for the evening or feel bad about wanting to stay home.

No in-laws. I know not everyone has problems with their in-laws, but when I look around at some of my friends I’m glad I don’t have to deal with that kind of tricky relationship. Dealing with my own family is stressful enough!

My money is my own. This is a biggie for me. I don’t have to justify spending a ton of money on books and travelling. I also don’t have to worry that someone else will spend when I want to save.

I’m not sure if it is just a product of getting older or what but I don’t seem to deal with the cold as well as I used to. It is hovering around the freezing mark here, and there is no snow. Where I grew up winter would be much colder and the snow could be very deep. We would spend hours outside playing when we were kids: sledding down hills, skating on ponds, making forts and snow angels. In all that time I don’t remember ever complaining that it was too cold to play outside. And yet, today, I almost turned down an invitation to go for a walk on my lunch hour because it was too cold! When did I start having a problem with being cold? Is this something that happens to us all as we get older? Whatever the reason, I have decided not to let being cold stop me from enjoying being outside. The bonus now is coming in and having a nice hot cup of tea (or hot chocolate) to warm me up.

Normally I have no problems riding the bus. Not owning a car saves me considerable money and I don’t have to worry about driving or parking. Normally my ride home from work is uneventful. I usually have a seat and use the 25 minutes or so to plan my evening. There are times though that I encouter odd people and odder behavior. Take yesterday, for instance. The woman sitting beside me was extremely fidgety. She was constantly rummaging in her bag for something. She started by finding a comb and doing her hair. Then she found a half a granola bar and had the rest. Then she took a drink of juice. She flipped randomly through an agenda. Most of the time she rummaged for a minute without pulling anything out of her bag. It was very distracting. But then she slipped right over the edge into odd and slightly disgusting. She pulled a toothbrush out of the bottom of her bag and proceded to brush her teeth. Yuck! There had been no cover on the tooth brush, which was in the bag with the half eaten granola bar and all the rest of her junk.

I couldn’t believe it. Last week I was chatting with a group of people and none of them had ever had perogies! These tasty little treats are total comfort food for people where I grew up. They were a standard part of Christmas and New Year’s Dinners. There are many versions of these dumpling like bits of goodness, most coming from Eastern European countries. They can be filled with just about anything but the most common are cheese and potato. There are also dessert versions using fruit. For a Ukrainian take on this wonderful dish try the recipe below.

Or you can do it the easy way and buy them in your frozen food case. If you can’t find them there, many Russian or Ukrainian restaurants will sell them. My city also has a Ukrainian cultural centre that has perogy dinners. So check out your neigborhood and see what you can find.

Either way, serve them with fried bacon, onion, butter and sour cream. (Some people also like sauerkraut on them, but I’m not a fan) Make a bigger meal by serving them with cabbage rolls and kielbasa (sausage).

DOUGH:
5 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cup water

FILLING:
5-6 medium potatoes, mashed
2 large onions, finely chopped (optional)
1/2 cup butter
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Combine the flour and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the center and add the soft butter and evaporated milk; stir gently until all the liquid is absorbed. Add water only as needed, kneading continuously until dough sticks together. Place dough into a greased bowl, turn to coat, and let rest for 30 minutes.

Boil the potatoes until tender. Drain, mash and set aside. Saute onions in butter until tender. Mix the onions into the potatoes along with the cheese and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Remove the dough from the bowl onto a lightly floured surface. Roll out to 1/8 inch in thickness. Cut into 3 inch circles. (a big cookie cutter makes this easier) Place one tablespoon of filling onto one side of the circle. Fold the other half over and pinch the edges tightly to seal. Place finished perogies onto a floured tray and keep covered.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Drop 10 or so perogies into the water at a time. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes, then remove to a colander to drain. Place onto a lightly buttered dish and turn them to coat with a thin layer. This will keep them from sticking together.

Everybody around me seems to be sick. Sneezing, coughing, runny noses etc. I find this is one of the hardest times of the year to avoid other people germs. So is there anything you can do to help fight the nasty viruses that other people bring with their Christmas gifts? The short answer is maybe. The most important thing to remember is to wash your hands. You can also try and boost your immune system. Some things to try:

Make sure you get enough protein. It helps us produce antibodies that help fight infection.

Take zinc, which plays an important role in maintaining a strong immune system and fighting off cold infections. Be careful not to exceed 100mg at day as higher doses can actually suppress the immune system.

Eat aromatics like onion and garlic, which contain allicin, a compound that has been shown to improve immunity and fight off viral, bacterial and fungal infections.

Take Echinacea, which is believed to stimulate the body’s immune system and ward off infections. Studies have been mixed and no results have been proven.

Take ginseng, which has been well studied and helps fight infection and supports the immune system.

Take Elderberries, which are rich in flavonoids, which may boost the immune systems response to viruses and have been found to contain immune-balancing and antioxidant properties. Just to be confusing the supplements are made with the flower of the plant and not the berries.

Take probiotics. Between 60 and 80 per cent of your immune system is located in the digestive tract. So if things are healthy there, your whole body will stay strong. Some studies have shown that probiotic supplements can improve nasal congestion, sinus infections and allergies.

Other things that may help:

Getting enough sleep
Drinking enough water
Eating a balanced diet

Good luck to you all as you fight the good fight against getting sick over the holidays!