Another Thursday.

Random picture.

This evening I drank a bunch of beer and ate popcorn. Nothing like kicking back after work with co workers. I did walk my daughter home and do the banking and some shopping before the kicking back so my guilt factor was a little under 5. At home they ate pan fried pork chops and some lovely bread from our baker friend. Sliced cantaloupe was had for dessert. That's it said my wife as she laughed. It was a simple night. At least the work week is done. We will try for a picture tomorrow.

Later

Friends for Dinner

After running 7 k I was sure hungry. Te-maki is the perfect meal at a time like that. You get to choose the toppings, you get to choose how much rice, and you get to choose how many rolls you eat. Upon arriving home I had to rather sheepishly admit to my wife that I had also invited my two running buddies. With a natural aplomb bordering on saintly she set two more places. Now in my defense one of them lives with us and he had offered to make dinner for the other one. However, we shared a grand communal feast and even had a choice beverage imported all the way from Brazil. It was a good Te-maki (hand roll) night as there was the fake crab on offer. With the avocado it sure is good. We also had green salad courtesy of us. With all the rain we have been getting I haven't even had to water. Its a matter of going outside and helping myself. Also with the living mulch effect I barely have to weed. It is great. This weekend the beans, cucumbers and squash are all going to put in and the garden will finally be ready for some serious love and attention. Fingers crossed for transplanting the cukes and squash. They are not known for loving the transplant action but with the weed matting down it is this or nothing. We will have to wait and see.

Baked Pumpkin

Sometimes watching a little TV makes all the difference. Today while I was away the family was watching some Japanese television that we have on tape. During one show they had a cooking segment where they baked a kabocha (butternut squash perhaps) with a ground beef stuffing. So this is what you are looking at. It was quite good. I think this is the last of the squash we grew last year. The wife had been keeping it in the freezer. It was sweet and savoury all at the same time. Served with coleslaw and rice it sure hit the spot. Interestingly my daughter couldn't stop eating the rice and ground beef and my son wouldn't stop eating the coleslaw.

Deep Fried Goodness

Well some tofu and zucchini were deep fried this evening. I arrived home, post afternoon run, to find some amazing tofu and zuchinni waiting for me and my guests. ( I brought home two buddies from school and we sat outside and enjoyed the evening and a beverage while the kids played around us) Outside we also partook of the garden's offerings in a massive bowl of green salad. We were not able to get in on the miso soup action as I only gave the wife about 20 minutes notice before we arrived. The boys were happy with what they were fed and served so it wasn't an issue. For a totally crappy weather day it turned into a lovely summer like afternoon. Only nine teaching days left. Gotta keep my eyes on the road in front of me.

Light Dinner

As we were driving back to the GF this evening the topic of dinner came up. After a weekend of feasting and four days of sitting I am always thinking of something light. Also something quick and easy to prepare with very little lead time. In my brain I come to pasta with a vegetarian tomato sauce. No dethawing. Anything undercooked can still be eaten without the possibility of death. I think it works. So I offer this up. To which wife responds, "you always say that when you want a quick meal. I was thinking, yaki soba with miso soup, and a green salad." To me this does not sound like a quick meal to be whipped up in no time. However, it also sounded way better than what I was offering and -- more to the point -- sounded like I wasn't going to be cooking it. Sold. It turns out I was in charge of the salad but after being away for three days the garden was teaming with fresh produce. We even ate our first daikon. It was pretty small and the kids complained because it was too spicy. Exactly. Yup having a great garden year so far and though one of my jalapeno plants has succumbed to a bad case of dampening off, everything else has flourished (so far). Even the almost dead broccoli is coming on strong. I actually had to tell it to back off as I am married. You know how broccoli can be.

Oh yeah the red stuff is hot sauce. I know I won't be able to taste anything by the time I am sixty but I just love the hot stuff.

Don't feed the Squirrels

Come to Manning park. See deer bounding through meadows and bears eating berries. Slide the slopes and trails in the winter and hike them in the summer. Camp and enjoy nature. Or just stop at the rest stop for half an hour while your kids toss bits of bread -- bread they have finagled from other tourists eating their lunches -- to the ground squirrels and birds. Everyone knows we shouldn't feed wild life but these aren't real wild life. They are like the monkeys in Japan who demand food from passing tourists and will actually go into their cars to look for it. These squirrels and birds are as domesticated as any pet. Probably more so than some cats. My daughter actually managed to pet one of the squirrels. No mean feat after my son had spent the better part of half an hour chasing every squirrel he could find. And then he wondered why they wouldn't eat out of his hand. Doy. As the children get older the stops get longer. I imagine the trip to Grandma's house may be a two day affair some day. Lets hope that is a long time in the future.

No Credit Deserved

Well this evenings meal was whipped up by my mother. She in turn had the foresight to go to a local m and m meat shop to buy the cannelloni that my children love. Unfortunately, she didn't buy cannelloni. She bought stuffed pasta shells. It was just as good as the cannelloni but I think my ma was disappointed that she had been duped by the woman behind the counter. The salad was great. My mom has this really thick balsamic vinegar and the dressing she makes with it is beautifully rich. The scones, though not home made, were fluffy and light. The had the chives baked right in. Mmm Chive goodness. Well this was our Thursday evening meal. The rest of the weekends meals were missed although my daughter kept reminding us just as we were finishing off or had finished dinner, "Dad!! the picture!!" Whoops.