Busy, busy, busy

The hardest thing with a blog is to keep writing stories on a regular basis!

I have been so busy lately that I haven’t seen the time go by. Of course as I said before I don’t know what the word “bored” could possibly mean; there is just too many things to do in life and I personally like trying new things, creating, doing things for others etc…

What have I got on my plate right now you’ll ask?

  1. I am helping a friend who is doing her doctorate thesis with the analysis of her data. That involves learning how to use a pretty powerful program. It is incredibly stimulating and interesting; I am enjoying this tremendously, what a challenge! Her topic has to do with psychology and cultural sensitivity; two topics which are very dear to my heart. I can’t tell you how glad I am that my daughter connected the two of us on that project!

2. Another Federal Election… therefore I am booked to work as a Central Poll Supervisor for the 3 advance poll days and the actual voting day, plus the two training sessions required since the advanced polls and regular poll are different. I therefore need to juggle my activities around those days.

3. My mother is 94 years old so I am making and freezing meals for her so that she has food with the spices and flavours she is used to and a variety of meals in order not to get too bored with her food. On the menu this time will be: Beef stew, chicken glazed in maple syrup and garlic with fried rice, Meatball stroganoff, Kidney in Madeira sauce and chicken Martinique (my invention). I try to make about 20 to 28 little aluminum portion for her to last her generally over one month. She still likes cooking her salmon and steak to share with her cat Libellule and to break down the monotony of her “frozen” diet.

Chicken Martinique                           4 persons

v     8 skinless chicken thighs

v     1 Tbsp Louisiana spice

v     2 Tbsp. flour

v     salt, pepper, garlic powder

v     ¼ tsp. thyme

v     1 Tbsp. butter

v     1 Tbsp of oil

v     3 Tbsp finely chopped onion

v     3 Tbsp finely chopped carrot

v     3 Tbsp finely chopped celery

v     2 large tomatoes peeled, seeded and finely chopped

v     ¼ C white wine

v     ¼ C water

v     3 Tbsp cream

Sprinkle the chicken on all sides with the Louisiana spices. In a bag, put flour and coat chicken. Melt the butter and oil in a heavy frying pan, add the chicken pieces, sprinkle with a little garlic powder and fry until golden over medium high heat. Put aside. In the same frying pan put the chopped onion, carrot and celery; salt, pepper and add the thyme; cook slowly for a few minutes until onions are translucent.

Add white wine, stir and return chicken to frying pan. Bring to a boil, then turn heat down and simmer for 10 min. Sauce should have thickened from flour on chicken. Remove chicken to a serving dish, add the cream to the sauce, salt and pepper to taste. Pour sauce over chicken and serve.

Chicken in Maple Syrup and Garlic Sauce   8 chicken thighs

¼ cup (60 ml) Soya sauce  

v     4 cloves of garlic cut in small slivers

v     1 Tbsp. butter

v     1 cup (250 ml) maple syrup

v     1 tsp.  grated gingerroot

v    few grindings of black pepper and salt

Skin the chicken. Cut it at the joints. With the tip of a sharp knife make about 4 or 5 small slits on each piece. Push a garlic sliver in each slit.  Place chicken pieces in a heavy bottom frying pan with a lid.

 In a small saucepan, mix maple syrup, butter, grated gingerroot, Soya sauce, salt and pepper. Pour over the chicken pieces.         

Cook covered over medium/high heat for about ¾ hour. Make sure you turn the pieces frequently. Cook until the chicken pieces are coated with the caramelized syrup. If the chicken is cooked but the syrup is too liquid, remove the poultry and reduce the sauce then put the chicken back in to coat it properly.

Serve hot with fried rice. You can also do this in the oven, at 375°F, but make sure it does not burn hard. It is best to butter your dish before to prevent sticking. Serve with fried rice.

 4. I am also knitting a sweater for one of my grand children for his third birthday; I have to have it finished before his birthday on May 22. Actually before May 17^th,  which is the day I fly to see him. I still have to finish the hood, and buy and install the zipper.

 5: I am making a crochet poncho for my daughter, that one is just about done, just the fiddly finishing stuff like tucking the ends in and maybe blocking it I haven’t decided on that yet… sometimes I prefer if something is blocked and sometimes I think it looks better not blocked.

5: Doing some spring cleaning as I go along, today we are doing the oven; I have to be fair here my husband is doing the oven and hopefully I’ll get one of the patio doors done. Because I have a sore shoulder I have to be careful not to irritate the tendons with too much exercise. Scrubbing and cleaning windows, darn!!! are not recommended for a bad shoulder.

6: I HAVE to do a session of Yoga, I have found it hard to do lately because as mentioned above I have pain in my right shoulder and therefore many of the moves irritate the tendons.

7: I also have to do the usual things like laundry, cooking, enjoying a movie with my husband, shopping and going to visit my mom and do her shopping.

The thing is that all those things I enjoy and could not live without. Actually there are many other things I would love to do and hopefully will have time to do…we’ll see.

That’s why Macooo says she is busy, busy, busy and is not writing enough on her blog.

Cheers,

Macooo