Wired, A Birthday, and Food of course

I warmly welcome Ms Sparrow to my blog and hope you will enjoy my rambling on. Janice is. among others, participating in writers groups, and her blog contains a lot of wonderful photos.
I admit, I am no eloquent writer, but I have fun nonetheless with blogging. And, there is always a hope for improvement. ;))

At the hospital in St. Stephen I became "wired" for the next two days. I doesn't bother much except during the night while trying to sleep comfortable around this box.
I took some shots while sitting in the passengers seat.  St. Stephen is not very 'pretty' a place. But there is one particular dwelling along the way which I always like to look at.

A special group of "scare cows"

The owner has a whole crowd of scare-crows around on his property. Supporting boats and petting wooden horses. All are dressed out in fancy clothes, some have hats on. I always wanted to stop while driving by and get a closer look, but we never did.
Sometimes I ask myself: why are we in such a hurry?

Antique shoppe in Lubec, Me

While waiting for J.P. to return from a hardware store I took a quick shot of this window. Odds and ends and antiques. The door frames painted with jelly fish and sea grass. Would be nice to go in there and check it out.
Our neighbour lady from Boston, MA turned 88 today and we went over for a visit! She is still going strong. Earned her College degree 5 years ago, she told us!
What else did I do:

I baked another "The caretaker's banana bread". It will be a staple in our house for sure. I just added some dried cherries to it, as my personal touch, I guess.:))
Did long walks to get enough data on the monitor box. Uphill and downhill, stairs and beach I walked. Now I am really curious what they will come up with. Of course, it is as it always is: no significant shortness of breath, no palpitations while I am on the wire. Maybe it all in my head after all.
Tonight I concocted a new dish of stuffed bell peppers. Usually I cook stuffed peppers with rice and hamburger meat. If you are interested in that see here.

However, this time I made a different filling. Wiener sausage, cheese and veggies.
Turned out really well. I thought it would be enough for two days, but - dream on.

Filled bell peppers

We ate it all.
If you like to look at the recipe, go here.
Now it is tea time again!

Gestern sind wir nach St. Stephen gefahren. Dort hat man mir  einen Langzeit EKG Monitor angepaßt. Damit bin ich nun zwei Tage unterwegs. Spazierengehen und Treppensteigen. Mal sehen was dabei raus kommt.

Bell Pepper/ Tomato Stew with Rice

This Saturday we had bell pepper/tomato stew with rice.
That was an easy dish. The rice was boiling while I prepared the rest.
First frying the onions, then adding green bell peppers and tomatoes.
At the end I add the browned hamburger meat (done the day before) 
and tomato paste. Let it simmer until the rice is done.

Onion, Bell Pepper, Tomato 

Ingredients
1 cup of rice
1/4 lb. hamburger meat, browned
1/2 onion, minced
2 tomatoes, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 small can tomato paste
salt, pepper, sugar to taste

Bell Pepper/Tomato Stew with Rice

Am Samstag gab es Reis mit einer Hackfleischsoße.
Das war einfach. Während der Reis kocht wurde die Soße zubereitet.
Die Zwiebeln anbraten, dann die Paprika- und Tomatenwürfel hinzufügen.
Zuletzt das angebratene Hackfleisch (war am Tag zuvor gebraten worden) und Tomatenmark dazugeben. Mit Salz, Pfeffer und Zucker abschmecken.
Auf niedriger Hitze koecheln lassen bis der Reis gar ist.


Zutaten
125 g Reis
250 g Hackfleisch, angebraten
1/2 Zwiebel, gewürfelt
2 Tomaten, gewürfelt
1 grüne Paprika, gewürfelt
1 kl Dose Tomatenmark
Salz, Pfeffer, Zucker nach Geschmack

På lørdag var det kjøttsaus med ris på tallerken.
Det var lettvint. Mens risen koker tilberedes sausen.
Fres løken first i litt smør. Tilføy så paprikaen og tomater. Til slutt varmes opp kjøttdeigen og tomatsausen. Kjøttdeigen ble stekt dagen i førveien.
Smakes til med salt, pepper og sukker.

Filled Bell Peppers

More friends arrived during the afternoon and in the kitchen
we are back on track. Here comes our dinner for the day.
Ingredients for 2 persons
2 green bell peppers
1/2 lb lean ground beef
vegetable oil
1/2 cup rice, cooked al dente
1 onion, diced
1 tomato
Raisins, cilantro, salt, pepper, oregano
1 tbsp instant vegetable soup
For the sauce:
1 can diced tomatoes
garlic, sugar, basil, thyme

Brown the ground beef

Rinse the bell peppers

Fill with meat and rice mixture

Cut the top off the peppers, don't discard. Clean the peppers inside. Dice onion, garlic and tomato. In oil sauté the onion and garlic. Season ground beef with salt and pepper and add to the onion. Fry until brown. Then mix with tomato, cilantro, raisins. Season with herbs and fill mixture into the bell peppers. Set top back on and settle the filled peppers into a heat proved form. Surround by diced tomatoes and instant vegetable soup. The peppers shall be in the sauce by 3/4 of an inch.
Cook in the oven by 375 F about 40-50 minutes. Serve with rice and evtl. with shredded cheese.

Sunset in the desert

Zutaten für 2 Personen


2 grüne Paprika
200 g Hackfleisch
Öl
100 g Reis, fast gar
1 Zwiebel 
1 Tomate
  Rosinen, Korianderkörner, Salz, Pfeffer, Oregano
 1/2 Gemüsesuppenwürfel, Wasser
Für die Soße:
1 Dose gwürfelte Tomaten
  Knoblauch, Zucker, Basilikum, Thymian


Deckel der Paprika entfernen, nicht wegwerfen. Paprika säubern. Tomate, Zwiebel und Knoblauch in kleine Würfel schneiden. Zwiebeln und Knoblauch anbraten. Hackfleisch mit Salz und Pfeffer würzen, zu den Zwiebeln geben und braun anbraten.  Tomate, Reis, Koriander, Rosinen unter das Hackfleisch mischen. Die Mischung mit den Kräutern, und ein wenig Zucker abschmecken und in die ausgehöhlten Paprika füllen. Deckel draufsetzen und in eine feuerfeste Form stellen. Dosentomaten dazu geben, mit Salz, Pfeffer, Basilikum, Knoblauch, Thymian und Zucker abschmecken und um die Paprika herum gießen. Mit Gemüsesuppe aufgießen. Die Paprika sollten ca. 1-2 cm in der Tomatensauce/suppe stehen. 
Bei ca. 200 C° in Backofen ca. 40-50 Minuten garen. Eventuel mit Reis servieren und mit geriebenem Käse bestreuen.

Ingredienser for 2 pers.


2 grønne paprika
200 g kjöttdeig
olje
100 g ris, nesten ferdig kokt
1 tomat, i terninger
1 løk, i terninger
rosiner, koriander, salt, pepper, oregano
1/2 terning av grønnsakssuppe, vann
For sausen:
1 boks hermetiserte tomater, i terninger
hvitløk, sukker, tymian, basilikum


Skjær toppen av paprikaen og rins ut frøene. Kutt løk og kvitløk i terninger. Fres dem i olje. Salt and pepper kjøttdeigen og fres sammen med løken. Når det er brunt bland sammen med rosiner, tomat, ris og krydder. Fyll massen in i paprikaene og leg lokk tibake på toppen. Set fylte paprikaer i en ildfast form and fyll opp med hermetiserte tomater og grønnsakssuppe. Paprikaene skal sitte i 1-2 cm dyp i sausen. Kok i ovnen ved 200 Grader i 40-50 minutter. Serveres med kokt ris og revet ost.

Boiled Ham, Three Beans Salad Variation and Potatoes

Summer is here - and it is hot. Therefore we have something light for dinner.
Slices of boiled ham. 3 potatoes.
1 can of 3 beans salad, 1/4 head green lettuce, 1/2 cup shredded cabbage, 1 carrot, shredded; 1 tbsp mayonnaise, 1 tbsp sour cream.

Boil the potatoes.
Start the salad.
Combine all ingredients in a salad bowl. Make a sauce of 1 tbsp mayonnaise, 1tbsp sour cream,  some marinade from the can of beans, salt, pepper, coriander and 2 spritzer Tabasco, and mix well.
When the potatoes are done arrange salad and slices of ham on a plate.
Dessert: Fresh strawberries

Sommer Dinner: Ham, 3 Beans Salad Variation and Potatoes.

Die Deutsche Ecke:
Gekochter Schinken, Bohnensalat und Salzkartoffel
Sommer und Hitze - da wird "leicht" gekocht.
Für den Salat:
1/4 Kopfsalat, 1 geraspelte Karotte, 1/2 Tasse geraspelter Weißkohl, 1 Dose  dreierlei Bohnen (Kichererbsen, Rote Bohnen und Stangenbohnen).
Alles in eine große Salatschüssel geben. Eine Salatssoße aus 1 Eßl Mayonaise, 1 Eßl Creme Fresh, Salz, Peffer, Koriander und ein paar Spritzer Tabasco herstellen. Mit etwas Marinade aus der Bohnendose verdünnen. Gut mischen.
Wenn die Kartoffeln gar sind alles mit den Schinkenscheiben und dem Salat auf einem Teller anrichten. Als Nachspeise: frische Erdbeeren.

Det Norske Hjørnet
Jeg synes ikke noe om a lage stor middag i dag. Været er alt for varmt for det.
Derfor skal det bli lett mat.
Kokt skinke, bønnesalat og kokte poteter.
Potetene ble satt over først.
Lag så en salat av:  1/4 grønn salat, 1 kopp rivet hvitkål, 1 rivet gulrot og en boks hermetisert bønner. (gule erter, røde og grønne bønner)
Lag en saus av 1 ss majones, 1 ss surkem, litt marinade fra boksen, salt, pepper, allehånde og noen få skvett av tabasco. Bland det hele vel.
Når potetene er ferdig arranger skinke og bønnesalaten på tellerken.
Deserten: ferske jordbær.

Pasta (Noodles), Meat Sauce and a Salad

Today there is an exemption: no potatoes. We will have pasta/noodles.
We mostly use this type:

Fusilli: these short spiral strands of pasta that resemble a corkscrew.

I start with preparing a colourful  salad. 

1 carrot, 1 slice of a bell pepper, 2 broccoli flowers, 1 stalk  of celery, some iceberg lettuce, 1 small apple.  Mince and slice as you like prefer, toss all into a salad bowl.  If you have fresh herbs use a few of them as well.

Dressing: 2 tbsp vegetable oil, 1 tbsp olive oil. There are no lemons left in the fridge today, I have to make do with 1 tsp white vinegar and 1 tsp balsamic vinegar. Salt, pepper, sugar and a dash of nutmeg. 

Mix all well and set aside so it can marinade a while.

Set the 3 cups of pasta/noodles to boil in slightly salted water.

1 pound (500 g) hamburger meat, 1 onion, 1 small  can of diced tomatoes, some bacon bits. (I would have liked to use tomato sauce and garlic as well, but the first is unavailable at the moment, and the latter is forbidden because tonight we will attend a concert.)

Mince the onion, heat 2 tbsp of vegetable oil and 1 tsp of olive oil, and slightly brown bacon bits and onion. 

Add the meat, stir and brown it thoroughly. Season with salt, pepper, sugar, paprika powder, nutmeg and Italian herb mixture. When the meat is cooked  well add a small can of diced tomatoes. The sauce needs some zest, so - since I forgot to replenish my supply of tomato sauce I have to use a tsp of balsamic vinegar and  tbsp of ketchup instead. Thicken the whole with a tbsp corn starch.

If you see carrots and peas in the pan as well —  I just added some leftovers from yesterday.  (It is not necessary)

Drain pasta/noodles (and add a clad of butter). Ready - set-go!

No dessert today — we will get plenty of goodies during the intermission of the concert.

Dinner of the day:

 Pasta/noodles, Meat Sauce and a Salad.

Remark: I like a dash of parmesan on my meat sauce, J-P. doesn't.






Die Deutsche Ecke: 

(Auf speziellen Wunsch ab heute auch in deutscher Sprache :)) Mal sehen wiel lange ich das durchhalte.)

Nudeln mit Hackfleischsauce und buntem Salat.
Einen Salat zubereiten aus: 1 Möhre, 1 Streifen Paprika, 2 Broccolirosetten, 1Stange Staudensellerie, ein paar Blätter Eisbergsalat und 1 kleiner Apfel.
Salatsoße:  2 Eßl Salatöl, 1 Eßl Olivenöl, Salz, Pfeffer, etwas Muskatnuß. Frische Kräuter wären nicht schlecht. In Ermangelung einer Zitrone nehme ich 1 Eßlf weißen Essig und 1 Tlf  Balsamico. Durchmischen und ziehen lassen.
2 Tassen Nudeln in leicht gesalzenem Wasser zum Kochen bringen. 
Fleischsoße: Etwa 500 g Hackfleish,1 Zwiebel, 1 Scheibe durchwachsenen Speck in Würfeln und 1 kl Dose Tomaten.
Zwiebel kleinschneiden und mit dem Speck in 2 Eßl Speiseöl anbraten.
Hackfleisch hinzugeben und gründlich durchbraten. Dann 1 kl Dose gewürfelter Tomaten hinzufügen. Mit Salz, Pfeffer, Zucker, Paprika , Italienischer Kräutermischung und Muskatnuß abschmecken. In Ermangelung von Tomatenmark verwende ich 1 Tlf Balsamico Essig und etwas Ketup. Die Soße mit Maisstärke binden. Evtl ewas Sahne beifügen.


Heute gibt es keinen Nachtisch: Wir gehen zum Sommerkonzert, und dort gibt es in der Pause genügend Schleckereien.