The Results Are In! - 03 January 2024

 As you can imagine (just look at these pictures if you have trouble), I get a lot of comments and questions about our dog, Billie, when we're walking around town. "What a beautiful dog!" "What a strange looking dog!" "What kind of dog is that?" "Is that a dog or a goat?" and on and on they go.

Well, after telling folks (pretty much at random) that she's a mutt, or a rescue, or a Canardly (as in you canaradly tell what kind of dog she is), or a Flemish Pointing Griffon, we decided it was time to get her DNA checked. 

We were really hoping there was no fainting goat in her background, and we were overjoyed to find out she came back 100% pure canis familiaris. That should put the questions to rest, I think.

From Coast to Coast - 16 November 2023

Today is the anniversary of the 1885 execution of Louis Riel, the Métis "father of Canadian confederation."

It's not unusual in many towns across the country to find "a piece of the rope" used to hang Riel. In fact, these rope pieces are so common that it's said that if they were laid end to end, they would reach from Atlantic Canada to British Columbia.

A fitting, if somewhat grisly remembrance of one who has come to be seen as a patriot, despite having been convicted of and executed for treason.

Democrats Surrender Michigan - 07 June 2023

It's becoming more and more obvious that the Democrat Party are no fans of the US Constitution, nor of federalism in general.

As the latest case in point, Michigan Democrats are trying to surrender the votes of Michiganders to the whims of those living in other states.
Bills currently under consideration in the Michigan State legislature would turn voting on its head. Rather than awarding our Electoral votes to the candidate who wins the popular vote in Michigan, they want to award them to the national popular vote winner. In essence, they are disenfranchising Michiganders in favor of the other forty nine States.
 

We've long known that they are desperate to dismantle the Electoral College - the only remaining protector of federalism, really - because "it's not fair" or other such inanity. Now we see how they plan to do just that, one State at a time.

Frankly, there is no justification for this, other than the fear that a Republican (as did Trump) might win in Michigan, but not overall, and they can't stomach the idea of allowing the citizens of Michigan to express their will, should it not be to elect a Democrat.

Good grief. This State is being run by Idiots and Traitors.

18 April 2023 - Hardly a Man

 Looking at the two "today in history" kinds of sites I frequent, I'm struck that it seems hardly a man is now alive who remembers that famous day and year. 

On the 18th of April in 1775, Paul Revere made his famous ride to warn that the British were coming; and yet, neither of my sites mention this event. The one goes from the San Francisco earthquake in 1906 directly back to the starting of construction on St. Peter's Basilica in 1506. Those 400 years apparently had nothing of historical note that happened on 18 April.

Ah, but we know better, do we not?

Listen, my children, and you shall hear of the midnight ride of Paul Revere!

Nintendo Made Me Do It! 07 April 2023

A new Super Mario Brothers movie is out this weekend. Sadly, it's not live action. Back in the day we had Bob Hoskins and John Leguizamo as Mario and Luigi, but now it's all pixels - as if these guys don't really exist or something!

Well, for those who crave something more rooted in reality than this computer-generated animation, here's a link to some wonderfully creative, live-action Mario-ing!

You're welcome. Now, Enjoy!

In a World Gone Mad - 31 March 2023

 Yes, in a world gone mad, it must be time for an uplifting, jolly distraction.

Thus, submitted for your enjoyment, Spike Jones and His City Slickers in a fabulous performance from 1964. Really, there's no need for any explanation beyond this paraphrase of Spike, "Music is noise, so anything that makes noise can be used to make music in my band."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

https://youtu.be/AY8kvQ074P0

 Enjoy!

Carnage du Jour - 11 March 2023

Pork loin - not tenderloin this time, but the loin was definitely tender!

My flavour consultant reminded me yesterday that I hadn't posted this. Not directly, mind you, but rather by asking for some details of the cooking for his effort at replication. 

Thus:
I had a 3.77 lb pork loin (1.7kg for the metrically-minded) and we were hosting some family.
Heidi had bought a few bunches of golden beets (If you've not tried them, you should know they're a wonderful vegetable. If you have tried them, then you already know they're a wonderful vegetable.), and had par-cooked the greens and stems.

Well, how about a stuffed pork loin, then? I sautéed some diced onion, sliced mushrooms, and then added the greens. These were seasoned with some nutmeg, salt, and pepper. The final touch was the addition of a bit of cream cheese: that was the stuffing.

Having sliced down the middle of the loin nearly all the way, I then covered it with plastic wrap and applied my meat mallet to flatten it out a bit. The pork was seasoned with salt and pepper, then the stuffing was spooned in and the loin closed around it. Three bits of twine and a few wooden skewers held everything in place.

Into its roasting pan I added about 1/4C of dry vermouth and a splash of Amontillado from the cask (just kidding about the cask), tented it with some aluminum foil, and into a 325F oven (~165C) it went for just about two hours.
I had thought it would take longer, but I checked the meat with my instant read thermometer (a kitchen necessity!) to find the roast was done.

While it rested, I put the golden beets back in the oven (I had cleverly roasted them at 400F to nearly done before cooking the pork) just to reheat. I also made a quick slurry of cold water and cornstarch and turned the liquid in the pan into a delicious gravy.
I know we had something else with these two things, but I can't recall right now - when I do I'll come back and update the post.

At any rate, this was one of the most successful roasts chez nous in recent memory.
Highly recommended!

 

PS - On this date in history, 22 March 1903, Niagara Falls ran dry due to a drought. Pretty amazing to imagine that, eh?