The beaver is a proud and noble animal
Notes from a bemused canuck
It’s a sad truth that you cannot, under any circumstances, leave food lying around because Tolstoy will eat it. This is a cat that once chewed through a plastic bag to eat a bagel. This is what happens when you’re babysitting a large, vicious (not) Boxer. She gets her food bowl owned by an asshole cat and just stares on, wondering WTF is happening.
The grown-ups can have some quality adult time.
Ben was at scout camp this weekend so – after shopping – we were able to go into Lausanne and have a (small) beer, share a basket of sliders and proper chips at a pub before going to see Captain Marvel.
Today, we went to Apero World and shared a G&T and a really big plate of antipasti.
It’s encouraging to know that even post-surgery, we can still enjoy foodie things like this.
Katy and I went to the outlet shops in Aubonne with a mission to get me a new belt. I was super bummed when I was in the Levis shop, because their biggest belt was way too small, and the biggest jeans they had in store were 38s – and I’m not there yet. We looked in a couple of other shops, and the results were depressingly similar. Swiss shops tend to be sized for stick figure people. We tried one last shop, and it well made up for the previous disappointment.
The sales assistant in the Wrangler shop was super nice. First off, they did have bigger sized jeans. I first tried some 48s, but had to go progressively smaller and smaller to get the perfect fit, with ever increasing incredulity at each step. I think the lady was actually happy for me, because she got really into it as well and was really positive at the fitting results.
I had to pick my jaw up off the floor. My jean size went from 48+ inches to 42. Now granted the “before” jeans had always been baggy in the leg but I needed them for the waist. I now have fitting (and fitted) jeans.
Still working on the belt though, but that’s going to come in time – and I’ve punched the 3rd hole in my current belt.
I met my goal of going to the gym twice this week. Nothing extravagant. 15 minutes on a bike (5K) and then 3 circuits of 5 resistance machines for arms and legs.
Goal for next week: do it again!
Is a lynx that just can’t be bothered to give a damn.
1.5kg lean stewing beef cut into 2-inch cubes
6 slices bacon
2 carrots, sliced
10-12 small pearl onions OR 1 small white onion, diced
300g mushrooms, sliced
500ml red wine, young and full-bodied (Pinot Noir or Gamay – Beaujolais, Cotes du Rhone or Burgundy)
500ml beef stock
1 tbsp tomato paste
125ml tomato sauce
30g (1/4 cup) flour
salt and pepper
1/2 tspthyme
1 bay leaf
olive oil
Preheat the oven to 175C/350F. In a large dutch oven over medium high heat pot add the olive oil and bacon pieces. Cook until crisp. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon.
Salt and pepper the beef and add it to the pot and sear on each side for 2-3 minutes. Remove from the dutch oven.
Add the carrots, pearl onions, and mushrooms and saute 2-3 minutes until tender. Remove and set aside.
Add the red wine to the skillet scraping down the sides and allow to deglaze. Add the beef stock, tomato paste, tomato sauce, and whisk in the flour.
Add the beef and the vegetables and bacon back to the pot and stir. Add thyme and bay leaf. Put a lid on pot and let it simmer in the oven for 1.5-2 hours until the beef is tender.
500g potatoes, cut into thin wedges or sliced
600g chicken breasts, cut into thick strips
2 medium onions, finely diced
A small bunch of fresh rosemary
Olive oil
Salt & pepper
2 tbsp. Dijon mustard
3 tbsp. grainy mustard
Juice of a large lemon
1 tbsp. olive oil
2-3 tbsp. honey
Salt & pepper
Preheat oven to 200C
In an oven-safe skillet, sautée the onions in olive oil over medium-high heat on the stove until softened and starting to brown.
Take off the heat and arrange your potato slices on top in an even layer. If you are using a normal skillet, transfer the onions to an oven-safe dish first then arrange the potatoes on top. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt & pepper. Cover loosely with foil and bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes, until softened.
Meanwhile, mix all the sauce ingredients together in a bowl. Take the pan out of the oven and arrange your raw chicken on top of the potatoes in an even layer. Pour the prepared sauce on top, making sure everything is coated. Throw a few sprigs of rosemary around the chicken, cover again with foil and bake for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, remove the foil and roast in the oven for a further 15 minutes until nicely browned. Serve immediately.
NOTES
• If you find that the sauce is drying out during cooking, add a small amount of warm water (1/4-1/3 cup) to the pan shake to mix before returning it to the oven to prevent the bottom from burning.
• Try marinating the chicken in the sauce overnight for added flavour.