Winding Down, Packing Up, Sailing Out - Perline Pasta with a Dry Sauce

Last day of the cruise and the sun finally deigns to show its face. We're docked in Freeport, so a good percentage of the passengers have disembarked, leaving plenty of room to move about.  Food lines are very light, and tables on the pool deck are pretty much available. This is the sort of day we enjoy best on our cruises; too bad this one didn't show up until the end. What with the December cruise on the Sensation handing us the same crappy weather - and I blame El Niño, not Carnival - speaking for myself, I'm a bit cruised out. With tax season starting the minute we return home, I wouldn't be expecting any more cruising anyway until the end of April, but this year I am gladly waiting until the end of May when we will be sailing to Alaska with my cousins Cary and Maura. Cross-one-off-the-bucket-list.

This morning - well truthfully, I missed the morning. Missed breakfast and was on my way to missing lunch when Rob gently woke me up. So having pulled myself together, sort of, we headed to the pool deck and for the first time tried the burritos at the Blue Iguana Cantina.

Muy sabrosos (very tasty), especially the shrimp. Since I got to choose the fillings, there was no cold shredded lettuce or cold tomatoes or why-are-you-putting-filler-in-my-burrito? rice.

Chocolate cheesecake from the Chocolate Extravaganza (I skipped the chocolate fountain), hot black coffee, and for a few minutes anyway, all is well with the world. Life goes better with chocolate.

I've been catching up with the news - the Los Angeles prosecutor will not be filing criminal charges against Bill Cosby as the Statute of Limitations has run; a new drug is being developed to treat fibromyalgia chronic pain; the Bucs fired head coach Lovie Smith over the phone; nobody won the Powerball lottery yesterday, and the winning amount is now up to $700 million dollars; the stock market is down another 400 points and China's economy is tanking; North Korea is doing a happy dance over their not-really-hydrogen bomb testing; and the fashion industry appears to be bringing back modesty. I haven't even gotten to political news. The one I want to talk about is the article about modesty (seriously? Yes.) but that's going to take a while as I am going to try to avoid insulting and/or upsetting a whole bunch of people, and that takes thought and thought takes time. Maybe tomorrow.

So today is officially the best day of the cruise. We got to do what we like best which is to sit out and enjoy the good weather and the slow pace, to read or knit, and of course, to eat.  Since we are in Freeport, I also was able to get some really fine shots of working ships. Those 14 years in marine insurance, you know.

Let me leave you with a recipe and a bunch of photos, but first, a short list of suggestions for Carnival:

Hi Carnival, I'm one of your biggest fans, a platinum member who has been cruising almost exclusively on your ships since 2001.  As you might have realized, I'm a lot older than when I first started cruising, and my onboard needs have changed a bit. So could you look into making these additions to your cruise packages? Thanks!

1. I have to spend more time in the cabin that I used to due to health reasons.  I know I'm not the only one. Could you please add some more channels to your TV schedule? Definitely Food Network and FOX News, but Cooking Channel, FOX Sports (Florida), and BBC America would also be utterly terrific.

2. Please add a low-calorie soft drink to your iced tea/lemonade dispensers. I recommend Crystal Light.

3. Offer craft classes for adults, like knitting.  Maybe a fiber themed cruise? I know other cruise lines have done so successfully.

4. Same with cooking classes. And please change the menu for the cooking demonstration in Fahrenheit 555, and the Chef's Table menu. You do realize you have a huge number of repeat cruisers, and we really don't want to have to move over to Norwegian or Royal Caribbean to get a little variety.

5. Your crew continues to be wonderful. Extra props to cruise director Jaime Dee and Constantine, the maitre d' in the Sunset Dining Room. He's the best since Joseph, the self-proclaimed "super-charged maitre d'" from the Carnival Ecstasy. 


Here's the recipe (mine, not Carnival's):

Perline Pasta with a Dry Sauce

This is what happens when I go browsing in Trader Joe's.

The perline pasta has to be the best "filled" or "stuffed" pasta I've ever had. Each little purse has plenty of filling and you can really taste all of the flavors. Instead of a red sauce, or an Alfredo-type sauce, or even plain butter, I decided to do a "dry" sauce.  Cabbage-y vegetables make awesome dry sauces, like in Hungarian kraut sveckle, and there I was in Trader Joe's staring at a nifty cruciferous combo, and the light went on over my head, and I didn't even mind too much that they were out of cookie butter.

Like the kraut sveckle, this dish is all about combining cooked noodles with sautéed cabbage. So I cooked the perline pasta according to package directions, and then I cooked the cruciferous vegetable mix in a couple of tablespoons of butter, with some garlic-infused olive oil added. Medium to medium-low heat is enough for this. I also sliced up a lot of garlic - about 4 rather large cloves - and added them to the pan, with kosher salt, ground black pepper, and red pepper flakes.

When the green stuff was sufficiently tender and sweet from caramelization, I added the cooked, drained perline pasta to the pan and stirred them together over low heat. But ha! I snuck those green vegetables into my family's diet, and they ate them and they liked them.  Seriously good eats.

And now the Really Big Finish:

The photo just reminded me that I also grated a bunch of Romano cheese over the finished dish. And more black pepper, I am wild about black pepper.

Also wild about sea-going container vessels and the tug boats who love them.

All Over The Place - Expletives Deleted

I'm having the sort of day I wish those asshats at the Social Security Administration (hereinafter "SSA") could see. I cannot get out of bed; hell, it took me a half hour to f**king sit up. I told Robert to go ahead and have his breakfast without me. I figure if I start now, I might be able to get dressed and ready for lunch at Bonsai Sushi, but there is no way I am going to make it to breakfast. Not that I could eat anyhow.

Look, I am always in pain, the only thing that changes is the level. On a really "good" day, I suppose I'm around a 3; most days I don't go below a 6 or 7. Today can't be measured in numbers and my left arm is practically useless from the junction with the neck all the way down. Let's hope the Advil works because if I have to give in and take a Mobic (Meloxicam) or Robaxin (Methocarbomal), I'm going to be knocked out for the count. (But hey, SSA, of course I'm able to get up and dressed in a suit and pantyhose, and report to court in a timely fashion for a grueling day with Judge Nasty, slogging through judicial reviews I was unable to prepare for because my head doesn't work any more, on any day.)

I used to hate when people finished my sentences for me, but now I am profoundly grateful. That's fibromyalgia.

Now the cruise - yesterday we heard from Jaime Dee, the delightfully hyperactive, highly competent cruise director, that the weather was so bad that today's stop at Half Moon Cay was going to be cancelled. Can't run the tenders from the ship to island shore with the rain, wind, and high waves, so everyone please enjoy another fun day at sea. Hey, it happens. Unfortunately, the weather for both our recent cruises has been for sh*t, but considerably better than that cruise where we missed docking at two of the scheduled stops (including Key West, damn it), then sailed in circles for an extra day to give Hurricane Sandy a chance to get ahead of us. We literally followed that evil windy bitch at least as far as Brevard County, after which she headed north and destroyed my old neighborhood - all of them. Bitch.

I don't plan on voting for Ted Cruz under any circumstances; I have to admit he has conducted himself  in quite the savvy manner on the campaign trail, but never more so than when he responded to Donald Trump on the fake "birther" issue, and Cruz's eligibility to become President.

That's What Ted Said: Yes, that's my sweetheart Henry Winkler, "jumping the shark." Which I think sums up The Donald's campaign at so many levels, but only time will tell if the American electorate really has 2 brain cells to share among the whole bunch.

Ted Cruz is legally entitled to be sworn in as President of the United States (Yeah I read the Constitution unlike most members of Congress - what the hell were they doing in law school - running for student government and skipping Con Law?) Anyone who makes an issue about this is a f*cking idiot, I mean misinformed and misguided. You know what I mean.  Let's stick to the issues; I didn't care about Bill Clinton's sexual peccadillos while he was in office and I sure as hell don't care about them now, any more than I care about The Donald's third wife posing provocatively, dressed in nothing but her shoes and a smile.  Third Wife, First Lady? No indeed, let's not go there.

The Advil has blessedly taken the edge off of the pain, which means I will be able to get dressed for lunch at Bonsai Sushi, and knit, and do some mandala coloring, and knit.

But first, a message from Our Sponsor:

Yeah, that Advil gave me about an hour of mobility before starting to fade so trying to get dressed was a really crappy experience.  Creeping down to the little sushi restaurant was even worse. Sitting on the high chair had me practically in tears. My hands had problems working sufficiently to free the edamame from their pods.

Pain governs my life. Every moment, every movement, every thought is wrapped in that unpleasant reality. This is my new normal. Double f*ck and a healthy dose of damn-it-all-to-hell. I'm neither brave nor gracious about this. Cheerful words and aspirational memes just piss me off. If anyone (or any government agency) thinks I wouldn't rather be back at my job than live like this, they can go screw themselves. That includes the idiot doctor who told me "I can't say you're permanently disabled just because you don't want to work anymore."  If my memory was better, and I could remember which idiot doctor it was, I would fire his or her ass. Of course the frakking government has doctors terrified to state that their patient is permanently disabled, under penalty of something bad. One doctor was practically in tears, whining "I could lose my license!" For what? Telling the truth?

But now I am back in the stateroom and I feel safe.  I can take more Advil or even go to hell with myself and pop a Robaxin, which will knock me out. What the hell - I'm not going anywhere fast, or even slow.

And now, back to our regularly scheduled program:

Right after the first of the year, I finished the little knitted shawl I'd been working on since the end of 2014.  I hadn't time to block it, so that's its fraternal twin I brought along to wear on the cruise. For 2016 I'd made no resolutions (except to continue my tai chi) but I had made a promise to myself to knit more.  Knitting is soothing except when I'm too upset to pick up a set of needles, which describes all of last year. But like the tai chi, it is something I need to do for myself. Several years back I decided that I was no longer knitting because I had to make something for someone. Most people neither understand nor appreciate a hand knit (or crocheted) gift, but beyond that, I decided I was not going to subject myself to deadlines or obligations.  I no longer knit sweaters because I hate knitting sweaters.  I no longer knit any really large projects that can't be done in smaller pieces that are then crocheted together, because I'm a post-menopausal woman living in bloody freaking Florida and I can't stand to wear turtlenecks, much less several pounds of wool draped over my lap and legs. Between the itching and sweating, I would definitely incline towards some act of violence. This is probably why I have so much trouble finishing log cabin afghans, as much as I love them.

I almost exclusively knit socks, indoor scarves, and shawls now, using lighter yarns and smaller needles.  I only wear knitted socks, so there is always a need.  I took some unfinished projects - 2 pairs of socks and one scarf - along for the trip, knowing full well I would be lucky to finish just one of them. While I don't think I'm going to get lucky, I have managed to make considerable progress on a pair of what the Yarn Harlot calls "plain vanilla" socks, which I'm knitting Hand Painted Knitting Yarn, no color name nor number, which I bought at The Yarn Mart in Little Rock, Arkansas.

What makes the pattern "plain vanilla" is that there is no pattern for lace or ripples or bobbles or cables. All you do is knit in stockinette and since socks are knit in the round, you don't have to purl.  Just knit. Keep calm and just knit. And that's my advice today, along with "read the Constitution for yourself."

The Food of Love, the Love of Food - Six Ships Passing in the Night

I had just finished publishing yesterday's post when there was a knock on the wonder-stateroom door.

Seriously. I had forgotten about this little reward-for-being-a-loyal-Carnival-cruiser, because we did not get the chocolate strawberry plate on our last cruise. Because our last cruise was a 4-day cruise and the strawberries only show up on 5-day or longer trips. (Me and Horatio Cane are doin' a happy dance. A very slow, clumsy happy dance.) So what's the problem?

It's just that I'm drowning in food here. Yesterday's tea time was a glorious affair replete with cute little sandwiches, scones, clotted cream, and more. Fortunately we had chosen to skip lunch.

Cooking food is my joy, but really anything having to do with food cheers me immensely. Eating it, certainly, but since 2003 I do have certain limitations. Shopping for it, walking around a grocery, breathing in the smells of fresh bread and rotisserie chickens. Watching far too many cooking shows (I even woke up from gastric bypass surgery watching Food Network.) These cruises are an embarrassment of edible riches, and even though I can't do more than taste, they are definitely happy-making.

Seeing-eye lox

The strawberries, truffles, and French macarons went straight into the little room refrigerator. Hey, it's formal night tonight. Duck, scallops, prime rib, you remember.  But first, a methocarbomal tablet and a nap. Fibromyalgia takes an occasional break, but never, ever sleeps. And this boat is starting to rock. What goes up must come down. Like me.

Today (Tuesday) the weather is as bad as yesterday which means we won't be hanging out on the Serenity decks. Adults only, a private bar, and some really cool seating and lounging chairs. I know a lot of folks got off the boat here in Nassau, but I don't think they will have as much fun as they'd hoped. The weather has actually turned cold (by my standards anyway) with a wicked wind and desultory   drizzle.  We came back to the cabin after breakfast (nope, this meal did not stay down, sorry. Cuban cheese pastel, chicken croquette, and egg torta, and very tasty but too dry for my finicky esophogus) mostly to plan our next meal, but also look for some afternoon activities.

I had just convinced Robert to shut off the TV (he keeps having the same argument with President Obama and let's face it, he can't win a battle against The Man With A Pen And a Telephone) when there was a knock on the door. Robert answered it and then turned to come back with a puzzled look on his face and - you guessed it - a covered plate in his hand.  More food.  Nothing says "we're sorry" like a plate of sweet delicacies. Nothing says "thank you" like a plate of sweet delicacies. Do we see a pattern here?

A white chocolate fudge and some sort of almond confection-to-die-for.  Nicely played Carnival, nicely played.

We first cruised to Nassau in 2002 on the Norwegian Majesty (thankfully decommissioned shortly after). As ports go, it is marginally better than Freeport, but not enough to matter, and certainly not even close to the islands in the Caribbean, nor the east coast Mexican ports. However, it is an extremely popular port and all the cruise lines stop here.

The Disney Dream and an unidentified Royal Caribbean ship

In fact, I was pretty sure they were all here this morning.

The Carnival Fascination snuggles with the Carnival Sensation. Awww ...

                       

Hey Mickey you're so fine, you're so fine you blow my mind ...

A Regent ship making friends with Royal Caribbean's Something of the Sea

And now to finish this food-focused folio, I did get a burger from Guy's Burger Joint for lunch.

Those 2 bites were delicious! (Both ways.) Seriously, his burger concept is great. Thanks, Guy! (And thank you Mrs. Calabash, wherever you are.)

C-Day on the Sunshine - Ain't No Sunshine When You're Gone

"C" is for cloudy ... and that's how it is on our seaday, which means sitting out on the balcony is less than optimal. (Oh, that I should always have such problems!) Yesterday it drizzled the entire day, which killed the joy for anybody who lives for the pool, or who enjoys sitting outside to eat, especially if lunch came from Guy's Burger Joint.

Doesn't matter.  The interior of this ship is quite enjoyable all on its lonesome, which Robert and I know well - this is our third time on board this particular behemoth. We broke fast at the Sea-day Brunch - Rob had steak and eggs while I had eggs Benedict, sitting on smoked salmon instead of ham - sublime! 

Most interesting, I ate half - that's one egg and half of an English muffin - and I kept it down, although I could feel it starting to get stuck.  I made myself relax, practiced a little tai chi and a few Jedi mind tricks and it worked.  I was even able to drink a cup of coffee with my meal, something I can never do.  Mind over matter? Seriously, it was the tai chi that did the trick.  

Does that mean I can enjoy lunch at Guy's Burger Joint?  Whoa ... and thank you, Sifu Tony!

We checked out the Cloud 9 Spa this morning, and found out which amenities come with our wonder-stateroom. Maybe tomorrow we'll go to the thermal suites.  Since I can't practice law anymore, I'll practice relaxation.

Sitting here in the Red Frog Pub, sipping Caribbean coffee (spiked!) 

while Rob tries out a beer with the improbable moniker Thirstyfrog Red

I don't think I could be any more relaxed, at least not with all my clothes on (naughty brkexpat) - is that why Vladimer Putin keeps taking off his shirt? (waving to Vladimer. I have a big following in Russia.) I'm not going to lie; I hurt kids, I really do. I had to take a meloxicam (Mobic) before getting dressed this morning, and 2 Advil and a Zantac before trying to leave the cabin. Truly I could have stayed in that comfortable bed all day. I think I made the better choice. 

Today is a serious eating day on the Carnival Sunshine. Besides the brunch, there was a cooking demonstration with copious samples at the steakhouse, a tea at 3:00, and it's formal night which used to mean lobster tails.  These days the menu includes sea scallops with truffled (blech) risotto, prime rib, and roast duck a la orange (yay). We decided to skip the cooking demonstration (come on, Carnival - change the damn menu for the demonstration!) but took advantage of our presence at Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse to make reservations for tomorrow's dinner. Like my blog, this ship is all about the food.  I usually lose weight during a cruise, but with my newfound ability to keep food down, who knows?

Today is also what would have been Bethe's 62nd birthday, the third birthday she is celebrating in Heaven. Although Rob and I usually toast to Bethe and Maurice on the first day of every cruise, neither one of us felt like having a drink with lunch yesterday. So we toasted them today with beer and spiked coffee. Happy birthday, Bethe, and thank you and Maurice for teaching us these cruise-crazy ways. I miss you and love you. Always.

Feh and Meh

And so it begins ... today's Daily Dose of Pain. Sitting in the car, minding my own business, as we make our way to Port Canaveral to board the Carnival Sunshine. Eating a Jammie Dodger with cold coffee. catching up on social media, I become aware of each ache and pain and muscle spasm. Life as usual.

Yesterday was another pain-filled day; even the Advil wasn't working, and I finally had to give in and take a methocarbamol. Helped the pain, but also knocked me out for a couple of hours. However, according to the Social Security Administration, I am perfectly capable of working on a set schedule. Ha ha, but no. How many times during the past 3 years did I sit in court waiting for a case to be called, squirming in visible discomfort but unable to take medication for relief because, let's face it, falling asleep during hearings can be a real career-killer for an attorney? Gotta love the fabulists at the SSA.

In spite of the pain, yesterday was a very nice day, emotionally speaking. Rob and I went to tai chi class in the morning and I was able to follow along the forms. We had two new people (well, new to the school; I used to work with one of the ladies) and I think they liked it.  The other lady is dealing with even more chronic pain than I am. I am happy for Sifu Tony that the class is starting to grow. If anyone out there wants more information about these tai chi classes, you can contact me through this blog or Facebook, and I will put you in touch with Sifu Tony Juron.

The evening also finished on a high note,

since we were meeting our New York friends Ron and Shelley (although they are officially snowbirds) at the Chart House for dinner.  There's a friendship that goes back 46 years - rich memories, good times. Like I wrote, overall a good day.

As I write this, our ship is sailing out of Port Canaveral, and I am already wearing my motion sickness bands. I blame fibromyalgia for screwing up my balance, recalling that in my early days of cruising, motion sickness was not a chronic problem.  Feh, these days everything with me is chronic.

This upgraded stateroom is quite nice, but it is already obvious it is in an inconvenient location, at least for us.  It seems the very best place for us is on Deck 5 and next time I book on the Sunshine, I'll pay the extra cost for picking my own stateroom. This is still a beautiful ship, our current favorite. Also the food is better in quality and choices, and the coffee is terrific. The coffee on both the Sensation and the Ecstasy is just barely meh. No idea why there should be a difference, but there is. And you know me and coffee. A couple of years ago I responded to a post-cruise questionnaire regarding the Carnival Ecstasy, and I mentioned the coffee. I assured Carnival that the Ecstasy was still (at that time) our favorite "home" ship, and complimented them on other matters (best-maitre'd-anywhere). I have never gotten another questionnaire although I've been on a number of cruises since then, and the Ecstasy no longer sails out of Port Canaveral. Things that make you go "hmm ..."

Yesterday I also fulfilled last year's New Year's resolution by completing the mini shawl I'd been knitting forever, or a least a year and a day. Blocking will have to wait until I get home, so I brought along a fraternal twin that I made some years back using that nifty pattern from the late, lamented Knitch in Atlanta's Virginia Highlands. Best-selection-of-Noro-yarn-ANYWHERE. So sorry it's closed now (insert frownie face). I love these little shawls; they keep me warm on those rare chilly days in Central Florida, or when the air conditioner is acting a little bit too enthusiastically.

On a totally different topic, according to the blog stats provided by Blogger/Google, we've got a huge following in Russia. Like twice the number of visits from the US. I am almost certain this is a programming glitch, but if I'm wrong, what the hell is going on?  Is Vladimir Putin collecting Brooklyn-Jewish-American recipes for his own nefarious purpose? Are the ladies of Russia unable to receive Food Network on cable, and so are relying on an internet cooking blog?  Do I still have relatives back in Mother Russia, and are they searching for me? Ha, I love the internet, I really do. Hello all you Russian Osherowitz people! Try my potato latkes!

Just Another New Year - Potato Latkes

It's been a while since I've thrown you an earworm, so let's start the new year off in the right way with something from Barry Manilow.

Don't look so sad

It's not so bad, you know

It's just another night

That's all it is

It's not the first

It's not the worst you know

We've come through all the rest

We'll get through this

We've made mistakes

But we've made good friends too

Remember all the nights

We spent with them?

And all our plans

Who says they can't come true?

Tonight's another chance to start again

It's just another New Year's Eve

Another night like all the rest

It's just another New Year's Eve

Let's make it the best

(I apologize for the crappy formatting, but I am just not up to fighting with Blogger today.)

Somewhere between my early twenties and my early sixties I lost faith in the power of the New Year, having come to the realization that all the hopes, dreams and prayers are aspirational at best. For too many years I spent part of the first week of January thoroughly immersed in whatever new version of Weight Watchers was being touted. Resolutions look good on paper, but having disappointed myself too many times, I no longer bother with them. Well, I did resolve to continue with my tai chi classes, but just that. After all, last year my resolution was to knit more, especially on unfinished projects. I'm still working on the same little shawl that was at the head of that list.

I have high hopes of finishing it this week,

so I can move on to a lovely scarf and a pair of socks I started in 2009 or thereabouts.

No promises and definitely no resolutions. Let's just say the Yarn Harlot has nothing to worry about.

New Year's Eve came and went - I was watching Doctor Who up until the last 5 minutes - and once the ball dropped in Times Square, I felt sadness rather than hope. Certainly there are things I hope for - health and well-being for those I love and care for, cancellation of all reality shows, and world peace - but I don't need the power of the New Year to express those, as I pray for them most every day.

I've learned that with fibromyalgia it is best to live in the moment, because who the hell knows how I am going to feel after breakfast? I guess that means it was pretty cheeky of me to book the Alaska cruise for May, but that's been at the top of my bucket list for many years and I am going this time even if Robert has to wheel me up the gangplank in a golf cart.

Speaking of cruises - I am always speaking of cruises - the nicest thing happened yesterday, courtesy of Carnival Cruise Line. The most amazing part is that when my phone rang, I answered it. Normally, I would not answer a call from an unknown number. Ha! Good call! The bottom line is that this nice lady from the nice Carnival office in Miami advised me that she was pleased to offer us a complimentary upgrade from our inside stateroom to a spa balcony stateroom. Why? Because We Are Platinum, that's why!

Besides the balcony, the room includes access to certain spa amenities like the thermal suites and thalassotherapy pool.  Best of all, we are on Deck 12 along with a very few other staterooms and easiest access to the outside Serenity deck, which is an adults-only zone. This is all on the Carnival Sunshine, our current favorite, very new and shiny ship, sailing out of Port Canaveral.  I like to think this is an omen as to how the rest of the year is going to proceed (but I wouldn't put any money on it.)

I am still working on those missing recipes, and since I won't be cooking today, I'm going to snag one that I have (finally) finished typing up.

Potato Latkes

6 peeled Russet potatoes

2 medium peeled onions

2 eggs

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 - 1 cup all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

canola oil for frying

Grate the potatoes by hand or food processor. Put aside in a bowl of cold water with a little milk (to keep potatoes white.)  Chop the onions in the food processor. Put in a mixing bowl with the eggs, flour, salt and baking powder, and beat together. Drain the potatoes and squeeze our excess liquid.  Use the food processor chopping blade to chop the potato shreds a bit finer (pulse on-off several times but do not over process.) 

Combine the potatoes with the onion-batter; Add a bit more flour if needed to hold the mixture together. Over medium-high, heat the oil in a large heavy skillet. Carefully add 1/4 - 1/2 cup of the potato mixture to the hot oil and with a metal spatula gently flatten the latke to 1/4 inch. Fry on both sides until deep golden brown. move to drain on paper towels. Serve immediately with applesauce or sour cream.

These can be frozen in a single layer, then bagged for longer storage.  Reheat at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.

So this is my basic, can't fail recipe, but I mess with it all the time, changing the type of potatoes, adding grated carrot, that sort of thing. For the ones I made in the photos, I substituted 8 yellow potatoes (or gold potatoes because these have thin skins that do not need to be peeled.) I cut the potatoes and the onions into 8 wedges, then ran them through the grating blade of the food processor one at a time.  No need to soak in water and milk. Tip the bowl to drain off excess liquid. I added an extra egg, some sour cream, some matzo meal and baking soda along with all the other ingredients. Delicious. Just not for Passover.

In the Weeds - Blueberry Bark

Oh my poor garden!  Another victim of fibromyalgia - MY fibromyalgia, that is, which put me practically in a state of suspended animation for most of this past month. The peppers and strawberries did not get watered or sprayed for aphids, a bunch of vegetables never got planted, and those that did get planted are being choked to death by an incredible variety of weeds.  

Over the past 3 days I did manage to water the surviving peppers, making many trips with the small watering can because I can't carry the large one once it is filled. I also made up a bottle of aphid tonic and sprayed like a madwoman, but the aphids have had a free ride for quite a while and are not anxious to leave their leafy homes.

I pulled a few weeds, which sent me reeling back into the house for a handful of Advil and an air conditioned nap. If I limit myself to 10 minutes a day, I can have those weeds pulled in time for Passover, or put another way, after the end of Tax Season. Damn fibromyalgia.

Inasmuch as this is the last day of the year, I took a few moments while dry shampooing my hair (no energy to step into the shower) to become philosophical. This year, 2015, was a Very Bad Year for me, although there have been others - 1960, 1972, 1975, 1983, 1984, 1990, 1997, 2001, and 2013 - which have been Pretty Damn Awful for a variety of reasons. I suppose there is a pretty basic lesson in that factual recitation, and I will live through this as I have before, except this time I have no real hope of ever improving my health. And no, I don't see medical marijuana in my future.

I found these little guys in one of the vegetable beds. You can learn a lot about life from snails, by the way. Like moving slowly is not necessarily a bad thing. That reminds me of a coffee mug from years back:

"Slow and steady our love does grow; I sure do love you, my escargot."

Happy New Year, everyone.

Blueberry Bark

1 pound white candy coating

1 cup Fruit Loops, plus more for topping

1 cup Rice Crispies, plus more for topping

1 cup miniature pastel marshmallows, plus more for topping

1/2 cup dried blueberries (Mariani brand)

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Line a baking sheet (one with 4 sides) with aluminum foil, and then parchment paper.

Put the whole block of candy coating in an aluminum baking pan, and place in the preheated oven. After 5 minutes, turn off the heat but leave the pan in the oven just until the block of candy coating appears soft and melty, barely holding together.  Remove the pan from the oven, and with a plastic spatula, stir the candy coating until smooth.  Add the remaining ingredients (except the toppings) and stir until they are fully incorporated into the candy coating.  Pour this onto the parchment paper and use the spatula to smooth it out into a reasonably even layer. You will not be filling up the entire baking sheet. Now sprinkle some of each topping on the bark and press down gently. Place the baking sheet in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or until the bark is cooled and firm.

When the bark is ready. remove from the fridge and cut or break up into smaller pieces. Store in the refrigerator. Offer for nibbling with hot tea or coffee. And smile, you're eating Fruit Loops.