Sunday, December 4, 2011

Another Bikeless Sunday

I don't ride on Sundays (as a normal practice) and lately we have been eating at home making our own eggs benedicts. I know, I know . . . you are all tired of looking at the photos so because I feel like we make better ones at home rather than paying for them when we go out, today I decided to order,

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Shepard's Pie

I was a bit disappointed as Mrs Skoot makes a very good Shepard's Pie and these taste like they were premade and probably frozen as that's the way most pub food is like. Mrs Skoot had Clam Chowder with toasted garlic bread

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Clam Chowder

I'm still loving our new Gas stove. I was more of a baker than a chef but I have been trying some new things. I don't know why it costs more for a RAW uncooked chicken, than a fully cooked BBQ'd chicken at the supermarket. I mean, at Costco a cooked BBQ chicken is around $6.99 or $7.99. They sell uncooked chicken in a 3 pack for just over $28. but I don't need 3 chicken. I only wanted one to try out so off to Safeway where they are normally priced at $12.+ but I got it for $9. , still more than a full cooked one. I wanted to try to make a roast chicken

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450°F for about 20 min or so to sear the outer skin, then reduce heat to 375°F for another hour. I set the probe for 170°F and the oven turned off by itself, as it should

I was in the meat department to see what was for sale and came up with some pork tenderloins & chops. The hardest part about planning meals is deciding what to make and the best way is to find out what is for sale and plan from there. We also like to make double and then just heat up the other half for the next day's dinner which is usually more tasty. So for around $2. per pork steak I came up with

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a tray of baked Pork steaks smothered in onions, sliced oranges, splash of XVOO (Extra Virgin oil oil). Low heat around 350°F for about an hour . Boiled vegetables are better for you so Mrs Skoot added the carrots, turnips, and baby potato nuggests and used the vegetable water as her beverage

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On Saturday, after breakfast with the guys in Kitsilano I decided to walk Downtown

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over the Granville Bridge. It was a cold, dark, overcast day and the wind gave me a bit of a chill. My foot is not yet 100% so I took it easy and it started to hurt a bit, but I continued on . It was proably farther than I should have attempted but I started to take smaller steps and favoured my other foot. I also got a chance to take a few photos of Granville Island (from above).

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Sony NEX-5n, 18-55

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Sony NEX-5n, 16mm 2.8 pancake lens

Near the end of my walking excursion I stopped for a quick rest. I must make a mental note to come back here on my 100th birthday

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13 comments:

  1. I just had dinner, now I am hungry again!

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  2. What is the "100" for? That's a pretty interesting comment on the chickens. Many times we just pick up the store roasted chickens but many times they season them oddly. Or at least I think they taste weird.

    I don't think that I've ever had a turnip.

    Richard

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  3. you're going to have to start a cooking blog! :) It all looks so good. I'm glad I just finished a snack, so I'm not too hungry. Nice walk in the city. It must have been cold, you kept your shoes on.

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  4. Bob

    The chicken looked fabulous and the porkchops looked great. I didn't ride today either, I rode the scooter last night because we took my daughter and three of her friends to the lighted truck parade adn there was no room for me in the car, riding the scoot wasn't a hardship, it was a lovely night.

    I got my new crockpot the other day and tried it out today, made pulled pork for the very first time and it was wonderful. My daughter made the secret BBQ sauce - it was fabulous!

    I don't get the raw versus cooked chicken thing either, in fact I find chicken is more expensive than beef. I usually buy the 3 pack of chicken at Costco, but we eat a lot of it. I am going to try and crockpot a chicken .

    Your pictures of Granville are they on your new camera? Excellent pictures as usual.

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  5. Bob,

    I never took to baking, I leave that to my wife, the scientist. Cooking is much more of an adventure, and if you've got taste buds, extremely flexible. You don't need much to prepare 90% of what's made in a fancy kitchen, just some patience, willingness to try, and maybe a sweet chef's knife (I love my knives) With the internet, all is possible.

    Keep it up, and if I'm ever in the area, I might raid your fridge (with our without your consent.)

    Brady
    Behind Bars - Motorcycles and Life

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  6. I agree with bluekat... a cooking blog would be fabulous! Or... just keep sharing with us when you're not riding. lol!

    Looks like your skills are paying off. I could almost smell it!

    Knock, knock, knock! You better go answer that... It's probably Paula Deen!

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  7. Beautiful city pictures and great food shots too. I wonder why the cooked chicken is cheaper. Maybe they weigh less when the grease drips out.....

    I remember working retail and someone asking me why the long sleeved t-shirts were cheaper than the short sleeved ones. I, being the smart ass I am, replied that the company had to pay someone to cut the sleeves off the long sleeved shirts, therefore driving the cost up for the short sleeved version.

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  8. Roger:

    I just had dinner, and an hour later I am hungry. I snack all the time and think about food constantly

    Richard:

    I tried to find a link for the 100, it has something to do with Vancouver being 100 years old, they are cement numbers at the south end of the Granville Street bridge. As for the chicken, we love the crispy skin, but when they sit under the heat lamp, they go limp. At home they are fresh and crispy

    Bluekat:

    I told myself that when we got a gas stove, I would be more adventurous so I have been looking at recipes and trying things out. It kills me to wear shoes but I needed the gel insert cushioning, plus lots of used needles in that part of town

    Dar:

    I think the croc pot is overkill for chicken, it is good for the lesser grades of meat at low heat all day to break down the fibres. We also use our croc pot a lot during the winter and make pulled pork. At Costco+ we had been buying a rack of ribs, around $20. and we can make 3 croc pot meals. Just a quarter cup of water, turn on hi for about an hour when you get up, and when you leave for work, turn to low. we also put in carrots, celery, potatoes and lots of thin rings of onions. BBQ sauce has too much sugar, we just use the pork au jus. Yes, I used my new Sony NEX-5n, much smaller than my Canon T2i

    Brady:

    Cooking is less scientific, a pinch of this, a pinch of that. with baking it is precise measurements and everything is timed, and heat has to be exact. Knives scare me. I have a large cleaver I used to cut onions and I am afraid if it drops on the floor, it would chop my toes off first. I shudder just thinking about it

    Nikos:

    for you . . . we can make a Sunday exception. Now I can't stop humming it

    Lady R:

    the cooking/food channel is one of my favourites but I think Paula Deen is on during the day. I also like Alton Brown, that glutton for punishment Bob Bloomer, 30 minute meals, Ricardo, and I can't stop stareing at Giada

    Trobairitz:

    I never realized that short sleeves cost more than the longer sleeves. I think you are right about the chickens being less weight cooked.

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  9. does that look like hollandaise on the pork? :)

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  10. Ms M:M

    I am liking your new, swelte physique. Mean and lean.

    I tried not to make mention of that stuff on the top because I like to make everything from scratch, but since this was just a fast meal I cheated. I used a couple of cans of condensed cream of celery soup to bathe the meat.

    I like your idea of Hollandaise to drizzle on top, it would also work with Salmon, which we have frequently

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  11. Wonderful rambling photos. Still find the high angle shots funny...but only because I don't expect the heights. I do like them. And I just purchased a crock pot...to go along with a nice cookbook. I'll give some recipes a try this week and might post up some tempting pics for you. :)

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  12. Steel Cupcake:

    the crock pot is so easy to use. Just put the stuff in, before you go to work, turn it on LOW and when you get home after work, dinner is ready. You can use lesser cuts of meat and they will still be tender & melt in your mouth

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