Why so cavalier about time?

2020 is ending.  

There are many who say good riddance and wish for 2020 to be quickly over.  

I wonder though if we should have such a cavalier attitude about ending our time?

“Unfortunately, the clock is ticking, the hours are going by. The past increases, the future recedes. Possibilities decreasing, regrets mounting.”

~Haruki Murakami 

“Hope is important because it can make the present moment less difficult to bear. If we believe that tomorrow will be better, we can bear a hardship today.” ~ Thich Nhat Hanh

This is what Alzheimer's is like at 41

 

‘I am mine’: This is what Alzheimer’s is like at 41 https://www.macleans.ca/news/canada/i-am-mine-this-is-what-alzheimers-is-like-at-41/

A deep breath and a re-think....

Everything seems very shrill, unnecessarily urgent, adding a false level of importance and an unsustainable level of velocity.  

A deep breath and a re-think about what is really important is what I recommend for everyone.

If that does not work....maybe the entire world just needs an ear pull to snap out of it?

Asparagus Fried Rice

 Asparagus Fried Rice

Prep: 20 Minutes

Cook: 20 Minutes     Serves: 4

Ingredients

6 stks Asparagus (julienned)

1 Onion (cut lengthwise )

1 Carrot (julienned)

1 cup   Cabbage (shredded)

1 Mixed bell peppers (cut lengthwise)

1 Green chili (finely chopped)

2 clove Garlic (finely minced)

1 inch Ginger (finely minced)

1 tsp Soy sauce (dark or 2 tsp light soy sauce)

1 tsp Salt (or to taste)

1 tsp Black pepper powder

¼ cup Spring/green onions (finely chopped)

4 tsp Oil

4 cup Cooked basmati rice.

1 pinch Sugar

Preparation

Two cups of raw rice yields roughly 5 to 5 1/2 cups of cooked rice. You can either cook them in your rice cooker or stove top with half the salt and cool it completely before making this dish. A day old refrigerated rice always suits well for any fried rice. 

Wash the asparagus and trim the thick stalks at the bottom. 

Cut them into thin strips, mince the green chili, ginger and garlic, shred the cabbage, chop the green onion, slice the onions and peppers into thin strips as shown.

Heat a wok keeping the temperature on medium high and keep it running on the same setting throughout the process. 

Heat up the oil, add all the veggies excluding spring/green onions. 

Add sugar, dash of pepper and salt. 

Stir-fry for few minutes or until the veggies look slightly wilted but firm. (less than 2 minutes to cook the veggies) 

Add the cooked rice, remaining salt and pepper and soy sauce. 

Stir-fry until its well incorporated. 

Garnish with chopped spring onions and serve hot with choice of sauce.

Aloo Gobi

 Aloo Gobi 

Prep: 30 Minutes

Cook: 40 Minutes     Serves: 4

Ingredients

1 to 2 tablespoons olive or other neutral oil

2 teaspoons cumin seeds

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 large yellow or red onion, diced

1 teaspoon plus pinch of fine sea salt, divided

2 heaping tablespoons grated or minced fresh ginger

4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

1 medium to large potato, peeled and diced

1 jalapeño, finely sliced (optional)

1 medium head cauliflower, trimmed and cut into small florets

2 teaspoons garam masala

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 cup undrained canned diced tomatoes, preferably organic

¼ cup hot water, plus more as needed

1 heaping tablespoon minced fresh cilantro

Preparation

In a Dutch oven or 4-quart sauté pan with a lid, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Once warm, add the cumin and turmeric. Cook until the seeds sizzle and turn reddish-brown, about 40 seconds.

Add the onion and pinch of salt. Cook 2 to 4 minutes, until the onions brown slightly, stirring occasionally.

Add the ginger and garlic. Cook another minute or less, stirring occasionally.

Add the potato and jalapeño, if using, and cook 1 to 2 minutes, until the potato softens slightly.

Add the cauliflower, garam masala, coriander, and 1 teaspoon salt. Mix well until all the florets are yellow from the turmeric. Cook about 2 minutes and then add the tomatoes and water.

Cover the pan, turn the heat down to medium-low, and cook for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft, stirring occasionally. Cook a little less if you want a tiny bit of crunch, and cook a little longer if you want the vegetables to be a little softer. Add up to ½ cup additional water if the vegetable mixture is too thick.

Remove from the heat, add the cilantro, and put the lid back on. Let the aloo gobi sit for 3 to 5 minutes before serving to help the flavours all come together. 

Serve with roti, naan, or basmati rice.

People who lie...

 “The people who lie the most are nearly always the clumsiest at it, and they're easier to fool with lies than most people, too. You'd think they'd be on the look-out for lies, but they seem to be the very ones that will believe almost anything at all.”

~Dashiell Hammett

Ajo blanco (almond soup) with melon

 Ajo blanco (almond soup) with melon

Prep: 30 Minutes Level: Easy
Cook: 3 hours     Serves: 4

Ingredients
60g crustless, day-old white bread, in rough pieces
750ml water
275g blanched whole almonds
1 garlic clove, chopped
12 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 tbsp sherry vinegar, or to taste
Salt
¼ melon, (kharbouza, cantaloupe or honeydew) deseeded and cubed

Preparation
Soak the bread in the water for around 15 minutes until the pieces are soggy, then put the softened bread and the water in a food processor with the almonds, garlic and olive oil and blitz until smooth.
Season to taste with sherry vinegar and salt. 

Transfer to a lidded container and refrigerate until the soup is well chilled; this will take 2-3 hours.

Chill the melon cubes at the same time.

Give the soup a stir and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Ladle into soup bowls and divide the melon cubes between them. Drizzle with a little olive oil.

Butternut Squash & Kale Quesadillas

Butternut Squash & Kale Quesadillas

Prep: 15 Minutes Level: Easy

Cook: 20 Minutes Serves: 4

Ingredients

1/2 whole Butternut Squash, Peeled, Seeded, And Diced.

2 Tablespoons Butter

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt

Black Pepper To Taste

1/4 teaspoon Chili Powder (more To Taste)

1 bunch Kale, Leaves Torn, Stalks Discarded

8 whole Small (fajita Sized) Flour Tortillas

Extra Butter For Frying

2-1/2 cups Monterey Jack Cheese, Grated (more If Needed)

Sour Cream, For Serving

Cilantro, For Serving

Pico De Gallo, Salsa, Avocado Slices (optional) For Serving

Preparation

Heat 1 tablespoon butter and olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add squash and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and chili powder. Cook for several minutes, turning gently with a spatula, until squash is deep golden brown and tender (but not falling apart.) Remove to a plate and set aside. 

In the same skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of butter over medium-high heat and add in the kale. Toss it around with tongs and cook it for 3 to 4 minutes. Add in the cooked squash and gently toss together. Set aside. 

In a separate skillet, melt additional butter and lightly brown both sides of the 8 tortillas. Build the quesadillas one by one by adding a layer of cheese topped with a layer of the squash/kale mixture, topped with a second tortilla. You'll have four quesadillas when you're done.

Brown each quesadilla on both sides, adding more butter to the pan to make sure tortillas are nice and golden and yummy.

When the cheese is melted, remove each quesadilla from the skillet and cut it into four wedges. Serve with sour cream, cilantro, pico de gallo, salsa, avocado...or any sides you'd like! 

(Note: The butternut squash/kale mixture is also great tossed with a little pasta and olive oil, and topped with Parmesan shavings)

Atypical forms of dementia are being diagnosed more often in people in their 50s and 60s

 Atypical forms of dementia are being diagnosed more often in people in their 50s and 60s

"These conditions show up in people in their 50s and 60s, sometimes even earlier and sometimes a bit later. No one knows whether these conditions are becoming more common or doctors are better at diagnosing them. 

What is clear is that some of the same underlying pathology seen in people with typical Alzheimer’s — amyloid plaque and tau tangles in the brain — is also present in people who have Alzheimer’s with a young age of onset or atypical dementias that affect vision or language or behavior. Some of these atypical dementias are caused by a toxic buildup of other abnormal proteins. These proteins become abnormally shaped or clustered together in ways that distort how the brain processes information. This is true for Alzheimer’s, too.

No treatments are available to slow or stop the progression of these diseases. The few drugs that treat symptoms associated with Alzheimer’s are often prescribed for people with these rarer forms of dementia. The drugs may help with some of the symptoms."

Full story at the Washington Post: https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/atypical-dementias-hit-in-midlife/2020/12/04/eecc15e6-1929-11eb-aeec-b93bcc29a01b_story.html

Psychiatric admissions for people with dementia is not helpful

Dementia patients take up Ontario psychiatric beds ill-suited to their care, experts say

"In Ontario, Dementia patients currently occupy one-third of psychiatric beds in hospitals, according to data from the Canadian Institute of Health Information, in part because traditional hospital beds and long-term care homes are also packed.

Experts warn such a setup risks the health of dementia patients, who may find themselves confined to units ill-suited to their needs and receiving treatment that can do more harm than good."

Full story at Global News: Dementia patients take up Ontario psychiatric beds ill-suited to their care, experts say