The guided striped bass fishing trip was fun, I assume. The result was one eight pound striper. A hybrid striper was caught and released to grow up a tad.
According to my husband {H} it must have been a day of what we call short 'hits,' where the fish somewhat reluctantly feed. I, being a foodaholic, have no idea how to 'reluctantly feed.'
He, his friend and the guide all were reeling fish in but about half-way to the boat the fish released, jumped off, whatever....they never made it to the boat. The guide seemed frustrated himself.
Despite taking his camera, H made no pictures.
One of you mentioned it was too bad I did not go, too, as I like to fish. Well, with my bionic knees, short legs, etc. I am somewhat of a pain to take fishing. When I don't go, no one has to worry about me falling overboard, etc. [I don't swim.] It was not my birthday, so I happily stayed home awaiting the fishing report. Besides the hot humid weather is not very compatible with my various health maladies.
As far as recipes for cooking, the South is primarily FRY! BABY FRY! I have heard of some expert backyard grillers, grilling striped bass. Most recipes have a variety of herbs and a touch of lemon and wrapped in foil.
Here is my favorite coating and technique for BAKING FISH TO TASTE NEARLY LIKE FRIED. It is composed of two mixtures. You have to determine the amount of fillets to be be baked and adjust the mixtures.
If you like heavily battered fish double these amounts which are for about 20 oz of fillets cut in 4 pieces.
Heat Oven to 400 deg. F
EGG MIXTURE:
Lightly beat one egg; add 1-2 T milk or cream if not watching calories. Water may also be used.
COATING:
1/4 c cornmeal
2 t parsley, dried
1/4 t black pepper
1/2 t salt (optional to those watching salt)
1/8 t cumin
1/8 t cayenne
1/4 t paprika
[Herbs and spices certainly can be varied in kind or amount to taste]
Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.
Dip fillet in egg mixture, moistening it well; then roll in coating mixture, lightly coated,I and place on baking sheet.
When all fillets are on sheet, lightly spray fillets with cooking spray, so they will brown.
Bake 10-15 minutes or just opaque in center.
Suggested side dishes, backed potato sticks and lemon wedges.
This is and adaptation of a Weight Watcher recipe. I found cooking time is a little longer, plus turning the fillets and spraying with cooking spray makes browning more uniform.
Further if those sharing the meal really, really like fried, I sometimes double the mixtures and really coat the fish.
Although I have never tried it, I feel the mixtures could easily be pan-fried or deep-fried.
Some day when I bake this recipe I'll try to capture a photo.
Otherwise today I spent the morning perusing grocery store selections for low to no salt versions of various items. I found Kashi has two ZERO sodium ready-to-eat cereals (Heart to Heart). I found Nabisco Wheat Thin Flatbreads, and Ritz Lower Sodium Crackers low enough to eat carefully and also Kashi TLC Crackers in the non-cheese flavors.
I bought two flavors of Mrs. DASH (no salt) to try, on at the table and the other to cook with, although I have several homemade mixture that employ very little salt. I make and store them in old spice shaker containers I've washed and saved.
It is hard to watch salt, sugar and fat all together, although SPLENDA does alleviate so sugar cravings.
DO YOU HAVE TO WATCH SALT, SUGAR, FAT?
[I don't know why some of my hyperlinks are highlighted in yellow as I have speller turned off.... I checked.]
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Saturday, August 07, 2010
THREE QUARTERS OF A CENTURY
Today is my husband's birthday. You can figure his age from the title of the post.
After a marriage of 41 years and no children, we usually choose our own celebration or lack thereof. This year he chose a guided striped bass (colloquially called stripers) trip on Lake Norfork with a friend, also our neighbor.
I previously gave him a guided trip about two years ago, so guessed it was one gift I won the lottery on. Gifting sometimes is difficult as life churns on.
I actually think he started celebrating with all the improvements and renovations we completed on the property. But that is OK, too.
He is fishing as I write this, and hope one or both guys hook one of the big ones. For those who are unfamiliar with stripers, they are an ocean fish that have adapted to certain deep freshwater lakes. The striped bass is related to the fresh water white bass; and there are hybrids of the species. A striped bass can be over 6 feet long and weigh about 125 lbs. Typically in our area they are much less.
A hybrid is still a pretty big fish, too.
So I am waiting for his arrival home in a couple of hours to see if they were lucky today. Hot weather is not the best fishing time for a great number of species in our area as they are lethargic and deep. So I just hope they catch a keeper of any species.
We'll post results and pictures later as he took his camera.
Usually if the guide fails to deliver results, a second trip is given free or half price.
After a marriage of 41 years and no children, we usually choose our own celebration or lack thereof. This year he chose a guided striped bass (colloquially called stripers) trip on Lake Norfork with a friend, also our neighbor.
I previously gave him a guided trip about two years ago, so guessed it was one gift I won the lottery on. Gifting sometimes is difficult as life churns on.
I actually think he started celebrating with all the improvements and renovations we completed on the property. But that is OK, too.
He is fishing as I write this, and hope one or both guys hook one of the big ones. For those who are unfamiliar with stripers, they are an ocean fish that have adapted to certain deep freshwater lakes. The striped bass is related to the fresh water white bass; and there are hybrids of the species. A striped bass can be over 6 feet long and weigh about 125 lbs. Typically in our area they are much less.
A hybrid is still a pretty big fish, too.
So I am waiting for his arrival home in a couple of hours to see if they were lucky today. Hot weather is not the best fishing time for a great number of species in our area as they are lethargic and deep. So I just hope they catch a keeper of any species.
We'll post results and pictures later as he took his camera.
Usually if the guide fails to deliver results, a second trip is given free or half price.
Tuesday, August 03, 2010
THE HEAT IS ON!
Instead of a Cat on A Hot Tin Roof, this household has two Cowards and a Dog in a House with a Tin (Metal) Roof!
By the way, my favorite line from the above movie:Maggie the Cat (Elizabeth Taylor): "The truth, the truth! Everybody keeps hollering about the truth. Well, the truth is as dirty as lies!"
Today is predicted to be 101 F degrees in our little area of Arkansas. I don't even want to know the heat index.
Maybe I should cook lunch and dinner on the concrete block steps to save electricity. But a better idea is not to cook at all. I'm working on the latter idea.
I had a medical appointment at 9 a.m. and will exercise at 2 p.m. Since I am in the midst of how to treat my recent diagnosis of malignant hypertension, I'm not sure what kind of exercise fits.
More tests are being ordered; I aced the carotids test, but the ultrasound technician could not see the renal artery very well; a different test will be tried. This is worrisome as I only have one renal artery and kidney.
I bet Silver Sneakers fits in as I am in the MSRO class, not the cardiac one. My only gripe is the room is not cool enough. I just hate to leave my cool, comfortable abode.
Weather cycles of temperature extremity, whether hot or cold, seem to run in decades. !980 was one of those years. I thought we were moving to a more temperate area that boasted four distinct seasons, unlike my perception of Texas as summer and winter, or for lack of better adjectives hot and cold, or in green and brown.
Summer in 1980 in North Central Texas was an introduction to Hell. We were in transition for two months: May - June. These were months I perceived would be mildly warm in Arkansas; NOT.
The transition was worst because we rented an apartment in Texas while my husband finished a job. when I was at the Texas apartment, the air-conditioning system failed. We and our German Shepherd at the time lounged around covered with wet towels and portable fans on us.
I traveled back and forth setting up our house, which had natural gas central heat and air. Guess what! My community did not have natural gas available.
Since I intended the house be converted to all electric, that first had to be completed before I invested in a central heat/air conditioning unit. By the time I purchased a unit, everyone was ahead of me, a newbie in the area, so I was at the bottom of the list.
I soon learned the advantages of finding a reliable firm and being a loyal customer.
Which leads me to another interesting current event in late July. My 3-year-old dryer, (a very high ticket model), developed an intermittent grinding sound. I could rearrange the load and it disappeared. With some loads there was no noise.
Because I purchased a 4-year maintenance agreement, I dutifully called the "800" number requesting the noise be checked. In two days I had an appointment for service.
The service man appeared promptly, and with a somewhat cursory exam, said the model washer and dryer I purchased had few moving parts. The dryer in particular had a propensity for a bearing wear-out. He would order a replacement.
I expected the usual 6 week wait, but was told I could continue to use the dryer, which I did with no additional problems, except that which was reported.
Two weeks ago I received a call from Lowe's who said the part could not be found in the entire world and they were sending me a gift card for the entire original price including taxes. I have always thought maintenance agreements were primarily a waste of money, but this washer/dryer combo was very high ticket; salesman also said he had never had take one back.
Never in my entire life has this happened. I was flabbergasted, or maybe in shock. Do you think Lowe's now has a loyal customer? Almost, maybe, well, certainly I'll shop there first.
When I picked out my replacement, same brand and style, but different model number, the sales person said it was the first one they had ever had to replace! Or at least at their location!
The dryer will be delivered Friday and the old one carted away. I bet if someone knew how to make a bearing, it would still be a good dryer for someone.
NO! I am not being paid for this sales pitch. My philosophy in blogging is to be positive when I mention well-known brands, names or businesses. Nor is this to say I might not have received the same treatment by other sellers of appliances.
I've never heard of an appliance failing [after a 3 year period of use] and be refunded fully including taxes. I suppose somewhere in the whole wide world it may have happened.
Since I am inveterate shopper of WalMart, I will say I've had no problems with refunds there, but my ticket items have never been as large as the dryer.
STAY COOL!
By the way, my favorite line from the above movie:Maggie the Cat (Elizabeth Taylor): "The truth, the truth! Everybody keeps hollering about the truth. Well, the truth is as dirty as lies!"
Today is predicted to be 101 F degrees in our little area of Arkansas. I don't even want to know the heat index.
Maybe I should cook lunch and dinner on the concrete block steps to save electricity. But a better idea is not to cook at all. I'm working on the latter idea.
I had a medical appointment at 9 a.m. and will exercise at 2 p.m. Since I am in the midst of how to treat my recent diagnosis of malignant hypertension, I'm not sure what kind of exercise fits.
More tests are being ordered; I aced the carotids test, but the ultrasound technician could not see the renal artery very well; a different test will be tried. This is worrisome as I only have one renal artery and kidney.
I bet Silver Sneakers fits in as I am in the MSRO class, not the cardiac one. My only gripe is the room is not cool enough. I just hate to leave my cool, comfortable abode.
Weather cycles of temperature extremity, whether hot or cold, seem to run in decades. !980 was one of those years. I thought we were moving to a more temperate area that boasted four distinct seasons, unlike my perception of Texas as summer and winter, or for lack of better adjectives hot and cold, or in green and brown.
Summer in 1980 in North Central Texas was an introduction to Hell. We were in transition for two months: May - June. These were months I perceived would be mildly warm in Arkansas; NOT.
The transition was worst because we rented an apartment in Texas while my husband finished a job. when I was at the Texas apartment, the air-conditioning system failed. We and our German Shepherd at the time lounged around covered with wet towels and portable fans on us.
I traveled back and forth setting up our house, which had natural gas central heat and air. Guess what! My community did not have natural gas available.
Since I intended the house be converted to all electric, that first had to be completed before I invested in a central heat/air conditioning unit. By the time I purchased a unit, everyone was ahead of me, a newbie in the area, so I was at the bottom of the list.
I soon learned the advantages of finding a reliable firm and being a loyal customer.
Which leads me to another interesting current event in late July. My 3-year-old dryer, (a very high ticket model), developed an intermittent grinding sound. I could rearrange the load and it disappeared. With some loads there was no noise.
Because I purchased a 4-year maintenance agreement, I dutifully called the "800" number requesting the noise be checked. In two days I had an appointment for service.
The service man appeared promptly, and with a somewhat cursory exam, said the model washer and dryer I purchased had few moving parts. The dryer in particular had a propensity for a bearing wear-out. He would order a replacement.
I expected the usual 6 week wait, but was told I could continue to use the dryer, which I did with no additional problems, except that which was reported.
Two weeks ago I received a call from Lowe's who said the part could not be found in the entire world and they were sending me a gift card for the entire original price including taxes. I have always thought maintenance agreements were primarily a waste of money, but this washer/dryer combo was very high ticket; salesman also said he had never had take one back.
Never in my entire life has this happened. I was flabbergasted, or maybe in shock. Do you think Lowe's now has a loyal customer? Almost, maybe, well, certainly I'll shop there first.
When I picked out my replacement, same brand and style, but different model number, the sales person said it was the first one they had ever had to replace! Or at least at their location!
The dryer will be delivered Friday and the old one carted away. I bet if someone knew how to make a bearing, it would still be a good dryer for someone.
NO! I am not being paid for this sales pitch. My philosophy in blogging is to be positive when I mention well-known brands, names or businesses. Nor is this to say I might not have received the same treatment by other sellers of appliances.
I've never heard of an appliance failing [after a 3 year period of use] and be refunded fully including taxes. I suppose somewhere in the whole wide world it may have happened.
Since I am inveterate shopper of WalMart, I will say I've had no problems with refunds there, but my ticket items have never been as large as the dryer.
STAY COOL!
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