kitty companiona

kitty companiona

Saturday, February 25, 2012

The Medicare Birthday

....whoopee :(   (not!)


Bran muffin, anyone???
Geez, how did I get to this?  I could maybe admit to 45 but, holey moley, this is AARP and beyond!
I guess being alive and mostly well is a reward in itself.  So I am thankful!

Not for the sinus headache I woke up with.  But for being able to wake up.

Zip's brother and his wife invited us to go along to a local flyfishing shop and the Brass Crow  Bass Pro shop today.  Since it's cold and very windy and my head and nose it stuffy, I'll be having a day at home to do my own thing.  That will include making stuffed cabbage rolls, doing some sewing for Brad and Kami, and working on Mom's sweater.  Yesterday I went to the library and stocked up on audio books to get me through the weekend.

This past week I made another of my favorite pasta dishes, mussels with spinach and garlic.
This is as quick and easy as a Rachael Ray 30-minute meal.

Mussels with Spinach and Garlic

approx. 1/2 lb. dry pasta  (I usually use regular spaghetti)
1 package frozen mussels
1 cup fresh spinach(coarsley chopped)
3 cloves garlic
olive oil
4 T. butter
Thai fish sauce or anchovy paste
dash of cayenne papper

Heat pasta water.
Take mussels from freezer and thaw in a pan of warm water.
Peel and finely chop garlic.  Put in small glass bowl and drizzle with about 2 T. olive oil.  Microwave for 30 seconds.  Set aside.
When pasta water comes to a boil, put in pasta and cook until al dente.  Drain and set aside.


Meanwhile open the mussels and pour into a dish to check for pieces of shell.  Remove any small pieces.  At this point you may either remove the mussels from the shells beforehand or check them carefully for cracked pieces and leave the shells intact.  You DO NOT want shell pieces in the pasta!!!


If you want a more elegant presentation, leave the mussels in the shells.

Put mussels in a large saute pan with the spinach and a little bit of water.  The mussels will also give off liquid as they cook.  When the shells have opened (if you left them on) or the liquid starts to simmer, add the garlic in olive oil, and the fish sauce or anchovy, and cayenne.


Add the drained pasta and stir to mix the flavors.  Cook for a few minutes, adding a little bit of water if necessary so that the mixture does not dry out.


Add the butter and cook until melted.

Very easy!  If you leave the shells on, the presentation is elegant enough for company.
Serves about four people.


My cleared countertops are really inspiring me to cook!  LOL!

I have been working on my fiber crafts, but don't have anything to show yet.  I finished my doll and her clothing, but the dress is looking too plain so will add some embellishments to the front.  Mom's sweater is coming along fine.  The cat hair is really showing up on the dark green yarn.  Not good for a picture.  I don't know how I'm going to get it all off before giving it to Mom!

I'd like to say I'm getting some hooking done, but not!

Time for another cup of tea.

Have a great weekend, whatever you plan to do!



18 comments:

  1. Pat, you sure have lots of projects on the go. I'm looking forward to some photos. You are not alone at not hooking. I'm still working on my silly quilt as I didn't get much done this week because of the renovation going on in my house. Everything is a mess.

    That pasta looks real good to me as I love seafood. I've never tried it in pasta though. Thanks for the nice instruction and the recipe. I simply have to try this one.

    I woke up to lots of fresh packing snow on the ground this morning, the kind that would make a nice snowman if I had the energy. Everything looks so pretty and fresh.

    I hope that you have a nice weekend. Hugs. JB

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  2. Where is my pee size brain. HAPPY 65TH BIRTHDAY Pat. I didn't bother with a cake on my 65th last November.

    One good thing about being 65 is that I get my old age pension. That means that we are old... lol Hugs again. JB

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  3. Happy Birthday Pat!!!! I hope you have a wonderful day filled with lots of kitty love :-)

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  4. Happy Birthday Pat!!! I hope you spoil yourself silly today. It's your day!! Enjoy yourself and your handwork. I'm sure you'll get lots of Happy Birthday rubs from your kitties today :)

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  5. Happy, happy birthday! I hope the bran muffin was a joke and there is a double layer chocolate cake with mile high boiled frosting waiting for you somewhere.
    I love mussels so that pasta dish looks perfect.

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  6. Happy Medicare birthday!! It's a good thing ~ you're still alive ~ you get social security ~ and I swear, we pay hardly any medical bills!! We don't doctor much but it seems like a blessing to me!! Go crazy ~ embrace it ~ I had mine two years ago and we enjoy life every day!! If only, we didn't have to work!

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  7. Hi Pat
    You may not believe this but I have never eaten mussels. Crab, lobster, cockles, winkles all the rest but not mussels, that recipe might just be the thing for me to try them.
    Don't talk about hairs on jumpers, every single thing in our house is covered in the darn things, only this morning we hoovered the bed.
    You could try scellotape to get them off.
    Thanks for the comment on the tatting, I was determined not to let it beat me,it seems like it is just a knack and I'm hoping I've found it. Just got in from the Library and am scared to try again in case the knack has gone. lol
    Hope you are both well
    Briony
    x

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  8. p.s.
    Forgot to wish you a happy birthday, I don't believe it..... you are a Pisces like me, mine is 15th March and I beat you by one year, 66.
    Briony
    x

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  9. Happy Birthday Pat - hope your day is wonderful and fun and that sinus infection goes way of the toilet when flushing! You are always making good crafts and good food! You would be a great candidate for a reality show with the cats, crafting and cooking! Anway - about the the hair (i know my mom would have an absolute fit not liking cats an all) but what i do sometimes is put it in the dryer on cool air with a dryer sheet - it's amazing what comes out on that lint trap!

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  10. Happy Happy Happy Birthday Pat!!! They say 65 is the new 50 or something like that! You'll have to let us know! I love bran muffins and I suppose that's a good thing! LOL! Mussels..... I would only eat them if I could get YOU to cook them for me..... your presentation makes them look quite delicious! Isn't it nice to have a day to work on our crafts and sewing without interruptions? It's a rare day here but I'm having one!!
    Celebrate and maybe put a little frosting on that bran muffin!!
    Big Birthday Hugs!!
    Cathy G

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  11. Pat ~
    Happy, happy birthday and many, many more. {I'm a pisces, too.}
    You have so many projects going on ~ no wonder you don't have time to hook. I look forward to seeing the doll!!!
    Birthday hugs :)
    Lauren

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  12. Happy Birthday!! You sound as thrilled as I was on my last birthday! Hee, hee! I hope that you tossed the bran muffin though, and went for chocolate and champagne! I can't wait to see pics of your projects. I'm hooking like crazy...dreading the return to work on Monday.
    Love the mussel recipe. I adore mussels!
    Have a lovely day!!
    Courtney

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  13. Firstly ...Happy Birthday.
    I didn't realise our birthdays were so close ...I'll be 65 on march 10th.
    Not sure where time goes ..it feels like only last year that I was 60 ...and I too am often greatful to see another day dawn.

    That meal looks yummy ... I prefer the muscles out of the shell ...easier to eat. xx

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  14. Pat, Happy Birthday. My 65 is coming up on March 3rd. I can't believe it!

    Pasta recipes great!

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  15. Happy Birthday to you!!! You should be celebrating all month! Pasta recipe looks and sounds good....though I think I'll substitute shrimp for the mussels and see how that goes... Looking forward to seeing pictures of your peojects! I hope your sinus calms down. Hang in there! Spring is almost here!!!!

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  16. HAPPY BIRTHDAY..you should do whatever you want to for this birthday.. I still have 18 months to go before Medicare and retirment and I am counting the days.

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  17. Lots of us with Medicare birthdays right now! Mine is in 4 weeks....I hope the barrage of Medicare mail is over! I enjoy all your photos...the cats on the door are amazing! We had the Chef pizzas too, fish sticks, and turkey pot pies! My brother still buys the Chef pizza sauce in a can for his homemade pizzas! I haven't had enough nerve to try the fish sticks but I know the pot pies are sorely lacking something these days!! The mussels recipe looks good. I tried them for the first time a few years ago and liked them!

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