Hotplate: Scallop Squash Slices and Cheese

I've made this before but I did it wrong.

This time the dish was much better.


Scallop Squash Slices and Cheese

Ingredients:

1 Scallop Squash, washed
1 Pot about 1/4 full of water
1 dash of hot sauce
Ground black pepper
Mozzarella cheese (or other cheese)

Process:

Cut the squash in half. remove seeds, if desired.
Cut each half into thin slices.
Place slices in pot of water.
Add a dash of hot sauce.
Stir.
Bring to a boil.
Simmer about 15 minutes until squash is soft.
Drain squash.
Place squash into a microwave dish.
Sprinkle mozarella cheese or chunks over squash, be generous.
Sprinkle mixture with ground black pepper (Optional).
Microwave on high for about 30 seconds to melt cheese.

This was so good, I ate the whole thing.

I need to make this recipe more often. It is delicious and healthy.

#GERD-friendly

 

Hotplate: COVID19 Quick Chicken Vegetable Broth

I will be posting about my experiences self-quarantining.

I am a small portion eater to begin with but, after a recalculation of my pantry supplies, I decided to try making a soup to stretch my vegetable and protein stock. I adapted my Hotplate: Simple Chicken Vegetable Soup recipe as a trial.



Hotplate: COVID19 Quick Chicken Vegetable Broth


Ingredients:

1 Chicken bouillon cube
6 cups of water
3 Dashes Onion powder
3 Dashes Garlic powder
2 Dashes Hot sauce (Optional)
1 Grind black pepper
4 TBspns frozen mixed vegetables
1 Heaping TBspn canned chicken, drained
2 TBspns canned diced potatoes, drained and rinsed
Use What You Have regarding additions, I found:
2 Snack carrots, diced
2 TBspns canned salsa
Small quantity of cooked white beans


Process:

Add 2 cups of water to a microwaveable container
Add 1 bouillon cube to the water.
Microwave on high for 2-3 minutes.
Remove and stir until bouillon cube has dissolved.
Add stock to large pot.
Add 4 cups of water.
Add spices.
Stir.
Cover pot.
Cook on high.
Cover pot.
Bring liquid to a boil.
Add vegetables and leftovers.
Stir.
Recover pot.
Cook on medium for about 15 minutes.
Check vegetables, if they are soft, the soup is ready, if not, cook for 5-10 minutes more.

This recipe could make 6-8 servings.

Cool remaining soup. Freeze in portions.


#GERD-friendly, if you determine which and how much of the spices you can tolerate.

 

Book Summary: Books by Four Primatologists

Note: This is a book summary written years ago.

I feel lucky enough to have the time to read a whole book, but I do not have enough time to write a full review.

After, I got Gorillas in the Mist by Dian Fossey, I picked up In the Shadow of Man by Jane Goodall; Almost Human by Shirley Strum; and Return to Eden by Biruté Gladikas.

As you may know, the authors are the famous primatologists of the 60s and 70s who overturned existing theories and practices of previous primate observers.

Goodall was paleoanthropologist Louis Leakey's first log-term primate observer to begin a study of chimpanzees. Fossey and Biruté followed studying gorillas and orangutans. Strum (not a Leakey protege) studied baboons.

This is what I enjoy, reading perspectives of a time and events by the main participants. Without the simultaneous readings, I would have missed a lot of the references to the underlying politics and personality conflicts. This knowledge added to the pleasure of reading about four women who lived in isolated pieces of wilderness with their particular primates as essentially their only companions.

Biruté and Strum benefited from Goodall's and Fossey's experiences, both refer to them and from that knowledge chose actions and outlooks that helped them avoid actions and attitudes that brought Goodall and Fossey adversity.

Both Biruté's and Strum's books reveal a depth of perspective regarding not only the primates but their environmental and local culture.

What surprised me was all the books covered as much as a thirty-year timespan and that all the authors witnessed dramatic changes in their study group due to the effects of increased human population. Each of the primates' territories faced severe destruction from logging, hunting, and farming. Each observer had to find a way to work with local jurisdictions to find a solution to save the primate's habitat.

While I enjoyed all the books, Strum's went the furtherest. She even briefly mentioned the reentry problems long-term primate observers face when returning to civilization. For every problem she encountered, she sought a rational, logical explanation and solution.

A New Batch of Vegetables - How Meals Will They Make?

I went to a local Expat market to get 1 cucumber and came home with 9 vegetables.

How many meals will they make?

Day One:

Quick pickles
Cucumber water with cucumber slices
Cucumber and Apple salad with yogurt
MW Baked potato topped with beans and cream cheese
Sliced up lime and froze for use in various drinks

Day Two:

Baked Apples
Vegetable Soup with potatoes
Sliced up Bell peppers and froze for future recipe

FYI: The cost for the 9 vegetables was $62MX. This was an Expat market, so I assume the prices are higher than at a local market.

$62MX = $3.30US (based on $18.77 exchange rate for 1$ on this day.)

I looked at an American Grocery flyer (I do not have a car, so I choose a store near my home that I can reach by bus) online and came up with this cost comparison:

Apples $1.79 - 2.49 a pound
Potatoes $3.50 for a 24oz bag or 3.99 for a 5lb bag
Peppers and/or Cucumbers 3 for $5
.10 or .25 for a lime, a Key lime or a Persian Lime

Estimated cost:

1.79 - 2.49 Apples
1.25 Potatoes
5.00 Peppers and Cucumbers
0.10 Lime
--------
$8.14 - $8.84US

Quick Pickles

DIY Quick Pickles
(Thanks to: Quick Pickled Cucumbers | Easy Refrigerator Pickles Recipe)


Ingredients:

1 Cucumber
A jar with a lid
Water
Apple Vinegar
1-3 TBspns of sugar
2-3 Tspns of rock salt or salt



Process:

Wash cucumber.
Cut in half vertically in the middle.
Cut each half into length-wise strips (julienne).
Cut away the seeds.
Add cucumber strips to jar.
Add water to jar until about 1/2 half to 2/3rds full.
Add spices.
Fill with vinegar.
Affix lid.
Shake jar to mix spices and liquids.
Store in frig.

Guy Williams: Man Behind the Mask -- An Interview with Antoinette G. Lane

Update: 2/15/20 This is a repost because over time, Blogger.com has changed it's coding, so that the original post's coding was unattractive.



An Interview with Antoinette G. Lane
Author of Guy Williams: Man Behind the Mask


Guy Williams played Zorro in Walt Disney’s TV show in the 1950s.

I remember watching Zorro as a young girl. To me, a masked hero, on his beautiful black horse, sword in hand, riding in to save the day, was exciting. 


I fell in love with the show, with all the beautiful horses, the sword fights, the handsome hero and his loyal servant, Bernardo, the humor, and so much more. 



Guy Williams was not only handsome; he was graceful and kind. Some say Guy Williams was born to be Zorro. 



Sadly, when Walt Disney wanted more control over his show aired on a broadcast network, the discussions ended with Zorro being cancelled at the height of its popularity. 



Like others, I often wondered, “What happened to Guy Williams?” 





I got lucky, I found Antoinette G. Lane’s biography of Guy Williams and got my answer. Lane covers Guy’s life from his birth in New York City, through his modeling career, his marriage, and his experiences in a long but unpredictable career as an actor. 


This was Lane’s first biography and it took her nineteen years to complete. She interviewed many of Williams’ family and friends. Plus, Guy’s fans offered Lane access to a treasure trove of memorabilia. 



As a writer, I was intrigued by Lane’s achievement. So when I got an opportunity, I interviewed Lane about her experiences writing Guy Williams’ biography.

As Lane explains:

"I became obsessed with finding out more about him. I hoped to meet him, shake his hand, tell him I liked his work, and maybe ask him to write his autobiography. Then on Sunday, May 7, 1989 at the peak of my fever, I heard on the radio that Guy Williams had died in Buenos Aires. I was devastated. With no other fans to talk to I expressed my grief to the Los Angeles Times, who, to my surprise, printed my letter with a picture of Guy Williams, as a final tribute to him. As I heard myself saying, ‘Someone should write a book about him,’ an inner voice said, ‘Why not me!?’ " (from Guy Williams: Man Behind the Mask)

An abbreviated version of this interview may get posted on Boomer Cafe. Below is the full interview.

Could you tell my readers how you decided to write a biography of Guy Williams?

Yes, I turned on the Disney Channel one day in the late 1980s and there was Zorro. It brought back memories of watching it with my younger brother. By Spring of 1988, I was totally hooked and very curious to know more about Guy Williams.

In my frustration of finding very little about him in libraries, (we did not have computers yet) I thought someone should write a book about him. Soon, it was my own curiosity and passion that helped decide, it would be me.

When Guy passed away in 1989, I was more determined to do the book as a tribute to him.

I suppose one of the frequent questions you get, is what is Mrs. Williams like?

I was lucky, or maybe the word is blessed. When someone is loved as much as Guy was, I find people enjoy talking about them.

Janice Williams is an extraordinary person, just as Guy was. Maybe even more so to me because she’s a woman. She had to reinvent herself and did it successfully. She’s smart, witty, charming, kind, friendly, and beautiful. Her love for Guy and her desire to keep his memory alive was to my advantage. 

In 1973, after discovering Zorro was popular in Argentina, Guy moved there to enhance his acting career. What was the response you got from the Argentinians you corresponded with regarding the biography? Is Zorro still popular in Argentina, today?

The response was Love, Love, Love. They were eager to share; eager to talk about Guy.

Yes, Zorro is still very popular in Argentina for a couple of reasons: Zorro is still on TV every day, picking up new fans every year. Fernando Lupiz, who played Guy’s son in fencing shows in the 1970s, now produces Zorro shows at Mar del Plata. He plays Zorro and always gives tribute to Guy Williams, keeping his memory alive. 

Can you describe a typical day working on the biography? Did you travel to many places where Guy Williams may have lived or worked?

Progress got off to a slow start for several reasons: we did not have the Internet yet; I had to research “How to write a Biography”; read a lot of biographies; read how to “find” people; type letters and wait for a response; and make phone calls.

Sheer will and intention brings results. In 1989, I met Kathy G. who had an enormous collection of all things Guy Williams. From her various magazine clippings I was able to compile a long question sheet.

Things took off in 1995 when I met Janice Williams and she graciously appointed our first meeting on January 14, 1996, Guy’s Birthday!  Then for the next four years, when she was available, she gave me hours of interviews.

Since I had four children at home at the time, a typical day was trying to find time: to work on the book, to transcribe taped interviews, to find a quiet time for a phone interview, and to put the puzzle pieces together by writing. So it was a long ordeal.

Yes, I did go to many places where Guy lived and worked. Some of the places were: Hollywood where I saw his houses; 20th Century studio where he worked; the hills and rocks of Aqua Dolce and Chatsworth where I climbed and traipsed through areas where Zorro went on location; and Mission San Luis Rey where the first few episodes were filmed.

I did not go to New York but I contacted people from there who lived in Guy’s old neighborhood: classmates and his sister. I did not go to Buenos Aires but a friend of Guy’s sent me a video in which she filmed and narrated places that were Guy’s favorites, and where he lived and walked. Plus, she drew a diagram of his apartment, all of which were invaluable.

What advice would you give other writers who may want to attempt a biography?

DO IT!  Just jump in there and get started. Stay focused and things will come to you. An amazing magnetic force develops. 

Guy Williams died in Argentina on April 30, 1989, twenty-five years ago. How are Zorro fans honoring Mr. Williams on this day?

There are many websites and Facebook pages devoted to Guy Williams and fans post their feelings and memories on his birthday and death day. Some make a visit to his Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame to place flowers; some get together for lunch. 

Fans have also initiated several dedications in Guy’s memory:

• Bronx Walk of Fame, NY, May 2000
• Bench dedication in Central Park, NY,  October 2002
• Families of Freedom Scholarship Fund Project 2002, to aid children of 9-11 tragedy in Guy’s name.
• Bench dedication at Mission San Luis Rey, Oceanside, CA,  August, 2003
• Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, CA, August, 2001
• Named A Disney Legend, Anaheim, CA, August, 2011

(Source: http://www.guywilliams.net/g/02.zorroyears.htm)

 

 

 

You can find Lane’s biography on BearManor Media:
Guy Williams: The Man Behind the Mask
. 

 

See more about Lane and her adventures with other Zorro fans on FB.

Curry and Cinnamon Overnight Oats

I am enjoying making variations on Jack Monroe's Carrot Cake Overnight Oats

For this recipe, BudgetBytes offered another good idea for making a version of overnight oats using spices like Turmeric. As usual, I often don't have the spices called for in a recipe, so I have to make substitutions.

I did not have Turmeric, so I took a look at my Badia curry powder and it had Turmeric and a few other spices as its ingredients.

So, I went with the Curry and I made a few other adjustments. I had wanted to make one small serving, so instead of measuring the ingredients, I used them as a guide.

(Badia: https://badiaspices.com/product/curry-powder-1-20-lbs/)

Curry and Cinnamon Overnight Oats
(Adapted from:) https://www.budgetbytes.com/golden-milk-overnight-oats/)

 

Ingredients:

2 - 4 TBspns Rolled oats
1/2 - 2/3 Cup milk, made from dry powder mix
1 Tspn Curry powder
1/2 Tspn Cinnamon
1 Tspn Honey
 1/2 Capful Vanilla


Process:

In a small container with a lid, add a layer of oats.
Add a little milk, stir to coat oats.
Add a little more milk to cover oats.
Add spices and honey.
Stir and mix thoroughly.
Add lid.
Place in frig overnight.

In the morning, open the container. The oats will have absorbed the milk, add more milk and stir well before eating.

This makes a small serving. Increase oats, milk and spices for larger servings.

#GERD-friendly