Carney Rules
I just don't see how Pee Pee or Justin, or Harper or Chretien could have done a better job, calmly navigating the constant onslaught of moronic rage baiting coming from The White House? World leaders (who already knew who and what Carney was capable of) are just agog at his measured, intelligent responses to the tariff war being waged from Washington. Now, apparently, it is starting to show in our markets. No less an expert than the editor emeritus of the The Economist says capital investment in Canadian markets is up 40%. For the record, The Economist is not some liberal rag from the halls of Simon Fraser University. This is a U.S. based conservative business magazine.
Mr. Carney now find himself in rarified air? He won five out of six recent by-elections, The CPC is reeling. Canadians are screaming from the rooftops, something that our peace loving Prime Minister probably does not want to hear: FUCK THEM. Do NOT negotiate anything. Funnily enough, signing a deal now, is probably the only thing he could do to lower his numbers in the polls. His line last week was brilliant. "When they stop posting moronic memes, we can talk. Until then, get stuffed." Of course, Washington used the negotiating skills of the eight year old in the White House boosted Carney's numberrs again with:
1) Trump in hockey gear (has he ever worn skates)
2) Geese marching out of Lake Ontario wearing Trump wigs
3) A map showing the U.S. conquering Canada, Mexico, Iceland and about five other Caribbean nations. That went over well. I think the Danes are considering recalling their ambassador?
Then there were two that I couldn't figure out at first? He goes after Bombardier? Understandable as we are going to protect them. Canadian taxpayers have been propping up BRD for forty years? What is he after? What big ticket items do they export to the U.S.? Down the Google rabbit hole. (We can talk about Lake Amerika next week). Business jets! Two Challenger models, four Global models. His billionaire buddies keep buying Bombardier business jets. Good call Donnie! Wait! A lot of parts for those jets are sourced south of the border. A 1000 employee plant in Wichita? That is in deep dark red Trump voting Kansas? Eleven other facilities around the U.S. Seven weeks before the mid-terms? He is really going to put in play ... thousands of high paying U.S. manufacturing jobs? I wonder how that will go over?
Then he throws an elbow about motorcycles. Do we even make motorcycles that go the U.S. or was he just protecting Harley-Davidson (who are in deep trouble by the way). Can-Am! They make those three wheeled girls motorcycles that all the seniors are buying. They are owned by Bombardier. He's stupid, but he's not that stupid, you know what I mean?
Our Optimum Week
No great shakes this past week. I made a couple of stir frys that received grudging approval from SWMBO. I had promised you last year to up my Chinese food game and I think I am there now. It's really just about having the real ingredients on hand? I will give you a peek at that next week. My points are through the 300K mark again after being at zero a couple of months ago. The Zehr's flyer was nothing special. Points were another story. There is a large Continuity Spend offer at Zehr's. If you are doing a big week, say over $400, then shop at Zehr's and get 40K back in points. Also you might want to get the two highlighted Offers from the list below no matter where you shop. They are giving those away. If you are doing a small week, then shop at SDM and get the 20K for spending only $75. You can get those same Offers there if they have stock. That can be a crap shoot. Here is your list:
BAM!
Every generation since the Second World War has spawned a cooking personality who, through the magic of television, brought an increased awareness of what could be accomplished by an ordinary cook, in their own kitchens. For me it was Emeril Lagasse. After two disastrous false starts at The Food Network, his TV career looked over. Then he got some coaching from no less a personality than Julia Child. She told him to pretend the camera was buddy that he was talking to. Look directly at him and talk the way you would talk to a buddy as you make the dish. It worked. The network loved it. When they added a studio audience, he exploded into a cooking phenomenon. I was watching. He has mostly faded from the mainstream consciousness now but when I saw this old recipe re-created on my favourite TicToc cooking channel (Vivaldi), I dredged up (get it?) the ingredients and tried it last week. It not my mothers' meatloaf (I assume a Pavlovian response because it never really is ... is it?) but it is good. Cold, s1/2" slices, with raw onions on heavily buttered bread Calabrese bread with ketchup. That gives you, in my humble opinion, perhaps the best sandwich you can make at home.
Ingredients
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 eggs beaten
1 large slice italian bread
2 tsp olive oil
3 oz bacon diced
2 cups finely diced onion
1/4 cup finely diced bell pepper
1/4 cup seeded and minced jalapeno’s
3 tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp chopped fresh thyme
1 tbsp Cajun spice
1 tea salt, 2 of pepper, 1/2 cayenne
1/4 cup chopped green onions
2 tbsp chopped Italian Parsley
1 pound ground chuck
2 hot italian sausages
1/2 cup chilli sauce
2 tbsp dark brown sugar
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
Instructions:
1. Combine, the bread, heavy cream and beaten egg in a large bowl. Set aside
2. Add the olive oil and bacon to a skillet and cook on medium to high heat till the bacon starts to crisp.
3. Add the onions, celery, bell pepper and jalapeño and cook until soft and lightly caramelized.
4. Add the garlic, salt, 1 tsp of pepper, essence, thyme and cayenne, Cook for 2 minutes
5. Add the green onions and the parsley and combine. Set aside to cool
6. Fold the chuck and pork into the bread crumb mixture.
7. Fold the vegetable mixture into the meat and bread mixture,
8. Place the mixture into a loaf pan.
9. Combine the chilli sauce, brown sugar, the remaining black pepper and Worcestershire into a small bowl and mix together.
10. Pour the sauce over the meatloaf
11. Bake at 375 for approximately 40 minutes or an internal temperature of 160 Fahrenheit.
12. Rest for 20 and serve. If anyone goes for seconds, stab the back of their hand with a fork. "Sandwiches tomorrow, paws off"
... and finally
I was talking to a buddy last week who is contemplating the "condo" move. During our conversation he mentioned a storage locker. Oh no, I thought. The fatal flaw. When I moved from a 1500 ft2 to a 900 ft2 house, about half of the boxes went into the basement and never got unpacked. I've been been moving them around since '04. I am sensitive to this issue as Dad left Mom a disaster. She left us (and by us I mean mostly my saintly sister) that same disaster. The stuff that I took, is also mostly still sitting in the basement. I have made some progress with my book collection but next year my number will begin with a 7 and it got me thinking. Whether from this lofty perch you are looking at 20 and out (if you live to ninety), or 15 and out (if you live to eighty-five), or 10 and out ... then by the time you are eighty ... you can be pretty sure, you won't need those roller blades! Or kitchen utensils. That roto tiller. The bedroom set, dining table, card table, table saw, dog kennels, tap and die set, rolled up carpeting, you get my drift. I'm not being morbid, I am just thinking out loud. When I go into a home, I am taking, a suitcase full of clothes, a bag with some slippers and some shoes, perhaps a hat, a couple of pictures, a small bookshelf and my laptop. That's it. That's what mom had ... minus the laptop. From what I have now to that, must be undertaken in what I am sure, will feel like a brief span of years.
The condo move in the middle of that evolution is probably more emotionally draining. You get a third of what is in your kitchen, one smaller bedroom set, a couch, a TV, a couple of end tables and two closets of clothes. You can try and pick out four or five things off your walls but shortly thereafter ... everything else must go! The contents of two (or three or four) bedrooms. Everything in your garage? Everything in the basement. Every thing in your yard? How do you do that. So whenever anyone asked what I am doing with my retirement, I always just answer that I have thirty hobbies. I really did when i started four years ago, but the list is a bit smaller these days. We gave up sailing, I sold my sled and ice hut, I'm pretty much done building gardens. So that puts me down four big ones. I am going to add one little one. Every year, for the next ten years, 10% of "my stuff" (as George Carlin puts it), has got to go. I am working on a hierarchy but first thoughts are sell it, gift it, put on at the road and hope someone takes it away or take it to the dump. I don't see any other choices from this lofty perch. I will give you an update on the progress with my book collection next week. I know August was a disappointment, but some blazing hot weather is still coming our way this year!
Mitch & Maddie
