Monday, June 24, 2013

Menopause, Dreams, Lost Pigeon

A Daft Scots Lass was talking about perimenopausal symptoms on Hot flashesher blog yesterday. I do so sympathise with her. These are not funny, neither for the woman experiencing them nor for the people living with them. I see there are all kinds of treatments offered these days which guarantee that you will sail through the whole experience with ease. I think if I were at that age I would be inclined to try them. Anything for help. These symptoms can come at any age, I have known people start menopause in their 30s, and some of the symptoms can carry on for many years. I still have hot flashes at my age. Some of the worst problems are the emotional ones and these varying emotions many husbands have trouble coping with. I think this is often when men start looking around elsewhere. Nature was not very kind to us females; in order to procreate the species we have to put up with a lot of hassle all our lives.

Back to my all consuming CPAP machine, I realised over the dreamsweekend that I don’t recall having had any dreams since I started using the machine. I hope that doesn’t mean I am not getting any REM sleep as that would be really serious. It may, of course, just be that I am not recalling them, but all my life I have had vivid dreams and have often thought, if I could remember enough when I wake, I probably could write a book.

japanese pigeonIn May I wrote about a racing pigeon fetching $400,000 now there is a story of a racing pigeon, from Nanaimo, Japan having ended up on Vancouver Island. At least it wasn’t the one which fetched so much money the other day as that one went to China. Somebody cracked that the pigeon must have been using Apple maps. Nevertheless, the pigeon had to have flown some 8,000 kilometers.

I have hesitated to use this recipe because of the quail eggs. I certainly have no idea if I can obtain them in my area, but I assume they are obtainable in some places in North America. Nor am I quite sure what British wasabi is, but see no reason why one can’t use regular wasabi. I then Googled it and have linked it in the recipe.

Asparagus with Peppered Soft Boiled Quails’ Eggs, Watercress and British Wasabi Dressing.
Marcus Bean – British Asparagus

"I love this as it’s one of the first asparagus dishes I put on the menu at the pub. We use wild asparagus from a local stream across the field from the pub, soft poached Shropshire quails’ eggs and some punchy wasabi. It’s a firm favourite on our menu during the season Pam Lloyd PR Asparagus Recipes (23rd & 25th November 2011)because it’s a great combination of flavours."

Serves: 2
You'll need:
8 stems of asparagus (4 per person)
2 quails’ eggs
2 tbsp of freshly cracked black pepper
1 tsp of freshly grated British wasabi
1 tsp honey
50ml of olive oil
1 tsp white wine vinegar
½ tsp of Dijon mustard
100g fresh watercress
What to do:
1
To cook the asparagus place in a steamer until just cooked then place in ice water to stop cooking and allow the asparagus to keep that lovely green colour. Put a small pan of water on the hob, bring to the boil then add your quails’ eggs and cook for 2 minutes 15 seconds then put into ice water for 5 minutes, After 5 minutes peel the eggs in the water for ease.
2
For the dressing mix the olive oil, white wine vinegar, honey, mustard and fresh wasabi until combined, then set aside.
3
Once the quail eggs are peeled, grab your freshly cracked black pepper and roll the eggs in it until the white is covered. Put your watercress in a bowl, slice your asparagus into 3 pieces per stem, now drizzle the watercress and asparagus with the wasabi dressing and then lightly season. Very carefully slice your quail eggs in half, then add them to the plate with the asparagus and watercress.

Have a great day
Jo_thumb[2]

22 comments:

  1. Thanx for the shout out, Jo.

    My poor husband wants to trade me in, I'm convinced.

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  2. I use a CPAP and last still dream. Last night I had a few really bizarre ones. But I also take melatonin so I think this helps with the dreams.

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    1. I'm not entirely sure, may have had a dream last night. I used my nose only mask and spent a lot of the night fiddling with it, won't bother again.

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  3. Interesting dilemma re CPAP machine. Must check with my daughter and see if she has that problem.

    I wonder if regular hens eggs would be a good substitute?? Have't seen quail eggs for sale anywhere.

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    1. Obviously if you can't get quail eggs, hens would have to do. I don't know everywhere but there are definitely wild quail in North Carolina so I wonder if their eggs are available Never tried them anyway.

      Be interested to hear what your daughter says.

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  4. Oh those bl**dy flushes(flashes). We have 'his & her' bedcoverings now - I have a lightweight sheet and David gets the duvet!

    Never eaten quails eggs ... but I guess it wouldn't really matter if you used chickens eggs would it?

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    1. I am assuming the taste would be quite different. You should be able to get them in your neck of the woods, its an English recipe after all.

      LOL on the flashes/flushes. Sheets can be too warm.

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  5. That's a long flight for a pigeon.
    Keep an eye on the no dreaming thing. You're right - you need your REM sleep.

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    1. Isn't it just. Dunno if there were islands anywhere on which he could have rested. Or a ship I guess.

      I will keep an eye on it you can be sure.

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  6. I was fortunate and missed almost all of the symptoms. I think that amused my doctor.

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    1. Lucky you. Some women do get lucky that way.

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  7. Surgery brought my symptoms way to early, but husbands go through their own kind of change! Happy to say the recent one was great for me! :)

    Soon you'll be the CPAP expert!

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    1. That was a pain for you. Re husbands, some say they do, some say they don't - not sure its ever been medically confirmed.

      Seems like it, doesn't it?

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  8. My doctor started me on Soy when I was 40. I've never had any symptoms of menopause other than the weight gain. Was it the soy? Who knows. I'm 66 so I doubt that I'll be experiencing any hot flashes unless I am working out. lol

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    1. I have stopped taking soy now, but I still got/get hot flashes and I am 74

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  9. Surgery brought it on early, right in the middle childbearing years. Thank god for hormone replacement. Weaning off of those has brought in hotflashes. Ugh. I hate them.

    Men go through their own set of hormonal changes.

    Jo, there are people who raise quail for the market and they sell the eggs too. Just a matter of finding them. What the heck, chicken eggs work just as well and if you want small eggs you can get Banty eggs pretty easily too.

    Sia McKye OVER COFFEE

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    1. It's all a rotten business isn't it. Whatever the age.

      I knew we could get quail in the UK and assumed they were available on this side of the pond, but have never seen them.

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  10. I dream a lot and I thought that was not a good thing. I see I was wrong. Keep an eye on that. I dig the picture you chose by the way. It looks like sugar candy.
    I am not fond of eggs. We'll wait for the next recipe. :)

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    1. Nothing wrong with dreaming Al, it is a good thing I believe.

      I like eggs, but you can't eat them anyway can you?

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  11. I have no doubt you can write a book, remembered dreams or not. I can't quite make out what that picture is, but the colors are incredible.

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    1. I have often thought of writing a book, I just have never managed to figure out what I want to write about.

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