When the children were growing up, during the time we lived in New Brunswick, we often drove across the border into Houlton Maine where we would go shopping.  This was really exciting for me because they had a Wal Mart there and Wal Mart hadn't yet made its way into Canada. I have always loved grocery shopping in the US.

 

We would leave our home early in the morning and not get back home until the evening.  This meant that we also used to go to the Elmwood Diner in Houlton for a hearty lunch.  This diner was exactly what you would expect for a small town diner.  The walls were covered with their dining specials handwritten out on paper place-mats.  The place was always super busy and the food was always super good.  I don't think it is in operation any longer, sadly.

 

I used to get either fish and chips, or a roast turkey dinner.  Those are my two favourite things when dining out, and nobody does them better than diners do.

 

I decided to recreate that dining experience today for Todd.  He has been working really hard in the garden and I thought he would enjoy the treat. 

 

I don't know many people who wouldn't enjoy a club sandwich . . .  its like a double decker sandwich on 3 slices of mayo spread toasted bread . . .

 

with layers of sliced cooked turkey, sliced ripe tomatoes, cheese  . . .

 

lettuce, crisp streaky bacon, sliced ham and more cheese  . . . 

 

I even made some coleslaw to go with it, only today I made a vinaigrette coleslaw.  That way the leftovers could be kept easily in the refrigerator, and I thought there was enough mayo in the meal with just the sandwich.

 

A coleslaw vinaigrette makes a nice change every now and again.  I will confess I am not fond of the coleslaw over here in the UK.  Its too gloopy and overloaded with mayo.  They don't do it well in my opinion.  There is such a thing as TOO much of a good thing, and they way over do the dressing.

 

Speaking of overdoing it  . . .  boy can you tell we are senior citizens now . . .  one sandwich would have fed the two of us amply  . . .

 

Neither of us could get through a whole thing.  The most we managed was half a sandwich each and we never touched the pan fries.  (Not to worry, I have an idea for those for tomorrow, watch this space.)

  

In any case this little taste of home put a smile on my face today and pleased Todd to no end!

 

Something happens to you when you get older.  You just can't eat like you used to.  I can remember when it was nothing to polish off one of these and a piece of pie to boot!  Not anymore, that's for sure.  I leave that kind of eating to the younger generation these days! 

 

 

I have never made any secret of the fact that the humble potato is my absolute favourite vegetable of all the vegetables.  

 I have never met a potato that I did not like. 

 

Simply boiled and rolled in herbs and butter . . .  especially lovely with the new potatoes early in the season, while they are still small . . . 

over here we get Jersey Royals which are in a delicious category all of their own  . . . .   

 

Cut into sticks and fried in hot fat, not once but twice . . . until golden brown on the exterior, whilst maintaining a fluffy interior . . . 

lightly salted and doused with malt vinegar . . .

 

Very thinly sliced or shredded into sticks and then fried in hot fat until they are super crispy such as potato chips or sticks . . . straw potatoes  . . .

 

Peeled, cubed and boiled until tender . . .  then mashed with plenty of butter, milk and seasoning . . . 

oh you can add all sorts to mash . . .  shredded cooked cabbage, spring onions, steamed greens, horseradish . . .  cheese.  Let your imagination go wild! 

 

Washed, dried and pricked with a fork then roasted in the skins in a hot oven . . .  directly on the oven racks so that the air gets all around them  . . .  creating a super crisp skin.  

Crisp on the outside and tender on the inside.  A gentle squeeze popping them open and revealing all of that potato fluff, hot and just waiting for a pat of cold butter  . . .

 

Peeled and cut into large chunks, par-boiled and drained . . . .  bang them up a bit in the saucepan to rough up the edges a but and then roll in hot goose-fat . . . 

roasted in a hot oven until crisp and golden brown  . . . with all of those lovely little crisp bits created from knocking them about in the pan  . . . 

 

Boiled and sliced or cubed and then doused in a vinaigrette to create a beautiful potato salad, along with some creamy mayonnaise and your favourite add-ins . . .

 

There is really no end to what you can do with a potato.  They are a meal in and of themselves . . .  oh, I could not live without potatoes . . .  

I could NOT live without potatoes.  Low carb does not work for me.  You can take away my steak, but don't touch my potato!

 

This is another favourite way to use potatoes.  Melting Potatoes.  

These are done in the oven, a very close cousin to fondant potatoes,  (served here with pan roasted cod, very good) which are done in the same manner, except in a skillet on top of the stove.

  

These are just as simple, maybe even simpler  . . . they are simply peeled, cut into thick slices, rolled in butter, herbs and seasonings and then roasted until golden brown all over  . . . .

  

Once they are golden brown all over, you pour over a simple mix of stock, lemon juice and garlic and roast them a bit more  . . .

 

They absorb the stock and lemon juice  . . .  there is garlic in the pan also, to impart even more flavour  . . .

 

They end up being melting tender  . . .  filled with flavour . . .  still holding their shape . . .  golden brown  . . .

 

The perfect side dish  . . .  for with meats or poultry . . . fish, etc.

  

We enjoyed them with a tender pot roast of beef and some vegetables.  Oh boy, some good!

 

It only takes a little more than half an hour in a hot oven to achieve moreish perfection.  You are going to love these.  I promise you. 

 

I was wanting something fresh and crunchy to eat the other day, and then I remembered the Deli Kitchen Skinni Wraps I had in the freezer, so I took them out to thaw and started thinking about what I was going to do with them! 

 

We are always being told to eat a "Rainbow."  A mix of five or more servings of vegetables and fruits in a day.  I have heard as many as 8.  This can be a bit hard to do, but it isn't impossible, and your heart  and body will thank you for it! 

 

I love the Deli Kitchen Skinni Wraps!   The come in plain and multi grain. 

 

They truly are very thin and coming in at less than 100 calories per wrap, they are the wise choice for someone who is trying to low carb it and eat healthier! 

 

Plus they come in a handy packaging which boasts a peel and stick closure, which means they will stay fresh for longer.  They also freeze very well. 

 

They also boast a unique rectangular shape with a pointed end, which makes them perfect for filling and rolling up tightly, no matter what you choose to fill them with! 

 

As you can see I chose a variety of fresh veg to fill mine with . . .  courgettes (zucchini), carrots, red cabbage, mashed avocado, rocket, carrots and two colours of fresh peppers . . . . 

  

I spread a thin layer of hummus over each wrap before I added the vegetables and then I added the crisp and fresh veggies in rows . . .  a beautiful rainbow of colours and textures and flavours!  Because the mashed avocado is a bit wetter than the others, I chose to put it in the middle.

  

Mmmm  . . .  I love mashed avocado and this was lightly flavoured with tangy lime juice, which also helped to maintain it's bright green colour! 

 

I adore hummus also and this was perfect for the base on which to layer everything else.  You can make your own or use a good, well flavoured store brand.  I used a Lemon, pepper and coriander one.

 

Its just loaded with flavour and it is my favourite! 

 

I often eat hummus with crisp vegetables for dipping!  This was kind of like that in a tasty wrap! 

  

It looked really pretty when sliced . . . 

 

And those lovely wraps held everything in beautifully, making these easy to eat and enjoy! 

  

I love eating rainbows!

 

I love these Deli Kitchen Skinni Wraps, both the Multi Grain ones and the Plain ones.  Totally yummy!  You can buy them at Sainsbury's here in the UK.    Their delicious range also includes Sliced Focaccia, Plain Subwich, two kinds of folded flatbreads and three kinds of sandwich thins.  As a diabetic I do try to watch my carb intake most of the time and I have found these thinner, healthier options really helpful in doing that, plus they are also delicious.  I can have my sandwich and eat it too!  You can find their products in a variety of different shops, to find out which products are available where, do check out their website.