The View From Mrs. Sundberg's Window

The world is full of adventure

August 1, 2011

Listened to the show Saturday and it was not bad. I've been keeping busy as I'm sure you have. Never one to get bored because there is, always, inevitably, the next thing. This week it was fishing and haircuts and mowing and a root canal that never happened (thank the Lord). Then it was a meal of eggrolls and salad and noodles. Now it's house cleaning and thoughts toward school and supplies and bus numbers...but not yet.

No, not yet. There's more of summer, a few more adventures, and then I'll entertain thoughts of backpacks and calculators. My gosh, the words "fish pie" have been on my list for weeks now and I haven't gotten to it. Doesn't that sound good? I mean, think about it. Minnesota is all about fishing, and some of the best bakers in the world live here. You'd like fish pie would be a staple. I heard someone mention it in a news story back in June and it won't leave my head. So I've been looking, and if I can't find it, I'll create it.

What I did find in my meanderings was gummy bear brats. Yes. For real. At a little place on 61 called "Grundhofer's." Heard about that in the news, too, and had to find out for myself, and sure enough, there they were - lovely plump brats with little colored gummy bears pressing their little gummy hands and faces to the inside of the brat skin. I couldn't not try them.

They were something else. The only surprise was that I expected little pools of brightly-colored gel in the meat. When I bit into it, no more gummy bears. But there was an amazing sugary coating on that brat, and I ate the whole thing. And then another. Wonderful.

The world is full of adventure. And surprises. Let's hope the popularity of fish potpie will be one of them. Here's to gilled creatures, and to risk. Ahoy, matey.

You can never have enough varieties of salad. And should you reach the "no more" point, try this one. You'll eat your words.

Napa Cabbage Salad

1 good head of Napa cabbage

Dressing:
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup vinegar
2 T soy sauce
1-2 oil
Stir together in small saucepan. Bring to a boil; boil one minute.

Crunch:
2T sesame seeds
slivered almonds
1 pkg Ramen noodles, dry and broken up into small pieces
Saute in lightly oiled skillet til lightly toasted. Sprinkle with a bit of soy while cooking.

Shred cabbage thinly (about half an inch) and at a vertical angle. Place in large bowl. Pour cooled dressing over, stir well. Sprinkle with crunch topping.

Serve with Oriental meals, grilled teriyaki chicken, shrimp kabobs.