Tzatziki recipe

For Chrissa. I don't actually make my own dip, but if you want to try this recipe is from About.com Home Cooking.

Ingredients
1 container (16 ounces) plain lowfat yogurt
1/2 English (seedless) cucumber, not peeled, seeded and finely chopped plus a few thin slices
1/1-2 teaspoons salt
1 to 2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint or dill plus additional sprigs (use dill preferred)
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper


Instructions
Spoon yogurt into sieve lined with cheesecloth or coffee filter set over bowl; cover and refrigerate overnight. Transfer drained yogurt to medium bowl and discard liquid.

Meanwhile, in colander set over bowl, toss chopped cucumber with 1 teaspoon salt. Let drain at least 1 hour at room temperature, or cover and refrigerate up to 8 hours. In batches, wrap chopped cucumber in kitchen towel and squeeze to remove as much liquid as possible. Pat dry with paper towels, then add to bowl with yogurt.

With flat side of chef's knife, mash garlic to a paste with remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add garlic, chopped mint, oil, vinegar, and pepper to yogurt and stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 or up to 4 hours. Serve chilled or at room temperature, topped with cucumber slices and mint sprigs.

Yield: about 1-1/2 cups

Per tablespoon: about 17 calories, 1 gram protein, 1 gram carbohydrate, 1 gram total fat (0 gram saturated), 1 mg cholesterol, 182 mg sodium.

A to Z(ed) Meme and other things

A - Available/Single? Married
B - Best Friend? Hubby
C- Cake or Pie? Pie, apple please
D - Drink Of Choice? Coke
E - Essential Item You Use Everyday? Touthbrush, if you don't ... ewww!
F - Favorite Color? Red
G - Gummy Bears Or Worms? Neither, but bears if I have to choose, the sour ones preferrbaly
H - Hometown? Thornhill (borders Toronto on the north side)
I - Indulgence? Poutine
J - January Or February? February, it's short and then it's March.
K - Kids & Their Names? None yet, but I have a high fever
L - Life Is Incomplete Without? Hubby
M - Marriage date? October 23 2004
N- Number Of Siblings? 1 younger brother
O - Oranges Or Apples? Apples, baked please :)
P - Phobias/Fears? I don't like spiders, a baby sitter told me that they could bite me, lay eggs, and a red welt would appear and get bigger over time and the doctor would cut it open and baby spiders would come out. Now I imagine baby spiders that some of those baby spiders would get into your veins, how gross!
Q - Favorite Quote? I love you - anyone
R - Reason to Smile? Hubby and puppy cuddling
S - Season? Autumn
T - Tag 3 or 4 people? Chrissa, Val, Jenn, Karen
U - Unknown Fact About Me - How about a little known fact - I have 3 moles I want to remove because they get pulled by my clothing sometimes.
V - Vegetable you don’t like? Mushrooms (They usually make me throw up)
W - Worst Habit? Not flossing every single day (getting better though)
X - X-rays You’ve Had? Teeth, once a year. Feet, once when I broke one, twice for orthodics. Abdomen, gave me x-rays instead of an ultrasound for the gall bladder, stupid med centre.
Y - Your Favorite Food? Currently Dante's pizza
Z - Zodiac Sign? Virgo accurate for me, I'm also a Rat in the Chinese zodiac, similar to Virgo, so I'm doubly blessed with being detail oriented.

Well to end off my vacation I have a cold, I don't feel too awful right now, just under the weather and weak.