A bit of Saturday afternoon instrument work

Last Saturday was sunny, cold and windy, perfect conditions to practice some approaches with the new software on the Garmins in the Bonanza.

After a few minutes of fiddling we seem to be able to find our way through the new menu in the radios. In addition to a few other changes the transponder now can also be controlled via the big touch screen on the center stack.

We get clearance from the tower for take-off and give it full power

90 Kts, 100 ft and positive rate of climb and up with the wheels

As we leave the commercial terminal behind and make our way to Rochester-Skyhaven airport in New Hampshire.

Short final in to Skyhaven where we top off the fuel tanks

We make it a quick turnaround given the 30 deg F temps and the 20 kts of wind

fiddle with the radios a bit and set up the approach in to Sanford

Ready . . . . set . . . . Go

And we make the entry in to the holding pattern for Rwy 7 at KSFM

Once around the racetrack as we see the setting sun

Here is what it looks like as we cross the marker beacon on the ILS rwy for 7 for KSFM. Landing gear down and flaps at one notch. The moving magenta icon of the little aircraft on the electronic approach plate helps give us a sense of orientation never possible with the old raw data steam gauges.

And this is what it looks like out the window

At minimums we execute the missed approach, procedure, retract the wheels and make contact with KPWM

And set up to shoot the RNAV/GPS approach to 36 at KPWM

Looking over our shoulder as we cross over the coast

Tuck out over the water

And pass Richmond Island and Kettle Cove my kayaking playground as we line up on the inbound course to Rwy 36.

As the plane has not flown in a couple of weeks while it was in the shop for the radio software upgrade we turn on the TKS anti-ice just to lubricate the weeping wing and the camera now wants to focus on the wet windshield from the prop slinger. Can you see the runway VASI lights? it's the tan patch with the single light in the middle of the photo.

 Final for 36 over Cash Corner and the rail yard.

A bit bumpy on short final makes for candy canes on the camera

and touchdown . . .  another perfect crime!!!!

A quick Stir fry

About a pound of chicken breast and one Bell pepper.

Cube the chicken in to bite sized bits and slice up the pepper

Get your ingredients ready cause this show will move fast. Half a cup of raisins, half a cup of peanuts. Dress the chicken with liberal amounts of powdered garlic, one heaping table spoon of sweet smoked paprika, salt, pepper and a god bit of olive oil. Now get your Wok rip roaring hot, I mean smoking hot. And in a separate pan start heating up yesterdays left over rice.

Disconnect smoke alarms . . . . Give the hot Wok a splash of oil and toss in the sliced pepper along with a couple of chopped cloves of garlic. Toss for a couple of minutes till they wilt a bit and get brown edges. And set aside in a bowl

An other splash of oil and toss in the cubed chicken. Spread out so all the bits are in contact with the pan and let it rip untouched for about 2 minutes til the bottom side gets nicely browned with just a hint of crispy edges. Flip them over and start tossing til they are all cooked but still tender. About three or four minutes.

Toss the peppers back in. Add half a cup of raisins, and an equal amount of peanuts, cashews and sunflower seeds will work as well. Toss for a minute or two and add about a dozen splashes of good quality soy sauce. Keep tossing and get it all glazed up.

serve over yesterday's refried rice and enjoy.

A different take on steak and potatoes

4.50 U$ gets you about a pound and a quarter of Chuck Eye at the store. Just about the cheapest cut you can get. Its a lovely piece of marbled meat from the neck of the cow. Normally I do it on the grill. But being that it is about 5 degrees F bellow freezing right now and spitting sleet it is simply not conducive to cooking outside. One side of the steak freezes while the other burns. Drastic measures are needed.

Dress with your choice of spices, Adobo works for me.

Brown both sides in a heavy cast iron pot.

Remove the meat and deglaze the pot with a chopped up onion

brown up the onions just a bit, and pop the steak back in

one 12 oz beer . . .

 . . . in to the pot so it covers everything.

Cover and let it simmer for an hour and a half to two hours so it looks like this.

After an hour and a half break out your bagged frozen Yuca or peel one if you get it fresh.

And set a few chunks to boil in water for about 15 minutes til tender

one tub of sliced Portobelo mushrooms

Remove the steaks, and add the mushrooms and a handful of fresh chopped dill. Salt, Pepper and garlic to taste. And turn over for about 2 or 3 minutes on medium flame.

Serve and enjoy

Saumon en Papillote

One and a quarter pound of over priced farm raised Icelandic salmon.

Yes expensive, but hey its cheaper than eating out.

Season with salt, pepper and plenty dill.

A generous helping or horseradish sauce, the creamy kind

A pat of butter on each piece

Place on a two foot long piece of parchment paper folded in half. Put the fish right along the fold seam and give it a little splash of cheap Chablis.

Double the paper over it and start rolling along one of the inside corners all the way around and wrap it up in a nice airtight little packet.

Pop it in a preheated 500 deg Fahrenheit oven for 14 minutes. No longer or you will kill it. This is what the packet will look like after 14 minutes. Inch and a 1/4 thick chunk of salmon for 14 minutes in a 500 deg Fahrenheit oven will get you cooked on the outside and rare on the inside, in my opinion any more than this is overcooked. For the squeamish among you add a minute or two more, but for gods sake no more or you will destroy a fine meal.

Open the paper and behold a meal fit for a king.

Serve with white rice and a side salad.