Listing of the Numeral Issue Gets Underway, Osso Bucco, Latest Canadian Stamp Blog Posts and sales approach $3,500

Yesterday got off to a slow start, as I am now posting to both this blog and my Canadian Philately Blog on an almost daily basis and it takes me a couple of hours to compose my posts for the Canadian Philately blog. However, I am quite proud of the quality of the posts. If you are intrigued to see what I am writing about, you can access the posts through the following link:

http://canadianphilately.blogspot.ca/

I am now closing in on nearly two months of active listings and my sales are just over $3,500 to date. I am optimistic that at the end of my second month, September 23, I will have a total of over $4,000, which averages out at $2,000 per month. It is still not nearly enough to live on, but if my sales continue to grow as I list more material, then by January 2017, I should be generating enough sales to pay myself a salary, which means that I can stay in business and not have to go back to work as an accountant.

I am now working on posting the listings for the Numeral Issue and managed to get all of the 1/2c values listed yesterday. The half cent value looks very similar to the Maple Leaf stamp:

Today, I am hoping to complete listing of the 1c, 2c and 3c stamps. and scanning of the 5c and 6c values.

The meal I am making today is Osso Bucco, which is braised veal shanks in a tomato-beef broth. It is a Northern Italian recipe and literally translated it means the "bone with the hole". I had a recipe in the new cookbook that I received for my birthday that I wanted to try, but when I read it, it just didn't look right to me because it called for pan-frying of the veal, which I know would result in tough, chewy meat. The only way to cook veal shank is slowly to break down the connective tissue. So I came up with my own recipe to serve 4:

4 large veal shanks.
1 onion or bunch of green onions (I used green as I had a bunch in my fridge that I needed to use)
2 celery stalks
3 carrots
2 cups of beef broth
1 can of tomato paste
1 teaspoon of fresh thyme

Season the veal with salt and pepper and then coat both sides in flour. heat some oil in a skillet and brown the veal on both sides for 2 minutes on each side. This will bring out the flavour of the meat while it is in the slow cooker. Set aside.

Next cut up the vegetables and place them in a food processor and pulse using the chopping blade until they are finally chopped. Heat some more oil in the skillet over high heat and fry the vegetables for 5-6 minutes to bring out the flavours adding Italian seasoning as you stir. Take the pan off the heat and pour the vegetables in the bottom of the slow cooker insert. Then add the veal. Add the tomato paste to the beef stock and whisk until smooth. Pour over the meat. Add the fresh thyme and turn the slow cooker on to low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours, depending on when you need dinner to be ready. After the meat is done it should practically fall off the bone. Check for salt level and adjust as necessary and serve.

I like to serve it with bread or rice, but you can also serve it with potatoes or noodles. the broth is quite runny, so I find that bread or rice absorb it better.