Edition 46

WHAT’S HAPPENIN’ IN THE HOUSE:

Tonight: Only 2 more games before playoffs begin. Playoff guidelines - please refer to the Rules under WNW GamesCentre - # 12:12 Playoffs. This outlines everything you need to know and be aware of - Games Times, Spare Rules, Tie Breaking rules, Bell Rule.

More info next week!

Next week: Don’t forget we curl next week – even though it is Halton School Board Spring Break.

THE YEAR LONG SCAVENGER HUNT

This is your off ice team building fun….

Guidelines:

• Keep a spot on your phone/computer or day book that tracks your successful ‘hunting’ over the curling season. 
• Each week your team will be given a clue to gather, take a picture of , answer or do….
• As per my personality – the more creatively you complete the clues – you can get bonus points!! 

LAUGH OF THE WEEK:

STUFF THAT MAKES US CURL BETTER:

Again – Thanks to Day Women for our Tip….

Written by: Patricia Hooper & Brenda Ulbikas

Tip of the Week: 

Hit me with your best shot!

Have you ever been confused about what all the fancy hand signals curlers use during games? The players aren’t just waving about aimlessly; those signals have a meaning. It can get very noisy on the ice, and the Skip needs to communicate with the team effectively so they need to use their broom for indicating the desired shot and hand signals for the weight. Some Skips will also shout out the shot and weight. For example, “take-out” followed by “board weight”. It’s important to become familiar with terminology as well as hand signals and also which method your Skip prefers.

Using the broom 

When the team prepares to deliver a rock, the Skip will communicate what type of shot she would prefer. If they are to attempt a draw shot, the Skip will use her brush to draw a curve on the ice to where the rock should stop.

The Skip will call a take-out shot when she wants to remove the opposing team’s rock. In this case, she will touch the stone that she wants to be taken out, then she will lift the brush up and backwards.  

If the team needs to protect one of their stones on the ice, the Skip will call a guard shot and tap the broom on the ice where she wants the rock to end.

If the Skip holds the broom over her head horizontally she is asking for a bump or tap-up. 

Common Types of Shots

Guard:

a stone that comes to rest between the hog line and the front of the house. It is a type of shot that is designed to block and prevent the other team from throwing stones into the house to score points.

Draw:

a rock that is thrown anywhere into the house. The most common call for a draw is a "come around" which means the stone should pass the opposing guard and end up in the house protected or buried. 

Freeze: 

a draw shot that stops in front of another rock and or next to another rock. The rock is positioned so close to another that it is more difficult to remove. 

Hit and roll:

a take-out rock that, after making contact with another rock, slides (rolls) into a designated area.

Hit and stay:

a take-out where the delivered stone stays in the spot where it made contact with the stationary stone; also called 'hit and stick' or a 'nose hit'.

Takeout:

a shot in which one or more stones are removed from play.

Blast:

a shot delivered with heavy weight and high velocity. A blast is usually intended to remove many stones from play or is used to break up and move around clustered stones. "Playing the blast" into a large cluster of stones is often a last resort shot to get the rocks split up when there are no other viable shots available.

Crotch Hit:

when 2 stones are positioned side by side, the thrower hits the stones directly in the centre, sending both stones out of the house. The Skip will sometimes make a hand gesture in the shape of a V to indicate this type of shot.

Raise:

a shot in which the delivered stone bumps another stone forward. The Skip may hold her broom horizontally over her head for the raise (bump or tap) call.

Runback or raise takeout:

a take-out shot where a guard or stone in the front of the house is raised straight back into another rock to remove it. 

Peel:

a take-out that removes a stone from play and the delivered stone rolls out. These are usually intentional, such as for blanking an end. The Skip will often touch her head for this weight.

Tick:

a shot that just rubs another stone without removing it from play, which usually results in a shot that will count. 

RECIPES AROUND THE RINGS:

CRISPY BAKED CHICKEN TACOS

OH-SO-CRISP, crunchy, cheesy chicken tacos completely baked to absolute PERFECTION. A super easy weeknight meal!

Super crispy, crunchy, cheesy chicken tacos that do not require any kind of deep-frying? Yes, please! I know, it’s hard to believe that these are baked but they are completely 100% baked start to finish.

With an easy chicken filling and the most fragrant spices, cilantro and a little bit of cheese, these come together very quickly. And that little brush of oil prior to baking help these bad boys crisp up in the oven so so perfectly.

Ground pork or ground beef can easily be substituted for the chicken, and you can even make these miniature-size using smaller corn tortillas (I used 5-6 inch corn tortillas here). Serve with your favorite toppings as needed – guac, pico, and/or sour cream are all favorable choices here!

INGREDIENTS

• 2 ½ tablespoons canola oil, divided
• 1 pound ground chicken
• ½ medium sweet onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (4.5-ounce) can chopped green chiles
• 1 ½ teaspoons chili powder
• ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 ½ cups shredded Mexican cheese blend, divided
• 8 flour or corn tortillas, warmed

FOR SERVING

• Pico de gallo
• Guacamole
• Shredded lettuce
• Lime wedges

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly oil a baking sheet or coat with nonstick spray.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon canola oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Add ground chicken, onion and garlic, and cook until browned, about 3-5 minutes, making sure to crumble the chicken as it cooks; drain excess fat.
3. Stir in green chiles, chili powder, paprika, oregano and cumin until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.
4. Remove from heat. Stir in cilantro and lime juice; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Stir in 1 cup cheese until well combined.
5. Working one at a time, spread chicken mixture on half of the tortilla; top with 1 tablespoon cheese, folding over to seal. Repeat with remaining tortillas to make 8 tacos.
6. Place tacos in a single layer onto the prepared baking sheet. Brush tops with remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons canola oil.
7. Place into oven and bake until toasted and crispy, about 12-15 minutes.
8. Serve immediately with desired toppings.

SONG OF THE WEEK:

To honour our tip of the week:

Pat Benatar - Hit Me With Your Best Shot (Live) (Official Music Video)

P.S – You can find all our Newsletters from this year on our club website.  Look for Newsletters under the Information button. 

Got something you want in the newsletter? Please send it to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for our next edition of WNL². Submissions are helpful. Please send by Monday evening. I need stuff!