So...whats for dinner?
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Gordy's heading off to Grand Rapids to stand up at a friend's wedding (8 hr. trip on a Greyhound because of inadequate train service and exorbitant small-market-destination airfare); so I made him truffled (oil & salt) scrambled eggs, sausage and toast. I decided to try that jar of shakshuka sauce I picked up at WF on a whim. Much easier and less messy than I thought--one pan on the stovetop, and the whole shebang slid intact into a pasta dish. Delicious! (And I only needed 1/3 of the jar for 2 eggs).
Don't wanna jinx it, but I think the ants are under control this a.m. Nonetheless, I'm picking up a spray bottle and apple cider vinegar--I hear it works. I also put in an order at WF on Tues. for fresh Copper River sockeye salmon, which is in season (and which I hoped to grill on cedar planks for friends on Sun. or Mon.). But it hasn't come in--the fish guy says that they got a little bit in last week and were expecting more, but according to the fish wholesalers in Seattle the catch thus far has been disappointing: undersized and less flavorful. (And the Pebble Mine, which would totally devastate both the river's spawning grounds and Bristol Bay, has yet to be approved and isn't yet up & running). They do expect some Bristol Bay and Bering Sea king salmon, though. I don't find it as flavorful, nor its texture as pleasing, as the sockeye. Too thick to do well on the grill or planked. But I can quick-brine and pan-sear it like I do with farmed Icelandic filets, and it's more healthful and environmentally safe than Atlantic. (I often get Verlasso sustainably farmed Chilean filets from Peapod, but it has more Omega-6 and less Omega-3 than wild Pacific).
Atlantic & Pacific are generally the same species, but the Atlantic wild salmon fishery has been overfished nearly to extinction (the rest polluted by runoff from fish-farming), and all Atlantic salmon on the market are farmed. Apparently the Atlantic cod fishery is so endangered that commercial fishing for it is severely restricted (MA's fishermen are up in arms, as are ME's lobstermen whose catch is similarly restricted), and any wild cod you see for sale is Alaskan.
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Tonight was a slow cooker pot roast, so yummy.
Tomorrow will be French Dips, can’t wait!
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Dinner at Cellars tonight. Bob had a cup of lentil soup and a green bean/feta salad--he had two big lunches. I had no lunch after my shakshuka breakfast, so I had a honey-brined pork chop with mustard sauce, mashed sweet potatoes, and roast Brussels sprouts.
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Thus far the vinegar seems to be doing the trick ant-wise--at least they're controllable. It hit 85 today even by the lake, so I expect to see more critters.
My herbs are doing decently--except for the basil. Wonder if there's something in the potting soil doing it? Might buy a package and start it in water on the sill--no cold windowpane to shock it. Scallions are doing beautifully that way--wish I'd known about that trick earlier. Landscaper coming over tomorrow--I texted him to pick 6 tomato plants for container-growing that will stagger ripening. (Last year, about 1/4 of my crop got blossom-end rot, maybe because I failed to cull and under/overwatered).
Tonight, I made cedar-planked Copper River salmon on the grill--man, those planks can go from soggy ,with salmon raw, to up in flames in a snap. I had the presence of mind to toss a glass of water on the flames, turn off the burners, close the lid and let the fish carry-over cook while I sautéed the snap peas. Served it with a Persian cucumber salad with parsley, pomegranate seeds, sheep-milk feta and a pomegranate molasses dressing. No leftovers! (Also, no photos--too busy juggling).
Sunday morning is "Bike the Drive," which closes Lake Shore Drive to motor vehicles till early afternoon. Bob has to be at Christ Hospital early that morning. Tonight he was able to grab a cancellation at the Oak Lawn Hilton, so I will go down and join him for a late dinner and a morning swim.
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Minus, when I was a kid in Brooklyn (and skinny to the point of worrying my parents & pediatrician), we lived across the street from a luncheonette/soda fountain/candy store. (Back then, there were more soda fountain/newsstand/candy stores in any given neighborhood than there are Starbucks today). They had a whole row of three or four of those milkshake mixers with metal canisters. But we never got plain shakes--we got malteds, mostly chocolate. I can still taste them when I close my eyes. My mom used to give us 35 cents and send us across the street, and would phone the owner to make sure not to let us go back out until we'd finished the glass, the leftover portion in the canister, and the huge cookie (we called it a "wine cracker") that came with it. It's a miracle that I didn't start edging up into double-digit dress sizes till I was 16.
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The cedar-planked Copper River salmon was so good last night, and we'll have at least 8 of us over to grill on Monday, that I figured that regardless of price I would get some more. Yeah, right--the very few places in the Chicago area that still have ANY wild salmon are getting $60/lb for fresh, king only. Mariano's had what it claimed was Copper River for $12/lb, but before they could realize the typo (they meant per 4-oz portion) they got cleaned out of it. They had king for $26.99/lb., but that went fast too. Even Pike Place Market was charging $75/lb for sockeye. One fish market here says that the availabilty of any wild salmon, at least here, is only 2 weeks--and we're in the middle of it. Apparently (and I've checked several websites) this year's catch is not only late but extremely small--so small that the state fishery authority is thinking of declaring it closed for the season to allow the remaining sockeyes & kings to spawn so that there will be enough hatched to be caught next year. I shouldn't have dipped into my frozen stash all winter. So it looks like I will have to supplement Mon's menu with the sustainable Icelandic fillets I got from WF and immediately froze. And maybe a steak or two.
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We are in MN which has been much-too-warm MN since our arrival on Wednesday. I hope this heat is temporary and not the arrival of climate change warming of our little piece of summer earth. The good news is that both the a/c units in the camper home are working. At least the mornings are cool and we can enjoy coffee out on the deck. About noon we close the windows and doors and start the artificial cooling.
On the trip north we ate mediocre food to satisfy hunger. Nothing memorable. I did my best to eat WW healthy. On Thursday I went to town and stocked up on food. Last night was breaded chicken thighs, skinless and boneless. I used the outdoor gas grill as an oven. The thighs were a bit overcooked because the cook was socializing at a gathering next door and drinking a martini. The side was steamed yellow squash. We also had a romaine salad with avocado and tomato.
Tonight will be grilled brats that dh bought today at a good supermarket that makes their own brats. Sides will be Bush baked beans out of a can and a slaw with napa cabbage and fresh pineapple. I have been eating mostly zero point foods for breakfast and lunch to save up for this point-heavy dinner. WW hits me for 9 pts for a brat! Except for the slaw, dinner is a dh type meal. I am not a huge fan of brats or baked beans.
So far I am doing well with avoiding the grazing at Happy Hour. My next door neighbor's large deck is a gathering place where folks bring their own alcoholic beverages and most bring snack food. It's the perfect opportunity for mindless hand to mouth motion. DH and I have our before dinner cocktails with the other folks but we do not return after our dinner for continued drinking.
All in all, things are good. Hoping Canada will dump some cool air this way.
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Tonight was seared chicken, sautéed spinach and a squash/zucchini hash.
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Dinner at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. Sharon had Penne Pasta and I had bass (fish).
We drove this time...Arimadex knees. :-(
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Tonight was a bit of a "miss." Bob called too late (8 pm) from Oak Lawn to tell me he'd be done at Christ Hospital around 9:30. Nothing open down there that late except a steakhouse, Italian red sauce joint, and Hooters. (As to the hotel bar/restaurant, it'd be only the bar menu, which by now I could probably recite from memory). On a nice night, everyone is driving and traffic--especially on Lake Shore Dr. approaching and through downtown--would be atrocious. I'd be looking at a 90-minute drive at a minimum--and I'm still in my housedress. (My "go bag" for emergencies in the car has just a change of underwear, nightie & t-shirt plus meds & tooth stuff). By the time I packed enough to look decent checking in & out it'd have been at least 8:30, and truthfully I was too tired to wrestle with traffic. Besides, with Gordy away the cats wouldn't get fed. And the hotel's culinary saving grace, brunch, would be of no avail because Bob's got to be in by 8 am tomorrow. (No sense eating alone--I can do that much more cheaply at home).
So I opened a package of imported artisanal Tuscan dried "spaghetti alla chitarra" (pasta dough forced through a multi-wire frame that looked like a cross between a harp & a guitar) I got at WF, and decided to make cacio e pepe. Wrong move--the pecorino Romano I had on hand was the hardened heel of an old piece and didn't mix well with the reserved cooking water, so the sauce broke. The pasta took forever: 13 min., and was a weird combination of being too al dente in the middle surrounded by mushy at the same time. It tasted fine (especially with truffle oil), but ultimately unsatisfying. Live & learn, I guess. Next time, I will stick with either fresh or tried & true commercial linguine or spaghettiWhen I get hungry again I'll reheat Thurs. night's leftover Brussels sprouts & mashed sweet potatoes (had the pork chop as brunch).
Tomorrow I will scrounge up some more proteins to grill (have a couple of burgers and three chicken bratwurst besides the salmon & two ribeyes. One friend is strictly heart-healthy (had two angioplasties), so no beef for him. (If it rains, Plan B will be carne asada, as I have quite a bit of grass-fed skirt steak, and pan-sear the salmon). Will see if WF has any salmon left and pick up the fixings for Greek potato salad (or maybe buy it ready-made at Treasure Island if Dirk's Fishery across the street has any frozen wild salmon). Still have buffalo burrata and a couple of tomatoes--may pick up a couple of heirlooms and some more basil, as my plant's still sort of anemic. Last night's cucumber-feta-pomegranate salad was a winner, so I'll do it again with the three Persian cukes I have left; and pick up three ears of corn to grill. (No more corn on the cob for me, as gnawing on a lamb bone made one front incisor too sensitive, and I'm afraid to loosen it--invasive dental work with Prolia in my system would be disastrous. So maybe I'll strip one ear of corn and make elotes). Still have plenty of arugula and baby lettuces, as well as berries (straw-, blue-, black-. rasp-, cherries and papaya)--perhaps pick up another angel food cake. Friends are bringing a "green slime" salad--from their MI childhood, made from whipped lime jello, Miracle Whip, candied fruits & walnuts. Some sort of veggie component I can't identify keeps it from being outright dessert, but it's delicious. And I'll bake a small cornbread in the toaster oven, plus get a baguette or two.
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DH cooked the brats last night and, IMHO, overcooked them. At least most of the pork fat dripped out. We heated the Bush beans on the grill burner and let them simmer to reduce the liquid. I ate 1/2 of a brat with common old yellow mustard, about 1/2 a cup of beans and a generous helping of pineapple slaw.
I'm thinking tonight will be pasta. Linguini and a sauce provided by Rao with perhaps the addition of some lean ground beef. Perhaps not. Definitely grated romano. Side will be romaine salad.
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It's been unseasonably warm here too Carole. After the coldest April on record we are on track to have the hottest May on record. - in the upper 80s and 90s for most of the month. Trees and flowers came on quicky but have faded just as quickly due to the heat. I did plant six tomatoes, four cucumber, one squash and three pepper plants. Oh, and some onions and green beans. It sounds like a lot but actually is far less than usual. They are all doing well at the moment because of summer like conditions.
Friends are coming tomorrow for a mixed grill and classic bbq fare: baked beans, corn on the cob, deviled eggs, fruit salad and a Texas sheet cake with homemade ice cream.
Tonight is going to be fish sandwiches and mac and cheese all from the freezer. Maybe some fresh asparagus for color.
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Sandy - you'll have to report back on the mystery ingredient in the 'slime' salad. Maybe avocado? My mom made one with avocado & cashew nuts.
Carole - Is pineapple slaw what it sounds like? Coleslaw with a can of crushed pineapple? I have a friend who adds crushed pineapple to her carrot & raisin salad.
Eric - sigh!!! Beautiful venue. Thanks for sharing. I've only been to the South Rim.
Going to see Book Club with some lady friends this afternoon. I only see one or two movies a year but I expect to laugh out loud. Then we'll eat at Peli Peli Kitchen. It's South African "comfort food". The blurb says inspired by England, France, Holland, India and America. I've been to their original restaurant & the tastes are always interesting, but this is supposed be be more casual.
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I used to be able to stand common yellow French's mustard (Gordy still likes it) until one day when Gordy was two and insisted on going to "Showbiz Pizza" (rival of Chuck E. Cheese). We were at the one in Brighton Park just n. of Holy Cross Hosp. on the S. Side--it was full of screaming kids, semi-drunk parents, and for some odd reason smelled like cheap hot-dog mustard. It spoiled French's for me, and I actually gag from it. So I eat only Gulden's, Dijon, English/Chinese or German-style coarse mustards. (At the ball park, no mustard on my hot dogs unless I have a packet of Gulden's or Grey Poupon in my purse--and the latter is not my Dijon of choice, since I prefer Maille).
Not sure what to eat tonight--had Thurs.' leftover sides for brunch. Gordy just got back from Grand Rapids and headed straight upstairs to nap. I'm off to Target or Menard's for a new toilet seat (yet another lid has bitten the dust), then to Mariano's &/or Treasure Island for anything to grill plus TI's Greek potato salad.
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carole - great minds think alike - we are having spaghetti with marinara and some turkey meatballs, and a romaine salad!
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Bob has a freebie coupon for the Fireside Inn--not my fave, as they are known for big portions of heavy and oddly-spiced general-American food (their "Cajun meatloaf" would be considered a felony on the bayou), but I'm tired and have to make potato salad and portion out salmon tonight--as well as get the kitchen tidy, so it's the path of least resistance. Hope not to overeat or need to bring home leftovers, as fridge & freezer space is already tight.
Went to Treasure Island, but they ran out of Greek potato salad this morning, so I bought red potatoes to try and recreate it from my recollection of it and the Frugal Gourmet's variation on it. They did have Pacific salmon at a much more reasonable price: fresh Skuna Bay from Vancouver Island--but it's farmed and a dead ringer for the familiar Atlantic variety; and previously frozen Copper River sockye for less than half what I paid for fresh at Whole Foods. Now, I normally wouldn't buy previously frozen in quantity, but seeing as how I had to freeze what I bought Thurs. anyway, any salmon I were to serve tomorrow would be previously frozen. I bought 2 lbs. and will use it first because it shouldn't be re-frozen. Not going to cedar-plank it--will use my wire fish baskets instead. Got a great bargain on brioche and pretzel buns, which I can freeze, in case anyone wants burgers or hot dogs. They also had corn 4/$1, so I will grill three ears & cut them into cobbettes and make elotes from the fourth. I will round it out with insalata Caprese (two heirloom--one yellow, one tiger--tomatoes and as many of the two regular ones on hand as I need), and Chinese smashed cucumber salad (ATK recipe using English cukes--a buck each and I got long ones). Fresh litchis to round out the fruit on hand for dessert (one guest will be bringing cheesecake, which he buys at Eli's outlet store in Nov. and freezes). I was able to get some Poilane whole wheat sourdough bread, which I will toast on the grill. Should be enough food. Hope I have enough chairs--some may have to eat indoors. (All of us if it rains). Needless to say, plenty of microbrews & wine on hand.
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Sandy - do you care to share the recipe for Chinese Cucumber Salad?
In spite of the fact that I too post restaurant meals, I'm still more interested in recipes. Illimae's home made meals look delicious.
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Minus, you can find it at americastestkitchen.com. Basically, you take two English cucumbers, cut them in thirds, place them in a ziploc bag, and whack gently with a small skillet--you want them slightly smashed, not crushed. Leave the cukes unpeeled for crunch. (Don't use regular cukes because their skin is too thick and waxy, and peeling them makes the cukes too mushy; Persian cukes have too high a seeds-to-flesh ratio so you end up losing a lot of volume). Take them out of the bag, tear them roughly into 1-2" chunks and put them in a colander over a bowl. Toss with a tsp or two of kosher salt and let sit for about 15-20 min.--you should see abt. 1/4-1/2 c. liquid in the bowl. Discard the liquid. For the dressing, ATK suggests Chinese black vinegar--hey, doesn't everyone have that in her pantry? I substitute soy vinegar (have no idea where it came from), whisked with toasted sesame seed oil, a little sugar or honey, and chili flakes to taste. Pour over the cucumbers & enjoy.
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Thanks Sandy - Interesting recipe.
The Book Club was soooooo funny. Neat to see "old" ladies having fun on screen. Pure fluff, but hilarious. I haven't been in a movie with standing room only since the first Star Wars - especially at 1:30 in the afternoon. Not one seat left. There were even a few brave men accompanying their wives or sisters.
The South African food was delicious. Most of the foods were cooked in lots of liquid & spooned over rice. I had a shrimp dish served over sauteed cauliflower. (The rice had Cilantro and that absolutely makes me sick) One friend had oxtail, and the other had curried chicken. Nice South African wine - Bastion from Durbanville Hills.
I think I'll try a new recipe for Peanut Noodles today.
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Minus, I use fresh pineapple. I think I first got the idea from Ina, the barefoot contessa. The dressing is Hellman's Light mayo and a sprinkle of white balsamic. The cabbage name is eluding me. Not the common variety and not savoy. Crinkly and mild.
Sandy, I eat other mustards, too, but like the yellow, the only mustard in our house during my growing up years. It is essential in the mashed potato salad that I make, my mother's recipe. The potato salad has to have a yellowish tinge.
I do have the a/c on, but today was a much more pleasant day than yesterday. DH and I played golf and didn't get overheated. We did have trouble keeping our head gear (hat/ visor) on. It was quite breezy and didn't seem terribly humid.
Tonight is pork tenderloin, marinating in a mixture of olive oil, fresh rosemary, onion and garlic power, s & p, and Aleppo pepper. I seem to have left the cayenne at home. I also forgot to bring the instant read thermometer I rely on at home. I have a different, cheaper thermometer that I'll use, but the trick with pork is not to overcook. Thirty minutes in the grill/oven should be sufficient. We'll also have corn cut off the cob, sauteed in butter, and the rest of the romaine in a salad with tomato and avocado. My cheese supply I brought up didn't include blue cheese, for some forgetful reason. I will put blue cheese on my grocery list. And fresh garlic.
All the weekenders have gone home and the campground is quiet. The way I like it best!
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Dinner ended up being left-over Laurie's Salsa Chicken. Served over steamed spinach this time. One chicken breast & beans lasted for 3 meals.
I need some thoughts on the crock pot. For those of you who are new to the recipe - it's basically 2-4 chicken breasts, one jar of salsa & one can of black beans drained - baked covered 1-1/2 hours at 350 degree oven. Embellishments after cooking are grated cheese the last 5 minutes & then sour cream. Shred chicken if you choose (I usually serve whole the first time) & serve over rice. Good left over rolled in tortillas.
Someone wrote at one point that Laurie's dish could be transposed to a crock pot - cooked 3 hours on HIGH with the chicken cut in 1 inch strips. (maybe Carole?)
I started out with one breast cut in medium chunks and 1/2 a jar of Mrs. Renfro's jalapeno Green Salsa in a one quart crock pot for 90 minutes on HIGH. When the timer rang, it was bubbling like mad and the chicken tested more than 3/4 done. I drained the black beans & added the whole can (I like lots of beans) and continued to cook on LOW for not quite an hour. Probably could have been less. Did it cook this fast because I have a small crock pot? Or because there was only one breast? So would it work just as well for 3 hours on LOW if I put everything in up front? Thanks for the input of any other crock pot users.
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Carole, ditto on the mustard, my mum did the same for colour and zing. I love and have tried many different types but when it comes to potato salad, slaw and hot dogs it has to be French’s classicyellow.
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We're just back from a couple of days in Carmel, for my oldest friend's daughter's wedding. It was a lovely weekend, and our first getaway since before surgery/chemo etc. I'm now 11 weeks PFC and feeling pretty good in general, but get tired more easily than previously and am pretty wiped out this evening.
I'm making pasta with tuna in olive oil, garlic, chili flakes, basil and a bit of tomato.
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Oh Magari - one of my most favorite places. So restoring. Great that you had this get away. Where was the wedding?
I spent my first honeymoon at the Pine Inn. The last couple of times I've stayed at the Green Lantern. Fun to drink at La Playa - the 1905 mansion. My friends son, Chef Jean Hubert, owned the wonderful Le St. Tropez restaurant, but sold it two years ago & moved to Las Vegas. My brother lived in the "highlands" many years ago. I'm so jealous.
How is it going back at work? Do you have enough energy to get through the day? I think you've got awhile yet to go on the H &P.
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Oh, how I miss the Monterey Peninsula! When Bob & I were impoverished grad students in Seattle, our vacations would be tent-camping down the coast (101 to Mendocino, peeling off to the PCH the rest of the way). One year we spent most of the time in the Napa Valley; another, when we attended the Int'l Congress of Genetics in Berkeley, we continued afterwards further south to Big Sur (Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park). We would always detour for the 17-Mile Drive, and ooh and aah at the Del Monte Lodge--wondering if some day we could ever afford to stay there. 12 years later, Bob was a cardiologist and had a couple of CME courses--one at the SFO Crowne Plaza and one at the Fairmont in S.F. Gordy was 18 mos. old. We decided we would precede the courses with a long weekend at the Lodge at Pebble Beach, which was what the Del Monte had become. We were pinching ourselves that we had such luxury: a golf cart took us to our villa, which had a hot tub, a brass crib for Gordy, and a woodburning fireplace--wood included. It was the last day of the Pro-Am, and the golfer who won bought Gordy a milk--the traditional drink of the winner. The restaurants were wonderful. And the view out to the cypresses and the ocean... Couple years after that, another cardiology CME course at the Fairmont, but this time we reversed the order and decompressed from the course down at the Inn at Spanish Bay, which had just opened (still partly under construction) and the promo rate was $100/night. Not as luxe as the Lodge, but still pretty posh--with full access to the restaurants and amenities at the Lodge. At both places, Gordy collected golf balls and tees he found in our rooms as souvenirs. We spent a day touring Carmel--and it was the first time we ever encountered upscale restaurants with white paper over the tablecloths and crayons for kids. Times have certainly changed since then--I hear the Lodge and Inn were bought by a Japanese firm that's using it as a private club & corporate retreat, though Pebble Beach & Spyglass Hill are still in use for tournaments.
Gorgeous and mid-80s here at the lakefront. So we grilled out on our deck today. Copper River salmon--even though I oiled the fish basket six ways from Sunday, it still stuck in spots, but the upside of that was that smaller portions allowed everyone to take enough--with a bit left over (and fish crumbs for the kitties). I'd goten up horribly late (almost 1pm!), courtesy of the Lyrica I had to take at 4 am for an extremely painful Morton's neuroma attack in my R foot; but hit the ground running. Sliced and boiled the potatoes for the Greek potato salad, smashed and seeded the cukes for the Chinese cucumber salad, minced the herbs & garlic, mixed the vinaigrettes, made the two-color-tomato Caprese with burrata, nuked the corn, and preheated the grill--scrubbing it once hot, and oiling the grates several times till they were slick & shiny. Should have trusted that--bet the fish wouldn't have stuck. Friends brought their "green slime" fruit salad, only it was pink this time (strawberry & peach jello). They also brought a Caprese...with burrata...just like ours...but we opted to use ours first. Forgot to toast the Poilane bread, but everyone was satisfied with the salmon & sides. Nobody wanted fruit for dessert (I had berries, cherries, papaya and litchis), so Bob and one of our friends went down the block to Lickety Split, braving the extremely long lines, and brought back a quart each of strawberry & chocolate frozen custard. I forgot how rich that stuff is--I can eat barely half a cup before I fill up, even less than I can gelato. Gordy & Leslie decided to hang out with friends (he was stuck in Grand Rapids all weekend); our BFF's son and fiancee (to whose wedding we're going in four weeks) were exhausted from a weekend in St. Louis with her sisters and wanted "me time;" and my housekeeper and her DH had stayed an extra day in B'ham and were on the road home. So there were only 7 of us, and everyone was so full that they didn't want sausages, hot dogs or burgers (which had defrosted). We have lots of pretzel and brioche buns, and a can of kraut...so guess what dinner tomorrow will be...
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Minus, I'm glad you brought up making Laurie's salsa chicken in a crockpot. That will be an easy dinner idea for me this summer. It always seemed to me that the black beans should go on the raw chicken first and then the salsa. I'm not sure why.
Yesterday afternoon dh and I drove 45 minutes to Walker, MN, so that I could attend one of the few WW meetings in this region. I was thrilled when I weighed and was told I was down .2 lb!!! I was expecting to be up a few lbs.
After the meeting dh and I stopped in the little town of Dorset and had dinner at La Pasta. I have been craving pizza, so ordered a flat bread with Italian sausage, basil, tomato sauce and mozzarella. It was delicious and just the right size, not too big. I also had an appetizer portion of toasted ravioli, which wasn't nearly as good as the St. Louis version that I once enjoyed in a restaurant on the Hill.
DH ordered linguine with Italian sausage and sautéed onions and green peppers. He has had this before and couldn't resist ordering it again. The Italian sausage is wonderful.
Dinner tonight will be the leftover pork tenderloin (which turned out perfect, even without the magic thermometer) and cabbage in a stir fry, not my favorite cooking technique. I will pull out the soy sauce to please dh. The side will be a beet salad with sweet onion on dh's portion.
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Minus and ChiSandy - The wedding was at a place in Carmel Valley called Holly Farm. Which is not a farm at all, but a 7 acre property filled with fantastic tropical plants that has all sorts of different groves and spaces. Truly unusual, and beautiful. http://www.hollyfarm.com/index.html It really suited the couple's style, and they had use of the location for the entire weekend. So had lawn games and a taco truck on Sat afternoon, a Sat evening luau following the rehearsal dinner, and the wedding on Sunday, which started at 3:30 and went on until long after we left.
The wedding party stayed at Quail Lodge (and played golf, which we do not.) That place is quite pricey, as is the Cypress Inn, where we spent our "mini moon" nearly 12 years ago. We stayed at a motor inn-type place in Carmel proper, which was nothing special but well located and had availability at a reasonable rate over Memorial Day weekend. We walked past both the Pine Inn and the Green Lantern in our strolls around town.
Had surgery this morning to install a new port on the opposite side after having a problematic one removed a week and a half ago. Since my veins are lousy and I have Herceptin/Perjeta infusions every 3 weeks through November to get through, it is a relief to have that taken care of.
I'm making spicy black bean soup for lunch - a quick recipe, using canned beans. And probably tortilla pizzas for dinner to use up some fresh mozzerella. Nothing ambitious today.....
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Gracious Magari - I can't believe you're up & cooking after port installation. Hope this one works better. I loved my port, unlike some. I'm sure it helped that my PS allowed me to choose the location so it didn't show with scoop neck clothes. Thanks for the wedding location link. Quite lovely.
Carole - When you do Laurie's chicken, do let me know what your final 'directions' are.
I made Peanut Noodles yesterday from AllRecipes and was disappointed. The flavor was good but no matter how much extra liquid I kept adding, it was so thick & heavy that it turned the noodles into a big clump. Needed a knife & fork to cut & eat. I'll add some chicken broth to the leftovers - only because I have open broth in the fridge. I have researched other recipe sources but I'm not likely to make it again soon unless someone here has a good recipe???
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Minus - Here's more or less the peanut noodle recipe I use (I think I found mine originally on NYT Cooking and have adapted it over the years.) https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/sweet-and-spicy-peanut-noodles-51183640
I like mine more spicy and less sweet, so skip the hoisin sauce and brown sugar, double the rice vinegar and chili paste, and add about 1/4 to 1/3 cup water or stock to thin the sauce. I also usually use spaghetti rather than linguine unless I happen to have Asian noodles on hand, and add finely chopped celery along with the scallions just before serving. This is a pantry staple that I make fairly often when we are hungry and there's not much in the house.
I find Epicurious a great source for recipes that actually taste good, since they are taken from Gourmet (RIP) and Bon Appetit magazines, and the search function works well. I always look at the user ratings and comments before choosing a specific recipe, and then save ones I make and like to my "recipe box."
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The peanut noodles recipe from allrecipe that I found is very similar. I don't think mine used hosin sauce and I also used "non-chunky" peanut butter.
Key Lime Pie... HI SusieM... I love key lime pie, but Sharon (wife) gets annoyed when I make it....my recipe is about 1,000 calories a slice (!) and is obviously not diet friendly.
Dinner tonight is probably going to be a medium sized chicken salad. I just got back from for what I call a loaded speed walk...105F degrees, 3 miles, 42 minutes, 47 pounds in my pack..... For those that prefer metric, 41C degrees, 5km, 42 minutes, 21.3Kg pack..... Anyway, when I do something like that, my appetite tends to fall off.
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