So...whats for dinner?
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Reader - I've been trying to do the same - schedule medical things in clumps and then several months w/o anything. Oh - toll house cookies. Memories of my childhood. And my son's childhood. I miss baking but I live alone and guess who would eat all that stuff.
Yesterday I had the last of Laurie's Salsa chicken. Today I'll finally get to the lobster bisque.
Thinking of Special over in Hawaii. Such a gorgeous place.
Thinking of Illimae who recently had surgery and is still having esophageal issues. Lots of problems swallowing, and so problems eating & drinking. We're still in your pocket.
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Hi guys! I'm back, although I wish I was still in Hawaii - minus is right, it is a very beautiful place. I did cook most of the time I was there - nothing memorable - just stuff made with minimal ingredients that could be used up by the time we left. We only ate a few meals out, but had a killer lobster pappardelle in Santa Barbara on our way to Hawaii, some good Kahlua pork tacos with a Moscow Mule overlooking the ocean at Turtle Bay, and some excellent banana and macadamia nut pancakes with coconut syrup at a tiny place (about 10 tables) on a cliff in Napili in Maui, again overlooking the ocean! Do you sense the theme? Also, the best shave ice - Hawaiian Root Beer with a snow cap over macadamia nut ice cream consumed while watching the sunset at Sugar Beach, with a whale lolling around in front of us spouting. Seriously, did not want to come home...
Happy belated b-day chisandy!
My SILs arrive tomorrow and I am planning Cuban pork roast, black beans and lime cilantro rice with strawberry cream cheese pie (yes, strawberry season is here in FL!) for the first night of their visit, and grilled ribeyes with gorgonzola, scalloped potatoes, green beans almondine, and coffee ice cream brownie sundaes for the second night. We will go out to lunch on Sat after the planned walk/run event they always come for on this particular weekend.
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Welcome back SK, love the tropical sound of the food!
We are on day 5 of no sun here and I'm definitely feeling the effects.
Last night was Senate bean soup (with a side of irony) and corn bread. I have a pork tenderloin in the fridge so I think I'll make cutlets tonight with a baked sweet potato for me, russet for dh, and sauteed green beans. Perhaps some applesauce too.
The gloomy weather was perfect for doing taxes. Ours is fairly uncomplicated these days but it still gave me a headache.
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Nance, wish I could bottle a few days of sunshine and ship it to you! I was so relieved that we had a few sunny, “mildish” days this week so that we could take our little indoor energy consuming granddaughter out for walks. Our winter has been amazingly mild. Not sure what to think about that! 🤨 I’m impressed that you took care of taxes already. I have to admit I have not done taxes since being married. DH came with his accounting background and I just support him through his misery, relieved that it isn’t me!
Welcome home, Special! Sounds like you had a great trip with some wonderful meals and views! Your meal plans for your visiting SILs sound delicious.
On Wed, we took GGD home after having her here for five days. What a delightfully exhausting time! Since DS2 and DDIL would be coming home to an empty refrigerator, I decided to make them dinner and deliver it when we dropped off the baby. I made a chicken parmesan casserole over “little ear” pasta, and included a caesar salad with a creamy caesar dressing I made for the first time. Earlier that afternoon, we took the baby out for a walk and stopped into “Treat” (a cupcake place which rarely sees me!) to buy two cupcakes to fortify “the parents” for the rigors awaiting them! I slept much of Thursday and it felt great!
We had the same chicken parm for dinner on Wed, and finished the leftovers tonight.
Tomorrow night we head to the Celtics game, so we’ll eat there. Sunday we are going to a matinee play in Back Bay and will have dinner afterward at a restaurant in that neighborhood selected by the friend we are bringing. I’ll enjoy the respite from meal prep for those two evenings.
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Lacey, I would gladly take your offering of sun - none again today. There is the promise of some late tomorrow and a full day Sunday. We shall see. Last year we went fourteen full days without sun (DH keeps a weather diary.)
DH wanted fast food burgers, so that's what we had, unsatisfactory though they were. Total waste of calories.
Tomorrow night is chicken pot pies.
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A strange object was spotted in the sky over Chicago this morning: it was round and seemed to emanate light. Several TV viewers submitted photos of it, filtered by clouds. (Because of that, we actually hit 40 briefly this afternoon).
Wed. night was B'way Cellars' "Greatest Hits" wine pairing dinner. (For wines, see "how about drinking" thread). First course was a New Orleans seafood (shrimp, crab & crawfish) vol-au-vent (puff pastry shell) with arugula. Salad was poached egg over jamon Serrano, shaved Manchego cheese, mesclun, with a base of potato latke. Next came seared duck breast with beet-and-chêvre salad with watercress; followed by a nice big melt-in-your-mouth beef short rib over wild mushroom risotto. Finally, dessert was a pear poached in port, stuffed with mascarpone, in a port-chocolate sauce. Yeah, I ate the carbs. (That's why God invented starch-blocker capsules).
Last night, I ordered out for wings from a new place up the street in Rogers Park--they were "naked" before frying, and delicious. I supplemented the meager celery sticks with about three more "ribs" worth of sticks. Tonight, before our choir performance at temple, there was an Oneg Shabbat (a light cold fish & dairy buffet with crudites & fruit). But I can't sing on a full stomach (well, I can, but my pitch goes a bit "south" due to poor ab support), so I spurned the pickled herring, veggies, cheeses & fruit. It was the rabbi's birthday, so one congregant baked three cakes (champagne, Mt. Dew, Black Forest), which I admired before heading home to a smoked chicken quarter, mixed salad, blistered shishito peppers & sauteed broccolini. 88% dark chocolate (couple of sm. squares) for dessert, with a low-carb decaf cappuccino.
Think I'll make either shakshuka or a multi-veg omelet tomorrow for brunch. Mariano's (the grocery across the street from my audiologist appt.) had no pico de gallo (just "meh" salsa) for Bob's tortilla chips, so I'll make some tomorrow out of jalapeños, serranos, Fresno chiles, onion, tomato & cilantro.
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I met my ex-DH and his wife for our fancy "Christmas" lunch today. Yeah, just a little late. She hasn't joined us for any meals since 2018. But then he & I usually eat at unpretentious places serving things like patty melts or hand tossed pizza. It was nice to see her. He married someone my same age - not a trophy wife - so there were lots of common topics.
We went to Perry's Steakhouse. They started with crab cakes and I started with the signature fried asparagus topped with jumbo lump crab meat (in memory of my SIL because it was her favorite). They split a salad of spinach with warm bacon vinaigrette. Perry's has an amazing 7 finger pork chop that they carve tableside, but it's more 'firm' in the middle (even drier) than I like my pork. We all had the lunch cut filet with potatoes & a vegetable medley. I like their veggies because they aren't too hard but still not too soft. I switched out the potatoes for sauteed spinach. Since I'd passed on a salad, I ordered roasted 'sweet sriracha Brussels Sprouts'. They were OK but maybe too sweet? I'll have to report after I eat the leftovers. Also I'm not a big fan of sprouts roasted until 1/2 of the outside leaves are black & crispy. We ordered three spoons & split the new dessert - Buttersotch Budino - a butterscotch custard topped with creamy caramel sauce and Maldon sea salt. My leftovers will make two more full meals.
Sunday I'm going with a friend to see The Fantastiks. I haven't seen the play since the early 60s in San Francisco. It's the inaugural play at the new building for Stages Rep Theater - which includes 3 separate stages. We have a short list of restaurants for dinner but decided to make the final choice based on our taste buds Sunday afternoon.
Happy weekend everyone.
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No cooking and minimal eating the last few days. I began feeling “not well” on the way home from our OK visit. Fever, dry hacking painful coughing raised fears of pneumonia. I’m taking an antibiotic and will have a chest x-ray on Monday if I’m not better.
There has been some improvement so I hope I will be over this by next week.
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Carole - so sorry to read you're under the weather. Hope it doesn't turn into pneumonia. You don't need another bout with that.
How's your DH about bringing home deli soups? Or at least opening a can? Sure hope he doesn't get the bug.
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Sunshine substitute
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Hubby said he was cooking tonight since I am down with a cold.
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HOORAY for husbands cooking!!!
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Hello all, with a lot of running around today, DH wanted to stop at " Roadhouse" for Dunch as I've seen it called here. Grilled smothered chicken (with mushrooms and onions), buttered corn and an un-loaded sweet potato weren't too bad. But those rolls! At 237 calories a pop, and I had 2, this needs to be an infrequent treat. All was good and I took quite a bit home. 🍗🌽🍠
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Carole, sorry you're under the weather. Rest up, hydrate, and take the whole prescription till it's gone--even if you feel better partway through.
Yesterday en route home I stopped in at Mariano's and brought home a large smoked half chicken (they have an in-store BBQ). Tonight I had half the breast (it's a BIG breast--if chickens wore bras, at least a G cup), with pan-roasted Brussels sprouts, slaw and raw snap peas. Dessert was mixed berries. Made a jumbo-egg shakshuka for brunch, with sliced olives & feta.
Tomorrrow will be a Super Bowl party at a local restaurant, with all the usual game-day foods. Gonna have to eat "around" the carbs (brats w/o the bun, Italian beef w/o the bread, guac w/o the chips, etc.). Probably eat a very light breakfast--sleep in.
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Let's hear it for the sun! Full force today - yay!
Nothng but Superbowl food tonight, even though we won't watch the game we always have the food - buffalo wings with blue cheese and celery sticks, bbqd shrimp, jalapeno poppers little (L'il) smokies and coleslaw.
Carole, I do hope you're on the mend and your chest x ray is clear. Take care of yourself. Eveytime I venture out all I can hear are people coughing and sniffling making me want to run the other way.
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Yeah, Friday night at temple on the choir platform the tenor sitting behind me was coughing like crazy--but only after I shook his hand for the Shalom "sign of peace" early on (yeah, we Reform Jews do that too--it's not just for Mass any more). I have a gig this coming Friday--which I had to cancel back in 2018 when I broke my hand & arms. Not gonna miss this one.
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Oh my goodness Nance, I haven't thought about L'il Smokies in years. Nor appetizer meatballs in sauce with grape jelly.
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Nance, how funny that you don't watch the game but have game snacks!
I'm feeling more "normal" this morning though still coughing a lot. DH is feel less "normal" since he's days behind me in the sickie cycle.
Yesterday afternoon dh made cheese toast sandwiches for us about 4 pm. That was dinner.
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I don't watch football either, but I did make Hidden Valley Ranch Dip. I was a good girl and ate it with mini carrots & radishes & cucumbers. My favorite match up is with the totally unhealthy Ruffles w/Ridges.
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Yesterday I made soup using the copious amounts of sauce I had left from the lamb shanks I'd made a week or so ago. Added cooked barley and diced carrots and thinned it a bit; it was delicious, and essentially free!
I have additional cooked barley, as well as some leftover baby bok choy with garlic that I'd cooked to go with black cod a few nights ago. So thawed a boneless chicken breast and will do something with that to go with those side dishes.
Bought a whole organic chicken, some ground turkey and a lamb leg steak on my grocery run this morning, so those will be worked into meals for the rest of the week,
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Just lost a post...
It said we watched the game and had the snacks - and we had those meatballs with grape jam and chili sauce - wanted to note that for minus, lol! I have lots left despite hungry half-time folks, but have plenty for lunch for DH this week.
carole - hope you’re feeling better ASAP! I had a similar sounding thing before Thanksgiving and was surprised at how long it took to feel better. Hope both of you are on the mend quickly
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I didn't watch the game. I'd rather watch other sports instead.
I worked the two Superbowl games that were held in Phoenix and had I been "crazy about football" it would have been very frustrating...being there and too busy working to watch.
Carole and Mommyof2, yes, get better quickly. And hopefully the husbands get over it as well or avoid it altogether...no man colds allowed. :-).
Arista, my mom was getting meals on wheels in Phoenix. Here it was as you suspect it would be there...OK, but nothing great.
Dinner tonight was spaghetti and home made sauce.
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I have a very tentative plan to make chicken stew without a crock pot.
So far I have the chicken, gravey, potatoes, tomatoes, and green beans. I might put barley or rice in it. Maybe parsnips.
Suggestions?
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Spent the day cleaning out food cupboards. It's been awhile, but I don't really believe that the "best use by" date is critical. In most cases I only worry if the can has bulged but I do pay more attention to acid foods. I 'lost' my pantry when we remodeled the kitchen in 1986 and food is all in various cupboards, so it's not as easy to keep track.
IT sure is interesting how "go to" regular foods change over time. I had spices from 1996 that I tossed. Used to eat canned peaches & cottage cheese a lot but had forgotten about that. Beenie Weenies was my favorite for a long time, but the two cans have 2018 dates. Up in the top row of cupboards (where most people have furr downs and I have to use a step stool) I found a box pf a dozen Carnation Instant Breakfast from my chemo days dated 2015. And some club crackers that got shoved to the back while I blissfully went on buying more. Found some rice mixes that need to be eaten soon. What is everyone's thought about packages of jello past their 'use by' date? Really sad to throw stuff away. And apparently I'd purchased two bags of Godiva dark chocolates from Costco when they were on sale. Well I don't think they go bad...
Then I moved on to the freezer in the garage. I REALLY miss my previous small upright freezer, but when it died after 40+ years, I had to find something that fit in the space that had been blocked in by a 'real' stairway to the attic. What with the thicker insulation on new freezers, the same exterior size is considerably smaller inside. No door storage for example. Sadly I had to toss a package of shrimp that was badly freezer burned. And found enough packages of chicken breasts that I'll be eating those for MANY meals to come. At least I do wrap meat individually before putting in Ziploc bags so they'll be OK.
But tonight will be salad. I have an avocado that won't wait until tomorrow.
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MinusTwo:
I have a similar problem here. I put things away and forget about them. I've started putting reminders in my phone so I can use things or donate them before they expire.
I'm not sure if chocolate goes bad as in will make you sick if you eat it. It does undergo texture changes. I found a giant Hershey's Kiss from 15 years ago in a box recently. Hershey's isn't worth the risk to me but Godiva might be!
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WC3 - I think that's the key to all the dates which very few seem to understand. And the dates are not standardized.
The 'best used by' means that is the peak of flavor. After that it may loose some of it's 'best' taste or eventually change texture (like your Hersheys), but there's likely no danger in eating it. What's REALLY sad is food kitchens & charities will no longer take any food past the "best used by" date. We have people starving and because of this misperception all that food is thrown in the landfill.
As for things like milk, it has a "sell by" date and is often good for a week or more after that. You can certainly smell when it's turning sour. Sell by dates are NOT use by dates, but unfortunately too many people (my son included) will not touch the product after the stamped date.
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MinusTwo:
I find that meat and dairy typically go bad before the dates so those ones have to pass the smell test.
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I recently used some 12/2001 Jello and it was just fine.
I don't know how it happens, but no matter how many times I go through it, the freezer here always seems to have stuff from the Jurassic era. :-)
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Cold is almost gone.
Tonight I think I am going to take one of the ropes of kielbasa and a box of scalloped potatoes and cook them for dinne
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I’m afraid these new antidepressants are going to have weight gain as SE.
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