So...whats for dinner?
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I have missed Susan's posts. :-(
I've been baking sourdough bread loaves once or twice a week for the past few years. Just before the coronavirus panic buying started, I had purchased a 20 pound bag of flour because I wanted the cloth flour sack. That flour lasted about five weeks. About the time I started to "I need to find some more flour", it was again on the shelves in the store.
Yeast is still hard to find, but I rarely use it. I have a jar in the freezer and itis likely to last me for several years. About the only time I use commercial yeast is when I forgot to start dinner rolls early enough in the day.
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Goingto be pretty warm today here so I am planning an easy dinner. Hubby's birthday is Sunday and he's been craving tacos, so I picked up the makings last night. So he's getting tacos on his birthday for dinner
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Susan even made her own crackers. That made a deep impression on me. She paid attention to every little detail of a holiday meal.
Dinner last night was roasted chicken thighs and leftover speckled butter beans and brown rice. Easy and satisfying.
Tonight will probably be catfish out of the freezer.
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Oh I'd forgotten about the crackers. Thanks for the reminder Carole. I usually think about the fresh breakfast rolls & breads that Susan served to her AirBnb guests every single morning.
And thanks Nance for the reminders about Michelle. Thinking of her in her bunny suit. And I see Apple playing the piano. And Debbie in Oregon. And so many more good women.
We have 1246 pages on this thread now. I would love to go back to page one and read them all for the memories. I think someone here still sees Laurie on Facebook. Please let her know what a wonderful thing she did starting this thread.
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I remember drooling over Susan's pics of her breakfast sweet rolls; and am indebted to her for her Boston restaurant recommendations.
Dinner tonight was leftovers from last night's insalata Caprese with pesto over field greens, roast chicken/peas/mashed sweet potatoes for me and shrimp & broccoli pasta in black pepper vodka cream sauce for Bob. Dessert was a Fat Snax keto double-chocolate chip cookie (2 gm. net carbs), far better than it needed to be.
I generally don't eat regular bread--there's a bakery here (Today's Temptation at Jewel & Mariano's/ZBest Kosher at Whole Foods) that does a whole grain bread (wheat, millet, rye, oats) which is 2 gm. net per slice. When I am halfway to 2/3 through a loaf (or the weather starts getting humid and it might get moldy due to lack of preservatives), I stick it in the freezer against the day when I can't find a fresh loaf on the shelves. When I defrost a frozen slice I have to toast it, but that doesn't bother me (although a tuna sandwich is better on non-toasted bread). I do miss good sourdough (especially pain au levain and the Poilane flown in twice a week from Paris I used to buy from Treasure Island before the chain went under). But I have gotten used to eating this way without feeling deprived (though I get nostalgic watching cooking shows or reading menus full of stuff I no longer eat).
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oh no. How sad. Susan was very active when I first found this thread, and Ive been thinking about her this week. Im glad she got to enjoy her DGrandaughter too. I loved her B&B stories too. Hugs for all of her family nd friends. Rest in Peace Susan.
Supper tonight was a Wisconsin Fish Fry. Yum.
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Dinner last night was a Louisiana fish fry. In my kitchen. This meal will be our last catfish for months. The side was fresh-made potato salad. DH commented on how delicious the fish was. I had three good-sized fillets and cut them diagonally into strips. He made his tartar sauce and I had my supply of lemon wedges.
I inventoried my meat supply yesterday and concluded that I probably won't use everything up by the time we depart on June 1. This year I may leave the house refrigerator on since the generator should kick on during any power outage.
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How sweet to read so many memories from Susan’s dinner thread posts. I’d forgotten about her making her own crackers, too. But I do always remember her descriptions of her last trip to Europe, and especially her stay in Barcelona where she enjoyed morning coffee on their balcony overlooking the entrance to the town shopping area. And such lovely memories of Apple and Michelle! They were both such special ladies...and, or course, Debbie! Remembering all of their amazing strength and creativity!
Minus, you mentioned Laurie, who is a very busy mom of her active, growing boys, and during Covid she started a dinner thread on Facebook. Fun to see what the young moms (and a dad or two) are serving. Lots of dinner pictures are posted...nice for inspiration! I laughed last night when I started to eat and DH said....“WAIT! You forgot to take a picture!“. Ha Ha! That dinner was fajita marinated grilled chicken breasts, with sweet potatoes and salad.
This morning, DS2 Facetimed with us as the little one was particularly engaging, and he figured she would entertain us. It was a nice way to start the day, but it’s still odd and sad that our “local” grandchild Is now a toddler walking everywhere, when just a few months ago, here, DH taught her to stand up! And we haven’t had her here since! Who knows when we will be able to care for her again...:(.
I was distressed to learn from DS2 that when they take walks along their waterfront, it is crowded with people not social distancing, and not wearing masks. WTF!!! I really worry about how people will “safely manage” all the returns to work, stores, restaurants, recreation, etc. Clearly, It seems to me, the vaccine is our only hope.
I did break my own rigid quarantine (also due to the very high pollen issue) this week to go to a closed fabric shop whose manager let me in at a quiet time to select mask fabric. I went crazy with all the bright fabrics, and bought a lot, including some lovely batiks. Good thing I found all those since I am spending the next few days making masks for tons of kids in a struggling local town, where they cannot get their free lunch meals unless they show up wearing a mask, since that is a state rule now. Later this week, I’ll drive all the masks completed by our group to the town person (the UU minister) who sponsors the mask give away.Today is our lake assoc meeting.....sadly on Zoom. I can’t think of a year that we missed our “Season opening“ meeting in the 34 years we’ve been there. Things change......
Tonight we will have leftover grilled chicken with sides of brussels sprouts and salad. Fast albeit uninteresting. Loving anything fast these days!
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Bob is at the hotel overnight, so I finished off the last of the leftover peas & mashed sweet potatoes, and made a burrito out of a low-carb tortilla, lettuce and smoked trout (dressed with Legal Sea Foods lemon-dill aioli). He says he didn't see any diagnosed COVID patients today. Tomorrow, though, Little Co. of Mary will be his penultimate stop, with Holy Cross (a pit--the order of nuns that ran it is dying out and Mt. Sinai, which bought it, is running it into the ground and not doing all that well itself) his last stop, so he won't be able to shower before he comes home. (AFAIK--and he knows--there are no showers there for doctors; and going back to Little Co. to shower is way too far out of the way). He forgot to bring his hospital shoes, so I will have to put another pair by the back door so he can dash upstairs and shower & change.
My little basil plants (set 2.0) had grown enough on the windowsill that I brought them outside (but didn't re-pot). Alas, they're dying. Before I brought them outside, the leaves had started to get grayish speckles. I wonder if there's a local blight, because I ordered basil from three different grocery stores, and all of them were out.
Electrician was able to run 1/3 of the new conduit before the clouds & thunder started rolling in. Gonna be dry most of tomorrow so he'll be back around noon. The storms today didn't knock out the garage power (I deliberately left the light on before locking the side door so I could tell). Hopefully, the new line can be connected before any more torrential rains.
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I have ventured out a few times over the last several days into places to run a couple of necessary errands, which were not at all crowded, and was also surprised how many unmasked people I saw. They are generally younger people, but I also saw a few my age or older, and they were mostly coming and going as the places I went had mask requirements. It was kind of surprising. I still have not been to the grocery store, and don't plan to go - DH seems to be enjoying doing the shopping. It had been so long since I had been out to a place of business that I was slightly giddy but also slightly nervous, it was an interesting combination of feelings.
Last night was leftovers for DH and a salad for me. The previous night I had made thin sliced pork chops, the breakfast style ones, by dredging them in cornstarch and then marinating in soy sauce, sesame oil and garlic for an hour. Pan fried in olive oil and served with rice and steamed carrots. I don't cook white rice very often but had the tail end of a bag, so used that. I always, always make a starchy mess on the stove with a boil over, so I decided to get a rice cooker. Funny story, for Christmas in 1999 I got my husband a rice cooker. He is a huge rice fan - and he was going to be away for a year at a USAF university for an additional Master's so I thought it would be a good gift for him to take with him. When we opened gifts there was a similarly sized package from him to me - yup, a rice cooker. Great minds... We actually returned both of them, but clearly should have kept at least one!
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SpecialK, I really like using my Instant Pot to cook rice. The rice has always come out well, usually brown rice. One appliance with many uses creates less of a storage challenge.
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beaver - I looked at one IP at Williams Sonoma, but ultimately decided on a straight up rice cooker with a steamer tray that can cook veggies at the same time. This one is fairly small and will fit in my shelf of countertop appliances in the laundry room. I may need to donate the electric wok - haven't used it in years, but maybe I should dust it off - I used to use it all the time and might be easier than doing stir-fry on the stove. Can you tell I have a hard time parting with things? I was glad when my kids set up their own houses - I got rid of all kinds of things to help them get started, lol! When we closed down my in-laws house they got some more stuff. My DD made me cupcakes for Mother's Day with my MIL's semi-vintage KitchenAid mixer - so cute! Her first foray into using a piping bag to frost - they came out great!
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I just use a covered sauce pan to do rice...and I don't even time it. I just set the stove top temperature to "almost simmer" and check it every so often to see if the water has been absorbed. I guess I'm a young "old fashioned" person.
Re masks. It's about 50-50 here and I'm on both sides of the 50-50. I was in the empty (except for me) outdoor section of a home improvement store looking at brick pavers...it was hot...and I didn't bother with a mask. If there are people around where it's likely that we will get closer than 8-10 feet, I'll put on a mask. One place I noticed some folks going in ahead of me and they looked like they weren't feeling well, so I put on a real N95 mask. And, I got mask shamed for "wearing a mask reserved for health care workers".
When I ignored the lady (sorry) following me around with her grocery cart, I got the increasingly loud, "I SAID YOU ARE BEING SELFISH. THAT KIND OF MASK IS FOR HEALTH CARE WORKERS".
Sigh.... :-)
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Made chicken tacos for my hubby’s birthday
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Lunch was sliced rotisserie chicken on a Hawaiian sweet roll. The plan for dinner was spinach salad with miso dressing. The reality was 1/2 a cup of left over macaroni with some left over rosa sauce (red sauce & sour cream). Then a bowl of raspberries with heavy cream. I HATE that fresh raspberries from the stores have mold after only 24 hours. Dessert was 1/2 a cup of cashew nuts.
Day #56 of walking 3-1/2 to 4 miles every morning. I still hate mornings, but it's getting easier to roll out of bed and tie on my shoes. It was only 87 this morning, so not quite as hot.
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Tonight was the rest of a homemade pizza with a glass each of Primitivo from Ken Volk in California.
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Bob reports that most people he saw out on the streets as he was driving between the hotel & hospitals were neither social-distancing nor wearing masks. Stupid, selfish, infantile, IMHO. (And half the ones who wore masks wore them below their noses. Idiots).
Haven't been to a store in 3 weeks, and am fine with that. Haven't been out walking either, because I'm sick & tired of having to be the one to swerve out of my way for entitled millennials whose attitude is "you're afraid? STAY HOME, boomer." Whole Foods and restaurants deliver anyway. Cellars delivered brunch: for Bob to eat tonight, a lox plate with extra bagel; for me, a spinach/goat cheese/sundried tomato frittata with pan-fried potatoes. Got a Caesar to sub for the spuds, but they threw in the potatoes anyway. The frittata was so huge & rich I ate half for brunch and half for dinner when Bob got home. Gonna grill a steak tomorrow night (shakshuka for me for breakfast, Bob will have the rest of his lox, the second bagel, and the last of the smoked trout & whitefish from Calumet Fisheries). If it's too rainy to grill, I will sear the steak in cast iron and open all the windows so as not to set off the smoke detector.
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Had a nice dinner on this semi-cloudy day. I marinated flank steak and DH grilled. Sides were potato salad (my mom's recipe), an english cucumber and onion salad and the last of the mozzarella ball in a caprese salad with fresh planted basil. For some reason I had the energy today so in addition I made a half recipe of delicious peanut butter bars with marshmallows, peanuts and chocolate chips. Egg whites and a few other tricks lower the calories (except when you eat too many) Ha! The pic of the bar is not pretty but...🙃
Eric I wonder how that woman knew you were not a healthcare worket?? Grrr.
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Funny story about the rice cookers, SpecialK. My mother had a rice cooker and used it. Before she got one, she boiled her white rice and drained it in a colander. It was much nicer looking than the rice from the cooker. My mother-in-law was awed by my mother's rice. I switched to brown rice many years ago and cook it in a pot with a lid. I have differing results depending on the bag of rice. I bought brown basmati when it was available. I heat the rice and water with a T of either butter or olive oil and about 1/2 tsp of salt until the mixture gets to boiling, then lower the heat as low as possible and simmer with the lid on. About 30 minutes. I set the timer but check. Every now and then the bottom burns. There are good uses for the leftover rice.
Last night was chicken enchiladas with green canned sauce. I poached chicken thighs in water with onion slices and fresh garlic and s & p. The meat was so flavorful I could have eaten it as is. The enchilada filling was chicken, black beans, mild chilis from a can, grated cheese from a bag and sauce. We had sour cream on the side and a guacamole made with an avocado, diced fresh tomatoes, lemon juice and mayo.
We both enjoyed the meal. My only dissatisfaction is that the tortillas soak up the sauce and get a bit mushy.
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Our backyard garden as of a couple of days ago. It's grown even more since, and is providing enough lettuce for me to use for lunches every day! And we're having unusually warm (80-ish) weather for a few days, which I'm hoping will be good for the tomatoes, serranos, strawberries and tomatillos.
Greetings, all. I'm with Eric re cooking rice in a saucepan on the stove. Seems to work fine for me and doesn't require special equipment or extra cleanup.
SF requires masks for both staff and customers in any place of business, including our outdoor garden center. We have a friend who recently moved back from Vancouver who was caught off guard when he wasn't allowed to enter a grocery store unmasked. (Apparently there are no such rules there.) I'm a bit claustrophobic, so I keep my mask around my neck when we're out walking the dog and only pull it up if we're somewhere where it's difficult to maintain distancing.
Speaking of dogs: another Corgi lover here! SF has a "Corgi-Con" and I love looking at the photos - so adorable. My husband and I talk about getting a "Corgi companion" for our Australian Shepherd mix....
We signed up to get grocery delivery from Imperfect Produce and are liking it so far. They don't have everything, but prices are good on what they do have, which includes organic milk, cage-free eggs, and grass-fed meat as well as produce.
Went to the farmer's market on Saturday, which was fairly busy but not so crowded that it was a problem. They've worked out the social distancing quite well, and it's good to see the farmers having near-normal levels of business. I got radishes, chard, strawberries, and first of the season peaches and nectarines. Came home and made quick-pickled chard stems and celery, and radish leaf pesto in order to fit everything in the fridge! Which made me feel virtuous. :-)
We had some of the pesto over purchased DeCecco gnocchi last night, with cherry tomato bruschetta. Mini strawberry shortcakes with freshly whipped cream for dessert. Other recent dinners we've enjoyed have included southern-style sauteed chard over polenta with crumbled bacon, "smash" burgers, and linguine with shrimp scampi.
Our lovely dog (adopted from the SPCA) at our neighborhood park:
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Beautiful garden and dog Magari.
Today I planted two tomato plants in a garden bed and two in a large pot. The reason I put two in a pot is because we got a contract on our house with an estimated closing of June 30th. Yikes 😬
We eat a lot of brown rice. My favorite is short grain Lundgren which I buy at Costco. I find that the instant pot cooks brown rice perfectly. I keep a small bag of white rice on hand for some things but I usually cook it on the stovetop because I haven’t been able to master it in the IP and I don’t cook it often enough to figure it out. I’ve had two rice cookers and have liked them both but a separate appliance is not worth the real estate since the IP came on the scene.
Grilled baby back ribs, baked beans and corn on the cob for two tonight. Also an overcooked pineapple upside down cake because I was talking on the phone to a friend and forgot the cake!
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Drooling over your garden, Magari--and your table, Reader! Our tomatoes are just starting, and we have too many rabbits in our 'hood to make growing lettuce impractical. Parsley is getting tall enough to need harvesting, and about to make mojitos from the first crop of mint. Gonna grill a ribeye, roast some Brussels sprouts, make a small Caprese (was able to get supermarket basil delivered), and serve Bob the leftover potatoes.
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Love the garden Magari. 80's warm for SF. My son moved back across the GG bridge to San Rafael earlier this month.
Nance - good luck on the house contract. Scary!!! I can't remember if you already have a new place contracted??
I only have one tomato plant - a Mexican Mini in a large pot. It must have 20 little green tomatoes. They're about the size of your thumb nail and very sweet. Hope I get some before it gets too hot, but we've had a number of high 90 degree days already.
Dinner was Spinach salad with Miso dressing and 1/4 of a rotisserie chicken breast. Served with an Australian Marlborough Ti Point Sauvignon Blanc from Costco. Nice crisp wine - and like most of my wine selections - $10.00 or less.
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Dinner was insalata Caprese, roasted Brussels sprouts, roasted potatoes (for Bob), grilled grass-fed bone-in ribeye, and sauteed mushrooms with red wine, shallots, parsley from my garden, and some jarred black truffle pieces. First steak in over two weeks. Been at least six weeks since I'd grilled. Forgot how much more flavorful bone-in steaks are. Kind of hard to find them in grass-fed, but well worth it.
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DD stopped over last night to pick up her boat from the garage. It is having a new deck surface and then it is off to the new owner! Yay - I can park my actual car in the garage again! Her new boat is being built and will be ready in July. By that time we will have widened the fence at her house to the actual property line and she can park the boat behind the gate there.While she was here she took advantage of an available dinner - baby back ribs, loaded baked potato salad, coleslaw from a giant cabbage nabbed by DH on his shopping foray, and some chocolate chip cookies.
magari - your garden is amazing! The growing season in FL is short, and I will take a Cali strawberry over a FL one any day! Your pup is enjoying a postcard Bay Area day!
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Nance, congratulations on the sale of your house. Do you know where you're moving?
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This is not possible! I just wrote like a largest post ever, don't be alarmed, exaggerating, but the flux of internet connectivity and everything got lost.
ChiSandy, I had a passage for you on truffles, Ragdolls and whatever.. gone WTF
I'll get back tomorrow.
Pad thai and Italian bean salad.
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But I said I will be posting some pictures, so I am posting those now, and then I will explain those to you)
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