So...whats for dinner?
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Minus, I’m chilly but we’ve got an electric blanket and space heaters. It’s 50’s/20’s now but we’ll be back before it hits the teens. I think we’ll live in the new travel trailer this winter while working on the cabin, should stay warm enough.
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Going up to Evanston for dinner at the Barn steakhouse (they enlarged their tent and added more heaters) tonight. We're both ready for a break from turkey & fixings (though I did buy some roasted sweet potatoes at Whole Foods this afternoon--will semi-smash and reheat them tomorrow).
Brunch was lox, asparagus, & chives scrambled with two eggs (America's Test Kitchen recipe, followed loosely).
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Dinner last night was a pot roast with small potatoes and carrots. There is enough left over for dh's dinner tonight if that meal appeals to him. I am feeling "cooked out." My dinner may be a grilled ham and cheese sandwich.
We're having dreary weather today, and the temperature is supposed to drop into winter cold.
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It's "cold" here...low 50F degrees right now....but it's supposed to be around 70F degrees today. So, it won't be too bad.
The kitchen here has been returned to it's pre-Thanksgiving clean, except for mopping the floor and cleaning the oven. I don't know about me being "cooked out", but I'm certainly "kitchened out". DD and MIL ended up with nearly all of the leftovers, which is good from dieting point of view, but not so good if one is wanting eat "jump ups" and not cook for a couple of days..... :-)
Minus, your mom and niece-in-law must have compared notes with MIckey's mom.
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Not technically dinner but does anyone else like peanut butter on pizza? I enjoy it this way on occasion and the warm melty peanut butter is so yummy.
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The night at the Barn started off great. Besides the humongous cloth/vinyl tent they installed in the parking lot, they converted what had been the west half of their summer tent into a semi-tent: fabric roof, powerful ventilation system, overhead infrared heaters (there since early autumn) and a massive propane tower heater in the center (there were two at opposite corners of the fabric tent too). I felt a bit apprehensive, as it was warm enough in there to take off our coats. But I still felt a nice brisk breeze in there, the four tables were >6' apart, all waitstaff was masked, and all diners (we were the first ones there) were exhorted to stay masked in the presence of staff and when not actively eating & drinking. Bob & I took that literally, lowering our masks only for bites & sips.
The next couple in there wore their masks only between courses. Another couple (at the opposite corner) were as conscientious as we were. Alas, the next party was a group of five loud Gen-Y girls who ordered cocktails & a bottle of wine even as they were sitting down. They removed their masks & kept them off (even while being served), talking & laughing loudly and treating dinner as a definite "girls' night out" party. The staff didn't admonish them--I guess with the crisis facing restaurants (even those in-demand ones like the Barn), they didn't want to alienate their target demographic clientele (Gen-Yers and millennials with pandemic fatigue and money to spend). I'm sure things are stricter on the Chicago side of the city line. The Barn is owned by Amy Morton (not the actress, but the scion of the Morton's steakhouse chain); Morton's flagship restaurant in the near north side Streeterville 'hood closed for good last week. (Its Oak Brook and Northbrook locations are still open for outdoor dining & takeout).
So even though we had planned to order a cheese plate to share as dessert to go with the red wine left over in our generously-poured glasses, we ended up packing everything to go lest we further endanger ourselves. On the way back out to the car (which we self-parked), we noticed the large fabric tent was nearly empty, save for only three (of its six available tables) occupied and as far apart as possible. Since Cellars is hibernating, and individual igloos are tough reservations to get, we won't boycott the Barn--but next time we will request a table in the colder and sparsely-tabled fabric tent, and gladly keep our coats on. Bob is a Bears fan and ex-season-ticket-holder, used to knocking back a cold beer and a prime rib sandwich in near-zero windy weather in a stadium seat. He would actually prefer being seated away from the heaters--for sentimental reasons.
So what did we eat? Instead of my usual "Grand Central Caviar Sandwich" and Bob's wedge salad, we split two apps: beef carpaccio and Italian-style baked oysters (reminiscent of the baked clams Casino of my Brooklyn childhood). For our entrees, I had a dry-aged bone-in ribeye and Bob his usual filet mignon--we packed half of each, plus the last quarter of the carpaccio. Both steaks came with steakhouse-style smashed home-fries (Bob ate all of his and I packed all of mine). For sides, I chose pan-roasted asparagus and instead of the wild 'shroom medley we usually get, Bob insisted on the lobster mac & cheese (we packed most of the latter, and three spears of the former). Those leftovers will be tomorrow night's dinner.
Tonight, it's back to turkey & fixings--last night's steaks were a welcome respite for Bob, who had the hospital's nukable turkey-dinner plates three lunches in a row. At Whole Foods yesterday, they didn't have mashed sweet potatoes, but the deli bar did have paleo roasted herbed sweet potatoes. I will smash them a bit, drizzle with a little maple syrup, and pan-roast them along with the other leftovers (stuffing, turkey breast, brussels sprouts, assorted veggies)--and reheat gravy on the stovetop.
And I am alarmed that my size M scrubs are no longer loose on me--gee thanks, back sprain (2-1/2 weeks and counting now). As badly as it hurts, I will have to bite the bullet and squat low enough to find & hit the "on" switch on my treadmill. That, and go back to near-keto once the leftovers are gone (and take my carb-blockers in the meantime). Also, see if my old cheap recumbent bike is easier on my back than mu upright. (I would dearly love a recumbent elliptical, like the ones at the PT clinics--but besides the $4K price tag, those suckers would take up half the room).
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Sandy - I much prefer a recumbent bike to sitting up straight. Hope that works w/your back.
Cold here too - 58 & dropping. You know Eric - our friends back east are laughing at us. Anyway in honor of the "cold", I tried a new recipe for Beans Provencale. It's a navy bean base with spices & tomatoes. I added celery to the onions & garlic. I didn't have even dried thyme or basil in my spice cupboard (though the recipe called for fresh) so I substituted tarragon & rosemary. Actually quite good. I'll use less water next time since I like my beans chewy.
Mae - Pizza? What are the other toppings? I think I prefer my peanut butter on toasted English Muffins.
We had pouring rain the last two days so I missed 2 days of walks. I tried to make it up with 6 miles on Thanksgiving morning and another 6 miles this morning. Now I'm doing the one thing we ALL love (not) - paying bills. This evening I'll try to get all the rest of the Christmas presents wrapped.
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I've never tried peanut butter on pizza. I've put it on pasta instead of a tomato sauce.....
I'm into "phase 2" of the outdoor landscaping work....digging the trench for the tubing for the automatic watering system and then covering it back up I found the cutest shovel (as shovels go) for this; the digging end is about 2 inches wide and about 1-1/2 feet long, so it makes a nice and deep, but narrow (so I don't have to move a lot of dirt) trench through the lawn.
Yes, I know that others elsewhere are looking askance at our "cold temperatures". I view it as collecting on what's owed us after the nasty summer temperatures. We never really had a fall season here. The high temperatures went from 105F to 70F in what seemed like only a week. Usually we have several weeks where it's in the upper 80F degree (and very dry, so comfortable) range, but not this year.
I was going to run, but am "not feeling it", so Sharon and I will likely go for a walk in another couple of hours...
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I love peanut butter and eat it on a piece of toast with a drizzle of honey most mornings for breakfast. But not on pizza.
I think DH is planning to make chili tomorrow. i will happily turn over the kitchen to him.
I made a mess on the stove today. Put a pot of fresh cranberries on to cook and forgot about them. We like cooked fresh cranberries on cottage cheese as a lunch meal.
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Still in the mid-40s here, but winds will be picking up overnight, especially off the lake. We here on the western shore may get a dusting (and a lakeshore flood advisory from tonight through Tuesday), but it looks like NW IN & the MI coast will get slammed with "lake effect" snow. Highs in the low 40s, lows around freezing or slightly below. Meanwhile, my garden mint plants are hanging in there, as is the rosemary.
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Totally surprised today reading the Target advert. Did you all know that Rao's make frozen (TV) dinners? Target has frozen "family meals" on sale 20% off. Meals by Stouffers, P.F. Changs, and Rao's .
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Minus- I know they make a bunch of stuff. The minestrone I've tried is quite good.
We have started limiting our meal deliveries to Sunday nights. Tonight we were craving salads so ordered Cobb salads from a local restaurant. A nice change of pace. I also felt less guilty about finishing the last of the mini pumpkin pie.
Turning much colder here too. I'm hoping it warms up again for the move. I think some Senate bean soup is in our future (the beans provencale sounds quite good Minus.) Right after the turkey pot pie tomorrow night
The recumbent bike is my favorite therapeutic wonkyknee exerciser. Have not heard of a recumbent elliptical but I’m curious about it.
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I like the recumbent elliptical because it's easier on the back & knees than either a standing elliptical or a recumbent bike. It's called a NuStep, and also has an arm workout function. If you have an Athletico near you, that's what they use for warmups. (Never could get the hang of a standing elliptical, nor a stairmaster--I have actual stairs anyway).
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We have Nu Steps- 2- at the gym at the Mather, but I bought a small - Sport Aid- standing elliptical that perfect,y fits in our enormous master bedroom, in case we go into lockdown and the gym closes. And because I was skeptical about the gym. I use the elliptical 30 minutes a day, now while watching The Crown, do go to the meticulous gym, only 3 people allowed at one time, us treadmill for 30 minutes and walk outside for an hour in anything but ice and heavy snow. My compulsivity knows few bounds
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So glad you have a meticulous gym, Judy!
The last of the T-day leftovers will be my solo dinner tonight (Bob has office hours and will likely eat whatever pizza the staff orders in). Whatever turkey doesn't get carved off the ever-dwindling carcass is going into the freezer. We killed off the stuffing & cranberry sauce last night, so I'll just nuke the leftover veggies, supplemented with a small Caesar. Not touching the last of the pecan pie--maybe a satsuma mandarin if I want something sweet. Tomorrow night will be leftover steak, asparagus, spuds, carpaccio and lobster mac & cheese. (I will add more asparagus, as I'll be spurning the spuds and all but a couple forkfuls of the mac & cheese).
Brunch today was French-style soft-scrambled eggs (2 jumbo) with chives and truffle oil, plus a slice of low-carb toast to mop it up.
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Dinner tonight was slaw dogs and a Mac n cheese side. DS leaves Virginia for Colorado tomorrow - a new adventure for him. I will be nervous as he drives with all his worldly goods across country. He decided to leave his dog with his ex-girlfriend. He will be living alone and working a 48hr on, 72hrs off schedule - not good for this particular pup. He is a rescue from an abusive early life - he doesn’t mix well with other dogs but the former GF loves him and takes good care of him, and she and DS are on good terms. He has always been able to remain friends with exes, his opposite sisterDD has a scorched earth policy, lol!!
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This must be the night for mac & cheese! We had homemade curry mac & cheese with sausage - Yum!
We have a high pressure system over the West Coast so we've got sunny, mild 60's in the daytime with low 30's at night.
Moving on to the Christmas season.
Jane
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Dinner tonight was a continuation of t-giving jump ups. Now down to a bit of cranberry sauce and a fair amount of Turkey breast--at least two or three meals worth. Time to get creative!
Forecast is for a hard freeze tonight; highs in the 80s last week, more likely the 50s this week. Wardrobe transformation, anyone?
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Dinner was a big bowl of broccoli, some baby golden potatoes with margarine, sour cream, and a bit of ketchup, a turkey drumstick and some strawberries.
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DH made a huge pot of chili with pinto beans cooked from scratch and ground beef. We had bowls of chili and a chopped salad with mayo dressing.
Tonight we will mix some pasta with some chili for a variation. Winter comfort food.
We had frost this morning and the furnace is humming away, keeping us warm and snug. The sun is shining.
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Last night I had just put the turkey carcass (with one slab of white meat clinging to it) into the freezer and started reheating some turkey scraps, gravy, yams & brussels sprouts when Bob called and said he'd be home for an 8pm dinner (after first telling me it'd be a late night due to office hrs.). So I went to the basement and hauled up his leftover steak, added a couple oz. of my leftover ribeye, my steakhouse potatoes (he'd eaten all his at the restaurant Sat.), asparagus and half the lobster mac & cheese. Tonight--usually an early day due to it being a clinic-only day--he was supposed to order and pick up from Everest (scallops with cabbage, tenderloin with oxtail sauce & corn, and Alsatian cheesecake). Well, good thing I didn't call ahead to order--he's going back into the hospital (sigh)--he's taking every cardiology consult he can get to keep the practice afloat so his partner (who as an internist doesn't do cardiology) won't have to dip into her retirement savings. Sigh.
So I'll have a salad, whatever pre-existing raw asparagus are still edible, my leftover steak and his leftover lobster mac & cheese. He says he'll get his own dinner at the hospital or a drive-thru en route home. A satsuma or two for dessert.
Brunch was a small tuna salad sandwich on low-carb bread with lettuce, tomato & red onion.
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Had my new permanent 3 teeth bridge "seated" today and mouth is tender so soup for dinner. Made tortilla soup using turkey instead of chicken, turned out to be tasty and filling. Applesauce for dessert. Should be able to bite down comfortably soon and found a good way to use some of the leftover turkey!
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Beaverntx - Congrats on getting your bridge. Hope it works out well for you.
I received my single tooth one last Weds. I thought it would be "affixed" to the adjacent teeth, but it is one that you pop in, rinse off after eating, clean in polident and remove overnight. I wore it for 6 hours on Weds before it started bothering my gums. Cosmetically, not quite what I expected to fill the gap from tooth that was removed. Not wearing everyday since not going anywhere. Oh well, it was only $1,300 as opposed to going through the lengthy & much more costly implant process.
Finally used up TG ham leftovers yesterday. Just had some mac-n-cheese with shrooms for dinner. Shrimp were thawing in the fridge, but still too frozen to use & did not want to "quick thaw" in cold water. Will whip up something with these tomorrow & eat more vegs.
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We were out for a walk in a undeveloped city park (wilderness flood control channel) and a cat followed Sharon and I for more than a mile. He got in the car.
He's quite friendly, wary but not scared of the dogs, extremely clean and was excited when he saw an unopened can of cat food...and even more excited to see it when it was open.
Tomorrow we will go to the vet to see if he has a "chip". If yes, getting him home would be the best.
If not, we will have a cat....or a cat will have us. :-)
He is a tan domestic short hair cat with a white "dress shirt" and white paws.
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Last night's dinner was ho hum. Thawed a package of cooked linguine and heated with some of the leftover chili. Salad was very nice, though. Butter lettuce with avocado, blue cheese and home-made blue cheese vinaigrette.
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"Kitty" has been reunited with his family. The lady who came by to get him said her 7 year old daughter has been extremely upset about it and that this would "make her day". :-)
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Eric - such a great ending. Thanks for following through with the cat. So many people don't.
Not sure about tonight. Basically lazy so it will likely be 'jump ups'. There's always plenty of those when cooking for one. Tomorrow will be the chicken Florentine recipe that I adapted to shrimp previously.
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Awww, Eric - glad Kitty found hisfamily but was secretly hoping for you 😊
Tonight is Kirkland lasagna and garlic bread courtesy of Costco. Still feverishly painting trying to get it all done before next week’s packing marathon.
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Tonight was the meatloaf recipe I made for our first date where I cooked dinner for DH. He was delighted and said "are you still trying to catch me?" Caught him and think I'll keep him.
With the meatloaf I made macaroni and cheese in the crockpot (first time doing that) and baked scalloped tomatos I needed to use up.
To support the above I need to reinvigorate my Leslie Sansone walking routine.
Eric glad for the happy ending, but was also rooting for you and your wife getting a new furry child.
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Big salad night. So good but I often forget, gonna have to make this a weekly thing. You can’t see it all here but it’s 3 kinds of lettuce, green and red cabbage, red onion, green onions, radishes, cucumber, cheddar, chickpeas and grilled chicken.
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