So...whats for dinner?
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auntie - I have a flooring dilemma and not sure how to proceed - my living/dining/study floors, currently a too red cherry looking engineered hardwood with 3mm top, meets the bedroom door which has carpet, which also meets the bathroom off the bedroom, which has a slightly more brown bamboo floor. My bedroom is the last room with carpet in the house. I am not sure whether to bamboo the bedroom and living/dining/study floors to match the bathroom so the whole thing is uniform, or sand and re-stain the living/dining/study - which can only be done once due to the thinness of the actual wood - to better match the bamboo and then re-carpet the bedroom. I really just want to lay down and not think about it, so I understand your trepidation. I also need to re-surface the pool deck. I hear you on the expense of re-screening - we have the typical Florida pool enclosure and just replaced the 20 year old roof screens a couple of months ago. It was very interesting to watch them do the ones over the actual pool - they laid long pieces of wood across the pool and then put plywood over, then put the ladder on the plywood. It was kind of nerve wracking to watch them. They screens needed replacing as they had taken on the spiderweb sheen. I also replaced the screens on DD's small lanai at the same time, that one wasn't as bad and they were really old.
Not sure what dinner tonight will be - maybe pork chops and sweet potatoes with a kale/strawberry salad. I am off to the pharmacy and then to get dog ice cream at Target - today is the doggo's 14th b-day. He is celebrating by napping.
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Happy bday to the Doggo!
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Chilly, rainy day here so I made chili. Got enough for another night!
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auntie - thanks! He is such a sweet and good boy - I am very pleased that he has been such a solid and easy care dog with a long life! His biggest issue now is a little separation anxiety - partly because I have been in the house with him 24/7 for the last year and he is suspicious whenever I leave, lol! Also, his hearing and eyesight are not as sharp so I am sure that confuses him a tad. My DD has been at an event that she hosted all weekend so we are having the dog party tomorrow evening - I will post a pic.
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Dinner tonight is steak, baked potato, broccoli salad with Freakshow 2018 Zinfandel by Michael David.
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Special - I can't imagine sanding all that expanse of flooring. Ugh. When (if ever) I get to the floors, I am going to keep carpet in the bedrooms & the living room. Thanks to chemo & neuropathy, my feet are always cold and it's really uncomfortable to walk on 'bare' floors. And of course having grown up in CA, I prefer not to wear shoes.
Nance - agree about the flooring guys. I don't think they're going to move my 8 floor to ceiling bookcases w/o my emptying them. I had to empty two to get to the "hatch" in the wall for access to the back of a tub/shower for the plumbers. 10 boxes stacked in the TV room. (including my Martha Grimes, Carole). Not sure where they're going to put the empty bookcases.
Large salad for dinner with two pieces of toast.
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Minus, as a former California girl, I’m right there with you on shoes. We had wood floors but I wear flip flops in the house and only wear real shoes when going on walks or the rare occasion when I need to dress up for something.
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I’m not from CA but I don’t wear shoes at home either. I’m just the opposite of you Minus, my neuropathy makes my feet feel hot. I’m diabetic so bare feet are frowned on but I do it anyway even outside. Consequently, if I don’t stay on top of the care, my feet more resemble hooves.
Dinner will be whatever Costco can offer.
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I broke my ankle in two places in a fall off my front concrete steps in 2005 when we lived in Virginia in a townhouse - I put the front of my foot too close to the step edge and off I went. I did a bunch of soft tissue and nerve damage to the toes and ball of my foot as well. Consequently I have trouble standing for long periods on my kitchen tile - like when cooking - without discomfort. Flip flops and some ugly Crocs keep my feet from being sore. I had neuropathy from Taxotere, which resolved for the most part several months after chemo ended, but I have found that my tolerance for shoes with heels is much shorter. I seem to have pain rather than numbness. I have a number of cute pumps with heels that I refer to as "sitting shoes" at this point. My mom had neuropathy from a degenerative neuromuscular condition that is in the Muscular Dystrophy group of diseases and hers was pain and numbness simultaneously, and it was painful on the surface of her skin if someone was touching her. I have so much sympathy for all who struggle with this - what I have experienced is relatively mild, and I am thankful!
minus - all I can say is ugh...
Dinner tonight I think will be lasagna rolls - I may saute some kale that needs to be used and include it in the rolls unless I can find some chopped frozen spinach in the recesses of the freezer. I have some hot Italian sausage as well. I will also make some garlic bread using the remaining TJ's sourdough. Thinking I may make some vanilla cupcakes too so the dog can have an unfrosted one with his peanut butter Frosty Paws.
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Just had a good long catch up with everyone’s news and think we might want to amend out thread title to “What’s for dinner and home improvements?” I’m impressed with all that is going on with so many house upgrades and repairs...by yourselves and other workers! I keep avoiding the need for my bathroom and our bedroom to be upgraded, since I absolutely hate the idea of the intrusion and disruption, even tho it would not even be close to what some of you are undertaking. Minus you get the award for hard work and survival! I hope the plumbers are neat and efficient and you can finally relax and enjoy your “new” digs!
Happy 14th to your pooch, Special!
We had DS2 and DDIL2’s Scottie here last week while he recuperated from emergency surgery for an intestinal blockage. Ugh! He was in pretty bad shape. This was just an added stress for them after learning their contractor tested positive for Covid, slowing an already protracted house renovation. Then their kitchen cabinets arrived early (what were the chances of that?!?!) and had to be stored in the only first floor living space they had since every other first floor room and garage are loaded. I do keep remembering...At least they have a home....and a bathroom functioning! Anyway, the elderly pooch is recovering well after our time together and no tempting construction items to ingest here. Unfortunately their workmen enjoyed having him “houdini” his way through baricades to join them. The cost for his hospitalization was astronomical, adding another stressor to the “money pit” experience. I think they finally realized they are in over their heads...but also know it is time limited.
I’ve been making some meals for them to lighten their load a tad, and DH decided to get in on the act (Yay!), so made a modified version of his paella this weekend and we dropped that off. The toddler scarfed it down faster than they even did!Since there are two big supermarkets right near the place I go for the laser treatments, I’ve been a crazed food shopper. I guess I really missed those trips during quarantine. So this past week we’ve had lots of meals, unfortunately, most including pasta or rice for some reason, which I usually try to limit.
My portion of the paella.
Scallops and mushrooms over pasta and DH’s favorite bread. Carb city! We’ve had this favorite a few times.
Tonight we are headed into town to return to TDGarden to watch the Celtics....first game open to fans! Hope we are not being foolishly overly confident vaccinated old folks. But the restrictions are quite rigid, and the arena is allegedly pristine. It will be odd (but reassuring) to have only 2100 people there, carefully spaced, instead of 18,000. And I am really looking forward to cheering on our struggling team!!! Just have to figure out how to manage bringing no handbag...first world challenge, haha!
The back report is not great...so Ibuprofen and I have renewed our relationship until I decide on the next treatment.
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My neuropathy manifests itself most of the time as numbness, which currently goes up to my ankles. Its a difficult sensation to describe - kind of like your hands would feel wearing thick gloves. For instance, if I stepped on a lego, I could feel the pressure but not necessarily the pain. But at night, my feet burn as if on fire. I'm not willing to take any more drugs so I rely on Aleve. It works for the most part but some nights are better than others.
Lacey, I'm sorry about the back.. It sounds like you're staying busy in spite of it.
Special - I have to use anti fatigue mats in the kitchen where I do food prep. They make a world of difference. I have one at the sink too where DH does dishes. Fortunately, there are lots of nice looking ones and my kitchen is no longer open and visible to the world when I'm cooking.
Tonight will be Maine lobster ravioli with a garlic butter sauce for me and sausage stuffed ravs with Rao's for DH. This is the first time I've tried the lobster ravs. I'm hoping they exceed my expectations.
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Cooked up a little pasta and added it to the leftover chili
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Tonight was chicken bombs, cauliflower mac and steamed spinach. I haven’t made this in about / years and it was even better than I remembered.
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Last night was a pork steak, pan fried and sliced for sharing. I always get the bone! Sides were cauliflower mash and a romaine tossed salad. We had been out of blue cheese and Kalamata olives. It was good to have them back among the additions. The pork was cooked perfectly, a bit pink.
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Carole, I've only ever grilled pork steak. Do you bread it in any way?
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Sharon is making eggplant parmesan using eggplant from our little garden.
I got sidetracked a bit . I found out that tomorrow is our neighborhood's turn for the city's twice a year, "put it out by the curb and the city trash crews will haul it away for free." So, I spent the day trimming trees and piling the branches at the curb. I did get one window screen done.
I know how it is with dogs. We've never been faced with the "it can be fixed, but it will be expensive" dilemma. In all of our cases, it couldn't be fixed, no matter the cost. It's easier, but no less painful. We are getting ready to do some home improvement stuff to replace the 25 year old cabinets and remove the equally old wall paper. We also need some bathroom updates. I don't know if I'll do it myself, or have it done. We are fixing up the house for sale and a move to somewhere less hot and more rural.
The local grocery store is open until 9pm. The night manager is thee, alone, until 11pm when the night crew comes in to restock the shelves. We've been shopping there for so long that she doesn't mind us shopping during that empty time.
I like cooking in my bare feet. :-)
Happy birthday to your doggie, Special. Ours is also 14.
Illimae, it's a good thing I've already had supper. I'd be inviting myself over! That looks good. :-)Sharon just announced we are going walking. We've been walking 5 miles a night for seemingly forever and it's that time again. I enjoy it as well....gives us time together where something else isn't needing our attention.
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Nance, I sometimes bread the pork steak but didn't when I cooked it on Monday night. It wasn't as large as some pork steaks and was trimmed, more like a large shoulder chop.
Last night was thin sliced chicken breast fillets, smeared with mustard and coated with fresh grated romano. Cooked on medium on stove top in skillet until coating forms a crust. Side was another attempt at Peg Bracken's creamed cabbage, better than the last attempt but still not a keeper recipe. A friend once stated that he took this dish to pot lucks and people loved it. Raised eyebrows.
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Well the Maine lobster ravioli did not exceed or even meet my expectations. It should actually be named Cheese Ravioli with a Hint of Lobster. Underwhelming to say the least.
I absolutely could not decide on dinner last night so ended up carrying out from a local bbq joint. Not the best but good enough.
Grocery pickup today so tonight will be unstuffed cabbage. Also on the agenda is making final arrangements for the flooring. The estimate came in higher than I anticipated so Ouch. I just hope the product is in stock and not waiting to get through the Suez canal.
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Auntie and Carole.....reminds me of college cooking and the notes in the cookbook, "Next time try......"
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Still full from “national world taco day”
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Carole: Someone gave me Peg Bracken's "I Hate to Cook" book for my 1st wedding shower in the 60s. Maybe I passed it along with a box of cookbooks to Eric?
Nance - what are you putting on the floor? I've decided on LV (luxury vinyl) for my kitchen because it's warmer than most flooring & has some give to make the neuropathy less troublesome. But I'm going nuts trying to find a pattern that will look good with my solid oak cupboards.
The re-pipe is done. City inspector is scheduled for tomorrow. But the contractor who will fix the sheet rock, paint, etc. isn't even coming to discuss what I need/want until at least the weekend. So everything will stay in boxes spread all over the house.
Dinner was leftover Anasazi beans and fig/rosemary crisps with Boursin garlic cheese.
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I looked, Minus and I didn't see that one on the shelf. Did the contractor say anything about how much dust there will be from the wallboard repair work?
Dinner tonight was the eggplant parmesan. I didn't realize she was doing a slow-cooker variety. This one was "good as is". In other words, a keeper.
We both got haircuts. It had been 6 months for us and both of us were looking a bit "shaggy".
Edited to add....
After Sharon had a root canal on a tooth, it continued to deteriorate, so, tomorrow, it will be pulled and the prep work started for a dental implant. So, it'll be no straws and probably soft(er) foods for a couple of days. Considering that she was walking a couple of miles just two days after her BMX, she'll probably want to walk home from the dentist's office. :-)
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Special, hope your biopsy is unremarkable. Have you had the Shingrix shots? If not, you should get them but no sooner than 2 weeks after your second coronavirus shot. Shingrix should keep the varicella zoster at bay permanently. There's a harmless but itchy viral skin rash called pityriasis rosea that mimics chickenpox or mild shingles, but is self-limiting and does not affect the nerves. When there was a chickenpox outbreak in Chicago back in '94, Gordy broke out in that rash but had no fever--so the pediatrician biopsied the rash and found it was just pityriasis. As soon as it was gone he had the chickenpox vaccine--so he will never get shingles.
Cases are on the rise again in IL--even more so in Chicago--this time overwhelmingly among 18-39-yr-olds who congregate and party (many illegal raves & dance parties) maskless. Those spoiled entitled brats are going to get the city shut down again, and more restaurants & businesses will go under. The place we'd planned for this Friday--Carnivale--suddenly closed down till 4/9 because a waiter came down with COVID.
Last night we went back to a restaurant in Evanston we hadn't visited since late 2018, when it was called Chef's Station (under the Metra rail & CTA train tracks). It closed just before the pandemic--the chef had bought the place and started renovations, and then everything had to close down. We assumed that was that. It reopened last June, patio-dining-only, as The Alcove. In early autumn, indoor dining had reopened at 25%. By the time we wanted to try it, the weather became too cold for outdoor dining and the pandemic spiked again, closing indoor dining once more. Chicago is once again open at 40%, the suburbs at 50%.
So we decided to try it. The decor was much brighter and more modern (as Chef's Station, it had become very "hunt-clubby" and starting to fray at the edges). Alas, maybe because it was midweek and there's no outdoor signage (and no ads for it), we were one of only two tables in the place. But the service was cheerful & attentive and the food was terrific: all the old Chef's Station faves (but a la carte), with seasonal-availability twists. We shared a baby arugula-kale salad with red quinoa & feta, lamb mini-meatballs on watercress, and tuna poke with avocado, black sesame & yuzu vinaigrette over arugula. Next came a mixed-berry sorbet intermezzo (a vanishing custom these days). My entree was four baby Colorado lamb chops with grilled asparagus and parmesan arancini (as good as I've had in Sicily). Bob had seared beef tenderloin with broccoli rabe and wild rice/polenta latke. Against my better judgment, I gave in and ordered dessert--a flourless chocolate cake. Turned out to be an individual dark chocolate souffle with vanilla bean ice cream and milk chocolate sauce. We will definitely return.
Bob wanted to stop at Calumet Fisheries on his way back from buying cheap gas in Indiana, but there was police activity. So no smoked fish this week for us. Meanwhile, it's still Passover, and I've been overindulging on Yehuda whole wheat bran matzo and kosher chocolates. Even though we didn't do a Seder (although I did watch City Winery's online one) I still bought round "shmura" matzo from Israel. It's hideously expensive (as much as $30!), but also giant: 3-6 huge rounds per box. Saw a small one on special for $8, so I bought it (instead of the pricy kind we bought last time on advice of a rabbi shopping for his own family--made in Montreal and delicious). Now, those of us who are Jewish know that in the Haggadah (the "roadmap" book for the Seder), there is a line where the host holds up a matzo and declares "this is the bread of affliction." Usually, that "affliction" is constipation. But with this stuff, that "affliction" might have ended up a broken tooth. You know how people describe matzo as "cardboard?" This stuff is more like plywood! So it truly is the bread of affliction.
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Last night was easy cooking but not as good as anticipated. Store-made Italian sausage (Rouse's Supermarket) with Rao's and linguine. The sausage was very salty. Side was our romaine salad with additions, as good as always.
Enough leftover linguine for another meal.
I will make my own Italian sausage next time, probably with ground turkey.
I'm in the mood for hamburgers. Will probably buy ground beef and buns and make our own instead of ordering from Chili's. Lots of gifted sweet potatoes on hand for making sweet potato fries in oven.
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Eric - no worries about the Bracken cookbook. It probably fell apart years ago. And about that plaster dust..... URGH. Worse to come next month when they tear down a popcorn ceiling & replace sheet rock in another ceiling.
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Minus, I wonder if the popcorn ceilings were once considered attractive?
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Carole, those ceilings were so ubiquitous that someone must have liked them for some reason !
Dinner last night was salmon burgers with homemade cocktail sauce, garlic French fries and mixed vegs. Tonight is still up for grabs.
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Minus, we too are going with LV plank in a gray oak pattern. I’m fortunate that the cabinets are white. I would have difficulty with any other woods too.
Tonight is thick cut pork chops prepared some way or another. I often grill them but it’s only in the 30s today. DH has requested stuffing (which of course will be from a box) so I’ll probably reverse sear them. The green side will be asparagus.
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Minus - We had LV installed when kitchen was re-done a number of years ago. I do like the more cushiony feel to it vs tile or hardwoods, both of which DH was deadset against. There are a lot of patterns out there, so hopefully you will find one to go with your cabinets.
Eric - Good luck in re: your wife's implant. I had a tooth removed a few months ago and instead of going through the lengthy & costly implant process, went with a single tooth "bridge". Very happy with the result and saved almost $5,000.
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Tonight she wanted to go for a walk. I didn't think it was a great idea, but she wanted to go...with our without me.
Her pain med prescription is one Endocet 5-325 (oxycodone and acetaminophen) every 4 to 6 hours. It was working OK before the 3 mile walk..... now, it's not working quite as well......
....sigh....
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