So...whats for dinner?
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Mariano's or WF's roast chickens come regular, Cajun, or salt-free. They're not as good a buy as Costco's (which are loss-leaders for the store) but at least I can control the sodium level. As to chicken breasts, the only ones I can stand are fried & breaded...and I don't do breaded/battered & fried, haven't in over 2 yrs. My chicken parts of choice for scratch-cooking are bone-in, skin-on thighs. (But when I get lazy I default to frozen hot wings).
I checked the ingredients & nutrition labels on Rao's marinara, and it's no more "points-y" than made from scratch (at least a scratch marinara with a decent amount of flavor). I hate to say it, but a "balanced" diet that is still not fattening is very difficult to do when dining out. Low-carb, as restrictive as it sometimes feels, is the easiest for me to stick to because even in the smallest town at midnight after a show you can still get a burger patty & a salad; and steakhouses & seafood restaurants are keto-heaven (if you know what to order and pack enough of it to take home for the next night). It's the only eating plan I've been able to stick to (for the most part) for as long as even a year--and for me now it's almost 2 yrs.
Tonight Bob brought home chili & seared ahi. I'd have gone out to eat with him, but my benefit concert was streaming and I had to do a Zoom chat for it afterwards. (It'll be archived at www.wildhoginthewoods.org).
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Nance, Yay on the completed flooring! How do you make gyros? I had them at restaurants many years ago and couldn't quite figure out what the meat was. Some lamb mixture?
The modified Chicken Salsa dish, made with pork instead of chicken, was successful. I think I like the combination of black beans and salsa better with pork than with chicken. I sprinkled grated Mexican blend cheese on top at the last minute. We also added sour cream to our servings. Tortillas would have been good but would have added carbs.
Lacey, I enjoyed your description of the toddler's reaction to an unfamiliar taste.
It's true that the skin on and bone in chicken breasts are always huge.
I have a box of nice mushrooms that I want to use in tonight's dinner. All I can think of so far is beef stroganoff which would involve noodles. Undecided.
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https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2010/06/greek-american-lamb-gyros-recipe.html
Carole, these are the ones I make, usually with a combo of lamb and beef, but last night’s were some I purchased from the global food market and had frozen. They were all lamb. The market has a marvelous selection of freshly baked pitas and flat breads too. None of it diet friendly.
Everybody has pork butts on sale here this week I should probably get one and make the salsa dish it sounds really good that way Except I can’t find my slow cooker in storage. I may have to try it in the pressure cooker
Gloomy rainy day here. I think tonight is tika masala (from a jar purchased from Costco with additions) with brown rice and mini naans. Fresh strawberries with lemon custard cakes for dessert.
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Carole - I like your idea of the pork instead in the Chicken Salsa and will make that soon. I too have a box of mushrooms that I HOPE can still at least still be sauteed. The plan is for them to top a Naan pizza tonight with some black olives added.
Good to see you Lacey.
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Not really up to standing up to do a lot of cooking today. So tonight is Hamburger Helper
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I've not been on in awhile. Sharon and I have been doing home improvements/repairs, like many others on here and then we went with some friends to camp out...they in their trailer and us in our truck camper.
Your note on the 16th, Illimae....that just sucks. I'm hoping that it's not a big deal.
Hi Bedo...Long time no hear. Second grandkid....cool! :-)
Special. Hope it goes well on the 29th. My mom had Moh's done for a lesion on her nose. This was when her mind was still intact and she managed to convince them to add to the "numb" while they were checking to see if they needed another pass. She said that one "eye watering experience" to get initially numb was enough!
For a long time we got the store bought roasted chickens and, even though I *LOVE* salt, I thought they were much too salty. So, I would make my own....pressure cook and then some oven time to crisp the skin. Then we could spice it like we wanted. I kept noticing that spices seemed to lose their taste in the pressure cooker and I found I had to just about double up on the amount of spices to get it tasting right. I mentioned it to my mom and, "Oh. Yes. Compared what you use in an oven recipe....double it for a pressure cooker..." I guess I should have asked first! :-)
We used to keep cooked chicken in the refrigerator, but since turning "kinda-sorta-somewhat-a-little-bit" vegan, we have switched to rice and beans. The rice gets cooked in some home made salt free chicken (or turkey) broth and the beans are either white tepary, black, pinto or "chick peas".
Chi, that's interesting about the changing diet advice. Sharon tried WW several times over the past 25 years and each time, it sort of worked. I would follow along and it would sort of work for me too. Both of us would lose some weight and then the loss would stop. I find if I run 20-30 miles a week , I'll lose 2-3 pounds a week. Then, after a month, I'll "plateau" for a month and then I'll resume the 2-3 pounds a week loss...for another month....
Nance, I'll bet you're glad the flooring is done! You, too, Minus, with your repair stuff.
It will be interesting when we move. We have 14 seven foot tall, five foot wide book cases full of books. I'm considering buying a used box truck with a hydraulic lift on the back so I can slide, instead of lift, all the heavy stuff. When we get done moving, we can then sell the truck. Used ones that are "good enough to get the job done" are around $10,000 and when we are done, we can sell the truck.
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WW's point systems demonization of all fats is its main sticking point for me. I've found that low-carb has always worked best for me, and easiest to adapt for travel (except airline meals of course).
Brunch today (it's always brunch time by the time I get done feeding & cleaning up after the cats) was avocado toast on low-carb/hi-fiber (2 gm. net) toast, with chopped tomato, shallot & cilantro; and an olive-oil-fried egg on top. Dinner will be leftover salmon & seared ahi, kale salad, and Jerusalem salad (sans tahini).
I bought a set of 3 OXO dishwasher-and-oven-safe nonstick skillets (8, 10, 12").. Most of my previous ones are not oven safe (plastic handles), and only the 12-incher could go into the dishwasher. Doing the latter caused a nick in one edge and the anodized coating starting to wear off the bottom, exposing the bare aluminum. The 8 & 10-inchers were beginning to lose some of their nonstick properties--despite using only plastic utensils, the coating had a bunch of micro-scratches. And the dishwasher-safe 10-incher I'd bought to keep in reserve (hanging on the pot rack) dented (not merely warped) badly when it fell off (6'2" Bob bumped his head on it one day)--and I'd never even used it! So I'm still gonna baby the new ones and insist Bob approach the corner sink from the other side, where nothing's hanging.
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I'm a huge fan of cast iron cookware. About the only way to hurt it is to get it "screaming hot" and then pour water into it, or drop it onto the floor. Once it's well seasoned, it's quite non-stick.
When my mom was in her mid 90s, she gave me her cast iron cookware. She pointed out the stuff she bought, the stuff her mom gave her and the stuff her grandmother gave her. So, a lot of what I have is well over 100 years old. The only issue is weight.
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Eric - good to see you. You have been missed. Where did you go camping? You're not planning on moving anytime soon are you?
You have me beat with the bookcases. I only have 10 of that same size. But also a vintage two glass door bookcase case and several other ancient, eclectic, interesting bookcases. So the floor in the middle of all my rooms is now stacked with boxes of books. When I get to the carpet - I know furniture moving is included - but will they move the tons of boxes of books?
They're working on the kitchen and the hall bath now. As soon as the hall bath is done (but probably before the floor & new toilet is installed), they will start ceiling sheetrock repair the master bedroom & tear out damaged wall tile around the master bath tub/shower - and I will be displaced to my son's bed for awhile. And maybe using the toilet down at the corner 7-11.
I did make Naan pizzas for dinner with sauteed onions & mushrooms, black olives, Raos sauce and lots of Mozarella cheese. Ate one & have one left over for later this week.
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I forgot the glass front bookcase. It's about 5 feet tall, 4 feet wide, with 4 shelves and doors that flip up to slide in above the books.
We're hoping to put everything into storage in the next few months and get the house interior updated/painted/etc. while living in our camper (with two dogs!). Once the house sells and we know how much money we have to work with, we'll start looking in earnest (again while living in the camper). We're hoping to stay in Arizona, but, if that doesn't work out, then we're open to other states.
We were camping with friends at a state park just north of Tucson. They were winter residents from Naperville, IL and moved her full time about 3-4 years ago. We met at a bluegrass festival.From the campsite north of Tucson, we took them to Mt Lemon, Tombstone and Kartchner Caverns.
Mt Lemon is one of the southeast Arizona "sky islands" where the climate/terrain goes from low Sonoran desert to sub-alpine forests in a short drive.
Tombstone needs no description.
Kartchner Caverns is a large cave complex that became a state park. After the private landowners discovered the cave, they offered the land to the state and the legislation to create the park was passed unanimously in just one afternoon. Both houses of the legislature met simultaneously and the governor was on hand between the two legislative chambers to sign the bill. I'm guessing this was the fastest "bill to law" legislation ever and I'm quite certain it was the only time both political parties agreed on ANYTHING. :-)
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Last night's dinner was definitely not WW. After a trip to the supermarket to buy lean beef (choice was London Broil) and other food items on the list, a golf friend contacted me with a suggestion that we meet her and her dh for dinner at a popular new restaurant on the lakefront (Lake Pontchartrain) to try for a table on the outdoor dining deck. The property was a hotel during the 1900's when Mandeville was a favorite summering spot for New Orleans folks who would cross the lake on ferries. Later the property was called Rest a While and served as a retreat for poor single mothers. It was badly damaged during Katrina and has remained in disrepair until recently when a developer bought it.
The occasion turned out to be perfect. Our table started out in sunshine but a breeze off the lake kept us comfortable. Linda and I chose drinks off a list of bar specials. Mine was vodka, lime juice and ginger beer. It was very refreshing. Linda's contained grapefruit juice along with other ingredients and I wasn't sure whether grapefruit juice was ok with my meds. I almost never order an unfamiliar cocktail but I enjoyed this one.
The four of us ordered fried seafood platters. I had a shrimp and oyster combo. The hush puppies were particularly good. There were fancier items on a menu that offered a range of choices at different price levels. Some people were eating boiled crawfish and others were enjoying grilled oysters on the half shell.
Today is our "family" get together at my younger sister's house. Her dh decided, much to my delight, to do a crawfish boil. We'll eat outside in her yard. The forecast is for a beautiful day, not too hot because a front came through during the night. A brother from a nearby town about 12 miles away has promised to come and visit but not eat. He is on an expensive diet to lose weight and lower his sugar. Optiva? So the gathering will be dh and I and Michelle and her dh and some of her family. Another brother chose not to come and the third brother lives in OK and the third sister lives 3 hours away on her version of Old McDonald's Farm with animals who can't fend for themselves to allow her and her dh to stay away overnight. What a crew. When my mother died, the glue was gone.
Eric, your move sounds like the right decision for you and Sharon at this time in your lives.
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celia - how was your farm to table?
jhl - yay for a grandchildren and grandparent get together - how fun!
auntie - glad your floors are done! I'm still waiting on the new fridge and three new glass doors - slider, French, and a big glass door to the lanai. All of these are tall - since the house has high ceilings. Hope my install guy can deal because they will be heavy.
lacey - I keep the bagged chicken in a specific place but I also have a shallow side by side - so it is harder to lose things since it is small. I certainly have had that happen with normal freezers though! How is your back doing? Your granddaughter's reaction to feta sounds very much like my son's reaction to coconut at that same age. Lots of tongue scraping, a shake of the head like after a tequila shot, and a look at us like we were trying to poison him. Lol!
mommy - are you doing ok?
bedo - hi, hi, hi!!! Yay for grand #2!
eric - DS bought a trailer for his move from VA to CO in December, with plans to sell it once there. He parked it in the apartment parking lot while he got established at work, went out to get it ready to show someone, and it had been stolen! He called the police and miraculously they found it 7 hours later! He just sold it last week with a $400 profit. Amen to the extra numbing, especially on the face. I've had one extensive MOHS to the side of my nose and I can testify it smarts to get that first numbing.
carole - my DH has experienced a similar situation with his sibs and the loss of the last parent. I think the only way all five will see each other in the same spot is a wedding or a funeral, and that is not even a guarantee. Three live In FL, two in NC. Is the meal plan for your bro Optifast? My mom did that and it worked well.
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Doing good. I have gotten both vaccine shots with very few side effects.
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mommy - excellent! Feels good to be vaccinated, right?
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Last night the friends that we camped with came over for a bluegrass jam and I made some of biscuits that are pretty close to the Red Lobster cheddar biscuits. At least that is the title for the recipe at
https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/260622/red-lobster-cheddar-biscuits/
They were pretty good, although next time I will reduce the salt to 1/2 teaspoon and increase the cheddar to 1-1/2 cups. The recipe says 25 minutes and they are about right.
Tonight is one of those "not hungry nights" so dinner was a glass of water and an apple.
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Feels great.
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Sharon's birthday was yesterday, but she wasn't feeling well, so we didn't do anything special. Today, I'm the one not feeling well.
Then....I noticed water on the floor around the toilet. Now I feel crappy.
The bowl cracked near where the tank attaches and it now leaks (fortunately, fresh) water when the toilet is flushed.
As soon as she gets home from her mom's house, we'll be heading to the hardware store to get a new toilet. Fortunately it's q fairly quick process to remove and replace a toilet and the old one is already removed.
Somehow I don't think this will count as a birthday present! :-)0 -
eric - I have asked for a mixer and a dustbuster as gifts before, but never a toilet! Something about that just doesn't scream Happy Birthday! Lol! Sharon is a good sport though - and hope you're both feeling better soon.
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Wow Eric, you and Sharon have a lot going on even without a cracked throne! You are wise to get the moving tasks done while still “young” and energetic! I hope you find good options for your new digs. Housing here is so tight and expensive that we may be staying put until we can no longer scale our staircases!
Next week, local DS and family will be staying here for several days while their new floors are sanded, etc. The anticipation of their “moving in” is prompting me to pack up my “sewing room” so the space can be returned to its proper role of dining room. It’s been a great sewing space. I just heard all the messaging about mask use reduction, which fits my plan nicely since I set up this expanded sewing space when starting to make masks!
DH bought chorizo sausage recently, then used something else in his latest paella. Since the chorizo had been saying “hello” to me every time I opened the refrigerator, I searched for recipes in which I could use it and some hake fillets that were on sale this week. It involved orzo instead of rice and we really enjoyed it. And a perfect dish for using one of my cast iron skillets. Pic below. We had it with a big red leaf lettuce salad and green beans.
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Next week I’ll need to get creative about meals for a sudden family of five with “highly selective” food preferences.
Special, I chuckled at your memory about DS’s coconut reaction.Minus, still thinking of you with your house rehab rigors! May it move along quickly!
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SpecialK - Unfortunately, with a steady downpour of rain and only 50 on Saturday, had to change lunch to an indoor spot. Would have preferred to be outdoors, but not in nasty weather. I had a pizza (very thin crust, just the way I like it) with roasted garlic oil as the "base", prosciutto, mushrooms, fresh basil, fresh mozzarella & drizzled with a balsamic reduction. Tasty & had plenty to take home. First indoor dining experience since March 2019. Glad to be fully vaccinated as there were more people there than expected.
Oh, Eric, what a bummer about the toilet! Glad you are handy enough to handle the installation of a new one.
Hope just about everyone who has wanted to be vaccinated has been able to do so. One step closer to some form of normalization.
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Special, you are right about Sharon being a good sport. She was laughing that at least I didn't buy it for her birthday and then wait until Mother's Day to install it.
Dinner tonight was bean and fake cheese enchiladas with air fried turnips for the "main" side dish.
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Our governor has knuckled under to the pressure to lift the mask mandate. He shifted the responsibility to businesses to require or not require. Maybe the grumblers will be happy. I will continue to wear a mask to the supermarket and to stores on the rare shopping trip. I wonder if the YMCA will take down its mask sign. The rule was kind of silly since exercisers can take off their masks. Some of the employees at the entrance desk wear their masks below the nose.
I put the thawed thin sliced chicken breasts in the refrigerator last night and supplemented the leftover London Broil and mushrooms dish from Monday night with steamed carrots and large cubed potatoes. Also warmed up the leftover brown rice. A good dinner for DH to eat as he attended a Zoom woodworkers' meeting. The dish was actually a version of beef stew. Edible but not memorable.
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Eric, best of luck with your moving plans. Lacey is right - do it before you have to lol.
Last night was Swedish meatballs with a Dijon cream sauce, buttered noodles and steamed asparagus with lemon butter. This was inspired by a trip to IKEA yesterday in search of some dining room chairs. We found some, dragged them home along with some lingonberry jam, chocolate and a package of their frozen meatballs, which I had never had. They weren’t bad - better than expected. I don’t make them often because I think they’re a PITA , so it was a nice easy meal. The chairs are nice too and weren’t too frustrating to put together. DH had never been to IKEA and found it fascinating lol. I did warn him ahead of time.
Today I am potting the extensive flower garden in my garage. It’s pouring down rain the entire day but I’ll work in the garage. I’m anxious to get something growing and am already missing my garden. Lifestyle adjustments. We actually ate lunch indoors at McAlisters Monday (masks, reduced capacity, tables way far apart. We were the only ones on our side of the room divided by a partition.). A little anxiety there but overall enjoyable to do something that felt normal.
Tonight is pork tenderloin fixed some way or another, tiny potatoes and peas and a fruit salad.
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Spine MRI came back clear, which is great. Thanks everyone for the well wishes, I appreciate it.
Dinner tonight is sautéed garlicky shrimp, cheese tortellini in a parmesan cream sauce and steamed spinach.
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illimae - yay for your news! Dinner looks good! Love shrimp with garlic. Had some at Giovanni’s food truck on Oahu - covered with butter up to our elbows by the time we were done - fun, but only once, lol! Next time, a year later, I opted for the peeled ones which were way less messy and just as delicious!
DH had cabbage salad with cranberries, pepitas, chicken and poppyseed dressing (his uneaten lunch) and so far I’ve had nothing.
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Mae - HOORAY that the MRI was clear. Hope you're celebrating.
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Great news Mae
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Happy news Illimae!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Making tacos for dinner tonight.
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Such great news, Illimae! Your meal looks delicious and celebratory.
Great minds, Nance. I will probably be digging a pork tenderloin out of the freezer. And maybe I will finally make the broccoli salad I've been thinking of making. I printed out a WW recipe for Citrus Broccoli and Cauliflower salad that looks pretty good. Calls for lemon and orange zest, lemon and orange juice and a small amount of light mayo. I will undoubtedly have to increase the mayo. Mayo and coffee would be on my list of most necessary foods/drink. Instead of raw broccoli and cauliflower, I will probably go the blanch route since I don't like either one raw.
Last night was the thin chicken breast slices, not of equal thinness. I cooked them in a skillet. Spread with Dijon and pressed with grated romano to create a crusty surface. Side was perfectly cooked steamed asparagus with butter lemon sauce (again, great minds, Nance!) Another side was romaine salad.
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