So...whats for dinner?
Comments
-
sandy, our friends from Louisiana handle it but DH can do it too, I’ll just sit back and watch/eat.
0 -
The opening Saturday of the farmers market was a good day for us. We were busy with customers and topped any previous sales record. DH got lots of deserved compliments especially for a big bowl created from a birch burl. We priced it high counting on no one buying it because it's such a conversation piece.
Dinner was a grilled ribeye and a shared baked potato.
0 -
When Gordy was two years old, we went to a local Cajun restaurant (long since out of business). We ordered a platter of boiled crawfish. He went nuts when he saw them, exclaiming "Oh, boy--baby lobsters!" I extricated a piece of tail meat and gave it to him. He responded, "AH! AH! My teeth are spicy.....gimme another"). There's an eponymous Zachary Richard song whose chorus ends "Boil 'em up till they good & red. Squeeze they tails and you suck they heads...CRAWFISH!"
Last night we walked to Cellars. Started with excellent gazpacho (sign that summer's on the way--a cup for me and a bowl for Bob). I then had grilled salmon over julienne veg. and grilled sweet potato slices, and Bob had "ravioli verdure," cheese-filled and topped with Italian-seasoned vegetables. At home, for dessert at home, I had an Atkins brownie. It's the best prefab keto bar I've ever had: taste & texture like a normal brownie and only 2gm net carbs.
0 -
Chi,
My mom told me about some of my reactions to foods when I was two. It makes me smile when I think of them and I'm amazed at how similar DD was with food preferences....then and now.
Did the car get fixed?Starting tomorrow we'll be on our way to northern Michigan. DD and boyfriend are taking a different route as they need to get their in just a few days. We are avoiding the high altitudes (elderly dog's vet's recommendation) and will be taking a different route.
We are just about ready, although yesterday I had to fix a tiny leak in a pipe joint. his fitting was installed before we bought the house and it wasn't soldered correctly. Fortunately it was outside and was only mildly irritating to fix. :-) I could have waited, but I didn't want the leak to get worse while we are gone and flood the backyard (and cause a "bazillion" dollar water bill).
0 -
Sandy, that’s a fun crawfish story.
Tonight is Crawfish Etouffee
0 -
Last night was stuffed pork chops, mac ‘n cheese and a veggie
0 -
A respectful Memorial Day to everyone.
0 -
A peaceful and meaningful one, too, Eric.
Illi, that etouffee looks wonderful.
Bob's car will be fixed (O2 sensors replaced) tomorrow morning--we'll go to breakfast while we wait.
Last night we went to Fogo de Chao, the original U.S. chain of Brazilian churrascarias and still the best of the surviving ones (RIP, Sal e Carvao and Zed 451). Was a bit apprehensive, but they reduced the number of tables and increased the distance between them; and everyone complied with masking and the social-distancing floor markers at the "market bar." I didn't have the feijoada (black beans & rice, too carby) and the cauldron of lobster bisque had run dry and wasn't replenished. But I did have the veggies (grilled red & yellow peppers, eggplant & zucchini, sauteed jalapeños & onions, steamed asparagus and marinated olives), and lox. When the "gauchos" came around I had a slice each of ribeye, bottom sirloin, pork tenderloin, lamb, and a bacon-wrapped chicken thigh. No room for the pork & beef ribs when they were offered. Everything was delicious, albeit a bit too salty. Spurned all the free sides (cheese buns, mashed potatoes, fried polenta sticks and caramelized bananas). Even Bob had just one cheese bun--he had loaded up on fruits, veggies, cheeses & feijoada. Was able to be satisfied without cheating on my low-carb diet. (My dessert was an Atkins dulce de leche snack bar when I got home).
I was amused by the way some diners were dressed--including one young woman (the date of a very preppy "tech bro") whose very tight top looked like a sheer lace lingerie camisole and a "pleather" skirt so short I was reminded of Bette Midler's arch line from First Wives' Club to her ex Dan Hedaya regarding his date's (a very young Sarah Jessica Parker's) attire: "What's the matter, Morty? Couldn't afford to buy her a whole dress?" We were a bit casual--jeans, matching jean jacket and nice bright hoodie (for me) and Bears windbreaker with a long-sleeved button-down shirt (Bob) --but not at all out of place. The much older women, OTOH, were mostly on their way from church, dressed to the nines in heels, hats and some sequined or beaded dresses. A lot of the Gen-Z girls were wearing the latest fad: bell-bottoms with frayed hems so long they were stepping on them. We both wore good but not flashy sneakers (though mine were pink to match my hoodie). Not quite warm enough yet for sandals (and Bob doesn't even own any). At our age, comfort rules the day when it comes to footwear.
I know most of you think I'm being careless by dining indoors at restaurants, but this is Chicago--where half the population is fully-vaxed, >60% have had at least one shot, and everyone masks where requited. And Bob & I are fully-vaxed and abide by mask, hand-sanitizing & distancing guidelines. Our state & city health commissioners have been the nation's most cautious--and if they say it's okay, it's okay.
Bob said to make a reservation somewhere tonight, but they took the rain out of the forecast so I will grill. (My keto burger buns are still good). Grass-fed burgers--I have bacon, sliced cheddar, heirloom tomato and Vidalia onion as well as plenty of lettuce. Gonna split a zucchini, season and grill it, along with balsamic-marinated asparagus. We also have some caviars (salmon & paddlefish) that were on sale at Whole Paycheck. As our gas grill is connected to the natural gas line, we never have to worry about running out of propane. I am being driven nuts by the aroma wafting from our two-doors-down neighbor's Big Green Egg grill, which is burning hardwood chunk charcoal as we speak.
0 -
We are in Las Cruces, NM. Tomorrow will likely be Big Spring, TX, then Oklahoma City, then Rolla, MO, then somewhere near Chicago and then on to Traverse City, MI.
We're doing about 400 miles a day which in the day of the 75mph speed limit, isn't that much per day. If Gypsy is in the car too long without moving around, her hips just about "lock up" for 5-10 minutes...so we stop every 1-1/2 hours or so for 10-15 minutes to let the dogs get out and walk around. We aren't in any big hurry...we just need to get the few boxes we have (most went in a small shipping container) there to Traverse City before June 14.
The oxygen sensor replacement shouldn't be terribly expensive.
Dinner tonight was "split personality"...BBQ pulled pork and a vegan potato salad. I've been working down the freezer and cooked the pork before we left, so we don't have to do a lot of heavy duty cooking in the camper. That was the last pork roast in the freezer..
0 -
Eric, sounds like a nice drive (I love road trips), I hope you all have a good time.
0 -
Eric, we spent some days in Traverse City one year when we were doing a lot of rv traveling. The cherries were in season and not only were cherries available at roadside stands but cherry pies were available, too. The cherries were washed so we snacked on them as we drove around, doing sightseeing in the truck. The rv park where we stayed had a large section reserved for Airstreams, most of which were seasonal and had beautiful landscaping around each unit. Your mention of Traverse City brought back pleasant memories.
Dinner last night was leftover chili and a salad, the meal supplemented by smoked chicken legs and slices of a rolled green tortilla with a chunk of pickle and cream cheese. The chicken legs and tortilla slices were a gift from one of the "weekenders," who had a potluck noon meal. We weren't impressed with the chicken legs but the tortilla slices were tasty.
Tonight's dinner to be decided.
0 -
Eric, the last time I was home in Wisconsin we went through MI and the speed limit was 75 almost all the way up to the Mackinac Bridge.
Tonight is chili mac for dinner
0 -
I love cherries! I have just been seeing them in my local stores and should get some soon!
eric - I hope you are enjoying your road trip, all of our moves in the military seemed to be across an ocean or across the country - we were surprisingly coastal for an Air Force family! I think that DH and I will drive to CO in the late summer or early fall to see DS, looking forward to it. I have been leasing cars for a while after some exceedingly costly repairs for the last two I bought. My latest one was leased on New Year's eve of 2019 and I really have not put miles on it due to the pandemic - it has less than 7,000 currently. I never get that close to the cap but the current mileage is very low, so we will take it on the trip since I won't be in danger of passing the cap when the lease expires.
chisandy - for the record, I think you've been cautious in your approach to dining out, from what you've written it seems like you have assessed each situation and walked away when you felt unsafe. I envy the variety of restaurants you've been able to access, and that you have supported local independent businesses. I am surrounded by mediocre chain restaurants out here in the burbs that I never dine at anyway, the only one I care about - a local group with Tampa Bay area only locations - is thriving, so no worries. Dining outdoors here becomes problematic as the summer approaches. We don't have mask vigilance, and have lower vaccination rates, because...Florida. I am immuno-compromised so I have been super careful and am still masking/sanitizing/distancing everywhere I go, even though I am fully vaccinated. In my immediate community people seem to be about 70/30 masked now but closer to downtown, not so much. The City of Tampa would like stricter guidelines but the Gov of FL would not. Many of the businesses now have signs on the door that say masks are "recommended" but no longer required.
I am now formulating my plan for food in the house since my surgery is a week from today. I prob need to do a calculated grocery shop since I can't drive or lift for several weeks. DH seems to be eating almost everything now, had his first salad this weekend with success, lol! I took a big tri-tip out of the freezer, conveniently to make room for make ahead meals and for Mem Day dinner. Win-win. I thawed it and made a sweet/heat marinade from a Traeger recipe, wrapped halved Vidalia onions in foil with crushed beef bouillon cubes and butter, and DH delivered both to DD to smoke in the Traeger. She is sponsored by them so has a new supply of pellets/rubs/sauces. The meat was perfect, she rested it while driving it back to my house with her DBF, lol! She photographs everything and posts to social media - she took many photos of the food, which was beautiful and yummy! I made potato salad with teeny red potatoes with a Pioneer Woman recipe that was new to me, but good - sour cream/mayo with Dijon, white wine vinegar, dill, salt and pepper, celery and bacon. Also sweet potato waffle fries with sriracha mayo dipping sauce, and the copycat recipe for Whole Foods cabbage crunch salad - shredded cabbage, sliced almonds, black sesame seeds, with a honey, apple cider vinegar, veg oil dressing. I had some frozen cookie dough that was oatmeal/choc chip/M&Ms so baked those and got that out of the freezer too. Everything was so good and it was nice to share the cooking. DD's BFF stopped by to say hello too. We got rid of our patio dining table and chairs and purchased a propane fire pit table with comfy chairs - DH and I have been enjoying sitting out there in the evening when it cools off, the fire at low level doesn't put off heat, just adds ambiance. The lid to the fire pit makes it turn into a table big enough for four people to eat around it. We got an umbrella stand for our over-sized market umbrella and it looks nice out there.
0 -
Special, do your local groceries participate in Instacart? That and AmazonFresh were my go-tos during quarantine and Snowmageddon.
The car repair was about $200. Should improve Bob's gas mileage and acceleration.
I had fired up the grill yesterday, but the burgers hadn't defrosted at all and Bob was still hungry when he got home. So I put the patties back into the freezer and we walked to Moody's Pub, a neighborhood mainstay (for >50 yrs) renowned for their three patios and good burgers. (There were only two indoor tables--both occupied--in their dark & gloomy interior, through which you must walk to be seated on the patios). We had some trouble ordering at first, before we realized that the QR code taped to our tabletop was defective. We walked to an adjacent table just to snap its code, which came up immediately in our phones' browsers. I was jonesing for a good burger, so I snuck in a couple of keto buns (1gm. net carb each) rather than eat the (yummy) brioche buns on which their burgers are served. Had a blue cheese & bacon burger with lettuce, tomato & onion--cut it in half and put it on a keto bun; took home the other half, along with their excellent fries, which I couldnt eat. Tonight I'll nuke the remaining half burger and put it in a keto bun, with a grilled veg or cucumber salad on the side.
0 -
Special - I have been wondering how soon your surgery was coming up. Yup - start all over putting things is smaller containers and down on the counter top so you don't have to reach. And I remember making a ton of 'freeze ahead' meals. Will the doc let you stay overnight? Love the description of your new fire pit & chairs.
Eric - hope you continue to have a wonderful trip. What a lovely, lazy summer excursion.
Mommy - Sometime before I 'give it up', I want to go to Mackinac Island. It won't be this year, but...
Lacey - we miss you. How is that cute little grand-girl? Are you babysitting w/any regularity? Hope your back issues are subsiding.
Carole - I was sorting & tossing in the closet today and thought of you when I pulled down a box of sweatshirts. Definitely the wrong time of year for those in Houston (or LA for that matter).
0 -
We spent a weekend decades ago at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac. We drove through "the Mitten" to Mackinaw City and take the ferry. It was only a couple of years or so after Christopher Reeve's tragic riding accident. The movie "Somewhere in Time" was set and filmed there, and every year there was a convention he'd attend, until he was thrown from his horse and paralyzed. He never went back to Mackinac Island, despite all sorts of measures offered to transport and accommodate him: he said that the thought of seeing all those horses there (along with bicycles, the only form of transit allowed on the island) made it too painful for him.
We then picked up our car and drove back north across the bridge to St. Ignace, going home along the U.P.'s south shore west to WI and down to Chicago. I've been to the U.P. at least a dozen times since, but never back to the island. My former singing partner & I also performed a couple of times at a bookstore and UU church in Traverse City. It's gorgeous up there. Sadly, I've yet to find those wonderful fresh bright red sour cherries down here, only the frozen & canned ones.
I reheated the leftover half burger tonight--it and its trimmings (bacon, blue cheese, lettuce & tomato) were exactly the right size for the keto bun. I felt sad discarding the brioche bun; but IMHO a bun is merely a burger-delivery device that makes cutlery unnecessary (and is admittedly less messy than a "salad-style" lettuce wrap). The burger is the main event: even the most delicious bun can't get the attention it deserves and would therefore be a waste of carbs & calories. I ate it as I sat out on the deck with a side of kale-brussels sprout slaw. I've got to start doing more of that, rather than while watching TV. The more attention I can pay to my food, the slower I eat it.
Was going to pick up a quart of local strawberries at the Amish grocery, but last week's rains have delayed the crop shipment by a week. I did rescue the two growing in my garden; they'll ripen on my windowsill. Have three more budding but still white.
0 -
chisandy - we do have Instacart here and also Shipt, but my local grocery store (Publix) also has their own shoppers and a designated park area where they bring it out to the car for you - you just have to pop the trunk. Initially DH shopped, which was a real learning experience for both of us. I found that I was creating the same list for him over and over, and that he had to shop more often so meals were becoming too repetitive and he had too much exposure. Also, he had surgery in Sept of 2020 for a serious sinus situation so I also questioned his immune system sturdiness, then eye surgery in Dec of 2020, so I needed to go back to the food procurement, lol! I end up shopping about once a month and maximizing the pantry and two freezers, then filling in with produce from the large outdoor stand nearby more often. If I am downtown I will pop into Whole Foods and Trader Joe's, which are usually not crowded at the times I am there. My closest Publix is still pretty masked up even though it is no longer mandatory - both shoppers and employees. They have wipes available for the carts and I have sanitizer with me, and I double mask when I shop. I'm vaxxed and so far, so good. I just had a CBC done in prep for surgery next week and my WBC has come up slightly, which is a nice change since it had been moving in the wrong direction for two years. Maybe the vaccine and the case of shingles woke up my tired old bone marrow.
0 -
Glad to hear that you can still be "chief pantry procurement officer," Special. I no longer double-mask, but I do mask up wherever the signs require it (which is pretty much everywhere indoors, still).
We went out to Calo, our long-time mainstay Italian restaurant tonight. We've been going there since we moved to Andersonville on the northeast side of town in 1979. When we moved out of a horrid basement apt. into a nice two-flat down the street from Calo, our neighborhood association had pizzas waiting for us there. When Gordy was a baby, we'd walk up the block and plop him in his carrier in the center of the table, where he'd stay asleep for as long as 5-7 hrs. (giving my chest a much-needed rest). When he was a two-year-old toddler, he'd walk there with Bob, pointing out the logos of cars from their hubcaps (something I did too at that age). They used to have an extremely eclectic jukebox, with Sinatra & Pavarotti for Bob, and Chuck Berry for 4-yr-old Gordy. They were pretty much the Andersonville neighborhood nerve center, long before the area got hot and full of trendy restaurants.
During lockdown we ordered delivery from them. I'd been putting off going back for so long, as I now really can't (or shouldn't) eat anything there that makes it "what it is" and what we used to go there for: no pizza (they make four styles), no pasta, no desserts. But I was able to find something keto-friendly tonight: a "Tuscan slaw" of kale, cabbage, mushrooms, pine nuts, bean sprouts, onion, garlic and bits of chicken breast; for my main course I had another appetizer of mussels steamed in chardonnay, olive oil, garlic & parsley. It took every last ounce of restraint not to reach for the tomato bread (a hybrid of foccaccia and Sicilian pizza) and Italian baguette to sop up the broth--but fortunately, I had a spoon. (Bob had fettucine monte e mare: clams, shrimp, mushrooms and spinach in the same white wine broth). I ate all my mussels, but we have enough slaw and pasta left over for tomorrow night (I will supplement with tomatoes, fresh basil & oregano from the garden, scallops and asparagus).
0 -
We are in Carthage, MO. We are slowing down a bit due to road construction, taking the more interesting back roads, and dog stops. We most likely won't get to Traverse City until mid-day Sunday. Road trips are the dogs' favorite, but, unfortunately, this will almost certainly be Gypsy's last road trip. :-(
Dinner tonight was the pork BBQ and corn on the cob. Sort of a schizophrenic vegan meal. :-)
Tomorrow we'll be somewhere south of Chicago. Yesterday, Frankie (other dog) bumped me as I was going down the camper steps and I got my leg trapped between the steps as I fell. I didn't break anything, but I managed to smash my watch (no longer works) and scare me. Had I not managed to grab something in time, it would have been quite the disaster.
0 -
Glad your fall wasn't a disaster, Eric.
Dinner last night was a hamburger, corn cut off the cob (incredibly sweet) and a romaine tossed salad.
We're having a heat wave.
0 -
We stooped along the way and visited DD's Godmother. We're near Springfield, IL.
We went through St Louis at 4pm.....It reminded me of Phoenix traffic. :-)
Dinner was "camper made" vege burgers and baked potatoes.
0 -
Hey, Eric--wave as you pass Chicago heading north tomorrow (I-55 from Springfield, I take it?). I'd say stop by--but I'll be busy having a new AC installed.
Last night we had our leftover "Tuscan slaw" and Bob had his leftover seafood fettucine from Calo. I defrosted some shrimp for me and had them with shirataki "fettucine" (0 net carbs), tomatoes, garlic and fresh herbs from my garden.
Tonight Bob got home early (anticipating a brutal work-weekend). We walked to Cellars for dinner on their patio: chilled gazpacho and a "smoked salmon rosti:" mashed sweet potato latkes topped with herbed creme fraiche, arugula, tomato, cuke, red onion and gravlax. Dessert was a tiny square of extra-bitter chocolate and the two small homegrown strawberries I ripened on the windowsill. They tasted intense, like strawberry preserves. Even the big organic ones from Whole Foods don't compare. Can't wait till the small natural groceries or farmers' mkts. get local berries from IN or Wi--hopefully by Sunday.
0 -
Linner or dunch was fish n chips with fried Wisconsin cheese curds and a Harp ale from a local Irish pub (Mo’s) and thanks for the tip on this one minus. The Atlantic cod was flaky and delicious. Lunch was late, so I’ll finish the meal in a couple of hours.
0 -
Eric - sounds like you're having a great trip. Yes, thank heavens you were able to catch yourself before the fall results were worse. Do I remember that you're going to take a lingering, roundabout way back?
Carole - chuckling about a "heat wave". You left LA to find cool air, but....
Special - surgery Monday right? I'll be in your pocket. Is the plan for you to stay overnight - at least one night? Hope so. Please check in when you can.
Carpet has been postponed again. Latest date is 6/10. Still working on cleaning & sorting. First Salvation Army pick up of 20 boxes of household items & some furniture was 3 weeks ago. Last week I took 12 bags of "nice" clothes the Battered Woman's Shelter, for the women & for their resale shop. I have another 10 bags ready to be picked up Tuesday by Salvation Army again. I have a huge bag of old towels that will be going to BARC (for abandoned & rescue pets.), I have large piles for Habitat for Humanity - door knobs, light fixtures, towel racks, paint, shower heads, etc. I'll try to get there this week.
Went to Wal Mart and bought a pair of shorts that actually fit - $5.96. I'm down from a size 14 to a size 8 over the last 14 months, and have just been cinching in the waists. Now all the 12s & 14s are GONE with the exception of two nice pair of 12 slacks just in case. Luckily I'd saved a pair of pants in sizes 8 & 10 from my chemo time. Since I'm only going to the grocery store or to Home Depot or working in the yard, those are now my "good" clothes. So freeing to have all the closets basically empty.
Dinner tonight is left over fried rice with mushrooms & water chestnuts.. I'll throw in some organic turkey slices that need to be used.
0 -
Made chicken and the side dish wasmac ‘n cheese with broccoli from scratch
0 -
Minus, that “diet” you’re on is exhausting lol! Good job!
Best wishes for your surgery Special - heal fast.
DSIL and DBIL have finally gone home. Sadly, her brother died Wednesday so they had to leave to make funeral arrangements. I loved having them - we’re closest to them of all the family members.
Eric I cringed reading about your fall Been there done that and that’s s why I need a knee replacement now. So glad you saved yourself from worseinjury.
Tonight we’re having chicken leek pie made with leftover rotisserie chicken from the freezer. Sides will be sliced cucumbers and onions in a vinaigrette and sliced Georgia peaches that smell divine.
0 -
Dinners this week have been planned overs with the exception of Mexican takeout last evening -- which became tonight's planned overs. Looking like I'll need to start fresh tomorrow! Hmmm, saw an I treating recipe for grilled turkey tenderloins. Have a dental appointment on Tuesday morning, the tenderloins might be for Tuesday dinner since I can stop at the grocery on the way home.
0 -
Bob's suddenly having a lot of knee pain--it came on suddenly overnight and woke him up. He was staggering, holding on to furniture to get to the bathroom. (Which scared the crap out of me--I was terrified he'd lose his balance and fall downstairs). He made it to work today by dint of Aleve, a cane (a shillelagh I bought years ago on QVC), and a neoprene knee sleve. Refuses to ice & elevate, and still won't go to an orthopod. IMHO if you can't walk or drive without pain, you should take time off from work (but he doesn't want any competitors to "steal" his consults & echo-reading duty).
He got home at 8--don't ask me how, but I managed to grill dinner (ribeye, asparagus, shishito peppers) plus a Caprese; and somehow the veggies were still warm when I sliced up the steak. Too often I ruin dinner because he's running late due to traffic or a last-minute consult.
0 -
I bought 4 ears of corn at Walmart's some days ago. I cut the corn off two of the ears and microwaved with butter for one side during the week. Last night I did the same with the remaining two ears. The corn is so sweet it tastes like someone added sugar. Our meat last night was two chicken thighs, bone in skin on, seasoned and cooked in the outdoor grill used as oven. I had half a can of cream of chicken soup in the refrigerator, and being here in the upper midwest where cream soup is a staple, I spooned it over the thighs. I'm always happy with chicken and dh seldom complains about food.
A vodka martini on ice with a medley of olives and squeeze of lemon always tastes good at 5 pm, but, boy, does it taste good when the temperature is in the mid 90's. We persist in sitting out on the deck for our cocktail time. I took a fan out on the deck yesterday afternoon to provide some relief.
Yes, Minus, I am aware of nature's irony. It's cooler in Louisiana with all the rain that is sorely needed here. The grass is dying in areas not reached by the watering system. Mowing around the campers is a dirty process with the dust billowing up.
0 -
We are "here" in Traverse City. This is the first cross country trip where it did not rain on us. When we were north of Dallas, some of the low lying roads were still "draining".
It's currently almost 90F degrees.
0
