So...whats for dinner?
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Thank you for the warm welcomes!
ChiSandy - For each one pound of lump crab meat (I made two pounds) I mixed together 1 egg beaten, about 3 tablespoons of mayo, 1 tsp of Old Bay seasoning and a few shakes of Worcestershire sauce. Then I gently stirred/folded the crab into this mixture. I put in the refrigerator for about an hour. I heated oven to 400 degrees. I took a small scoop of the mixture and put on a baking sheet with parchment paper. I kind of molded them into mini crab cakes and baked for about 20 minutes. They kind of got crunch on the bottom and I could just use a mini spatula and put on the serving platter. The second batch I made I sprinkled a little Old Bay on top before I baked them.
I think the egg helps keep them together. I didn't use jumbo lump because I knew they were going to be smaller. If you want them a little creamier, use a little more mayo.
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Thanks for the welcome!
Today I decided to venture to the mall with my son. Thank goodness it wasn't too crazy.
On our way back we decided to stop for Mexican food. I had Mar Y Tierra (Surf N Turf) and not one, but TWO margaritas. I start my next cycle of Xeloda tomorrow and figured what the hell.
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Thanks, Goodie. I can see why you bake rather than pan-fry them. I can use almond flour or even keto bread made into crumbs if I want to try frying them.
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Welcome Goodie and Serendipity. Illimae, I missed your anniversary. I hope you had a good day.
Auntienance, when I do a whole bag of caramelized onions, I set them in the crockpot and let them go overnight--stir a few times. Sometimes I have to let them go most of the next day. No monitoring or too much maintenance to get them finished.
I am convinced I need to try mustard greens again.
We had the last of the frittata tonight (I'd made an 11 egg one so took several days to finish off) and tomorrow, vegetarian nachos.
We are having quite the cold snap. Our heatpump hasn't stopped running, but I love the cold and the snow so trying to remind DH that this will be gone in a few days (like he cares; he loves warmer weather).
Eric, I was trying to picture where you can accommodate Sharon's dislike of hot weather in Arizona...is that a thing? I can only imagine desert and heat and scorching sun.
Sandy, I miss WI cheese. Costco sells the big commercial stuff from WI, but I miss the smaller dairy cheeses. Enjoy the cheese!
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Nance, how innovative, to make your own pickled pork.
I used the air fryer last night to cook two flattened and breaded chicken breast fillets. I spread mayo on them to make the seasoned bread crumbs stick. Sides were cauliflower mash and (I lied about no leftovers on the menu) reheated creamed spinach.
Minus, the creamed spinach is Betty Crocker vintage. 1 block of butter. 1 block of cream cheese. 4 boxes of chopped spinach, cooked and well drained. 1 can of sliced chestnuts. 1 can of quartered artichoke hearts. Grease the casserole dish with butter. Layer chestnuts and artichoke hearts in bottom of dish. Combine melted butter and softened cream cheese. Add spinach and mix well. Season with s&p. Spread in casserole dish. Bread crumbs on top. Heat in 350 degree oven about 30 minutes.
I have made the recipe with just the spinach. Sometimes with the other veggies mixed with the spinach. My younger sister loves this dish and always keeps most of the leftovers. It wasn't popular this year since most of the people wouldn't touch spinach or most other veggies except potatoes.
Eric, I was curious about a cool place in Arizona, too. Cool in regards to temperature!
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AZ - I'm thinking North or East of Flagstaff?
Carole - thanks for the spinach recipe. Absolutely NO calories there. I have both water chestnuts & artichoke hearts in the cupboard so I'll have to figure out a way to drastically reduce the quantities. We have your same weather. 82 for a few days then 42. I need to dig out my 8-10 ft frangipani plants by next weekend since the prediction is for 34 degrees around the 1st.
Eddie Vs was delicious. I had two filet sliders from the happy hour menu, three scallops, a large bowl of crab fried rice and wonderful bread. Four pieces of bread = two pounds this morning. My nephew (the vegan) didn't have a lot of options, but ordered asparagus & Brussels sprout with Korean sauce. The sprouts were fantastic. His wife had oysters Rockefeller and a filet. Surprisingly, they had a really extensive children's menu. The 6 year old had a huge fruit plate, chicken fingers w/french fries & dessert.
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Carole - the creamed spinach sounds delicious, I have everything needed to make it so I just might have to make it this week. I love using ht crockpot. So convenient and less messy.
WI cheese! I live in WI and can not get enough of the local made cheese. I'll jump in the car and just go to different parts of the state just to try and get cheese. Gives me something to do every once in a while when I'm not at PT or OT or any other appointment.
Today's dinner will be a spicy Italian sausage with rigatoni in a creamy vodka sauce. I've never made it, so hoping it turns out as delicious as it sounds. Along with a side salad for me and some garlic bread for my son ( I just might have to a have a piece of garlic bread.)
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Last night was lentil angel hair pasta in some leftover Rao's sauce with added onions and mushrooms, mixed in with some almond cheese and baked. There were also some meatballs, but I directed all of them onto DH's plate and his lunch for today - I went meat-free. Steamed broccoli with lemon pepper on the side. We did finish off the pumpkin cake last night and all of the See's candy (half a dozen pieces) - it was a case of "we have to eat it all so it isn't here anymore to tempt us" which is some weird logic, right? I have the leftover bones from our standing rib roast, so they are currently in the stock pot - making stock, lol! Planning a beef and vegetable soup with celery, carrots, onion, green beans, spinach, canned tomatoes, and potatoes. I will also be cooking for the doggo today - chicken, brown rice, and peas/carrots - I make morning and evening portions for a week at a time. He looks great with this added food. I had half the can of pumpkin leftover from the Christmas eve cake so I have also given him a spoonful of that each day, today used the last of it. DD went up to see her horse, who has Cushing's, and had to implement additional hay/feed because he has lost weight. I would cook for the horse too, but I am not sure how to do that, lol! I do have a Cushing's horse cookie recipe, which I meant to make for Christmas for him, but will do it this week.
serendipity - that is a pretty margarita!
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It’s butter ball soup time (BFF’s families Xmas soup passed down on the maternal polish side), love at first taste when I was 13.
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Arizona has a huge variation in climate. Most of the state, for USDA plant zones, is 6 to 10, but there are some "4" places. We are looking at eastern central Arizona where there is currently over a foot of snow on the ground and it's in the mid 20F to low 30F range.
Illimae, that soup looks great.
Goodie, I've had crab cakes just one time and loved them. It was at an all you can eat place near Frederick. They had to get a wheelbarrow to get me back to van!
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Oh Mae - you can't just tease us. You have to share the recipe.... Please?
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I only have a 25 year old scrap of paper with the butter ball measurements on it but I’ll work up a recipe and post it tomorrow. I only made a 1/2 batch this time and froze some to take to the cabin next week, it’s likely to be pretty cold out there and hot soup will be dreamy.
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Illimae, those "butter balls" look exactly like "knaidlach" (matzo balls), which contain chicken fat or oil rather than butter (a no-no for traditional matzo ball soup, which is made with chicken broth and pieces of chicken--mixing meat & dairy isn't Kosher). Add those noodles and you have the Jewish-deli standard "mishmosh soup."
Last night I added a tomato-cucumber-basil salad over baby arugula to the leftover prime rib & carrots. At noon today, brunch was blueberry-ricotta keto pancakes (Birch Benders mix, but this time no lemon juice or beaten egg white). Sprinkled with Lakanto granulated monkfruit "sugar." Late lunch was cucumber slices with hummus, babaghannouj, and tabbouleh. Dinner tonight will be cauliflower lasagna.
The psychiatrists retired, but the gastroenterology group "picked up the baton" and sent us the customary holiday tray of baklava "mini roses" from Shattila Bakery in Dearborn, MI. Hoping some friends can still come over NYE and relieve us of a considerable portion of them. We are seriously re-thinking the idea of going anywhere for the rest of the week: Bob is working past midnight every day except Fri. (and if he makes it home by 10 it'll be a miracle). I'd asked the kids if they want to join us at Regaila tomorrow or Thurs night if Gordy's off from work, but now I'm not sure how wise it is to go to a small restaurant (no matter how great the ventilation system). Maybe order by phone, pick it up and eat in.
Our godson, wife & new baby are in from Seattle (after a stopover at her folks in St. Louis); they'd planned a party at a local tavern so everyone could meet the baby, but they canceled when they realized that gathering in an indoor bar would not be the wisest thing for the safety of an un-vaccinatable infant.
We RSVPd "yes" to a retired pulmonologist's New Year's Day open house party (he's 81 and subspecialized in infectious diseases, so he & his wife have been boostered despite his political leanings). If we do go, it'll be for less than an hour, we'll be masked (and "dip & sip" for drinking) and likely not avail ourselves of the catered buffet (of which it would be impossible to partake while masked). We will bring a bottle of Champagne as a gift. No singing around the piano, duh. They live on a cul-de-sac just s.w. (less than a mile, but still too far to walk on slippery streets) of our neighborhood, in a huge multilevel high-ceilinged mansion with a HEPA ventilation system. We went in 2020, but they didn't hold the party last year. We haven't seen them since the B'way Cellars winemaker dinners, the final one of which was this summer. No way we can drive, even in my SUV--there's almost no available on-street parking on that block. Last time, we took a Lyft, but no rideshare driver would brave a snowstorm for that short a trip this time. If it's snowy & cold Saturday (as predicted), we may have a graceful "out."
A nightmare scenario may be Bob will have to work more late-night shifts next week (his long-planned week off, except for his two Unionn Health days) if the colleague for whom he's covering either can't get a plane home from Punta Cana or tests positive upon his return. One of his hospitals--OSF Little Company of Mary--has suspended testing for asymptomatic persons--whether outpatients or staff. They are instructing people to go to testing centers or pharmacies instead. The CDC today revised its figures for Omicron as a % of cases, from 75% down to 59%. If so, that may be good news, since the vaccines & boosters protect well against Delta. The boostered "breakthrough" cases, though, are almost certainly Omicron.
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Wallycat, I have made onions in the slow cooker in the past but they disintegrated too much for my liking.
Carole, that spinach recipe is nearly identical to my spinach artichoke dip. I see why it’s so popular! After you mentioned pickled pork a couple of times I went searching for it. No such luck. Not enough Cajuns around here I guess. I researched it and find out it’s quite easy to make and I do like the flavor it gives to things
Tonight was chicken and dumplings from a local joint. They were fairly unsatisfactory. Too dry and doughy with no hint of chicken. Won’t do that one again. I hate wasting those calories.
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Nance, that looks delicious! Now I'm going to need some of that, yum.
Sandy, it is similar to matzo ball soup in look and ingredients but I haven’t had a matzo yet, so I don’t know how the tastes compares yet.0 -
SpecialK - it was pretty, and it taste perfect. I found that these margaritas tend to be too sweet for me, but since I started Xeloda my taste buds are off, so it tasted just right!
Auntienance - that looks amazing!!!
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Ilona, have you ever had "water crackers?" (Carr's or generic). Extremely similar in taste & texture to matzos (which are made of only flour & water). I would have said "unsalted saltines," except saltines are flakier because they have shortening. But matzo balls are made with "matzo meal,: which is matzo ground to a very fine crumb (coarser than a flour), a little seltzer, oil or schmaltz (chicken fat), egg as a binder, salt & pepper, and usually parsley (sometimes onion but not usually). The matzo meal absorbs the liquid and the seltzer makes the crumbs swell a bit so that the batter becomes a thick consistency, slightly firmer than scone or drop biscuit batter. Roll into balls the size of walnuts, using wet or oiled hands to keep them together, and simmer in water or chicken broth, They're ready when they've at least doubled in size (sometimes the size of tennis bslls) and float to the surface. If made with just the right amount of seltzer they should be light and delicate despite the size.
Bob came home and declared we have an even better--and wholly ethical--reason to change our RSVP to "no:" he sees COVID patients and his hospitals don't want him to test lest he have to stay home--they're that short-staffed. The host is 81--and quite frankly, Bob might be a danger to him. But he still thinks I can safely attend without exposing the host ,and if I'm careful, without getting exposed myself. (But that would use up one of our precious rapid tests, which ethically I ought to take before leaving the house). And as much fun as the party might be (and we might even see the owners of Broadway Cellars), getting there would be an ordeal. Saturday's weather looks perfect...for staying home in sweats, watching whatever bowl games might still not have been canceled, and eating leftover food from our own party.
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Nance, I would eat the cheesy bread on top! It looks very appetizing. Illimae's soup looks appetizing, too.
I hate to admit how weary I was yesterday afternoon after 18 holes of golf. The What's for Dinner? question became What's easy and takes little effort? The answer is either steak or pasta and pasta won. A couple of links of store made Italian sausage from Rouse's, a jar of Rao's, package of linguine, fresh grated Asiago. Ta Da. DH made a composed salad (a new concept for him!) with compari tomatoes, avocado, blue cheese, Kalamata olives (for me) and sweet onion (for him).
Out of curiosity I will look up how to make pickled pork. It is usually available here in even small supermarkets in a section with seasoning meats and sausages. Tasso is in the same section but I have never used it.
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Is pickled pork the key to tasty mustard greens? I'm tempted to buy them again but do not want a failure...maybe it is an acquired taste?
I've seen Rao's sauce mentioned a few times. Is it really that much better than other pasta sauces? Say, for example, the stuff Costco sells??
We had the vegetarian nachos last night. Tonight I will make a sort of tuna melt using naan bread and tuna-belly. Trying to figure out a creative way to present that since the bellies are oh-so-yummy and I don't want to mash them up.
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Wally - Lots of discussion in prior years about Raos. Yes, in my opinion there is no prepared sauce better than Raos. Costco usually does sell Raos, but as usual - in a BIG bottle. My BFF says it's not like her Mother's, but she is from a very small town in Texas that historically never had Italian residents, and is of German ancestry herself. It's not homemade but. I dearly miss my small, 60 year old family owned Italian restaurant that closed in 2019. Still,,, I always have two jars in the cupboard.
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Butter ball soup recipe
Broth:1 whole chicken with water covering the chicken (about 3/4 of a full pot), 4 stalks celery, 3 large carrots, 1 onion (quartered), 3 cloves garlic and 2 bay leaves. Salt to taste add throughout.
Cook until chicken separates easily, remove chicken and veggies. Breakdown the chicken into bite sized pieces and refrigerate. Eat or use remaining veggies (they don’t go back in the soup unless you want them to). Chill broth overnight and remove fat layer (most of it) the next day.
Noodles:
1 12oz bag of Manischewitz fine egg noodles (I was told these are a must, you could substitute but I never have), these are found in the “international” isle at the grocery store.
Butter balls:
16oz plain breadcrumbs, 1.5 tsp allspice, 1/2 tsp salt, 1.5 sticks of butter (soft), 1 1/4 cup half & half (room temp) and 4 eggs.
Add in mixing bowl in the order listed above, mix (I use my hands, freshly washed of course), mix should be sticky but firm enough to roll in your palms and should be golf ball sized. The typical yield is about 20, place in single layer on a plate.
Reheat broth and taste, add salt if needed. Once boiling on med/high heat, add one ball and wait for it to float (should talk a few minutes). Once you have a “floater”, add remaining ball 2 or 3 at a time after each float to the surface. When all float, add chicken pieces, then add about a 1/2 bag of noodles, continue cooking until noodles are done (about 10 minutes) and enjoy. Soup the day of is great but the next day leftovers are even better.
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Minus, thanks for the Raos feedback. I notice they have a website and decent pricing on the "basic" sauce. The bad news is free shipping has to be over $50.
I'll have to try it again. Maybe I lack good tastebuds, LOL.
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We went out for dinner last night in downtown Annapolis (DTA.) We were going to start with sushi but it was a 40 minute wait. So, we went to Galway Bay (Irish pub) for corned beef poppers, shrimp cakes and drinks. Then, we went back to sushi restaurant. We only had a few rolls since we also wanted to go to McGarvey's for wings. We get to McGarvey's and the kitchen was closed. It was only 9 p.m. The manager said the kitchen staff rule and they tell them when they are closing the kitchen. DTA was very quiet except for the sushi place - lol.
Tonight, we are going local. Can you tell I don't want to cook? DS and DH love to go out to eat. I'm okay with going out since I had covid before Thanksgiving. I think I had the Delta variant. DS also got it in July. DH and DD are boosted. We are still cautious though and if a place is too crowded we go somewhere else. I think we are going after the dinner rush too so it will be a lot less people.
I love the Raos sauce too. I like to puree it though. I don't like chunks. I like the Victoria marinara sauce too. Costco also sells the Victoria. I can also get them at the grocery store but for a lot more money. I've seen them on sale too sometimes. Call me crazy but I also like the Ragu traditional sauce.
If you ever want to splurge for a real Maryland crab cake dinner, you can order them online from G&M restaurant. I order them for Christmas for my sister who lives in Utah and my brother and sister-in-law who live in California. They are pricey especially for delivery fee but they are so delicious! ChiSandy they do use some filler in theirs. I also get them the Maryland crab soup. I'm a nice little sister.
Illimae - thanks for the Butter Ball Soup recipe. I definitely have to make that one!
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Not sure what I'll do for dinner--will depend on when Bob gets home and if the kids want to go out (their dog got sick on the drive home from TX and may not want to leave her alone). Had an egg at noon (to keep the weigh-in as light as possible--the NP is disappointed in the 6-lb. weight gain but says it's okay to try to maintain). After the virtual NP visit and Zoom session with the cantor, am having the second half of my brunch/lunch: guacamole low-carb toast with arugula, tomato, sweet onion & cilantro.
A relief--turns out my co-leading Shabbat service stint isn't till 1/29. The 15th is the service where I'll be performing the hymn I wrote. WHEW!!
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Tonight was leftover pork roast from the freezer with a individual au graten potato, boiled cabbage and roasted red onion & zucchini.
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Tonight's dinner was roasted root vegetables with a bit of EVOO and air fried salmon and a slice of avocado, not the little dark one, the big green ones.
illimae, your dinner looks delicious!!
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Dinner was leftover Crab Fried Rice from Eddie V's. Delicious the second time and I didn't leave any for a further meal. Dessert was See's Peanut Brittle. (Actually the Peanut Brittle was an appetizer.) Both were served with a tasty Costco/Kirkland Italian Pinot Grigio.
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Serendipity - apparently we were posting at the same time. Your roasted root veggies w/salmon sound delicious. As does Mae's leftover pork roast. I did move the turkey tenderloins from the garage freezer to the top freezer in my fridge. It's supposed to go from 83 to 33 by the weekend, so I'll be able to turn on the oven.
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MinusTwo - we sure were posting at the same time lol. Crab fried rice sounds so good! I love all fried rice! I make roasted pork on New Years Day and took it out yesterday, hoping it'll thaw out completely by tomorrow so I can season it and let it marinade for 2 days.
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Well, our New Year's Eve is falling apart as we speak. Our godson, his wife & baby were in St. Louis for Christmas--and he (godson) just rapid-tested positive but asymptomatic. (Wife is negative, baby--3 mos. old--hasn't been tested). Godson's parents--our BFFs--also need to be tested because they're exposed to him, so that whole clan will be isolating for at least the next 5 days. Gordy & Leslie got back from TX last night--also found out today her BIL (the science teacher who boasted he didn't need a booster) just tested positive--the rest of her family tested negative. Gordy & Leslie (both boosted in Oct) are feeling fine but haven't been tested. They may or may not come over for nibbles & bubbles. Their dog got GI distress in the car en route home but seems to be improving. Bob won't be home tonight till after midnight (what else is new)? The kids are afraid of infecting us, but as long as they test negative we'll be fine. Obviously, not going to have friends over--we invited another couple plus a friend who hosted a small party we all attended 12/18, but I'd be extremely surprised if they were willing to drop by. And I see no restaurant dining--at least not indoor--in our future, probably for at least a month.
Meanwhile, the hell with what my NP says. I don't feel like eating a plate of vegetables. I found a piece of fried chicken in the freezer--something I haven't had in months if not almost a year--and I'm nibbling it now. And I will order takeout from now on--just hope it can be as low-carb as possible. Tired of cooking for myself, tired of the dietary restrictions.
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