So...whats for dinner?
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Minus, your trip was short! I always enjoy knowing how much you are enjoying a trip to CA.
Dinner last night was the buffet meal at an events facility where the Woodworkers Guild has its Christmas dinner. The food is good with a variety of selections. My attitude was "ho hum" in advance but I ended up enjoying the occasion. There is an open bar and the vodka was Tito's, which was as good as the brands I typically buy for my vodka martini at home. I had wanted to try Tito's and got the opportunity.
I see the guild members and some of the wives only twice a year (except for one couple who are friends) but the conversations were interesting. And the president always does a slide show of projects by members. There are some very talented wood workers, including one woman member.
And...I brought home the table centerpiece, a small poinsettia in a pretty bowl.
No inspiration on dinner tonight.
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Dinner will be light, probably Cesar salad since lunch is a delicious turkey club on Jewish rye that I’m only half way through. Also, I’m dealing with the final turkey bits and making broth, that’s enough cooking for today.
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We finally got around to eating more of the potato soup tonight. There is enough left for 2 more bowls, so most likely the remaining soup will be eaten at lunch.
It is supposed to be quite cold for the next few days--high temperatures remaining well below freezing--so I might make use of the pumpkins I have and make some pumpkin soup.
MIL is continuing to improve and is starting to get her energy back. She has returned to work on a quilt in "the north wing" (what she calls her MIL suite). Sharon and I went with her for the post hospital followup medical check and everything we were wondering about was addressed. MIL likes the doctor the hospital set her up with, so she will be making the medical records transfer request to get the records from her old doctor.
The first 20 minutes of the nearly hour long visit was with a medical student on a rural area family medicine rotation. She was full of enthusiasm, alert and VERY thorough. I hope time doesn't beat all of this out of her.
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Well it turns out I am anemic so my doctor told me ( in addition to treatment) to "get off the obesity train" (ouch) and start adding in the healthier fare like spinach, oatmeal and other iron and nutrient rich stuff.
So my last hurrah (ha,ha) tonight was a delicious shrimp and spinach pizza 🍕 😋 and a Francis Ford Coppola Pinot Noir.
Carole one of my brother's is a carpenter by trade. I love the descriptions of woodworking you mention.
Illi a ceasar sounds like a good idea, maybe for us tomorrow. Looks to be an easy day, lots to do inside.
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Reader, you owe yourself a nice steak. (Anemia privileges). Egg yolks and raisins too. But a blood bank nurse told me that one of the best sources of "non-heme" (plant-based) iron is dark chocolate! Tip about the spinach, though: don't have it with dairy, as the calcium inhibits absorption of iron from leafy greens. (My late PCP told me that creamed spinach--the kind made only with dairy, not a roux--may be yummy & keto-friendly, but nutrient-wise it's more like eating Kleenex soaked in fat). Better still, squeeze lots of fresh lemon on the sauteed or steamed spinach: vitamin C enhances iron absorption. (Or have a tangerine with a square of dark chocolate).
Last night's dinner was the leftovers from Regalia, with the Hooked on Fish Manhattan mahi-mahi chowder to start. Unfortunately, the portions were small enough that I got hungry after midnight and carb-binged. Familiar pattern: started with low-carb imitations, which didn't satisfy--especially not texturally. Sigh.
Today I had a fried egg at midday. Early dinner at Chengdu Impression--the Peking duck we called ahead to order yesterday. Unusual presentation: the pancakes were much more delicate than at restaurants that specialize in it (almost like very thin dumpling wrappers), and the scallions were only the white parts (I'd always been served them with a bit of the green attached as "paintbrushes" for the plum sauce). The skin (on both the legs & the breast slices) was exquisitely crisp. We were given a choice of either taking home the "frame," or for a little extra having it made into either fried rice or soup. We chose the soup--had to spit out bones, but it was delicious. Brought it, 2 slices of duck, a pancake, and a nappa cabbage leaf home with us. (Bob will have the pancake, and I'll use the steamed cabbage leaf). Tomorrow night I'll supplement it all with a mixed veg. stir fry (red pepper, snow peas, baby bok choy), with shiratake noodles for me and a couple of BBQ pork bao (steamed bread-dough filled dumplings) I found in the freezer for Bob.
Bob & I will do the "reveillon" dinner at Big Jones on Christmas Eve, and if we're still hungry by the time he gets off work the next day, meet at the Palm for their prime rib special. Regalia will be able to take up to 14 of us for a prix-fixe NYE dinner. We always used to start at Cellars & then walk back here for the ball-drop & more bubbles at midnight. Can't believe Cellars has been gone since Labor Day 2021. But OTOH, Regalia is a block-and-a-half closer to us. This assumes, of course, that we're all healthy.
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We enjoyed round 2 of dh's butterbeans cooked with sausage last night. The rice was brown jasmine and cooked in the new little rice cooker, which I am so glad I bought. The side was a romaine salad with additions and I also warmed up the leftover cornbread from the first butterbeans meal.
Eric, yay on your mil doing well.
Sandy, the Reveillon meals are big in New Orleans. I think Nance and her dh were in New Orleans one Christmas and had one of those meals.
Mae, I always like Caesar salad.
Tonight will probably be catfish fillets.
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My knuckles are kind of beat up. I asked Sharon to kiss them to make it better and she laughed. :-)
We pulled some large electrical wire through conduit. I pushed on one end and she pulled the pull tape (nylon strap) on the other end. Electrical boxes have all sorts of edges and corners just waiting to cut skin so i arranged the pulling part so the effort was to pull away from anything that would gouge skin. Pushing....that's not possible.
i did wear gloves, which is why my knuckles are only kind of beat up. Without gloves, I'd probably need some bandages. :-)
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Eric, "kissing the boo-boo" is far more effective than antiseptic at relieving the pain--and it doesn't sting (unless Sharon's been eating hot peppers).
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I'm making Aloo Baingan curry/sabji tonight (eggplant curry of sorts). I'm using sweet potato instead of regular as that is all I had. May toss in some cubed tofu for protein.
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Eric - when my son was pushing/pulling wire from the attic, he really wished I'd had 'fish tape'. My ex-DH says he has 6 of them & will bring me one the next time he comes up - but I hope we won't need to use it again.
Dinner was an omelette with Swiss cheese. Toast at lunch was the last of a delicious La Brea Honey Sunflower loaf. I'll look for that again. Need to keep working on the food in the freezer since I'll be eating out for Holiday luncheons next Tuesday & Wednesday. And then again the next Monday & Tuesday. Likely my only grocery store purchase will be milk & one bag of Dole Salad Kit.
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Sharon baked macaroni and cheese tonight. My contribution was to ask if I could clean up....about 10 seconds after she had already cleaned up.
I did, however, sweep the floor about 6 times today. It rained last week and there are still some spots where the mud is wet enough to stick to shoe soles. We have a mud brush for the shoes, but it doesn't get the shoes completely clean.
In college, one of the things I did to earn tuition money was to wire homes that were being built. I had to have my own tools for that job and I kept them.
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Yum. Macaroni and cheese. A rare treat for us, mainly at holiday meals.
I had four small catfish fillets to cook last night. I always buy the small ones if they're available. I breaded them with fish fry and pan fried in grapeseed oil until browned and crispy. The side was roasted asparagus. I am so enjoying roasted asparagus. Once it was cooked I sprinkled on a mixture of Italian cheeses from a bag. Dh made his tartar sauce. I squeezed fresh lemon juice on my portion of fish.
We're attending a Christmas concert this afternoon with another couple and have a reservation at Rip's on the Lake for early dinner. My favorite items on the menu are their wedge salad and their crab and brie soup. The restaurant is raised on pilings after being flooded in previous years during hurricanes. It has a nice balcony overlooking Lake Pontchartrain but I opted for indoor seating since our weather is rainy today.
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Catching up after a busy stretch that kept me away from the posts. Dinner has been mostly the go-to standards when I don’t have time to cook.
I got my flu shot on Friday, so yesterday I felt under the weather, but maybe it was just my lingering Eustachian tube issues. DH brought me a dinner tray with yogurt, fruit, cheese and a toasted half bagel. Maybe not the healing power of chicken soup but a perfect dinner for how I felt. 😃
Since I’m feeling better today, I made a Sunday brunch with a fruit salad and mini quiche with mushrooms, scallions and Boursin cheese. It came together quickly because I had the pie crust frozen in the mini pie pans, leftover from my Thanksgiving pie baking
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Tonight is chicken with couscous, butternut squash and asparagus.
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Last night was the last two slices of Peking duck breast in a lettuce leaf; plus the duck soup (which had veggies & tofu). (Bob ate an early dinner at the hospital). Late night snack was melted Swiss on low-carb whole grain bread. Lunch today was the rest of the soup. For dinner we went to Uvae Wine Bar & Kitchen in Andersonville. Never had much luck being able to park there before, but tonight was a Sunday so we snagged a spot. We had the December wine pairing dinner--broccoli/shiitake salad in yuzu vinaigrette; creamed roasted cauliflower mash with cilantro & cumin; sous vide pork ribs in gojuchang bacon BBQ sauce with chopped cashews; and a lemon-lime goat cheee tart. (I left the crust). Fairly low-carb for a restaurant prix-fixe meal--and $55, including the wine pairings. Tomorrow will be the leftover salad & mash.
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Last night's dinner turned out to be soup and sandwich. DH wasn't feeling well so we cancelled on the concert and dinner. He still isn't feeling well this morning but doesn't think he's running fever. He went to a woodturners meeting on Saturday and may have picked up a virus there. He and I both have had every vaccination for covid and flu offered.
Sandy, I am awed by your dining out and your memory of what you and your dh ordered from the varied menus.
Wally, I began re-reading Classic Indian Cooking and took notice of several recipes I had bookmarked. I won't be cooking any of them until dh is back to normal.
Dinner may include pasta.
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Carole, I hope your DH feels better. DH had his first ever PCP appointment today and I went with him. Heard the receptionist tell someone on the phone that they are short staffed because 3 people are out with the flu. Lovely.
Sandy, was that goat cheese tart...I figured it out as I was typing to ask...that sounds incredible. Was it savory or sweet? I just finished dinner and am drooling.
Last night, leftover indian stuff. Tonight, cod braised in the soy/butter reduction. I splashed a little sake to prevent fish smell. Had broccoli and butternut squash (roasted) as sides.
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Yesterday's meal was leftover Korean pork heated with leftover Brussels sprouts & a little extra Sake & Mirin. Served over macaroni. Today was two slices of La Brea Honey Sunflower bread. YUM. And the main course was a large portion of See's Peanut Brittle. At least I got to the grocery store. It's the first time since the weekend before Thanksgiving - obviously before my trip - so I have some fresh veggies & salad stuff.
Lunch with a friend tomorrow at PF Changs. She's 88 and only wants to drive 2 blocks from her independent living place. And doesn't want to be picked up. I used to think the food was reasonably good, but have been disappointed the last few times. We'll see.
Mae - as usual, your meal looks delicious. As does Cythea's mini quiche. Carole - hope DH is feeling better.
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The quiche was only faintly sweet--more tart than anything else, like goat cheese with a hint of lemon.
Haven't been back to PF Chang's in over a decade--in one downtown (River North, where Bob had a focus group) we were served extremely overcooked vegetables, limp & even shriveled. Ugh. No excuse for it in a city with two Chinatowns, and teeming with all sorts of Asian restaurants in practically every neighborhood. But I guess the tourists have to eat somewhere familiar. I never did get the appeal of most chain restaurants when one isn't on the road, especially in a foodie-destination city.
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The doctor I worked with took our little group to PF Changs for my birthday (when I lived in Wisconsin). OY on the food poisoning. Two of us got deathly ill, but I remember the food tasting great. Minus, hope your experience will be tasty food. And wow on 88 and still driving.
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Carole, i hope your DH is feeling better.
I guess Sharon and i aren't alone about going to PF Changs more often than once a decade, and now that we've moved, it won't be anytime soon. Changs was okay, but we preferred the smaller and less busy places.Dinner last night was more of the macaroni and cheese. We're not sure about what to make for tonight's dinner.
It's been snowing the past couple of mornings, but by the afternoon most of it has melted and at night the temperature drops to the 15F/-10C degree range, so the melt freezes. Another nice hot soup with some garlic sourdough bread sounds interesting.
Our "desert dawg" has never seen snow before and he's a bit unsure of "that weird white stuff". :-) I'm sure he would agree with the following. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vj1LWJ0vV-w
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Oh Eric that was GREAT. Really enjoyed the laugh.
Turns out the friend I met at PF Chang's turned 90 last month and is still driving (but then my Dad was still driving at 93 - just not on any busy streets). So yes I'll go just about anywhere she wants to meet. Unfortunately the restaurant was as expected - only tolerable. Egg drop soup was not hot. The shrimp & chicken in the Singapore Noodles were as hard as hockey pucks. Perhaps I'm so critical because Houston has such excellent Asian restaurants. Anyway, she loved her Honey Shrimp Bowl - and that's what mattered.
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Hi all
I've just been reading the posts lately. The last 6 weeks I've had stomach upset, not eating well, lost a bit of weight and had a bit of a bowel obstruction once. Thought that I cancer in the bowel again but after a PET scan all ok. My meals haven't been very exciting but I have to eat a low fibre diet as I might have Colitis in the bowel.
I'm nearly organised for Christmas, we are having lunch at my sister's again. If it's hot she has a pool. The weather has been quite mild for this time of year so far.
Some food is still unavailable here at the moment, being in Western Australia lots of food comes from over east. They have had flooding and train lines flooded as well. Mainly frozen foods, cold meats and a few other things the shelves are empty.
Hope that everyone is well.
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Minus, I agree 100%, the celebratory gal should love the place and meal. WOW on your dad too.
I had leftovers last night. Tonight I will make a chicken stroganoff riff of sorts. The mushrooms are maitake, shiitake and porcini. I may toss in some asparagus since I'm not following any real recipe.
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Aussie, I heard about the flooding back in October and late November, but then that news seemed to disappear from the American news feeds...at least the ones I notice. I hope things will quickly dry out so things can get back to normal.
The stomach upset...hopefully the doctors can find out what's causing that and figure out a treatment.
We're just getting the Christmas tree set up here, so you're farther along than Sharon and I (and MIL).
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Dinner last night was PF Chang’ take out. Unfortunately, it was not a good experience or good food. They changed the orange chicken recipe and the current version seemed like it came out of the freezer at the grocery store rather than the crispy chicken that I remember. DH had the honey chicken and it was about the same.
Tonight I’m back to cooking. Thin spaghetti with shredded Brussels sprouts, cherry tomatoes and scallions topped with lemon zest, Parm and toasted Panko. Yummy comfort food!
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Met my ex-DH and his wife for holiday lunch at Laurenzo's for lunch. WONDERFUL restaurant where the entire staff treats patrons like kings & queens. I only get there a couple of times a year so I seem incapable of ordering anything but my favorite - French Dip. It's truly 10-12" long if you order the 'whole'. And as usual I planned ahead & brought half home with me. Served with soup or salad at lunch - I had Italian Wedding Soup. And served with a choice of 10 different sides. They have home cut fries so I gave in to those. Because it's one of the few places that has fresh squeezed orange juice, I ordered a screwdriver to start. Dessert? The two of them split a HUGE brownie with ice cream. I had strawberry pie with whipped cream. Needless to say I haven't eaten anything else I day, nor will I be eating any dinner or snacks.
Cyathea - love the spaghetti with sprouts. Wally - chicken stroganoff riff sounds great. I have some leftover rotisserie chicken & was going to do fried rice tomorrow - but may change plans. It will be cold for here, so a creamy sauce w/mushrooms... oh yes. Eric - good for you still putting up a tree. I stopped several years ago since there are no children to come over and my son who lives in another state always works over Christmas.
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Minus, that lunch sounds delicious, I may have check that place out, thanks for including the name.
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Carole - thinking of you and hoping you are out of harms way. Please check in when you can
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Thanks for your concern, Nance. Yesterday was a day with storms and anxiety. The meteorologists were on tv all day. The morning news was full of scenes of tornado destruction. We are grateful that we were spared once again.
This has been a house of illness since Sunday. DH has a UTI. On Tuesday night he was running 102 fever, high for an older person, and decided to go to the ER. I called 911 and an ambulance arrived so quickly it might have been parked down the street. He received care immediately at the ER. His fever came down and he was discharged at 11 pm. He is on meds and seems to be doing better. No insult to you, Eric, but men are not good patients, according to wives.
Cooking has been mainly soup, canned and home-made. He has had little appetite.
Minus, I continue to be amazed that you go out to meals with your ex and his wife.
Wally, I finished reading the Classic Indian Cooking and, once again, find the amount of oil and ghee in the recipes excessive. I can't imagine using a half cup of oil. When dh is recovered, I will try one of the beef or lamb recipes.
It is sunny and cold this morning, in the 40's. My plan is to cook a potato/leek soup with ham for dinner. I bought ham steaks recently for seasoning, a BOGO deal. It's the only way I cook ham since I find it much too salty as a main dish.
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