So...whats for dinner?
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Wally, so sorry to hear about your DH's health situation. Pluvicto "separation" must be as irksome as the 4-1/2 days of plaque brachytherapy for ocular melanoma, except I had to be in a separate room (despite wearing a lead shield over my eye) and the cats couldn't even come in. My meals had to be left outside the door.
We had ice on Wed. night, but bless my landscaper, who came up here to salt our driveway so Bob could walk safely to his car Thurs. morning (he couldn't take the day off or come in late, the way he could when self-employed). We're getting some more tomorrow, but there's enough salt still on the pavement. And I bought Yaktrax for both of us (though I doubt Bob'll be willing to wear them).
I still haven't made the paella. After a light breakfast Tuesday I began to get upper-GI cramping and bloating, and my appetite disappeared. Belched like a blast furnace, could poop but not pass gas. Terrified I might have an intestinal blockage, ileus or even gastroparesis—but Bob took his stethoscope and heard bowel sounds. I was fine this morning…until after I had some toast, after which time I had the opposite problem. So it's been clear liquids, applesauce & plain matzo for now. Think I'll save the paella for Super Bowl. Will make a mariscos version: have some U-10 prawns frozen, as well as tinned Galician mussels & scallops and flash-frozen Pacific salmon. May throw in some chorizo and peas. I will cheat though: bought a jar of sofrito to cut down on much of the prep work.
Disappointed to hear about the LA strawberries—I remember marveling at how wonderful the Ponchitoula strawberries tasted. I did buy some of those boutique greenhouse hydroponic berries from California—insanely expensive at a buck a berry—after reading rave reviews about how intense they are and how well they keep (a pet peeve is buying strawberries by the quart but being unable to get through half of them before they rot). Well, they did keep but the taste was still fairly meh. Can't wait till the MI and IN berries show up in late spring, but the season is only a couple of weeks. At the farmers' market I can buy only as much as I want, and they keep far longer than the Driscolls. (And instead of rotting, they just shrivel up but taste sweeter).
I never have more than a pound of butter on hand (2 sticks each of sweet & salted). I barely use it—mostly run the surface of the stick across a piece of toast, and fry my eggs in olive oil.
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I do buy 2% milk, but that's my only low fat purchase. And that sits in the fridge next to the heavy whipping cream which is used almost as often, so they sort of cancel each other out.
My favorite strawberry concoction is to dip them individually in sour cream (full fat) and roll in brown sugar. My 9 year old grand-niece was enchanted when I set that process up for us.
Dinner never happened. I just ate some See's peanut brittle, a hard boiled egg and some cashew nuts (yes, salted). I have great leftovers for today, but am also considering some way to use fresh spinach which will "turn" soon. Maybe broth with added ramen noodles & toss in the spinach? Maybe fried rice w/spinach?
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Sandy, you (one) should not let the strawberries sit in the carton. Pour them onto a platter or shallow bowl and remove any that have rotten spots. Like tomatoes, they don't taste as good chilled as room temperature. I had to smile when you named Ponchatoula strawberries. I went to Ponchatoula High School. Every year there's a strawberry festival in Ponchatoula that has become much too large for me even to consider attending it. People come from New Orleans and Baton Rouge and from Mississippi. It is quite the event.
My brother Gary knows a big strawberry farmer and he (Gary) tells me that the strawberry varieties have been developed for not rotting instead of for the sweet flavor they used to have. When I was a child, there was a variety called Klondike that was incredibly sweet. It was a deep red color, almost maroon. It was not grown for being shipped to other states.
The strawberries in MN are small and round shaped. They're quite expensive, in my opinion, but people coming to the farmers market line up to buy them and can be seen eating them as they walk away from the grower's booth.
New Orleans is having a big Super Bowl parade today. Trust NO to throw a parade for any event.
Tonight's dinner will be catfish fillets, probably cut into pieces, breaded with Louisiana fish fry and fried crispy. Side may be creamed spinach. Possibly coleslaw. DH will want homemade tartar sauce. No food shall be eaten without a condiment.
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It seems like when a new variety of fruit or produce is developed, long shelf life and resistance to bruising so they can be packed tighter is the main priority…good flavor is not necessary.
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Maggie, yes, it was Ranch 99—a huge asian grocery store. I also got watercress there and was shocked how vibrant and tasty it was compared to the few times I've picked it up at our local stores.
Sandy, yes, pluvicto treatment is the same. We try to build a barricade of sorts driving home..one drives, the other must sit in the backseat. Then the distance at home; closed room, separate bathroom, I bring his food, can't eat together…and yes, when we had the kitty, poor guy was locked out.
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Sandy, Yaktrax are awesome. DH wore them 99.9% of the time at work and the barn. The .1% of the time he didn't he slipped on ice under snow and smashed his elbow resulting in a break called the terrible triad. It took surgery and 18 months of hand therapy including 4 hours a day in dynamic splints to get the use of his left arm back. It was also the end of his riding since he can't risk a horse jerking his arm.
Minus, I have the same dairy combination (2% lactose free milk, heavy cream, butter) in my fridge.
Carole, DH agrees with your husband’s condiment rule. I make quick and easy tartar sauce from mayonnaise and sweet pickle relish.
Eric, You are spot on that agricultural products sold are bred for shelf life and quantity rather than flavor. Another geneticist DH used to work with started a breeding company producing chickens with better tasting meat. The birds are smaller but the meat is more tender and flavorful so restaurants and other customers will pay the higher ptice per pound.
Dinner tonight was meatloaf, parsnips and mashed potatoes.
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I pre-salted the driveway (neighbor's half, too) in anticipation of ice…which never happened. But it's gonna snow like the dickens Tues through Friday, so there should be some decent melting.
Didn't feel like going out tonight (and Bob didn't want to drive after having had a few while watching TV), so we ordered a heart-shaped deep-dish pizza (the cheapest one they'd deliver) from Lou Malnati's (the kosher NY-style slice place up the street is shomer Shabbos, so we couldn't order from them). Now, I've been a Chicagoan since 1978, but I have never warmed to deep-dish. The crust is tasteless, so I just end up eating the tomatoes & cheese. Paella for the game tomorrow.
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We got lucky only 5 inches of snow last night. And the sun came out today , yeah!
Sandy I’ve never been a deep dish fan, but then again as a native New Yorker like you, I’m picky about my pizza. But since becoming plant based these last two years, I’ve had to give up it up, and I miss it. So slowly I’m letting in the dairy lol… tonight for the game will be Nachos and spinach enchiladas from our wonderful Mexican restaurant up the block. I don’t know what I’m more excited about , the nachos or the game.
lol and I always cook on Sundays for the beginning of the work week as I teach Monday nights , so today I made crispy cauliflower and chickpea curry for tomorrow.2 -
Sandy, I agree that thin crust pizza is best. For that reason I prefer Roman pizza to Neapolitan. Paella for Superbowl sounds much better than chicken wings.
Rhonda, Cooking ahead makes life easier. I made beef stew today for DH’s dinner tomorrow.
There was 9” of snow to deal with this morning but the cold kept it light and snowblowable. Tomorrow I have a DEXA scan and bloodwork here; in the afternoon I'm shipping up to Boston.
Dinner tonight was chicken, ham and asparagus on farfalle.
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I've always thought Roman pizza al taglio (the rectangular slices with different toppings in the same pan, a la the "Bonci" takeout chain in Rome—and briefly, in Chicago's Restaurant Row) had a slightly thicker but softer crust, not quite as thick as the Sicilian slices that many Brooklyn pizzerias offer along with the usual thinner-crust wedges. Truly thin crust—in Chicago, South Side "tavern style"—leaves me cold. They hack it up into little squares (the edge pieces are curved) that are impossible to calculate calories, carbs, WW points, whatever; to me, tavern-style is just a beer-accompaniment device. I discovered true Neapolitan style only about 20 years ago in a pizzeria in the W. 50s owned by a pair of brothers from Naples. It's the style I prefer to even NY-style slices…unless it's too wet in the middle. You really do need to eat it with knife & fork (the takeaway slice I had along the Spacca Napoli on a Med. cruise shore excursion was delicious but way too messy for street-eating).
I made fresh guacamole, with a perfectly ripe avocado—not a brown spot to be had—and a chopped-up slice of heirloom tomato, with lime juice and a sprinkle of Tajin seasoning. So silky I didn't have to add any mayo (a restaurant "hack" I once witnessed). I also did make the paella: seafood stock, saffron threads soaked in 2 oz. hot water, "Old Havana" brand sofrito, chopped garlic, Spanish (Graza "Sizzle") EVOO, smoked Spanish paprika, tinned marinated bay scallops in escabeche, chopped spicy chorizo, canned Italian green beans (meh—will leave them out next time), large prawns, and of course Bomba rice. I added the prawns when the mixture had been simmering long enough to not be so soupy I couldn't move the pan to the oven. When it was ready (all the liquid had been absorbed) I removed it from the oven, set the prawns aside, and as the soccarat began to form stirred in the peas and tinned Galician mussels (Jose Andres brand). Put the prawns back atop it, mixed the soccarat up from the bottom and dished it out.
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Love "loaded" nachos. My favorite Tex Mex food.
I went to Rouses supermarket yesterday about 10:30 am, not expecting the crowd that was there. DH had requested deli potato salad. I bought myself mini muffaletas. They have all the ingredients of large muffaleta sandwiches but the buns are little slider size. For lunch I warmed up two of them in the toaster oven. Yum. For those who have visited New Orleans and eaten a muffaleta sandwich made at Central Grocery, the old Italian grocery store has reopened after three years of renovation. It was damaged and had to close after a hurricane.
The egg section at Rouses was well stocked. I bought two cartons of jumbo eggs for $8 each. I read today that some stores are having to limit egg purchases.
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Carole, Mini muffalettas are a great idea since I could never eat a whole one. I can make the olive salad but there is no muffaletta bread available here. I suppose ciabatta would do.
Dinner tonight was turkey dinner takeout from the hospital cafe, actually pretty good.
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The only deep dish pizza I ever liked was Eduardo's chain in WI. The spinach was the best. I miss them.
I made a ground beef/mixed ground pork meatloaf with a side of braised cabbage and a bag of sweet potato chips. Leftovers tomorrow.
I've been dreaming of the coffee beans I bought on my first trip to Boston (in my 20s). Man, I wish I could remember the little store I got it from. Smokey but chocolaty but robust without being acidic. Ah, memories.
Carole, the eggs here are nearly $12/dozen, if there are any. My sis lives a block from someone raising hens so she's managed to score 3.75/dozen pastured eggs. Lucky gal.
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Maggie, the muffaletta bread is too much bread for me. Ciabatta would be a good substitute. My SIL Deanna makes her own muffaletta bread. She's a great baker. Recently she has begun to mill her own flour with a little electric mill. I seldom eat muffalettas because of the saltiness of the olive mixture. I'm already regretting buying the six pack of minis.
So far the supermarkets here have a good supply of eggs. DH eats two eggs for breakfast most days and we like to have boiled eggs on hand for snacks and lunch. Even at a high price, eggs are a good food. We're just spoiled to think they should be cheap.
Last night was a "same old" dinner. Cooked linguine from the freezer with Rao's and Italian sausage. Fresh grated romano. Leftovers for another meal.
DH is in week three of recovery and is walking around the house without the walker. We have an appointment today (FINALLY) with a neurosurgeon to discuss the jaw pain that has been lessened by meds but not eliminated. He has been dealing with this pain for two years.
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Carole - good news that your DH finally has an appointment with a neurosurgeon. Hope it's not TMJ. I'm finding it hard to get appointment with many of my docs sooner than 4-6 months.
Speaking of eggs - my meal last night was two Hawaiian Rolls with egg salad - served open face in order to pack more egg salad on each one. Desert was two Godiva dark chocolate ganache hearts.
MUST use spinach tonight. I'm trying to decide between adding to chicken broth & ramen or fried rice w/fresh mushrooms. Since I have an appointment in the medical center this afternoon, and then a scheduled call with my son later to discuss quirks in the new Windows 11 installation - it will depend on how long that call lasts. I may end up having English muffins with peanut butter.
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Carole, sending healing thoughts to your DH. I hope they can resolve the pain for him. I went down the trigeminal nerve rabbit hole, which turned out not to be the case in my DH's situation. Hope it will be an easy resolution.
leftover meatloaf.
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Leftover meatloaf… YUM.
Cold, rainy, tornadoes predicted & I lost power briefly twice - so I cancelled my doc appointment. Speaking of doctors… the next available appointment is the end of April - and I feel lucky to get that since I'm a new patient. But I'm not driving 30 miles in that kind of mess.
Well, it's probably not cold for most of you, but cold for Houston. The 7am temperature dropped from an overnight low of 66 down to 58 and hasn't climbed above that. I decided on chicken broth, spinach & ramen noodles. Comfort food. If I decide to eat again, I'll have the last of the Campari tomatoes with cottage cheese. I still have enough spinach left for fried rice tomorrow.
In the mean time, I'm going to curl up with a blanket & a book. I'm reading Alice Munro's "The View from Castle Rock" and finding it slow going so will probably nod off.
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Carole that's good news about DH not needing the walker any longer…and hopefully today's appointment will offer some good news/ideas for the jaw.
So far, there are no shortages of eggs here. They are more expensive but not "crazy expensive" as in other places. Yesterday I think we paid around $5 for 1-1/2 dozen eggs.
The weather here is a bit "blah". It's 51F degrees, but the wind is around 35-40mph with stronger gusts blowing dust and dirt. So far, the electricity service has been okay. We do have a backup generator in case I just jinxed things. :-)
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Eggs at Aldi here are $4.53 a dozen. Most of my married life I got unlimited free eggs so I can’t complain.
Wally, There used to be a coffee and tea shop near Harvard square that had really good beans/leaves. Now I get Kona blend coffee shipped from Hawaii when it’s on sale. DH likes Italian coffee (Lavazza) made on the stove in a cafeteria.
Carole, I’m impressed that your SIL mills her own flour. My MIL would take grain to a local mill to have the right flour blend for whatever she was baking. She was a home ec teacher and, to quote DH, she lived life like it was a lesson in home economics. Hopefully the neurosurgeon will have a solution for the jaw pain. A burn surgeon used a laser to cut my left trigeminal nerve. There is no more pain (or sensation) in that area. A cortisone shot helped the TMJ on my other side.
Minus, I try to use things up before they go bad but sometimes the stars don’t align.
We have more snow and ice on the way tomorrow evening.
Dinner tonight was leftover beef stew.
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The meeting with the neurosurgeon was informative as he went over dh's MRI of his head using a huge tv screen. He offered no immediate relief measures but advised dh to continue with the Headache doctor for the time being. This doctor is prescribing meds. Neurosurgeon wants another and more detailed MRI in two months. The bottom line is that dh's age, 85, is a major factor.
Dinner was two chicken thighs cooked in the oven with cream of mushroom soup mixed with cream and an addition of mushrooms. DH had mashed potatoes and I had brown rice. The jaw pain occurs mostly during eating so dh prefers easy to chew foods.
Outpatient PT is at 9 am today and I will be the driver. A short drive, only about 10 minutes.
I'm thinking dinner tonight will be spinach quiche using the same recipe I used a few weeks ago.
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Carole, I'm sorry no immediate resolution for your DH.
I'm making tuna steaks tonight. Leftover sauteed cabbage and brown rice for sides. Odd mix but I want the leftovers gone.
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Carole - I agree. Sorry for the wait & see attitude to DH's jaw issues. My son actually had botox injections, which he said worked for awhile.
Wally - I'm on a leftover kick too. Cottage cheese & tomatoes for breakfast. 1/4 cup leftover egg salad for supper. Tomorrow I'll finally just cook the rest of the spinach. And the rest of the small red potatoes. Another odd mix.
Eric - hope you didn't have to use the generator.
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Wally, Your sides for tuna steaks really appeal to me.
Carole, I hope the neurosurgeon comes up with something over the next few months.
Dinner tonight was coconut curry salmon on rice.
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I'm making a whole duck tomorrow…wait for it…in the crockpot! I think I've done that once before. Much less mess and if I don't cook it all day, it should turn out moist…always experimenting and trying to take the easy way out, LOL. I'll make a bed of purple, red and yukon potatoes, onions and celery.
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I will probably make a casserole for dinner tonight using up rotisserie chicken and fresh spinach. The recipe was in an email this morning. The dish includes pasta and a creamy sauce. I'm thinking mushrooms would go well and I have that big bag of mushrooms in the freezer. I should probably halve the recipe. Good thought.
I'm meeting three women friends for lunch at nearby Oysters Half Shell restaurant. I offered to bring dh a meal but he declined. It will be good to catch up with these friends. We were all golfers and now only one plays regularly.
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Change of plans as the duck is STILL partially frozen. Grilled cheese with bacon tonight. I'll try the duck tomorrow.
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Carole - if your chicken/spinach/pasta recipe turns out good, please share.
I've never tried to freeze mushrooms. Do you clean first? Slice before freezing? I'm assuming they wouldn't be especially pretty in a fresh green salad, but would be fine in cooked dishes - and maybe even omelettes?
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Minus, this is my first time to freeze mushrooms and the effort worked out well. My sister gave me 8 large boxes of big button mushrooms. I gave my neighbors 3 boxes and still had 5. You do clean the mushrooms and slice them. Saute in butter and olive oil. Cool and spread in a single layer on a sheet pan and freeze. I had about 4 layers separated by parchment paper. Once frozen, transfer to a freezer zip lock bag. I used a few recently and they tasted good.
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Wally, I never would have thought of duck in a slow cooker but it sounds like a good way to prevent grease splatter in the oven.
Carole, I hope you enjoyed the lunch with your friends. The restaurant name sounds like they serve good seafood.
Minus, I used up my spinach last night. It seems to loose its freshness very suddenly.
Dinner tonight was chicken scarpariello and sauteed potatoes.
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The casserole using up cooked chicken and fresh spinach was tasty in a bland sort of way but the "creamy" sauce wasn't creamy enough. The frozen mushrooms I added probably released too much water. Thankful I halved the recipe because half of the half is leftover. We now have leftover from three meals in the refrigerator.
I enjoyed getting together with my friends at lunch but this restaurant is not a favorite. There are better choices.
Today I need to make another loaf of bread. This morning's breakfast will use up the last two slices.
Off to PT with dh at 9 am.
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