So...whats for dinner?
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Tonight is the last of the lasagna i made a few weeks ago and froze. Felt like it was a good time to take it out of the freezer.
Wally, I hope the nasty neighbor situation is solved soon. Things should not have gotten this bad for you.
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I was at PT North of town today so stopped at Chicken Salad Chick to pick up their excellent broccoli salad. HOORAY - their Dilly Chicken Salad was available. They only make it a month of two out of the year, and it's the best.
But I'll be a good girl and eat the leftover Cobb salad from yesterday tonight.
Special - thanks for the detailed post. Hope you're totally "cured", but with all the pollen I'm wheezing & hacking again. And thanks for the tip about freezing the cake. I wondered how I could rationalize making it again.
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Special, I had accepted I wasn't going to be a grandma (DD is 42, married late and had used up her IVF benefits, DS and spouse don't want kids) but medical tourism to Greece was a success. Hopefully your pulmonary issues are minor and no more URIs are lurking.
m0mmy, One of the reasons I love lasagna is that it freezes so well. The leftovers make a great meal with hardly any work.
Minus, I found a copycat recipe for the Dilly chicken salad to try. Using fresh dill was emphasized so I’ll have to wait for it to show up in the store.
Dinner tonight was meatballs in Rao’s on spaghetti.
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Leftover beef stew for dinner last night.
No more leftovers. Will have to start anew tonight.
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I realize I totally left out the "dinner" component to my post, lol! I had taken a break cooking for DD, sort of, while resting after the expo. I did make chili and beef stew to take to the expo. I also brought a bunch of sandwich making supplies, etc. I did have success with making ham and cheddar on English muffins and wrapping them in foil so they could ride off on their golf carts with a snack in hand, and several of my family members and other staff enjoyed having ready-made dinner they could warm up.
Once home and semi-recovered I did go back to cooking for DD, which is also cooking for us since I tend to make meals and just give her a serving. I am accomplishing feeding her a variety of good things, plus then I don't have to necessarily cook for a few days. This last round included some salads for her lunches - a Greek village salad, a teriyaki chicken breast sliced over greens, a green salad with some chickpeas for protein with peppers and feta, and a steak/blue cheese/strawberry salad with balsamic dressing. Dinners included fusilli with marinara that had mushrooms and ground turkey, naughty meatloaf with roasted potatoes and green beans, chicken breast stuffed with scallion cream cheese and wrapped in bacon with those same accompaniments, and a taco bowl. She is on her last salad so I should get busy on more today. She said she is coming over later to show us her new (used) diesel Ford F-250 she picked up last night to haul the 3-horse trailer and transport round bales. She now has a vintage (70's) F-150, this new truck, a lifted and modified Toyota 4Runner, and a Tesla. Good thing she has a big property because she also has the horse trailer, and a boat. In goat news one of them, the naughty one - Butter, has discovered she can jump over the fence to the neighbor's house. The driveway is gated so there is no easy way to get her back… Bread is the calm goat who stays where she is supposed to. When I was over there before the expo loading my Jeep with bins both goats got in the back of the car. DD's beau is scheduled for surgery on 3/25 to do a laminectomy and discectomy, so I will be cooking for both of them shortly!
I think I will make more pasta with pesto sauce, maybe some Swedish meatballs with mashed potatoes, probably chicken salad and baked potato salad, some green salads with assorted veggies and protein, I would make egg salad but that has become an expensive endeavor…
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SpecialK, your daughter so fortunate to have you as her mom. You are truly a "nurturer."
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Special - It was wonderful to hear all the updates, even w/o food. Thanks for updating with all the great sounding food. But what is a "naughty meatloaf"? Goat stories are funny. Glad you mentioned the beau since I was wondering if he was still around.
Carole - I was glad to see that you and DH were out playing golf - together!!!
Maggie - if the Dilly Salad turns out to be good when you try it, please do share.
Nance - how is everything with you?
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Special - I wish you were my mom lol!
Next week I have another round of test shots in my back prior to another ablation We're getting closer to finding the "sweet spot" for relief hopefully
If the predicted storms allow, tonight is carryout pizza. Last night DH made waffles and bacon. Tomorrow I plan to make salad and a quiche for dinner. Expense be damned!
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My kids call it momming, lol! I love to cook so it isn't a hardship unless I am trying to do it while not feeling up to par - we all know about trying to do that, right?
minus - the meatloaf part is pretty standard, the naughty part is completely wrapping the meatloaf (I form it on a foil covered jelly roll pan) in bacon before you start cooking, then glazing it for the last 20 mins of cook time with a combo of chili sauce, dry mustard, and brown sugar until the glaze is set on the surface and has some caramelized edges. It is an interesting recipe because it also has some warm spices (nutmeg, ground cloves) in it, which I think is kind of unusual. Otherwise pretty normal - garlic, green onion, thyme, seasoned breadcrumbs, egg, milk, parsley, salt, pepper, and I usually use beef/pork/veal. I tried an already combined and packaged mix from the Wahlberg brothers, but I didn't like the mouth feel as much as when I just combine my own.
auntie - refresh me on what exactly your back issue is - I remember that it has been a bit of a struggle to nail down something effective to treat your pain. DD's beau has actually now qualified for 100% disability through the VA, he previously had 80%. His back issues are service-connected due to the heavy load he had to carry on his back as an Army sniper. This means a significant increase in his stipend, which is good because right now he can't work in the field he is qualified for - personal security (bodyguard work for high profile peeps) and is now going back to school to work in the health care field, likely as either an imaging tech or an RN. He has a mixed bag of back issues - spinal stenosis, ruptured discs, crumbling discs, arthritis, you name it. He is having a laminectomy/discectomy because the neurosurgeon refused to do any kind of fusion for him due to his young age - he's 31. This surgeon is qualified to do the new TOPS fusion, which uses more flexible hardware, but he said he won't even do that - the PA seemed to think he would but he is super hesitant because of the need for so many potential additional surgeries later. apparently doing a fusion on someone this young is pretty unusual. He is hoping these two procedures will be enough to control his pain, at least in the relatively short term. I hope so too because this is not how his life should be at 31. DD would like to spend some time with him and see how he is when not in pain 24/7.
minus - these goats are hilarious - and they love raisins. And weeds. Here they are in the back of my car.
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Special - mine is challenging because of a combination of scoliosis, stenosis (lots of arthritis) and a rotated disc. Gravity has taken its toll. I doubt I'll ever be pain free. My dad had a fusion which only helped short term. I would not do it even if it was an option. But I'm not young. If I was I would No doubt feel otherwise.
I used to have goats. They are voracious eaters and liked to stand on top of my car. Bad goats.
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Special, You are definitely a great mom. In AL our horse had a “sacrificial goat” he nudged out ahead of him to ensure no snow on the roof would fall on him as he left the barn area for the field. Your DD’s beau’s plan to retrain in the healthcare field is a good one since so many of us need those imaging techs and nurses.
Nance, I hope the upcoming ablation helps your pain. When there are multiple orthopedic issues the treatment to help one can make the others worse as my hips can attest.
Carole, Cooking meals anew means leftovers for dinner in the future.
Dinner tonight was salmon with Chinese five spice powder and cauliflower.
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Nance, I hope you can get relief from the back pain. And, SpecialK, how sad that such a young man is totally disabled thanks to military service.
I was having some minor back pain and began doing floor exercises that seemed to help. Then a few months ago dh stopped taking a Glucosamine/chondroitin supplement and the large bottle still contained a lot of huge pills. And the bottle was almost $40 at Sam's Club. One of his physicians had recommended it and it has been used for years by people with joint issues. Rather than throw the bottle away, I started taking the supplement and my back twinges have all but disappeared. Now I have to decide whether to buy a new bottle. I'm not big on supplements. I see so many older people in the supplements aisle buying all kinds of pills and I am generally skeptical of benefits. You dare not speak to one of these elderly shoppers because they will talk at length about their supplements.
Back on topic. For dinner last night we shared a large pork chop that was breaded and browned in a skillet. I think it was a shoulder cut, not center cut. We are not fans of lean pork chops. I took the part with the bone. We each had a romaine salad, mine larger than his. Also Bob's mac and cheese. My serving was small. Everything was good and the meal satisfying. No leftovers except the mac and cheese.
Today I need to make a loaf of whole grain bread.
And I have to share. This morning I'm down 10 lbs from my starting weight at the end of last year. Yay!
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Congratulations Carole! That's an accomplishment especially in such a short time.
Tonight was supposed to be quiche but I'm not feeling it so who knows. Maybe some grilled chicken with Korean bbq sauce.
Today I must gather the recipes for my annual corned beef and cabbage dinner with friends. The menu will be the aforementioned plus boiled potatoes and carrots, shepherds pie (because of course DH won't touch corn beef OR cabbage unless it's coleslaw) and rye Irish soda bread. The bread is actually the only thing requiring a recipe since I only make it once a year and can't remember the measurements. My friend is bringing dessert which I hope is lemon meringue pie because hers is awesome. Lemon pie just screams "Spring" to me.
In spite of three trips to the basement due to tornado sirens going off we made it through the storms relatively unscathed. The winds were horrific and are still gusty today.
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Corned beef will be on the menu on Monday. Frozen pizza tonight.
Carole, glad your back is feeling better. Some people have a rare side effect from glucosamine; higher ocular pressure.
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Carole, Congrats on losing those pounds! I admire the way you balanced good meals out with cutting portions at home. I take a few supplements but they are ones recommended by my doctors to try to overcome SEs of the meds they prescribe.
Nance, I hope your winds die down soon.
I have corned beef in the fridge but will cook it later in the week. Unfortunately I have an appointment in Boston on St.Patrick's Day (Evacuation Day, a holiday in Suffolk County) so things will be wild. Finding parking after Sunday's parade will be an adventure I could do without.
Dinner tonight was chicken and onions in sour cream with mashed potatoes.
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Last night was chicken/spinach/pasta casserole with a creamy sauce but I didn't transfer the skillet contents to a casserole dish. The skillet is oven safe so I used it as the casserole dish. Quite a bit of leftovers. We also had a slice of freshly baked whole grain bread with butter.
Nance, your corned beef dinner menu sounds wonderful. So does lemon meringue pie, a favorite. Haven't had homemade in many years.
We're going to early Mexican dinner with neighbors. If dh can manage to climb into the back of their jeep, we'll ride with them. The jeep is cute but not the most comfortable ride. The dinner will be our treat to express appreciation for recent neighborly aid. The weather will probably be pleasant enough for us to sit on the Mexican restaurant's outdoor patio.
I may skip the corned beef this St. Patrick's Day.
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@carolehalston your chicken spinach pasta in cream sauce sounds good, and with him owed bread . Yum. Glad the supplements worked for your back. Back pain can be tricky, stretching and light pilotes helped my DH. I’ll research the supplements. Hope you Enjoy the Mexican outing tonight.
Experimenting this weekend. Made ginger meatballs with ground chicken in a vegetable garlic soup, which was really nice. And a whole wheat chocolate raisin bread with almond flour, which was fabulous. Lol.. so relaxing to mix things up a bit, read through my recipe books which I love to do and find something new. Was a nice surprise to like both dishes. Not made to eat together… might make the tofu vanilla whip to go with the bread, as it tastes more like a dessert.
@auntienance glad the storm was not terrible, though tornado sirens would make me anxious. Hope the annual corned beef and cabbage gathering was fun and fabulous !
@maggie15 hope you find parking tomorrow. When I used to drive, I would silently pray to the “parking goddess “ to please offer me a spot soon… sometimes it worked lol..
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pork chops, rice and a veggie
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Carole, Recipes that use just one pan are my favorites.
Nance, I'm skipping the soda bread since DH eats it only if it is made with the special flour (red whole wheat/white blend) sold in Ireland and a few shops in NYC. I would also love lemon meringue pie but having more than one slice around wouldn't be a good idea.
Rhonda, Your weekend cooking sounds delicious. I’d love the recipe for the ginger meatball soup.
I managed to find parking by arriving in Boston in the evening and hanging out in one of the garage aisles. I felt like a cat waiting for a mouse to scurry out of its hole but after 20 minutes I snagged a spot. The transit police checked bags for booze and the station near the hospital was undergoing a thorough hosing down. I wouldn’t want to be in that ED tonight.
Dinner tonight was from the Whole Foods hot bar and surprisingly good. DH had grilled salmon, sautéed peppers and mashed potatoes while I had haddock in coconut curry sauce on brown rice.
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dinner was the last serving of the Dilly chicken salad from Chicken Salad Chick. I've been eating it on whole wheat club crackers since (in my mind at least) they have less bulk & calories than a sandwich. I may have to go buy more salad later this week since it's available for such a short time.
Spent today trying to find a Cecil Brunner rose. I've looked for 3 years w/o much luck so I sprung for one to be shipped in. My Mother had one outside her kitchen window in the early 1950's. She would open the window & pick one or two every day for the table. I wanted to plant one in her honor since the date of their wedding anniversary would be in two weeks. She's been gone 21 years now and my Dad died at 17 years ago at age 96 Hard to believe my son will be 55 this year.
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I had my usual last night at the mexican restaurant. Top shelf margarita on ice, no salt. Nachos with steak strips, guacamole, beans, sour cream and jalapenos. Actually I had two margaritas.
Our neighbors, in their 60's, told us about their recent trip to the Grand Canyon with their oldest son, all three of them sleeping in a van camper, mostly in parking lots. Rodney and his son hiked to the bottom of the canyon and back during one day. We never run out of conversation with them.
Tonight's dinner should probably include cabbage. No menu yet.
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When I was a young woman, I hiked halfway down the Grand Canyon and back in one day. I was an experienced hiker and it was the hardest thing I've ever done. My body can't imagine that it's even possible to go down and back in one day. They must be super humans! Kudos to your friends Carole!
Happy Saint Patrick's Day!
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Sharon and I have done several "Rim to Rim to Rim" Grand Canyon hikes….24 hours of walking.
phone ringing….sigh…
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Corned beef and cabbage and potatoes today. Can't wait.
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I rode a mule to the bottom of the Grand Canyon and back up so she was the one who did the hard work. She was, surprisingly, one of the best trained equines I have ever ridden. We camped overnight. The change in scenery with the different angles of light was amazing.
Minus, I’m glad you ordered that rose bush rather than waiting any longer to find one locally.
Dinner tonight was creamy artichoke chicken on spinach tagliatelle (my nod to St. Patrick’s Day.)
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I've never ridden a mule into the Canyon. I've walked it, ridden in helicopters in it, rafted in it..but have never ridden a mule in it. According to the mule skinners I've met, only the very best of the best mules haul people up and down the trails, so it's not surprising that the mule was well trained.
I liked that picture of the goats in the back of the car. Goats seem to be so curious, which sometimes can be annoying. :-)
Carole, congratulations on the weight loss!
Minus, I have the same "it can't be" with both my daughter and "test daughters" ages. 27 for DD and DTD (dear test daughters) age 50 and 48. I think everyone's birthdays are coming twice a year.
Sharon made a shrimp-ginger-shredded vegetable dish last night. Tonight we had leftover Chicken & Dumplings.
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Burning question. Soda bread: raisins or no raisins? Sugar? And caraway seeds? Reason I ask is that Mariano's (Kroger) had small loaves for $2.50 each—with crystal sugar on top and studded with black & golden raisins. But Schlegl's bakery up the street (one of the few food sources w/in walking distance from here—just under 1/2 mi. roundtrip) advertised they made theirs from scratch. Much bigger loaf (higher price too, as they do everything from scratch there), but when I got it home and cut a slice I was chagrined to find it had both raisins and caraway seeds. I'd never heard of the latter in soda bread but apparently it's a "thing," albeit a polarizing one. To me it seems kind of schizoid—like it couldn't decide whether it wants to be a sweet-ish bread or a rye bread. No sugar on top, and extremely crumbly (I think they went overboard on the buttermilk or even added butter). I think it's God's way of telling me to cool it with the carbs.
Friday night we went to Capital Grille for their N. Shore Restaurant Week menu. New England clam chowder (which I hadn't had in years) as an app. Bob ordered a house salad. We had a coupon for free calamari, so ate half of that too. Bob's entree was an 8-oz. filet mignon, mine Chilean sea bass with shiitakes & asparagus—his sides were mashed potatoes and creamed spinach. The entrees were so big we had to take half home (along with the calamari and the included flourless chocolate torte). Saturday night we had our leftover entrees. (May have the calamari for breakfast). Sunday night went to Cooper's Hawk for their St. Pat's Day menu. Bisque for my app, Bob had the corned beef sliders (meh, he says) and a wedge salad. He was too full to eat the chicken Madeira he'd ordered as his entree, so we took it home. I ordered the corned beef & cabbage, which came with carrots & mashed potatoes—for which I subbed out extra cabbage. (He doesn't like corned beef in any form other than a huge deli sandwich or Reuben, and the only cabbage he'll eat is either slaw, bok choy, or kraut on a Reuben or hot dog). We had half our halves of our entrees tonight. Fridge is getting too full.
Weather has been a real roller coaster. It was 80 on Friday but with gale-force winds, culminating in severe storms that night; in the 50s Saturday, snow into rain Sunday, and slowly warmed to about 55 today (though when I had to go to the MO this morning it was still really chilly and very windy). Going up to near 70 tomorrow, low 60s Wed. morning but then the storms roll in midafternoon; 2" of snow overnight to greet us Thurs. morning. I wish I could just be able to keep one coat out, but have to keep switching them out (giving the kitties an excuse to dash into the coat closet). Just a T-shirt on Friday, leather bomber Saturday, puffer coat Sunday and today, and tomorrow probaby the bomber and Wed. a jean jacket. But back to the puffer coat Thursday (first day of actual spring).
In Chicago, March comes in like a lion but goes out like a lamb…a rabid lamb…with anger management issues.
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The cabbage part of the menu last night was coleslaw with fresh pineapple, the cabbage thinly sliced. Served with oven fried catfish fillets and leftover mac and cheese. DH's tartar sauce.
I'm with Bob, Sandy. My favorite corned beef meal is a Reuben sandwich. A wonderful blend of tastes. Not sure why I wasn't in the mood for corned beef this St. Patrick's Day. The salt sends my weight up 3 or 4 lbs and I usually end up eating the leftover meat. Also but not foremost, the priciness.
Tonight will be leftover chicken/spinach/pasta dish and salad.
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The soda bread recipe I use is from King Arthur Flour and calls for currants or raisins (I use currants). The only sugar is 3 tablespoons of maple syrup. Caraway seeds are optional. I usually skip them.
The dinner was a complete success down to my friend's lemon meringue pie which was outstanding as always. I didn't ask her to make it. I wouldn't because of all the eggs involved and scratch lemon pie is kind of a PITA to make. She just knows me.
Eric I'm in awe of your and Sharon's Grand Canyon hikes On my hike down we had to keep stepping aside for the mules. I was impressed with how sure footed they were and how close they got to the edge!
Roller r coaster weather here too And wind So Much. Wind.Tonight it's leftover shepherds pie.
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Our corned beef turned out great…easy…boil it. YUM. DH loves corned beef in any form. We even tried corning one of the cuts of venison I butchered.
I'll use what is left of the cabbage, potatoes and corned beef to make a colcannon hash of sorts.
Carole, I missed the weight loss post. Congrats.
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