So...whats for dinner?
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We ate squirrels and wild rabbits when I was growing up in the boonies. My mother "smothered" them in a big iron pot with onion and garlic and made a dark brown gravy, to be spooned over white rice. Recently one of my brothers brought my mother (90 yrs old) a couple of squirrels to cook. Now I wouldn't find squirrels appetizing. They raid our bird feeders and are such scroungy looking little animals. Not plump like midwestern squirrels. Very smart, though. They figure out some way to raid the feeders. And they're very acrobatic. I shot at them with a bb pistol for a couple of years, but they were pretty safe.
I took a gorgeous ribeye out of the freezer this morning but dh isn't feeling good so he just had Greek yogurt and fresh strawberries. I'm sipping on my 2nd glass of wine. My dinner will probably be warmed-up pizza.
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Lol on the squirrel culinary escapades!! I was going to post a bit back when the talk was about parsnips that I don't think I have ever eaten one! Now a parsnip seems pretty tame...lol!
We did however have chicken livers for dinner last night and they were really good! For some reason my RBC count is low so trying to eat foods high in iron... The low count hopefully also explains the fatigue.... Mammo/US coming up in April.. So NOT the most wonderful time of the year...0 -
OMG Deb,
That last pic looks like a cross between a squirrel and the green bean munching rabbit.... lol. Too funny!!0 -
Nancy,
I'm thinking I will need some kind of fencing around the garden this year. Our back yard is fenced and up until a couple years ago we had a dog so i'm thinking that's why we didn't have issues. Now that we no longer have a dog (so no dog scent), I think the rabbits feel more welcome!
What kind of fencing do you use?0 -
Seaside, I suspect you may be right about the dog scent "repellant". One year we tried fox urine as a deterrent, and I think it worked well, tho kind of grossed me out.
If you want a way to ease into parsnips, try them in a cake.....delightful!
I did leave the cloves out, tho, since I'm not crazy about them, and it was plenty flavorful.
http://www.yummly.com/recipe/external/Parsnip-Spice-Cake-With-Ginger-Cream-Cheese-Frosting-Epicurious0 -
seaside - try to eat some leafy greens, particularly spinach if you like it, and fortified cereal like Cream of Wheat in an effort to raise your hemoglobin/RBC. Also, add some vitamin C to help your body absorb the iron in these foods. Here is a link for a list of foods:
http://www.redcrossblood.org/learn-about-blood/health-and-wellness/iron-rich-foods
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When my son was about four years old we stayed at a resort on Longboat Key in Florida. We were spending some time at the pool while my ex-husband was golfing and my son, who was always pretty talkative with strangers and now, 21 years later is in sales, took up a conversation with a woman in a nearby lounge chair. The next thing I knew he said something that made my mouth drop open in shock. He told her that when we got home he and his daddy were going to go squirrel hunting and make squirrel pie for dinner.
He said it in this perfect Southern drawl (and he typically didn't call his father "daddy").
To this day I have no idea where that came from! My ex-husband was a hunter but when I asked him later on if he had ever suggested going squirrel hunting (which would have been ridiculous with a four-year old) and making squirrel pie he said "nope, I've never said such a thing."
Out of the mouths of babes...
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My DSIL sprinkles cayenne pepper on his birdseed in the feeder. Apparently it doesn't bother the birds but the other critters are staying away.
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I've read that Michelle, think I'll try that.
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Lacey,
I'm so going to try that cake! I love carrot cake and haven't had it in years. Since parsnips are described as being spicier than carrots, I'm thinking it will be like a kicked up carrot cake! yum!
SpecialK,
Thanks for that list! I knew most meats were good sources and of course spinach but a lot of the fruits and vegetables surprised me. Good tip to up the Vitamin C to help absorb the plant-based souces, too!
LeeA,
Funny story!! I bet that lady had a story or two to tell when she got home...lol!
Michelle,
Along the same lines as the cayenne..... I even tried spraying the plants with a tabasco and water mixture that I found online. Didn't even faze the little bugger! In fact, I think he smiled and said 'Thanks for the dressing'!! lol I planted them 3 times before I waved the white flag. He ate the plants right off at the ground when they got to be about 6 inches tall...
How are you feeling these days?0 -
Okay, I love those squirrel pictures!
I know squirrels are naughty. And rabbits. But will you consider just putting a bowl of green beans out for that bunny?
I had a squirrel outside my window when we lived out West -- I'd put carrot curls on the windowsill, and sesame sticks coated in almond butter -- and in the mornings he started knocking on the window with his hand, waiting for me to bring him breakfast! That's how I kept him out of the bird feeder. But it became its own little job!
Hmm. Dinner tonight -- pizza party at our friends' house. I don't like pizza anymore... I will have soup when I get home.
Right now I'm making 'beer bread' -- two cans of beer, self-rising flour (I just make up my own), 2 tbsp. sugar, poured into a buttered loaf pan. It's like soda bread.
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Seaside - that is really funny! Stubborn critters! I'm feeling ok most days. I have an occasional random nausea attack, but it's short-lived and then I am ok. I have to listen to my tummy because sometimes it just doesn't want food. I'm taking about every anti-nausea med there is, and sometimes I wonder if it's just the disease causing random problems. But I am generally ok and I can almost always eat ice cream - go figure!
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The rabbit fence DH made is plain old chicken wire. I have raised beds so he constructs the fence from the ground around them so they can't just squeeze under easily. The bean bed is the only one that requires a fence although the deer will occasionally eat the pepper and tomato tops.
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bobo - my DH was in the military for 28 years so we moved a lot. One house we leased in Virginia came with a proviso - the owners said we had to keep feeding the resident squirrel - he did the same thing - he knocked at the glass french door in the morning! He was very tame and he loved peanuts. We also had a bumped out eat-in area with a bay window adjacent to the deck with an outside rail and he would climb up that and peer around the corner in the window - like hello??? My kids, who were 5 and 6 at the time, called him Pledge because he would sit up with his little hand over his heart. He was the cutest! Then again, I was not trying to grow any vegetables....
When we were stationed at the Pentagon we lived in a townhouse and our neighbor tried to grow cherry tomatoes on her deck. The crazy squirrels would steal the tomatoes, take a bite, decide they didn't like them, and then run away. Her poor tomato plants! We had a husband/wife squirrel get into our crawlspace and build a nest. They were right above our heads in the master bedroom wall and I was wrong when I thought they slept all night! One morning at about 5 am an intruder squirrel came in and there was a huge fight with squeaking and tumbling! I called the critter getter guy and he put some humane squirrel tear gas in there after checking that there were no babies - they went running out and he covered up the hole in the eaves with strong metal mesh until we could have it repaired. The squirrels were so mad! They went back up there and flung themselves at the covering - it was wild! It was like they were bummed that they couldn't get back to all their clothes and food and flat-screen tv, lol!
I don't know if anyone has tried spraying Bitter Apple around their plants. My DD is a dog trainer and she used it to keep the dog out of our potted plants - I have a feeling rabbits would be undeterred though!
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Love the squirrel feeding stories...and between the squirrels and the chipmunks doing that tomato taste thing last summer, we had to harvest any we wanted to use while they were green and ripen them in the basement. That taste and reject behavior is really so annoying! Oh, and I do always sprinkle red pepper flakes around my vegetable plants...forgot about that.
All this gardening talk does make me realize that our cold gray days will be a thing of the past, hopefully soon. It has been good walking weather, tho.
Laurie and Carrie where/how are you? Just really busy I hope.
Carrie, you must be excited about Syracuse!
Assuming we'll see more of you, Kay, after Easter?
Take care everyone.....0 -
Hi everyone- sorry I have been MIA. Since we are all honest with each other and all of the "stuff" we go through- I have been having a really hard time with anxiety for awhile now and started on med on Saturday which made me sick as a dog for three days with side effects. Each day gets better and things have been improving, so I have high hopes. although I am still having a hard time concentrating. But I am much calmer and am already feeling the benefits now that the side effects are calming down.
We are headed North tomorrow as we have a condo for the week. We will stay until Tuesday and head back home for a day or so then go up for another long weekend. I am trying to figure out what to make for dinner for Easter. My brother and his girlfriend are joining us. But I will be limited where we are in a rental unit.
Lacey- I am so sorry your family has been going through so much. Prayers for you.
Seaside- Good luck with your daughter- I could not imagine not being in touch with my sons- but I am sure she will have a great time and be just fine.
Laughing about all the squirrel talk!
Eric- Glad your mom is doing ok and hope she continues on the same path.
Hugs to all.
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Squirrels could take over the world if they have thumbs. They are smart and determined. A bad combo when you are talkin about rodents.
Laurie, I hope the meds kick in and help you out and those side effects disappear.
Had a rough day. Long story that I am not ready to talk about just yet. We needed to head to Costco, so we splurged on a hamburger out. For dinner, I roasted some beef bones and then made some beef stock in the pressure cooker. Later, I made some poltenta, sauteed spinach with garlic, and a roasted, cremini mushroom ragu. Absolutely delicious. Husband is camped out in front of basketball. Last time I will see him tonight.
*susan*
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Hope the med does the job on the anxiety, Laurie.
All the squirrel stories are cute, but I still don't like the little buggers. We've been catching them in a cage trap and transporting them to a wooded place on the other side of the interstate. But it's a losing battle. The news is out that there are feeders full of black oil sunflower seeds at our address.
This morning I made chicken veggie noodle soup for dh, who has not been feeling good for a couple of days. Tonight we're having ribeye steak cooked according to Alton Brown's recipe for seared and oven cooked steak. Also baked potato and roasted asparagus.
I've been researching blenders and it looks like I'll have to spring for a Vitamix, which is too tall to fit in the space between my cabinets and the counter.
Fingers crossed that dh feels good enough tomorrow to go to the Fairgrounds in NO for the Louisiana Derby.
My assignment for Easter dinner is ham and potato salad. I have one smoked shoulder ham to boil and another ham for dh to decorate with cloves, etc. and bake according to his family tradition. My family prefers the boiled ham. The meal will be at my mother's small house. It will be crowded but that's ok. We'll have three children so I'm sure we're do some Easter egg hunting.
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Laurie, so good to see you check in......I sure hope the meds start to do what they are supposed to minus the side effects! Have a great weekend "up north" as we say.....:)
Carole, I had to chuckle at your description of the squirrel re-location efforts, since DH tried that many years ago with Have a Heart traps, and as you discovered, the physics of squirrel habitats are that as soon as one (or two) are moved from their environment, one or two show up to take their places. We were stupidly surprised!
I spent the day sewing...finished up 8 taggies (mainly Red Sox ones with girlie ribbons for all the girl babies born to the teachers I worked with), and have only one more to do, along with a couple of nursing covers for two new moms I know. I think I'll take a break from sewing for a while after they are finished so I can clear off the dining room table...a goal for this week.
Tonight we had a chicken, roasted tomato, farro soup that was really filling and tasty. It was supposed to lentils, but the cupboard had none, thus the farro. I used the Trader Joe's already cooked farro and it worked great.
We had nothing but matzo crackers with it since I was too absorbed in sewing to make anything else, and DH had both breakfast and lunch at restaurants, returning home looking too "prosperous".
Susan, sorry it wasn't a good day for you but my spirits would definitely have been lifted with your mushroom ragout. Yum! Hope tomorrow is better.
Tomorrow AM we go to a neighborhood gathering for coffee and breakfast treats. I was going to make mini quiche, but that sewing machine was too compelling today. I did make many banana walnut muffins the other day which will work, with sprinkles of Easter candy on the serving plate.
Hugs all around.....0 -
laurie - sorry you have not been feeling your best - hope the new med does its thing and the SE go away soon.
susan - sorry you had a "less than good" day but your food sounds delish! Glad you enjoyed it - your DH is watching hoops, mine is asleep, lol!
carole - your steak dinner sounds yum, tonight was taco salad because I could use a bunch of odds and ends that were hanging around the fridge and pantry, and everyone likes it! I seriously need to go to the grocery store - have been putting it off for days.
lacey - I wish our neighborhood did coffee and breakfast treats!
Hello to everyone!
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Laurie, hope things continue to get better for you.
Susan, I greatly admire your ability to make such a wonderful meal in spite of having a rough day.
If I were to start catching squirrels, I would have no time to do anything else. It would be a full time occupation. Deb your squirrels were way cuter than the raggedy little buggers we have.
Dinner tonight was sloppy joes (DH request) homemade onion rings and salad. I'll try to be a little more creative tomorrow.0 -
Oh man, now I want some onion rings....
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Special, they were good too. I made them the same way Susan did, soaked in buttermilk then dusted with flour. Excellent.
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OK... So what do all think of this..
We visited my sister and her family in the capital district of NY and we went out to eat at a chain restaurant... So I'm eyeing the Mushroom Swiss Burger and notice this... (1150)... after the name of the burger. So I ask what does that 1150 mean? Turns out it's the CALORIE count of that burger NOT including the sides!!! Holy Crap!!! Their county requires that chain restaurants post the calorie contents right on the menu...
The burger was not enormous or anything so what on earth could lead to a calorie count like that? Still don't know the answer to that one!
I did change my order to a plain hamburger with lettuce and tomato (750) but geez.... I still have no idea how it's that many calories.... While I do think it caused me to make a wiser choice, I think it also took a bit of joy out of the evening...
Sooooo, what do you all think about the posting of calories on your dinner menu? Do you want to know or would you rather just not know on the occasions that you eat out?0 -
Michelle..ice cream isn't just for breakfast! It's good for all 3 meals. :-)
Laurie, I'm glad the side effects are calming down for you. Sometimes memories from 30 years ago and the past year gang up on me and I'll get to worrying about Sharon....and then I'll have to go outside for awhile...
As for what's more difficult...keeping goats in or squirrels out....I'm not sure. Both are very smart and tenacious. They'll both keep trying until either they get lucky or break something...and then get lucky. :-)
My aunt tried the squirrel relocation trick also. She "tagged" the ones she caught with food dye and let them go a couple of miles from her house. It wasn't long before she was catching squirrels with food dye on their backs...
Susan. I'm hoping for a better day for you tomorrow.
I wish the neighborhood here had some get togethers. I think the remote controlled garage door opener has ruined socializing with the neighbors. There are neighbors here that I've never talked to. They will drive up, push the button on the garage door remote, drive in, push the same button again..and go in... I don't even get a chance to say hi. We have 3 cars in the garage (the old Jeeps) and park our daily use car in the driveway, so if a neighbor is out, we'll say hello. It seems to surprise them when we do this...very disappointing....
I'm glad when the menus have nutirition information on them. I can then decide whether I want to worry about it or not. Usually I do avoid the worst stuff.
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Right now I don't care about calorie count - actually, the more the better...LOL! I don't think I want calorie counts on the menu. I can always look it up on www.calorieking.com if I am really curious.
Eric - interesting observation about garage door openers...you're right that it discourages socializing. Our house had a wrap-around front porch and we sat out there on occasion and saw our neighbors when they were out for a walk. But it wasn't that common...
Laurie, Susan, Lacey - hope everyone is feeling better.
Last night we went to a local chain seafood restaurant and I ordered grilled swordfish. It was awful - overcooked, underseasoned, came with the wrong sides...not sure how they could have screwed it up more. I sent the fish back and told them it would be ok if it were slightly undercooked. So they gave me one that was completely raw on one side...ugh. And still no lemon pepper seasoning. How hard is that??? Lazy chef I think. The baked potato was good. I watch too much Food Network - I'm getting fussy about my food and I think it's not that hard for a restaurant to get it right. Don't be afraid of salt and pepper!!!
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Seaside yikes! That would certainly have dulled my appetite. I don't watch the calories as much as the carb counts and that is something I would like to know. It's pretty obvious with things like buns and fries but not so much with things like salads which sometimes have carb heavy dressings.
Eric, I know what you mean about the neighbors. Or subdivision has three sections, and while I know most everyone on our side, I really don't know the others so much. But even the neighbors I do know don't get seen from late fall to early spring. Only when the weather warms up do people start coming out of their houses into their yards. We should be seeing them any day now lol!0 -
Standing rib roast, home made dinner rolls, salad, sweet potatoes, "regular" mashed potatoes, green beans, maybe some corn, salad, and a "rocky road" cheesecake...plus what mother in law is bringing over.
The parents of a friend of DD have invited us over for Easter tomorrow, so I'm doing up a meal today.
I'm still cleaning up the cast iron. I'm probably 2/3 done. The stuff that I've finished looks like it has never been used and so far, even with no oil, it has been stick free.
Sharon has been giving the old deep fat fryer "the evil eye". I won't be making donuts in it...although DD would like that.
DD has been invited to the prom, so she and Sharon are out dress shopping. My uniform and pistol are all cleaned, pressed and shiny! :-) When I tell DD that, I get a "DAD!!!!!" and then I tell her, that as long as they treat her right, even if sometimes treating her right breaks her heart a bit...it's OK...
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