So...whats for dinner?
Comments
-
Thank you all for the birthday wishes!
Am I to assume that a lot of you northeasterners don't have a/c? We have it, but with this 90+ degree weather and a 2 story house, it's hard to keep it cool enough in the heat of the day. I like moving air, so I have fans in every room (and 3 in our bedroom) which help a lot. Hope we all get some cooler weather soon.0 -
Nancy,
A/C is a bit of a rarity around these parts, especially in the older housing stock. More and more people have window units as the nighttime temperatures keep rising. We have installed on in our bedroom so we can at least get some rest. The promised "cold front" was a bust. Scattered t-storms, none near me.
Went to Taco Loco for supper. $2 tacos. Just what the doctor ordered!
*susan*
0 -
As long s it stays below about 118F here, the A/C can keep up pretty well. But then the electric meter is about ready to spin off of the wall.... :-)
Dinner tonight is from a hand written note I found stuffed in a cookbook.
Dry and rub a whole chicken with salt & pepper. Heat skillet over medium-high heat. When hot add 8-10 garlic cloves and a chopped onion and brown both sides of the chicken. Then put everything into a covered pot and put in oven at boiling until done. s.a.
I used a dutch oven. I figure 225F degrees is pretty close to "at boiling".
0 -
Checking in late...with end of day wishes for your happy birthday, Nance. I liked the sound of your birthday plan...and hope it was implemented as intended!
Just returned from dinner at our long time lake neighborhood friends here...we frequently combine efforts formdinner....very casual....grilled lamb burgers I imported from home, and grilled sausage with peppers and onion, corn on cob, bean salad, and a giant garden salad. Nothing too exciting, but always fun to catch up with these friends.
We were supposed to have terrible thunder storms here and in our hometown today....happened in neither place, but the meteorological promise is for cooler sunny weather tomorrow. Yay! Hope "they" are right with that one.0 -
The chicken was awesome....very moist...not dry at all.
I was amazed at how much juice came out of the chicken. From a 4-1/2 pound chicken there was slightly more than 1 cup of juice after I had skimmed off the fat. Next time I'll make some potatoes to go with it.
The other things I'd do would to add some rosemary and not use quite so much garlic. It was not "over garlic", but was getting close.
0 -
Wow Eric, that's a big chicken! Imho, there is no such thing as too much garlic ;-)
0 -
Happy Birthday Nance Hope you had a great day!
Tonight is red and white hots with saurkraut at DH request and macaroni salad. Just getting in from boating at 8:30 and its the best I can do. Made the salad this morning.
The price of blueberries has dropped, so I have a large container of them and reallly need to make something. I do not like pancakes. Any ideas? maybe a blueberry cobbler? I do eat them on my cereal every morning and sometimes with yogurt for lunch, but I do have a very LARGE container. I will freeze some too.
0 -
Happy Birthday Nancy! Hope it was great!
Our AC is still problematic - I sympathize with the northern folks in the heat - I think our AC issues are finally figured out as DH re-programmed the thermostat. DH and DD are at the movies - hoping their popcorn serves as dinner... I had margaritas and guacamole/chips with a good friend - no more dinner for me at this point!
Michelle - thinking of you and yours always!
0 -
0 -
Oh, I'm not late in the Birthday Wishes.
0 -
Happy Birthday Nancy.
0 -
Well the heat has moderated here in the lakes region....tho the forecasted perfectly sunny day was not accurate. still I'll happily take this.
Eric, I concur with the birthday girl....never possible to have too much garlic!
That chicken sounded great!
While at the Cape recently, one rainy morning (as I recall a teaming rain that even motivated me to find my umbrella hidden in the car) we stopped at the Atlantic Spice Company in Truro(where I found my elusive rosemary powder last year). I needed absolutely nothing but bay leaves......but saw some packaged bearnaise sauce and I thought, "what the heck, this will make a grilled steak special some evening with no effort!" Tonight was that evening....
I love Sunday evenings here at the lake when most of the flatlanders (us folks from Mass) head home, so, it is relatively quiet. We planned a nice grilled steak dinner. I did an experiment, getting both a grass fed strip steak and a piece of NY sirloin. In truth, I was not as happy with the grass fed this time, but I may just not be a fan of strip steak. But the addition of the bearnaise sauce was quite nice for both varieties. We also had a garden salad (literally, with Australian lettuce from a neighbor's garden that I selected on the walk home from the beach), and grilled zucchini and mushrooms.
I have discovered my new favorite way to prep grilled veggies. I had often made a balsamic marinade for them...but recently, have used a teriyaki marinade , adding a garlic/chili sauce that gives the vegetables a wonderful bite. Yum! I don't think I could ever tire of this!
Carrie, I always pop my glut of blueberries into the freezer for when I get inspired....being careful to label that they HAVE NOT BEEN WASHED.
If no inspiration......I use them up in my morning smoothies. I did make a wonderful lemon blueberry sherbet in my vitamix last summer...but that could break the bank if you don't have one "yet". I bet you could find a blueberry lemon trifle on the internet....so many fun recipes await there. Good luck!
Michelle, thinking of you and hoping you are gaining strength.0 -
I had to dig around in the grocery case to find a chicken *that* small. Most are closer to 6 pounds and (to me, anyway) don't taste "right".
I think it took me about 15 minutes from start to "in the oven" and then it was just waiting about 2 hours for it to cook. So, it's not a very time consuming recipe.
Blueberries.....I'd be thinking jam or preserves for some of the glut.
0 -
Hi,
I am going on a 2 week vacation with my daughter who is following the Paleo eating plan. I've read about it and wondered if anyone here is using that plan? If so, what has your experience been? Do you think it's ok for BC survivors. It will be a difficult vacation if we are eating different diets as we will be cooking most meals.
The basics of Paleo are high protein from organic meat, chicken, fish and eggs. No dairy, no sugar or bread or other white stuff and gluten containing things. Lots of veggies and a moderate amount of fruit. Cooking with olive oil or coconut oil. Exercising.
Thanks for any feedback,
Peggy0 -
I know what you mean about those giant chickens Eric. The only place I could get a 3 pound chicken around here went out of business. There is an Amish farmer here that sells fresh free range chickens. I seriously need to order some.
0 -
Peggy,
The paleo diet is so outside my comfort zone, I am no help. I don't think any diet, done for two weeks, will make a difference in your life and/or health. But man will you want a piece of bread or a scrap of pasta when you are done. I am curious, why is it you that has to modify your diet and not the other way around? This happens when I have my sister with me too, and I don't know how this choice got made.
*susan*
0 -
Dinner last night was a true "summer" dinner. Local corn, steamed, a huge platter of tomatoes cut over lettuce with a bit of garlic-infused olive oil, and just a bit of grilled steak. One NYStrip now feeds us for three meals when the vegetables are this beautiful.
Dinner tonight is at Zoe's, a local Northern Chinese restaurant. My cousin [older than my Mom] arrives from London this evening. I am picking her up at the airport and taking her directly for Chinese food. She just loves this place.
Big news here.... I am getting a FoodSaver today! A local farm lost a court battle with one of their neighbors so I have purchased 1/2 a pig at a large discount. It will be cut into parts on Wednesday down the street, but I will need to portion and freeze the results. Very excited by this turn of events, though I don't understand why people build McMansions next to a farm, and then try to put the farm out of business.
*susan*
0 -
Same thing happens with airports...
0 -
Peggy - Can you not have bits of your diet along with hers? The cooking in olive oil sounds fine. I read some on Paleo (I think it must have been a Yahoo trending last week) and no grains on it. I'm with Susan, I know I would drive to the closest bakery/grocery and buy out the bread aisle. I think vegies are on it as well to the best of my memory. And I agree with her that 2 weeks on any diet so long as you have no food allergies/intolerances is doable. Enjoy the time with your daughter.
About those giant chickens - I pull off so much more fat but you're right about trouble finding even a 4 #er. Umm - fresh free range chicken. I've never had it but does sound yummy. I agree with never too much garlic or for that matter cooked onions in a dish.
The Mexican food (well Latin kitchen) Sat. night was good. I had a fish taco and a black bean/corn with vegies, refried bean and Cuban rice. Brought home good portion for lunch yest. The ice cream party was great too afterward. I made a 2nd set of wet walnuts with honey but not as good as the 1st ones. I think hosts had 7 1/2 gallon cartons but we had a large crowd too.
I have to dig in the freezer. Hopefully I can find something mostly done since I should be cooking in the mornings. Ah - great plans gone awry.
Praying for Michelle and hoping to hear good news today.
0 -
Susan, I love those summer meals. Some nights I just want to declare vegetable night for dinner.
Last night was grilled skirt steak, salted new potatoes (the first of the season, yum!) and cucumbers, peppers and tomatoes from the garden. I made leftover salted potatoes to put into a potato salad for lunch.
Tonight is Japanese at the teppanyaki grill.0 -
Peggy, the paleo diet should be fine. It's how I basically eat, as I'm allergic to many grains. Be sure to eat a LOT of vegetables, though. Don't depend on the meat to make up most of your meals. Some people call it a high protein diet, but it doesn't have to be - depend on vegetables for the main source of your meal rather than meat and you'll be fine. I do, however, eat some yogurt as otherwise my stomach is unhappy from the letrozole.
0 -
Hi everyone! I was hoping there would be some news on Michelle. If you are reading this Michelle just know you are in my thoughts and prayers and I hope you are feeling better each day. Gentle hugs!
Carrie- So sorry about your parents health. I hope the biopsy shows up negative and its just scar tissue or something not serious on your dads lungs.
Laurie- Sorry about your MIL- It must be so hard for all of you not to be able to talk to her when you would like to comfort her. I hope your time alone will be relaxing.
Nancy- Happy Belated Birthday hope you had a fun filled day.
We have been gone for over a week visiting my dad then drove to Portland yesterday for DH dr. appointment, Since Vancover, Washinton is just over the bridge from Portland, Oregon we drove there and ate at Joe's crab shack. It was delicious. We had crab and lobster boil each had 2 lobsters, king crab legs. sausage, corn, shrimp and red potatoes we also ordered a crab dip and fried clam strips- DH had 2 large beers I had 1 small beer and the whole bill was only 80,00 not including the tip. The meal was so good especially for the price.
Someone mentioned blueberries (sorry can't remember) I have been making a smoothie with them, adding baby spincach, kale, 1 bananna and 1 peeled and diced apple, frozen blueberries, almond butter. almond milk and a little flax seed. I just put it in a regular blender and it is delicious it doesnt look so great infact I made my dad one and he thought it might give him Diarrhea I think only because it looks like it might. Not a pleasant looking smoothie but I just love the taste.
Hope every one is doing good, and like Seaside said she still thinks of you all even if she isnt' posting, so do I. Big Hugs to all.
0 -
Debbie, so good to " hear" from you! And wow what a dinner. That would be my DH's idea of heaven! I won't even tell him about it or he might try to get on a plane to Portland!
I know what you mean about the disgusting color veggie smoothies can have, but I color mine with adding beets (also good for cleansing one's liver!) and the smoothies are a lovely raspberry color....definitely more appealing.
I have been researching blenders this week as I am tired of packing and bringing the vitamix to the lake house weekly. I bit the bullet and purchased a Breville thinking it could be comparable ( from the reviews about its smoothie making ability).....well, not with smoothies that have kale and other cruciferous veggies. The chunky texture was sort of gross to me, and a challenge to get through a straw. So I am sending it back and continuing the search...open to anyone's ideas and experiences with blenders that can pulverize those crucifers!!
We left NH today with a mission to get DH a new cell phone on the drive home. We planned to stop to get BLT's for dinner after getting the phone. Welllll, the service guy at the phone store convinced DH that he might want to wait until Sept when it is rumored tha the new model is coming out. He decided to do that...and we went on the hunt for the BLTs......ha ha. For all of the restaurants we usually pass when driving random places, tonight we passed none that would be a likely candidate for BLTs. Ultimately, we drove all the way home and for dinner, DH had a leftover steak sandwich and I had a large piece of watermelon (a well traveled one) along with some pomegranate yogurt and walnuts. Not exactly a BLT, but filled the tummy fine!0 -
Debbie, that dinner sounds wonderful!
0 -
Happy birthday Nancy! Laurie, so sorry to hear about your MIL. But very happy to hear about your time to yourself! Sounds like you 'spent' it just right. I think you are very wise. Thinking of you and your family.
Moving this week! Not a lot of cooking going on. But I am keeping up with the thread, and thinking of all of you. Eric, I smile to think of your DD driving!
0 -
Lacey,
This is a blender that American's Test Kitchen recommends if you can't afford a Vitamix. Reviews indicate that it isn't quite as good.... but the price difference might make up for its shortcomings?
*susan*
0 -
Thanks again for all the birthday wishes, it was as much fun as turning 65 can be lol (hello medicare!)
Last nights Japanese grill was big fun. Tonight is tikka masala with naan, then tomorrow it's off to the Washington d.c. area for a few days to see my son receive a masters degree (#2). It's going to be a short trip with not much sightseeing involved unfortunately. It's been years since I've been there and lots I would like to see and revisit. But that's another trip. I'm hoping that all my slightly red blushing tomatoes will be ready to pick when I return on Saturday and that the critters behave themselves while I'm gone (ha!)0 -
Susan, what all does one get from half a pig?. A meat locker here often runs specials and I have seriously considered it.
0 -
Nancy,
Funny you should ask.... I am looking at primal cut diagrams now, trying to decide what cuts I want. We have already decided that we want the 14 pork chops instead of tenderloin/ribs. Of course I want the fat back, liver, hooves, etc. I don't believe in waste. I should get one jowl which I will cure. The pork belly I will start to cure and then smoke for bacon. My big question is what to do with the shoulder and ham. I want to cut those into more manageable sizes, but how? The hocks will turn into soup. This still leaves a lot of pig to butcher. All the bits and pieces I will grind for sausage and Chinese food. Dan dan noodles! Will let you know what I decide, but the beauty of this is, you get to decide what you get.
*susan*
0 -
Thank you Susan, I see that it's the same kind of decisions as when I get half a cow. It's funny, I always have to specifically instruct them to give me the tail, apparently few people want them, so I always get extras. Oxtail soup!
0
