So...whats for dinner?
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I agree with SpecialK, Susan. You're a good wife and you show your love to your dh and your daughter when you cook for them. Happy Birthday to your dh! He's a young man from my vantage point.
Nance, that tagine definitely looks authentic and it's more affordable than the ones I saw on the Sur la Table web site. I might have to buy one since I've figured out a place to put it.
Not sure what I will cook for dinner. I have fresh catfish fillets and a whole chicken in the refrigerator. I had planned to cook the catfish last night but was reminded when I arrived home that we were going to the woodworkers' guild's Christmas dinner. The preserved lemons are preserved so if I decide to cook the chicken, I'll try a recipe with the lemons.
Eric, hope your MIL continues to improve.
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Ditto to the comment about a young Mr. 02143! I think we're looking from the same vantage point, Carole. I love that you find a place for the tagine before ordering it! A good planner! I take it you may not have a basement.
I was just thinking today that I should go on a hunt for the hand pasta maker my sister gave me some time ago....it is hidden somewhere downstairs! I'm afraid a tagine would suffer the same fate. I think it is very cool that your hobby is moving towards authentic international cooking.I had a lot of errands to do today at five stores...and completed most all of them, except for buying the "Frozen" fleece fabric that I plan to use to make a "throw" for my grandaughter. The fabric store was out so the gal helping me called around to different stores and put an order on hold for me in another town. Sadly it means going out in the rain tomorrow in the direction of one of our most mobbed malls. I had hoped to hunker down and cook all day. Hope I earn nana points for this effort! LOL
Since I knew I'd be home late, I had asked DH to be in charge of dinner, (translation:Greek take out) but while at a produce market, I saw a loaf of the most delicious looking tuscan bread. So I bought that and some salsa turkey (WHATTT!!), some potato salad for DH, and some squash soup in a box, and called it dinner!
A final happy note....I was struck today by noticing that everyone with whom I interacted in the five stores inwhich I shopped, was especially pleasant and helpful to me and to others. For all the unrest, hostility and division in our country, and in the world, these days, it was wonderful to experience not just civility but thoughtfulness between generations, genders and races, as I waded through my long list of errands. How we treat each other really makes a difference!
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No basements in south Louisiana, Lacey. The water table is too high. We do have attics that are usually accessible by a drop-down ladder. The attics usually contain items that should be discarded. We have an attic and also have "out buildings" that house "stuff." I was given a pasta maker (a re-gifter) years ago and used it once. It had multiple parts that had to be soaked and cleaned. I gave it to a SIL who used it at least once. She just moved so she may have tossed it. It was a cumbersome creation. The little hand-cranked Italian pasta rollers with cutting attachments work well. I think the attachments to the Kitchen Aid are the way to go.
Last night's dinner was pan-seared small catfish filets, creamed spinach and a delicious salad with romaine, cucumber, grape tomatoes, avocado and blue cheese. My dressing was white balsamic vinegar and a drizzle of lemon olive oil. The spinach dish was simple and yummy: a package of chopped spinach cooked and drained and 1/3 of a block of Greek yogurt cream cheese.
Nance, I like that tagine you bought for SIL. The reviews are positive but there are several comments about it being small, just big enough for 2 or 3 servings. I frequently cook enough for another meal when the dish involves a number of ingredients and prep time. So I'm undecided. I would like one big enough for 4 or 5 servings. I own a Pampered Chef clay combo that is similar with the bottom dish and a domed bowl that fits on top but it's strictly oven cooking. No stove top. I've used it mainly for baking a whole chicken. The chicken comes out very flavorful and tender but not with crispy skin like a regular baked chicken. The stove-top tagine would be handy when it's too hot to light the oven. Like this week has been!
Happy Saturday to all.
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Carole, the one I bought is 10.5 inches. I doubt that you could get a whole chicken in it but you could probably get 3 servings to fit. My dsil cooks mostly for two, like I do. It did come a size larger, 13.5 (for twice the $$.) There are many other places on the internet to buy tagines. It's quite heavy, so shipping was a factor for me (hence Amazon .) I hope you get one. After gathering all the recipes, I'm going to have to. If I can find a space.
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I went to a World Market store today in search of a tagine. They had one made in Portugal for $20 but I was pretty sure it was oven only. There were no printed instructions. It was also rather small. I did buy a nice braising pot (4 qt) for a good price. Enamel over iron but not as heavy as the pricey brands. The glass lid has a vent, a feature I like. I used the pot tonight to cook Chicken with Preserved Lemon and Green Olives. It was delicious. Love the sauce. We had bulgur pilaf as side and a slaw with cabbage, cucumber and avocado. Onion in dh's portion.
SpecialK, I saw the Knorr mix you described. I would never have noticed it except for the discussion between you and Susan recently.
I have finished up the home-made tortilla's. I'll have to make another batch. They're so good warmed up and spread with a little butter.
Nance, would you consider sharing the tagine recipes you're including with you dsil's tagine?
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carole - I miss World Market - when I lived in Northern Virginia there was one near my house (and a Whole Foods, and a Trader Joe's...) and I enjoyed wandering around in there. I am flying up to Washington, D.C. in about a week for my final trial vaccine booster and will have a couple of days to shop - the World Market is right off the subway, and there is a Sur LaTable right next to it - yay! Funny that you saw the Knorr mix! After the conversation about it I wanted to use it but had no cucumbers!
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Lasagna tonight.
Last night DD and Sharon went to the Arizona Coyotes (ice hockey) "game" last night. I stayed home and canned the turkey broth/stock. Eleven pint jars. That should be enough for a few months of cooking.
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Eric, you certainly are well supplied with turkey stock! impressive!
Never heard of World Market, but it sounds like a place I would love to wander through!
Last night we ordered Greek take-out since I was mired in making soup. Instead of getting our usual chicken and lamb kebabs, we got a shrimp kebab and a broiled cod dinner. Both were excellent with their Greek salad, and a side order of their delicious buttenut squash mash. Yum!
So I made the wild rice/mushroom soup which was pretty tasty, tho really expensive. It practically flew out of the crock pot during coffee hour. The gluten free folks were very happy. I think I may do the black bean next time. Thanks for that idea, Luv. There were lots of varieties today...mostly tomato base soups. The kids made over $400 in a very short time. I think they have raised almost 1,000 so far. Their annual trip to New Orleans (still helping families there) is in the Spring, so they should be in pretty good financial shape by trip time!
Tonight we have a neighborhood pot luck, to which I am contributing a spinach salad and maybe an appetizer of melon wrapped in prosciutto...a tribute to the lost summer! If I get ambitious, I may also make my faux french bread...but better get moving.....
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We have been in the "eating it up" phase. I thawed some turkey leftover from this summer and made some rice/grain mix from World Market that had been languishing 1/2 used up in the cupboard. We went thru major plumbing disaster on Wed night into Thur. Can't remember if I posted here. Had to have the main drain to septic rebuilt. Hedge roots had invaded it. Plumber said poor PVC pipe used (have had that same comment from another plumber on the water intake line when he replaced it) and glued together poorly. So Wed night was toast etc. I hate to waste food but the acorn squash and the bit of pork cutlets (all 95 cents on clearance) went in the trash. No way could I face cooking. Thur. was I think leftover spaghetti. The turkey/rice was Fri/Sat. Tonight we're going to a friend's BD party in Ft. Worth. Daughter is culinary graduate (local school but she is good esp. pastry stuff) and she's making lasagna. I've made the proverbial Texas Trash Chex mix but this used Old Bay seasoning and hot sauce. Also made a pkg. dip that had only dried spinach, dill, onion, parsley and garlic put into mayo/sour cream. It is very green but tastes good - the vegies have to soften a bit. Both to take.
Oh my I love World Market. It was for a good while one of the few "gourmet" stores around until next door opened Central Mkt and TJs not far away. Never been in a Sur la Table and probably a good thing for my poor depleted pocketbook. I looked at all the different things Knorr makes on their website. We never know what good stuff we might be missing out on.
For many years during the 90s west Ft. Worth suffered from the downturn in the aerospace industry. We lost a ton of stores, real estate plummeted. Only say in the last 8-9 years has it really (and I mean really) rebounded. There is a huge development going in just S of interstate 30 - land that most people didn't even realize was there until Google maps came along. I thought it was railroad yard - there was no public access but no it was open land. Neiman Marcus is even moving their store which has been in the same place since 1976. My DH and I used to live in Garland, north of Dallas 1977-1979. Saw just the beginning of the boom of Northern Dallas Co, Collin Co, Rockwall. All solid rooftops now. We both remark that the west side better get their ducks in a row and look to their eastern neighbor on the wrong way to grow. They are still having growing pains. Roads are not in place here nor I think even much planned to handle this.
http://www.onceuponachef.com/2014/02/smoky-chickpe...
This was from something in my inbox. Looks like she has a bunch of other yummy soups.
Carole - I did find Cento crushed tomatoes at Brookshires. I didn't have your recipe with me but knew that was one of the basics to spaghetti sauce. It was a giant can but I guess more is better. I can always freeze it.
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Love World Market. Carole -- i bought a couple of those porcelain pots for gifts in past years,
Here are a couple of the recipes I chose:
http://spiceamecooks.files.wordpress.com/2014/01/s...
http://www.food.com/recipe/beef-with-potato-tagine...
http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/beef-recipes/be...
http://ruhlman.com/2013/10/chicken-tagine-recipe-r...
I chose these because with the tagine, I've included harissa paste and ras el hanout.
I'm also throwing in a Moroccan bread recipe: http://moroccanfood.about.com/od/breadandrice/r/sm...
There are lots and lots of recipes out there. Many of them are called "tagine" but have no mention of such in the recipe.
The cold is better but still can't focus well, so dinner is the easy route -- sausage and cheese raviolis from costco and sauce I had made and frozen. I might muster up enough energy for a salad, but I wouldn't count on it.
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Thanks, Nance, for going to the trouble of posting the links. I looked at all of them and was able to save a couple as Word documents.
A cool front finally managed to dip far enough south to clear out the muggies. It's more like Dec. weather and we're enjoying our little fireplace tonight.
My sister who lives down in Cajun country is here this weekend, staying with my mother. She cooked a delicious chicken gumbo for today's dinner and also potato salad.
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Those acorn squash recipes look mighty good. I am going to stuff mine with wild rice, dried cranberries and walnuts. Eating up the leftover white lasagna and want to make some bean and cheese enchiladas. I am into making Huge quantities of food right now for each recipe to freeze
Speaking of freezing, it is freezing in here. I bought some on-sale fleece PJs from Wal-Mart today, They are mighty comfy.
Speaking Wal-Mart I went and paid off an anonymous person's lay-away today. No it was not much -about $28 but I figured if you don't have $28 to by a toddler toy and some clothes, Santa needs to step in. I remember those days. Gone now Thank God
I am having garbanzo bean and vegetable soup tonight. Daughter got me hooked on Pho so I've been eating that too. .
I was interviewed and photographed for a local paper today on "Creative Retirement" ie "Crazy people who do crazy things and still scape buy" I am not retired but only take temporary jobs now lasting 3-4 months then take a break. This job ends 12/23-haven't planned what I'll do next. It was at a plant. God I'll miss those 3000 men walking around in jeans and hard hats!
Love to all and so glad to see you, Eric, I hope your MIL is getting better
I heard from Debbie, she is RVing and is in California.
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You're a good woman Bedo.
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Well, saw the hand doc today and no surprise, found out that I have carpal tunnel on the right and trigger finger (thumb) on the left. Because my thumb and first finger on my right is constantly numb, she's recommending going straight to surgery. We could try the steroid shot first but she was not optimistic that it would help. She did think a shot would help the left thumb but with diabetics, the results can be hit and miss. I asked about the letrozole causing problems and she told me the trigger finger is very common in those with diabetes. I also have a bone spur at the base of my right thumb from arthritis. Not wonderful news, but truthfully, i just want my hand back. I did like her very much. I told dh that surgery would definitely put a crimp in my cooking and he said, "what -- you can't cook with your left hand?" He was joking of course, but it will be interesting to see how that plays out. At any rate, nothing will happen until I get back from the gulf coast.
Tonight is a quiche with broccoli, Gruyere, bacon and anything else I can find in the fridge, with a wedge salad.
Where is everybody?
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Good question, Nance. I guess everybody is busy with Christmas shopping or decorating. My mother had carpal tunnel surgery a few years back when she was in her 80's and it was no big deal. The surgery was successful. You wouldn't want to try therapy first? Just a thought.
I was out and about today with my mother and two sisters. We had a good time. And we had a substantial lunch. Dinner tonight will be leftovers.
I may have a glass of wine (!) to celebrate dh's good numbers on his blood work. His liver function numbers are improved after 5 weeks of no alcohol and some weight loss.
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Hey congratulations to your dh Carole! As far as therapy is concerned, she seemed to think I was to far gone for it to be effective. Also the fact that splints haven't helped much. If I had gone to the doc months ago it might have been different. On the other hand (pardon the pun), she is a surgeon and that's what they do so I don't know. Truthfully, at this point I'm anxious for a quicker fix, although with recovery time, i'm not sure how quick anything will be.
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Nance; I also have a left trigger thumb. I had a couple of cortisone shots and was considering surgery when my BC came back. The orthopedic surgeon has been very gracious about giving me the shots every couple of months all through treatment - and they work for me for 4-6 months. I won't do surgery yet as my RBCs are still a little low, so maybe another shot this month.
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Carole - great news about your DH. Congrats.
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I've been making turkey veggie noodle soup with a left-over turkey carcass from a family Thanksgiving meal. My sister saved it for me. My plan is to have soup for dinner with a salad. The turkey stock is now simmering with some freshly added carrots and celery and diced tomatoes. Later I'll add the noodles (will probably precook them so they don't absorb all the stock) and the reserved turkey meat.
To repeat Nance's query, Where is everybody? It's lonely in this kitchen!
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Oh goodness, I really shouldn't have logged in here today. Carole, your soup sounds wonderful. I'm hungry. Doing prep for a colonoscopy. Breakfast was black coffee. Lunch was white grape juice. Dinner will be ginger ale. In between has been plain water. I'll have to start drinking the yucky clean out stuff soon, and then get up at 4am to drink another liter since my doc wants to see totally vacant space. Hope that's not TMI. Wonder if I can start dreaming about what to eat tomorrow night?
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I'm sorry, Minus! I hate that prep.
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carole - yay for DH!
auntie - I definitely got a trigger thumb, dominant hand, from Femara, but splinting and a change to Arimidex worked for me. It took a year on Arimidex to develop more triggers (ankle, toe, another finger) but changed my diet and switched back to Femara and they all went away. I have been on a specific brand of Femara for more than a year and so far, so good. Sorry to hear that you will need surgery - but hopefully you will be good as new when it is done. My FIL had it - did fine.
minus - sorry about you having to do the colonoscopy prep - never fun. I need to get one - it has been more than five years. My onc ordered one last year but insurance denied since five years had not yet elapsed. They claimed I didn't fit the risk profile - breast cancer and extensive skin cancer since my last colonoscopy, uterine fibroids, ovarian mass and numerous cysts, a tumor in my calf - I'm thinking I am pretty good at making interesting things in my body, but they don't think a look is necessary - even when it is my oncologist asking. Eeesh! I am going to bring it up again later this month at my MO appt. My DH was hilarious after his, def under the influence of drugs, and wanted to eat at every restaurant he passed in the car on the way home - he was very excited about it! So funny!
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Last night was supposed to be smoked sausage stir fry but found the squashes has turned to limpy slimy things. So I just heated the sausage, made some instant mashed potatoes (don't even want to know what's in them) and froz. Brussels sprouts. Not my best meal. Tonight will probably be a repeat with some garlic bread sticks added in. DH starts working until 10 pm starting tomorrow night. I will definitely have to plan out some meals because I hate eating at 10 pm, no way do I want to do that at 11 pm.
Minus - sorry about the scope tomorrow. But we can have a big celebration tomorrow night, how about that? I would certainly plan something special.
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Ugh minus, that's on my list of things to do in 2015. Good luck. After my last one i ate the best pancakes I ever had!
Got all my wrapping done today. Dbil and dsil are coming to visit on Sunday and will stay until Wednesday. That didn't leave me much time since we leave the following Saturday and I haven't packed a thing. They will take some gifts home with them for my two nieces and their families. They're like daughters to me. I also needed to plan a menu for their visit.
Tonight is a simple meal of a rather large ribeye, a roasted potato and grilled tomatoes.
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Been so busy that I haven't had time to talk food [and that defines busy in my world!]
Friday night's meal was confusing. I have written a review elsewhere, but it hasn't been published so I can't copy/paste. Basically, the food was fine, if heavy, the service was odd and diffident, cocktail was excellent, and we were out of there in 45 minutes. One of the weirdest experiences in a long time. NOT a special night out, if you ask me. And then to top it off, I got food poisoning of some kind. Thanks goodness it was through me within 36 hrs, but it was a very long 36 hrs. I might return, but with different expectations, and I will give them a lot less of my money ordering snacks and sides only.
Since then, I feel as though all I have done is cook but in fact, Saturday Mr. 02143 made me basmati rice for dinner, and heated up some freezer chili for himself. Sunday was week 2 in my rotation, so make the granola, and then Mr. 02143 gets a special lunch each week of French Toast with bacon. Sunday night we must have eaten, but am drawing a blank. Yesterday I made some dal malkani which is a fairly large undertaking and some tamarind-date chutney. We ate those with basmati rice and some samosa meat for dinner. Then the kids got home and I made them an Asian chicken noodle soup. She is in finals, and he is sick. I took pity on them.
Tonight was the rest of the Indian food plus I made a Indian cauliflower with black mustard seeds. Another really lovely dish which brought a freshness to the plate.
Today, I made 6 quarts of Pho broth and tomorrow night we will all slurp together. I will have to head to the Korean market to get some spouts and scallions. Maybe the nor'easter will have petered out by then. This storm has been something else; slamming against the side of the house in gusts. The good news? The roof repairs are NOT leaking. This is the first time since we bought this house that the roof hasn't leaked during a nor'easter.
I hate the colonoscopy drink. It is foul and I can't believe that this is the best they can come up with. The rule of thumb is 10 years these days which means that technically I am not due for a while. But, of course the primary had other ideas. I explained calmly that with my mets diagnosis I was through with looking for trouble. There ought to be some damn benefit for me in all of this!
*susan*
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Susan, what a bummer to get food poisoning from eating a dinner out for a special occasion.
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I know Susan. You would think someone could make a clean-out drink that was somewhat palatable. I still stand by apple cider as the best thing to drink. I can only chug so much plain water. I've heard of the Miralax regimen. Must admit that even though I've given it to oodles of hospice pts have never had occasion to try it. Anything has to be better than that mothball liquid.
Sorry that Friday's anniversary meal was less than spectacular. Do you think your food poisoning came from there? Um too bad only the cocktails were good. And only 45 minutes for a Friday night meal. That must be some kind of time record.
We must be doing something right. The freezer is actually getting some room at the top.
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Yes. I am sure about the food poisoning. In fact, I even know which dish... the cucumber salad. The peel had not been completely removed, and I figure that the cucumber hadn't been cleaned properly. The entrees were also very good. The food was very good; it was the rest of the experience that was so very odd. But at a 45 minute table, the waiter was making some serious cash!
Somedays, I think it would just be easier to spend some serious cash on a lovely piece of meat and cook at home!
The pho is in the fridge. I will defat tomorrow and we will feast tomorrow!
*susan*
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Susan, sorry for your food poisoning experience...I agree that sometimes it is more worthwhile to buy great foods and prep it at home...but for you and to a lesser extent, everyone on this thread, that is certainly a bus man's holiday!
Minus, good luck tomorrow, and yes, plan a great tasty meal for afterwards! I honestly have to say that our (DH and I prepped within days of each other) "prep juice" was not bad at all this time around. You may recall the pic of it.
Oops, tried to find it and must have erased it from my camera roll, but saw this one of DGD who we are going to see this Saturday, so just had to post that..., anyway, took three small bottles of the magnesium citrate on ice. Totally drinkable, and I never experienced that before. I am surprised there are so many different preps. Has to be a doc in bed with pharma thing....
Spent today at med appts. Saw my surgeon who keeps a yearly eye on me and my mammos. She is great, and while I expected she might press me on the AI non-compliance, she did the opposite, reassuring me that I was doing the right thing for my quality of life, since an AI would certainly bring me side effects equal to or more than those I experienced on tamox. She was particularly concerned about my hands given my existing arthritis. She did say that my two years on tamox was valuable, and given my #4 oncotype, those two tamox years, and my current lifestyle, she is not concerned. Hope it isn't false reassurance, since I'm buying it!
The day was so brutally cold, wet and vile weatherwise, so I hunkered down at the hospital after surgeon appt until my geneticist appt. Stocked up on sympathy cards and birthday cards in the gift shop, and met a traveling rad tech from Upper Peninsula in Michigan in the coffee shop. Interesting guy. People's lives are interesting...
Met with a lovely young geneticist who agreed that my family history was a challenge given so many cousins. I learned info about all the different gene mutations they test for now. I will be included on the one that combines breast and colon cancers, due to maternal family history. Then I went for the blood draw, then came home and took an inadvertent nap. I was too tired...and feeling shivery to make a salad for dinner, so we had blk bean soup and cheese, crackers and apple. Sort of like a meal I'd have on my own, but DH shared it.....no too excitedly. ;{ Someone needs to food shop before tomorrow night's dinner. Hmmmmm.....
Carole, I'm so happy for you and DH re: his health progress!
Nance, wish there were an easier way for you to resolve that hand situation. Maybe you should give DH a speed cooking course for Xmas!
Special...I am NOT fond of your ins. company!
Since we are making a fast trip to NJ this weekend,I am self-imposing gift-making for the kids....a Frozen blanket throw for DGD and felt boards and felt shapes and other felt cut outs for them to use making pictures. Why I do these projects during this season is beyond ridiculousnessI So for the rest of this week, I will be mired in those tasks as well as making a holiday gift basket for residents in a shelter, (due this Friday) and for organizing the gifts for DGS's birthday and holiday gifts for all of DS1's family. Might try to get some cookies made too...but that's probably a stretch.
Better get some shut- eye so I can be productive after gym tomorrow.....
Eric, hope things are going well with both of your senior mothers.....
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Oh, Luv.....I'm have freezer space envy!
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