So...whats for dinner?

Laurie - that's the nights we have eggs, bacon and those wonderful frozen biscuits. Not healthy by any means. I agree with your DH about chili needing to "set awhile". Sounds like a wonderful weekend.

Tonight is pork ribs and roasted Brussels sprouts (finally). Don't much go together but DH will be happy.

Thinking of Michelle and her family. Praying for her and her sweet family and for bestest friend Joyce.

Yes, Laurie, the weekend with all the fun and favorite people will be just the elixor you need. Have a great time!

We are also heading north to the lake house where DH will do some golf, and we will enjoy a lobster/steamers/king crab leg "fest" on the beach.

DH has been like a little kid waiting for the evite announcement for this "grand buffe" since he was in total ecstasy enjoying these seafood treats last October. I think I may have mentioned before that what I especially like about this event is that the forty-something men in our association do all the planning, shopping, and cooking. Now that is a TREAT!!

Tonight we spontaneously decided to go to the Celtics/knicks pre-season game that was in Providence (now that we realize that it is cheaper and faster to get there than to go into town....tho this is one of very few games played there). The bad news is that the food options were paltry. Had a piece of cardboard pizza....DH had a greasy calzone. Fortunately,I brought some gorp "just in case"and we devoured that by the third quarter.

Michelle and Joyce, keeping you both in my thoughts....

Hope you had a great Birthday SpecialK. I think you are enjoying your daughters job as much as she is. Lacey the seafood fest sounds so good. Yum. And even bettrr when the guys take charge. Laurie I hope the camping trip relaxes you! Luvmygoats eggs bacon and biscuits also sound good. Debore it is hard yo watch loved ones go through so much. Hugs.

Dinner was leftover stew I meant yo send with DH but forgot so gotta eat it. No room in the he upstairs freezer. And im not making a trip downstairs for three bowls of stew....

Much love to all.

LOL@SK! What a nice surprise though.

bedo - dried cranberries are also good in place of raisins in the apple pie! I had a tummy ache after the lemon drop and chocolate cake - don't know which to fault - I think I had too many acidic things today and not enough food until dinner!

moon - that happened one other time early in his military career. He and his commander (my DH was his executive officer) decided to come home early and scared both the commander's wife and me - she and I compared notes later - thought it was funny that we were so used to them never being home and when they tried to have a nice surprise, they scared us! Today was funny because the dog looked at me like "who's here, and what should we do?"

Happy Birthday, Special K! Your birthday dinner menu would have suited me fine except for the lemon martini. I would have gone for Grey Goose without the lemon. Vodka martini on ice is my favorite cocktail.

Bedo, you sound happy about those apple pies!

Lacey, your beach feast sounds like most people's fantasy seafood feast. Lobster AND King Crab legs. I had the King Crab once in Juneau and I experienced the reason for all the fuss and expense. The crab meat in butter and the little crab cakes were both so delicious. The outdoor restaurant was down on the docks where the cruise ships tie up and the weather wasn't good so we ate inside a tent set up by the restaurant.

Nancy, I'll pm you the artichoke casserole recipe because I think I did post it. It's very easy and I like it a lot.

Last night's dinner was pork scalloppine with mustard pan sauce. I try to find a variety of ways to prepare pork loin since it's the leanest pork. And DH isn't fond of pork loin. Finds it too dry. So I slice the pork loin into medallions and try different preparations. This recipe was easy. Pound the medallions thin. Quickly brown them in a small amt. of oil. I used grape seed oil. Keep them warm while you make the pan sauce. Diced shallots and garlic. 2 T whole-grain Dijon mustard, 1/2 cup chicken broth, 3 T sour cream. I had some mushrooms that were close to throw-away and I diced them and included them in the sauce. Tasty enough to cook again. Available on the Cooking Light web site.

Cream would have made this pan sauce better but added fat. I don't keep cream on hand.

Today will be a busy day so I'm looking for an easy dinner. Probably beef fajitas made with a small lean ribeye I bought from a farmer who grass-feeds his animals. Home-cooked black beans from the freezer, avocado, light sour cream and salsa. DH will be quite happy with the combination.

Hope you have a delightful weekend with your family and friends, Laurie.

Thinking of Michelle and her family.

Happy birthday special k! Sounds like it was a good one. Lemon drop is my favorite summer cocktail.

Thanks for the recipe Carole. Have you tried brining pork loin? Makes a huge difference. We eat a lot of tenderloin too though.

Bedo, I'll take your zinnias. I love them and the deer ate all mine this year. Didn't touch the snap dragons. Every year they pick a favorite flower to eat. Last year it was phlox. One year it was my sunflowers. Always roses day lilies.

Hi Minus and all,

I will be leaving next week, Thurs or Fri, as I will have to stay over in Fairbanks.

I can tell you one thing, I will NOT be sending you recipes for caribou stew or Muktuk (whale blubber) which is actually sliced off with an ulu, a curved knife which looks like a 1/2 disc and eaten raw. I had a bite once so that I wouldn't seem ungrateful, because, the kids like it better than Doritos. It was the size of a snail and sat in my stomach for days I think.

It tasted like snails. Another thing I ate once a long time ago

Happy Belated Birthday, Special! I'm glad that your "intruder" was familiar and bearing gifts!

This morning, I started out tired as usual (thank you Tamox!), and at PT my therapist worked me rigorously for an hour and a half...felt a bit like jelly when I left....so what might I want to do to recoup? Of course head to Volante Farms and Trader Joes! It did the trick. So now I am busy making some sausage kale soup which I think I'll add fresh corn to, since there were still some nice looking ears at Volantes....must be the last batch.

I am bundled up like a snowgirl while I cook since our house is pretty chilly...we decided to be hardy and wait until back from NH to flip on the heat switch!

Carole, I like that pork recipe ....sounds tasty!

Always thinking of Michelle and what her whole family is going through...hoping she is comfortable and that providing that can help her family caretakers feel some of their own comfort.

Yesterday, my former office mate called to tell me that another co-worker who had dealt with ovarian cancer last year, finally returned to work last month only to have the cancer return with a vengeance after two weeks. There is no treatment available and she is already in hospice care at home. I hate this damn disease!!!

Back to making soup.....

Hugs to all......

Bedo, your description of those Alaskan delicacies reminded me that someone at PT who just returned from Down Under brought in some kangaroo jerky. I declined my PT's generous offer to try it...and was really glad when he later said it tasted a lot like beef jerky with a fishy taste. OMG!! BLCHHHH!

Are kangaroos not protected?? Or are they like deer to us?

Thanks everyone - it was a quiet b-day (just the way I like them!) as I am glad to be here to celebrate another year, but not so happy about how old I am, lol! No flaming b-day cake or singing (I did get a couple of voicemail singers) and no presents to open. I bought some coordinating china to enlarge my existing pattern which has been discontinued as my own b-day gift. I got it a few weeks ago when I could take advantage of a sale and coupon combo - told DH - he was thrilled that he did not have to shop!

I too had a stomach ache later though - I have some issues with aged beef - it often causes trouble for me. I don't think enough time had elapsed for that to be the culprit though - I think the lemon drop did me in - coffee earlier in the day, plus lemonade, plus lemon in the drink and liquor. I had a Nissen surgery many years ago for reflux and I don't tolerate too much acid - so I think that was my mistake. All better now though! I also want the artichoke casserole recipe!

Carole please dont be offended, but I DONT want your artichoke recipe. I hate artichoke. Also avacado and asparagus..... guess I gave a thing against the A veggies..... LOL im sure its hood but blech. Um same for whale blubber. But of course when living without carbs on mostly protien fat is neccessary or you'd starve. Sausage and kale soup sounds good. Lovewins good fir you. That sounded good too.

Much love to all.

deborye - I love my little b-day guy - so cute! Also, thanks for posting that pic w/Michelle, she looks so happy!

laurie & seaside - thanks for the b-day wishes too!

I am doing leftovers for dinner - the rest of our steaks - mine plain with some sliced tomatoes and homemade garlic buttermilk dressing, and DH's sliced with mushrooms, rice and some sautéed yellow squash and zucchini.