So...whats for dinner?
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Oh Deb, what a sweet memory of our last luncheon together....and how very FASCINATING!
We all look healthy and great and that is how I want to picture our lovely Michelle!
For those who want to make sausage kale soup, you might be better off googling it and seeing which recipe appeals to you..they are almost all good....just with some ingredient variations.
Tonight, I wanted it to be kale, carrots, corn and sausage...
so just diced a large onion which I sauteed in some olive oil with a trader Joe's sausage (actually I just used two small sausages) that I cut into small pieces (it is already cooked) and some garlic....
added broth (I often use the "better than bouillon" along with water and more chicken broth)
added bay leaves,rosemary sprigs (or powdered rosemary) same with the thyme. Sometimes, I dangle a teaball of fennel seeds in the soup for added flavor...especially if no rosemary is used.
Added a large can of tomatoes, brought back to boil.
Added some diced zucchini and diced carrots,
then after they cooked a bit, added my washed, chopped, stemless kale (also some shredded brussells sprouts since I had them).
Towards the end of it cooking I added fresh shucked corn (my Susan wannabe effort:), fresh ground pepper, and adjusted spices....after which I went wild and added two tablespoons of Sambal Oelek chili paste. Definitely heated it up!! Do not do if you don't like heat....we do....if you like a little heat, crushed red pepper flakes will do.
At the very end of cooking I add some balsamic vinegar for a bit of depth, since depending on the sausage, I can find that it is not as strong tasting (savory?) as we'd like.
You can top with grated or shaved parm or romano.
I also usually make this soup with cannelini beans instead of corn, but the corn crispiness was a nice experience.
Hope that helps...you might do better with google......;) I am such a "do it as it moves me" cook with soups. Measuring is just not a behavior I even think about then.0 -
Happy Birthday!!!!! Now I want to see a photo of your pattern.
Just flying through tonight. Made the "house" stirfry for dinner tonight with farm broccoli and some bits of my pig.
*susan*0 -
Happy Birthday Mrs. K.
Eric0 -
Oh great picture of Michelle and all of you. Deborye - Thanks for posting.
In Houston I'm hoping to turn off the A/C but it's still 90. The fall weather ya'all are having sounds great (and I'm originally from No California so I have to work hard on my accent). Looking forward to hearing about all the fall weekend events and hope it gets cool enough to turn on the oven soon.
I had to chuckle at Special's B-day present. I must be one of the oldest here. I remember when I was adding. Now I'm trying to get rid of the whole set since I only have one son who lives in another state with no children who's wife doesn't like it.
Debbie - hope you'll check in soon & update us. Thinking of you & Chuck and remembering your father & sister.0 -
cute pic Deborye, thanks for the post. Minus, it was 38 degrees this morning and foggy. Heat is ON you bet. Thats what its there for!! LOL Lacey, sounds good and yummy. I dont measure unless I am baking or duplicating someone elses recipe for the first time. After that its up up for grabs. LOL! Susan, Now Im curious too! SpecialK guess youll have to show us. I have my Moms china and my cheap "Good" set. My older daughter will get mine cause its fairly plain and thats what she likes. My younger daughter will get Grandmas 22 serving floral set. She loves it. I still use them theyll just have to wait! LOL
BTW, I do know what apostrophes are. But to get to them on my new phone I have to go to the symbol page and thats a pain. So I dont bother with them when I post from my phone LOL.
I got Chinese take out. I love the teriaki beef skewers. And hot and sour soup. All right I admit I got sweet and sour chicken. Shhhh you did not just hear me say that.....
Much love.0 -
Thanks for the B-Day wishes everyone!
Here is my original pattern, Noritake Adagio, and my new one Lenox Solitaire. I have had the Adagio for more than 30 years, and have 8 5-piece place settings. I frequently have many more than 8 people at holidays and celebrations. I have my mom's china but it is Arzburg White and very modern - stark white with no rims - just a flat surface. I love it but it doesn't go with mine, so if I used both in the past I only would do it when the tables were not near each other. For a long time I have thought that if I got 8 dinner plates and 8 salad plates of a plain pattern I could combine the dinner plate of one with the salad plate of another, and vice versa, and have 16 coordinating place settings. So I bought the Lenox Solitaire. It is pretty plain with a silver rim - the most important part is that the background is ivory. The Adagio is ivory with a silver rim also. The lighting of these shots makes the ivory look different, but they go together really well. I just got the dinner and salad plates because I hardly ever use the cups/saucers, etc. The adagio is nice with Thanksgiving colors but made me crazy for Christmas, so I bought Christmas china a long time ago! Now I guess I could use the Lenox too!
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specialK if I posted a pic of mine its quite similar. LOL. The only difference is my plain set is a trimmed in swirly silver around the edges in an octogonal pattern.0 -
Just to weigh in - I have Lenox Tuxedo - also ivory but gold rims. And 8 dessert plates from one Grandma's Limoge. I think she only had dessert plates?
Special K - those look great together.0 -
Thanks - I am happy with the purchase! I waited for them to go on sale, then used gift cards I had accumulated from Thanks for Sharing, a return without a receipt, plus one from taking online surveys, then configured the order so I got free shipping. I couldn't read one of the numbers on one of the gift cards so had to call customer service and place the order through them - the guy on the phone was pretty impressed with how little I paid - he started laughing!
moon - I think there are a number of patterns from the late 70's and early 80's that look similar. I still like the Adagio pattern but if I had it to do over I would probably get something less floral!
minus - I like grandma - a dessert girl!0 -
Those are lovely patterns. I have to admit that I am more partial to the plainer pattern. Here is what I picked as my china at age 22. Hard to believe that it has been that long, and even harder to believe how much I still like this pattern.
I have added dinner plates, but didn't bother to add the other pieces. Big dinners is what I cared about. Sometimes I supplement with IKEA 365 white stuff that I have accumulated. I rather like the juxtaposition of dirt cheap to expensive.
*susan*0 -
I have an antique set of China that only comes out a couple of times a year. The everyday set is a discontinued pfaltzgraff pattern called Grandma's Kitchen. It needs to be replaced but I haven't found one I like better. I have a set of bistro white dishes, mostly from crate and barrel that I use for Italian dinners. Oh yes, then there are the two sets of Christmas dishes. Can you tell I entertain a lot?
I scored fresh walleye at Costco yesterday and some really wonderful California peaches. It's going make dinner a treat.0 -
Keep it up on the china patterns. I am vicariously enjoying them so much.
Nancy - I love your Grandma's Kitchen pattern. Is the pattern with the lovely pink band with flowers? Though I see numerous patterns on E Bay.
I have some Fitz/Floyd called Chrysantheme. I used to have much more Oriental decorating though still have quite a lot mixed in with "country". Heritage from living in Hawaii. I have a very small family and had a small wedding so no "china" pattern. I also have a set for 6 I think of Spode Christmas I have collected over the years.
No idea what dinner will be tonight. DH has nasty cold. I think the only chicken I have is giant package of thighs frozen. Neither of us was raised on homemade soup. Campbell's from the can. He is not really a soup eater though he praised the hamburger soup we ate for days. Maybe turkey meatloaf. Just don't know. He does not eat much with a cold. Not that either of us is in danger of starving. LOL. Can always make more chicken tacos which he might just eat better. Expecting rain off/on for the next few days.0 -
Luv, that's my pattern! We're hard on dishes so it's been difficult to find replacement pieces. I have twelve place settings but the next set will be something more replaceable.
I'm loving the dishes too. I didn't get married until my 30's so my "pattern" was a set of dishes that were given as a promotion from my local supermarket. You know the ones, week one was a cereal bowl, etc. Lol!0 -
susan - I like your pattern too - if my DD ever registers for china I will try to steer her to a classic and timeless one. She is not much into domestic stuff, so not sure if she has any interest. She is more traditional that I previously thought though, so who knows.
The china pattern conversation is fun! I had the same set of everyday dishes for many years - plain white from J.C. Penney - they lasted through kids but within the last couple of years I realized I was down to an uneven mixture - definitely still had four complete place settings, but need more or I am constantly washing the same dishes. So, I packed those ones up for whichever of the kids gets their own place first. I bought a Sango pattern with square plates and service for 12, that was promptly discontinued. I must be causing this, right? Now I am seeing discolored scratching on the surfaces, so I am thinking I need to find something else. I may just go back to plain white because I like the way food looks on it - also, all my catering platters are white, so it would coordinate. I know that Pottery Barn has a caterer's set of 12 plates that are fairly heavy duty, so I may go that route.0 -
Fun conversation about china. Susan, I like your pattern. I never liked the fancy, floral china. I have one 12-place set of plain white (Arctica) china made in Finland by Arabia. I still like it a lot. It has that Scandinavian plainness that leaves you free to use any placemats or napkins that you choose. Then I have an 8-place setting of Phaffgraf that I bought years ago at Field's in Chicago. DH and I were on an escalator and I spied the china in a housewares dept. Went to the dept. and bought it. It has a stylized contemporary pattern of green leaves and vines around the edge with a deep rose stylized flower at intervals. After all these years, no broken pieces and I still enjoy using both sets of china, neither expensive.
I never liked the ornate silver tableware either and opted for stainless steel. I have three sets, one bought on a trip to Sweden.
My favorite way to set tables if I were a big entertainer would be an eclectic mix of china and tableware. I love that look.
Now I'm bashful about posting the artichoke casserole recipe because it's so simple and easy to make! Here goes.... Susan can skip this!
STUFFED ARTICHOKE CASSEROLE
1 Tbsp. olive oil. 1 med. onion, diced. 2 cloves garlic, minced. 2 1/2 cups of bread stuffing (or your own mix of bread crumbs and seasonings). 2 tsp Italian seasoning. S & P to taste. 1 cup chicken broth. 1 can artichoke hearts, rough chopped. (I use jarred artichoke hearts that I buy at Sam's). 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, divided. Or more. This is a WW recipe!
Preheat oven to 350. Grease or spray 2 qt. casserole with Pam or whatever. Saute onion in oil until soft. Add garlic and sauté for 1 min. Add remaining ingredients and 1/4 of the parm. cheese. Pour into prepared casserole and top with remaining cheese. Dot with pieces of butter if you're not watching your weight! Bake 20 to 30 min. until heated through.
Leftovers are very good. DH and I finished up every morsel of the last batch I made.
The beef fajitas last night were delicious. I sliced the small lean ribeye (grass-fed beef animal) into strips and sautéed it in bit of grapeseed oil. Removed the steak strips and sautéed an onion and a yellow bell pepper cut into strips. Meanwhile I simmered a package of home-cooked black beans with a can of Mexican Rotelle diced tomatoes. Mashed up a ripe avocado. Opened a jar of home-made salsa purchased at a farmers' mkt and opened a carton of light sour cream. Fix your own with heated corn tortillas from Fresh Mkt. One of my easy meals when I'm on the run all day.0 -
Carole, sounds delish, can't wait to make it. Thanks!0 -
thanks carol. It sounds good. I'll have to try making some rice bread stuffing and use that or maybe rice noodles... the possibilities....
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I have my MIL's Noritake China up in the attic. My FIL bought a set for her and his mother when he was over in overseas. I wonder how much it is worth.
I have no room to display it, in FL she had a built in China cabinet, that is were she kept china.0 -
This is the "good" antique china. The only mark on the back is an emblem and the word "Japan". I've been unsuccessful in trying to identify the pattern.
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Carole,
Thank you for the artichoke casserole recipe! Sounds great and can't wait to try it!
Also loving the china pattern postings as well as the mix and match idea... Love it... Don't know why that thought never occured to me. Maybe because my Mom's stuff always matched?
Anyway... My china choice from 26 years ago... Noritake Sweet Leilani! Would post a pic but my Ipad won't cooperate! Still like it but am liking Susan's less floral pattern and the mix and match better! Funny how our tastes change but honestly how could they not when we were so young...0 -
Moon,
38 degrees would definitely send me to the thermostat and the heating season would begin! Not that hardy...lol! We aren't dipping much out of the upper 40's/lower 50's overnight and with temps in the upper 60's during the day with sun the temp inside is hovering around 68.
Lived in MN for 5 years and I developed a real appreciation for what is really considered cold! Having grown up in the NE i though I knew cold but it is nothing like the upper mid-west in winter!
Loved our time there though.. Just too far from family!0 -
Carole: Thanks for the Artichoke recipe. It's getting time we might consider turning on our ovens on in Houston, and in Madisonville? And maybe Eric too in Phoenix. But that was based on two nights of 53/55 that have long gone again.0 -
What do I have? No way to post a picture!
18 set of blue and white Fruit and Flower Historical Plates, Staffordshire. Circa 1900
And a set of red glass goblets water glasses etc that look pretty with them.
For a long time I was very protective of them. Now I say use them, enjoy them, so what if one is accidently broken. They are to be enjoyed.
My Mom collected "Blue Danube" dinner set. I always knew what to get her for a present, she coveted them so!
When I was first married I collected those dishes and bowls that matched that could go "boing" on the floor and not break. I can't remember the name of them? Corning ware? Somehow that doesn't seem right, but they matched.
Getting ready for apple picking in the morning! I know it seems silly, but I just recently gave up pressing leaves between waxed paper and putting them on the fridge as a tradition. It's funny how these things make us happy year after year
Michelle I am thinking of you0 -
The floral one is my Moms from the 1950's - 12 place settings.
The white and silver is mine from 1973 - A WEDDING PRESENT from Mom and Dad. They bought the boxed set from Sears. But I liked it. 8 place settings
Who ever it was that was looking for a number- they are usually on the serving pieces. not the plates or bowls or cups.
Supper was leftovers. I say that a lot. I used to cook for 10 people when I was 12. Then I cooked for my own family when I had 4 kids. Now its just me and I cook and buy too much! LOL
Much love0 -
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I too am enjoying the china conversation! They are so pretty. But the new china is much bigger than my old sets. my old sets are 9 inches for the dinner plate. My everyday corelle set I just got last year is 10 1/4.
I think they changed how to place an image. the first one was so small so I put it in larger hope its not too large! Much love to all.0 -
Very pretty Monica, it's amazing how many different floral patterns there are in vintage china. As much as I love them, if I were acquiring today, I would get something more plain. I like the mix and match ability too.
And you're right about the sizes.
Last night's walleye was very good. Tonight is the remains of a Costco rotisserie chicken baked in the oven with some cornbread dressing and chicken gravy. I think I'll bake some apples to go with it and probably some of the seemingly endless green beans.0 -
Wonder how the increased size of the plates correlates with the much larger quantity of food served/eaten now? I remember when the old 9" plate held a serving of meat, potatoes, & two veg w/no problem - and room for a roll on the side if there were no salad or roll plate. Sure - we had seconds (or thirds) at Thanksgiving, but I don't remember going back for more on a regular basis.
My Mother was so excited when she got 8 'chop plates'. She used them when we had steak & corn on the cob or BBQ 1/2 chicken. I just looked that up and they are 12"-15".
Interesting that the food presentations at many 'gourmet' restaurants look so small now. I'll have to re-access.0 -
The increased size of plates absolutely correlates to the amount of food consumed. When I was off-loading my everyday china, my intention had been to buy white plates. I searched high and low for affordable [aka cheap] dinner plates that were 9". No success on my part at all. When I am being serious about loosing weight, I use a salad plate for dinner. We like to see the plate filled, and feel fuller with that visual feedback.
My Thanksgiving plates were my grandmothers and they were considered to be extra large back when she bought them. They are 10"! The turkey platter is only big enough for half of a turkey, already sliced. Maybe this year, I should use bigger plates so I don't have so many leftovers. [lightbulb moment]
*susan*0
