So...whats for dinner?

Nance, the new store sounds terrific.  You did get some great bargains.  I love beets.  The son of one of my cousins makes pho from scratch.  I had a bowl of it a few years back and it was really tasty.  It seems to be very popular with Americans.  The soup is eaten for  breakfast by Vietnamese, so I was told by some Vietnamese people who work in a nail salon.  Their native diet is quite healthy.  They eat a lot of fish, but never fried. 

Last night's pan-seared catfish was delicious.  The oven fries were good, too, but could use some improvement.  I'm not quite sure how to improve them.  To make them crunchy would require some kind of breading which would add to cals and carbs.  This recipe called for cutting the potatoes into wedges, tossing them with olive oil and s & p and cooking in a hot oven, 450.

Tonight's dinner is grilled loin lamb chops and mashed potatoes made with more cauliflower than potato and left-over okra and tomato dish. 

I record the Hungry Girl cooking shows on the Food Channel.  This morning I watched one that had some good ideas for making comfort foods with lowers cals and carbs.  She uses ingredients I would never think about buying.  I'm afraid to say more for offending anyone about copyright.  I must say I don't see anything wrong with repeating recipes that are on tv.

Have a great day!  I'm enjoying the sound of a workman cleaning our front walkway and back patio, stamped concrete.  This means I don't have to do the cleaning myself!!!!  He's also going to re-seal the concrete.  Nance, hate to tell you how lovely it is today, sunny with highs supposed to be in the 60's.  Now if only the rain would stop for a couple of weeks so the golf courses could dry out. 

Red potatoes sliced thinly and sprayed lightly with olive oil, seem to "crisp up" nicely when baked at a high heat.  I'll sometimes put some garlic powder on them about five minutes into the baking time....so the garlic flavor doesn't take on a toasted flavor.

I don't have any baking times....what usually happens is that I put them in the oven, clean the counters, and take them out when I'm almost done....or when they 'smell done'....whichever comes first.  :-)

deborye I'm with you on that!  Sometimes I go out just to be around other people. LOL.

 The Chew is my favorite show right now. They really Seem to like each other. Daphne had her baby girl on Wed. So Dr Oz and Robin are Grandparents. LOL

It's up to 18 degrees gere. Gonna get colder though. Ah well. 

Much love to all. 

Hugs Deb.

I agree, cooking for two or more is much better than one.

Eric

Yeah no fun to cook for one.  Invite some friends over, cook up a storm, and have leftovers for the whole week.

This cold is really getting to us. DH works partially outside in the mill and is totally frozen by the end of the day.  Wanted to stay in last night and when I came downstairs from taking a shower at 8 pm he was under a blanket on the couch and out like a light! I followed suit by 9....been a rough week.

Making vegetable soup today, got some zucchini to go in it, and someone told me to use v8 juice as a base. Will give it a try.

Eric Love the sound of those potatoes. Every time I crank my oven above 350, though, I have to deal with the smoke detector going off.  the good news is, I did a test in my NC house,(burned the bagels under the broiler, because we forgot to take a toaster) and no smoke detector issues!! Now maybe I can get a good crispy pizza.  Oh and I can burn things all I want!

Happy Anniversary, Nance!!

Ditto on the low motivation for individual cooking....                                                                                About the most I can imagine doing would be to make a nice pot of soup and eating it the rest of the week.....as an alternative to oatmeal! . The good thing is the opportunity for weight loss! DH was out for dinner with the search committee last night so I heated up some cabbage soup I'd made on Thursday. A bit of Trader's light brie on crackers on the side, and dinner was done!  I may do the same thing tonight as they are taking the candidate out for dinner again. This month he has two more of these candidating weekends, so I'll be doing solo dinners four more times....unless the local temps become more civilized and I'll meet up with friends for a restaurant meal.

Carrie, I feel for you and DH after your exhausting week. I hope you can spend some time replenishing your energy (and DH's body temp!) this weekend. You guys have a lot on your plates. Sending hugs and WARM wishes your way.

Happy anniversary, Nance!  I can almost smell that pho here.  ALMOST because I don't really know what it smells like! 

It's nice here today.  I have a couple of doors open to admit some fresh air.  This morning I walked 45 min. in the neighborhood wearing shorts and tee shirt.  Later I spent an hour outside hosing off some planters that grew impressive algae during the winter.  To my amazement, the herbs I planted in Dec. have not all perished during the freezes.  The rosemary, as always, is flourishing and the mint.  But I also have healthy oregano, thyme and chives.  The basil did not survive but it seems to be the only victim of the cold.  I fear that my three little citrus trees planted last spring have bit the dust.  They have no leaves.  I may replant.  It would be so nice to pick Meyer lemons and oranges off my own trees. 

Cooking for one definitely would not be a lot of fun.  But I did cook for myself quite a bit during the years when dh worked an offshore schedule, 14 days away and 14 days home.  When I went out to lunch during his away time, I could indulge and just skip dinner.  That was nice.  Now I always have to factor in eating a night meal. 

Tonight's meal will be catered food, not too healthy, on the parade route of Endymion in downtown New Orleans.  A neighbor works for a company with an office building on the parade route and the company invites all the employees and their guests to a Mardi Gras picnic.  Endymion is one of the big Mardi Gras parades.  This year all the floats will be lighted.  Last year the food was hamburgers and hot dogs and the usual sides of baked beans and cole slaw.  Dessert was a delicious bread pudding that one of the men made.  Beverages are colas and beer.  I tracked my WW points in advance and will have to delve into my earned activity points.

Happy Saturday to all.

Nance. Congrats on your anniversary! That's impressive! . Pho is wonderful. I think chai has a bit of that smell too. 

Carole enjoy the Mardi Gras parade and food. And I am so jealous with the Meyer lemons outside your door. The only thing growing around here are the icicles!

Lacy weekends are when my DH is usually home and because we are so busy I cook only about half the time he's here. LOL. But when I do its stew chili or soup and I pack up half for him to take. 

Carrie I hope your DH warms up enough to make it another week. It's not getting better around here either. Snow is falling slowly and so is the temp. Just 10 degrees here. 

O. And Eric? Don't say ANY THING about yours.........LOL

Deb...wishing we could show up and all hang out in your kitchen for awhile.

Eric

auntie - Happy Anniversary!

Sorry for everyone's inclement weather - I went to the art festival today - it was a beautiful day!  Don't hate me because it won't be long until we are into hideous sticky humidity, so bad that I can't even go outside!

Dinner tonight was a skillet dish with chicken, baby bella mushrooms and fresh spinach.  I cut a chicken breast and two boneless thighs into strips.  The sauce was chicken broth thickened with zanthum gum.  I added some marsala wine but it didn't provide much flavor.  DH splashed some soy sauce on his serving.  Our side was steamed yellow squash. 

Chicken night here too. Leftover chicken made into enchiladas with Spanish rice for a side. This was my DDIL's recipe and really good. 

It's already -2 here heading to 5 below. Fortunately we didn't get as much snow as predicted. Hoping to hang on until wednesday when temps are supposed to start rising. About time!

tonite I ate steel cut oatmeal. Just felt like it. It's 0 here right now. Didn't feel like a casserole which would have been my other choice or my leftover breakfast. Hawaii omelet and Craisens nut pancakes. 

Eric, a Subway is a treat for me!  My favorite is the tuna on wheat, untoasted, with all the veggies except onions and oil and vinegar.

SpecialK, interesting you should suggest vinegar.  I thought about the same thing as I was finishing up my dinner.  Some balsamic would probably have "brightened" up the flavor of the dish.   LOL!  All the chefs on Cooking Channel brighten their dishes when they add citrus or vinegar.

Tonight's dinner is TBD, to be decided.  Possibly a meatloaf from Cooking Light that lightens it with finely minced mushrooms.  We've finished up the gigantic turkey veggie pasta soup that was handy for easy quick lunches.  I'm trying to think of another soup to make that wouldn't be to heavy on WW points. 

Debbie, let us know how you're doing.  Susan, you're much missed.  Hope you're well. 

Off to WW meeting this morning. 

Moon - what's a Hawaiian Omelet?  If it's spam, I'll have to decline.  If it's pineapple & stuff, maybe.