So...whats for dinner?

Turns out I didn't need to freeze any mashed potatoes. The pot I used held 5 med. potatoes, enough for last night and tonight. That's about all my hand could peel anyway. I need to get another ergonomic peeler, seems one is always in the dishwasher. I guess DH will get leftover frozen turkey from that breast I cooked late in the summer. I need to decide on a recipe for the squash saute. I have acorn, yellow and zucchini and just about anything to go in them. I'll probably just dice up (though I think you have to precook the acorn just a tad in the micro - it has a sticky tag) in large chunkys and add in some jarred roasted red peppers. I'll like it but DH prob. not so much.

Mmmm - meatloaf. Ground beef has gotten so high. Remember when it was a cheap dinner? My grocery always has had a day old meat bin. I'm really choosy about what I buy and either it gets cooked that night or promptly frozen. Been about 3 weeks I could not find the bin and I was too embarrassed to ask about it. Finally found it again earlier this week. That's usually where I get large pkgs of ground beef and split them up. Albertsons here also has a bin though has not been as fruitful as my local grocer. But is where I picked up the pork cutlets we had last night.

Sorry about your toe Nancy. I thought the only help for toe fx was strapping it to neighbor. You say toe, do you mean a little farther up in the foot? My anatomy fails me but I think that is still technically "toe". Hoping you boot keeps your foot warm.

Eric - I have antiques but certainly nothing to compare to your mom's diary. Mine are mostly glassware and household things. I do have a platform rocker that was my GGM's and a very old carved cedar chest that was her's as well.

Nance, sorry about the broken toe.  Lamb shanks and white beans sounds so-o-o good! 

Dinner tonight will be shrimp scampi (olive oil, butter, grated lemon peel, lemon juice, fresh garlic) and linguini.   Sprinkle of Italian cheese, romano, asiago, or parm reg.  The side will be microwaved  broccoli and cheese sauce from a bag.  I had a taste for sautéed greens but didn't make it to Fresh Market.

Just told dh he would have to peel the shrimp.  I had a manicure today!  AND a pedicure.  Fortunately, no broken toe on either foot! 

..it is a decent sized (a foot across the big end) bell....

Yes, Eric, I'd say that qualifies as a VERY decent sized bell indeed!  Speaking of bells....in my last job, I had outside duty before classes started in the AM and our school yard had a huge field behind it where the kids would run around before the school bell rang. My job was to corral them and place them in orderly lines to enter the building. Well, getting the kids who were out in the field was quite a challenge, so I found a large brass bell in my hutch and used that each morning to summon the little buggers while saving my voice.......worked like a charm! I always thought that I was bringing a bit of 50's nostalgia with the introduction of that bell. What is funny is the town I worked in was culturally kind of stuck in the 50s in many ways, so no one ever minded my bell a bit!

Nance, I hope your toe heals quickly! Drat!  And hope you got to make your lamb dinner, albeit rather late.

We had lamb burgers tonight and instead of using feta on them, I used some ricotta salata whichI bought  yesterday for the first time. I think feta has a more distinct flavor, which I prefer.

Today I enjoyed meeting the K classes I will be "working" in. And the teacher is a riot! She says and does many humorous/novel things to keep the kids' attention....and clearly enjoys them a lot. They are active groups...and so academically skilled...but my piece (social/ emotional skill development) is clearly needed. The teacher is thrilled about my being there, especially with her morning class which she has solo, with a lot of high needs.

That "filter" business is such a tight rope walk between being authentic, socially aware, and able to use "restraint". Some of my most delightful and gratifying lessons with 4th graders was teaching them the concept of and ways to practice restraint ( in the context of a bullying program I developed for them, 'cause they needed it!!). My only hope is that at least some of them remember to use it! 

Lacey, I get them in the winter. I have a pair of pedi socks that are toeless. My feet are "high maintenance" (more like hooves really) and I need someone to take care of them, especially in the winter.

This is my favorite weekend of the year-  The first Saturday in November, our Local Hungarian Club (you have to Hungarian Descent to be a member) has a Hungarian Sausage Dinner.  I snagged tickets on Tues and the guy told me if I came by the club tonight, I could buy some for the freezer--- I said, I thought I had to wait until Sat. since I am not a member---he said, come around 4pm cause I don't know if there will be any left by Sat.  So my Dad and I went and got some.  I was dumb--I bought mine in big packages. My dad (87) was smart, he bought two smaller packages.  His could go straight into his freezer and will be enough for one with leftovers.   Mne has to be broken into smaller packages to be sized right...... (note to self for next year).

There is tons of garlic and paprika in it.  Its really an acquired taste and you either love it or your intensely dislike it.   On Tuesday, I said, I can smell it already and guy told me, HOney I just got done grinding up all the garlic, that's what you smell.....I love GARLIC....

So Sat dinner will be Hungarian Sausage, Wheat Bread, mashed potatoes with brown gravy greenbeans and applesauce.  And leftovers that I eat cold for breakfast..... 

That sausage sounds great, Red! Love all the ethnic regional offerings we learn about on our humble little thread!

Nancy, you made me guffaw....sort of a hee haw! I have yet to need my feet care to be "outsourced" except for a collapsed arch that requires very expensive orthotics and check ups with a podiatrist. When it first collapsed after a bad surgery, I had to wear a big high plastic custom foot brace for 8 months in some very ugly black sneakers. I hated it but was desperate. At the end when the doc saw the correction he was shocked/pleased.....told me he never saw anyone be that compliant wearing the darn brace. Ha! Glad I did. So my feet get care with expensive, supportive shoes and self-done pedicures..... So far. ;/

Carole, you just reminded me, I purchased a wax bath machine for my hands when I was being treated for terrible carpal/metacarpal pain. Two weeks after I got it, I got my BC Dx, and the focus totally shifted to surviving a full-time work schedule and BC treatment! I had forgotten how nice that felt when the OT used it. I seem to recall using plastic gloves before dipping....or am I mistaken? I must heat that thing up, and relieve some of this constant hand pain.  I do admire a nice manicure on others' hands, but mine would last about five minutes! 

As I write this I am getting flooded with reminders of spa and mani/pedi gift certificates that are going to waste.....probably expired. Next time I get one, I should just give it to someone uses those services. 

Carole, here's a recipe for colored peppers that's really quick and delish:

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Parme...

As far as lunch, take me!

Nance, that recipe looks really good.  I'll have to make it.

Lunch was delish.  My mother and I shared a seafood platter with crispy thin catfish, oysters, shrimp and a crab cake.  Cole slaw, garlic fries, buttered and toasted French bread, and hush puppies.  Dessert was a "help yourself"  small cone of soft-serve vanilla  ice cream.  We left the restaurant with a Styrofoam box. 

Understandably, I'm not hungry tonight but I made a pretty sautéed medley of shitake mushrooms, orange bell pepper, green onions, garlic, halved grape tomatoes, and garlic to spoon over warmed-up linguine.  Dh will be in heaven.   

Lacey, I feel your pain. We have had zero trick or treaters.  I'm sitting here watching the little empty snickers wrappers  pile up. Fortunately they're the bite size and not miniature (or larger), but that just makes them easier to rationalize.

We have three refrigerators (it's a long story lol), one of which lives in the garage. I'm amazed at how often they're all three full.

The lamb shanks were delicious. I made a small gingerbread with a simple lemon sauce, mostly because it makes the house smell so good.

Tomorrow morning, the carpet shampooers are coming to do the whole house. My carpets haven't been professionally cleaned since we moved in in 1998. Would  love to get hardwood but doubt that will happen before we sell the house. So might as well get 'em cleaned!

We've only had 8 or 10 trick or treat groups - and they weren't even from our neighborhood.  I just turned off my porch light at 8:30pm since since the little ones are through.  I too will have to rationalize eating some candy.

Carole, Lacey, Nance - your meals sound delicious.  I had eftovers for dinner.  One small piece of pizza.  Nice green salad that wouldn't have made another day.  1/2 of a sourdough mini-baguette.  And a large glass of Malbec wine from Chili.

Now THAT is an inviting entryway, Monica! Glad to see you on your feet. Hope the knee feels strong!

Rainy here today....am about to cook up some chicken for a soup I'm making for a youth group soup sale tomorrow.  Making my mother's chicken vegetable pastina soup.

Then assembling a large salad for the pizza fest next door tonight. Yum!

On a somber note.....Boston is saying goodbye this weekend to recent Mayor, Tom Menino, who did great things for the city and its people for over twenty years.....a really good, ethical man of the people who died of cancer, Thursday, at 71. Rest in peace.

I saw a local news segment yesterday about putting small chopped up candy bar bits into pumpkin pancakes. Just a thought. Same segment put canned cinnamon rolls into a Belgian waffler. We don't even turn on the porch light. We are way too rural. We did the 1st couple of years. I don't think the neighbors granddaughter even came by and she was certainly the appropriate age. The churches all have festivals - ours did on Thursday night.

The yellow/zucchini squash/onion saute was yummy but a bit too much oil/butter my fault I do not measure. I put about 1/2 jar of roasted red peppers in it. I made up for that by putting mine over the dry mashed potatoes. DH had it and the bit of leftover pork cutlet I couldn't eat. But last night was a Sonic splurge since I went shopping. We never eat out or fast food. Tonight is pizza with the fire roasted crust. No clue about tomorrow. Have extra squashes so might be sausage stirfry again.

Albertsons is already having turkeys on sale. I would have bought the sale of BOGO turkey breasts but the freezer was blocked with a large cooler of coffee creamer. I wonder if they will realize why they did not sell so well. They had this sale last year, that's the breast I just cooked earlier. They were really good. Turn out to be $1.50/# on that sale. I'm sure they will repeat it. There is one just 10 miles down the road. Just not going back b4 the sale ends this week. We are getting I hope they are right a downpour on Mon. night/Tues/Tues night "maybe an inch of rain". Hah we need more like 5-6" over several days to start to do any good. One of the smaller towns is having to repipe their water from another lake. Not going to be cheap. Our supply seems to be holding in but I think they're about to go to once a week watering - not that I've even done that much. But we actually have fall. Resisted turning on the heat last night. I think it was about 35 out here. Pulled all the houseplants up next to the wall. I'm sure we'll be back in the 80s again. I resist taking them in on the 1st low temp. Takes DH to haul the large ones in. I do have a south facing window so they get sun but it does get crowded.

Nancy - sounds yummers.

Monica - quite a Halloween setup there. How's the knee holding up?

Moon, what a welcoming Trick or Treat entry!  No trick or treaters here.  No candy.  No lights on! 

Today I decided to prep and sauté some leeks for leek/potato soup.  The leeks had been in the refrigerator for a while and I figured I could extend their refrigerator time if they were cooked.   A glance at the recipe (recommended by Susan) told me it was simple.  So I decided to go ahead and make the soup and put it in the refrigerator.  While the soup was cooking, I looked at the unused portions of the leeks and thought about the stems of the shitake mushrooms and the ends of asparagus stems in the refrigerator.  I decided to throw everything into a big pot with some onion, celery, carrots, potato, peppercorns, salt and bay leaves and water and make veggie stock.  It tasted really good.  So I have cartons of veggie stock in the freezer.  I've made chicken stock in the past but never veggie stock.

Tonight's dinner will be something at a restaurant.  We're going out to dinner with neighbors.  LSU isn't playing tonight so the husband neighbor is available! 

Well, I am back and still trying to find my balance. I worked VERY hard while I was on the West Coast to stay on EST, and it all went to hell-in-a-hand-basket since my plane home didn't leave until 1am. I am not good at 36 hrs without sleep. A little sleep on the first flight, a little more on the second, and as you can imagine, I hit the ground exhausted. I am almost back on schedule. Today I only slept until 7:45. With the extra hour of sleep tonight, I should get right back on track.

For lunch upon my return, we had some scrambled eggs with an English muffins. I know I made something for dinner, but can't remember what! I was completely out of it after all. Last night was grilled lamb chops with some asparagus risotto. Tonight we ventured out into this nor'easter and headed to the pizza spot that opened in the new Assembly Row. Not bad at all. We made our own with sausage and ricotta. The za's are huge! 18" is a large pizza. With three of us, we had plenty to bring home. I am dry-brining a turkey breast with wings. Husband will smoke this tomorrow. Will serve with a sweet potato gratin with sage and a lettuce salad.

Need to start some bread for turkey sandwiches this week.

Food in Portland was fine. I was not hanging with people willing to travel in a bus to get the best that the city has to offer. They wanted close-by so we ended up at Jake's Famous Crawfish which has recently been sold to the McCormick group. I had to be fairly creative to eat within my self-imposed budget. I had trout one night, and some ahi tuna with wasabi and soy. A salad, and that was a fine meal. I made it to one food truck that I had read about and a well-reviewed Indian restaurant. In my perfect world, I would have made it to PokPok or Senyai.

Anyhow, hit the ground running. My clients tried to give me two full days with no contact. They tried, but, they couldn't quite pull it off. Did mean I returned to a full to-do list. Spent all today installing new computers into a client office and my brain is a little fried. Price to be paid for getting away.

*susan*