So...whats for dinner?

Here ya go

Emphasis on the easy

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Easy-Spinach-Lasagna-with-White-Sauce/

Was thinking about making pizza dough with my 00 flour until i saw that my recipe called for it to sit for 24 hours. Oh dear....next best thing, DH picked up a five dollar large cheese pizza from a local Italian take-out spot in town and I doctored it up with carmelized onions, red and yelliw peppers and mushrooms. Result below....pretty tasty for minimal effort. Made cuke salad to go with and DH had more kale soup. I abstained as I am trying to get my innerds bulked up and calmed down with reduced fiber. Nice record low weight this AM, but not worth maintaining that after a depleted week. So pizza it was...scales be damned!

Made the bi-weekly granola last night, thinking I could make the bagels during the 20 minute baking times between stirs. Whoops! Started the oats before I noticed that the bagel sponge needs to ferment for two hours. 8:30pm is not a good time to start that! So, I used those breaks to measure out the ingredients. This morning, I started the sponge while the coffee was brewing. I am going to try something new today. When I make the little boules after the second rise, I am going to have some hydrated onions ready to mix into the partitioned dough. Maybe this will allow me to have onion bagels without the burnt stuff that happens when I simply sprinkle the wet onions on top.

Have no idea what dinner looks like just yet. I suspect that I will shop the freezer.

*susan*

Carole, congrats to you and dh on your weight loss!

Nancy - You mentioned Pintrest. When did they redo their pages so that you cannot see most of pages without a sign in which I do not have and really don't want. Really ticks me off. I see lots of recipes linked there but many are now impossible to get to. OK rant over.

Bedo - thank you for the recipe. I have most of the ingredients, no ricotta and the chopped spinach may be a tad soggy frozen old but that is easily replaceable. I even have the noodles. I think that sounds like something yummy maybe tomorrow. I have a moose chicken 4 something pounds attempting to thaw. He might have to go back in refrigerator overnight and try again tomorrow. I was going to try spatchcocking (love the name) it but not brining. Nothing big enough to do that in and DH would not care one way or another. Maybe a BBQ seasoning sprinkled spatchcocked chicken?

We had spaghetti 2 nights in a row. Ready for something moderately real cooked. Had long appt at glaucoma doc yesterday, annual check. Inner eye not draining right adding to pressure so sched. for laser eye surg. in Jan. DH says eye stuff no biggie he's had Lasix and cataracts done. He says compared to LX surg it's a breeze. Not much alternative, drops will not fix this. At least no further damage per tests. Need comfort food. Besides it's cold here, maybe snow tomorrow night 1".

Lacey - that pizza looks marvelous. Don't think I've ever seen pizza crust yeast but then I don't have anything strong enough to mix dough in anymore. I assume it has to be kneaded, right? I have an ancient Sunbeam mixer in the closet I have not used in years. It has dough hooks; still have them. I quit using it when I bought a breadmachine that has since bit the dust. Wonder if it still works? Humm. DH will have to get it out. It's pretty well buried in the back. Maybe when the Christmas decorations get out. Good plan.

Carole - congrats on the weight loss both you and DH.

Mommyof2 - grocery shopping counts. All that walking and I backtrack a lot. My groc. remodeled earlier this year and polished the concrete floors. I hate them. My legs get a workout trying to get traction.

DH reminded me this morning that tonight is the 3rd and final Abita Opry performance of the fall season.  We bought season tickets and missed the first two shows.  So no shrimp and pasta dinner tonight.  We'll have a bowl of soup and some chicken salad before we go.  I'll probably have more home-made bread.  I had it for breakfast and lunch. 

A pot of red beans for tomorrow's dinner at my mother's house is simmering on the stove.  The meat seasoning is sliced ham hocks.  There's also a loaf of Basic White bread being cooked in the bread machine.  Interesting that you should mention your bread machine, Luv.  I got mine out to make my mother a loaf of bread.  It has been stored away for a couple of years. 

Susan, do you have a recipe link for your home-made granola?  DH buys a granola that he eats like cereal with milk and banana or other fresh fruit on top.  I don't eat cereal because it makes me ravenously hungry within an hour or hour and a half. 

I guess I'll try Pin Interest again.  I tried to log in recently and had forgotten my password.  When I went there before, I didn't find it all that interesting or helpful. 

I received The New Book of Middle Eastern Food by Claudia Roden which I ordered.  It's a beautiful book and quite hefty.  I look forward to reading it. 

I just found a new butcher shop. The last two I frequented went out of business when the owners retired.

The most interesting thing were the "wild raised" chickens. According to the papers on the wall, the shop owner's brother raises a bunch of chickens and a number of hogs on several sections of land and supplies them to the shop.. The hogs are close to feral and the chickens have figured out the hogs are useful creatures -- the hogs dig around in the dirt and turn up crawly things for the chickens....and most chicken predators don't mess around with chickens guarded by semi-wild hogs.

The combined weight of three whole chickens was 8-1/2 pounds and they have an entirely different "body shape" than I've become used to seeing.

Goats

Moose chicken? Frog rain showers? And I've learned about chicken fried steak here also. You are all so funny

Susan that sounds good.

Using the oven to heat up this freezing place. Not helping

Thanks Nancy for the suggestions about Aldi. Never been there. I do know of 2 in Ft. Worth both near areas where I shop. I looked - this chicken is 4.5#. He's back in the refrigerator for the night. He may be like a turkey and have to thaw a couple of days in refrigerator. Not sure why I bought him since I usually buy pieces. I don't recall a BOGO but then I've had him quite a while. Alternate dinner turned out to be a Stouffer's casserole. I'm craving the heat from the oven. I might have to find something else to bake when it finishes.

Spent part of the afternoon cleaning the microwave. It needed it badly even before I exploded some spaghetti with tomato bits in it. It's been on my to do list forever.

Susan those dishes both sound yummy. I guess I will have to look for red lentils maybe TJs or Central Mkt. One of the bigger Tom Thumbs might have them. Usually big selection of ethnic foods. Not sure I would ever find the peppers. Might just have to substitute what I can. Again DH is not particular picky but then I don't count him much of an adventurous eater.

Bedo that's so funny. I did leave the oven open after the casserole baked. (I've tried to send this 3 times and gotten distracted). It was so nice to stand in front of the warm oven.

Oh Monica a new baby to love. When is he/she due? Hoping the snow holds off for the baby shower.

I wore shorts today.

Special, thinking of you.

Luv, my mom agrees that eye surgery is a "non-event". She had some rather involved eye surgery with no problems and reminded me that my grandmother had no problems when her cataracts removed at age 94...other than when she got home she suddenly realized that the quiet pastel light pink she thought she had painted a hallway was actually the most violent shade of neon fluorescent Pepto Bismol pink that the world had ever seen. :-) It's been over 30 years and the pink still remains burned into my retinas.

I cleaned the microwave oven today and about 2 minutes later, DD blew up some ravioli...same idea luv.. The microwave oven is now doubly clean.. I've also been doing some "not often done" cleaning before Thanksgiving. Today it was the antique glassware displayed atop the kitchen cabinets and the cabinet tops.. I'm always scared to death when I handle the stuff as it is all *really old* family heirlooms and thus totally non-replaceable

As for the chicken, I'll find out how it tastes tomorrow. Sharon went out to a bluegrass festival and DD talked me into making her favorite--the chicken rice dish and some of the baked sweet potato fries.

I never bought a Kitchen Aid mixer. I'm not sure why. I guess its because I've managed to get by without one. I have a hand mixer, but that's it. I don't think I'd like the bread hook. I find the kneading by hand process to be kind of relaxing, plus I can tell if the bread is right as far as moisture is concerned and the moment when the it no longer needs kneading. I suppose when I do get one, it'll be like when I got the knives--how did I live without them?

Sorry for all having cold weather! It has been nice here in Fl. This is time of year that permanent residents remember why they live here!

I got through the surgery ok - I had fat grafting previously so the discomfort feels familiar, but my eyes are swollen and I'm having pretty intense pollen-like allergy symptoms. I don't know if this is a drug reaction or actual pollen. It is weird. It is not a cold but I feel relatively ick.

I find cleaning the microwave much easier if I put a glass measuring cup full of water in and cook it until the water boils - then you can usually wipe the interior of the microwave out with less scrubbing.

I made chili for DH Fri night, but didn't feel like eating it - had a grilled cheese. Next day had some corned beef hash, and two eggs over easy on toast - that was yummy! I made chicken tortilla soup today - it hit the spot.

Congrats to those who have lost weight!

M0mmy, how much were you able to eat. It sounds as though you might have lost more weight than you feel is safe.

We had a redux of last night's dinner though I added a Turkish braised cabbage dish to the mix as well. The bagels came out very well. The onion bagels were "infused" with onion though the kid missed the little bit of crunchy bit that onions on top make. Can't win!

*susan*

Nance,

I wasn't very good about measuring.... maybe 1/2 tsp (after hydration) per 3oz bagel? I think that this was successful. Will try garlic next.

*susan*

Special

Why were you cleaning the microwave. You are a better woman than I am.

I don't think I've ever really totally cleaned it top to bottom all sides etc.

Now go get a massage, or aromatherapy or something

xo

This is my DD2. She's due Dec 19th. She's really carrying low so today's pic you can't even tell. LOL but on the other one it's clear. This is the only one I have so far. I'll post another when they are sent. We had such a lovely High Tea. Turkey cucumber sandwiches, bruschetta, Butternut squash soup, quiche with spinach with goat cheese and spinach. Then dessert. Dark chocolate cake with marscopone, scones, and polish apple cake. Oh so yummy. Because it's a tea shop, Chestnut black tea and ginger plum were the hot tea. The iced was a raspberry lemon green. Beautiful and delicious. And I just had to get the prizes and games together. My DD1 planned it and DH paid. LOL.