So...whats for dinner?

Nance, thanks for asking about my foot.  I'm still dealing with pain in the left toes but I keep going.  The topical anti-inflammatory the podiatrist ordered for me helps.  I will see him again next week. 

I always cook Boston butt pork roasts the same way for my extended family.  I chop up green onions usually at least a "bunch" of them.  Roughly chop a lot of garlic, maybe 12 to 15 cloves or more.  Put the chopped seasoning in a bowl and add a tsp or so of cayenne pepper and also some salt.  Then I take my narrow serrated tomato knife and make deep slits from top to bottom but not through the bottom of the roast.  The slits are an inch to an inch and a half wide.  I stick a finger inside and loosen the opening, then stuff it full of the seasoning.  I make these slits about 2 inches apart.  When the roast if "stuffed," I sprinkle salt and pepper all over the outside of the roast and also sprinkle cayenne rather liberally. 

At this point the roast can be wrapped in plastic and stored in the refrigerator the day before you want to cook it.  I either cook the roast in a covered roasting pan in the oven at 350 degrees or in the slow cooker overnight.  In the slow cooker you don't add any liquid.  The drippings from the roast make a very tasty gravy.  I used a jarred dry roux but you can make your own dry roux with plain old flour and an iron skillet.  You just toast the flour on the stovetop or in the oven and keep stirring it.  Or you can make an oil roux.  I defat the drippings.

I don't know if your dh would like the highly seasoned taste but I think you would.  It's very flavorful pork.  I saw either Paul Prudhomme or Justin Wilson stuff a fresh pork roast by making the slits and pushing a tiny chili pepper, a length of green onion and a garlic clove into the openings.  Same idea.  Different method.  My mother and father always liked to eat the seasoning itself along with the meat.  My mother cut slashes in her roasts so that there were big pockets of seasoning but I do the slits.  

Your guests are in for a treat with the fresh baked bread.  I found a recipe online for using the ricotta whey to make bread.  The woman offering the recipe uses a wood-burning stove.  I plan to give the recipe a try but I will (of course!) modify it by using at least half whole wheat flour. 

Redheaded, I've never been in one of the supermarkets you mentioned.  It sounds really nice.  I can see where the prepped veggies and fruit would come in handy for someone not able to wield a knife safely. 

No, I don't brown it.  It browns in the Magnalite roasting pan when I cook the roast in the oven, covered.  But not in the slow cooker.  It's not a pretty meat dish just like pulled pork isn't pretty.  I slice up the roast and return it to the roasting pan in the gravy.  It's fork tender.  Some kind of rice or mashed potatoes make a good side dish.  Or bread to sop up the gravy!  You can fill that bill!  The pork would actually make a delicious sloppy meat sandwich.   

The gym doesn't bother my foot like walking long distances would do.  I do cardio exercise on an elliptical machine or upright bike or treadmill adjusted so that I'm walking uphill and can get my heartbeat up without walking too fast.  The reason I'm doing so much gym is that I can't play golf in this wet weather.  Our YMCA isn't full of beautiful people.  I feel comfortable there in old shorts and a tee shirt. 

Dinner tonight was tuna salad that incorporated some of the leftover orzo with addition of boiled eggs and canned tuna and a little relish.  Served over salad greens dressed with vinaigrette. 

Today was treatment day, and it threw me for a loop just a bit. Came home and napped for almost 3 hours! First thing this morning, I took my husband to the airport. He is off to Cinncinnati to watch the ACC tournament with a college friend. Tomorrow night the kids are leaving for a weekend wedding, leaving me home alone for two whole days. I don't think I have been all alone since the kids moved in. And for at least some amount of time before then. Had some takeout Chinese soup for supper. It was just okay. I will feel better in the morning.

*susan*

Hope you quickly feel better Susan. Like Carole asked....is 2 days alone OK? I know I like it, even though it doesn't happen too often for me.

Carole....I guess I missed your foot comments...that's what I get for doing a lot of reading on my phone at work..30 seconds here 20 seconds there, while I'm waiting for some computer thing or another thing to finish. It's good the topical stuff works for you.

I'm cooking a pork shoulder right now. It's pretty spicy but everyone here loves it..a heaping tablespoon of red pepper "powder", a teaspoon each of white pepper, powdered ginger and garlic powder, 2 tablespoons each of Kosher salt (or about a tablespoon of table salt), brown sugar, red wine vinegar, olive oil. I rub the paste onto the pork, let it set a bit and put it into a preheated 500F degree oven for 15-20 minutes and then drop the oven to 250F degrees until it's cooked. I use the new USDA recommendations for pork internal temperature instead of the old "guaranteed to ruin it" 180F degrees. The pork sits on a wire rack in a pan and the bottom of the pan is lined with aluminum foil (ease of cleanup). It smokes a bit but comes out with a bit of a crust, pink inside and very tender. I doesn't last long!

Last night I did up meal around a tip roast. I worked from home--mom had a 2pm doctor appointment--and started early, so I was able to get a good diner going. Sharon and DD loved the simple sauce--blue cheese mixed with just enough Worcestershire sauce to make a thick "cream".. Mickey and I had tried tons of variations on it...and none was as good as "the plane stuff".

Red, I've never heard of HY VEE...I do like the "they love to eat, I love to cook" comment.. :-) I know about ankle casts and cooking, but that was probably easier...I could just pull up a rolling office chair into the kitchen, sit down and work.

Moon...good on the eye.....Without glasses, I can read the 20/20 line from as far as 6 inches away from the chart.

I'm sure I missed a lot here...DD is wanting me to go with her to get stuff at the grocery store before they close...Sharon is looking over student grade point averages to see who is eligible for NHS (National Honor Society) invitations and I don't want to bother her concentration.

Eric

tonight's either the stuff that was leftover from having KFC last night or the leftover chicken dish from Wed.

Eric, your pork roast sounds tasty, too, but spicier.  Blue cheese and Worcestershire--would never have thought of that combo.

The rain is supposed to end today and there is even the possibility of sunshine during the afternoon.  I am mulling over easy dinner options like grilled rib eye.  Trying to shun all those mentions of mac and cheese!

Susan hope you feel better

MOmmy you crack me up

Red I hate arimidex, makes me achy, but tamoxifen gave me high blood pressure. Have 1 1/4 years to go for 5 years. I hope that MO doesn't suggest longer.

For dinner tonight frozen mussels with butter and garlic with whole wheat spaghetti at home. Usual Mussels Friday friend is out of town.

Susan you are feeling better physically today and have good days at work that is good. You're not happy and that sucks. If, as you've said before, this is a slow growing, that is good. Your vacation sounds so good and I know you will enjoy it with relish. I don't want to be one of those idiots that offers platitudes, and I can't speak for your medical situation, as I don't know a lot about it, but I do know that the first day is the hardest part and hope that things get easier.

Susan - so sorry to hear about the tumor markers & the blood work. I do understand about not cancelling the trip. Anything they can give you that's not too toxic to extend some "good" time for your vacation? Bitch away all you want. Hugs & prayers.

Bedo - love the little trailer. That will be a great trial before you decide whether to buy. When do you head out for these adventures?

susan, sorry about your markers. But I'm sure you'll enjoy that trip. Cooking with cousins sounds like a sweet thing.

Bedo, my in laws have a camper like that. We camped in it for a couple of weeks. Just don't try to bring too much. LOL

Supper was fried shrimp from Culvers. They are really quite large and very good. Surprisingly good. It was my first driving trip. So I drive 2 blocks. LOL. Didn't see my DGD because I didn't want o drive almost n hour yet. I'll practice a bit more first. Using a pair of glasses with only one lens. It works, sort of. LOL

Much love to all

susan - the numbers, ugh. I hate cancer, and I hate what it does to people I care about. Hoping there is no physical impact before your trip - I want total awesomeness for you the whole time.

bedo - love the trailer! 

moon - they just opened a Culvers locally a few weeks ago - haven't been but there is always a line there, so I am thinking it is good!

Lithuanian bacon buns. Wowza.

I went to Tucson today for the medical team meeting. 2-1/2 hours there, 6 hours back...a wreck closed the freeway in an area where there are no near freeway exits and no way to turn around.

I've been looking at old slide photographs taken (mostly) by my grandfather. There are 257 boxes of Kodachrome slides (all seem to be 36 slides per box), about 50 boxes of Ektachrome slides (mostly 24 slides per box) and one box of Fujichrome slides.

There are still two more "10 reams of paper size" boxes *full* of slides at mom's house.

Does anyone know of a *GOOD* automated slide scanner. So far, even the mid1950s vintage slides (based on post marks on the mailing boxes) have been in flawless condition. I don't think I want to scan that many slides one at a time and I don't want to have a disk full of inferior copies of the slides.

Oh, Nance your bacon rolls look exactly like the ones in the Penzys catalog. You are the bread champ!!

And Carole, those lamb meatballs sound delish!! Thanks for sharing the recipe.