So...whats for dinner?

What a cutie Joyce!

Oh oh - Lacey mentioned doughnuts. Months go by w/o my thinking of them, but now I'm fixated - and I can't drive! It really would be over the top for me to call some neighbor to go get me a doughnut. When my DS was young (and the world was not as aware of healthy eats) we used to go to a little family owned doughnut shop before church every Sunday. In fact my ex-DH still meets a group of men friends at a different shop 5 days a week to solve all the worlds problems before work or retirement activities.

The wine tour sounds lovely. And fun to be back at your initial landing place.

Eric - I like 5-Guys bread. At least in Houston, they get their buns from am excellent local bakery. (Oops, looks like Sheila Partin's sweet sourdough is now sold to restaurants around the country.) I probably don't eat red meat twice a month but I will certainly enjoy a juicy hamburger when I get my sling off & have the use of both hands.

North Carolina's always been on my bucket list but I can wait out the idiots and go after they get their act together.

Heard from Bedo. Her recovery is coming along nicely. She's just super busy and excited about the summer job. I'm sure she'll check in soon.

Lunch Friday was explosive. Eight members of my SIL's grown family had excellent New Mexican food, but at all times at least one of the eight wasn't speaking to another & that changed throughout the meal. Moving is stressful; 30 somethings can be insistent on having everything their way RIGHT NOW; two babies crying; SIL intent on directing the show and having it HER way. Oh my. So I sat in the middle & had two margaritas. I love everyone of them but prefer to see each couple as a separate unit when we can really visit w/o "helpful suggestions" or corrections from the others.

Went to a lovely concert yesterday by Mercury Baroque. Three times a year they do a series of "neighborhood" concerts so you don't have to drive downtown. The other nice part is the 2:30 afternoon time so no one's driving after dark. I was home in time to make yet another large salad for dinner. This afternoon four neighbors are playing Chickenfoot (dominoes). I'm taking a cold boiled shrimp ring (yup, purchased since I'm not up to shelling shrimp yet). Another lady is making butter beans, I expect w/bacon. No doubt there will be desserts.

Carole - we were cross posting. How is your mother doing? Glad you're getting out a little more. I love the idea of a folding chairs & an outdoor concert.

eric - I did taxes with you in solidarity yesterday! Ours was non-eventful, but DD's taxes are complicated by having a lot of sources of income, some of them "business" related without federal withholding - so... it took all day, but is done for this year! Also had to figure out how to account for DH's executor fee and the write off for both us and DD for the property sale that were beneficiaries of from our friend's estate. Yesterday was a learning day! During the tax prep I did a quick chicken tetrazzini for my single friend (young TN BRCA1+ breast cancer a couple of years ago) who had plantar fasciitis surgery on Fri. I am taking it to her today along with some oranges and cranberry muffins. I took her to the surgery on Fri, I was surprised how fast it was - we were only there for a couple of hours. Last night's dinner was super boring - leftover steak, steamed carrots and quinoa for DH, soup, and apple, and some cheese and crackers for me. The crazy taxes wore me out! I need to shop for perishables today!

Sounds like your house is the place to go for good eats, Susan!

My food consumption today did not consist of well-rounded meals. Breakfast was plain non-fat Greek yogurt with fresh strawberries and diced mango. That was pretty healthy and tasty. I sweetened the mixture with packets of stevia. At the outdoor concert I bought a large bag of roasted peanuts in the shell and ate over half the bag. Next was a cappuccino and a delicious brownie. Then water. Tonight I finished up the peanuts and had a black plum. Now I'll have dessert, two dark chocolate Hershey kisses.

Tomorrow morning I'll bite the bullet and attend a WW meeting.

Everyone here all to exited about the nice weather....got invited impromptu to a friends for a cookout. Burgers and the usual salads. I did the macaroni salad and used lowfat plain greek yogurt with just a tbsp. of mayo as the dressing, added some red pepper relish with the celery and egg...I was disappointed there wasn't any left to bring home. Good time being outside.

Tonight we got invited to Martini Monday party. I am sure we will be on their deck overlooking the lake YAY! she is doing pizza, and I will bring a fruit salad Usually about 15-20 boat people there....she says we are celebrating the beginning of boat season.

Hope everyone is busy enjoying the warmer temps and getting outside. I picture Nance getting the garden ready.

After my WW meeting, I drove across the large parking lot to Fresh Market, where I bought some nice veggies: yellow beets, broccoli, and Swiss chard. At the fish counter, I first bought fresh cod, which was on special for $9.99. Then I ended up buying Pacific salmon, too. The salmon was thinner than I would have liked. I'm thinking I will cook it tonight and the cod tomorrow night. I will probably sear the salmon in the cast iron grill pan and not have to finish it in the oven as with thicker filets.

After my PCP visit, I stopped at Sam's Club where I bought huge blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, plums and a seedless watermelon in addition to other items.

Dinner last night was a gas-grilled organic ribeye, sauteed Brussels sprouts with balsamic vinegar, and baked beans with burnt ends. The beans were from the BBQ at Mariano’s supermarket; the other two were from scratch.

I too am dismayed by the actions of the NC legislature and Gov., but I don't think the breast cancer patients of Hickory should be penalized for the bigotry & homophobia of their state government. (Hickory is part of the general metro area of Charlotte, which had the courage to pass the anti-LGBT ordinance in the first place). Before the concert I will be attending the Southeast Regional Folk Alliance (SERFA) conference at the Montreat Center in Black Mt., part of the greater Asheville metro area--and Asheville is an oasis of enlightenment, culture and progressivism. They, too, should not be punished for the sins of their gov't in the capital (which is located in the the Research Triangle Area--where its neighbors Durham, Chapel Hill and Cary are also more progressive). Montreat, which is a Presbyterian-run facility, issued a statement denouncing HB 52, welcoming everyone as a guest regardless of race, religion, age, physical ability, sexual orientation and gender identity--and specifically invited guests to use whichever bathroom in which they feel comfortable. SERFA has decided not to cancel this year's conference (and I committed both to attending SERFA and playing the benefit in Hickory before the shameful conduct of NC's state gov't), and the liberal Local 1000 of the Musicians' Union (AFM) also supports holding the conference at Montreat this year. The progressive citizens and municipalities of Asheville and Charlotte areas should be commended, not punished, for the conduct of the disgraceful few at the top in Raleigh.

Yes, Springsteen and Adams cancelled their concerts in NC--but these were paid gigs, not benefits; and not located in the progressive areas of the state. Had my show in Hickory been just another paying gig, I'd have cancelled it and headed home to Chicago that morning.

Dinner tonight was last minute black beans [oh how I love my pressure cooker], carnitas, guacamole, fresh salsa, two Fontera sauces, and some home made tortilla chips. I didn't get home from my client meeting until 6pm, so we didn't eat until 8pm. A little late, but the best I could do.

Montreat, NC has a special place my heart. My husband's family had a house there, and we used this house for our honeymoon and for several years thereafter. Eventually we were told that it was no longer available to us since we were not participating in the religious eduction. Montreat is a Presbyterian/Episcopalian center which serves as a center for religious retreats. We were so poor when we got married. The house didn't have salt or pepper, but we had run out of money at the market so didn't have any more to buy these two staple items. The next door neighbors were so kind and gave us some. They were mighty surprised that a newly married couple would want salt and pepper, it had never happened before with honeymooner, but they almost instantly made us family.

I remember that my husband's friend [yes, four of my husband's friends joined us on our honeymoon for golfing expeditions] bought blueberries and I went back to the market [the only one in Black Mountain back then] with paper and pen, and wrote out a recipe for blueberry muffins from a cookbook they were selling. I certainly couldn't afford the book. To this day that is our "home" blueberry muffin recipe. We were so lucky that it was so very delicious. I should post this recipe....

What a lovely walk back in time this was.

*susan*

Good evening all! I've been reading posts but haven't had a chance to post anything myself. Last night we spent the night in Columbia, MO so DH, DBIL and a friend of ours could go hear a group called the David Rawlings Machine, a group of musicians who were unknown to us but the guys indicated that they were incredibly talented and put on a great show. Before the show, we had dinner at a local brewhouse. DH and I had waygu beef burgers, which were quite good in spite of being overcooked. A shame really, because they would have been pretty awesome if they had been cooked better. Sides were unremarkable -- but the homemade potato chips with house made ketchup were tasty.

Tonight was barbecued chicken, pickleback coleslaw and some decent corn on the cob that I roasted on the grill.

I'm glad that you friends to the south and west are high and dry. Very scary stuff in Houston! Thank you for the Bedo report Minus.

Lacey, your "sparkly" tour sounds delightful -- that is my kind of wine tour. And a martini party! I LOVE do it yourself martini bars! I have to say that banana chocolate chip cookies sound very dangerous ;-) I have done little or no baking lately and I'm starting to get the itch - exacerbated by all of this donut talk!!

Carole - I'm glad your mom is comfortably in the nursing home and Red - I definitely feel your pain. I'm hoping the nursing home may be the best choice for your dad for his own safety (and for your peace of mind.) I wish I could say the same for my dad. He is very marginal and I really just don't know how this is going to end up. His mobility issues are definitely getting more complicated as well as other physical ailments like the ulcers. Assisted living would be a good choice form him, but I think he would have the same falling issues as your dad Red. To make matters worse, his lady friend of 4 1/2 years just "broke up" with him and he is very sad about that. My heart just sinks every time the phone rings, wondering what new problems it's about to announce. I suppose such is life. But enough about that.

Susan - your willingness to invest so much time and effort in advance meal prep just continues to awe me. Most of these days I don't know what's for dinner until late afternoon. And yes PLEASE to the blueberry muffin recipe!

I had an opportunity to buy golden beets yesterday but passed them by, which I now regret. Your fruit and vegetable score makes me jealous Carole.

Haha Carrie - you know me well. I am indeed involved in garden prep. I'm a bit put out because my heavy lifting guy didn't show up to do the heavy lifting on Sunday, so the beds are a bit behind. But I noticed yesterday that the potatoes are up as is the spinach, although it's been so warm I may not get much yield from that before it bolts. The tomatoes and peppers are sitting on the front porch and probably won't get into the ground for another week or so. The rest of the plan calls for Asian and "burpless" cucumbers, as well as a few pickling ones this year, French filet beans, one Gadzukes zucchini and a couple of butterstick yellow squash plants. The peppers are a mix of red, green, yellow, Italian and jalapeno peppers. Tomatoes are some beefsteaks, a few heirloom varieties, two San Marzano (which will be nothing like the real deal but are a nice paste tomato nonetheless), a few good all around variety and one cherry. I also planted a large container with bok choy. This will be my first attempt at this plant. All this will be enough to keep me chasing critters all summer. The peonies I planted in the garden last year are up and budding and this year I've added some asclepias (milkweed) and transplanted a clematis. There are three butterfly bushes already in this big garden so I'm hoping to attract many more pollinators. I'm encouraged by the number of honeybees that I've already seen in the blooming weed in the yard. We had very few last year. Pollinating the squash plants with a q-tip is not nearly as efficient as the winged critters!

The only menu item I'm sure about for the coming week is homemade pizza.

Lazy tonight--dinner was the beans-and-burnt-ends prefaced with tuna salad on matzo (what can I say, I’m a sucker for the Yehuda brand), Jerusalem salad and non-mayo cabbage-and-almond slaw, with fruit water.

Passover has always been a diet disaster for me. Last year I was in Madrid and went to a Sephardic Seder which Chabad found for me (I’m Reform, and the congregation Modern Orthodox, but religiously it didn’t feel too weird--though most of the Haggadah being recited in rapid-fire Ladino and the Hebrew transliterated using Spanish spelling was a challenge; and some of the foods quite different from the Ashkenazi I’m used to--though no rice or other grains, which are kosher-for-Passover in Sephardi tradition, in deference to we Ashkenazim attending).

This year (a Jewish leap year) it’s a month after Easter--this Fri, night. Bob’s working late, so unless I’m invited elsewhere I’ll just refrain from eating “chametz” (the starches not permitted). Sat. night, our temple is holding the annual communal Seder, to which we’re going. I hate to admit it, but while it ought to be easy to go low-carb on Passover, in reality there’s matzo or potato in darn near everything on the Seder table. And avoiding grains doesn’t mean eschewing matzo even during the rest of the week: it’s a halachic requirement to eat at least one piece of matzo a day. (It only has to be the size of an olive, but my taste tends to those huge Castelvetrano olives, not the tiny Niçoises). Passover for me is a minefield of matzos (egg, Yehuda, the pricey but delicious handmade round shmura ones, even chocolate-covered), matzo ball soup, gefilte fish, potato kugel, chocolates (jelly rings, marshmallow twists, etc.), flourless chocolate torte/terrine, egg kichels, and those macaroons! New flavors on the shelves are Rocky Road and Red Velvet. I bought myself a canister of sugar-free (sweetened with xylitol and high in fiber, they’re very low-carb). It’s tougher for me than Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas combined.

There’s the ritual “four cups of wine” at Seder, but I will substitute dry wine and use a cordial glass. Nobody said the “cup” has to be a full-sized wine glass.

I won’t be able to avoid carbs, so I’m going to have to cut the fats and calories in general--and walk like crazy. Last year, being without a car in a foreign country, I managed to get my exercise out of necessity--but this year it has to be out of self-discipline.

Minus -- lol that picture probably doesn't compare to the one of me screaming like a banshee chasing a groundhog :-D

Oh the single life ---I ate guacamole and chips for dinner one night, then last night was the bowling potluck. I too, had been to sams club and I scored the same raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, pineapple and melon that Carole did. I came home and made a simple syrup with mind and red pepper and honey that I strained after co minutes and everyone was happy and I brought a bit home that I have been nibbling on. Now I am off to pick up a pizza.

Today I am not visiting Dad---so we will see. Like Carole, I need to have some me time, but no sibs to take up the slack.

SpecialK, so glad that DD is ok.

Red, hope the pizza is good.

I played golf the first half of the day. Went for a hair trim in the early afternoon. Got ambitious on my return home and washed my car and vacuumed it out. Now I'm all showered and not in any mood to cook, make a mess in the kitchen and have to clean it up. DH is voting for a burger from Chili's. Close and efficient for take-out.

I should have resisted the impulse to accomplish something. But I do have a clean little Prius.

Red, I have five siblings but only one of them shares the care giver duties. The others do call on a daily basis and one brother visits and brings food treats. Tomorrow and Thursday I will be going to the nursing home to spend time with my mother. I always take Saturday, too, so that my sister can spend weekend time with her dh. They're in their 50's and he still works.

Special, oh my goodness! I am so glad that your daughter wasn't hurt.....

Keeper of the parents. Sending you all my best thoughts.

The condo passed inspection today. Still have one small project to finish, but for most purposes, this renovation is in the rear view mirror.

*susan*