So...whats for dinner?
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Eric - I'm not good at revising recipes, but what would you think about switching the balsamic vinegar to red wine?
Dinner with my nephew was excellent. I had rainbow trout w/French green lentils & sauteed spinach with pecans. Neph had their pot roast. He was licking the bowl. Niece-in-law had blackened salmon pasta. She cleared her plate also. We split a peanut butter mousse pie with oreo crust. Surprisingly addictive. None of us had leftovers to take home. The 15 month old kept very busy with homemade rosemary bread & whole wheat bread and didn't fuss at all while we visited for 1-1/2 hours. They don't usually give the baby sweets but she LOVED the peanut butter pie.
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Bob decided to brave the slippery roads and drive home from Oak Lawn through Evergreen Park. He said as soon as he crossed Western Ave. into Chicago, the streets were magically clear. Guess there’s a reason for higher property taxes than in the S. suburbs…..
Anyway, he stopped off at Calo and brought home fettucine with spinach & prawns. Yum! (There’s enough left over for two more meals). Opened a bottle of Mumm Napa Deveaux Ranch Brut 2007 to celebrate his making it home in the snow, having been able to hire someone who shoveled, and my back slowly getting better.
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I have a cookbook with lots of "next time, try......" notes penciled in the edges...all having to do with wines, both red and white, as a braising liquid. None of them ever gave the meat a pleasing to us taste. So far, the balsamic vinegar, with enough honey, seems to be the closest to the way I like it.
Back then the legal age to buy alcoholic beverages was 19. There wasn't much drinking, but there sure was a lot of cooking experiments.
Snow? That's that white stuff. Right????? Around here 1/16 of an inch of snow would probably shut down the town. Heat...ahh...changing the subject...... :-)
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This was a storm here in CT last winter. Guess this would shut down AZ for a month Eric! This was my back deck and the furniture had not yet been covered and put away. My grill took a hit too...LOL Since we grill all year when it is not snowing, we never put it away, just cover it.
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Happy 33rd, Special! Of course here it might be referred to as your "Larry Bird" anniversary. LOL
Chi, I'm sorry to learn of your back issue....sounds awful. While my sciatica is a bit better, the constant coughing led to a back strain last Saturday that has continued, but regular ibuprofen is settling it a bit. When we were getting ready to go out last Saturday, I could not bend down to fasten the strap on my shoes. Needed DH to come do it for me. Believe me, every time I can put my socks on now, I am extremely thankful!
Last night we had grilled teriyaki pork tenderloin, ("we" also grill all winter) with steamed brussells sprouts, and a mixed salad with balsamic dressing. We also finished up a bit of crustless kale and peppers quiche that was languishing in the fridge. We shared a red velvet whoopie pie for dessert. I made the mistake of impulsively picking one up last week (at a store's checkout counter) and obviously DH liked it a lot, so he bought one yesterday. Definitely not scales friendly!
Made two cookie doughs last night.....one for almond flavored candy cane cookies, and walnut chocolate chip dough made with spelt. Hope they are not too healthy tasting for the Cookie tray!
Very messy snow and rain day here today....but will probably venture out to the gym, and do modified stretching.....maybe zumba if my back is not spasming.
Minus and Special, both of your dinners out sounded delicious!
Nance, not sure we will ever go back to a big tree either. We did go a hunting for our Charlie Brown tree Saturday, and as we started our search, a truck pulled up and the workers started unloading a ton of very small trees....what luck! So it is already up (small but much fuller thana CB tree) and decorated since DH loves to do that...or so it seems. I don't question it.....just happy it gets done. I have yet to decorate the wreath we purchased.
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Thanks for the anniversary wishes! Lacey - lol!
chisandy - eeesh on the sore back - hope it improves quickly! a sore back is tough - can't get into a comfy position, and forget bending over for shoes or the keys you dropped.
I am a crazy person and have a number of trees - a vintage pink and turquoise one with ornaments that were on my family trees in the 50's and 60's, a nautical one on the lanai woith starfish and sparkly turtles and palm trees, a big traditional one (I mean BIG - 10 feet!) with a lot of glass ornaments, a military/Americana one, and one that has all of the children's homemade ornaments, and ones given to them on top of packages from when they were little.
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My mom had enough ornaments for a 20 foot tree....
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eric - Lol! Me too - that is why I have so many trees! I have also purchased many as souvenirs when we have traveled. My DH gave me a quiz the other night to see if I could tell him the origin of each one he pointed out - I batted 1000. I apparently can forget important stuff, but remember where the ornaments came from... haha!
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would love to see photos of that vintage tree. Love them as they were really a part of my childhood. My aunt had a pink one and a blue one and would put them both up in the same large room. My family had the silver foil one for a few years but my dad hated it and we went back to green ones..lol
I buy a real tree still. I have been doing this since I had my own family almost 40 years now. Here is a photo of my tree. It is 8 feet tall.
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We have enough ornaments for a 20 foot tree which is why we haven't gotten it out for a while. For 30 years, we gave each other ornaments at Christmas, plus we have some old glass ones from our own childhoods. They add up. Even after giving DS his and some of ours too, we have what seems like hundreds. It exhausts me just thinking about putting them away.
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Devoutly grateful for the “bionic” knees that make it unnecessary to bend over to pick things up. Was able to pull on my UGGs today, to leave the house for my manicure. Pain patches (Flector, aka diclofenac, overnight and Lidoderm during the day) are making a difference, as well as taking Flexeril BID now—splitting the difference between the PA at the “doc-in-a-box” around the corner who prescribed only one, at bedtime only, and Bob, who says he prescribes it Q6H for the first few days. He also says he prefers Baclofen because it is non-sedating. I won’t take a flexeril tomorrow morning, because I’ll be driving first to & from Evanston Hospital for my followup mammo and BS appt., and then to Glen Ellyn for the radio concert. (WDCB 90.9 in the Chi. area, www.wdcb.org worldwide). The show runs from 8-11, and we’re on between 9:18-9:33.
Leftover fettucine aglio e olio with red pepper flakes, prawns & spinach, plus sparkling pinot meunier for dinner tonight.
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ChiSandy I hope you heal quickly. I have had back spasms, usually after lifting something I shouldn't by myself--they gave me Flexeril as well. And Vicodin. It is certainly a different kind of pain. I woke up and when I opened the door to get the newspaper, the world was WHITE....we were not predicted any snow until later this week. It is pretty when it is undisturbed.
Love all the Christmas tree stuff- I have not put mine up --worried about what Esmerelda would do to a tree.. I have tons of ornaments as well. We can't seem to have a Church Rummage Sale when I don't find another antique ornament to lug home with me. I could probably do a tree for several themes---Victorian, Russian, Swedish, German, Angels, Cats, Hunting/Fishing, etc. My favorite is the all Cat tree or the all Ethnic Heritage tree.
Yesterday was not a good day at the nursing home. When I arrived my Dad was in his room, sitting in his wheel chair staring at the calendar on the closet door and having a conversation with no one. I asked him who he was talking to and he said "myself". and I asked him what he was talking about and he was "gong to take his test " and then it was his "test to get his drivers license back"...I should know not to even try to reason with him, but then I got told how I had no Confidence in him, and I wasn't his boss....So I diverted him to his hearing aids and getting them working (changed the batteries) and then he picked up the newspaper, read one story out loud to me, read the headlines on another on the same page, then started to read the same story out loud again...so I redirected him to the new story......More and More when I am there he doesn't want to talk to me about anything---so I just sit with him and hold his arm or his hand.while he decides to read the paper, the Bible, or watch TV. The nurse did say he has fewer crackles in his lungs today and that he still has a few days of antibiotic left. We still have had no birds on the feeder outside his window. He did get a chuckle out of his Christmas gift to me----I found a bracelet made out of the bottom of Winchester shotgun shells- My dad was a big outdoorsman and he just loved that bracelet.....
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Ah Red, these are not easy times are they? Hugs to you.
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Thanks Nance----today wasn't much better
Trying to get things done for Christmas gift exchanges and rushing around. Looking for a unique little demitasse cup for a friend who collects them--needed something else to put in her Xmas bag so I hit 4 of the antique shops in town but didn't see anything I liked--although I did buy myself a Infant of Prague flower vase ( I will use it as a pencil cup) an d a pair of Christmas Pillowcases-- I will use them on the bed with my Christmas quilt I made--I ran out of fabric so I couldn't do shams---these will be fine......they were ticketed 4.00 and everything Christmas was 1/2 off so I was happy happy....
Was going to treat myself to a steak and baked potato for supper but there was literally no parking place at Kroger----so I hit the McDonalds at the far end of the lot......no, it was not as good, but I had no dishes to clean up either.....
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Red - We had limited my Dad at age 89 to driving only down to the corner store. Well he made a wrong turn one day, and then another, and then another & he didn't get home. My Mother's care giver called me & I hopped on a plane from Houston to San Francisco. Turns out he sort of knew where he was but couldn't figure out how to get home on all the new freeways. He finally rang a doorbell on a residential street and convinced the lady who answered that he was harmless and to please call his house. The caregiver couldn't leave my Mom so the neighbors went to get him & one drove his car home. After 8 hours of being missing, he was home. When the police came the next day - the officer told me I would need to take away his driver's license. "OH NO", said I. "You have a uniform & a badge & a gun & are the man in authority - I am just a 'girl'. You will have to ask him to surrender his driver's license". Because I knew that in my Dad's generation, that was exactly what I was - just a girl. I don't mean he didn't respect me and allow me to take care of all his finances & everything else - but still, a girl (and a whippersnapper to boot). From that time on, he always had an application that he was filling out to get his driver's license back and he was convinced that the doctor would approve it & then he'd "pass the test". Funny how many applications seemed to get lost by mistake. Needless to say it never happened, but at least he didn't blame ME.
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Well handled, Minus!
And Red, my caring thoughts go out to you as you devotedly care for your dad and his frustrations over clipped wings among other things. Poor guy....poor you! And Nance, I know you know what she is going through so well. Hugs to you both.
Special, so maybe it is a Florida thing to populate each room with a tree! I just learned from DS2' s fiancee's mother that she also decorates every room with a tree. Wow! Quite an effort!
Today I finally got around to making my kale soip which we had for dinner with a loaf of crusty bread and a leftover wedge of brie. Yum!
And I am about to bake some chocolate chip spelt cookies.
Nite all.....
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Yes, I completely empathize with Nance & Red. Not to say that taking care of Mothers like Carole and several others are doing is easy. But boy those (stubborn) Dads. Many of the men in that generation don't know anything else but work, and that is also their identity. They HATE being helpless and it seems they fight so hard against learning to throttle back.
Lacey - if it weren't for the snow, I'd head your way for cookies. I saw Manchester by the Sea this afternoon and the worst part was the snow, & snow, & more snow - continually coming down, shoveling, driving in, walking & slipping, freezing cold. And while I thought the acting was superb, it is about grief and not a happy subject or picture. The friend who went with me thought that the lead never showed any emotion. I don't agree, but he is certainly conflicted. Heavy subject.
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The Charlie Brown tree
It looks cuter in person.
Dad had some good news today, now that his sling is off, he is making such good progress in rehab that he may get discharged in a few weeks. The supportive living coordinator came to see him today and they will have an apartment available during that time. It did a lot for his mental state, he was quite chipper. I just hope the weather is better when it's time to move, the wind chill today was bitter! Temps are working their way down to zero by the end of the week. I knew lots of us are experiencing this arctic blast. I'm so not ready.
Tonight was carryout Chinese -- nothing gourmet, just standard issue.
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Love your tree, Nance!
Will post ours which is actually a pretty full, but very short table guy! Not really like those in the Charlie Brown league, which I think have more character.
DH did all the decorating while I baked. I like that arrangement of walking into the living room and seeing it done! He is more patient than I these days.Got the spelt choc chip cookies baked tonight. They are really tasty in a healthful way. I wonder how they will stand up to the sweeter ones that I always put on my cookie tray.
Here's the tree....
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Red, great Illinois minds think alike. I had an early lunch and didn’t eat before I sang (and after my set, I found out the fried chicken tenders were gone, so I ate crudites and a slice of crustless pumpkin “pie” with the pumpkin shell as the crust). En route home, I went through the Mickey D’s drive-thru at the O’Hare tollway oasis and ordered a buttermilk crispy chicken sandwich and small fries. I would have had to sit and wait five minutes in the subzero cold for the fries, so I got just the sandwich. Ate it when I got home—sometimes you just gotta have comfort food. Accompanied it with some leftover champagne. (Celebrating a fun night doing the WDCB Holiday Hoot, and a normal followup mammogram, with my seroma having shrunken by almost 1/3).
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I was surprised this year about how many of those itty bitty trees are on the tree lots. Maybe the baby boomers are all losing their enthusiasm for tree trimming.
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Or maybe the boomers are just too tired...LOL I know that if I did not have small grandchildren, I would not buy a large tree and in fact I think that next year may be the year I start to scale it back. It is too much work and of course, the expense of a real tree that is 8 feet or larger is huge - 60 bucks in my neck of the woods although I only buy from farms that replant and keep growing more trees.
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Nance, wonderful news for you and Dad----being chipper is outstanding news. I love the trees--all of them. Last night I told my friends, I am going to take a hot shower, do the alcohol and lemon juice for my cough, and put up the tree---well I did 1 and 2.......It is bitterly cold here also--I was sitting here and suddenly remembered it is trash day, so I bundled up to make the trek to the curb...BRRRRR.
Maybe I can do it now if I get off the computer........I don't know where my motivation has gone to- I know I will enjoy looking at it once it is up. I guess because I have so many memories of decorating the house and my folks and my Aunt coming for dinner---My mom would tell me every year that is the best tree you have ever done....I don't want that to all flood back so I don't put it up.......WELL I NEED TO PUT ON MY BIG GIRL PANTS AND DEAL WITH IT..... Off to the basement I am heading.
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Ok Tree is up---not decorated with anything breakable or my favorite ornaments. Other than a collection of crocheted snowflakes, it is all stuff from after Christmas 90 percent off---but we will see how she does this Christmas. I put the tree up then sat down in the dining room and heard her under it. I have scolded her twice, but that doesn't shame a cat.........She was very interested in the light string as I had it lit on the floor. three strands of lights and one won't work, so I have 200 red lights and 100 green ones. I am afraid to go to the nursing home tonight for what I might find when I come home. OH WELL. If it is toppled over, I will just take it all down and put it away.
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Our cat lays under the tree, but doesn't do anything to it.
The "was a boy" dog thought (but only time) we had relaxed the rules on "going outside".
Eric
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Or that you had brought the indoors in to him! Lol Eric
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We’ve had an artificial tree now for almost a decade, since Gordy’s & my asthma were aggravated by the resins and spores of the Fraser firs we used to get, not to mention the ritual of sawing off the bottom and trying to center it in the stand, keeping it watered, and keeping the cats from drinking the tree water….then the needles that inevitably get stuck in the carpeting and show up occasionally for months no matter how much we vacuum. Heidi doesn’t know it’s fake (it looks real) and climbs into it—which is why we have to anchor it. Happy bats at the lower ornaments, which we make sure are unbreakable. Heidi likes a little red wooden apple—she pulls it off the branch and bats it around the house.
I admit it: I blew off my support group meeting tonight, even though my BS' NP told me yesterday there was going to be a nutritional lecture by someone from the Cancer Wellness Center. My back hurts too dang much and it's insanely cold out there (the coldest night we've had since the infamous "Chiberia" of three years ago).
Made some good-ol'-fashioned hot chocolate (a mix from Whole Foods called (tone-deafly) "Moo-Latte." I spiked it with a shot of espresso. For tonight's dinner, Beaujolais Nouveau with pan-seared coho, snap peas and fried rice (made from leftover Chinese takeout rice). Confronted by two serious temptations: first, the arrival of the annual tray of baklava (all the way from a Middle Eastern bakery, Shatila, near Detroit) from a psychiatric group to whom Bob refers patients; then the half-dozen Danish (from a patient) he brought home tonight. Must….remain…..strong…..
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[braces ChiSandy] You will remain strong. (teasing)Too bad you can't sent all that to the BCO boards!!
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Sandy know what you mean about real trees. My late furbaby Charcoal only played with the ornaments. My furbaby Princess has been climbing inside the artificial tree we have and also playing with the ornaments. Thankfully I put the breakable ornaments up higher
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Day 1 after tree went up. part of the lights on the bottom branches were pulled down while I slept. that is all. So I call it a win. We are in the deep freeze of cold here today. I wasn't going out but my PCP called and one of her associates had a cancellation and they want to listen to my lungs regarding this cough...so I got an apt at 12.20......YIKESI have on a 100% Nordic Wool sweater with a turtle neck under it.....Wishing I had not swapped out cars with my Dad... his has a remote start, mine will not be warm till I get to the appointment....
Dinner will be the steak and baked potatoes I wanted a couple nights ago....If I go out today, there MUST be a reward....
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