So...whats for dinner?

Happy Belated B-day, Nancy! Hope it was all you wanted it to be.

Monica, seems any food, even protein, can raise glucose. That's why they do an a1c, because it's longer term and gives the big picture.

Checked in at our hotel. Breakfast at the White Sox Cafe (formerly Harry Caray's) at Midway was, well, edible. It was much better and cheaper when it was HC's. Ordered lemon ricotta pancakes with maple syrup, but there was no ricotta I could taste, they looked like plain pancakes, and there was a sort of lemon syrup/sauce on it. And the maple syrup was maple in name only--I could actually taste the HFCS.

At the hotel, we had a snack of local oysters and tuna poke. Pretty good. Going to La Voile in about 90 minutes. Bob is napping--he hurt himself badly last night by taking a long walk in dress shoes and thin dress socks. Huge, bleeding open blisters on L toe and R ball of foot. He swears he's fine, and wants to walk the Freedom Trail this weekend. I dunno--somehow I think we may be visiting the minute clinic at Walgreen's first. I packed as much foot first aid stuff as I could find.

Moon, I don't understand the whole blood sugar thing at all! Only time I have to worry about those numbers is before a PET scan. I know that I am lucky.

Sandy, the U.S.S. Constitution will be taken out of dry dock this weekend with a bunch of ceremonies, if that is interesting to you.

It is still bloody hot here. Olivia was so much fun today. We took her out to lunch since I simply wasn't interested in heating the kitchen. We went to the Courthouse, a seafood restaurant. I ordered a cod cake for her, and then we got our normal fish & chips and the small side of Gulf shrimp [for Mr. SMT.] She loved the cod cake and she tried some shrimp as well. She chose the fish/shrimp over the French fries, which she loves dearly. Dinner was some grilled chicken mopped with Inner Beauty. I ran out of veggies, so we had a tortellini salad.

This heat should break on Sunday.... can not wait!

*susan*

Oh, Sandy- hoping Bob will not be too stubborn about the walking and will get checked out...we are all getting too old to fool with possible infections and the like...healing mercies for him.  

Well, right now Bob is fuming mad over the hotel wi-fi appearing and disappearing capriciously, because he has to read echocardiograms & EKGs. His Windows won't let him join an open network, nor will his hospital's firewall, so he paid for the secure one, which is erratic as hell. If he can't read the echoes and EKGs (yeah, even on "vacation"), he will lose a couple thousand in billings. I spent over an hour unpacking and setting up the room, and we may have to move to another Hilton tomorrow.

I asked him why even take a vacation if he has to work during it, and he said that if he doesn't, someone else will and they will get paid instead, and that his practice is "marginal." Well if it's that shaky, maybe it's time to walk away and retire. We met with our broker last night, who is aghast at all the unrealized gains we're not cashing in--normal people USE their money. We're not filthy rich, but we are very comfy and highly unlikely to outlive our money--we will probably be able to leave Gordy a decent nest egg to boot.

My FIL was pathological about money (half-Scots, half-Swiss, the perfect storm of parsimony), and though Bob was developing a healthier attitude about enjoying life, during the two years his dad moved in with us (he didn't want to waste his money on assisted living) the apple rolled right back to the foot of the tree. Because my FIL left us more than enough to retire on, and Bob doubled it by investing, he feels that we must leave at least as large an inheritance. He doesn't mind spending money on food, drink and concerts, operas or shows; but he feels he has to "keep the machine cranking" till he gets too old and sick to work. And then, of course, he will be unable to enjoy the fruits of his labor andinvestments. When is enough enough?

Dinner-wise, we went to La Voile, and had the very reasonable prix fixe: foie gras terrine, duck breast over fingerling potatoes (supposed to have been risotto but I guess they couldn't get a good batch going) and dessert--I had the cheese plate to use up what was left of my wine, he had raspberry sorbet in champagne.

Oh how I want to share your meals Sandy! DS and DDIL keep sending me pictures of the seafood they're eating in P-town. Drooling. But poor Bob's feet! Glad you got them taken care of.

Tonight was kofte on pita with tzatziki and a Greek salad using the first of our tomatoes and a cucumber from the garden. Not seafood but pretty tasty anyway. We are also down to the last of the cake. Oh my, it's been good. this is what it looked like before it was cut. It no longer looks like this lol

And a happy (belated?) birthday to you too HappyHammer!

Almost to Thunder Bay, Ontario. I don't have internet access except where there is free wi-fi.

Eric, did you through Duluth, MN? If so, you were not very far from where I was born in Wisconsin. I miss it so much out there this time of year.

Eric, you are quite the explorer!

Susan (and Minus & M0mmy), you steered me right for "foodie Boston." Though we did a tourist trap (Salty Dog in Quincy Market) for lunch--Bob wanted a beer and wanted to sit at a table, so we had to order food--it was decent. Shared a combo of fried oysters, belly clams, slaw & fries. Bob had the fries, plus a salad; I had the slaw, and we split the seafood. Walking through the North End, we were too full to even contemplate gelato or cannoli. Saw Mamma Maria's and made a reservation right then & there, Continued to Copp's Hill cemetery before turning around and going into the Old North Church. (Continuing to Charlestown would have required a brutal hill climb on the way back, and though we had time to kill before dinner, we didn't want to blow it--we got the last table available between 6 and 8:15).

Mamma Maria's was everything you said it was, and more. Fantastic pesto and olives for the whole grain bread. Summer salad with local tomatoes. Shrimp-escargot pasta. And the lobster agnolotti were huge and generously stuffed with lobster and adorned with asparagus and chanterelles. Our server recommended a Chianti with it because of the very rich saffron cream sauce, and she was right on the money. We shared fresh local berries for dessert. Wasn't impressed by the espresso (almost no cream), so we walked back to Hanover St. The line at Mike's Pastries was too long, so we sat down outside the Italian espresso joint next door and drank the real thing. Also bought a couple of mini-cannoli to go, for a bedtime snack after we finish packing tonight.

Sandy - sounds like a great weekend in spite of the trip to emergency for foot repair.

Dinner was pork chops that I'd marinated in Char Shu sauce for 24 hours & then baked. They were accompanied by chopped sauteed Bok Choy and some leftover rice. Even though it was mid day, I poured a glass of Fall Creek Chenin Blanc, a lovely chilled white wine.

Then unfortunately I continued to snack all day long. It's been a long time since I had the munchies but I was so hungry for useless Ruffles w/Ridges or Fritos. I was partly saved since my cupboard only had a bag or original Mary's Gone Crackers (wheat free, kosher, organic, non-GMO, etc) and a box of regular Triscuits. Oh, and one of the huge containers of Jelly Belly 49 flavors from Costco.

The two Mama Maria's, Philly and Boston, are in no way related. Lunch was supposed to be the pork tenderloin that I have had in the sous vide bath all morning, but our cleaner [great benefit of running an AirBNB] was in the kitchen, so we moved onto pizza.

Olivia modeling the hat I made her:

*susan*

Special, I am so bloody irritated for you! Why are these lapses in care so common and why do they have to happen to you? I am sure that you will be cute in anything you wear, but wish you could wear the outfits that you had planned. ARGH.

Special - oh these stupid people who don't listen. I hope your LE doc is more on the ball. I like the idea of tapering steroids. So sorry about the new clothes for for the reunion. Miami in long sleeves?? Ugh is right. Please let us know what your LE doc says.

minus - I will have to remain air conditioned as much as possible - unfortunately, the Friday night thing is a poolside BBQ so no AC - and the sun will still be up, but low. I have a couple of tops with sleeves but they are kind of floaty - that will have to work. I am a tad nervous that the LE doc will be worried about cellulitis - they slap you inpatient with IV antibiotics if they suspect, and I don't really want to do that. My arm is visibly larger than it was last week, but I think it is just angry, not infected. Will know more tomorrow.

Susan, Olivia is rocking that hat (and I love the T-shirt too).

Special, it’s always something, isn’t it? Can you wear a pretty sheer shawl, as sort of a “stole?”

Dinner is nothing special (Mariano’s St. Louis ribs—$12 for a full slab, and I can’t get through more than 4 bones). But breakfast? A farewell lobster roll in Logan Airport.

Bob’s feet are better. I took pity on him and instead of making him wrestle our suitcase on to the parking shuttle so I could take the train home, I kissed him good bye at Midway and told him to high-tail it to his office. I got down to the baggage carousel just in time to retrieve the suitcase, and was first in the taxi line. Got some rest, and then went to the gym before replenishing all the eggs, ice cream & salumi that Gordy depleted while we were away.

Bummer is that my two ripening tomatoes got blossom-end rot, and one was invaded by an (ugh) earwig. Think I will get some calcium treatment for the soil to prevent any more such disasters. So far, the other 20 ‘maters seem to be surviving, though still small & green.

Yesterday I was on a roll for chopping & prep. A neighbor gave me a green pepper & I had a sweet onion so I made three bean salad with Tarragon vinegar and set it to marinating. Found I was in the mood for jello so mixed up some lemon jello and added mandarin oranges. Very cooking when it's 98 degrees. Then I had those left over pork chops. I cooked rice & set it to chill overnight and chopped the pork, green onions & mushrooms. All I had to do today was fry the veggies & the rice for a delicious fried rice. Of course I added soy & eggs & scrambled towards the end. I had leftover fresh, steamed BokChoy, so I added that to my serving bowl for today's portion. Since this made enough for 3 meals, I'll add peas to tomorrow's serving.