So...whats for dinner?

Special, you are so right. Love the pre-marinated ones. Fast prep, packaging to pan to oven. Minimal fuss and no mess to clean up.

Our leftover paella was really flavorful.. I made a salad of cukes and tomatoes from the farmer’s market, and cubes of avocado, with a bit of my fave horseradish dressing.

Before dinner, I made a couple of small loaves of banana walnut bread, which should have been baked half way through our dinner....but every time I got up to check them, they were still uncooked inside. Took me three times before I realized that I had inadvertently pushed “clear/off” (which is next to the number 1) when I was resetting the timer for 10 minutes, so these little loaves took forever! I was basically using up three extremely ripe bananas, and wanting to bring a little treat to our friend who spent the summer dealing with side effects of his metasticised prostate cx treatment, the most recent of which has been radiation burns to his esophagus from spine radiation. Anyway, he is starting to eat again and I thought banana bread would be a good safe comfort food.

Special, this tooth thing has been interminable!! Apparently, I have one more appt with implant guy, then off to my regular dentist for the imoressions and crown process. Lots of appts with long times in between.....especially b/c I needed the bone restoration. Of course, as soon as this marathon process is complete, I’ll probably have another tooth that needs attention! I have a very old mouth!

This week we are dog sitting for DS2’s and DD2’s pooch....a silly Scotty. He is very low maintenance in the house, but not too friendly to other canines on our walks, and if I let him in the backyard, he hunts all the way to China for chipmunk villages. And we have lots of chipmunks! So our backyard is now full of giant holes. And he has a brown layer of excavation dirtover his black fur. Oy!

Wow, Monica, what a difference a couple hours' drive north makes--it's only down into the mid-50s here in Chicago.

Hospital banquet at the Ritz-Carlton was pretty nice--though it was chilly, there were both infrared heaters and a big outdoor fireplace. Pass-arounds were lamb kabobs, grilled prawn skewers, Vietnamese vegan summer rolls, marinated ahi on tasting spoons, and mushroom mini-spanakopitas. Dinner was a Caprese of rainbow heirloom tomatoes (regular & cherry) with burrata & arugula; "airline" chicken breast saltimbocca (prosciutto-wrapped) with baby haricots verts and potatoes Anna; and a wicked dark chocolate flourless terrine with brandied dried cherries & whipped cream. Of course, they were more generous & timely pouring the wine than they were the coffee. Some people see coffee and think "I need something sweet." Me, I see dessert (especially dark chocolate) and think "bring on the black coffee!"

The chicken was fairly dry--we asked for some extra gravy for the table, and it helped. The potatoes were meh--undercooked though seared at the edges and woefully underseasoned. For the life of me, I don't know why caterers and restaurants are so big on chicken breasts, when thighs are cheaper and much more flavorful.

The outfit I bought came together beautifully. Almost wore my gold Coach mini-crossbody satchel (which is my everyday purse), but Bob said this was probably going to be the most formal event of the year, so why not carry the gold-and-bronze crystal & leather mignardise he got me 4 years ago? So I did--using the chain to sling it over my shoulder. Looked fabulous as we made our entrance and hit the open bar.

It was when I tried to take the purse off to put it on the table that I found out that textured chain links and embroidered jackets are not a very fortuitous combination. The chain kept getting caught on the jacket, and Bob had to haul out his nail clippers (I had no idea he actually carries a pair--I was joking when I asked) and free my jacket from bondage. I promptly stuffed the chain inside the purse and carried it as a clutch (haven't done that in years).

Ironically, most of the women who weren't millennials carrying teeny little whimsically. ironic designer wristlets (that wouldn't hold more than a credit card and an aspirin) were carrying regular purses. And none of the men were in black tie. In fact, Bob's black suit & white shirt was about as formal as any of the men got--and nobody noticed that he'd forgotten to change out of his black New Balances into dress oxfords. (My gold leather Alegria sandals were perfect--and perfectly comfy. Not bad for $50 on their closeout site).

Making chili for tonight

lol, katyk, come on! On Sunday nights I have two couples over for dinner and tv (the walking dead, game of thrones). Tonight I’m making grilled bourbon chicken, first time cooking it, wish me luck!

I have an instant pot duo 6 qt. In it I can fit a whole chicken or a 5 pound roast. Cooking for eight, I might recommend the 8 qt, depending on what you like to cook. Mostly I cook for two. This is my second pot, I wore the first one out. Today I've made applesauce in it and tonight I will make gumbo in it for the first time. I'm a huge fan. There are a gazillion recipes out there, some actually pretty good. My best dishes are the ones I've adapted from recipes I've used for years. Serious Eats has a lot of good ones. Like I said, I'm a fan and I would recommend it to anyone. Its worth the real estate in takes up in your kitchen.

Okay....now I am starting to feel the shame of my as yet unpacked Instant Pot...a full year it has been in the basement. If I clear a few things from the kitchen side counter, I should be able to accommodate it. On the list of things to do it goes! I do hate giving up counter real estate to more appliances.:/ But I bet making my kale soup in it will be a fast snap....eh Nance?!

Today I bought my favorite salad bowl lettuce at the Farmers’ Market, and some corn. Then DH popped into our nearest grocery store to get salmon fillets for our dinner. I made a very simple cooking marinade for the salmon...minced garlic, lemon, evoo, diced fresh basil leaves,(my only plant yield) salt and pepper. It was actually a recipe for campers, to be made on grill or over campfire in foil packets, but I made them in a stoneware casserole at 375 for about 20 minutes, longer if you like it not at all rare. Sides were salad and several ears of what seemed like almost last of the season’s corn crop. Neither of us finished a whole fillet, so tomorrow we have leftover salmon, nuked sweet potatoes and more salad that is our staple. Tonight’s was particularly colorful, so I’m sharing a pic...again! Under all those reds and oranges is a combo of romaine and mybfave salad bowl lettuce

Carole, I can't believe you're heading home already, (although your'e probably ready) it seems the summer has gone so fast! I fear that we've seen our last hummingbird after a record year of them. Makes me sad.

The gumbo turned out very good except not quite spicy enough. I didn't use andouille as I had some smoked sausage I needed to use. I'll add some more spice to the leftovers that will be lunch.

I have round steak languishing in the fridge that will be turned into Swiss steak, again in the pressure cooker. Sides will be mashed Yukon gold potatoes and steamed broccoli.

Tonight’s dinner was a turkey on wheat with baked lays, a small salad and a fruit cup provided by my cancer center. I’m usually home by dinner but treatment was scheduled late today.

I don’t know about tonight yet but I’m fairly certain that both minus and I will be having leftovers tomorrow after lunch. (Shaking Beef Day!!!, for me at least 😀)

This morning I cooked some brown rice in my home made turkey broth (stock?) and some pinto beans in the pressure cooker. Sharon is going to make some guacamole and then "build" some burritos.

I also have been sitting in the recliner chair and looking at the pictures I copied from the old computers. Wow! These all start from when we got our first digital camera (July 1998). DD was a happy baby. The happy part hasn't changed. :-)

When I was 7 or 8 years old, I got to see one instance where the pressure cooker's over pressure safety plug blew out. The cooker itself was just fine, but the sudden release of pressure was quite noisy and it sure did make a mess on the ceiling. I also remember mom's choice of words when she realized what happened. :-)

I have that pressure cooker.

ET's dad was moved into the hospital ICU and I'm having to stay away...strep and ICU don't mix.

illimae & minus, it makes me happy thinking about your lunch together...looking forward to the report.

Eric, I hope you get over your strept throat very soon.

Thanks everyone for the Instant Pot discussions. I think I'll put the 8 Qt on my wish list for my next birthday/Christmas. We keep a running list on the kitchen wall so everyone can add to it as they think of things they want throughout the year. With a large family, it makes buying so easy! I head straight for it when my DH mentions ANYTHING like "I sure could use a ...." since he is impossible to buy for!

Dinner last night was an Asian rubbed (ginger, garlic, S&P) pork roast over brown rice & broccoli. Not very imaginative but doable before my DS's flag football practice. It's raining hard in central Alabama today & I'm freezing in this sudden 73 degree weather! I was wearing a skirt today but came home & put onsweatpants!

Yes, lunch was delicious. I could eat there every week. I had Vietnamese egg rolls instead of spring rolls, but I too had the Fried Rice Shaking Beef. And I have enough leftover for two more meals. It's 5:30 and I'm not even a little bit hungry. Funny that the restaurant was only a couple of blocks from where my ex-DH worked when we first moved to Houston in 1973 - and next to a club/bar where I occasionally played darts in my younger, wilder past.

It was fun to meet illimae. You have lovely eyes - by the way!!! We both spent parts of our lives in CA and we both miss the Pacific Ocean. And I think we both decided relationships with relatives are better when the actual people are at a further distance and visits are not long. Yes, we will surely meet/eat again.

Take a look at Peli Peli Kitchen at 9090 Katy Fwy when you're wandering around. It's the "fast casual" version of the upscale South African restaurants.