So...whats for dinner?

Minus, LOL, I would never think of cooking veggies with pork. With beef roast, but not pork.

Last night was stuffed peppers out of the freezer and speckled butter beans also out of the freezer.

Tonight may be chicken breast.

Eric - I know you'll be glad to be in your own bed. Thanks again for all you do.

Carole - interesting. I assumed we didn't cook vegetables with pork because it's a Southern thing & my family wasn't from the South. Of course I'm basing that on my BFF, who was raised in a small Texas town & always cooks her pork that way. Her family is of German heritage. Maybe that's the origin?

Anybody else have any ideas?

Went attempted leaf-peeping in VT yesterday—not much color left, as rains & winds took most of it last week. Believe it or not, there’s more fall color along 43 en route to the Albany airport, where we’re hanging out now. (In the Hudson Valley Wine Bar). Yesterday late lunch was at Dot’s in Wilmington, VT (the owner of the mountaintop distillery recommended it). Old-fashioned diner—blue plate lunch (roast pork, veggies, spuds, gravy and spiced apples) was large, yummy & cheap (Bob had the same, only turkey and cranberry sauce). So filling the apples were dessert!

For late dinner, went to Powder Hounds at the nearby Jiminy Peak Resort. Clam chowder was meh. We shared crab cake and smoked trout apps, which were excellent but huge. Bob ordered baked scrod in cream sauce with grilled squash. He couldn’t get through half of it—and I didn’t even try.

Tonight’s his birthday, so we snagged a 9 pm table at Chicago Cut Steakhouse, best in the city

Happy birthday to Bob and welcome home to Eric.

Auntienance: layered tortilla casserole was a take off from a layered enchilada casserole recipe. Lined a lightly sprayed 11x7 pan with southwest tortillas (cut in half--easier to cover the bottom without too much overlap), layered with sauteed peppers and onions (thus, fajita style), shredded turkey breast (leftover in this case) warmed in enchilada sauce, and then a layer of shredded cheese--mexican mix or cheddar; repeat the layers and bake at 400 degrees 20 to 30 minutes until cheese begins to brown and the casserole is heated through. Makes 6 to 8 servings, depending on how hungry everyone is!I

Tonight's dinner is homemade chili with cornbread and a small green salad. Cheese and sour cream available to put on the chili as desired.

Thanks Beaver, I think I'll try some variation of that with steak.

Lol Carole, I'm impressed you have a menu limited or otherwise - I need one!

Actually I do know what tonight's menu is - breaded pork tenderloin with a baked potato (sweet for me, russet for DH) and something green. I'm prepping chicken wings to bake tomorrow for buffalo wings (DH request) which we'll have with a wedge salad with blue cheese dressing. So I'm off to find blue cheese which necessitates a trip out of town. Sigh.

After a rather frightening flight from Albany (both clear air and storm-related turbulence, which made for a very delayed and choppy descent with no visibility and an extremely rough landing--I had to assume the "brace" position to protect my neck), we got home, changed clothes and went to Chicago Cut. Gordy & Leslie met us there. I didn't have an appetizer, but did share some of Bob's mixed green salad (vinaigrette a tad too acidic). He had split pea soup seasoned with sherry. He & Gordy each had a 10-oz filet mignon, Leslie had seared ahi, and I had a bone-in prime rib. We shared sides": creamed spinach, sauteed broccoli, and truffled scalloped potatoes. Bob took home his leftover filet, but as much as I wanted more of my prime rib, Bob & I agreed early on that the kids would get the lion's share of leftovers. So they got about 10-12 oz. of my beef and all the sides. We were too stuffed for dessert, but I did have an excellent cappuccino (which I didn't have during my entire vacation).

Not sure what tonight's meal will be--depends on when Bob will get home. Chilly & windy out so might not want to walk to dinner. (Also, I'm gonna teetotal for awhile--not just to forestall recurrence, but give my liver a rest and keep reflux at bay. Didn't have any reflux this trip--just as well, because I forgot to bring TUMS). Might defrost some wings, salmon, or a pot pie, steam some asparagus or sauté sugar snap peas. Gotta lay off sweets...easier said than done. This a.m. I fried an egg and defrosted a slice of leftover wholegrain French toast, which I topped with a Tbs. of our last 1/4 cup of White Kitty Farm maple syrup--made by a friend with his own grove in NW OH, who stopped making the stuff in 2015. Once that's gone, it's on to the bottle of Grade A dark I bought Thurs. in VT, at the gift shop atop Hogback Mt. Also got a small bottle (sampler size--3 oz). each of bourbon-barrel-aged maple syrup and smoked dark amber maple syrup. The former is for use as a non-breakfast condiment, the latter (in tiny amounts) as an ingredient in marinades, sauces, or cocktails.

Would have bought more syrup, but there was no more room left in our TSA quart baggies (despite being TSA Pre-check, I never know when the metal in my body will set off the detectors enough for me to get the full shoes-off/iPad-and-baggie-out treatment, though I only needed to be wanded this time). And we were worried about other stuff we brought home (ahem, local booze) making our checked bags overweight; it didn't, but broken suitcase zippers, hernias and muscle strains are no fun. My L arm is still sore from that, though the nasty cold changing weather is partly to blame.

Looks yum to me Lacey!

I don't get it either Sandy, the breast is my least favorite part of any bird. And what's with the price of wings these days?

Hello again! Welcome to new posters I havent met yet!

Things are going a bit better around here. My daughter is better, as the placental separation seems to have stabilized enough for her to go back to work the end of the month. But, i think they decided shes quitting till she has the baby. It will be tight, but they dont want to take chances.

Stan is due, if all goes right, to have his halo removed next Thursday. Fingers crossed. Flood/sewage situation handled. DD1 and DGD2 coming to visit again from MI, as the plan to come 1x a month takes shape. 2 family weddings attended, one in Cinncinnati by myself, and one in the state.

Today we had, rain, snow, sunshine and a rainbow all within a few hours. Wisconsin for sure. Badger game played with actual snow on the ground. LOL.

Does all that explain why Im a hit and run poster here? Im trying to do better, honest.

Tonight was our 45th Anniversary, and we were going to our favorite place to celibrate, when I realized this was their Harvest Dinner. Nope, we couldnt go to Twisted Willow cause I didnt think early enough to get tickets, and wasnt sure Stan would be up to it. Google TW and check out a farm to table 6 course with pairings that is to die for! And only $69.00 with wine and cocktail pairing! So instead, went to our local place that is kind of dumpy but has amazing seafood. I had Bengali shrimp with drawn butter. The size was extra large, even for Bengali. Yummy too. My DH had to have a hambutger "steak" instead of a real one, cause of the d*mn headgear. Did I mention its an old fashioned place? so we had baked onion soup, ( yes, with cheese, of course!) and spinach salad, which I love. Of course, I didnt take pictures of the food, LOL, I firgot. But I did get the waitress to take a pic of us.

45 years ago ^ and today

Hope everything is going well with all of you! Much love

Awww Monica, great pictures - congratulations!

I bought a liquid "envelope" of both red & green enchilada sauces at Whole Foods a couple of weeks ago but haven't gotten around to testing them yet. Supposedly cooks in 15 minutes. Maybe today I'll make green chili enchiladas with Monterrey Jack cheese. I was going to add leftover rotisserie chicken pieces from the freezer, but (inspiration) I'll sliver the rest of my pork loin and use that instead.

Special - hope you're having a wonderful time in CA.

Great pictures, Monica! Glad you enjoyed an anniversary dinner. Good news on your daughter's pregnancy.

I much prefer chicken thighs but have learned to prepare the breasts so I can enjoy them while spending zero points. They taste good when cooked quickly and just long enough to reach a healthy doneness. I also prefer a fatty pork steak to pork tenderloin but last night's pork piccata made with tenderloin medallions was very tasty, thanks to a good pan sauce.

Given my druthers, I would take mashed potatoes over cauliflower mash, but last night's cauliflower mash was yummy with piccata sauce spooned to top. It's a matter of walking versus waddling. I visit a nursing home regularly and the number of obese women in wheelchairs (including my mother) far outnumbers the slim old ladies pushing their walkers.

My food discipline does not extend to giving up my evening cocktail. Last summer I discovered that the Costco vodka ($20) is very good. I do not have a membership since we have no local Costco, but a couple of my resort neighbors bought vodka for me. Last week after some online research, I decided to gamble on buying the Sam's Club vodka, Member's Mark, which is $13 for the big bottle (glazed to resemble the Grey Goose bottle!). I figured I could gamble on $13. To my amazement, the MM is quite drinkable in a martini. What a savings. Though not for my liver.

I woke up this morning thinking about how I could re-organize my kitchen counters. So I tackled the project and created more space. For example, I had two knife blocks filled with knives. DH and I picked out our most-used knives and eliminated one block. It's only a tiny beginning to all the re-organizing that needs to be done in this house.

Dinner will make use of the uncooked half of the pork tenderloin. Also some uncooked broccoli and yellow bell pepper and half a package of soba noodles. I plan to make the sweet/spicy sauce I have described before, saute the pork cut into pieces and the veggies, cook the noodles and mix it all together.

Bob got home so late last night that he had to eat his dinner at the hospital. He got a late start this a.m. (noonish), so doesn't expect to be home for dinner. He says I can have his leftover filet. I will likely reheat it gently per ATK's method so it stays mid-rare, and have steamed asparagus with that prefab Christian Poitier hollandaise. Might also nuke half a sweet potato with sea salt & cinnamon.

Last night was four Buffalo wings and a small bowlful of some of the last of our heirloom cherry tomatoes with basil oil and flake salt. No fresh basil--it froze outdoors while we were away. Even though we had a freeze overnight, the Italian parsley, rosemary, mint, oregano and the last of the lemon thyme are hanging in there, as are some of the wild-growing chives. A sure sign that "winter is coming" is having to buy packaged basil & chives again.

Had prefab shrimp chips and a bowl of Special K & milk too close to bedtime and awoke with monster GERD. Took two each of Gaviscon & TUMS, plus sitting up, to be able to get back to sleep. (It happens only if I'm sleeping on my back or left side). An EGD & biopsy ruled out any growths or H. pylori, but did show a definite hiatal hernia. So the way to make sure it doesn't happen--besides staying on Dexilant--is to avoid eating anything (especially fried or with chocolate) w/in 2 hrs. of bedtime. (Ditto alcohol, though I haven't imbibed since Fri. night).

Nance - yes it is Frontera. I'll have to try it later this week since the greens in the salad drawer were more critically in need of eating. So - huge green salad w/whatever was around - including but not limited to - avocado, cauliflower, radishes, cucumber, red cabbage & carrots.

Interesting Vodka comments. When my son feels extravagant, he orders Grey Goose martinis. At home he told me to keep Svedka as less expensive close taste substitute. He does not care for Titos, although my BFF loves that. Does either the Sam's or the Costco brand follow a Grey Goose taste?

I just bought some Starr Blu, which the Total Wine employee said is similar. Bought it because it comes in a plastic bottle, and the glass 1/2 gallon bottles are getting too difficult for me to manage with the lingering neuropathy. (thank you BC!!!) I'm not particularly a Vodka drinker unless it's mixed with OJ or Bloody Mary Mix so I have no way to judge. Gin is my usual poison, followed by bourbon (not blended)

Minus, I think it's more similar to ketel one, my former favorite. I was a huge grey goose fan for a number of years until I tried ketel one and found it smoother.

I don't care for gin but my DDIL the chef will drink only Hendricks.