So...whats for dinner?

I feel like I'm running out of ideas these days. Macaroni and cheese with tomatoes one night; tonight I pulled ground turkey, rice and cheese stuffed peppers from the freezer with what was left of a French boule I grabbed as I was making my way out of Walmart. Not where I expected to find decent French bread. But it was.

Dh has been feeling a bit punk so made this graham cracker, pineapple pudding pie he likes so we had that while binging a Harlan Coben series on Netflix.

Reader - I do like Harlen Coben books.

Carole - I'm not a great fan of canned beans anymore either, but I do get Bush bean when I buy. In my pantry for hurricane emergencies is always a can of good, old "Beenie Weenies".

7:30 so too late for a meal. Maybe a couple of slices of French Toast?

Eric, Special, Nance - hope you are all OK.

Tomorrow, I head home 60 hour work weeks, plus paid travel time, so it's been busy.

Most nights have been: Hamburger, baked a microwave iven baked potato and a microwave oven "cooked" corn on the cob and some fruit.

The quantities of food I bought were perfect for lunch & dinner as I will run out of everything tonight.

I did get to see older "test daughter" and family. :-) They live about 15 miles from where I'm staying.

Hi all - have been busy, just catching up on posts here!

I have had a plethora of doctor appts, with some results that are spawning more appts. I had a colonoscopy (rather, was supposed to have one…) on the Monday after my late Saturday return from Canada/Upstate NY. Did the prep - unpleasant, but better than my last one seven years ago. The doc was running late so I was in the pre-procedure area for quite a while. Finally got started, but woke up to find they could not do the exam because of all the twists and turns! Now I have to have a colonography - a virtual colonoscopy done with imaging. So, have to do the dreaded prep again, and this exam is done awake, which should be interesting. This was not a screening exam, it was supposed to be diagnostic with biopsies due to some ongoing GI issues. Not sure what the plan will be going forward… Also, slipped, but did not fall, in a boat on the lake while in NY, so I needed a hand x-ray. Nothing broken, but the left (thank goodness, not my right) hand hyperextended as I was trying not to fall, so it has three sprained fingers. After two tries at urgent care (x-ray tech called in sick on visit one, visit two had a two hour wait…) I called my primary care and got an x-ray order and got that done in 15 mins. I took my wedding ring off due to swelling, and just put it back on yesterday - three weeks later. My hand still hurts but thankfully it is no longer multiple colors. Also, had my initial consult with a cardiologist. Both my oncologist and primary care encouraged this visit, and this is a cardiologist who sub-specializes in oncology patients - had chemo/Herceptin, have a heart murmur, and I am turning 68 - I have never had a cardiac workup. So far, I've had an EKG, looked fine. Lipid panel indicates my cholesterol, which was borderline too high, is now officially too high. A1c is at the edge of pre-diabetic. Cardiac CT imaging shows some areas of concern, but nothing glaring. Still to come is an echocardiogram and a stress test. Fun times!

On the dinner front, I did make a baked pasta with rigatoni, marinara, little meatballs, and fresh mozzarella. Served with butter lettuce salad, creamy Italian dressing, and homemade croutons. That was good for two dinners and I froze the remainder into two single meal containers. DH has gotten in the habit of eating a late lunch, which messes with my dinner plans, lol! Tonight I am planning taco salad, which will be nice because it is really hot and humid here, and he is spending the day paddle boarding.

Special, Two colonoscopy preps so close together is the pits. I woke up halfway through my last exam and got a tour of my colon. It was amazingly beautiful with pinks, blues and purples (veins and arteries I imagine.) I hope they figure out a way to get biopsies; maybe the colonography will show relevant areas that can be reached. I hope the rest of your cardiology tests go well. I have to push my DH to eat lunch early enough so it doesn't interfere with dinner. Enjoy the taco salad.

Eric, Planning your meals so that you had no food left is quite an accomplishment. It must feel good to be heading home.

Carole, I had never heard of a Reuben burger but I bet I'd enjoy it since I like Reuben sandwiches.

DH had an appointment at the big hospital a long drive north of us so on the way home we stopped for a late lunch at a restaurant that has good fish and chips as well as outdoor seating. He had the fish and I had a Cobb salad which was also good. It was nice to eat a meal served to me by somebody else. I hope this tolerable weather stays for a while longer.

Dinner tonight was leftovers from lunch.

Eric, I hope you are home by now and resting up.

Dinner tonight was a takeoff on chicken cordon bleu cooked in a skillet.

Wallycat I just got an air fryer so am interested to hear your results. I have not used mine yet. I'll let you know when I do.

Leftover thai food ( shrimp and chicken) fried rice and leftover pudding pie. The heat wave exited so we ate on the porch. Breezy, cool and delightful.

Wally and Reader, I’ll be interested to hear your opinions on air fryers since I’m still on the fence about getting one.

Dinner tonight was pistachio encrusted baked salmon.

Doodler, The elevator should make your life easier. Definitely worth the work of a move.

Went to a celebration of life this afternoon for my next door neighbor of 43+ years. His husband organized a marvelous send off. There was a taco truck and 3 kinds of slushys (lime, mango & raspberry) with vodka available if you wanted to make it alcoholic. Four people spoke - which was just enough to represent the 70 year arc of his life. His son (40) who he raised by himself from age 2 because the Mother decamped with her rich boss, gave a lovely tribute.

I'm older than many of you, so this was particularly meaningful. The program printed his favorite song (Simon & Garfunkel - Bridge Over Troubled Water) and also the Irish Blessing, since his parents were a devout, rigid Irish Catholic family.

"May the road rise with you. May the wind be always at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face, and the rains fall soft upon your fields; and until we meet again, may God keep you in the hollow of his hand."

Rain, rain, rain all week long. Not really complaining with the drought conditions everywhere, but - enough already.

My alternate son (sort of like Eric's "extra" daughter) is coming to town this week for a funeral of a friend of his. He has been living in the mountains above Panama City for at least 5 years so I don't see him often.

Sorry to not answer everyone but I am reading.

Used the spinach by sauteing some garlic in butter, adding a leftover cream sauce with white wine, adding spinach to wilt, adding mushrooms and finally adding some canned salmon (because I had to throw away the salmon steaks after our last power outage.) Would have been much better served over salmon steaks or poached breast of chicken - but it wasn't bad. And I got some protein.

Thanks Maggie - It was good but like I said, it would have been even better served over a salmon steak. Maybe I'll make it to Costco this week?

I finally made the taco salad, a day later than planned. It was yummy.

On the next night I also pulled leftover au gratin potatoes from the freezer and 1/3 of a large meatloaf I made before the Canada trip. I pan cooked some zucchini and called it good.

In an effort to use food in the fridge and an adaptation for DH's late dining situation I pressed the easy button. I had made Greek orzo salad for DD and her friend when they came over mid-day on Friday (DD is working split from home several days a week and several in the showroom due to her ongoing issues with her fall in the boat - ortho has not cleared her for driving yet. DH has been driving her to work, and then walking on the beach or paddle boarding nearby until it is time to come home again.) I had a bunch of thinly sliced roast beef as well. Three ciabatta rolls hanging out in the freezer. DH won't eat any of the ingredients in the orzo salad, except the orzo, lol! So, I had that with some sliced fruit the last two nights, and he had roast beef sandwiches on the ciabatta with sweet potato tortilla chips. Everyone was happy, and we dined while watching the Olympics.

I am now out of ciabatta and roast beef, so I need a plan for tonight! I have a lot of chicken in the freezer since we purchased three cut up whole chickens from a friend who raises them. Should prob get some of that out and cook it for dinner. Maybe wild rice and roasted carrots will round that meal out. Or some salad since I have butter lettuce and two tiny avocados that need to be used.

minus - the celebration of life sounds lovely, but they are always sad even if the person has lived an interesting, rewarding, and long life. The refreshments sound great though! I played Bridge Over Troubled Water countless times on my bedroom record player, I still have the vinyl. I always found it surprising that I had been to more funerals than my parents, but my military experience played a large part in that, unfortunately. I have always loved the Irish blessing, even more now that Ancestry has refined just how Irish I actually am. DH and I are considering a heritage trip to Ireland, Scotland, and GB. We both have a considerable percentage of ancestry from those places, I have some French, German and Swiss, and he has a large percentage of eastern European countries as well from his dad's Polish side. Also, I am over the rain - I think it has rained every day since I got back from Canada, and certainly rained while I was gone. For that matter it rained in both Canada and upstate NY while I was there. We had a very dry spring and early summer so we need it - plus it saves on lawn watering - but, sheesh!

Special, Very creative planning to prepare something for everyone whatever they like and whenever they eat. DH used to ride his horse daily right after work and wouldn't get home to eat until around 9:00. Everything I cooked had to do well reheated in the microwave or on the stovetop prior to buying one.

Carole, Mac and cheese instead of bread with Reubens sounds like a tastier choice of starch to me.

Dinner tonight was peppers stuffed with ground beef mixed with salsa, taco seasoning and rice.

The Reuben experiment was something of a dud. The corned beef was on the leathery side after I heated it with the sauerkraut. I bought a corned beef brisket today to cook at a later date.

Tonight's menu is taco salad minus the shell. I do have corn chips as a substitute. I bought some medium deli salsa for me. DH has his favorite Newman mild salsa.

We were fortunate this afternoon to escape the hail and high winds in a storm system moving through. We got strong gusts but not as strong as described by the local weather channel. The owners called and invited us to come to their house if we wished but we stayed in our camper.

I'll be glad to hear from Sandy. And Nance.