So...whats for dinner?

Greetings friends! Apologies for being awol so long. I'm six weeks from knee replacement surgery so meals have been happening but not due to my efforts. I'm just now to the point that I can do the prep for a simple meal. Recovery has been slower than anticipated but according to my therapist and knee doc ahead of most people. I had a set back with a bout of cellulitis that sent me to the hospital for a couple of days and massive doses of antibiotics. Always a fun time 🙄. But things are back on track and I've ditched the walker and even only need a cane part time. We've gotten by with grub hub, friends, neighbors and DH bearing the meal prep burden. It's been nice actually not having to think about what to fix for dinner.

Minus - I've never tried the TJ meatballs. I'm not a fan of Costco's. I like the beef and pork combo so I'll have to give them a try. I love HEB so I'm sure I'd like theirs too.
Carole - we also are friends of Bob Evans 😀

I confess that I have bought Wolf brand chili to use on chili dogs but I'm not a big fan. I've yet to find a canned chili that was decent. If anybody can recommend one please do.

Eric I remember you talking previously aboutMickey's experiment. I am an unenthusiastic housekeeper but I keep my food prep area sanitized. I am phobic about food borne illness. I did finally break down and hired someone to do the housekeeping on a bi weekly basis. It's been a great relief for my back. And btw, kudos to Sharon!

Tonight's dinner is meatloaf, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, cucumbers, fruit salad and brownies courtesy of a generous neighbor. I'm blessed.

Hoping to hear from Special too.

Oh Nance - what an ordeal you've been going through. Sounds like hopefully you're on the uphill swing. (not to be interpreted as walking uphill yet). Hopefully you don't have an upstairs bedroom. Are you going to PT several times a week? Thanks so much for checking in.

Eric - I too was raised in California and usually 5's didn't bother us either. But then I traded earthquakes for hurricanes….. Hmmm. Well at least we usually have some notice. Thankfully we're far enough south that we don't usually have tornadoes.

I spend time regularly cleaning my kitchen & bathrooms - but they certainly wouldn't match your efforts. The vacuuming falls way down the list. And the dusting?? i HATE dusting. Let's just say I can write my name on some of the tables.

OK Special - now we're officially worried.

Dinner was a can of smoked rainbow trout marinated in EVOO. Served on Triscuits. Accompanied by an avocado and a glass of red wine. Dessert was the last piece of Sour Cream Angelfood Cake.

Auntie, hopefully all the trials with the new knee are past and it works out as well as it did for a friend. He celebrated getting done with PT by doing a Grand Canyon Rim to Rim to Rim (46 miles) "day"hike. He said his feet were sore, but his new knee was "hasn't felt this good since he was 16".

Mae…I hope the SEs go away soon and you can get back to enjoying food again.

So glad you checked in, Nance. I wince at all you've gone through with knee surgery. DH is scheduled for same in October. I dread what we both will endure. The months of no dinner planning has some allure. You must be a good neighbor in order to have such good neighbors.

Mae, sorry you're having treatment SEs that interfere with enjoying food.

Dinner last night was the leftover fettuccini alfredo with beef chunks from dh's meal at Clancy's and also a big tossed salad.

Dinner tonight was meatloaf, sautéed asparagus and mashed potatoes.

Dinner was a hot dog for each of us on toasted bun with condiments of choice. Leftover potato salad and leftover mac and cheese for dh. Mac and cheese and leftover pasta salad made by a neighbor for me. Delicious and easy. We both were a bit weary after the farmers market.

Tonight will be pork roast cooked in the slow cooker. Stuffed with green onions and garlic.

Yes Special - we're all hoping you made it through Beryl with no problems

I just got home from a most interesting "get out the vote" ice cream social at a neighbors. Lots if great information & links which i will share with other friends. 5 or 6 kinds of ice cream with both chocolate & caramel sauce and 'sprinkles' and whipped cream. They insisted we each take home one of the gallon ice cream tubs. So if I decide I need any more dinner - it will be more ice cream.

Wally - I'm so jealous that you might get in a fishing trip.

I added back my usual post chemo meds for a couple days and boy can I eat now, lol. Last night I had 1/2 a medium pizza and tonight DH made a noodle stir fry (steak, broccoli, carrots, onion and snap peas) and Philly rolls again, both were delicious. Rolls are going to be a regular thing, I think, so I’ll have to get some proper sauce trays.

Hi all - thank you for worrying about me with the storm - we are in a good spot here, just north and inland enough not to have too much trouble. Flooding seems to be an issue still, and intersting it flooded in some unusual locations, and in some, very badly. It was a lot of rain. I spent most of it at DD and beau's new little ranch. Moving stuff, painting, CLEANING, sheesh - the people who lived there before them had a lot of pets. And they never cleaned… We tore out old flooring, demo-ed a brick faced pony wall, and cleaned some more! New flooring in (delayed due to the hurricane) a new wall put up, water heater relocated. DD brought the horses over a couple of days ago, and the cats came last night - the first night everyone slept there. There is also a feed room being built in the barn by the guys who moved the water heater and they will be back today to finish, which is good, because I got a report late last night that there was no hot water! Oops! Hopefully an easy fix. I have an echocardiogram this morning and then will go back over and paint some more. By the time I am done I will have painted the entire inside of the house, and all the trim. I am not kidding. The end is in sight…

Since I have been doing so much physical work meals have been catch as catch can! Also, pretty much all body parts hurt and I am tired. The other day I was looking for my phone while talking on it, lol! When talking to DD I am usually on my house phone and she will send me something on my cell. I was at her house so there was no house phone…

auntie - yay for a new knee! Sorry about the 1 step forward, 2 back, but glad to hear you are making progress.

I use frozen meatballs often, I will have to try the Trader Joe's version. I buy a couple of different brands that Publix has, but they are more out of convenience than fabulous taste, so I will get some from TJ's next time I go.

eric - tell Sharon congrats!

illimae - glad you can eat now! As always, your photos are great!

Special, You have certainly been busy! I'm sure your DD appreciates what a helpful mom you are. Hopefully she is recovering well from her accident.

Reader, Enjoy the meal you don't have to plan at your brother's.

Illimae, Glad you are once again able to enjoy those delicious meals in your photos. My elderly Polish neighbor when I was a kid called your kielbasa recipe Letni Bigos, Summer Hunter's Stew. This was different from the winter version which had mushrooms, sauerkraut and prunes added. Both were tasty.

Dinner tonight was grilled chicken in a lime marinade with corn on the cob and sauteed baby potatoes.

It's good to hear from you Special….we were a bit worried….

'Mae. I'm glad you're getting your enthusiasm for eating back.

Minus, if you get the chocolate, add whipped cream. :-)

We're having 3 couples over to the house on Friday afternoon. We had decided to have guests to the house "sometime in mid August", so the place is 95% ready to show off.

Dinner tonight is pan fried pork chops, broccoli and leftover mashed potatoes. I’m also enjoying a glass of Reisling.

DH is cooking a roast tomorrow and I’ll do sides, probably roasted potatoes and sautéed carrots.

Tonight is likely "food truck" food at the music jam. The place also brews a VERY nice blueberry sour "beer". A pint, consumed over 3-4 hours, is just perfect.

Last night was oven cooked fish, grilled corn on the cob and a salad. When I opened up the propane grill, a tiny mouse fled, so I suppose it's good (from the mouse's point of view) that I didn't just "light it up".

There is a very slight chance of hantavirus from the mice, but, after lighting the grill, I put the lid down and turned all the burners up to full to let it warm up. I let the grill inside temperature sit at 550F for about 10 minutes. My guess is that there isn't much "bad stuff" that remains after that treatment. :-)

I would get some barn cats, but…too many coyotes and owls. The neighbors have tried barn cats and they all say the cats' life spans are "about 2-3 weeks".

Oh Maggie - LEGAL SEAFOOD - be still my heart. Sounds like you managed some fun things.

Mae - I never think to look at your high & low temperatures, but I expect it does cool down at night? You'll probably remember - we're fortunate if it gets down close to a low of 80 at night.

Eric - will be interested to hear how your dinner "party" goes.

Tomorrow is my once a year trip to get Hatch Chile Scones at Central Market during their Hatch festival. I buy a dozen, freeze them individually and treat myself through out the year - one at a time. Now if I could just figure out why our stupid Kroger store never got Olathe Corn this summer. If you ever have a chance to taste that delicacy from Colorado you are really in for a treat.

Today's meal was Cheerios with a banana and one gin & tonic. I routinely don't cook much in the heat of the summer - and certainly don't turn on the oven. But really - it's just too hot to eat anyway.

Not much news here - I am on a BRAT diet for the near future. DH had leftover Chinese food, that combined with other "faster" food due to no time and work on DD's house is probably why I am on a BRAT diet… I have also been coughing so I took a COVID test last night, which was thankfully negative. I think dust triggered some asthma. I have been using my inhaler and that is better today.

I had a frustrating day yesterday, had a dental cleaning in the morning, never fun - but needs to be done. I spent much of the afternoon trying to correct a referral for a CT my gastroenterologist ordered after the failed colonoscopy. I was told by his office that they sent it to the hospital imaging and I was to wait for a call from them to schedule. I have been waiting now for a month and figured something is wrong. I called the hospital and finally got through to radiology scheduling, after press 1, then press 2, listen to elevator music - you all know the drill. Turns out the referral didn't have the correct info and had been sent back to the gastro office TWICE and never corrected. I asked what the referral should say, was told, and told how to call scheduling and get a link to my cell where I can upload the copy of the corrected referral myself. I can get this CT done in 4-7 days after the right referral is submitted. When I had the colonoscopy on 7/15 a follow up was made for 8/28, and I want this CT done before that appointment otherwise I have to reschedule and wait some more. Not willing to do that. I went myself yesterday to the gastro office and stood there through three iterations of the referral, and got home only realize it is still wrong - by one word. I was already not feeling well, so I missed that the word diagnostic was missing because right next to it was the word diagnosis. Ugh. My stomach has finally calmed down enough to make yet another trek to the gastro office where I will check, and double check, that this is correct before leaving.

Dinner tonight for DH will be a salad with some grilled chicken on top. Dinner for me will be either a banana, some toast, some rice, or applesauce! Or some combo thereof. Yay!