So...whats for dinner?

Mae - yum. Are you doing OK out on the mountain top?

Dinner was leftover egg salad & leftover coleslaw. I still have to so something with the huge quantity of leftover white rice. Stopped at Chicken Salad Chick and purchased two container of Dilly Delicious chicken salad. It's a seasonal product so I was glad to discover that it does freeze. Not the same as fresh when thawed, but still acceptable. I split these 4 containers and froze 3. Also purchased a broccoli salad. YUM. Sort of like the bagged broccoli salad Costco used to have, but suitable for one person instead of 6.

Chicken alfredo, with rigatoni, broccoli and mushrooms

I'm in Dayton, Ohio for a few days. Dinner tonight was store bought rotisserie chicken.

Tonight was broccoli salad (yes with Bacon!!) I'm as full as a tick.

Dinner tonight was artichoke chicken casserole.

@rlschaller Thank you. I use my iPhone, it’s an 11 pro with a pretty good camera.

Tonight was slow cooker chicken legs with mashed potatoes and carrots.

I just finished catching up on your delicious meals. The food on the cruise was varied and beautifully presented. I don't think any dish was repeated. The dining room was elegant with no tables for two or four, which encouraged meeting people. The uniformed waiters were all well-trained and the service was excellent. The menu had two sides, the left side always the same with "safe" choices like poached salmon, ribeye steak, roasted chicken, Caesar salad. The right side had unfamiliar regional choices, corresponding to the countries we visited. DH and I made our choices from the right hand side. Beer and wine were available and included for lunch and dinner. There were always recommendations for wines that cost extra but I stuck with the included wines and found most of them to my taste.

The food servings were small so that it was possible to consume three courses without getting uncomfortably full. DH didn't gain any weight and I gained only 2 to 3 lbs despite eating three meals a day. The daily excursions usually involved a lot of walking.

Dh did well with his two new knees. Unfortunately, he did have to contend with some jaw pain, which led him to select meals that were easy to chew.

All told, the cruise was great. I loved the ship and the occasional daytime cruising. We opted for economical stateroom and weren't sorry because the rooftop deck and lounge provided comfortable places to read and relax. I did a lot more socializing than normal.

Now for the down side of the story. We arrived home to discover that our relatively new refrigerator, purchased in 2021, had stopped running. It needs a new compressor. The warranty doesn't cover labor which will be $1200, half the purchase price. The repair is scheduled for Friday. Meanwhile we trek back and forth from the house to the outbuilding with the outside refrigerator. Fortunately, there wasn't a lot of food in the house freezer but there was some waste. We think the refrigerator bit the dust shortly before we got home since the contents weren't stinky.

Friday night we had Mexican takeout. Saturday night was pickup pizza. Last night I cooked. Shrimp and linguini with alfredo sauce and salad from Piggly Wiggly salad bar. Tonight will be chicken thighs and Bob's mashed potatoes.

Nance, I would have looked into replacing the refrigerator if we had more time at home. We're leaving next Tuesday to head to MN. Given time, I would have considered buying a nice used refrigerator. Buying new doesn't guarantee longevity.

This morning I tempted fate by cleaning the outside refrigerator. LOL.

Carole - thanks for the cruise news. I loved your comment on another thread about the waiter always there with the wine bottles at lunch. I'd have had to nap every afternoon. Looking forward to pictures but not sure you'll have time before you leave for MN. Sorry about the fridge. What a nightmare, but glad it hadn't been out too long so items weren't stinky yet.

Nance - hope you didn't have to dodge another tornado. We've had strong winds for weeks. This is unlike any past year in Houston & reminds me of living in Albuquerque where the winds provoked the tumbleweeds to "attack" cars. It keeps me inside because somehow all the pollen has really played havoc with my eyes this year. Constant itching.

Wally - yum for the copper river salmon.

Mae - I agree. As always your food pictures are really marvelous.

I went to a play yesterday afternoon - The Odd Couple - Female Version. Funny to see the original Felix & Oscar depicted by two women in a group of 6 female friends. Afterwards we had early dinner at a small Italian restaurant that burned down before Covid and has only recently re-opened. I had Chicken Piccata - three large pieces of chicken. I only ate one so the other two will become either a chicken sandwich or part of chicken fried rice. Tonight I'll eat the leftover spaghetti & mushrooms in a sort of Alfredo sauce.

Carole, The dinner options and service on your cruise sound wonderful. I like the idea of a safe and adventurous option for each meal. I’m sorry you returned to a broken fridge. I think appliances used to be made with a longer lifespan. My fridge is 24 years old; I’m dreading the day a new one is needed.

Nance, I hope the tornadoes continue to miss you. In AR we lived in tornado alley but the twisters from OK always turned north to KS/MO just as they approached our town. Long time residents claimed that was the weather pattern but I was always nervous.

Wally, Your copper river salmon is way better than the salmon I can get here.

Minus, I’m glad you enjoyed the play and your Italian dinner.

Rhonda, The avocado soup is actually hot and easy to make. I skip the regular blender and just use an immersion one.

2 large ripe Hass avocados, 3 cups chicken or veggie stock, 1 cup sour cream, chipotle or curry to taste, sea salt to taste

Blend avocado flesh in blender with a bit of stock until smooth. Boil the rest of the stock and remove from heat. Add avocado mash, sour cream and chipotle/curry. Reblend or use an immersion blender if there are lumps. Heat again but don’t boil. Add salt.

Dinner tonight was leftover coconut curry salmon for DH and a Cobb salad for me.

Avocado soup is a new idea for me, too. I love avocados and the recipe looks good.

DH apparently didn't hear me describe my menu for last night. He came home from one of his four medical appointments yesterday with a large bone-in ribeye and a large Yukon gold potato. The potato was especially delicious, baked in the toaster oven and eaten with butter. The ribeye was enjoyable.

We're booked for Mexican dinner tonight with neighbors, Thursday at Pontchartrain Poboy for seafood dinner with my sister and her dh, and Saturday at the home of our friends who accompanied us on the cruise. DH wasn't up on the last date and didn't know I had volunteered to bring ribeyes for the grill. I'll still manage to cook the chicken thighs on one of the "free" nights before we depart next Tuesday.

By the time we arrive in MN, I'll be ready for salad dinners.

Rhonda, we have been going to MN for the summer for about 13 years. I lose count. This may be the last year. Our rv home parked at Pinehollow Resort is getting older every year and so are we.

The company was great last night but the food at the Mexican restaurant wasn't up to past meals. DH and I agreed on that this morning. It was probably a funny spectacle for anyone watching to see us oldies climbing into the back seat of the neighbors' cute white Jeep. We shared stories about our Viking trips.

Tonight I plan to cook the bone-in-skin-on chicken thighs in the toaster oven, with either barbecue sauce or salsa. Side will be Bob's mashed potatoes.

Welcome home, Eric. Glad you made it safely through St. Louis and Oklahoma. You're the expert on hot peppers.

Yes Eric - I'm sure you're glad to be home. Interesting pepper analysis. I can eat Hatch peppers all day with no tingle.

Wally - fingers crossed for DH.

Carole - Hooray (again) for Bob Evans mashed potatoes. Although my son laughed at me and said "we always make from scratch". Well my scratch certainly don't match up. Since my Mom always made baked or boiled or fried potatoes, I never learned the trick. Not to mention - I'm only cooking for one.

Tonight was a salad and I made Red Lobster Cheddar bay biscuit seafood pot pies. It’s a bit of work but very tasty. The seafood within was shrimp and lobster tail pieces.