In Season Recipes

Sherryc

Easter will be low key for me this year as I am still not up to cooking since surgery.  I had had friends bringing by meals so I have done well with heating up leftover.

Blundin2005

Wishes to all for the holidays. I am still traveling in US to visit family...limited wifi access on the run...also one finger poking at my iPad keeps the message short.



More to write later when I get to the next location.



Marilyn

Sherryc

Marilyn hope you are having a great time visiting family

Teka

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Sherryc

Made a wonderful blackeyed pea/cabbage salad today.  Basically you take a can of blackeyed peas rinse and drain.  Add chopped red onion, celery and shredded carrots. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.  Mix in 1 cup of mayo and 1 teasp vinegar.  Let refrigerate overnight.  Next day add shredded cabage.  It was delish

Teka

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Blundin2005

Hi all -- My trip started off on a shaky note. I had a gall bladder attack after eating a hoggie! It was not fun...ran a fever too. My sisters wanted to take me to the hospital but we avoided that. I've been watching my food ever since. The sad part is that I missed an extended family gathering of rare occasion for me. The good part was that I spent the days with my mother instead of running around. Sometimes the body just knows how to stop us in our tracks. I made the flight to the West coast to visit my sons.

I'm on the last leg of that trip. I leave to return to Philly tomorrow from Burbank. It's been an incredible time with my children. I've recharged my parental battery simply spending time together. I went sailing with my son on San Fransicso Bay in a small boat and loved every minute...even when I tilted to boat and lost balance when I changed seat to jib! He's a good captain and made the necessary adjustments. We saw Cirque du Soleil Totem in San Jose. He made arrangements for a massage and manicure/pedicure. He spoiled me. I had enjoyable conversations with the lady who shared recipes for cabbage and beans and garden tips. (Sherryc's recipe jumped out at me after that). Best of all was having meals together with my son and the time to chat, even though in restaurants.

Then we flew to LA to visit with my other son. That's when I started to cook. Pasta, red sauce, meatballs, artichokes, chicken cooked in white wine covered w/mozzerella and olives, fresh pork and roasted potatoes, pinapple salad, -- not all in one day of course.

For the last two days, we puttsed around in the garden together clearing out winter. Tonight we go out for dinner at his friend's restaurant. Tomorrow I return to Philly until the 19th when I return to Rome.  DH and the dogs are surviving my absence well I'm happy to say. Seems I don't need to fix everything and that's good to know. 

You are all ever in my thoughts. Best wishes to all as always,

Marilyn 

Sherryc

Marilyn so glad you are having a great time with family. 

Mandy1313

Marilyn: your trip sounds wonderful. Can't wait till you get home and post your photos!

apple

Marilyn.. it sounds like you are having a wonderful time.  I would really miss my sons if they did not live with me, altho they are hopelessly messy and such.  It's neat that your visit spans generations, is on another continent, includes sailboat riding on the Bay and Cirque du Soleil.  how very very fun. 

Momine

Funny, we also had cabbage and pea salad yesterday. It is something my mother learned somewhere. You take fresh, raw cauliflower and slice it thinly and add in fresh, raw, shelled peas. The dressing is made with garlic, hazelnuts, parsley, lemon and olive oil. It is good and is one of those salads that is fine the next day as well.

Mandy1313

Momine: It sounds delicious!! Do you grind the hazelnuts or chop them for the dressing?

apple

blackeye peas have such an interesting flavor.   maybe I'll buy some for summer salads.

Sherryc

I had surgery a couple of weeks ago and I have been so blessed with friends bringing me food.  the salad is the only thing I have made since being home.  I was afraid to step on the scales but finally did it and have not gained any weight.  Not sure how that has happened.

Teka

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Sherryc

Teka glad you enjoyed it.  I ate the leftovers a couple of days later and thought it was even better.

Teka

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Teka

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Teka

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Blundin2005

Ciao tutti,

I'm home and jet lag isn't too bad. I think the key is to drink much water on the plane, no coffee and no alcohol. I slept to the hum of the jet engines so not a deep sleep...more like a power nap. My inner clock is a bit out of sync but that will adjust shortly. 

It was a good trip even though I missed to see many people due to schedules, etc. Most important was to see immediate family. My brother bought a juicer and is preparing for a marathon in Pittsburg. We went to Philadelphia Wholesale Fruit and Produce to see what we could buy. Mom came with us...took the wheel chair. The place is huge! I was looking for local home grown, but most seemed to be from So. America and Canada. I found lemons from Sorento...my brother bought a case along with some cucumbers. They weren't too interested in selling retail so the price was dear. We decided it was best to go to a local produce vendor nearby Mom's house.  

I must admit that I was hunting for foods I've become familiar with. I cooked many veggie dishes, some pasta, etc. My sons took me to Italian markets, restaurants, etc. I came to realize that some of the recipes I post are not easy to duplicate in US...the ingredients aren't the same and fresh cheese is difficult to find. I actually lost weight while I was there.  I'll try to keep it off.

I went to a doctor's visit with my sister for mom (stage 6 of 7 alzheimer's). The memory test that the doc gives is difficult to hear the answers. I offered to go to my sister's appointments with her, but she preferred to go alone. She's through the rads and doing well. We spent her birthday in her backyard chatting and comparing notes.

I attended the Amyloidosis Support Group meeting at Lankenau Hospital on the 14th. It was informative. The researchers are learning more everyday. It was helpful to hear the discussion in English. After the meeting I met a friend I'd known since teenage years and beyond. I enjoyed her children and their children and told how I changed their father's diapers when he was a baby. Fun to watch them visualize their father as a baby! 

My plan was not to be a tourist but to live their lives with them. So I spent a lot of the time cooking, cleaning, gardening on both coasts. I even made the black bean soup recipe from our thread the first day I arrived. Everyone is so busy working and caring their families they don't take much time for themselves. There was a gathering of my siblings at mom's house for their weekly Wednesday night dinner. My job was the salads. And since I was leaving the next day to return to Rome, I cooked everything in the frig that I'd bought. They liked that. Appetizers of bite size egg plant parm, sausage, pinapple, cheese and wine. The main course was grilled chicken, tossed green salad with tomatoes and mushrooms and mixed green salad with pinapple...both dressed with balsamic and EVO. I had a hard time to find endive at the local super market and didn't have time to run to the produce stand.

I'll look again through the pics and see what I can put up.

SherryC how are you feeling after the surgery? Hope all is well. I sat next to a couple from Houston on the plane ride home. Nice people.

(Yawn) Best wishes to all as always,

Marilyn 

Teka

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Sherryc

Marilyn sounds like you had an amazing trip.

I am feeling really great since surgery.  I go to the PS tomorrow for a check up and fills and then back to work part time on Wed. and the following week full time.

Teka

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Sherryc

I have harvested from my garden green beans and spinach.  Had both of them yesterday.  The spinach I sauteed and added cream and parmassean cheese to it.  yum.  Today I harvested yellow squash and will have that for dinner tomorrow as oldest son and girlfriend are coming for dinner.

Teka

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Blundin2005

Buon giorno,

I havent' been home a week yet and I'm packing our vacation apartment that was sold...settlement next week. But before I jump back into that mess, I wanted to post some pics. Most that I took were family as that was the purpose for the trip. Here are a few fun moments for sharing.

Mom and me at the Philadelphia Fruit and Produce Warehouse. 

An old geiser who was very comfortable in front of a camera or too tired to run away.  

My son at work. 

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One of many good dinners together in San Jose. 

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San Francisco Bay. The cove on the lower left is the sailing marina. The Bay bridge is on the right. 

My son remembers how to play. He's the 6'4" on the left.

Me on the beach in Santa Clara....brrrrrr the water was cold. 

Now back to work. My lettuce is coming up nice and the tomatoe plants are doing well. I'll get some pics after the real estate business is finished. Then I can concentrate on the garden and get back to my writing.

Best wishes to all as always,

Marilyn 

apple

welcome back Marilyn.. fascinating read.

Sherryc

Marilyn thanks for sharing the photos of your trip

Blundin2005

SherryC -- Apple -- thanks so much, it's good to be home...here too.

Teka -- hang in there with the weight loss. Me too I'm trying although I put on a pound already--dang cheese I suppose! I'm determined to cut the portions, including wine, and eat what I want. This seems to do the trick for me. 

Teka

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