So...whats for dinner?

carolehalston

We have white pelicans up here in northern MN.  

We made use of the new grill last night.  I roasted a pan of sweet potato fries tossed with olive oil.  I love sweet potatoes cooked this way.  I peel the potatoes and cut them into shapes like home fries, not too small.  DH prefers baked whole potatoes with butter.  He grilled a pork steak to perfect doneness.  I sliced it into strips.  He got out a jar of apple sauce but I like my pork as it is.  I enjoyed the meal.

carolehalston

Things are quiet here!  

Dinner last night was linguine with Rao sauce enhanced (?) with sautéed ground beef and a good tossed salad with avocado and blue cheese.  Very satisfying meal.  A large container of leftover sauced pasta since I cooked a whole package of linguine.

Today is grass mowing day at the resort.  We'll mow about noon after the dew has dried.  

eric95us

The drywall work over 1/2 the porch is done. I purchased a hopper sprayer and mixed my own "spray stuff" for the textured finish. The hopper sprayer and the mix was around $80. Spray paint can looking things are made with the same stuff, but they are $18 a piece and I'd need 11 of them. The hopper sprayer is powered by an air compressor, which I already had. If I had to get an air compressor, then the cans would have made more sense.

As soon as the stuff dries, I'll paint it (using a roller, as it's too breezy to spray paint) and then move everything over to the finished side of the porch so I can get that all done...and *finally* get everything back to its normal place.

I did find a door threshold that needs to be replaced and I'm waiting on a company about finding new garage door sections to replace the ones that DD dented. All that can be done when it's hot, but if it's too breezy to spray paint, I'll start in on that stuff until the breeze calms down..

Sharon said she'd cook tonight.

Funny running story last night......

It's been warm enough that I've been running in the late evenings. Last night, had I not had a cat already, I would have brought home a stray I saw on the running path. This grey short hair stray was sitting in the running path and did not leave as I approached, so I stopped and rubbed her neck. The whole time, she was meowing happily and was wanting to climb up on me. When I went to continue running, she kept placing herself where I would step on her if I didn't adjust my stride. I finally got by her and she followed me for almost 1/2 a mile. I'm assuming she was stray as it was over a mile from any houses and the river bottom would supply water, shelter and plenty of lizards, birds, rodents, etc. for food.

When I came back by that spot, I got the same treatment. :-)

Another jogger was "kind of looking for a cat" and they, too, started petting her. When they started walking toward their car, she followed them and didn't resist when they picked her up to put her on the car's passenger seat.

For a stray, she was certainly friendly toward humans. I hope it works out.

auntienance

Awww, love that story Eric ❤

Well of course the air conditioner quit today and of course our hvac guru is out of town until Monday. Thankfully it's only 80 today with about the same percent humidity. Three weeks ago it was the furnace. Wth?!

Reverse seared tri tip, baked potatoes and roasted tomatoes - all on the grill since any additional heat in the house is out of the question.

eric95us

The cat acted just like Pest did when she adopted me when I was in college. :-)

The air conditioner going out and no one there to fix it...that stinks. I'm glad it's not one of those "you've got to be kidding me" days.

MinusTwo

Went to a little theater play as a fund raiser for a friends church - the Catholic daughters. Truly "little" theater. Everyone involved is a volunteer and the plays are in a strip center small warehouse. But the show was thought provoking.

We tried a place by us for dinner that's been there for a long time- but none of us had been there in years. It wasn't horrible but it wasn't good. Now we all collectively know why we hadn't been back. I had a salad with 'crunchy' chicken, another had catfish, a third had chicken tenders and the fourth friend had fried shrimp. She said the shrimp were fresh. It might be a fun place in the winter since there are 100 year oak trees shading an extensive deck - but inside had extremely loud music and baseball at full volume on 10 screens. 90 degrees in the shade was more than we wanted to brave in our dress up clothes. (for me that meant tan levis instead of standard blue. More dressy means black levis)

Beaverntx

Tried a new recipe for dinner last night and we decided it is a keeper. Made only half a recipe for the two of us. It is online at

https:/www.cookinglight.com/recipes/salmon-with-green-beans-and-smashed-potatoes

Title basically says it all, except for the sauce. Liked the one sheet pan idea too.

Lacey12

OK...I’ll be first in line for sure when that special diet/exercise pill is on sale!

I spent thenpast two days preparing meals and treats that DS2 and DDIL2 can have on hand, and delivered them yesterday afternoon when we drove to their place to have dinner with the new family. It was 3PM and with the traffic, it took us over an hour to get into Dorchester (about 12 miles away). I cannot wait until they move to the burbs. I’m silently hoping they tire of city living with a baby and bite the bullet to buy a ridiculously overpriced house somewhere a bit closer to us. At this point DS2 would love to stay there until she starts school. We’ll see.

So we had a nice dinner of homemade lasagna with chicken sausage, and caesar salad with dressing I made from a recipe on the internet. We had black olives, and a baguette from Volantes. Way too hot to bake bread yesterday with no AC here. The lasagna was my mother, Amelia’s, (baby’s name) recipe I that I grew up enjoying. We enjoyed some champagne and basically celebrated our little sweetpea’s finally being home. Her bilirubin levels are now normal after her “sunbathing” stay in the hospital.

It has been a rough week for DH (thanks for your supportive comments!). Good news is that the physiatrist believes the muscle problems in his leg are derived from his arthritic hip, so first, trying a cortisone shot to see if that helps, but in reality he is likely facing hip replacement (on his “good”:hip....not the one that had hardware put in it after the ladder fall several years ago). So he was eager to get the shot. Unfortunately, a few hours later, his pulse and BP spiked, and we landed at the docs the next morning after monitoring it all night. Turns out it was a reaction to the drug, and it subsided gradually the next day. Whew! He is also going to start PT. If none of this alleviates the problem he’ll probably get the hip replacement. The scary part of his current condition is if the leg gives way on stairs, causing a dangerous fall. Lots of stairs here!

I hope all the other DHs are doing well today.

My jaw has been getting better really gradually, but not consistently. I probably need to start to pay attention to it more seriously since my eating options are really limited. I’ll call the dentist next week. What a pain! All due to a yawn!!! It produces a headache most days, so I’m taking ibuprofen then, which I’d prefer to avoid. Yes, getting old leaves us with some challenges, but compared to what my brother is dealing with, I can’t complain. I can’t believe he is still hanging in. I keep thinking that his Marine physical fitness regimen for his whole life keeps his heart ticking.

I enjoyed the snake and trail cat stories....and chuckled when DS2 showed me a pic of a snake that he met on his front stoop this week.

Minus, I’m in awe of your wardrobe choices....and your social schedule! Re: Raos, my local supermarket had them on sale for 4.99 two weeks ago, with a sticker saying “discontinued” in front of the display. So I scooped up several jars of the Puttanesca. Then saw the same display back to their 6.99 price this week. Who knows what’s up...but I am stocked up! Tonight we’ll have a bit of leftover lasagna and some leftover grilled balsamic chicken (unless it’s too hard for me to chew). Going nuts having nonsalad...tho.I make one for DH every nite.

Can’t resist sharing pix of our little week old cutie:

auntienance

Awwww!

MinusTwo

Lacey - adorable. Thanks for sharing. How nice that the baby shares your Mother's name. Keeping my fingers crossed that cortisone works for your DH.

beep7bop

I tell people, "I never thought I could Love a child more than my own." The Grandchildren are a whole new reason to Live. Congrats!! Made Squash casserole to go with ribs and corn on the cob.

MinusTwo

Beep - welcome to the table. Your dinner sounds delicious. What part of the country do you live in?

I made pork medallions with mushrooms in brandy cream sauce served on noodles. I rarely eat two courses, but I had some greens that needed to be used so I added Panera 'at home' Asian Sesame Dressing and had a first course. Every time I make the brandy cream sauce, I am trying to replicate a veal dish made at an Italian restaurant that has now closed since the owner retired. Every time it is different. Not bad, just different. Sigh. Maybe partly because I am usually using left-over meat that is already cooked so I don't have the juices from sauteing or frying the pork or chicken or whatever?

MinusTwo

Eric: I'm a bit behind in my reading, but did you see the article about the Mediterra Bakehouse in the April Arizona Hwys? The descriptions of feeding the starters and the process of making & baking the bread reminded me of you. Oh and the pictures of the finished loaves...yum. Though it appears the original & main bake house is in Pittsburgh, I'd love to go on a road trip to the one he opened in Coolidge in 2012.

carolehalston

Love the pictures of the new granddaughter.  Thanks for posting.  Grandmother looks good, too!  I hope the baby's parents appreciate all your work, Lacey.  

Minus, the brandy cream sauce always sounds so good when you mention making it.

Last night's dinner at Hilltop restaurant with the Couples Golf group was good.  I had a garden salad with blue cheese dressing and the pecan crusted walleye fillet with spring veggies.  He had barbecued ribs that looked delicious.  We stopped at Dairy Queen on the way home for a hot fudge sundae.

This morning we went to the gym and afterwards to West Forty for breakfast.  I had the taco omelet, which I always enjoy.  I ate half of it and brought the other half home to warm up for lunch.

Today is dh's birthday, one of the Big 0 birthdays.  Hint:  he was born in 1939.  He said the other 0 birthdays hadn't bothered him but this one does.  Tonight we're having a ribeye steak, potatoes and salad.  

Yesterday afternoon some of the kids here at Pine Hollow Resort delivered balloons, a card, and a tray of cupcakes.  I think dh was pleased.

I unpacked the multi Quick Pot yesterday and it had a dent in the side.  I had ordered two last Oct. and left this one in the box.  I called Customer Service people and was told the dent wasn't a problem for the pot's operation.  I did the test run and it went fine.  Now it's a matter of working this method of cooking into my cooking routine.  I printed out a recipe for beef stroganoff.

auntienance

Carole, happy birthday to your DH. I feel his pain, I'm not doing well at all with 7-0, don't know how I will manage the next "0".

In the 70s today, but humid of course. House cooling is courtesy of the attic fan and numerous tower fans. Cool is a relative term here, it's 80 in the house.

To avoid adding heat, tonight will be leftover tri-tip in barbecue sauce for sandwiches. Sides will be broccoli and I might make some stove top mac and cheese. I have a small piece of raclette that I could throw in. Last night was pizza on the grill which turned out great.

Minus, I was thinking about your brandy cream sauce as I came across a mushroom cream sauce recently that reminded me.

MinusTwo

Carole & Nance - I will be exactly between those two birth dates this summer. I was still in active treatment for the big 70 so I didn't give a royal 'toss'. I continue to grouch 'thank you cancer' for making me feel much older than I should. Without my consistent exercise plan I would be very stiff - but I do keep up with Silver Sneakers twice a week, water aerobics twice a week and a chair yoga class.

I'd love to hear what any of you do with brandy cream sauces. The base for my last attempt was a bechamel with 1/3 cup milk, 1/3 cup heavy cream and 1/3 cup brandy. Very rich - but as you can imagine...absolutely no calories (LOL). Basically I was lazy, using left over pork loin and canned mushrooms - oh, and extra butter on the noodles.

Beaverntx

Tonight was taco salad. It did not hit triple digits today (only 98)but it certainly felt like it! Forecast is for a cool front dropping temps "way down" to the 80s on Monday.

Enjoying photos of grandbabies, swans , et al.I

Things appear to have settled down here after a whirlwind few weeks with granddaughters in and out (you really don't want to go shoe shopping with them!), our son having an accident overseas where he lives and DH developing a tension headache that required medication. Hoping to get back to investigating some new recipes!

eric95us

Our subscription lapsed and we missed an issue... So, I missed that article.

I made some sourdough dinner rolls for DD and that was also when I fed the starter.

Unless I find another train locomotive pretending to be the light at the end of the tunnel, I'm 95% done with the painting/home repair/fixing construction mistakes.

Beav posted while I was typing. Hi.

I didn't do much typing, but it took awhile because the dogs kept wanting my attention. :-)

It was triple digits here by 11:00am and it's warming up over the next few days.

Dinner out is on the schedule for tonight. I figured out I saved almost $5,500 by doing all this stuff myself, so I may as well "splurge a bit".

carolehalston

Eric, how was your dinner out?

We had leftover linguine last night.  I added grated cheese before warming up in the microwave.  Just as good or maybe better than the first time around.  Side was a tossed salad.

DH is going back to the out patient clinic this morning.  He was getting better but had a relapse with more hacking coughing.  He woke me up several times last night.  It will be better for both of us if he can get rid of this bronchitis or whatever it is.  

Beaverntx

Eric, you've certainly earned more than one dinner out!

Last night was romaine and baby spinach with fresh peaches and blueberries and shredded turkey. Dressing was choice of specialty oils (I used lemongrass grapeseed and DH used butter infused evoo) and blueberries infused balsamic vinegar. Yum!

No idea what will be on our plates tonight...

MinusTwo

Beaver - that salad sounds wonderful. I always think of strawberries & mushrooms with spinach. I'll put peaches on my list.

SpecialK

Hey all - have again been MIA, don’t have a super good reason, I seem to have been easily distracted lately. I did read up - congrats to lacey on the new beautiful grand baby - yay! Everyone seems to be making yummy food and working hard! I need to get back to regular posts

Tonight will be some mac n cheese I made yesterday, large elbows with green peas, sautéed onion and green pepper, ham, and a white sauce with mozzarella and parm. Topped with panko and more parm and baked. Made a kale salad to accompany.

eric95us

I love when the fruit is fresh, cheap and plentiful.

We went to a place called Mi Vegana Madre (My Vegan Mother), a vegan Mexican food themed restaurant about 5 miles from home.

Like I've said earlier, DD talked Sharon into trying veganism and I'm going along for the ride. Anyway, the food was really good and as usual, the spices are what makes the meal. What was even better was that when I was finished, I satisfied but not "stuffed".

I'm only needing 15 more minutes to finish the painting. Today I had a dental appointment (a failing filling was found), Tuesday morning we are going to a funeral, Wednesday morning is when the filling will be replaced, Thursday is full, Friday morning is a retirement party and Saturday is school bus driver in-service training. So, either I'll have to get some construction lights and do this in the very late evening or wait until Sunday morning. I'm getting anxious to get this all finished and get all the tools put back "to bed".

MinusTwo

Eric - sounds like you're experiencing just what I am - now that I'm retired I seem to have less time than when I was working. Something every day.

ChiSandy

Well, "what's for dinner" began to change drastically last Friday. Tuesday I took my Dexilant (PPI) and then read an article (reported in two medical e-mail newsletters to which I subscribe) about a study done by Washington U. (St. Louis) Med. School implicating long-term use of PPIs (and to a lesser extent, H2 blockers) in cardiovascular disease, stomach cancer and kidney disease. So, since I got my Invisalign I stopped eating after my post-dinner brushing & flossing, several hours before my usual night-owl bedtime, I consequently no longer got occasional breakthrough reflux, I decided to quit Dexilant. Fine all day Wed. and Thurs. Thurs. night we went to Mon Ami Gabi, where we had oysters (tiny, and not ythe kind like Olympias or Kumamotos that are supposed to be tiny; frisee salad with lardons & poached egg; and I had skate wing--which I'd been craving--with asparagus and cauliflower mash, followed by (against my better judgment) chocolate mousse. It was nearly 11 when we got home, and I went to bed before 2. (Had we been half an hour later, we might have been the ones gunned down in a drive-by at the Lake Shore Dr. onramp we used to go home).

Fri. morning (the day we were going to a Cubs game) I woke up with a scratchy throat, only lower down than when I get a cold. Chalked it up to the high pollen count. Had a fried egg and mini sausage biscuit, and headed off to the game--only with the scratchy throat beginning to transition to a "lump-in-the-throat" or "stomach poking up into my neck" feeling as we rode the Red Line. Because of the nuisance factor of having to take my aligner out to eat or drink anything but water, I bought a bottle of water.

Two sips into the bottle, my personal Mt. Vesuvius erupted: the dreaded "water brash." Waves of burning kept roiling up into my upper esophagus--not the awful battery-acid-in-the-throat taste and searing pain of a breakthrough, but still extremely uncomfortable, with the water refusing to head back down and out. (At least the Cubs won). After the obligatory three-chorus singalong of "Go, Cubs, Go" (the late Steve Goodman's atonement for his bitingly funny "A Dying Cub Fan's Last Request") we headed across the street to the Hotel Zachary for one of its three restaurants. We settled on Dutch & Doc's on the ground floor.

I had read the menus the night before but only to see what looked good; this time I searched in vain for what I could safely eat & drink. I asked if they could make a milkshake or anything resembling it. The waitress shook her head. What about a glass of milk? Again, no go (it's described as family-friendly, but I guess "family" means a group of related adults). How about a virgin piña colada? Surely, with a bazillion types of booze, they could make one? Again, no--the waitress pointed to the cocktail menu--which listed only a few of their specialty drinks, plus beer & wine. "Closest thing we have is a Frozen Hurricane." It was then I realized that they had no blender--just one slushie machine full of frozen Hurricane mix. Fortunately, they did have ginger ale (my first sweetened soda in a long while), which I had to stir to flatten it and use my own silicone straw, as plastic straws are now illegal here and paper ones fall apart. All I could eat on the menu (low fat, low acid) was a shrimp cocktail--hold the sauce & even the lemon. Done by 6pm--and didn't eat any more.

Messaged my primary, who advised taking 40 mg of Pepcid BID and go up to a total of 120 if nec. (Ssid that the 10mg dose per pill was little more than homeopathic). Sat. I could only handle dry toast, a boiled egg and applesauce. Had to give up my beloved seltzer, lest the carbonation irritate the stomach and shoot back up into the esophagus. Bob said to go back on the Dexilant, to avoid any erosions that could turn malignant.

Sun. I got up early, had a nibble of a piece of matzo and just enough espresso to wake me up and keep from getting a withdrawal headache. Headed down to Morris to teach at an outdoor dulcimer festival. The feared rain didn't materialize, I got a good parking space, and the staff hauled me & my instruments in a golf cart. Was doing fine all day on water, but by the time I was done teaching I was starving. The Boy Scout troop providing the food was winding down (they were finally getting to eat), and I had a $5 lunch voucher. So a plain (no condiments) bratwurst on a white bun, and another water. All was well till the last little bite of bun--which lay like a lump of dough at the base of my throat. I went to Culver's for some vanilla custard before hitting the freeway--it did turn out to be soothing. Still, no dinner last night. And I was starting to get dehydrated: had some dizzy spells during the fest.

Today was my bariatric appt--saw the NP. Weigh-in: down 15 lbs. since my MO ordered the consult back in March--before I knew about the eating and drinking restrictions on Invisalign. She offered me three diets: keto detox (no way--that would mean no eating out, especially while traveling); "partial meal replacement" a la Jenny Craig or Nutri-System (again, a nonstarter, as we dine out and travel); and a modified version of Atkins & South Beach--laxer than Atkins but stricter than S. Beach. I opted for the latter, as it's doable on the road and most sit-down restaurants in the heartland can accede to the diet's restrictions--it worked for me from 2004-6, when I lost 40 lbs. Sort of like the old fad "Carbohydrate Addicts' Diet" except no time limits on the dinner containing the one sugar or starchy carb per day, but with that carb restricted to a very-low-starch-or-sugar option: low-carb 100% wholegrain bread, brown rice, wild rice or quinoa, steel-cut oatmeal, Cheerios & whole milk, Greek yogurt, berries, melon or citrus, Smart Pop. The Invisalign is helping that,=as my rationed "aligner out" time makes snacking a royal pain.

Only problem is that none of the permitted anti-GERD foods were on the list, and all the no-nos on low-carb include gut-friendly foods. The NP told me to resume Dexilant and start the diet once the blood levels have kicked in. (Which could take 4-5 dqys to get high enough blood levels again). And at that point, it'll be safe to ditch that pill every other day. (on day 3 tonight). Was able to have a little Pinot Noir with planked wild king salmon Tues. night. Tonight I had half a Quest pizza (cauliflower & cheese crust), 5 gm net carbs. Didn't feel like drinking alcohol tonight, so it's back to the seltzers.

carolehalston

Sandy, wishing you luck on the new eating plan.  It's difficult to "eat healthy" when eating out as much as you do.  

We had a delicious pizza for dinner last night, a gift from MN friends who live down near the MN border and are here at a different resort with a large group of family members.  One couple in the family group own a pizza restaurant that makes really good pizza.

I heated the pizza at 425 degrees for 10 minutes.  It had thin crust, Italian sausage and lots of cheese. 

Tonight we will visit these friends at the nearby resort and have dinner with the whole family gathering.

carolehalston

Forgot to say, "Welcome back, SpecialK!  You were missed."  

auntienance

Yike Sandy, what an ordeal. I'm a long term PPI user too and would like to stop, but fear prevents me. I plan to talk to my gastro and primary docs about it.

A/C wizard came yesterday and fixed the unit with minimal time and expense - a relay switch. We're enjoying a spate of cooler weather though and didn't even need it yesterday.

Now that that's taken care of, I have to start thinking of cooking other than grilling. At this moment, I've no idea what that will be. Chicken cacciatore is a possibility.

Welcome back SK!

Beaverntx

Oh, Sandy, what a challenge! Hope all is going better now.

Thinking about burgers, corn on the cob and tossed salad for tonight. It is raining again (seems more like yet!) so will need to be cooked indoors.

Special K, good to hear from you.

MinusTwo

Lacey - thank you, thank you again for the Cod concoction. It is so delicious. Onions, bell peppers, mushrooms and I had bunch of Campari tomatoes that I added. Fried the cod after dipping in melted butter & rolling in Panko. Melded in the skillet while I finished other things. Great not to turn on the oven when it's high 90s. I will dig out Lacey's fantastic recipe for anyone who is interested.

BTW Lacey, my friend Pat who you met in Boston doesn't eat fish because of the fish smell & taste. She would love this & I will cook it for her one day.

Special - good to see you.