So...whats for dinner?

MinusTwo

So glad to see all the bread discussion. I too used to make bread often, but with the neuropathy in my hands (thank you chemo) I just can't knead anymore. And as most of us agreed - the problem with making bread it is smells & tastes soooooo good, that we eat it. My hips don't need it. But I do need to dig out my Mom's stone ground whole wheat bread that require kneading. Wonder how it would freeze? We always ate it so fast there was no chance to find out.

Off to have my first cataract surgery in the morning. Because I have to go back the next morning for post opp, I'll drive myself & be spending the night at the Wyndham in the medical center. Of course they won't let you leave alone after surgery (even in a taxi) so my ex-DH will pick me up at the surgery center, take me to lunch & then drop me at the hotel. I'll check back Tuesday night or Wednesday.

carolehalston

We arrive at Larry's (former co-worker) home in Ocean Springs yesterday and were met with a surprised expression on Larry's face. "Guys, it was yesterday," he said. We were one day late for the open house, all the food was gone, either eaten or taken home with the family member guests. And wife Rosemary was in bed, exhausted from the open house and the cleanup. Larry was on his way to do a plumbing job for a friend who wasn't well.

We visited for 30 minutes or so and fended off their apologies for our error. The open house had always been on Sunday and dh doesn't remember Larry mentioning the change when he called to issue the invitation. DH and I drove the short distance back to Biloxi and the Beau Rivage Casino. We had lunch at the Terrace Café, where we met you and your dh some years ago, Nance. Alas, no oysters on the menu thanks to the severe shortage of oysters resulting from flooding and damage to the oyster beds.

I had a shrimp poboy and dh had a hamburger. We gambled a bit in the no smoking section and then headed home. To be honest, we weren't terribly upset over missing the open house.

Not sure about the dinner menu.

Good luck with the cataract surgery, Minus. My results were phenomenal.

auntienance

Oh no Carole - I've feared that happening to me. My memory (as well as my friends') is so questionable at times. I hope you had a nice day for the drive anyway.

Minus, good luck with your surgery. It's one of the best things I've ever done. The drops are a hassle but the rest was easy peasy.

Beaverntx

Minus, agree with Nance that the drops are a nuisance but the rest was easy and the better eyesight is wonderful. However a friend of mine said the only drawback to her cataract surgery was that now she could see how many wrinkles she had!

auntienance

Beaverntx, I know! Having worn glasses for most of my adult life, I was dismayed at the horrible bags under my eyes once I could see them!

ChiSandy

I've become obsessed with writing down important dates--digitally, of course. I keep a calendar on my computer--which automatically syncs to my phone, watch & iPad. I get reminder alerts on all three. I'll know something's wrong with my mind if I get an alert and ask "what the heck is this?" or worse, get the alert & still forget. My mom used to panic and think she had Alzheimer's because she couldn't remember where she'd left her keys. I told her she didn't have to worry unless she'd either find them in the freezer or look at them and wonder what they were. (The night before she died she called me for help with an arcane crossword clue...in the NYTimes...which puzzles she did in ink)!

Tonight was cauliflower fried "rice," seared scallops, and a mixed Cantonese stir-fry.

Beaverntx

Made Laurie's salsa chicken tonight, except I used chicken thighs and added frozen corn on top of the beans (DH is convinced I am congentially unable to follow a recipe exactly!). It came out with more liquid than I expected, does that vary with the kind of salsa used?

Obviously, I made it to the grocery store today. Ironically, I bought the chicken thighs to avoid having to thaw the chicken breasts in my freezer. When I opened the package of thighs I discovered they were about 90% frozen. Thank goodness for microwave thawing!

SpecialK

I once missed a funeral by showing up a week late - I was advised about the sudden and unexpected passing of the son of a friend I met though a cancer writing workshop by another mutual friend. I looked up the service info online and the obit said the service was "next" Saturday. I failed to read the date of the obit as I assumed I had been told of the news in a timely fashion, and showed up at the church and they seemed to be having a craft sale. I thought it was odd to combine those two things - and my face must have showed that, lol! One of the ladies manning a table asked if she could help me, I explained, and she actually knew the family so told me the service had been the previous Saturday. After some time had passed I spoke with the friend - we had a good laugh about it!

minus - good luck with the cataract surgery - everyone I have known who has had it has had great results - including the folks here - and had much improved vision! Hoping for the same for you! I love that your ex-DH is such a good friend to you.

beaver - congrats on the anniversary - what a milestone!

auntienance

Lacey, I am wryly smiling at the thought of you running around organizing things in order to care for Bob while fighting off your own respiratory infection. DH has a "man cold" here and of course is completely incapacitated. (Eye roll)

Corn chowder tonight with some Japanese milk bread rolls and possibly a salad.

SpecialK

auntie - had to look up the Japanese Milk Bread roll thing - I want to try that! I looked at the King Arthur recipe - do you follow that, or another one?

Tonight was roast beef sandwiches on flat bread and jalapeño potato chips, which were zingier (don’t think that’s a word...) than the last bag

auntienance

Special - I use the KAF recipe. They're quite tasty

MinusTwo

1st eye surgery done. Thanks for the good wishes. Doc says it went well, but the eye is still some what dilated, so blurry. It's hard to have the original heavy duty progressive lens on one side (which I MUST continue to use to see, let alone read) and clear glass/plastic on the 'revised' eye. I'll end up with 2- 2.5 'cheaters' in order to read or do computer work. Posting now with the 'new' eye closed. One thing very different is the light. I sort of miss the misty, cream & sepia colored view. The 'new' eye sees bright, hot, white light.

Went to an old, classic restaurant by traditional down town with my ex-DH last night after he picked me up from surgery. Think male waiters in white coats, white table cloths, etc. The dress code doesn't prohibit levis, but they do request no shorts or flip-flops. Had the best lobster bisque I've ever tasted. A huge portion served in a delicious bread bowl. He's sort of traditional, so he topped off the soup with salad & steak & potatoes & asparagus. I had Shrimp Damien, a delicious pasta concoction - sort of like Alfredo but much creamier.

Lunch was a breakfast burrito in the medical center with my post-op. I'm still full from last night so supper was Spanish Peanuts and a gin & tonic.

auntienance

I forgot that part - the new eye and old eye in the old glasses. Annoying! Fortunately, my surgeries were only two weeks apart so I didn't have to put up with it long. I think I was blurry for two full days. Lobster bisque - yum!

MinusTwo

Oh Beaver, I wanted to comment about Lauri's Salsa Chicken. Usually I drain & rinse the beans now. Even so, I agree sometimes there's still a lot of "sauce". I use Mrs. Renfro's and no longer put in a full jar if there are only a couple of chicken breasts.

Beaverntx

Minus, when I poured the salsa it was pretty runny, I actually thought I could have seasoned a can of petite diced tomatoes and had less juice. I always rinse and drain canned beans, our digestive systems are happier that way. Thanks for your response.

MinusTwo

Hmmm - maybe drain the petite tomatoes and add them on top. Since I make mine with green chile salsa, it would change the outcome.

I must say, Lacey & Special & Nance & Carole have given me the confidence to try some experimenting.

Lacey12

Beaver, Happy Anniversary (belatedly), and guess what?! We share the same anniversary date! However, this year, we were so consumed with DH’s hip, hospital discharge instructions, ambulating ability, low blood pressure, managing the bathroom, etc., etc., that it just about passed by without notice! We did enjoy a nice vegetarian chili dinner brought over by a neighbor. And DH had flowers sent while he was still in the hospital. Very sweet! He must have known what I was about to face this week!

It’s encouraging to know how well people have done with their hip replacements. Though right now, DH is struggling to understand that good outcome does not mean “feel good” in the first week after the procedure. He is so used to being really busy, that he clearly feels like he’s in prison right now. Me too! LOL. But he was in such strong shape prior to surgery, he should be fine in another week or so. I tend to tolerate recuperation times better than he since I’m more of a content homebody. Clearly his cabin fever is starting.

Tomorrow DS2 might stop over after work with the baby, to check on his dad....now that I’m on an antibiotic and not likely to pass my infection to either of them. Seeing her sweet face will definitely lift DH’s spirits.

I actually made Laurie’s salsa chicken tonight and was a bit disappointed with the salsa I chose...a chipotle with corn one. But by the time it was cooked, I was fine with it. The sauce was quite watery, so I popped the dish back in the oven uncovered and it thickened up enough. I do drain and rinse the beans, but use a whole bottle of salsa since I make enough chicken breasts for another meal.

Minus, glad your cataract surgery went well. I totally appreciate how you’d miss your warm sepia vision! That part was hard for me, too, and my opthalmo said he had a 90 year old patient who refused to have her cataracts removed because she liked her sepia toned vision!

Next week, I have my colonoscopy, and may have to find a way to the procedure and back if DH is not yet driving.I’m amused at the gastro doc’s office who does this procedure. They have been sending me these online automated messages about tasks to be completed before the procedure date, without indicating who is sending it. Very odd. But I’m definitely following the instructions!

Fun to read about so many of your bread baking adventures...past and current!

ChiSandy

My surgeries were two months apart, and I wasn't re-refracted till 3 wks after the second one. The surgeon suggested I just knock out the lens on the "new eye" side of my glasses, but when I tried it it looked ridiculous--barely one step less nerdy than holding the frames together with a band-aid à la "Steve Urkel." So I took the bus to the mall and had Vision Works put in their cheapest "plano" (no correction) lens. I also bought some nice gradient-tinted non-prescription shades (one fancy, one pair of Wayfarers) because my first eye was bloodshot for a couple of weeks after due to a hemorrhage. (I needed a suture to fix that lens in place). I looked pretty scary, so for nice restaurants I wore the Wayfarers and for the hospital Black Tie Gala From Hell at Navy Pier I wore the Laurens. (Everyone assumed I was just trying to look mysterious--or hiding a shiner).

MinusTwo

OMG Nance - you are so right. The wrinkles & eye bags.... I just aged 20 years overnight - and this is what others have been seeing for awhile???

I actually went from post-op to the optical shop in the same medical tower. For $10.00 they put a clear lens in the "new" side in less than 15 minutes. The issue is my original RX is a heavy duty, strong progressive correction. I can't see w/o it (and certainly can't read w/o it) but I'm seeing double & bouncing off walls as the two eyes try to communicate to my brain. Good reason to take a nap!!

Meatloaf sandwiches for lunch on dark pumpernickel.

auntienance

Minus, my friend who had hers done before me did what you did and had a clear lens put in. Her adjustment experience was the same as yours so I opted not to go that route. As far as the bags, they were hidden by my glasses so nobody noticed them much (and when I took my glasses off I couldn't see them either lol) so now that they're so visible it's shocking. I have no regrets though and I like being able to wear cool sunglasses 😎

Who knows what dinner is. DH's coughing kept me up last night so I'm pretty low energy today.

auntienance

Minus, my friend who had hers done before me did what you did and had a clear lens put in. Her adjustment experience was the same as yours so I opted not to go that route. As far as the bags, they were hidden by my glasses so nobody noticed them much (and when I took my glasses off I couldn't see them either lol) so now that they're so visible it's shocking. I have no regrets though and I like being able to wear cool sunglasses 😎

Who knows what dinner is. DH's coughing kept me up last night so I'm pretty low energy today.

Reader425

Enjoying the fun stories!

Dinner tonight was a simple chicken, cream cheese, salsa, enchilada bake from the "Philadelphia Cream Cheese Cookbook " that I lightened up considerably and a salad with carrots and tomatoes.

MinusTwo

Dinner was Gruyere cheese and Lesley Stowe's Raincoast Crisps. These delightful crackers are made in BC, Canada. I first tasted them in the Olympic Peninsula. The box I opened today was one I had been hoarding, Rosemary Raisin Pecan Crackers. There are several flavors. If you can find these, they're worth trying - even though they are quite expensive (at least in Houston, IF I can find them). Delicious with a soft spreadable cheese.

https://www.lesleystowe.com/us/product-line/rainco...

ChiSandy

I've been wearing glasses for over a decade, despite being only mildly nearsighted, because they hide all the undereye "ickery" more effectively than any concealer on the market. The frames are part of my image. Sad to say, cataracts are nature's soft focus filter. I didn't drive for over a week after my first surgery because having one progressive and one "plano" lens really screwed up my depth perception.

Portuguese wine dinner tonight at Cellars. First course was a caldo verde soup (thin potato-flavored broth with kale & chorizo). Then roasted cod (baccalao would have been a logistical nightmare) with Manila clams on spinach in a saffron-butter broth. Next, a piri piri chicken salad atop lettuce, avocado, corn kernels and grape tomatoes. Main course was ribeye with whole roasted garlic cloves, roasted red pepper, grilled red onion (and the roast potato I didn't eat). Finally, dessert: a "pastel de nata" (small tart filled with insanely wonderful custard) accompanied by "drunken goat" cheese and a little square of quince paste. Never thought a dessert w/o an iota of chocolate could be so delicious. First dessert I've eaten in full in five months. Gonna stay away from the scale for awhile.

Rosanne7

Anyone cooking dinner w/ "Gods Love We Deliver" frozen soup/entrees?

No kitchen in my NYC apartment; (& no room for microwave).

Experimenting w/ Instant Pot -- reheating frozen soup GLWD sends weekly. Adding fresh veggies & spices (turmeric helps w/ joint pain & crushed garlic fights infection).

Anyone else cook w/ frozen / defrosted foods? (GLWD includes lots of frozen veggies w/ their meals)...

Thanks,

Roseanne7

SpecialK

During our trip to DC the last weekend in Oct I was mid-reaction to a laser treatment for rosacea on my checks. From my upper lip to undereye area swelled up, particularly under the eye. Won't be doing that again, but disguised the whole situation with makeup and full-time glasses (I really only need readers), the good news is that I bought some OTC progressives at CVS a couple of weeks before the trip so could wear those and not bump into stuff by trying to walk around with readers on the whole time. Sadly, I can clearly see my undereye bags without any surgery... my saving grace - if I can call it that - is having the first skin cancer at 35 made me much more careful about the sun, so I'm slightly ahead on that front. I was a bit smug about not having any yet on my face, but that ended a few years ago and have had two MOHS on my face, one pretty large on the side of my nose. Fortunately I have a very skilled surgeon who has done a great job blending the incisions in natural folds or wrinkles.

Last night was dinner out and Fiddler On The Roof at the Straz Center, which was a b-day gift for DH. We split a ribeye crusted with Gorgonzola, served with roasted shallot and red pepper salt. Sides were a roasted sweet potato with creme fraiche, pecans, honey, scallions, and bacon. We also shared mac and cheese made with gruyere, lemon, thyme and topped with panko (which my phone just autocorrected to Pablo, lol!) We also each had a glass of pinot noir from J Vineyards in Paso Robles, near where I went to college. The theater was a short pleasant walk from the restaurant along the river, the rain I drove downtown in thankfully moved north. Note to self - check forecast before wearing suede shoes!

minus - Trader Joe's makes a rosemary raisin cracker if you're looking for an affordable alternative -

carolehalston

My cataract surgery was miraculous. Afterwards I didn't have any correction to my vision until a couple of years ago. I went to Walmart's and got the cheapest pair of glasses the vision department could provide, with correction for distance. I intended to use the glasses when I went to get my driver's license renewed. The previous time I had had trouble with the vision testing of one eye. But when I put on the glasses, my distance vision was so good that I always wear the glasses when driving and then started wearing them to watch tv.

Dinner last night was an uninspired skillet dish with pork strips made by slicing half a pork tenderloin and cutting slices into strips. Thin carrot medallions, sliced cabbage, half a can of diced tomatoes. Shredded Mexican cheese from a bag sprinkled on the finished product. Dish it up and call it dinner.

I hate to admit this but I recently made an appointment with the gynecologist, whose offices are in the same building as my BC physician. I mentioned that I hadn't been for a checkup with the gynecologist for a few years. The receptionist looked it up and my last visit was 2014. Time whizzes by. I didn't realize it was that long. I hate the checkups, which are very uncomfortable to the point of being painful, so I stopped having them. We'll see how today goes.

I'm thinking that tonight's dinner may be thin sliced chicken breast. I remembered a recipe for parmesan (or romano or asiago) chicken. You spread a good mustard onto the chicken slices and then press shredded cheese into the mustard. Cook the slices in a skillet starting on low temperature and heating to medium. The cheese melts and browns. The end result is tasty. Side will probably be cauliflower mash with a small amount of Greek cream cheese and butter for flavor.

ChiSandy

My last GYN visit was Dec. 2014--but by then I was almost 64. I called her (she's been following my bc journey and talking with my MO, with whom she's on N. Shore's tumor board) and she asked if I've noticed any concerning symptoms since the last exam, which revealed normal Pap, appropriately-shrunken ovaries, a slight "intertrigo" (yeast colonization in the bust, groin and c-section incision skin folds, for which I use the ointment she prescribed), and negative HPV. I told her no change. She said so long as we stay monogamous, there's no need to re-test; and if I have no concerning symptoms I don't need to re-visit her.

This a.m. I kept my promise to hop back on to the lo-carb train. So for brunch (I sleep in because I can), I made egg foo yung: a frittata made from three eggs scrambled with sesame oil, coconut aminos, ginger, garlic and Chinese five-spice powder. I poured it over 1 c. of asst. chopped veg. (mushroom, mini red pepper, scallions, red onion, cauliflower "rice") and mung bean sprouts, let it set and then slid it out of the pan, folding it over with the pan's edge like I do with omelets. No sauce or finishing salt. It was yummy but I could finish only half of it. So the other half is waiting in the fridge for Bob to discover on his middle-of-the-night nosh run. (Knowing him, he'd likely eat it ice-cold). I'm pretty proud of myself, as the proportions of fat/protein/veg are exactly what the bariatric clinic nurse instructed.

auntienance

My GYN told me the same thing. I saw her last year, but prior to that it had been almost three. She said that was probably often enough unless I had a problem. After 3 years they make you a new patient so I try not to go quite that long.

DH's cold is mostly coughing (LOTS of coughing) and fatigue and little appetite. Nothing sounds good to either of us. That probably means omelets for dinner.

I could eat the whole box of those TJ crackers.

ChiSandy

Last night's plus this morning's leftovers for dinner. Yawn.