So...whats for dinner?

M0mmyof3

Might do pork chops for dinner

MinusTwo

Meal of the day was a Spinach-Artichoke Quiche from Costco. Not the same a homemade, but a reasonably decent meal. Appetizer was 10 radishes. P.S. - for those of you wondering, I threw away the last piece of cucumber. That's the danger of 'vegetable drawers' in the fridge. Time got away from me.

SpecialK

DH had leftover flatbread pizza that was pepperoni and cheese, I had romaine salad with some turkey and goat cheese. Not very exciting, but it worked. Today was his return to work full-time and in person. I think it went ok but I'm glad I made him work from home through Sept., the timing was good - he wasn't too tired when he got home.

minus - I too fall victim to too many veggies that need to be used all at once. The ones I can cook I usually do, then freeze, but that would not work for a cucumber!

eric95us

The leftover spaghetti sauce with "new" spaghetti and some garlic onion sourdough bread.

I spent about 10 minutes today going through the freezer part of the refrigerator-freezer in the kitchen and I combined things where possible. Things are easier to find now.

Illimae, did you slice the chicken to make a pocket for the stuffing or did you roll the chicken around the stuffing?

Reader425

An interesting crockpot meal tonight. "California Tamale Pie" which consisted of cooked ground beef mixed with cornmeal, corn, tomatoes, olives and milk/eggs. 3 hours on high topped with chedder shreds to melt. We had light sour cream on the side and I was too lazy to add another vegetable or salad. Corn is a vegetable haha.

I do love my crockpot. It gave me time i needed today for paperwork etc..

WC3

Reader425:

I don't eat beef but tamale pie sounds good!

I had egg white scramble with sauteed mushrooms, rice and broccoli and various condiments to give it some flavor.

Beaverntx

Last night's dinner was rotini pasta with jarred light Alfredo sauce to which I added chunks of chicken and green peas. It was pretty and tasty as well as a quick fix.

illimae

Eric, I was supposed to make a pocket but missed that part and butterflied, pounded with a mallet, rolled them up. I was concerned that the stuffing would leak in the oven but it mostly stayed in place. Easy and yummy.

https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/8551/spinach-stuffed-chicken-breasts/

MinusTwo

Memory Lane - oh my where does the time go. I was thinking about my travels before Covid.

It was Sept 2015 when I was in Boston and had dinner with Lacey & Susan. OMG Lacey - 5 years. Then October 2016 when I was in Phoenix I got to have a short "coffee" visit with Eric. I met Magari for lunch in San Francisco in May 2018. In between I've been fortunate to meet several people who live in Texas &/or were close enough for lunch in Houston. I'm not sure many of them post any more - but you might remember Sandra from San Antonio and JB Dayton from Cleveland. And of course I'm so glad I got to have lunch with Illimae - goodness... 2019 or 2018?? Not sure we'll get to have another lunch before you move because of Covid.

Once I finished active treatment the end of 2014, I usually went somewhere both Spring & Fall. In this same time frame I've been to Hawaii, drove from one end of Washington to the other & down through Oregon, Salt Lake City & points North & South, San Francisco several times (well, that's where my roots are & my son lives in the area - AND I can see the Pacific Ocean - my lifeline) and Los Angeles. I've missed trips to Florida where I hoped to see Special & SAS, San Diego where I want to meet Lisa, and the Carolinas.

So grateful for all of you at BCO. It's been such fun meeting up in various places. And now look - I haven't even been out to eat since March. And actually only picked up one "drive through" - and the guy in the window wasn't wearing a mask or gloves. I really am not bored and I'm having fun cooking at home. It's certainly been great to save my limited supply of money. Just seems strange when I think back.

illimae

Minus, I think it was 2018. I did get curb side pick up of Shaking Beef from Hughies about a month ago, it’s still fantastic.

Dinner tonight is a large Cesar salad. Didn’t feel like cooking, it was treatment day for me and DH is a little hungover, lol.

Lacey12

Illimae, thanks for posting that recipe. It looks delicious!

Special, I’m glad that DH’s return to work went well.

Enjoyed reading your travelogue, Minus, and I so enjoyed meeting with you, your friend, Pat....and of course, Susan! Her birthday is next week. Facebook notified me about that. It is So odd that when someone passes their Facebook account lives on.

I felt suddenly exhausted late this afternoon and DH was hungry enough that he offered to make dinner with the salmon I’d picked up earlier. So while I malingered, he made a lovely grilled salmon in foil packets with garlic, butter, lemon slices, and rosemary; baked sweet potatoes and a cuke salad. I now know how to access a sweet dinner with no effort! LOL But seriously, I’m feeling progressively worse, so I’d rather cook! We took care of baby Amelia this past weekend, and I am hoping that my sudden fatigue and feeling rank has nothing to do with a possibility of her being a tiny asymptomatic Covid vector! She certainly seemed healthy, and we had oodles of fun. Tomorrow I’ll know better, and will call my doc if this persists. Fingers crossed....

MinusTwo

Oh Lacey - yes fingers crossed. I hope you are just exhausted from chasing the baby and not sleeping due to the the allergens in the air. Try to malinger tomorrow. Just lie in bed (or your recliner) and read a book & doze. Or even take a real nap. And horrors - maybe Campbells Chicken Noodle for lunch.

Edited to say, thanks for sharing Susan's B-day. I still miss her. The memories of her baking adventures that she always shared here are wonderful.

ChiSandy

Lacey, you might be suffering allergy symptoms. The ragweed and molds have been particularly awful here--unfortunately, the hospital that used to report numerical allergy counts M-F from 4/1-10/31, when an octogenarian allergist would go to the roof and check the slides, now doesn't start the count till 4/15 and runs it only through 9/30. But everyone knows that ragweed season here runs 8/15-10/15. and peaks in early Oct.! (The young allergist who took over doesn't have the same stamina & dedication--or maybe she has other responsibilities). She also doesn't report Monday counts on holiday weekends (and occasionally skips some weekdays with no explanation). The only way I know for sure what's making me sneeze and my eyes itch is to go to Pollen.com and Accu-Weather, which just gives an index # for each allergen, rather than an actual grain or spore count. Beginning Thurs. night I will be absolutely miserable: I have a "penicillin & quinolone allergy challenge" test scheduled for Monday--and I have to stop taking all antihistamines (except Benadryl) and anti-allergy eyedrops for 5 days before. I can sub out Benadryl, but the last one has to be stopped by Sun. morning. For those five days, I'll have to make do with saline, Nasalcrom, Nasacort and artificial tears. (Maybe Similisan, as it's a weak homeopathic eyedrop with no antihistamines in it).

Tonight Bob brought dry-rub ribs (they were out of roast chickens) & quinoa salad home from Costco. I had a small no-croutons Caesar with homegrown cherry tomatoes instead of the quinoa, as my carb was a slice of low-carb toast with my French-style herbed soft-scrambled eggs for brunch. He also had his leftover cavatappi Bolognese from Cellars.

carolehalston

Last night was breaded pork chops, browned in a skillet. Sides were leftover red beans and rice from Monday night's dinner and a romaine salad with preferred additions including avocado.

I cooked half a pound of Camellia dry red beans on Monday and they were delicious. So was the brown basmati rice. We used to cook a lb. of beans but I end up having to freeze some leftover beans after eating them a couple of times. I like the fresh-cooked better than frozen. I soaked the beans in water a few hours. Poured off the water and added fresh water, seasoned with fine-chopped onions, garlic, s & p, and a sprinkle of ground bay. Later added diced andouille sausage. The beans were tender but not cooked to pieces and had a creamy liquid.

I'm thinking of looking for a rice cooker for cooking brown rice.

Beaverntx

Carole, I love how brown rice comes out when cooked in my Instant Pot and since the IP can be used for so much more, not taking up kitchen space with a single use item.I

Thinking of you folks for this weekend. Delta looks menacing.

ChiSandy

Brunch: Low-carb guac toast with chopped tomatoes, cilantro, and shallots, topped by an olive-oil-fried egg. Tonight we will split last night's leftovers, unless Bob gets home early enough for us to sit outdoors at Indie Cafe (Thai & Japanese)--I'd have sashimi, he'd have "loaded" ramen. Cellars is now open only Th-Sun. nights and weekend brunch through Oct. (Hopefully, the 60% capacity indoor-dining law and to-go business will keep them open past then. And maybe also if an extension of PPP is passed--you-know-who was convinced by sane advisors yesterday to reverse his steroid-fueled order to stop aid negotiations till after 11/3).

eric95us

Fingers crossed here as well Lacey!

I was thinking of getting an instant pot, but it haven't because I'd have the "where do I store it" problem. So far, it seems that the rice, when I do it in a regular covered sauce pan, comes out great....but it's stove specific. I have to set the stove element control to "the left side of the 'W' in the word 'WARM' for the front left heating element" to get things to work out. If I use the rear left or rear right element, I need to be at the center of the 'W". A new stove would likely require a whole new learning experience! :-)

I'm keeping track of Delta as well. I'm on call next month, but if things get hectic, they'll pull in teams from the future month...and with Covid19........ So, I'm going to go vote early today. I also have an order from Grainger (industrial supply) that I need to pick up and the voting location is across the street from the Grainger place, so I can do a "two for one" trip.

Sharon just asked for my "strong hands" to open a pickle jar.....

ChiSandy

We're going to fill out our ballots in the next few days (takes time because of all the judge races and Y/N judicial-retention questions), but drop them in the secured dropbox at the Armory as soon as early voting begins in the neighborhoods next Thurs. Hope there's no line for that, only for in-person voting. Last time they had to use the Armory for early voting was 2008, when so many people wanted to vote in such a historic election that the library wouldn't have been big enough. (In 2012, the early-voting lines in the library were on average 2 hrs long). The Armory is big enough that the line can snake around the perimeter and still be social-distanced.

carolehalston

Last night was roasted chicken thighs, skin on bone in. Okra and tomatoes, okra purchased at farm stand. Leftover mashed cauliflower. The meal rated "OK." The okra was probably a little old as well as pricey.

I also bought a cabbage, small sweet potatoes, and zucchini at the farm stand.

No clue about tonight's dinner. I wish I could make myself plan a week's menus, the way Laurie did.

MinusTwo

Carole - stay safe. I don't want to wish the storm on you but I hope it doesn't turn more westward and come here. Eric -hope you don't have to get called up.

I've been mostly planning dinners since Covid. Used to be ('once upon a time' in the long distant past) someone would call & say "let's go eat", so planning didn't work. Now I keep a sort of one word list, but not formal - notes like 'frozen rotisserie chicken' or 'spinach' or 'fry rice'. I still don't do well cooking for one. Almost every meal has leftovers for another day. That's when I get tripped up. I take meat out of the freezer on Monday planning to use on Wednesday, but still have the leftovers from Mon & Tues.

Yesterday was my monthly Coscto run so today I'm having what they call a 'shrimp cocktail'. Really it's 1-1/2 lbs of large, peeled, cold boiled shrimp (only tails left on). Perfect brunch. I'm trying an experiment & freezing half of those after removing the tails. Dinner will either be a salad or leftover spinach & artichoke quiche.

Has anyone else made the Hawaiian Sweet Roll "sliders" with turkey, ham, cheese - pour melted butter & bake. One of my favorites last year. I've found that my Kroger deli sells the 'sliders' in a 4 pack. I haven't tried baking with melted butter yet but they're pretty good popped in the microwave for a warm up.

M0mmyof3

Stay safe Carole!!!!!!!!

Dinner tonight is a frozen pizza.

ChiSandy

Dinner tonight (ordered out--too cold to sit outdoors, too nervous to dine inside w/o Bob) will be calamari and a honey-brined grilled pork chop with mashed sweet potatoes and pan-roasted Brussels sprouts. Will have some vanilla yogurt later for dessert. Brunch (post-MO visit) was "egg-in-the-nest:" a jumbo egg fried in a hole in the center of a slice of low-carb bread, fried along with the disc cut out to make the "hole." Later in the aft., a half-caff breve latte out on the deck. It was already getting sorta chilly, so I didn't make an espresso chaser. Yesterday, shorts & tee, today swap the shorts for leggings and throw on a faux-suede "big-shirt" over the tee. Tomorrow, shorts & tee again.

All my 'maters are off the vine and on the sill. Gonna see how big my baby zucchini will grow until the first frost before I pick them.

SpecialK

Dinner was boneless pork chops with sautéed apples and onions, some yellow squash, and baked sweet potatoes. I brought the supplies to DD’s house and cooked there. Doing so has reinforced my choice of a gas stove, this one is electric. I do fine on it, just don’t like it. We are now watching the Bucs/Bears (hi chisandy!) pre-game show. Took a minute for these old people to figure out how to stream Amazon Prime Video to the big screen tv, but we got it done.

lacey - hope you’re feeling ok.

minus - I make those sliders all the time - ham and swiss, turkey and provolone, and roast beef and cheddar. I melt butter and add poppy seeds, a little Worcestershire, and Dijon mustard and brush it over the tops. I usually make a bunch (the dozen sized package) and slice the whole top off horizontally, make a giant sandwich, heat it in the oven, then cut along the perforations with a serrated bread knife afterward. Our Publix deli section has the little four-pack too. Would be a good way to make a variety using those too.

ChiSandy

About to don my "Real Bears Fans Wear Pink" jersey and tune in to the game.

illimae

Tonight was a spinach alfredo pizza (3 slices) and an arugula/radish/cucumber salad with a balsamic vinaigrette. It was good but the pre-made crush wasn’t anything special, next time I’ll make the dough myself.

Beaverntx

Tonight was seasoned ground turkey stirred in with leftover cowboy beans served with coleslaw and corn chips.

eric95us

Probably nothing tonight as we had a very late "take out lunch". We voted, stopped by the industrial supply place and then ended up at MIL's house to help her navigate the grocery delivery website. I think she (MIL) strained her back. Between that, the knees, shoulders, possible kidney stone and hips, she's not moving around very well. I hope she improves, but..... :-(.

And then I spent about 2 hours working on the yard.

It was busy at the polling place, but the wait times were under a minute. It made me feel better to see it busy. It always disappoints me when I hear that the voter turnout for an election was 5%.

ChiSandy

Eric, thank you for voting! We're filling out our ballots at home and will put them in the secure drop boxes (which actually date-and-time-stamp them) once early voting in the city's 50 wards begins next Wednesday. Judicial contests for some seats, and retention (Y/N) balloting for other existing judges, make for very long ballots--and very long ballots result in either long times in the voting booth (too dangerous during a pandemic), or many experienced and qualified judges losing their jobs because they don't get "Yes" votes from the requisite 65% of those who showed up to vote (too many voters say "the heck with it" after voting for only the top few offices and getting the heck outta Dodge ASAP).

MinusTwo

Our governor has made an executive ruling that each county in Texas can only have ONE secure drop box. Well, the population of my county is 4.7 MILLION. Really - almost five million and one drop off location? Give me an effing break. I will be early voting in person when it starts on 10/13. When I voted early in the primaries they had great plexiglass shields and finger 'cots' if you didn't bring your own swipe "pen". All the booths were appropriately socially distanced. Everyone wore a mask. However our governor has also now said that none of the workers at the polls or the public coming to vote need to wear masks. Recommended, but ya know... And he's overruled our County judge with on every safety measure she tried to enforce.

Treated myself to a late night piece of cold spinach & artichoke quiche to soak up the two shots of Amarula on top of two gin & tonics. Totally unlike me. Walking at 7am may be tough.

CeliaC

DH and I did our absentee ballots (we are in Kentucky) and he took them to the Post Office on Monday.

Dinner tonight was roasted brussels and a mix of sauteed shrooms, chicken breast and a large spoonful of Primal Kitchen No Dairy Vodka Sauce + some additional herbs. This Vodka Sauce has become a new favorite of mine.

I am really hoping when COVID is over and travel can once again resume to meet up with some of you on this thread & others. Had planned on lots of travel as this is my first year being retired.