So...whats for dinner?

deborye

Momine

Apple, I have been sporting the Auswitch look for a few months, so I know what you mean. 

debbie6122

Lacey- Wow, very nice dinner sounds ritzy! I think the name Chiara would be so pretty.

Minustwo-It would be fun to go back east. Its great claming here ont he west coast too. I think you and Jack are having an affair LOL!!

Laurie- Im worried about you, I sure hope they figure this out soon. Im sure its not serious but its got to be worrysome and annoying too. Are you taking cold medicine or anything new that maybe you are having a reaction too? 

Chabba- Darn, look like time has run out for claming then, well it will give me time to read up on it and learn how to do and get all the stuff i will need to dig for clams.

Bedo- Never heard of quahogs must be an east coast type of clams. Interresting article, i love reading that kind of stuff.

Apple- Maybe Mr. Apple would like a buffet he could eat all he wants. But would be a waste of money for you since you dont have an appetite. I use to be able to eat all i wanted and not gain a pound, not any more i gain just looking at food now.

Deb- Cute pic. Earth Day is the day my mom passed away it will be a sad day for me.

I didnt really find anything good at the garage sales but it was beautiful out and enjoyed driving around and looking at other peoples "Junk" ha!

LuvRVing

Hi everyone and welcome luvmygoats!  My DD and I got home from Foxwoods last night around 10.  We didn't win, but we both had a few hits yesterday.  Friday night there was this giant sucking sound as our money went into machines but nothing ever came out   It was fun to spend time with her, though.  She's been working about 60 hours a week during tax season, so she didn't have time for much of anything.  We were able to talk about our upcoming trip to Paris and her plans for starting her CPA prep, among other things. 

Apple - honey, you need to tell your hubby what you would like.  If you want to go out to a nice dinner, he needs to take you.  There are ways to do it at less cost, like the Entertainment Book, Restaurant.com coupons, 2 for 1s on certain dining days, etc.  You can make it your mission to find bargains for restaurants that you, the foodie, might appreciate.  And it needs to be his job to make it happen for you.  You deserve it, and he just needs to know it's important to you.  Sometimes you gotta hit the DH over the head with the facts, you know?  Have you ever been to Justus Drugstore at Smithville Lake?  This place is amazing, they even make all their own condiments.  They have an outdoor patio area with a more casual menu that will let you enjoy some of the chef's fine creations without breaking the bank.  And if you go on Friday nights in the summer, there is usually musical entertainment on the square so you get that bonus, too.  They have the best chef-made Sangria on the planet!

Laurie - I'm glad you went to the ER and got the full workup.  Hopefully the results will show that you are OK and then you can relax a bit.  I can imagine it's scary when your heart misbehaves, and it's nothing to ignore.  We'll all be waiting to hear the results!

Lacey - that Chiara dinner sounds amazing!  I'm going to have to check it out!

DH and I are going to a co-ed baby shower today for the daughter of my DS's significant other.  I am guessing he won't want to stay too long, I am not so sure that co-ed baby showers are a great idea...lol

I hope everyone has a nice Sunday!

carberry

Well last nights B-day party was a blast...lots of good friends, good food, music dancing.  Our good friends from Buffalo came to see and surprise my DH, stayed the night with us had breakfast then back home for them. He asked me if I knew they were coming (duh?) and my reply was "why do you think I cleaned the house?"

Lacey that sounds like an amazing dinner. If we eat out I always like to try to get stuff that I could never make.

Apple I agree with Michelle, just tell your husband you need  a treat once in awhile and some extra calories. I tell my husband it really doesnt matter where we go or what we eat it always taste better if I didnt have to make it myself.  My DH says he doesnt like to go out to eat because he is disappointed in the meals, because I can cook better.  I know thats a con, since I am only a very basic cook!

Debbie  So envious of the garage saling....we wont really get into seeing the garage sales around here until around Memorial Day. My friend was just cleaning out her attic, an old farmhouse, that was originally owned by her grandparents and i told her "dont throw anything away till I see it" I like to repurpose old furniture. I am a sucker for glass drawer pulls. I grew up in corning NY home of the corning glass center and the dump trucks would carry away the scaps of colored glass to the dump and when bumping along the roads the glass peices would fall out along the sides of the road and my friend and I would get our buckets and collect all the peices. we would sit for hours going over our "treasure"  Ihave loved glass ever since. 

Ha Ha sorry for the long story!

Kaara

Hi everybody!  Just got back from our 10 day vacation with no access to a computer (not necessairly a bad thing!) so lots of catching up to do.  This has been a busy thread and my mouth is watering from all the great recipes that were shared.

The vacation was awesome...Scottsdale and Sedona are just fantastic places to visit.  The sight seeing is to die for, the food is fantastic, the golf great, and the people are the best!  We found so many nice healthy restaurants...one in particular was an organic italian restaurnat where they made quonia pasta and gluten free pizza.  Their salads were the best...kale and fresh leafy greens.  It was also very reasonable...not a meal over $14!  The name was Picazzo's, so if you're ever in the area, you must try it.  Another great experience was True Food Kitchen, located in the Scottsdale Quarter, an upscale shopping area.  We had the most awesome vegetable cocktails, that when we saw those we immediately passed on the wine and ordered several of those each...excellent...one was made with carrot, celery, cucumber and ginger, and the other was made with kale, celery, apple and ginger.  I think I heard the restaurant is somehow affiliated with Dr. Andrew Weil.  The recipes were very healthy, but tasty.  There was one restaurant, The Compound Grill, which we looked in vain for and never found.  It was in a large sprawling shopping area with twists and turns, and we just couldn't find it...disappointed...because the reviews were great!  All in all, it was a great culinary experience and best of all, we ate like pigs and didn't gain one pound!!  We plan to make this an annual trip it was so enjoyable.  The weather was great, but as we were leaving on Saturday, the temps were approaching 100 degrees, so it was nice to get back to 70 degree weather in Florida, even if it was raining.

One exciting thing...I played my first 18 hole round of golf in two years, and I chipped out of a bunker and it rolled right into the hole!  Pure luck for a hack like myself, but loved it anyway.  I got cheers from the rest of the foursome!  My boyfriend was so proud because naturally it was his excellent teaching skills that allowed that to happen...hehe!  Truthfully, he has tried very hard to instruct  me over the years, so maybe some of it did finally work!

 We had one small mishap on the trip when the keys to the car disappeared...looked everywhere and they weren't to be found.  I suggested looking in the golf bag which he had trouble bringing up the stairs from the car, and he suggested that I was an idiot for thinking the keys could have fallen into the little slots in the golf bag!  Well, a half hour later, out of options, he finally agreed to turn the golf bag upside down and volia....they keys fell out.  I said nothing...we left for dinner...but he did apologize for not immediately taking my suggestion.

Well, no more excuses...I have to start unpacking and putting things back in order here at the house...vacation is officially over:(  Tomorrow I go for my second eye injection, but this time I know what to expect so I will not be as stressed.  I know it's going to burn after for a day, but it's ok. 

debbie6122

Michelle-Sorry you didnt win but glad you had a great time with your DD! Very well put on advice to Apple for DH to take her where she wants to go!

Carrie- Sounds like you had a great time, wish we lived closer i would love to party with you LOL!

Kaara- Welcome back, you were missed! Glad you had a good time in Az. I love Scottsdale and all there wonderful restaurants there. Funny story on the missing keys. Should of said to DH "Who's the idiot now" LOL!

Kaara

debbie6122:  I definitely did say it...he just didn't hear I spoke so low...hehe!  The one time being a little hard of hearing comes in handy...lol!

carolehalston

Last night I cooked a Baked Cabbage recipe that someone shared on this site many months ago.  I had jotted it down.  Instead of Polish sausage as suggested, I used pork chops.  I seasoned them and browned them in the same large pan in which I cooked the dish.  Put the pork chops on the bottom.  Next a layer of sliced potatoes.  Next 3 onions cut into half.  Top layer was chopped cabbage.  Last I poured in chicken broth.  I seasoned each layer with salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder.

The recommended temp. was 400.  I cooked the dish 1 hr.  Reduced the temp to 350 and cooked it another 30 min.  It was very good.  The cabbage and potatoes were from the CSA veggies.

The leek and potato soups both sounded good.  I jotted down Laurie's and will probably incorporate elements of Michelle's recipe.  However, our soup weather is long gone.

Hot air balloons have an enormous appeal just like sailboats.  I don't know if I'm brave enough for the balloon ride. 

Bedo, what's your recipe for red lentil soup?  I have a huge bag of lentils that are kind of a yellow/orange color that I bought in Alaska last summer when I was yearning for white bean soup.  There were none to be found in the supermarkets but lots of lentils.  So I bought this big bag, which was very cheap, but have never cooked the lentils. 

Laurie, I hope you get to the bottom of your health issue.  My bp was sky high again this morning so DH and I cancelled out on a couples' golf tournament.  An hour later my reading was down closer to normal, so I'm wondering about the accuracy of the readings.  We'll see what tomorrow morning brings.  I'm signed up for a 2-day women's golf tournament on Tues and Wed.  Hope I don't have to cancel on that because I have a partner.  The pattern has been high bp in the morning and lowering to normal during the day.  DH is insisting I consult a cardiologist. 

Today was/is beautiful.  Hope you all enjoyed your day.

bedo

Carole Here is the recipe.  I haven't made it  yet because I've been a big slug after starting my exercise thing, but here goes. It's from Whole Foods.

Turkish Red Lentil Soup

8 oz (about 1 1/3 Cup red lentils, picked through and rinsed.

7 Cups low sodium vegetable broth

1 large onion , diced

1 large carrot, diced

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 TBS tomato paste

1Tsp ground cumin

1/2 Tsp cayenne pepper, or to taste

3/4 Tsp fine sea salt, or to taste.

Lemon wedges and chopped mint for serving (optional)

IN a large pot combine lentils, broth, onion, carrot, garlic tomato paste, cumin and cayenne and bring to a boil over high heat.  Lower heat and simmer unconvered until vegetables are very tender and lentils begin to fall apart, about 25 monutes

Remove the poet from the heat and use an immersison blender to quickly blend the soup until it is creamy but not completely pureed. ( I don't have one so will use my blender) But be careful to make sure it's covered cause it's hot and hold down the top with a towel and do it in small batches.) Begin blending on low speed. Add salt and serve with lemon wedges and a garnish of mint if desired. 

I'm a pig. I would eat this cold too, also it doesn't say to do that.

And there you go!

Kay_G

Hello everyone! It's been a while, and there are too many pages to catch up on! How is everyone? Laurie, I see some comments about the ER and not feeling well. Hope you're feeling better and all the tests come out okay. Apple, sorry to hear you have no appetite. I wouldn't know how that feels, but I am sure it is no fun. I agree, let Mr. Apple know how you'd enjoy going out. You'll enjoy even if you don't eat much. Hope you're able to hold onto your weight.



We had chicken breasts covered with barbecue sauce cooked in the slow cooker tonight. Boring, but everyone does like it. Had some roasted eggplant, carrots and cauliflower marinated in some balsamic vinagrette and some rice with it. And best of al, DQ for dessert! I just love DQ.

debbie6122

Bedo-Did you have a poet in your pot? LOL!

kay- Hi! Nothing boring about bq chicken, I love anything bq'd. Yum!

Carol- Your cabbage dinner sounds good.

I made a pork roast with potatoes, and carrots. Put lots of shallots and garlic in there. 

Kaara

Morning everyone!  Up early today...going for my eye injection:(  I made a big pot of my vegetable soup with kale last evening so there will be leftovers today in case I don't feel like cooking.  I'm not taking my anti anxiety pill for this injection because it put me in la la land the last time, and my eye still burned all day...wasn't worth it.  Pretty much back to normal here..unpacked, did laundry and grocery shopping all day yesterday, but I'm still adjusting to the time change of three hours.  It still feels like 4:00 AM when it's really 7:00!

When I get past this next injection hurdle, I am going to try and duplicate some of those dishes we had on our trip.  One was a gluten free pasta made with olive oil and capers, with shrimp or chicken added...yummy!  Another was lobster tacos, but they could be made with shrimp as well.  I would love to give the gluten free pizza a try but wouldn't have a clue how to make the crust.  I actually liked it better than regular pizza crust it was so tender and crisp.  Too bad there isn't a place where you can buy them pre made.  I can't wait to get to NC this year, because I heard they opened a gluten free bakery in our town...wow!

All of your recipes sound wonderful...I'm getting lots of ideas for the coming weeks of cooking...eating out will be a distant memory for a while since we blew our entertainment budget on vacation!

Apple, I meant to mention this before I went on vacation, but there is a medication that you can take that will increase your appetite....my friend took it when she was going through chemo...it was the only way she could eat.  It worked for her.  Ask your doctor about it.  I can't remember what it was called, but it was a liquid.  Hope you're feeling better. 

Lacey12

Am hoping today goes smoothly for you Kaara.



Off to work after a week of being off....lots of kid (and parent) crises to be dealt with. Am leaving a copy of Laurie's Salsa Chicken on the counter for DH to try to start since I will undoubetdly be home after 6. I'll let you know how it goes.....:)



Have a good Monday everyone!

carolehalston

Lacey, anyone who can't follow Laurie's Salsa Chicken recipe is truly a cooking dud!

Bedo, I want a poet in my pot!  The recipe looks good.  I'll jot it down and put it in my personal cooking notebook.

Kaara, your dishes you ate on your trip sound exotic and tasty.  Let us know how they turn out.  Good luck on your injection today.  You have a great attitude.

DH wants pasta tonight.  Very easy prep. 

My bp reading was the same this morning.  High.  150/100.  I figure it has been like this for quite a while and I wasn't aware of it.  This morning I plan to go for a walk.  Yesterday after the reading had settled down to normal, I did a workout with weights and stairclimber.  We have a little home "gym."  DH is pressuring me to make an apptment with a cardiologist.  Guess I will do that since I went to one a few years back and had a stress test that was normal.  "It's always something!"  Rosanna Dana''s words of wisdom.

Dentist apptment at 2:10 pm to see if the bone transplant was successful.  Here's hoping.  My teeth are always letting me down!

Happy Monday!

carberry

Was on track to cook out a steak last night on the grill, but then the weather started......so changed plans and made a pot of spaghetti.

Woke up this morning to 3 inches of snow and still going....Only in upstate NY!! All my tulips have dropped their heads    Looks like a good day to catch up on laundry and more housework.

debbie6122

Kaara- Good luck with your eye appointment and hope you have NO pain today!

Kaara

Thanks everyone for the words of encouragement.  The injection was tolerable but not pleasant...it burns like heck for a while after.  I slept through it the last time because I took an anti anxiety med.  Today I'm having to deal with it, but it's getting better as the day goes on.  The good news is that there is significant improvement in my eye condition over last month.  The fluid is down and I can read the eye charts better.  So now it's behind me for another month..whew!

I'm making a turkey breast and veggies for dinner...something easy that I don't have to think about...maybe some cornbread dressing with cranberries to go with it.  Comfort food! 

Kaara

Laurie:  I was reading through the posts after I got back from vacation and see that you have had a bout with possible PVC's.  I have them and know they can be scary, but if all checks out they are not life threatening.  I take a half a beta blocker each evening before bedtime and I don't feel them much at all.  They can be triggered by stress.

When I had my health workup from my ND he discovered that I was low in magnesium and when I started taking that as part of my supplement program, the PVC's have lessened considerably, so maybe that was a contributing factor.  Low potassium can be as well. 

LuvRVing

Carrie - ick on the snow!  It's way too late in April to have to deal with winter weather!!!  It's been just rain here, lots of it.  We desperately needed it, though, so it's OK.  But the temps this week will barely be 60, a little chilly after all the spectacular weather we've had.

Kaara - glad the injection wasn't too bad.  Makes me cringe to think about it!

I'm making spaghetti tonight, too.  I haven't made it in a while and DH loves it, so he'll be happy.  I have a whole turkey in my freezer that is taking up way too much space.  I need to cook that bird in the next couple of weeks.  Maybe I'll get some wood chips and smoke it.

Laurie08

Carol- I hope your dentist appointment went well and that the transplant is a success.  I am also glad your DH is encouraging you to go to a cardiologist.  I always say it is better to be safe.  Thinking of you.  Hope you are feeling great to play golf.

Debbie- DId you find anything good at the yard sales?

Carrie- 3 inches of snow!!!!!  OMG!  Hope you got alot done today inside, I hope it melts fast and you are back outside soon.

Kaara- Hope your eye is doing ok and your turkey for dinner sounds wonderful, I am so in the mood for that.  Thanks for the help with the PVC's.  They checked my blood levels and everything was normal.  I am now on day 4 of them this time and they happen every minute.   How often do you have yours?  The Dr's appointment that I have tomorrow with the Halter results should be interesting.  I am hoping they are all PVC's and nothing else.  They are weaker at times, those don't bother me as much.

So yesterday I made a beef stew in the crock pot.  We were hoping to have friends over with their grandson but the grandson wasn't feeling well so I have a big batch left over.  Tonight I am doing the camping recipe of burger and spaghetti sauce over rice with zucchini.

I am really looking forward to going to the Dr tomorrow and getting some answers.  I have had a headache for three days, the PVC's for four days and my energy level is not what it should be.  Feeling frustrated at the moment. 

carberry

AWWW Laurie  didnt know you were having the headaches as well.  Hope your appt goes well tomorrow and he has some answers. When my girlfriend has them she has been instructed to stay well hydrated and she says it helps but she forgets to drink lots during the day.

Kaara  turkey and stuffing.....yum. I should sneak in all the comfort foods now while the weather is cold....ha ha then maybe in a couple of days we can get back to summer.  I had just put all my winter coats away...that'l teach me!

debbie6122

Laurie- No I didnt find anything good this time around at the garage sales but had fun saleing. I hope the news tomorrow will be good. I did some reading up on PVC's if nothing else is going on it says its normal but annoying. Geez, I would hate to have that going on all the time. Do you drink a lot of caffene? Whatever the cause i just hope its nothing to worry about. Hope your headache goes away. (((hugs))))

Everyones dinner sounds good. Leftover pork orast for dinner and maybe some zucchini and yellow squash.

I had a nice chat with Chabba on the phone yesterday, she is such a sweetie.

chabba

AAAWWWWE shucks debbie.  I enjoyed our talk too.  You are a lovely lady.

carolehalston

Good news.  The dental bone transplant was successful.  But today I learn the dentist wants to do 3 implants instead of 2.  More $$$$$.  I have confidence in him so I agreed.

Not so good.  My bp stayed high all day today instead of going lower in the afternoon.  I'm scheduled to play golf tomorrow and Wed. in a Member-Member tournament.  Tonight I'll try taking an extra bp med.

Dinner tonight was so good.  Linguine with tomato sauce w/Italian sausage and side dish of roasted cauliflower.  The cauliflower was good but dh and I agree that roasting is not the best cooking choice for this veggie.  I tossed it with s & p, EVOO and minced garlic.  It doesn't get tender with roasting.

bedo

Debbie and Carole, you are too funny!  I had to read my recipe 3 times to figure out what you were talking about!  Oh well, goes with grabbing a black textbook off my shelf and taking it into work instead of my tiny laptop!

Carole, I'm glad it took!  So exciting

Laurie, I hope everything turns out OK with your heart monitor.

Chabba, I would love some of those Pacific clams.  I have a friend who lives on an island in Wash State and keep meaning to go out to see her.

Debbie, I found a gold guilded mirror (sp)? for $2.50 and 2 spider plants for free!  I put them all in my office!

Luvmygoats.  I love goats too, but am not in an area where I can have them.  I love their crazy rectangular pupils!

Trying to de-dust the cabin and put in an air conditioner that will get rid of humidity, as there are trees all around and it's been raining. If it doesn't get warmer I may make a fire to burn it all off.

Daughter all better.  Sending texts that actually say "gimme money, $300 now and $300 in a month if you can't give $600 all at once for Cobra. K."  Oh, well glad she's feeling better and planning a trip to India.

bedo

Debbie and Carole, you are too funny!  I had to read my recipe 3 times before I realized I had a poet in the pot. Carole, I'm glad your dental treatment is going well

Laurie, I hope everything turns out OK

Lacey12

Laurie, I hope you get some answers tomorrow at your appt. So, my kitchen challenged DH did make your salsa chicken tonight...it was happily cooking when I came through the door at 6:30. I made a quick cuke salad and a quinoa pilaf and we enjoyed it all by 7PM. So happy to have DH add that great easy recipe to his small (but growing cooking repetoire.



Kaara, glad things went well today. You are brave!



Carole....any reason you don't want to see the cardiologist? Seems like a sensible idea to me given that the bp is persistent.



I'm really wiped after spending a long day dealing with several families around a bullying incident. It took about two seconds to feel like vacation week never happened. With this fatigue, I'm really counting the days til summer. I'm lucky to have hardly any other symptoms, but fatigue does really do you in!



Off to get some shut eye.....

debbie6122

Chabba- LOL! now your making me blush.

Carol- The bone transplants sounds like it could be painful. Glad it was successful today though. I sure hope they get your BP back to normal. I think my BP would go through the roof just thinking about a bone transplant. I love cauliflower roasted, its the only way i eat it unless im making mashed cauliflower. Mine always comes out really tender ( I dont like my veggies underdone) I put it on a sheet pan with evoo, garlic in a 400 degree oven and toss it every once in awhile, and cook it maybe 20 minutes or until done and tender. I put parmesan cheese on it the last 5 minutes. Maybe your not cooking it long enough? Hmmm.

Bedo- I think we should all get together and write a book on all the funny things we have said here.(Starting with Laurie) LOL!  Great find at your sales! and free plants? Wow!! LOL@ your DD comment.

Lacey- Sorry your time off was a fiasco with family. Hope you get a good nights sleep.

Trying to get rid of some things in the fridge so besides my pork roast made broccoli and squash, left over potatoes from roast and some yummy sauted mushrooms in a butter wine, parlsey, garlic sauce. 

Lacey12

Debbie, my time off was just lovely. Unfortunately not so for several of the families with whom I work (my clients) .....thus the re-entry to work was busy helping them sort out serious problems with their kids. Life is complex!



Meanwhile heard from DS1 and DIL that Our little grandson is sporting his first four stitches on his face (ouch!) after falling into a coffee table...poor little guy. It's amazing this is his first trip to the hospital since he's a real motor machine.



Off to see what awaits today......