So...whats for dinner?

carberry

SpecialK  thanks for that tip on the eggs benedict, a lot more healthy than the ususal method (except for the sauce) I am going to try this on Sun morning when my DH is home and likes a nice Sun morning breakfast.

Anyone worried about the eggs, you can always do an egg white omelet with veges...very healthy.  But on the other hand, my dad has eaten two fried eggs every morning for his entire life, he is now 81 and has no cholesterol problems.

Eric So true!!

gardengumby

Staying away from eggs isn't a problem for me, I don't like them in most forms (I like quiche and souffles, but that's about it).  I make vegetable omelet with chicken for my husband on weekends (I leave too early during the week to either make or eat breakfast first, ugh), and I take out 1/2 the vegies before adding the egg - that's my breakfast.    During the week for breakfast I usually eat a little greek yoghurt with some fruit and flax seed, a handful of supplements and a large glass of water.

for lunch I usually eat 1/2 cucumber, a handful of grape tomatoes, a slice or two of chicken or salmon (usually whatever we had the night before, cold) and ice tea.

dinner is always a lot more variety.  We eat much more fish and chicken than red meat, and when we do eat red meat it's usually lamb or grass-fed beef.  We always have a salad and usually also have another vegie and some kind of meat dish.  I generally have some fruit sometime during the day or in the evening.

We both eat raw nuts as a snack, or sometimes hummus and rice crackers (Mary's Gone Crackers are my favorites).

carolehalston

SpecialK, I admire you for your discipline in following a healthy diet to take off your extra lbs.  I never had problems maintaining my goal weight until I started taking arimidex, 3 yrs. this Sept.  Aging is also a factor.  With every decade, our metabolism declines and we need to eat less food.  But with aging, we enjoy food more! 

Tazzy, I was interested in your recipe for jambalaya since I live in Cajun food country, south Louisiana.  Most jambalaya recipes will not have tomato and the authentic dish must have smoked sausage, which isn't always easy to find elsewhere in the country.  It's available in every little grocery store and supermarket where I live.  The favorite is andouie.  The barbecue sauce was a surprise.  All said, the recipe looks delicious.  I have some shrimp in my freezer that I bought fresh at home.  I'll have to make a jambalaya!  With brown rice.  The only white rice I buy is arborio for risotto.

Joyce, great to hear from you.  Michelle has kept us updated on your health.

Debbie, I always enjoy your recipes and home menus.  Glad your weekend getaway was so much fun.

Eggs.  I cut down and have only one when we have breakfast with eggs.  Not because of the cholesterol, but the WW "points."  I've been on WW off and on for years and have been influenced by its recommendations.  Cutting out bread would be a real sacrifice for me.  I don't eat just any bread but good bread like the home-made wheat bread we bought at the farmer's mkt. last Sat.  It is so delicious that a sandwich with anything between the slices is special.  At home I made artisan bread baked on a stone.  I mean, how can a food so basic be bad for you?

Michelle, I hope the blisters are healing.

Eric, love your card for Sharon!  Unfortunately, the male diet doesn't work for my dh.  He has always had more weight control problems than I do.  His body hangs on to every pound in case of impending starvation!

Sorry to miss replying to everyone. 

Happy Wednesday.

Momine

Dd flew in today from college, so I thought I should make some food. She went straight out with friends, but I just had the dinner I made, and I gotta say, it was good, lol.



So it was veggie lasagne. Tomato sauce with garlic, parsley (lots) and orange zest. Layered with thin slices of roasted eggplant and roasted red peppers (from a jar, I am notproud), ricotta and a little mozz. Topped it with bechamel beaten with an egg. It was really nice, and we have enough for tomorrow as well.

Moonflwr912

momine, sounds good, but I always have a problem with leftover eggplants. Fresh, it taste good and I will eat it. Leftover it tastes so, um, bad, bitter, I can't eat it. Do you do something to it to make it better the next day, it could also be just me! LOL

SpecialK

momine - you have to splurge every now and then, right?  Your veggie lasagna sounds great!

moom - you can make a veggie lasagna like momine's but sub large zucchini sliced longways into thin slices like lasagna noodles for the eggplant.

carole - I was getting desperate because I have all of the clothes hanging in the closet that I could not wear!  I am petite - 5'2" and I weighed literally what I weighed when I gave birth to my children!  So I don't know how much is disclipline and how much being frugal - I refuse to buy new clothes and I was getting tired of the few things that fit!  It is interesting how different people have strong attachments to certain foods - if I never had bread again I would be fine, even though I do like it - especially good bread!  I adore pasta though!  I just bought some brown rice pasta to try - we will see!

Hope everyone is having a good day!

eric - your card sums it up!  Arrgghhh!

Laurie08

Hi everyone!  As usual it has been so busy here, I have been reading the past day or so when I can and trying to catch up.  The weekend went well and everyone had fun.  The amount of food we had was insane.  Everyone brought stuff to share and we had ribs, chicken, steak, pork, lobster, haddock etc etc with all the sides you could imagine.  We have been eating the leftovers since everyone left!  I wasn't feeling well and was running a fever most of the weekend, who knows why, but I managed to kind of ignore it for the most part.

I went to the ear nose and throat Dr last Friday and he has me on another round of anti biotics, switched my allergy med and had me doing sinus rinses.  I go back in three weeks for another evaluation to see if it helped.

Between all the fun we have been having and work I am pooped.  I've been going to bed early and today got to enjoy a nap with both boys.  I was surprised DS #1 slept at all, he never does.  But when we got up he had a fever, so I guess something is going around.  We have had a quiet afternoon inside and it will be early to bed for everyone again tonight.

My Dads garden has started to produce and I am psyched!  In the last two days he has dropped off a ton of zucchini and squash, green beans and I even have gotten two tomatoes!!  So tomorrow I will be the crazy zucchini lady and go drop some off at neighbors houses, lol!  Tonight I am going to make fried zucchini sticks, lamb patties with the fresh tomatoes and some rice.

Hope everyone is doing well and I promise to try and keep up!!

Oh and Eric I have to laugh at your card.  My DH only has to THINK he needs to lose weight to lose a few pounds!!  It's crazy!!  But oh so true!!

SpecialK

laurie - I want to have dinner at your house tonight!!

Tazzy

CaroleH : If you have an 'authentic' Louisiana jambalaya recipe please, please share.   This recipe does call for smoked sausage - hot italian sausage is just easier to find here.    I was in New Orleans a couple of years ago and had a jambalaya and it was like a party in my mouth, the flavours...  the best I have ever ever tasted.

I agree SpecialK - Lauries for dinner tonight.

We are out for wings and beer with friends.

chabba

Oh how I wish we had some gardeners that would share their produce with the Senior center. Almost everyone here with excess gives it to neighbors or the food bank. 

A few years ago we were given a wonderful donation by the food bank.  They had an excess of acorn squash from the regional Northwest Harvest and gave us two very large boxes of them.  I served them every other week for over two months.  Our customers kept asking for more cooked the way I fixed them the first time.  Cut in half and roasted face down on a buttered baking pan, turned about 1/2 hour before serving and the cavity filled with butter and brown sugar, very old fashioned, childhood memories kind of thing.. 

SeasideMemories

Chabba,



Very good point! I have a garden and am really just learning but sometimes exceed my expectations in some areas and have more than I can use... We have a program here called Plant a Row For The Hungry and I do... Never occured to me to ask our local senior center if they would be interested... Will do this year!

debbie6122

Laurie- Hope you and your son feels better, it really sucks to get sick in the summer time.;-((

I made a raw beet salad today and it was so good I can't believe I hadn't tried that before I looked up a recipe and decided to make it after all the talk about beets (sorry beet haters) ha! I peeled 3  beets, then shredded them along with 2 large carrots peeled and shredded I small apple peeled and shredded, 2 garlic cloves minced, tossed with 1 tbls of evoo, 1 tbls of balsamic vinegar and 1 teasp of dijon mustard. Salt and pepper and some franks hot sauce. Let it sit in the fridge for about an hour. It was so soft as if it was cooked. The recipe called for raisons and nuts like almonds. walnuts or pine nuts also different cheeses I didnt want to overpower the salad so made with out all the extras I will def make this again. Had it with a chicken sandwich. Yummm!

Carole- When you put the whole chx in the crock pot how long did it cook for and did you use any liquids to it? I would like to make it in the next day or two.

Tazzy-Have a great time tonight!

Chabba- Too bad you cant find a way to let all the farmers know you would like an extra veggies they have. Maybe they don't even think about the senior center when donating so maybe if they knew donations would be welcome you would get more.

eric95us

Stuffed bell peppers.. I've got the recipe around here somewhere..it's another of the "sort of measure" things.



If it were not so late already, I'd consider making the onion bread/naar with sourdough instead of baker's yeast...maybe tomorrow. I've got to take my mom for a INR check--she's on cumadin--so I'll be home earlier tomorrow.



Sharon has had a tooth ache since her chemo started. Th MO cleared her for the dentist...a root canal and crown, an extraction of a cracked tooth with a bridge being placed and she's in great need of a cleaning......



Eric

Moonflwr912

Oh, man, Eric, no fun. Hope Sharon's dentist appt goes well, and same for your mom.

eric95us

..another day in paradise..... not.....

:-)



Eric

Lacey12

Laurie, glad your weekend events went so well despite your fever. Hope you are all back to "normal" soon!



Eric, poor Sharon, root canal during chemo? Oy! Best of luck to her....and you keep on truckin' with supporting the women in your life. Hope you are having some fun for yourself!



Debbie, that beet salad sounds great. I've been busy trying different things with my Vita Mix and wondered about using raw beets (they are supposed to be sooo good for you!). Don't think I have everceaten a raw beet before, but am game. Thanks for posting the recipe. I'm heading to DS1 and DIL's on Friday, and may make that as a side for lamb burgers. I'm bringing them rosemary powder to mix with the ground lamb and garlic. By the way, you can get the rosemary powder online from the atlanticspicecompany.com.

debbie6122

Eric- No pain worse than a tooth ache hope she and your moms appointments go well.

Lacey- I had not eaten a raw beet salad before either, I like canned beats but the work into cook beats that didnt have much flavor IMO was not worth it for me. This salad was easy to make and nice and tender. When I went to our local health food store over a week ago I looked for the powdered rosemary they have tons of bins of spices you can buy any amount you want, I asked about the powdered Rosemary and she said she didn't know it came that way. I will check on line. I love rosemary but Dont like the stems getting in my teeth.  Thanks!

Popcorn with chocolate chips for desset!

Momine

Moonflower, eggplant needs oil. So when I make this lasagne, I slice the eggplant thinly, then brush both sides with olive oil and bake till wilted and slightly browned.



If I am making baked eggplant of some kind, I halve it or make thick slices, then fry them with plenty of olive oil for a bit before baking.

apple

i have never seen powdered rosemary.. i suppose you could mortar and pestle it to a powder like chef Pierre.

eric95us

I've never seen powdered rosemary either...unless I powdered it myself.



Eric

Lacey12

I just got curious and googled "rosemary powder" . There are lots of places on line that sell it. Then I learned about its many health benefits..who knew? Check it out. I may not be giving so much of my giant bag of it away as originally planned.



After my marathon day of weeding and planting yesterday (finally!)I am wiped out. Gotta get organized for our NJ trip tomorrow.

Last night too tired to cook.....had a take out veggie pizza (mushrooms, onions, red and yellow peppers) and arugula salad with portobella mushrooms and shaved parmesan. I didn't find the chardonny/tarragon dressing at all tasty but the addition of balsamic vinegar improved it. Since Stonehearth pizzas are very small (and pretty healthy) we also ordered an appetizer, meatball poppers (there goes the healthy aspect!) since I had never heard of them. Probably wouldn't order tham again but the spicy tomato sauce was great.



Have a good day everyone, and for those expecting the severe weather I'm hearing forecasted, stay safe!!

SpecialK

If you have a small coffee bean grinder you can put the rosemary in it and make your own.

DianaNM

Hope it's ok if I join in. My qualifications are that I absolutely love food, and I'm a pretty adventurous cook! lol

SpecialK, my diet is very similar to yours, but I do cook with fat (coconut oil, olive oil, butter). And I enjoy a glass of wine when I cook a nice meal. It is my last vice, I guess. That and the occasional piece of dark chocolate.

Last night was a whole organic chicken from Costco. They have them in two packs, frozen. Browned it in my Le Crueset dutch oven, then stuffed it with apples, juiced it with a lemon, and poured about half a bottle of Marsala over it. Later added more apples around the sides and some mushrooms. Also roasted some sliced garnet yams, couldn't find any sweet potatoes.

It was delicious, and despite starting with a 5 lb chicken, all we have left is a leg quarter. Wasn't me! There are three of us, I eat the least by far, but DH and DD are the ones who have lost weight. Sigh.

Tonight we have a grass fed t-bone for DH and I (DD is working late). Purchased from a local supplier, but I noticed that Trader Joes' has frozen grass fed steaks and ground beef now. Everyone go buy some so they will keep carrying them! Will have more roasted yams, and a green salad. We have a tomato from our front yard, and I make a balsamic dressing so that I can use olive oil. It's very easy and most commercial dressings use canola oil which I don't eat. 

The tomatoes in our yard are not nearly as tasty as the heirloom ones I've been getting at the Grower's market, but since we went to the trouble of growing them, we need to eat them. 

SpecialK

diananm - everything you made sounds great!  They are building a new Trader Joe's about 45 minutes from me - I will make the trek.  I have no idea why there is no store in Tampa - not fair!  We do have Fresh Market and Whole Foods but it is a 30 minute drive to get there from my house.  My PS office is right around the corner from both but now that I have exchanged and I am not going for weekly fills I have been there less.

Lacey12

Special, I won't be needing to do any self-rosemary-powdering for quite a while, but curious, do really fresh rosemary leaves powder in the grinder or make more of a paste. Do the needles need to be really dry?

DianaNM

Trader Joes is a West coast grocer that is slowly taking over the country. We have two in Albuquerque, and were so excited when they opened here! They have a lot of organics, gluten free, even some sugar free stuff. I confess to occasionally buying the SF chocolate coated almonds. I love TJs, can you tell?

Tazzy

Please send them to the West Coast and Interior of BC.

Lacey12

For anyone local to Boston (or wants to take a trip East!) and interested, I received an email from LaMorra Ristorante about an event they are having this coming Tuesday, featuring the foods from, and the movie, La Dolce Vita. When we went to their Big Night (food and movie), it was unbelievable! I can forward this email to anyone interested if you PM your email address. Sadly, we will still be out of town so will miss it.

Kaara

Hi everyone!  Had a wonderful two days visit with my girlfriends and met some new friends as well.  We went to a cocktail party where I met this very nice lady that I am going to fix up with a friend of ours who is single.  She is perfect for him.  I never do this sort of thing, but this just seems right. 

This thread has really been busy, so I need to catch up, but just wanted to say hello and I'm back.  More to follow. 

debbie6122

Welcome Dianna- Your chicken dinner sounds delish!

I tried grinding my rosemary leaves and still had a lot of little bits, not powdery like I would have liked. I ordered some rosemary powder line this morning wasn't too bad a price I paid like 11.oo for a big jar of it. Here are some benefits of the RP- A, C, Iron, calcium. potassium, magnnisium and other vitamins. But, there are SE with this drug too so be careful.

Rosemary should not be taken by people with high blood pressure, ulcers, Crohn's disease, or ulcerative colitis.

Rosemary oil can be toxic if ingested, and should never be taken orally.

Rosemary may affect the blood's ability to clot, and could interfere with any blood-thinning drugs you are taking. Be sure to consult your doctor if you are taking Plavix, Coumadin, or Aspirin or any other type of blood thinner.

Rosemary may interfere with the action of ACE inhibitors in high blood pressure medications like: Monopril, Vasotec, Zestril, Capoten or any other such medications.

Rosemary may alter blood sugar levels and could interfere with any drugs taken to control diabetes.