So...whats for dinner?

luvmygoats

Wow Nancy - You do have a bunch 'o favorites. I've had the mandarin chicken. What do you do with triple cream brie?  Sauce/dip? Bought dark chocolate covered ginger bits. Not much ginger just a bit of spice but ooo-lah-lah the dark chocolate. Panko breaded tilapia, have to try that. Bought a lovely loaf of cinnamon/raisin bread. I thought about the chicken enchiladas. Don't drink much wine. DH has his Corona beer, that's about it. Missed the gelato - Frozen?? I have to watch the frozen stuff.  Freezer is absolutely stuffed and it's 45 minute drive home and then I went by local grocer too. I am just addicted to the almond windmills and I know, why 2 cookies 110 calories, 60 from fat. Bought a jar of pumpkin butter and also fig butter. Pacing myself to use up what's in refrig. b4 opening them. DH will only eat grape jelly, yuck.

Do they rotate inventory around? Bought a chai coffee that I did not see yesterday. It was on sale when I bought it so that might be my clue that it was not restocked. Love their flowers and a good price and better than other supermarkets. That is except again for Central Market. A Texas chain.  Just love it but I spend way, way too much in there. I used restraint at TJ's yest only $35.

Thanks for the suggetions.

debbie6122

luvmygoats- I like the microwave bacon too, but it is spendy and not much in the package. I don't care for the hickory so much so usually get the oscar meyer or hormel black label those are both good.

Nancy- Yumm! those all sound good. I got a chuckle out of the "Three buck chuck" What is that? My DH is Chuck and he can be a little, lets say "Stingy" at times when I ask for money he hands me like 3, 4 or 5 bucks Im like.. Really? So for now on Iam going to call him Three buck Chuck lollol!

Ended up making a SECT sandwhich. Sausage, egg and cheese on toast!

luvmygoats

Debbie - Three buck chuck is the name of their house brand wine or it may be just what they call it/nickname. Used to be 2 buck chuck but you know how prices rise. Supposed to be good. Not much of a wine drinker. Made a short tour thru the beer selection but didn't buy any. AHHH -Google says its called "Charles Shaw" thus the nickname "Chuck".

auntienance

Lol, 3 buck chuck is really Charles Shaw wine sold exclusively at TJ's. I don't

drink so much anymore either but I like having it on hand and I use it to cook with a lot. Debbie, too funny about your DH Chuck! My DH loves their blueberry beer. The triple cream brie is outstanding at room temperature on water crackers or with tart apple or pears.



The gelato is frozen. I'm 70 miles from the nearest one so I can't get it often, only in the winter really. I love their flowers too. They have a great selection of coffee and they do rotate different varieties. I've heard others rave about the windmill cookies. Definitely have to try them. When I was going through chemo, their ginger cookies were a staple for me.



I can see a road trip in my future! Wish I could get out under $35, ain't gonna happen!

debbie6122

I just googled TJ's to see what is the closet place to me, it is in corvalis, which is only about an hour.  guess it just opened in the last year and a half. who knew! I had not been to one since I lived in Califronia but to be honest I had forgotten about them. I will def be making a trip there.

susan_02143

Strangely, I just can't warm up to Trader Joe's. Doesn't help that they only have stores in plazas with inadequate parking.

Tonight I made a lamb curry, roghan josh, from the Kashmiri region of India. Served with a simple yellow lentil-garlic dish, steamed basmati, and a bit of naan bread. My naan bread was a total failure, but I had some pre-made in the freezer. I took a picture for my online cooking group, so I am sharing with you.

Today is my birthday, but we aren't celebrating until tomorrow. Taking the kids to Rendevous Restaurant in Central Square. This is quite a splurge for us, but I have heard so many wonderful things, it is just where we need to go. Looking forward to it.

 

*susan* 

auntienance

Happy birthday Susan!

bedo

Happy Happy Birthday Susan!

Today I made the best lentil soup ever in the crock pot.

Here it is...

http://www.food.com/recipe/crock-pot-vegetarian-lentil-soup-294219

I have a fire going in the cabin.  It's cold here!

Moonflwr912

Happy Birthday, Susan, Harvey fun celebrating.

I love TJ, but I hear you about the parking. I never know what I will come out of there with!



As for microwave Bacon, I get mine at Costco, its a big bag with a LOT of Bacon, and its been running about 11$ . But that much Bacon last me months, because I keep it in my freezer. I mean like four months. I can take one piece or grab a bunch. There's probably about 50 or more cooked pieces in it.

deborye

debbie6122

Susan- HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Have a great time out tomorrow celebrating. Sorry about your Naan bread ;-((  Your dish looked very good.

Kay_G

Deborey, I am so sorry you have to go back to BS. I love the way you told them, just give you the report, you don't need an appointment. You go girl! Hopefully it's just taking a little long than usual to completely clear up. Maybe all the traveling and excitement you've had made healing a little slow. Fingers crossed that is what it is.



Happy Birthday Susan! Enjoy your dinner out!



Have a safe trip to Florida Joyce.



I love Trader Joes. There is one 3/4 of a mile from me. There are three others within 20 miles, the benefits of living in the city I guess. I like to walk there and get their organic milk. It"s a dollar cheaper than the supermarket. Also love their fruit,and pretty much everything there. I do like their lentil chips, a much healthier alternative to potato chips. Love Whole Foods, Wegmans and Costco too. They are all about 20 miles away, they're all about a25 minute drive.



Had Costco chicken tortilla soup for dinner tonight. It was good, I could pass it off for homemade. At my DD's request, I made pumpkin pancakes for breakfast, those were quite good too. Gotta make some of the veggies inmy fridge tomorrow.

SeasideMemories

Susan,



Hope you have a wonderful Birthday!!!



Debbie,



Got a huge laugh out of 'Three Buck Chuck'!! My own DH is on the frugal side as well so I can totally relate.... Too Funny!!



Deb,



I used to do the alternating Mammo/US in the spring followed by an MRI in the fall. This year my BS said that, since I have had 3 years of clean MRI's, we can now move on to just a yearly mammo/US and twice a year clinical exam (no MRI). While I'm happy for one less test, I still feel a little uneasy about losing one of my 'safety nets'. Prior to breast cancer I didn't even know what an MRI was...So strange that now I'm freaked about not having one...



Hope you all are having a great weekend!!



Ladies in the path of the southern storms... Stay safe!! For us here in the northern part of the country... I hope you're all staying warm!!! It sure got cold here quick!! Had a killing frost last night so garden is done for the year!

SeasideMemories

Oh... and I forgot...



Safe travels Joyce!!!



And Kay, would love the recipe for the pumpkin pancakes!! I bet they are delicious!

kidsandlabs

I was thinking of making my Mom's potatoe soup tomorrow. I cant find the recipe, it isn't with all the other recipes. Now I will have ti wing it.

Lacey12

Happy Birthday,Susan, and hope you have fun at your birthday dinner. Will be interested in your take on that restaurant. Have never been there.



Went to the House of Blues for DH's reunion dinner and dancing tonight.It was fair....they advertised stations which ended up being one beef station with mashed potatoes that I don't eat, one sliced orange chicken station with cranberry corn muffins, and one pasta station with some uninteresting salad.....okay, okay, before I sound like too much of a complainer, I have to explain that "stations" in the past for his business school reunion have been superb at different venues in Beantown, but I would not be rushing to contract with this place for such an event given the price we paid. I may have to head to the brunch tomorrow AM at a hotel to make up for it .

Meanwhile, I did share with some of the wives of DH's classmates who I see every five years (1972 grads, mind you) as they congratulated me on my retirement, (DH had been discreet in his responses to questions about me since I missed most of the events) that it was somewhat forced by my fatigue factor from the BC. I learned about so many others' experiences with this. What a frigging epidemic!!!



I also love Trader's flowers....so reasonable! I like their sweet potato chips when I allow myself. Just saw in their flyer that they have a frozen spinach/kale pie which I will buy this coming week since it will work well for a light meal with my house guests...and you might recall how much I love to eat kale! I get my vitamins there; DH gets his high fiber cereals and his coffee there. They have great candies I try to steer away from. Now, all that said, TJ's is about a mile and a half from my house.....but sadly there is no wine there....maybe that's not such a bad thing.

debbie6122

Seaside- It's getting cold here too been wearing my robe the last couple of days and now we have a few storms lined up (lots of rain) Not ready for summer to be over yet!

Kidsandlabs- I have times where I want to call my mom and ask her how she made something and can't. Iam glad I wrote down most of her recipes. Hope you find yours!

Lacey- Sorry you didn't enjoy the dinner, hopefully your brunch will be better! Yes, it does seem like it's an epidemic doesn't it. Seems everyone knows someone with BC these days so sad! Have a good time.

apple

happy birthday Susan...

didn't it used to be 2 buck chuck?

susan_02143

Thank you for all the birthday wishes! I am headed to a local coffee shop where a friend is buying me a birthday pastry. A wonderful person who I met through this site, though she has never posted.

Apple, yes. It used to be two-buck chuck, but inflation happens! When the cost goes up to $3, that is in fact an huge percentage increase, but who complains when a bottle of wine is only $3? Maybe I need to take another look at Trader Joe's, but when I buy fresh food there it always gets moldy really fast, and I don't buy frozen dinners or all those lovely crackers and snacks. The other problem with TJ's is that it is in the same plaza as MicroCenter, and somehow I always find some electonic gizmo that I have to have!

:-)

*susan* 

auntienance

Susan, that's interesting about the moldy food. I actually don't think I buy much fresh there except the flowers and cheese, although now that I think about it, I did have a container of whipped cream cheese mold early. I once had a bag of mixed greens in my cart that had a live wasp in it. I took that as a good sign that it hadn't been sprayed lol.



.

carolehalston

Happy birthday, Susan!

I'm feeling deprived with no Trader Joes.  In fact, I've never been in one.  We do have a Fresh Market, which is very popular.  I go there for chicken and ribeye steaks.  Have also bought veggies and the Fresh Market canned beans.  I don't buy prepared food, but the deli section does a huge business.

This morning I put together Laurie's Salsa Chicken in my crock pot with an addition of a package of fresh corn cooked with colored and jalapeno peppers that I had in the freezer.  The corn was cut off the cob when I had a surplus of corn this summer.  I'll cook some brown rice tonight.

DH and I will both be working at the Madisonville Wooden Boat Festival today and I want to avoid going out to eat at a restaurant afterwards when I will be tired and easily tempted.  Tomorrow morning is my WW meeting and weigh-in.  I've done very well this week and don't want to sabotage myself.

Last night's dinner was a wonderful grilled ribeye steak I bought in SD at a meat market.  Also a tossed salad with romaine, tomato, cucumber, avocado, Greek olives, and gorgonzola that we bought in WI.  Ken's Steak House Greek dressing.  Not a preferred WW meal but it was scrumptious!  DH and I shared the 1 lb. steak and my share was less than half.

DH is a member of the Woodworkers Guild, which has a large tent at the boat festival where children can build their own little boat out of a large variety of parts created by the guild during the year.  It's a very popular tent and the kids are so cute.  Yesterday my job was writing the name on the hull of the boat.  Each child can name his/her boat whatever he chooses.  Some of the names were very creative.  Outside the tent is a large tub of water where the children can float their boats.  It's all free but most of the parents put money in a donation jar that goes to buying materials for the next year.  Some children come every year and have a whole collection of boats at home.

Happy Sunday!

deborye

There are 3 Trader Joe's within a 20 min drive from me.  I have never been to one.

I made a dish last night with:

1 sm summer squash sliced

1 sm onion slices

a hand full of mushrooms

then I cut up small peices of a left over roast, sauted in EVOO.  It was pretty good.  Oh yes, also a small head of broccoli I steamed on one of the steamer bags, in the microwave, only took 3 mins. 

carberry

Carole  that is so cool ... wish my son had that when little.  I would buy him the premade wooden boats at craft stores and he would paint them, we have a collection!

Debbie  Good thing for the inflation..your two buck chuck has been increased to three buck chuck...you can go really far with that!  ha ha

I too am feeling left out of the Trader Joes, have heard so much about them, but we do not have one.  My guilty pleasure is the amish store with all of their homemade cheeses and smoked bacon...absolutely the best bacon I have ever had.  Wegmans has all of the different brie, but i never know which is the best, unless you go by price.  Wrap the brie in a refrigerator pastry after putting carmalized onions on top and bake till brown and gooey, serve with crackers and grapes or apple slices  yum  Sometimes instead of the onions I will put a fruit compote or cranberry relish on top and just nuke till all warm and gooey

Have a great Birthday Susan!!

eric95us

First.  Happy birthday Susan.  I'll be a gentleman and not ask! 

We have both Trader Joes and AJ's for the fancy stuff.  Most of the time we can make do at the Sprouts (a chain type of farmer's market) and the real farmer's markets.

I wouldn't mind seeing the pumpkin pancake recipe as well.  When I made pies for DDs school "snack fest", I had enough pumpkin left over that I froze it.  I'd like to do something other than pie....pie isn't bad..but something new would be in order.

Dinner tonight is Sharon's idea.  A rib roast, sweet potatoes and apples, along with garlic, onion, rosemary and basil are in the dutch oven...and the dutch oven is in the regular oven at "as low as it can go" temperature...about 175F.

Lacey12

When I think about it further, I do tend to buy mostly packaged things at Traders.....DH's coffee, my oatmeal, packaged nuts or sometimes breads (DH loves their baguettes)and just produce I will use up quickly....but yes, I would prefer our farmer's market produce. This TJ's stuff is traveling in from Cali or farther! Actually tho, one of my favorite things when pressed for time is to get desserts at Traders. They have a lovely lemon tarte, and a frozen pear tarte with an almond flavored crust. I will be buying one of those next week when our guests are here. So I am glad it is up the street. One complaint tho....They have no dried beans.

I think Wegman's is coming here, but I used to go to one near my mo's in NJ and found overwhelmed with its size. I'm sure I could get used to it tho.....



Another off topic question....has anyone ever taken acidophilus? I bought some (oh, yes, we also get our vitamins at Traders) in case I decided I had to resort to taking the antibiotic...and this morning I caved...the problem seemed to be waxing and waning and I am sick of the bitter cranberry juice bean tea potion. So now I want to be able to stave off the problem that antibiotics can cause, and thought that in addition to eating yogurt, I'd try it.....anyone with experience/ problems with that? Thanks!



I was up late last night and passed on the brunch this AM....

susan_02143

Lacey,

Regrettably, I have a gastro enterologist, one of the top ones in the country, and he advocates live cultures regardless. He thinks half the problems that he sees in his practive are from not eating yogurt. He was born and raised in India, so there is a cultural bias. When taking any antibiotic, it is really important to make sure that your system has enough good bacteria so that the bad stuff that is so prevelant these days doesn't have an empty space to fill. I think this is a smart thing to include in your diet.

*susan* 

Momine

Lacey, I took acidophilus in my 20s when I had yeast infections. It got rid of the yeast problem. I started taking it again when I started chemo and I have taken it ever since. I had minimal problems with thrush and intestines during chemo, and I attribute it to the acidophilus.

Lacey12

Thanks, Momine and Susan.....acidophilus, here I come!



Just returned from the Farmer's Market.....sadly the frost that we had this week was really reflected in the produce displayed, so no more tasty tomatoes to roast, no nice red peppers, but I did get root veggies and lots of leeks, as well as some scallops from the fish guy....so will make a leek/scallop dish tonight. Then will make a potato /leek soup to have on hand for our guests. Any other EASY leek ideas? I find them so labor intense (the cleaning part) that I like the actual recipe to be easy. Thanks!

deborye

I have a few tomatoes I picked when they were green and they are trying to turn red, now all I have left in my garden is herbs.

Bourbon Steak tips and rice pilaf for suppa. 

carolehalston

The day flew by.  The kids at the boatbuilding tent were so cute.  I find children interesting in their individuality.  Some already knew what they wanted to name their boat.  Others would stand there and gaze upward and search for some inspiration!  The parents were also interesting.  Some were very involved and wanted to participate in the boat naming.  Others stood back and let their kids interact with me on their own.  With the smaller children, I often had to bring in mom or dad to help me understand what the child was saying.

One little boy named his boat LOGAN after himself.  He looked admiringly at the name on the hull and said, "You wrote my name real good.  Except for the L."  I had to chuckle out loud.

The Salsa Chicken in the crock pot smells good.  And the brown rice is cooked.  This will be the first time I've used the slow cooker instead of the oven for this recipe so I'll report on the results.  It's still hot here for oven use.