So...whats for dinner?

auntienance

My poor BIL had kidney AND gall stones. I remember during one particularly bad attack he laid on the floor and begged someone to kill him. I don't think he was kidding ;-)



Lacey yuk on the cardiac alarm. Glad you're ok. My doc just prescribed temazepam. I like it. Re: 10 year tamoxifen study, apparently the similar study on the AIs will be completed in 2 years. I don't even want to think what my joints will feel like in 10 years.

susan_02143

Lacey, Two days in the hospital? oh dear oh dear. The best place in the world to get sick. Not often the search for sleep ends you up in an ER.

My husband had kidney stones early on in our marriage. And yes, if there had been a pistol nearby, he might have used it on himself. I have never seen him in that kind of pain before or since. We did go to the ER and were given a screen, sent home to filter pee and bring the stone back. Back then, our insurance was pretty awful. Certainly no offer to do anything other than letting nature run its course. Tough birds out in Montana.

My husband turns 60 today. We are having a celebration dinner this weekend with the kids at Rendezvous so I was told nothing special today. But, around noon, he decided we could do something special. He wants a burger from The Independent at the bottom of the hill. So that is the plan! Grilled cheese and tomato soup for lunch. Again, one of his favorites.

*susan*

gardengumby

Susan, peeing it out through a filter is still standard treatment if the stone is small enough, but large stones that cannot be passed still need to get out of the kidney... ergo lithotripsy to break it up (kind of like getting kicked in your back for almost an hour) and then you still have to pee out the pieces, or if that doesn't work, surgery to cut it out...

susan_02143

So how did they know how big it was? No pictures were taken.... not that it really matters. He stopped drinking tea 3 times a day, and has never had another stone.  [Thank goodness!]

*susan*

gardengumby

Hubby was having unspecified gastrol pain.  Doctors kept telling him he had IBS, but as he had never had a problem he kept pursuing the issue.  They investigated up and down without finding anything.  Finally a particular good doctor found that he had a "fairly large" kidney stone and referred him to a urologist.  More pictures, more complete diagnosis, lithotripsy and ultimately surgery followed in rapid order.

LuvRVing

My husband remembers having an xray or "something" to determine the size of his rock.  I remember he came home from the urologist and explained the surgery that would occur if lithotripsy didn't work...he was bound and determined and told the technician to "turn it up all the way"... LOL!

Susan - wish your DH a happy birthday and enjoy the dinner celebration!

I was so ambitious today.  I have a storage area just off my dining room that goes under my entryway stairs.  It has been a nightmare of jumbled, disorganized and unused kitchen crap since we moved in.  And I've had to store some nice serving dishes up in that "dead" space at the top of my kitchen cabinets.  Today I emptied it out (also had 17 cans of paint that the landlord had stored in there), put the paint in a container for the landlord to pick up and do whatever, shed some old pans that I haven't used in a year and a half, put those nice serving dishes back on the shelves and basically cleaned and organized the whole closet.  I had to take a few rest breaks but I am so happy to have it done.  I have a box and plastic bag of stuff to be donated and it's in the car.  I also cleaned up my messy corner near my chair to make room for the tree. But now I'm pooped!   On Monday I cleared out the pantry closet in my laundry room so I can actually see white space in there and I organized all the food.  Woohoo! 

DH says he doesn't care what we have for dinner so I think it will be spaghetti.  I have sauce left over from last week and neither of us is very hungry.  I really need to go grocery shopping!!!

Moonflwr912

Wow, Michelle! That was a lot of work! Now you get to enjoy it!

gardengumby

What a lot of work for one day!

We are both getting massages tonight so I'm on the early train. For dinner I'm not sure. I took out some hamburger this morning, thinking I'd make a meatloaf, but that would be awfully late. I like your spaghetti idea, so maybe will "steal" some of the hamburger for spaghetti, and eat meatloaf tomorrow.

Lacey12

Wow, Michelle, what an impressive feat! It must have been very satisfying to get rid of those paint cans! Enjoy your newly found space!

I have the intention to organize my kitchen food cupboards before Christmas so I can feel organized in my cooking efforts when the kids and grandbabies come to visit...that was to start this week....obviously I'd do anything to avoid it....thus the hospital stay. LOL! But you have re-inspired me.....:)



Happy BD to your DH, Susan! I'll be looking forward to your dinner post at that "special celebrations" restaurant.....

susan_02143

Michelle!

That is a healthy person's day. My goodness how gratifying it must be to see the shelves and all your belongings clearly. I cheated for Thanksgiving and just loaded everything I didn't need for that meal into a box and took it to the basement. Thank goodness for basements.

*susan*

deborye

I could not take Tamoxifen cuz I am Post men & ER/PR+ her2-.  I finished Arimidex in July.  Now I think the muscle ache is coming from the statin I take.  

((((HUG EVERYONE)))

LuvRVing

I do miss having a basement, until summer comes and I can enjoy the lake! 

Joyce - the bunny has a little more energy these days!  I think walking in Las Vegas built up a little endurance.  I am finally caught up on laundry, too, and the summer clothes are packed away until I need them for Florida. 

Tomorrow I have a cleaning service coming to give me a quote.  DH talked a good story about doing the cleaning, but the reality is he doesn't have that much free time.  He's vacuumed a few times and he helps with the dishes but I'm still cleaning the bathrooms, doing the laundry, degreasing the kitchen and dusting.  Every moment is precious; I don't want to waste our time together cleaning. 

Gardengumby - enjoy your massages, sounds divine! 

chabba

I've been on tamoxifen for 2+ years and am 20 years post menopause. They started me on the Al's but I couldn't handle the se's. I was afraid I might have re-runs of menopause but guess I'm far enough away from those days to avoid that se.  The side effects I have experienced have been moderate and do-able.  Kind of like an acceleration and intensefication of the normal effects of ageing. At 70 I think I can handle another 3 years, at 75 I'll have to re-evaluate.

debbie6122

Lacey- I'm glad your hospital stay wasn't anything serious!

Michelle- Wow, You made me feel tired and Lazy just reading that! Glad you got some energy back though.

They also started me out on Tamox and Im er+/pr- and post meno. Couldn't take it though because of severe bone pain. I did read on other sites that since they were er+ and Post meno they couldn't take it, I guess some Dr. do things differently? HMMM!

Laurie- I read on FB you and the boys are really sick with the flu. Boy it just won't give you a break will it?  I feel so bad for you. (((hugs))

carolehalston

In Sept. I was 3 yrs on Arimidex.  It will take some real convincing for me to agree to more than 5 yrs.  I am marking the time until I don't have to swallow that tiny little white pill.  The obvious (and minor) SEs are manageable:  creaky joints, mild hot flashes.  It's the more serious SEs that worry me.  My bp went sky high.  I was taking a "baby" bp med, 10 mgs licinopril.  Now I'm on benecor.  My total cholesterol shot up.  I'm on a statin now.  I'm on effexor to help with the post-menopausal symptoms.  Here's my plan.  When my 5 yrs. are up, I'll stop taking Arimidex and give myself 6 mos. to see if the bp and cholesterol go back to "old normal."  I may never go off the effexor!  It makes me so mellow I hardly recognize myself.

Dinner last night was a yummy beef veggie noodle soup that dh cooked.  And artisan bread with real butter.  I ate too much bread and butter but enjoyed every mouthful. 

Today's lunch with my mother will be an oyster sandwich on white wheat bun.  I eat wheat bread.  She eats the gummy white bread.  So white wheat is a compromise!  I bought a quart of fresh oysters yesterday at my favorite seafood market.  Friday night I plan to cook oysters mosca for dinner. 

Tonight is the woodworkers' guild Christmas dinner.  

Can you understand why I stepped on the scales Mon. at my WW meeting for my Dec. weigh-in?  LOL.  Tonight I'll do my best to go easy on the appetizers which will be served buffet style.  Last year I couldn't resist the wonderful cheeses. 

Michelle, how wonderful that you've gone from sitting in your chair to organizing your whole house.

Sorry to hear that Laurie and sons are ill again.  Somehow Laurie needs to build up her "resistance."  

carberry

When I was a nurse on a surgical unit we would put the men with the kidney stones in a room at the end of the hall, because they would always be screaming out from pain and disrupt the other patients. We always got out the big guns (morphine) to help them out.  Didnt have lithotripsy back then.

Susan  Happy birthday to your DH  have a great celebration with good food.

Lacey  glad to hear all is ok

Michelle  Isnt it such a great feeling to have all of that accomplished?  I always put things like that off, but then always so happy when its done, I wonder why I put it off for so long.

Last nights outing to the Trans Siberian Orchestra was amazing, the meal not so much. Highly acclaimed italian restaurant but I think because they were serving us in such a large group, the meal was just so so  I had chicken french, they guys had filet that was either undercooked or overcooked.

Dinner tonight may be a type of sheppherds pie that Rachel Ray made this morning with biscuits instead of potatos

Laurie08

Hi everyone, I have been reading when I get a minute and trying to keep up.  So much is going on with all of you, I know I will miss people.  But Michelle I am glad your DH is ok, so horrible about the kidney stones!  Amazing energy to get all that cleaning done!  Bedo- I hope you are doing ok. Lacey- I am glad the heart thing turned out ok, kind of nerve racking though?

So yes, sickness prevails in my house again.  Although I seem to be dodging the worst of it.  DS #1 came down with a fever Sunday night that ran around 104 until Tuesday morning.  Now it comes and goes, he is coughing like mad all the time.  Ds #2 came down with it Tuesday night and is still running a high fever but it is off and on.  Both are too young for cough syrup, I wish there was something I could do to help them with the constant coughing.  I only ran a fever for a few hours yesterday morning.  I just keep taking LOTS of vitamins and it seems to be helping.  Considering that they have both been laying on me and coughing in my face for days now I am doing pretty good!

The worst is tomorrow is DS#2's 3rd birthday.  We are supposed to give him a surprise party tomorrow night and head to Santa's Village Saturday morning.  At this point I don't know if everything will be cancelled or not? 

I am getting ready to head to Wal Mart with the boys.  It will be the first time I have left the house since Sunday!  But we are out of juice, milk, bread and running low on medicines....so we will venture out. 

Hope everyone is well!

Lacey12

Laurie, keeping fingers and toes crossed for your family that everyone is well so that you can go on that wonderful birthday weekend you planned for DS2. While I was in the ER waiting room on Monday there were quite a few children there with terrible coughs and drawn little faces. It was so sad....but clearly lots of viruses going around.....keep drinking lots of fluids with those vitamins.......and take good care!



One advantage of my hospital stay was that they gave me a flu shot. I had been totally negligent about this and recently contemplated getting one at CVS to avoid another doctor's office visit. Ha! Then got it the hard way.....



Just heard from DDIL...... DS1 and she are coming to visit on the 22nd, and we will definitely have an afternoon (when the kids will be up) open house on the 23rd for people to visit them and meet the new baby. I'd better swing into action! We've been minimal on house decor for Christmas the last couple of years, but I think I'd better get it looking a bit more festive if I'm having lots of people in. Maybe I'd better use my non-sleeping hours for practical purposes here!



Last night we had crock-pot chicken cacciatore, wheat linguini, salad, and brussels sprouts. Last week we picked up one of those huge stalks of brussels sprouts at Traders, and they are so much fresher looking off the stalk. DH patiently cut each sprout off, so I could fit them in the refrigerator, and days later they are still fresh looking as we make our way through eating them. Makes me wonder how very old the ones I have to buy in containers are!! I still have tons left....wonder if I could freeze them?

LuvRVing

Laurie - your poor boys! I hope they are on the mend so you can take them to Santa's Village - they are at the perfect age! 

Carrie - so glad you enjoyed Trans Siberian Orchestra even if the meal was disappointing.  Tomorrow night we are seeing Mummenschanz and going to a restaurant named Blu. I hope it's good!

Tonight my daughter and her roommate are coming right after work to help decorate our tree, which is in the stand in the middle of the living room and hopefully soaking up lots of water.  DH used the chainsaw to cut off a little of the trunk and peel away some bark to make sure it can absorb lots of water. 

Now I need to get testing the strands of lights so that job is finished before they get here.  Hope everyone is having a good day!

Tazzy

Haven't posted for a while as just got back from my visit with family yesteday and with Mum's cooking think I have put back on the 12 pound I had managed to lose.  Oh! well it is worth every pound if I have.  Not weighed myself yet

I will try and catch up soon, but hope that you are all OK.

DH & I are off for a weeks all inclusive in Los Cabos on Sunday.   Cant wait.  Just us 2 relaxing and hoping to push this past year and bc into the background of our minds, for a week at least.

No ideas about dinner tonight ?

carolehalston

Welcome back, Tazzy.  You were missed.  What were some of the foods your mum cooked for you?  Your week's vacation in Cabo sounds wonderful.

Eric, we haven't heard from you in a while.  How are things going?

Tazzy

Well my favourite is something called Sausage Toad.   It is sausages cooked in a yorkshire pudding mix and is very yummy, especially my Mum's. That I guess is the most "English" of foods.   She has a great fishmonger close by and cooked us Sea Bream one night... just cooked in foil in butter and lemon. 

carberry

Tazzy  A weeks vacation?....just the two of you?......sounds like heaven!

Just returned from my onc appt. and he brought up the news of the new reports of staying on Tamoxifen or AI for the ten years, and he said that it was just a preliminary report and they still dont have guidelines in place   Basically told me not to panic as I still have 3 1/2 years to complete my five years of Tamox and they should have more evidence by then.

Got the shepherds pie in the oven, kinda went off my memory of the show, didnt want to look it up, so time will tell if it is good or not.

Laurie  {{{HUGS}}} Hope the fresh air today will get everyone back on track.

susan_02143

Over the past two days Mr. 02143 has visited four supermarkets. Thank goodness, otherwise there would have been nothing to eat tonight. Simple dish.... sauteed chicken in garlic oil, then you make a sauce with chicken stock, lemon and white wine, throw the chicken back in the pan and top with sliced mushrooms. Served with pasta and some roasted asparagus. Does anyone besides Mr. 02143 think asparagus goes well with mushrooms? I didn't think so, but I served them. I mean really, the guy has done four supermarkets in the last two days!

Tomorrow we do a one-day run up to the NH-Canadian border to get a second lamb. We are dividing this one with some friends. Just don't think I can live without more shoulder in the freezer. Had planned to visit my father in the nursing home on the way back, but the place has been hit with the flu so badly, no visitors are allowed until the end of next week.

*susan*

auntienance

Hey Tazzy, welcome back! Do you have room in your suitcase for me? Laurie, hope you all get well soon. Michelle, I wish I had your energy. Carole, I wish I had your oysters! Lacey, I never thought of doing cacciatore in the crockpot. I think I'll try it next time. Does the chicken get dry?



Today I went shopping and got a few presents. Got some chicken sausages at Costco and will have them with a piperade of colored peppers and a small amount of angel hair pasta.

Kay_G

I had lots to catch up with! Welcome back Tazzy. Your vacation sounds great. Glad you are home Eric. I was in NY last weekend. We saw Ricky Martin in Evita. He was great! Also saw the tree in Rockefeller Center. Netherlands crowds were hard to believe. It was hard to get down the streets to see the tree. Hard to believe just a few miles away people are still out of their homes from Hurricane Sandy. Laurie, I aam so sorry you guys have the flu. I hope you'll be able to enjoy the party and Christmas land.



Everyone, it is great to catch up again. Haven't been doing much cooking. I had forgotten how hectic it gets once school starts and my DD gets into activities. We've been having lots of quick meals. Had salmon last night that was good though. It's on sale for $7.99 a lb at whole foods tomorrow. I think I will pick some up.



Trying to get some Christmas shopping done. I think this year I will finally embrace on line shopping. The stores are just too crowded, and there just isn't enough time. I don't know how everyone does it.



Take care everyone.

debbie6122

Laurie- Hope Your son is better so he can enjoy the fun you planned for him. Happy Birthday to your DS2

Tazzy-Welcome back. Lucky you to have a nice get away with just you and hubby! Have a great time!

Kay- Sounds like you had a great time. Would love the see the lighting of the tree in Rockefeller what a sight that must be. And love Ricky Martin bet that was a great show!

I didn't do any shopping this year, just sent the GK's and DD money. Bought other presents on line. I usually sent out around 50 cards every year, but not sending out any other than immediate family, just not in the mood for some reason. I guess because we wont have family around for Christamas.

Tonights dinner was Hamburger steak with mushrooms and roasted cauliflower and yams. Funny, DH was on the phone on a bussiness call and while I was roasting the veggies at 500% the alram went off the guy said what the heck is that, DH replied just my wife cooking LOL!

LuvRVing

Kay - I worked full time and had 4 kids.  I used to go Christmas shopping at night after dinner or on Saturdays.  I wonder now how I ever did all that!  One weekend in Kansas City we had a snow storm - it was December 8th and I needed to shop.  So I discovered Amazon and the rest, as they say, is history.  We all make Amazon wish lists now, and my daughter makes one for each grandkid.  It makes life so much easier!  And you can add things to the wish list from other stores. 

Tazzy - have a lovely trip! 

Susan - asparagus and mushrooms...hmmm. I've had them on the same plate like steak with mushrooms and a side of asparagus.  I don't know about integrating them. 

Kay - glad you had a great trip to NYC.  I haven't been there in a really long time!

Lacey12

Welcome back,Tazzy......envying your upcoming trip. Very nice! Have a well deserved R + R.



Kay and Carrie, yes NYC is stunning during the holidays, if a bit sardine like. Sounds like you both had a great time! We went there so often when DS1and DDIL lived in midtown, and I miss all that activity, shows, neat restaurants, etc.

Online shopping is the way to go in my opinion. I have not gone to a mall yet, and have most of my shopping done. It suits my energy level for sure this year. Thank you Amazon and UPS!

We got a kick out of DS2 who emailed us a few days ago saying, "I'll make this as easy as I can for you guys....For Christmas I'd like........" and he named the gifts, which we'd never heard of, and then included the Amazon link for them. It certainly takes the surprise element out, but I ordered them this past weekend and they arrived at my door today. I will take holiday pleasure in wrapping them beautifully.



Nance, I used chicken thighs which were not at all dry. My only reservation about making the cacciatore this way is that I like my onions and peppers sauteed first and I followed the recipe by just putting everything in the crockpot and firing it up. I'll post the recipe I sort of used....meaning that I altered things to make the sauce a bit thicker...added some extra tomato paste and at the end, even some parmesan cheese.



Since I didn't want to get sick of this dish ( and I'd made a lot of it), I switched things up for tonight, and picked up some lamejun (killed that spelling I'm sure....it's a spiced meat mixture on pita bread halves) and baba ganoush, and had that with a sweet little salad I made with Persian cukes, grape tomatoes, red onion, fresh basil and a touch of heavily vinegared Italian dressing.

Lacey12

Nance, this is the recipe I started with:



http://www.food.com/recipe/crock-pot-chicken-cacciatore-94033



There is a lot of liquid, so I would imagine that even chicken breasts should be moist/tender after cooking in it for so long.