So...whats for dinner?

LuvRVing

Lacey - come on up!  We've got plenty of food and you and your DH are welcome to join us!!!

The more the merrier!

eric95us

Sharon's cancer marker numbers are slightly elevated, but unchanged. The Dr thinks these might be her normal values. No need for a PET/Ct and a re-check in 3 months.



So, all in all, good news.



Eric

LuvRVing

Eric - that is really good news!!! Congrats to all of you, I am sure it's a huge relief.

eric95us

Thank YOU!!!

It *IS* a huge relief. 

Eric

carolehalston

Prayers for Apple. 

Great news, Eric.  I'm so glad for Sharon and you and your daughter.

Prayers for you, too, Michelle.  You get the 2012 award for the person we all most admire for courage and spirit.

I've been feeling crummy for several days with sinus and head cold, but we're going out for dinner tonight with another couple.  I made the reservation before Christmas.  Hoping a shower and change of clothes will make me feel better.  The next step will be a glass of wine.

Happy New Year to all of us.  This is a great group of supportive and interesting people.

deborye

We really don't do anything on NYE either.  DH is noodleing on his guitar, I'm on the puter, gonna cook a small tenderloin for myself with baked patada, DH wants Tony & Ann's pizza I have one in the freezer it's his fav.

deborye

Doin the Happy Dance for Sharon.

Kay_G

Yay Eric! Good news.



Michelle, your small plates sound good. We are heading out to dinner with a fixed menu of small plates at 9. I think 7 courses in all, and some pretty unusual items. The great thing is if you don't like it, there are 6 other courses!



I hate returns even more than I hate shopping Lacey. My DD bought my hubby a pair of shoes for Christmas and I had to bring her to take them back because she bought size 10, and he usually takes 8 or 8.5. She exchanged them for an 8. Then I had to take them back after Christmas and get an 8.5. Sheesh! No wonder I hate shopping.



Happy New Year everyone!

Lacey12

Lucky you, Michelle, if you were any closer DH and I would be on our way!

Seriously....thanks for the acceptance confirmation of our self-invite! I think we are in for the night...but another time we must get together. Have a wonderful evening!



Eric, glad to hear the good news re: Sharon.



Carole, I hope you feel better soon. Maybe the wine cure will work....;)

I second your nomination for Michelle being the most admirable for courage and spirit!



We just returned from being at the Natick Mall all day....exchanged DH's items and actually walked the mall (I usually avoid malls, and certainly do not leisurely walk them...but maybe that will change in retirement?) since for some reason DH did not get his usual sensory overload, and I was curious about where most people shop. We strolled past all the stores I usually ignore, stopping into some of the children's stores and succumbing to some of the darling clothes I can bring to my grand babies. So easy to be sucked into that kind of buying. I'd better not frequent these.



Of course DH soon started noticing interesting restaurants (one I had never seen before was a Japanaese restaurant with packaged food that runs on a conveyor belt in snake-lie form, past all the tables.) What a riot .....just literally grab and eat! I do not do well with sushi so we passed that up.

Since I wanted to check out Nordstrom (I wanted to see if I like it any better than before...I get put off by the trendy and exclusive (expensive!) tenor of it....I know, I know..... people love that....but clearly I am NOT a true shopper! As we strolled, DH found us a really nice little spot, Cafe Bistro, right on Nordstrum's second floor, where we had a lovely very late lunch before heading home. I had a tasty Roasted Vegetable Focaccia with arugula salad and DH had a raised Short Rib Sandwich with skinny fries, which he said was really good. Their many sandwiches and chef's specials looked so good I helped myself to a menu so I can replicate some at home. Hope that's not terribly unethical.

Stopped to get some shrimp for a light dinner later tonight, along with some bubbly, so we are set for the duration.....



Yes, Happy, Healthy New Year to all of us!

SpecialK

eric - great news on the markers!

lacey - every Norstrom has a Cafe Bistro, and they have a rotating menu - it might change quarterly, or twice a year.  I enjoy eating there because I have never had a bad dish and things are prepared as they are ordered, from fresh seasonal ingredients.  They also sell cookbooks with their recipes from the Cafe Bistro, and some stores have some of the items, like soups and salad dressings, for sale in the cafe.

I third the Michelle nom!

chabba

Nice way to transition to a new year Eric! 

Have a Happy One all.

SpecialK

Oops - forgot to say Happy New Year to all!

SeasideMemories

Got back just a bit ago from meeting some friends out for a couple drinks... We're in for the night now... Making a couple of Chicago deep dish pizzas... Not sure what DD, her friend and DS are planning to do... I'm shooting for having an eye open at midnight... We shall see!



Wishing all my friends here a happy and healthy New Year!!!

deborye

Moonflwr912

Eric, good news. Michelle, glad the SEs are small. And, can you post to Apples Facebook, that we are praying so hard for her. I don't know her personally, but I loved reading her posts. Hoping she is doing better.

Supper tonite is whatever I find in the fridge. DH had to work, so he's not home tonite. Kids are all living their own life. Oh well. Tomorrow everyone will be here for the Rose Bowl game. Seems the Badgers are playing. LOL



May 2013 only bring good news. Happy New Year! Much love.

Lacey12

Special, see how Nordstrom ignorant I am!

I was struck by what a nice spot that cafe would be to meet someone for lunch. Warm and inviting setting with cozy booths. And oh, I'm sure your local ingredients are more plentiful and varied than ours or at least have fewer flight miles accrued!



DH and I are enjoying a review of Marvin Hamlish's broadway music from Lincoln Center. Two connections that make me smile....until over a year ago, DS1 and DDIL lived two blocks from there so we went to performances everytime we visited them. They were busy with their residencies so we had to do something!

A year ago in the Fall we attended a gala for a local hospital at which Marvin Hamlish entertained. He was marvelous (I had not see him in many years), and played so many of his wonderful compositions (like from The Way We Were). We were right in front of him and he was so connected in a sweet way to the audience. I was very sad when I learned that he died this year.....guess we think these talented people will just go on and on.....in many ways they will.



OK, appetizers done....now on with the shrimp. We decided to break out the good champagne tonight. Yum!

LuvRVing

You all are making me blush!!!

I did post a link to our forum and one other to Apple's Facebook page, I hope her brother or one of her kids reads it to her.

Our company left about 15 minutes ago, I'm tired but happy and the food was a huge hit.  My friend loves eggplant parm and I made sure we had plenty.  I don't have a big appetite so I had mini-bites of a few things.  Lots of leftovers for tomorrow plus some clam chowder we picked up when we got the shrimp.

I'm now officially in my pj's watching Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve and determined to make it to 12:05 a.m.  We have a cozy fire going and most of the mess is cleaned up.  All is good!

Lacey12

Michelle.....very nice....:)



And thank you for posting to Apple's Facebook page.



If you make it for another half hour you've done good!

Kay_G

Happy New Year to all! I will have to tell you about the menu tomorrow. It was like something out of Chopped, but delicious. Garlic and shallots on dessert? Crazy!



((((Apple)))) thinking of you and wishing you peace and joy and good health. Miss you.

LuvRVing

I did it, stayed up until12:02.  I think I was asleep at 12:04...lol! 

Happy New Year to everyone, and I can't wait to hear about your dining experience, Kay!

auntienance

Eric, happy news for you and Sharon.



Lacey, I share your feelings about Nordstrom, but my DS and DDIL wouldn't shop anywhere else. In fact we got them gift certificates for Christmas. I haven't tried the Nordstrom rack store though. I think that's a whole different animal.



I can't believe I have to think about food again today. When I went to bed last night I'd decided I was never going to eat again, but here I am thinking about food. I think I will try out all my new kitchen toys this week - - a new rice cooker, immersion blender and pasta maker. Santa was awesome this year.



Happy new year friends!

Lacey12

Love your Santa kitchen gifts, Nance. Enjoy them!



I am eager to hear about your NYE meal, too, Kay.

carberry

Michelle  I am having a vision of you all curled up in your bunny jammies watching the New Years special. LOL Sipping champagne

Very nice dinner out last night, so glad someone tackled the rundown empty bar in our town, that has been empty for at least 10 years that I can think of.  A couple from Jersey, very friendly and went out of their way to make us comfortable.  Absolutely beautiful inside and everyone had a good meal. I had the chicken saltimbocca  The band was awesome and the drive home only 15min.  this may be a new place for us to have hump night.

Tonight I have a huge pork roast that I will slow cook and we will eat all week long in one variation or another.

SpecialK

auntie - it is funny that you got a rice cooker.  Years ago my DH was preparing to leave for a military assignment that would take him away for almost a year.  He loves rice so I bought him a rice cooker that Christmas  for him to take with him.  There was a large box under the tree for me that was about the same size - come Christmas morning, we open our gifts and he had purchased a rice cooker for me too!  Great minds think alike!

luvmygoats

Hope the new year has started off on a good foot for everyone.

Have my black eyed peas on to cook. Funny story. In 1961 when I was in the 4th grade we moved from Albuquerque to Honolulu. My Dad built part of the Univ. of Hawaii. Our Chinese landlords lived next door and invited us for New Years Day. My mother being a good southern Texas gal had my GM send her dried black eyed for NYD good luck. My DM said of course we'd come but she had to bring her black eyes.  Mrs. Lau said of course bring them. The next NYD we were still there and Mrs. Lau invited us again.  Oh, yes and could my DM bring those "black beans" she brought last year because it had been a very good year - new grandsons, made so much money, etc. My DM loved that story. Sady she passed away in 2003. But like her and my GM, GGM and so on I still cook black eyed peas. DD is not here and bet she's not eating them - not her favorite food.  My DM didn't subscribe to the greens part of good luck and I do not know why as we had - yuck - canned spinach growing up, cabbage on occasion so don't think it was because of my Dad.

Whoever asked about the lima beans - I had asked on here for a recipe but bought seasoned frozen baby limas. Have plenty of that salt jowl left so I suspect I will try to render some of the fat out and put it back in the frozen ones.  We have a good brand of vegies here called Stillwell. Next year I do need to remember to get some black eyes from the farmers market; they're frozen.  The ones I'm making are rehydrated dried ones.

LuvRVing

The appliances for Christmas presents crack me up.  My son Joe was born on 12/16/69.  My first husband bought me a blender for Christmas that year (nothing else) and then fought with me (seriously) to be the first to use it.  After that, the rule was no kitchen items for Christmas unless it's a stocking stuffer or someone has granted dispensation from the rule.  When we moved to CT 20 years ago, the house had a smooth-top stove, my first experience.  I needed new flat-bottom pots so current DH bought me really good ones for Christmas, but he also put jewelry in the pot.  Generally speaking, we've stuck to the "no kitchen stuff" over the years.  If I need a small appliance, I just buy it.  I don't buy him tools, either, although I did buy a little led headlamp for his stocking this year...lol.  He's starting cataracts and he has trouble seeing things if there isn't enough light.

No bunny pjs for me today, just some nice velour lounging pjs that I bought for my mom many years ago and she rarely wore.  They are very cozy.  No wig, no prostheses, took out my contacts and put on my glasses...lol.  Good thing no one rang the doorbell!  I will take out those bunny pjs one of these days and show up for chemo wearing them.  Christine and I like to make those nurses laugh. 

eric95us

This morning, while watching some of the Rose Parade, I remembered doing the same thing in 1970.  I was 9 then.  My parents and grandparents were in the family room and I was using the TV in my parent's bedroom where it was quieter.  It was an avacado green Sears 9 inch portable black and white TV.  Back then I was thinking about it being a new decade, something I'd never experienced before, and then I remembered the next big thing would be the new century and how I'd be almost 40 and how far away that seemed....

It's amazing what one remembers..... :-)

Dinner is going to be a combination thing...pork shoulder roast, pasta and if I get going soon enough, oven baked buttermilk corn bread in a skillet.  Chrissy (DD) bought some sauce after I already defrosted the roast--so, even though it's kind of an odd combination..its what's for dinner!  Since we're all heading back to work/school tomorrow, the leftovers will be most welcome.

Michelle, Chrissy loved the baked apple pancakes.  Thank you again for posting that.  Sharon got up early and made her own breakfast, so she missed out.  I typed up the recipe and Chrissy has been looking at it with an eye toward making it herself.  

As for the gifts, I try to avoid things that suggest housework.  I still laugh about an another engineer at work wondering why his wife seemed so unexcited about him getting her a vaccum cleaner for their 5th aniversary.  While I did go vacuum shopping with Sharon when we replaced the carpet with tile, I *DID NOT* make it any kind of present... :-) 

Eric

auntienance

My DH does all the vacuuming and the kitchen implements were all things I wanted. I got some nice non cooking items as well. But I'm always excited about kitchen gadgets although it's hard to find something I don't have. In fact, the rice cooker and immersion blender are replacement items (bigger and better--yeah!)



I love love love popcorn and have always popped it in an old saucepan. Many years ago no fewer than 3 friends gave me popcorn poppers for Christmas. I never used any of them and to this day, still pop in my old designated "popcorn" pan.

SpecialK

I have one more kitchen appliance story - one year I asked for a Kitchenaid stand mixer for my birthday.  It was not something I felt comfortable buying myself as they are expensive (we were a young family of 4 living on one military income!) So,we went out to dinner on the birthday and my DH gave me a little box with earrings in it.  Of course, I knew immediately the box was too small for the mixer, I tried not to look disappointed.  We came home and the entrance from the garage into the house was through the kitchen and there was the mixer on the kitchen table with a bow on it!  He claimed to have forgotten something after we got into the car to go to dinner, ran back into the house, and put the mixer on the table.  Love him!

auntienance

SpecialK, now that's a good husband!