So...whats for dinner?

MombieZombie

Moon--adorable cutie!

Lacey--sorry to hear about more snow. We've been so mild here. I didn't realize there were places still getting tough weather.

OK, I have to ask. What's an olive boat?

auntienance

An olive boat in it's most basic form:

auntienance

MZ, if you go back a page on this thread, Susan has detailed what is going on with her dh. When I was working and ds was home, I used a menu and shopping list extensively. Now that it's just the two of us, not so much. I tend to cook on whims or dh request. Whims are usually dictated by a picture I saw, an article I read, something I see at the supermarket or what someone on this thread is cooking. Sometimes it's just a "hankering". Like tonight. It's pasta.

Lacey, the baking stones do get grungy and dark with use. I wipe mine off with a damp paper towel after pizza and leave it in the bottom of the oven most of the time. I've had it for a number of years and have never noticed a smell. When baking baguettes, I use parchment paper. I'm about to spring for a new one that is several inches larger to accommodate the baguettes better. You really can't beat it for a crispy crust.

ThinkingPositive

Is there any listing of foods that should be eaten once we have finished chemo and try to move on with our lives? I worry about what I eat all the time to the point where I feel I am not eating right.

carolehalston

No olive boat here.  From the name I'm assuming it's a server for olives. 

The red snapper was fillets but I have seen the fish.  It has a pretty shape and color.  I sprinkled it with s & p and forgot to sprinkle a little cayenne.  The meal was coming together fast with dh beside me at the stove cooking the tortillas.  I think it was $13.99 a lb or $12.99 and the 2 fillets were 9/10 of a lb.  I once would have been shocked at the idea of paying that much for a lb. of fish but buying good ingredients is still cheaper than eating out at a ho hum restaurant.

Watched an interesting segment on PBS program this morning filmed at a CA olive grower's farm.  He makes olive oil and said that CA olive oil is very high quality and is coming into its own.  According to him, most olive oil is made in Spain and much of it does not measure up to highest standards.  So it is shipped to Italy where it is mixed with Tunisian and maybe small amt. of Italian, bottled and shipped to US as Made in Italy EVOO with a fancy Italian name.  Actually is not top quality like the best Spanish and Italian olive oil.  I had heard before that the olive oil countries export their inferior oil to US.  SO.. of course, I will be googling CA olive oil.  Ina Garten likes CA oil.  Why not buy a US product if it's really good.

The program I watched showed the process of making the olive oil and it is very simple.  The quality is all in the olives. 

Dinner tonight has to be early because we will be going to the Abita Opry, which begins at 7 pm.  Something simple like a sandwich.  Warm for soup but I still have potato/leek soup in freezer.

Off to the gym this morning.

MinusTwo

I looked up olive boat on the www when the discussion started. Makes perfect sense since I knew we weren't talking about a boat made of olive wood. My mother had a 'crystal' celery dish. My grandma served at least 4 home bottled relishes with every meal - like mustard pickles & chow chow & piccalilli - and had lots of specialty dishes.

Speaking of the web - I seem to look up things I don't know with great regularity. What a marvel for those of us who can remember what it was like before this resource when the encyclopedia or the dictionary was the only place to turn if you couldn't get to the library. My latest research was on the word "prolixity". I was an English teacher for heavens sake & couldn't even figure out the meaning from the sentence. Then I saw the word again later the same week. Good word.

Like MZ - I too clean my washing machine with a white vinegar load.

The only time I kept a food calendar was when my son was young. I worked full time and we had soccer & scouts & science fairs & church activities, etc. The only time I had to shop was the weekend. But that of course was in the dark ages of food when the only lettuce was iceberg, a special meal was hot dogs wrapped & baked in crescent rolls, and husbands usually wanted meat & potatoes every night (oh - and "real men" didn't eat quiche). I was always astounded at the meals our founder - Laurie - produced at the drop of a hat.

A friend brought me some Costco chicken salad so that will be dinner. It's a treat since I never buy it. It's wonderful but such a huge amount I'd never be able to eat it all if I had it every meal for a week.

Lacey12

Positive, I totally understand your concern and the confusion that can arise once we start trying to "manage" our post treatment health with good attention to diet. I went a bit crazy that first year post treatment too. Now, I am following a path of eating in a mostly healthy way....but not totally avoiding foods that might be worrisome...e.g., I do allow myself a BLT on occasion! Since I notice that you are ER positive, have you checked out the list of foods to eat and/avoid for folks with that dx? I do not have the link right now, but know that I accessed it on this BC.org site. That said, I use those lists as "guides rather than gospel", or I would drive myself crazy. Also, does your cancer center have nutritionists available with whom you can arrange a consult? That might provide useful info to be sure that you are getting the nutrients you need. Of course, going mostly organic can be wise, but again I would go for a consult about that too. I guess we have to remember that diet is just one factor contributing to this damn disease. And one has to factor in living your life in a reasonable way for you and those around you. Lastly, you may have already researched that there are other threads on this site which have members who are specifically interested in treating "food more as medicine" than we might on this thread (at least that is my opinion). Good luck to you. I hope some of that is helpful.

Heading off to the treadmill...and leaving the few inches of new snow on the driveway to shovel itself as DH said that would be fine with him, too.

So tomorrow we are meeting DS2 and DGF for an early dinner before the Celts game.... DGF is the selective eater who when with us really tries hard to taste fish that she has always been averse to. Please understand that this is self-induced pressure on her part. Side note....DS2 was always a very picky eater as a kid, and now, left to his own adult devices eats just about anything but raisins in stuffing!......So, as we are thinking about where to meet them for dinner, DH immediately suggests, Legal Seafood! Now really!! Poor girl. I will not let that happen...even tho I understand that legal accommodates carnivores, too. DS2 suggested the North End (Italian) which would be fun.....and palatable

Lacey12

Finished with exercising......and decision is made for tomorrow. We will head to their place so we can meet and play with W., the little scottie, our new granddog. Then we'll drive over closer to the Garden and have dinner at Durgin Park, which is an old touristy hash house type place, for sure, but will be nice for DGF to experience, even tho one doesn't have to stand on their creaky old stairs for an hour waiting for a table (they take reservations now) for a ten dollar dinner (the basic food is two to three times that now). Susan have you been there in the past decade? Sure it has been over twenty years since I have been!

Off to get ready for a local restaurant dinner (Blue on Highland) and a Handel and Haydn concert with friends.

carolehalston

Minus, I didn't know or remember that you were an English teacher.  So was I.  I taught Freshman English in grad. school, Freshman and Sophomore courses in a 4-year college until the Ph.D's were so plentiful they took the instructor jobs.  Then I earned my teaching certificate and taught in high school a few years.  After I broke into selling romance fiction, I quit teaching and wrote full-time.  I must admit I enjoyed being a student more than a teacher.  It's weird but I have had recurrent bad dreams about the struggle for order in the classroom and I never had problems with order.  Must have been an underlying anxiety. 

Nance, that is a peculiar looking dish!  I think I can live without one!

I decided to inventory the contents of the refrigerator today and that led to cleaning and organizing.  I discovered forgotten things like the cooked pasta shells still unstuffed.  So I mixed together cheeses of various types and remains of the chopped spinach and stuffed all but two shells.  I now have three containers of shells in the freezer!  All because I made ricotta on a whim.  I like your turn of phrase, Nance.  Cooking on a whim.  I think that could be a good title. 

My other project today was trying to photograph my kitchen and pantry.  It wasn't easy and the photos aren't great but I will post a few. 

Positive, the only food my bc dr. told me to avoid was soy.  We stopped buying soy milk which we used for a number of years instead of cow's milk, mainly on cereal.  I have ignored some of the "rules," like not consuming alcohol.  I try to eat what I consider a fairly healthy diet and I had been doing that for years before I was dx'ed with bc.  Also exercising regularly, controlling my weight, getting plenty of sleep, and on and on.  Something turns that little switch on the cancer gene and I don't have a clue what switched mine on. 

I guess what worries me is not believing my diet or efforts to be "healthy" will protect me from developing other types of cancer.  I know a couple of women to whom this has happened.  My cancer dr. kindly warned me that people who have one type of cancer are more likely to have another type than people who manage to be cancer free.  She doesn't know why but statistics show this.  So I figure I'd better enjoy life as much as possible before that other shoe falls. 

bedo

Thinking i started eating fish after I was diagnosed with breast cancer and another disorder to get more protein but I'd try to go to whole foods which seems to be quote unquote cleanI'm sure the other ladies can help you more with this and welcome

moon what are you talking about? Lol I see that you are using voice like I am that baby just cracks me up I just want to love her

today don't laugh Mountain Dew baked potato I did not eat the chili because it had meat and potato chips yum It WA provided

I can buy guns! I can buy fireworks!!I can get Q also known as BBQ! Idon't want any! Today was great and I had a good timeI am enjoying the weather . the mountains are Very beautifuland everyone is very niceso I am enjoying my self in this part of the country sorry for anyone I did not mention I don't have my computer

I am worried about my kitties but a change of paCe isalways nice

susan_02143

So "Cambridge" kitchens... no. Most kitchens around here do actually have upper cabinets, but it means they have changed the house, a lot. My house was built in 1903 and I am only the third owner. The original owner, the guy who built the house was an importer of Cognac. His daughter never married and continued to live in this house after her parents died. She was a hoarder who allowed various cousins to move in and out over the years. She worked as a librarian and never had any money to keep the house in good repair, much less do any remodeling. This house is in almost original condition.

The next owners repaired the holes in the roof, painted a bunch, and ignored the underlying problems with the house. They "remodeled" the kitchen, but kept the floor plan the same. The people had a reverence for "original" which is why we still have an electrical box with knob and tube wiring which they preserved as a curiosity and original telephone wires running down the floorboards. They are Irish, and most Europeans don't bother with upper cabinets. But this kitchen, where would you put them? In this kitchen there are 3 3' x5' windows, and four doorways. The only wall with more than 2' of space is the wall behind the sink. The adjacent wall has a window just 10" from the corner. In the other corner there is less than an 1" from the door. You can't put a cabinet on such a wall.

Other older homes would have walled off some of those windows, removed the pantries, opened up the ice room using a massive beam to hold the house up. Not me. I was concerned when we first moved in about the kitchen. As you can see from our pictures, I have added two butcher block pieces on both sides of the stove cabinets that have some shelves, and give me a place to put stuff. The next owners will pull it all out.

Our other big space enhancers came about as we pondered the kids moving back in. The kitchen pantry had these cool slots that went behind the wall. They were clearly designed as a place to stash the dining room table inserts. Unfortunately, our table leaves didn't fit. In a moment of brilliance, we realized that if we removed the wall to expose the slot area, we could build some shelves. It took me forever to find something that was only 4" deep, but I did! I have attached a pictures of my spice, pepper, and oil rack.

I love this rack. *susan*

susan_02143

Lacey,

My chow hound buddies say that at Durgin Park you should stick to the raw oysters and the Prime Rib. Indian pudding, if you like it, is a safe dessert. I don't actually think I have ever eaten there.... I would hate to repeat the things my grandmother said about places like that.

*susan*

auntienance

And I see why you love it so!

MombieZombie

Hey all. Had a long day spent picking up my brother at the airport, going to a church family event and so on. Tonite my dh made clam strips (razor clams from one our digs), homemade onion rings, lots of steamed veggies--cauliflower/broccoli with a bit of cheese sprinkled on top. My brother is from Utah and says he doesn't get to eat good seafood very often, so it looks like I'll be changing some future plans to include some things from the sea for his enjoyment while he is here. Would love new ideas for halibut, sea bass, tuna, and ling cod. (My dh fishes and we have a whole freezer full of these items.)

Minustwo--That's about where I am, minus working outside the home. We have such a busy life that I have to do the calendar in order to keep my head above water, and because I can keep anything straight unless I keep endless lists.

Auntienance--I like the idea of a more relaxed cooking style after the kids are grown and gone. I'm far from that as yet, but it sounds nice to cook on a whim more. There's lots to look forward to in the empty nest years.

Thinkingpositive--I am seeing an oncological naturopath. He is helping me change my diet and learn what is best to eat, along with prescribing supplements that can help me fight too. What I like about him is that he will tell me straight what he thinks I should do, but is accepting of the fact that I don't want to make completely radical changes. So he's helping me find a balance between the two. I'm figuring out how to eat pretty healthy, without completely giving up every speck of enjoyment.

Carolehalston--I worry about a second type of cancer coming to get me too. I know the stats in an all too real way because it happened to my dad. I agree with you a bit. I'm making a lot of healthy changes to my eating style, but I want to balance it with living a full life that I can enjoy. So I don't want to get too carried away with the health nut stuff. I think that's what you were saying?

Lacey12

Susan, I can see why you love that "pantry" too. Thought of you as we enjoyed the H and H string players tonight. They were fabulous as were the vocalists. What was particularly nice was that the bass player gave a bit of history related to Bach and said that it was delightful to play in our newly renovated concert hall which in size and decor reminded him of the one where Bach spent his last performing years in Leipzig. It really is a wonderful concert hall, and the town is making great use of it. It is also interesting to see many couples who we knew when our kids were all growing up....since the crowd was heavily filled with "boomers". And most of them were talking on the way out about how wonderful it was that we didn't have to trek out of the city to go home. Yes, tonight that was a plus!

Susan, I may be sounding like your grandmother by tomorrow after our dinner!

Tonight's dinner was okay. I really like the modern atmosphere and service at Blue, but the duck over ricewas not special, tho the leek/mushroom side was. The kale/romaine salad with maple dressing and pumpkin seeds was very nice...another idea for kale....heehee.

eric95us

I thought I posted here earlier this evening. But it's not there. So, I'll start over

Hi Positive and MombieZ. I'll add my welcome too.

Sharon is more of the plan ahead for cooking while I'm more of the "figure it out as it happens." I got good at this in college. Back then the "what can I make with what I have" was due to budget issues. Now, when that happens, it's more of a, "neither of us want to drive to the grocery store."

I'm in awe of the kitchens and pantries. There aren't a lot of counters in the kitchen--it's small, so there isn't a lot of cabinets. I have a 2 foot by 4 foot pantry space that holds the dry food//spices and the not so beautiful cookware stored in there.

The dutch ovens, one is on the stove pretty much all time and the other two double as coffee and end table decorations!

When we retire, I'd like my grandmother's kitchen sink (twice as big as modern sinks, plus a 2 foot long drain area on either side of the basins), a walk in pantry, 6 burner stove, center island and 2 ovens. The sink is certainly long gone, but maybe another one can be found.

Moon. The expression on GD's face made me laugh. She looks skeptical. Almost like someone told her the camera flash won't be bright! :-)

Oh, I had to look up olive boats as well. I've never heard of them before.

Tonight's dinner was centered around a pork roast and came from a 2 line recipe from my great-great-grandmother's written in German cookbook. I didn't write it down as I was driving when she told it to me. "1 salt, 3 pepper, 3 brown sugar, 3 rosemary chopped/minced (she wasn't sure). Make enough to rub thickly on pork roast. Medium (she thought) oven.

MombieZombie

eric95us--Thanks for the welcome. What do you do with your dutch ovens? I have one but know little about using it. Might be fun to learn something new.

carolehalston

Susan, I love windows.  Your kitchen is probably well-lighted by nature.  My kitchen is not.  I have to use artificial light on any day however bright it is outdoors.  I love the idea that you're a caretaker/owner of an historic house.

MombieZ, Eric is the perfect person to tell you about Dutch oven cooking. 

Here is our pantry.  DH came up with the idea of the wooden rack inside the door.  He designed and built it.

 

susan_02143

Carole, NICE!!!!! My friend's husband also built a rack like this for her tiny pantry. It expands the amount of storage space so much. If your husband needs a new career, I bet he could make these. People would buy them as fast as he could build them.

Dutch Ovens... love my dutch ovens. My mother always made mac/cheese in one, but I rarely do. Things I make in a dutch oven: stews, braises, soups, polenta, big batches of tomato sauce [mine are ceramic lined, not raw cast iron], anything deep fried though I use a wok more and more for this, chicken in a pot, dolmas, all kinds of legumes, and of course, no-knead bread (but again, don't make this much anymore.) I was taught to make my braises and stews on the stovetop, but have moved to only browning on the stovetop and cooking in the oven. Much better control of the temperature. Somehow things tend to boil on the stovetop and I want the food to have a sauna.

English muffin bread is out of the oven. Mr. 02143's bread is thawing for French toast. The sous-vide machine is warming up the water and soon, I will put in my eggs. We had planned to smoke a turkey breast today, but man is it cold out there. We will let it continue to dry-brine for an extra day and smoke tomorrow. Dinner is now some kind of pork and mustard green stir-fry. "Land of Plenty" has an interesting pork with cloud ear recipe which might win. Side stir fry with the greens, and of course, some rice.

*susan*

carolehalston

The kitchen is U-shaped, about 12 x 12 feet.  The previous owner/builders had their kitchen table in the middle.  DH built a large island, 5 1/2 ft. by 35 in. with drawers and cabinets on each side and bookshelves on one end.  No outlets so appliances have to be used on countertop areas.  The layout didn't lend itself to seating.  Wall cabinets go to 8 ft. ceiling and top cabinets are glass-fronted.  Wood is cypress.  Counter top is formica.  Would love to change to off-white quartz but it's too much trouble.  Checked into it a few years ago.

 

carolehalston

Another photo.

 

carolehalston

Additional storage in a lovely little pie safe that dh built several years ago.  He punched out the designs on the tin panels.  A fun project for him. 

 

auntienance

Absolutely LOVE the kitchen photos! I need more!

Carole, your kitchen is lovely! It's so wonderful to have a DH who is handy with wood and yours is especially talented!

OK -- here's mine:

I despise the microwave over the stove thing but kitchen arrangement prohibits being able to do much about it.

The back of my house is entirely windows so I have lots of natural light. This is the breakfast area. A large oak tree is right outside the window so in the summer it feels like you're eating in a tree house.

auntienance

To the right is a large out of control rosemary plant that resides in the kitchen during the winter.

The island has outlets on both ends so I can use appliances here.

auntienance

Last one

Lacey12

Love these photos!! Carole, I thought I was looking at my own kitchen with yours exceot for the wonderful DH created woodwork and island. Green with envy here. Will do my pix later....have to get organized here

Nance, I was looking for your new pastry area....is that it on the end?

auntienance

It appears that I need to clean my camera lens ;-)

So Wednesday while the guys were painting, DSIL and I decided to go on a food safari. I had read about an Asian food and fresh seafood market in St. Louis county that I wanted to visit and as my DSIL is always game for an adventure, off we went. I had been familiar with the area as I had worked there for a number of years before we moved here in 1998. It had always been a large primarily Jewish community with lots of good delis, one of which was a Sunday morning haunt of mine (before DH) for their most excellent cheese and onion omelets and nova lox and fresh bagels from the bagel factory next door. Much to my surprise, it is now a large Asian community with numerous markets and restaurants, with Jamaican, sushi and Mexican restaurants thrown in for a little eclectic variety. What was once my favorite deli now housed a Pho restaurant! Be still my heart! It too, was most excellent with some of the most delicately flavored and delicious broth I've ever had. What a find!

At the seafood market across the street I found lots and lots and lots of fresh fish. Unfortunately, I didn't know what most of them were. I recognized a few, like pompano and grouper (whole), but the rest were a mystery to me as they were written in Chinese. The guy behind the counter didn't speak English so I passed on the fish until I could research it a little more. Some of the fish I was interested in didn't look the freshest (a lot of sunken dull eyes) so I was a little wary. I ended up with the mahi mahi at another (more expensive) fish monger down the street. Couldn't see the eyes as they were fillets lol.

At the Asian market, I did end up buying some very fresh pork shanks that were spiit. They were advertised as hocks, which they clearly weren't. I bought a bunch of them and will braise them soon. They had my favorite (expensive) fish sauce - Red Boat, and lots of other staples for Chinese cooking. Fresh produce included baby bok choy, Thai basil, Japanese sweet potatoes (very dark red and delicious) and a whole pound bag of shallots for $1.49. Wow! I loaded up on udon, soba and lo mein noodles too.

Since I'm shallot rich, tonight is a whole chicken roasted on a bed of shallots and baby potatoes. I have a kale/ spinach mix that I'll saute as well.

I'm window washing today. Now that it's starting to be spring I thought it might be nice to actually see it through the glass.

auntienance

Yep Lacey - it's next to the blackboard.

MombieZombie

Carol--I like your pantry space. We use something hanging from the door to maximize space usage too. It's only one of those hang-on-the-door shoe things with all the plastic pockets in them right now. We haven't had time or money to remodel that part of the house, but it's first on the agenda. I'll be showing your door shelves to my dh.

Susan--Your pork sounds good.

I am loving the beautiful kitchens!! That's one thing I have in my new house is a bigger kitchen. This one needs remodeling (20 years old) but I'm grateful because my last one was the size of a postage stamp. I am envious of the stainless steel appliances in the photos here. Makes things look so nice and clean. Maybe some day.....

Auntienance--Love your talk about that interesting market. Looking forward to what things you learn about those fish. Cooking fish in different types and ways is another thing I want to learn.

carolehalston

Nance, I LOVE your dining space by the windows.  Really like the chairs.  So elegant.  And I have refrigerator envy, seeing yours.  I want one of those models with the double tops doors and bottom freezer.  Mine is a side by side Kenmore.  Also like your seating at your large island.  We couldn't have outlets on the island because this is an old house, 1970's, built on a slab and the location of our island was just open space in the former kitchen.

My last kitchen had beautiful natural lighting and I do miss that.  It was a more "upscale" kitchen with Subzero fridge and downdraft stove (brand name excapes me).   But this house works for us as a couple of ole retirees.  It's especially nice that it's paid for! 

Here's another of dh's pieces of furniture with handy storage.  It will soon be replaced by the one out in his shop.  He decided this one was too klunky.  He built the meat carving board propped on the wall and along the right side is a nice bread kneading board he made for me.  It's good exercise picking it up and carrying it over to the island when I'm making bread.  The top of this buffet (and also our dining table) is made from the oak table tops of library tables that were in the school his father attended in Oak Forest, IL. 

Notice the little round things on a paper plate on the left side of the buffet.  A couple of dried limes and a dried lemon!  Monkey read, monkey experiment!

The runner on the buffet was hand-woven by dh's niece, who is a talented weaver in Milwaukee.