So...whats for dinner?

MombieZombie

bedo--Thanks. Of course, I'm her mother, but she constantly amazes me. She has a lot of her own trials in life (Turner's Syndrome), yet she is the happiest, most compassionate creature you will ever meet. I'll post one more of her drawings so you can see a more serious piece.

Appalachia would be an interesting place to go and what a lovely purpose you had in going! I have always wished for more chances to travel, but that hasn't been my lot in life, though I've had a truly wonderful life thus far. When the nest is empty, perhaps I will have more opportunities.

I finish rads on Thursday. Sooooo looking forward to the finish line. I did something stupid with some tape and ripped my skin off in three places. I'm such a dope!! So I'm laughing at myself and my added misery. LOL I have herceptin infusions until October.

Earlier I mentioned that I will be eating whatever my mom makes today? I learned it is going to be leftover pizza. I'm laughing because I've been trying to follow a new, healthier diet recommended by my Naturopath, but I keep having days where I need to make an exception. Making changes is going to be harder than I thought.

Here's that other drawing:

MombieZombie

I wanted to include a close up of the face on that one so you can see the detail she puts in. Now I'm off to enjoy leftover pizza. lol

bedo--you said you were super hungry. Please eat something really yummy for me! LOL

auntienance

MZ, that's a pretty amazing doodle! The girl has talent.

Weather permitting, I reheat leftover pizza on a stone on the grill. Otherwise I use the stone in the oven. I have to eat one piece cold though. It's a rule.

Susan, I hope you can enjoy your trip as a "cancer free zone". How lucky to have so many relatives to visit in faraway places. Your plans sound so wonderful I can't wait to hear about it.

Bedo, ouch! You've got to watch out for those cats, I wrecked my knee and my mom shattered her leg due to felines underfoot. They're hazardous to your health!

Lacey, I've been trying to be conscientious about using me eyedrops twice a day so the itching is better, but there are days when I just want to rub them right out of their sockets.

Cheesequake

New to the thread. Hi. Tonight, husband brought home jalapeño cheddar salmon burgers, and blackberries and whipping cream for dessert!!

carolehalston

MZ, your daughter is very talented.  I love that first picture you posted. 

The food at the barbecue was delicious.  Our host who does the barbecuing cooks the best barbecued chicken I've tasted.  It has crispy skin yet is tender and juicy.  The great thing is that he insisted everybody take home two chicken halves.  Twist my arm!  There was no planning of the pot luck factor.  We had one veggie, a pan of sweet potatoes that looked like they were canned.  We were heavy on salads and desserts. 

The weather was lovely but cool.  We were setting our chairs in the sunshine.

No dinner tonight since the very heavy lunch was about 2 pm. 

All this talk about pizza...  I see home-made pizza in my future next week.

MZ, I'll look up the link for the marinated cauliflower salad.  It's very good.  I followed the recipe but added feta cheese because it just seemed to be a good addition. 

 

SpecialK

MZ - Awesome drawings!  I am not talented in the art department - I draw stick people.

cheese - welcome! 

Late to the party with kitchen pics, here is one with my small pantry, considering the size of the kitchen - to the left of the oven.  The pantry itself, the view from the table into the kitchen, and then the view from the kitchen to the outside.

 

carolehalston

Lovely kitchen and lovely view to the outside, SpecialK. 

carolehalston

Let's see if this works.  http://ciaoitalia.com/seasons/5/505/marinated-cauliflower-salad

 

SpecialK

carole - thanks!  It is a very nice environment for cooking - and also a great party house as the space is all open.  Further down from the table are sliders that open the family room out to the pool cage.  We have comfortably had 75 people here, no problem.

bedo - ouchie!  Hope you are doing better soon.  Broken ribs are tough - my dad broke a couple many years ago - I remember he was in quite a bit of pain. Cats should have some sort of flag on a stick contraption so you can see them - I stepped on mine regularly - he was so quiet and wanted to be right next to me and I would be busy running around and I invariably stepped on his tail.  Like three times a week at least.

On the allergy front - I did the shots for 10 years, but then married my military husband and we kept moving.  Can't do the shots if the allergens keep changing!  I now suffer allergy symptoms like most people do rather than the severe reaction every spring I experienced when I was younger. For me high school through my late 20's was the worst - I also had seasonal asthma, which complicated the itchy eyes, congestion, and sneezing.  I once had a professor in college ask me to leave a lecture because I sneezed too many times.  It is miserable for those who struggle with it.  I took Zyrtec when it was Rx only, now take it OTC, but just bought some Flonase - I want to try it out.

susan_02143

How lovely SpecialK! That last shot, with the pool in a cage is SO Florida! When I won an audition with the Tampa Symphony we looked at some houses, and a lot of them had that feature. Nothing I could afford had such a nice kitchen however. I decided not to accept the job, so my time in Tampa was short-lived.

*susan*

luvmygoats

Welcome Cheesequake. Your dinner sounds delish esp. that part about not having to cook it lol. We have a great time on here. I'm by far the queen of casseroles and don't cook as healthy as I should. Tonight we had chicken and Italian rice, good old fashioned comfort food with some steamed snow peas and leftover coleslaw. I've been fighting either a cold or sinus infection or both since Wednesday. I never run a fever and had a little with this. Terrible time to be sick with such nice weather.

Haven't cooked much at all this week. Spent last weekend with DD and we went to a Stars Hockey game courtesy of one of her associated companies in a suite no less. Stuffed ourselves. Spent Sat b4 and Sunday after doing some in town retail therapy. I really don't remember what DH and I had the early part of the week, not memorable evidently.

I am loving the kitchen pictures too. I will take some if I ever get the place cleaned out enough to not be ashamed of the mess. One of these days. I don't know if I even have any made when we redid it. This house was built in 1979, 1200 sq. ft b4 we took in the garage to bump it to 1800. The kitchen was tiny, dark, cramped. It has no windows, sink on inside wall. Lowe's rebuilt it in 2004, Kraft Maid cabinets, Pergo floor and we redid some of the layout - not plumbing though. I have cabinets to the ceiling that I cannot begin to reach not even on a good 2-step stepstool. I think I need to take some stuff out and rearrange. I have no good storage for those millions of plastic containers. I will be in trouble if DD actually eats the stuff I've been sending her and sends her empty containers home. I do freeze a lot so do use them.

Bedo so you've returned home safely at least car/trip wise. Sorry about the fractured rib. DD has 2 cats and I'm very careful where I walk around them. My little dog knows stay/heel so usually (won't say never) doesn't run under my feet. Maybe he just missed MaMa. What's up next on the job horizon?

Good timing Carole with the cauliflower recipe. I still have that one languishing, it may not be any good. Need to use it up. I went to buy capers at one of the bigger stores and they had 2 kinds. I bought Imported Capers Non-Pareil, house brand Krogers I think. These are tiny, the others were bigger. Not something I usually buy. Carole what does your DH think of them? Not sure what mine will think. I might try the salad tomorrow, I might even have some olives to use.

I want to come party at Special's house.

SpecialK

susan - I am a California girl, from suburban Los Angeles originally, and growing up many friends and neighbors had pools.  Before coming to Florida I had never seen a "pool cage" and it was a foreign concept, DH grew up with it being a Florida native.  The view down from a plane seeing so many of them is distinct.  I do like my kitchen, except for the pantry, lol!  DH and I exclaimed over your basement pantry!!!  I was looking at that shot and yelled OMG! out loud - he came over and checked out the picture and said "wow" about all of your storage and excellent wire racks.  Of all the houses we looked at this one had the second best kitchen - there was a house that had hardwood floors, beautiful granite, double Sub-Zeros, and two commercial six-burner stoves right next to each other, but the rest of the house was not big enough and it was located behind the golf clubhouse parking lot.  Too noisy.  The kitchen was the bomb though!  For the record - anytime you want to come to Tampa, my door is open!

auntienance

Lets all party at SK's beautiful house!

SpecialK

Sounds good to me!!!  How much fun would that be?

susan_02143

SpecialK,

I don't know why but hearing that our basement storage made you happy brought tears to my eyes. So out of character for me, but writing that message to Mombie, who hasn't read the history of this thread, where I outlined my current reality has made me "sensitive" I think. Those metal shelves are from Costco. They are $80 each, and a steal at that price. I love them! But I suspect you don't have a basement in Florida. If, by some remote chance, I end up in Tampa once again, I promise to be in touch!

And! I have a first world problem. I am having trouble fitting everything we want to do in Paris plus our visits with family onto the calendar! I know I know.. whoa is me. :-)

*susan*

SpecialK

susan -  your photo was exciting to me! Kind of a cooking and shopping mélange! Two of my fave things, lol! I pictured having a delicious meal with you with items selected from your extensive supplies!  Your shelving reminded of the wire shelves in Sur la Table - at least the stores I have been in.  DH wants to put our washer/dryer in the garage, on the other side of the wall from where it currently is, and turn that laundry room into a walk-in pantry with those type of shelves.  That is what he immediately said after looking at your photo, right after wow!  No basement (or attic) in Florida, but I had one when we lived in upstate NY - it was great as our house was "cozy" but not long on storage space or closets!

MombieZombie

Hello! Thanks for the compliments on my daughter's work. I'll pass them along. It'll make her smile.

Cheesequake--Welcome!

Carole--Thanks, it works--looking forward to trying it soon. I love feta, so I'll probably enjoy doing it your way.

SpecialK--Gorgeous kitchen. I wish I could show pics of mine. It's still not finished or fully organized from moving here. My focus has been necessarily elsewhere. All these picks make me desirous to paint and finish the job. I love the colors and arrangement of yours.

Susan--Symphony? What do you play?

Luvmygoats--I've been meaning to ask, I assume you have goats since that's in your name. I don't know much, but what kind are they? Our neighbor has some that are very little and they are so cute. I agree with you btw--I think we should all go party at SpecialK's place. (I'm only at the opposite corner of the country. Not far. haha)

SpecialK

mombie - I was a military wife for 28 years - I understand about moving - oh and also, you have been kind of busy!

Party at my house!  The goats can come too.

MombieZombie

SpecialK--That sounds like a lot of moving. Military wives are amazing. That would be hard for me. I guess we all do what we must, but moving is not something I take to very well. I got my dx the week we were moving. I haven't bonded with this house yet. All I know is being sick here. I know that will improve soon. I'm just glad I had time to make this kitchen even usable before I started chemo. Our sale agreement was an unusual (long story) and there were little things the owner managed to hide. One of them was the bad condition of the kitchen. It took me 12 hrs to clean the stove, 15 to clean the oven, two to find the surface of the sink....

Party with goats? Hmmm....maybe if they promise not to eat my pant legs. haha

Lacey12

Wow! One blinks around here and the page is filled!

MZ, your daughter is really talented! I love both of those "doodles"!

Bedo, hope the cracked rib resolves soon.....so painful! Welcome back to the land of snow, cold and mud.

Special, that is what your kitchen is! Very lovely.....and I'll be joining the party.

Welcome Cheesequake!

Hi to everyone I didn't mention.

Tonight I really did NOT feel like cooking, yet didn't really want to send DH out for take away from our favorite Greek restaurant since it was still snowing nastily. And I was definitely not heading out.So I made BLT's to go with Trader's carrot ginger soup and an arugula salad to which I added raisins. Oh, that sweet tooth!

SpecialK

mombie - every time we packed up the moving guys always were a bit taken aback by the amount of kitchen stuff I have, I always felt kind of bad.  I like shoes and kitchen gadgets, what can I say? I know what you mean about only being sick in your new house - I was struck with a sudden urge to redecorate my bedroom the night before Thanksgiving - two weeks earlier I had just had fat grafting surgery to the left side where I lost my reconstruction and I could not take looking at my bedroom décor any longer - it seems like I have been laying on my bed for four years due to all of the surgery I have had, I was so tired of looking at the same stuff!  So I hung new drapes, got a new chair, new throw pillows, new accessories, a turkey, sweet potatoes, green beans, apples for a pie, etc.  It was ridiculous, but I was so happy!  Sorry about all the cleaning you had to do - been there!  The one time we lived in base housing I scrubbed the linoleum tile floors in the kitchen - they had been waxed over a million times - after I cleaned it on my hands and knees with liquid dishwasher soap (it takes off wax like a champ!) I realized the tiles were two different colors, obscured by all the coats of shiny wax. Ugh!

MinusTwo

luv - I'm apparently in the same place you are - love the kitchen pictures but mine is too much of a mess to take snaps. Maybe some day.

Oh Bedo - a broken rib!!! You know you're just titillating us by not telling the story. I sprained my ankle in college turning off an alarm clock that I kept across the room - otherwise I wouldn't get up. Glad you trip was a success.

Cheese - welcome. MZ - your daughter is talented. Special - wow is all I can say about the "florida room". 75 people, oh my. My days of entertaining even 20 are way past. I'd like to hear what you think about Flonase. Nance - do you have a prescription eyedrop or is it an OTC that you like?

Went 'downtown' for dinner tonight before a concert to a lovely Italian place. I had shrimp sauteed in butter, wine & garlic served on angel hair pasta (menu was w/fettuccine Alfredo but I changed it). My SIL had pistachio encrusted salmon served on the best risotto I've ever tasted. Pursuant to our cost discussion - prices for pasta were $16-20+ Prices for fish were $25-35+. Veal & chicken were in $20-35 range, & beef more. No soup or salad included but entrees came w/either one vegetable or a small side of pasta. Unfortunately they also served a wonderful basket of bread, which I had to eat by myself because my SIL is allergic to gluten. So much for adding to the 2 lbs I gained yesterday by eating 5 desserts while we played dominoes.

Concert was the Houston Chamber Choir doing Mozart's adaption of Handel's Messiah, re-orchestrated some 50 years after the original to take into account the changing tastes of the audiences. Lush, Germanic, romantic - lots of winds & horns added to strings. I started singing the Messiah in the late 1950s before authentic, period instruments were "re-discovered", so it felt like an old friend. But I still like the Baroque renditions best.

eric95us

I was going to get some kitchen pictures this evening when I got home from an old Jeep truck gathering.

However (big however).

On the way home mom's nurse neighbor called. "The water valve to the toilet in your mom's room isn't working. Where is the water shutoff to the house?" That's not a good question to be asked. :-)

Mom sat down on the toilet and the tank broke. The bathroom carpet was soaked--probably 10-15 gallons of water "escaped". We got the water cleaned up out of the carpet and I installed a new water shutoff valve, water supply line and toilet.

The toilet is in a little room with ceramic tile flooring and, of course, the toilet had been set down first and then the tile installed around the toilet.. Since the new toilet was shaped differently, I had to redo some of the floor tile.

.

carolehalston

I had to go back and find the post from Cheesequake since we were posting at the same time.  Welcome! 

Susan, I am very impressed that you were invited to join the Tampa symphony.  Wow, you must be/have been very accomplished.  I'm envious.  Minus, I notice that you attend lots of concerts and continue to appreciate good music.  I remember that you are a trained singer.

Special, do you use your pool for exercise?  Some years ago, I took my mother to a pool for therapy and I would bring a swimsuit and go into the deep end with a noodle and do jumping jacks and different exercises.  There were also foam bar bells and other water therapy equipment.  Aqua exercise is easy on the body.  My mother has severe joint damage from osteoarthritis but she could walk across the pool and exercise her leg muscles.  She loved the pool exercise but unfortunately the opportunity ended and we were unable to find another as good. 

Today I'm taking her to church at the 2nd service at her church.  It's the "contemporary" service.  I was shocked the first time I attended and saw the musicians playing guitars and there was even a drummer.  But the service is full of young people.  My mother likes the music and enjoys all the attention and hugs she gets.  Everyone knows her name because she has been recognized as one of the two oldest living charter members of the church.  After church we're going somewhere for lunch and that's always a big treat for her.  After raising 6 kids on a very limited budget and cooking all the meals for years, she loves eating out and her favorite foods are seafood.  So we'll be going somewhere with fried fish, shrimp, oysters, crab cakes, gumbo, etc.   When I'm exerting discipline, I search for something healthy on the menu, but more often than not we order a fried seafood dinner and share it.  She can't eat a large amt. of food and I'm happier not experiencing that over-full feeling.

I didn't weigh this morning after eating TWO different brownies yesterday at the barbecue, plus a tiny piece of home-made pecan pie AND a tiny lemon bar.  Talk about excess!  One of the brownies was heavenly hash with marshmallow.  I didn't see it until I had already taken a plain brownie.  That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it.

Happy Sunday.

auntienance

Eric, you are so handy, is there anything you can't do?

Minus, I had a prescription for zaditor for years until it went otc, now I buy the store brand. I also take flonase, claritin and the occasional benadryl (all generic) at night. Fluticasone (flonase) is the only one that's prescription at this point. And still my eyes water and itch! But flonase has helped my other symptoms tremendously.

SK, good to know about the dish detergent. I'll have to tell my dad's house cleaner. She's been trying to get built up wax off my dad's kitchen floor for months.

At the Charlie Gitto's we usually visit, they have a before six menu. We like it because the portions are smaller, but it makes the meal a little less expensive. Our bill came to $52 before tip and that was with a cocktail. And bread, oh the bread! I have a recipe for that lovely Italian bread that I'm going to try today. I hope I can resist eating the whole loaf at one sitting.

Has anyone heard from Joyce? She had her scan last week. I hope things are ok. SK, have you started pt?

auntienance

Carole, I was just going to ask what was for Sunday dinner at your mom's house. Now I know lol! Sounds good to me!

bedo

Hi all,

Special I love the idea of flag contraptions on cats. Don't make me laugh it hurts! I love love love the pool especially!

Goats I accepted a job about 2 months ago but told them I only want to work 4 days a week and negotiated the volunteer trip as part of my contract. Big Dummy (cat) is sitting on my lap and purring as we "speak" So clue-less.

I tried to take a picture of my kitchen last night but it is so small that all I get are pictures of parts of walls. That's it I'm not doing it besides, I would be embarrassed after all your beautiful pictures so I'll describe it. Barbie stove with 4 electric burners-you know the type! Regular fridge, Tiny white counters one against the wall with a curtain for storage below, and more storage on top of fridge! Those boards with holes line two walls are where I hang my pots and pans and things soon I will hang my Revere ware Yay!. No dishwasher, no window, no disposal and the brightest blinding yellow you could ever imagine.. Soon I will unpack my Cuisinart. Yay! And my trusty crock pot stays out.

MZ I tried tamoxifen and arimidex. Maybe I'll go back one when the weather gets warmer.

Not sure what's for dinner-probably order in. Last night pizza microwaved- not the kind you should micro wave.Not a good idea, but it hurt to do things.

SpecialK

carole - I am an interesting mix of water person - I don't like swimming and reluctantly go in the ocean or swimming pool, but I do like to float around on a raft - however, you can't get me out of a bathtub, hot tub, or shower - I am like a duck in there, lol!  We don't usually heat the pool so use it predominantly in the summer when it reaches its own comfortable temp, but we did heat it for my MIL after her initial knee replacement so she could do her therapy exercises.  In the picture I don't know if you can tell, the pool is kind of an L shape and in the back corner, near the stand of banana palms is a hot tub that spills over into the pool. It functions as the pump to circulate the water and chlorine, etc., but it sounds like a fountain during the day.  If it is not hot I open the door and can hear it all day and the pool cage keeps any bugs out, I love it. We can turn off the spillover and just heat the hot tub - which we do more often - every time we get in it we say "why are we not in this every night?" and then we get busy and kind of forget again.  When my BFF was visiting we had soft serve ice cream in the hot tub - it was fun!  My mom used to go to a specially heated shallow pool that did organized rehab exercises with an instructor from the Arthritis Foundation - she loved it and went for years! There are also classes at my local Y in the pool - it is so true that it is easier to exercise when you are buoyant.  I just went to my primary for the ortho referral to deal with my hip pain - for PT, so they may suggest I get in the pool for some exercises - we will see! 

eric - so sorry about the plumbing emergency but thank goodness you are so handy!  You need a superhero cape!

minus - your evening sounds so pleasant!

mombie - one of my college roommates had chickens in a pen in the backyard and she went out of town and asked me to feed them.  They were fascinated with the white flecks in my jeans and proceeded to peck at my pant legs - there were quite a few chickens and they adopted a bit of a group mentality so it was disconcerting to say the least!  Your goat/pants/party comment reminded me!

auntie - Flonase just went OTC, that is why I decided to try it.  With the dishwasher soap and wax on the floor - it is a hands and knees process so I recommend doing say a three foot square - you squirt it out and scrub it with a pretty stiff hand brush - let it sit, then clean it off.  It is labor intensive, but it works.  Some people also add some ammonia to the soap, but only do that if there is a lot of wax and be sure to ventilate with open doors and windows - the ammonia can be overwhelming - and also use gloves.  I did it in stages - did a 3x3 square, let it sit, then applied the soap to the next 3x3 square and while it was sitting I cleaned off the first one. You need to rinse a couple of times too. You can also do a bucket/mop approach with equal parts water and ammonia, half part dishwasher soap, but going that route depends on how much wax is built up.  Then, do a rinse after. 

bedo

Special I could not live Spring through Fall without Flonase. Good luck with it! I'm down with the party. So are Gonzo and Ruby. And they said that they are staying after the party is over, they like your place and the weather there better.

SpecialK

bedo - I am hoping it works and I hate taking pills so this may be easier. In addition to pollen allergies (I have so many the resident looked at my scratch tests and said wow!) I also have dust, feathers, and mold - which is problematic in such a humid climate.  We regularly have to powerwash our house and driveway/sidewalks/pool deck/pool cage to get the mold off.  I test allergic to cats and dogs but don't react to them for some reason - maybe because I love them?  How are the ribs doing?