So...whats for dinner?

Lacey12

Stunning pix, Susan! Thank you, thank you for sharing! As you may recall, I never had internet service in the hills of Tuscany, so never got my pix out while there, and I am so bad at doing it later....as you might recall!

Weather is holding up here, so far, so I am guessing that all is going well for the Bedo family wedding!

Haha, Tempy, I can't blame the Raos for keeping their recipe a secret. Why heavens, you'd be sharing it on our site! LOL

And I'm glad to hear that your gnocchi is as it should be...pillow light! I ordered some at a supposedly good Italian restaurant recently and was horrofied at the leaden product! Thump in your tummy! I grew up with my mom's family making them, and they were nice and light. They used potatoes. Sadly I do not have the recipe....actually just looked in the recipe box that was my mother's and it is one of the only things not there. I must check with my sister.

By the way, this week, Mario Battali made a timpano with tortellini and pesto, meatballs and a zillion other things, and it definitely surpassed the one my neighbor and I made this winter in terms of extra expanded interest. Implan to look up the recipe on The Chew website. We might have to try that one next winter unless it was a harbinger of the snow that was to befall us! I'd hope not to bring that on again.

Oh, one last pic...my favorite except for the glasses on DH...beyond photo shop capabilities, I suspect?

This was one of the only times that little one was still the whole day....as the carousel was giving her the movement! Ha!

eric95us

Bedo....hope you enjoyed the wedding.

Susan, those pictures look awesome and the view from the balcony is amazing. Enjoy yourself.

Lacey, those pictures make me smile. I especially like the "out like a light" picture. The test daughters were like that....go at 900 miles per hour and then....click.....

Sharon made calzones last night and we had the left overs tonight. I'm also cooking another pork roast for lunch meat for the rest of the week.

.

Yesterday DD and I scored at the junkyard. We found a 1992 Volvo 940 in near perfect condition and with all the parts still in place. I don't know why someone would have put it in the junkyard other than "it cost too much to fix" or "something broke and the parts to fix it weren't available". Anyway, it had all the parts we needed. So, we are progressing along. We're in the middle of car air conditioning work right now. Next will be some emission control stuff and finally installing the headlights, turn signals, grill and bumper. If all goes well, it should only require a few more hours of work to finish.

At the junkyard, I pointed out a car to DD where I was certain someone in the car had been killed. The yard employees confirmed my suspicions.

I hope DD keeps that image in mind when she drives.

Lacey12

Wow, Eric, this is quite an education your DD is getting!

Minus, what did you decide to make last night? Both options sounded good to me.

Yes, Bedo, when you've recovered tell us how it went! I recall the pix are a challenge.

Last night at the sushi restaurant, I found a few items to eat.....a clear broth seafood soup, pan fried pork raviolis, and mashed butternut squash. Everyone else enjoyed their sushi selections. I enjoyed how pretty the sushi arrangements looked on the oblong plates.

Today we ate brunch with DS2 and DGF at a place called Gaslight in Boston's South End (newly called the SOWA district). I ordered a spinach, feta omelet....not too special, and came with McDonald style french fries. Odd, but obscenely good. The SOWA street fair was on, so we cruised around it checking out the food trucks, produce stands and craft sellers. An unusual truck was a knife sharpening one. They also sold knives and both DH and DS2 bought one. Now I need to have the muslin wrap and peroxide close to the kitchen counter. That big guy is frighteningly sharp!!

Last evening the performance we attended was an orchestra from Berkelee College of Music that specializes in playing musical scores for movies....and what they played last night was the score for the original silent film of Phantom of The Opera. It was AMAZING!!!! DH was particularly enthralled with how they got to expand the sound of a basic keyboard to mimic that of a huge powerfulchurch organ. It was quite the show!

Redheaded1

I am wore out just reading about Lacey and Susan's adventures.  Envious, but wore out. 

Gotta check out the south in your mouth site.

Carole, hope your foot is healing and BEDO can't wait to see pics (please) and hear about the wedding.

Having more Dad adventures with his leg and he has fell 3 times in less than 3 weeks.....

Spent yesterday at our "third Sunday market" over 450 antique and craft dealers are set up at our fairgrounds.  Showed huge restraint by only purchased three items,  A plant mister a small little bench for the porch, and a thread box.

Dinner was meatloaf with potatoes and the last of the rhubarb pie.  I have ratatouille that I love on spaghetti instead of sauce. and rest of meatloaf will likely be sandwiches for lunch.

 

auntienance

Lacey, oh how I love a sharp knife. Makes prep work sooo much easier.

Last night I cooked a small pork butt in the pressure cooker. Seasoned it with Chinese 5 spice, s and p. I threw in some sezchuan peppercorns with the water/chicken broth combo. After it was done, I sliced and stir fried it with onions, made a thin gravy with cornstarch and served it over homemade (not by me) egg noodles. Pretty tasty. I forget how much I like cooking in the pressure cooker. I've not tried it with beans, but on Susan's recommendation, I believe that will be my next foray into pressure cooking.

I desperately need a trip to the grocery today. I'm out of most vegetables.

The garden is progressing nicely, although I have a couple of tomato plants that are looking weak. I'll be keeping my eye on them. We've had 4 inches or more of rain this week and they certainly aren't going to like the night temps in the 40s this week. What's up with that?

We saw the cutest thing yesterday. One of our pregnant does had her baby and brought it into our back yard (outside the fence). It must have just been born because it was still wobbly. It was about the smallest fawn I've ever seen. They make me crazy but they sure are cute when they're little.

Not sure what's for dinner. Depends on what the store has to offer.

Carole, hope your foot is progressing. Love the Turkey and Grand pictures! Hoping for wedding pictures too.

auntienance

Red, I'm sorry about your dad, I know just what you mean. My dad won't even tell me every time he falls. Worries me to death.

Lacey12

Yikes, I remember the worries about parental falls. We did get my mother one of those "alert systems" to wear so she could access help if needed, but she would not always wear it. Sending good balance wishes to both of your dads. Never an easy time.....

Nance, I was thinking of you when we bought the knife.

By the way, when ordering brunch yesterday, my eyes landed on an offering that included kale and carmelized onions topped with poached eggs. Well.....My impulse was to order it until I remembered that I eat that regularly at home if DH is out. Well, I was amused (and pleased) to see DH order that dish and totally enjoy it. So guess what he'll be having at home probably once a week!

This is the completion of my family photos documenting us having eaten (of course!) for (belated) MoDay...with DS2 and DGF yesterday:

Nance, love hearing about the newborn fawn sighting! That would be a fun pic to post. I tried to get some pix of our (one!) hummer, but he perches in the magnolia tree, so the pix are a Where's Waldo exercise.

auntienance

I will try to get a pic of the fawn but it seems they're never close enough to get a decent picture with my phone. I'll keep trying though.

Dinner is going to be grilled pineapple and ham steak and a tomato cucumber salad.

Tempy

Dinner tonight is easy pasta with meat sauce. Have to work tonight (6:30pm to 7am) and have been up since 7:30am trying to take care of stuffs. No rest for me today but off tomorrow for one day. Luckily DH is home today so he's been able to help.

carolehalston

All is going well with the foot.  It was unwrapped today at the dr.'s office and I was glad to see that the size was almost normal.  I have permission to put some weight on the foot but still must keep it propped up when sitting.  I will post a pic from my cell phone.

DH has a beef stew in progress for dinner tonight.  This menu is entirely his decision.  He bought the beef cubes on one of his trips out the last couple of days. 

I, too, will check out the south in your mouth web site. 

carolehalston

luvmygoats

Have 2 pkgs of pork ribs thawing. No idea if they're boneless, but I don't think they are. They were in the day old bin at Albertsons last week. Going in the oven to slow/low cook with BBQ. Also have the makings for Carole's pineapple slaw. DH voted for both of these over stir fry. Go figure - men lol. Other than that we have been finishing off the salsa chicken. I think I'll have the last shortly for lunch.

Nancy I don't think I could even find a camera if I wanted to. Mine on my dinky candybar phone is sufficient to get an idea of something minus details lol. I used it last year to take pics of some furniture to show DH. That's about all it's good for.

Kale is for sure mainstream. Saw a Lean Cuisine with it in it.

One look at the "south your mouth" website has me drooling. And you can drool over her Facebook page too.

DD is coming out Friday. She is burning more vacation time - off Wed, Thur, Fri, Sat, Sun, Mon - Memorial Day. She won't be able to say long because of her cats. If she spends Sat. night too I will be surprised. She TaDa paid off her car loan 2 years early. Wants to put the title in our safety deposit box. She is a signer on it but no key. Will have to find something to make. Thinking of chicken tetrazzini. Anyone have a good recipe?

Foot looks good Carole. Sounds like you are making great progress.

susan_02143

What a day!

Our cousins live a completely different life than we do. So far we have counted 13 full time staff! And there is a boat. They bought a boat which took us on a private tour of the Golden Horn and the Bosphorus all the way up to the Black Sea! We stopped for a lunch of yogurt and "toast" which is bread with cheese inside. Ended the day in a 6th floor restaurant with views of the Golden Horn looking over to the Blue Mosque eating the most amazing meze and fresh grilled fish. Totally amazing!

I will try to post some photos tomorrow,but really, don't know if any of them came out.

Chicken [Turkey] tetrazzini... Joy of Cooking recipe which is actually three recipes. Only version of this dish that I will eat. I like to use a mixture of mushrooms to make it interesting. Highly recommend.

*susan*

SpecialK

DD is en route to home and she said she has a craving for cook-out food, so we are having cheeseburgers, ranchero beans, corn on the cob and cole slaw.

susan - wow on your trip leg in Turkey!  Sounds fab!

carole - your cute toes are painted even with a foot booboo - excellent!

luv - love chicken tetrazzini - just looked at the Joy recipe - looks pretty classic.

tempy - when do you sleep girl?

lacey - enjoyed the pics of your family - adorable ones of your grands!

auntie - I want to see the fawn too!  We have really big deer in our neighborhood, they are in our yard all the time - when DD was here last week she saw a young bobcat!  I was just coming out of the garage and she shushed me and pointed at it - it was bigger than a cat but smaller than a medium dog.  How crazy is that?

Lacey12

Love the hot red toes, Carole!l they look professionally done....do you go somewhere, or are you just real good at toe nail painting? I have never had a mani or a pedi....just paint my own toenails once beach season arrives. I tend to stay with safe not too bright colors, but wow, that red is tempting!

As you all have probably noticed, cooking has been minimal in this house of late. It's actually been sort of weird to eat out so much. So today, while I didn't have time to fit in a shopping trip, I decided to use the large portobella mushrooms that I bought on Friday to do something creative with. So, I marinated the mushrooms in a balsamic marinade with garlic and fresh thyme, which DH grilled, them melted some mozzerella over. Also grilled red onions, red peppers and zucchini slices after marinating them in Italian dressing and balsamic. For salad, I used up a ripe avacado, making an arugula, red onion (Carole, I can see you wince every time I mention our overuse of raw red onion;) avocado, strawberry, blue cheese, salad with poppy seed dressing. It was a great meal and vegetarian....so I could replicate it for the growing number of vegetarians in my extended family. We enjoyed some fresh crusty French bread from Volante's with our meal.

Susan, are you feeling that you have saved the best for last?! This Istanbul visit sounds pretty great. Always nice to see how the one percent live....and share in it! Your cousins are no doubt thrilled to show you their lifestyle and region. Is this your first trip there?

Need to get some things done, so no editing tonight with this uncooperative machine.....apologies

auntienance

Nice pedicure! Mine is shameful (more like hooves) but will be fixed on Thursday.

Here's a pic of the evening feeding. Can't get the little buggers to sit still!

SpecialK

auntie - holy hummingbirds!!!!!

auntienance

Lol, and that's only one feeder.

MinusTwo

Unbelievable. I usually don't see more than 2 or 3 total for a season. Thanks for sharing.

Lacey12

Wow, Nance....having some major hummer envy here! We think we still just have the one little ruby throated guy who is now a regular at our feeder. That feeder is elaborate

Tempy

Time for a quick peek in during a lull at work.

SK - I've gotten really good at power naps on busy days and when I actually get a few days off I crash and crash hard for hours and hours.

The trip to Istanbul sounds amazing. Hopefully you can figure out how to post more pictures.

carolehalston

Istanbul is my favorite place of vicarious travel with Susan on this fabulous trip. 

auntienance

Carole, I can't decide. I loved Spain but Istanbul is fascinating, especially the food. What a great trip Susan has taken us on!

Tonight I have a meeting so I think we are having Chicago dogs with all the fixings. I think I'll make some potato salad too, perhaps German. Haven't made that in a while.

Yesterday I bought some pretty arucana eggs from a local guy. So for breakfast DH is fixing me green eggs and ham lol!

auntienance

it's supposed to be cold and rainy here tomorrow so I'm thinking it's a day to dedicate to replenishing my pasta and marinara. Tempy, I'm going to be trying the marinara recipe on Rao's website. Have you tried it? I'll also be making ricotta so perhaps tomorrow night will be lasagna.

carolehalston

Nance's house definitely sound like the place to go.

auntienance

If you come, I'll throw in some brownies, a cherry pie and some Welsh cakes for Lacey!

Tempy

Nance I haven't tried the sauce recipe on the website but after trying enough of the family's sauce I think I'm pretty close. I have a secret for my gnocchi for when I'm a little short on time. I use the flavored mashed potato packets (usually Idahoan as I can get a italian white cheese and/or roasted garlic), make them according to package directions, add an egg for two packets and then enough flour to make a dough that's workable. Roll it out into a rope shape and cut pieces about a half inch in length, allow to dry an hour or so before boiling. I'll make them from scratch when I have time and/or I don't have any mashed tater packets (I tend to keep them on hand because they're nummy on top of my steakhouse shepherd's pie) and even taught my aunt and cousins how to make them from scratch when I was in Finland a few years back.

Give me enough head's up and if you come over for dinner I might have the gumption to make a cheesecake.

luvmygoats

On my way Nancy. Yummy. But a dumb question here. If Rao makes marinara sauce why would they have a recipe on their website? Not that I didn't find lots of yummy stuff on there, did for sure. Or does marinara mean something else other than sauce? What are Welsh cakes?

The pork ribs were OK good, about the usual stuff. I cook them low, slow tightly covered with foil, then raise temp up to brown them some. Kraft has a new sweet brown sugar BBQ sauce - no high fructose corn syrup. Grocery had BOGO so I bought that and the mesquite which was almost sold out - figured that was a sign it must be good. Made Carole's pineapple slaw - packaged slaw (what can I say I'm the epitome of don't chop if you don't have to), some crushed pineapple in juice, mayo, garlic salt, onion powder, dribble of mustard, dribble of honey, dribble of lemon juice (DH won't eat it with vinegar). See he has already had a bowl of it for lunch.

auntienance

Luv, I misspoke, the recipe came from Martha Stewart's website. I saw Frank Pellegrino (of Rao's) make their famous lemon chicken on her show (one of my most favorite dishes) and found the sauce recipe there too. He has published a couple of cookbooks with Rao's recipes, perhaps the recipe is missing a secret ingredient lol! The recipe had been published several different places so I'm not sure how secret it is.

Welsh cakes are these delicious little sweet cakes rather like a scone, only better.

In today's nature report, momma deer brought Bambi around again. We got to see him nurse, so sweet! It's rather interesting to watch the little guy go hide himself in the leaves or tall brush while she goes to browse. He did this on his own and stays put until she comes back for him. In other news, a pair of house finches have set up a nursery in one of my hanging ferns. Sigh! Difficult watering around a tiny nest with three little blue eggs in it. So the fern is on its own for a few weeks. The female oriole has been here several times for jelly. I'll get dh to set up the bird cam to try to get a picture.

susan_02143

What a day!!! So many meals to catch up writing about, but I have written about today's outing with stagefree from the IV Boards. We spent the day together and had a most special day and meal. I posted here.....

https://community.breastcancer.org/forum/8/topic/8...

*susan*