So...whats for dinner?

ChiSandy

We went to a BBQ at the home of some dear friends down in Beverly (S.Side) we hadn’t seen in quite a while (I kept missing their parties due to travel and performance commitments). She’s a patient advocate and HR consultant--he is a CFD Battalion Chief. Beverly is as close as you can get to a suburb and still be w/in Chicago city limits, and living w/in Chicago is required for all police & fire dept. employees. It was the usual fare, but top quality from a butcher shop that makes their own sausages. We missed seeing the Air & Water Show on the way down Lake Shore Drive, because there was a long lull caused by weather delays at the air bases for the Thunderbirds & Blue Angels. Of course, by the time the T-Birds were in the air over the lake, we were already too far southwest to see them.

Nancy, I am so glad I had my knees replaced! I did get one extra year’s reprieve from a custom-fitted Breg “unloader” brace, which shifted my weight from the totally trashed part of my knee to the side that had a little cartilage remaining.

Lacey12

Nance on the bright side....very cute pup! Thanks for the micro en husk idea. Have never tried that method but if it makes the silk scarce, I am all in! I'm really sorry to learn about the deteriorating knee situation. I know what you mean about the constant worry about metastases (sp?), but I do,think that normal wear and tear problems are more prevalent. You've probably done PT for the knee already, but I am a huge fan of the knee exercises I do daily (in addition to the interventions that I used when it was in an acute pain state) that seem to be keeping my pain at bay by strengthening my quads. Of course, my bad knee may not be as far along as you describe. I hope you can get to be pain free, especially when trying to sleep!

We never did "jump ups" last night. Got back from the beach after 6:30 felt lazy, and decided to order pizza and spinach pie and a big Greek salad....which means that It was the third time this week that I had pizza!!! Yikes! Tonight will be the london broil leftovers....and salad.

Susan, so sweet that Olivia is enjoying an up north visit! She is clearly thriving!

Tomorrow we will celebrate DH's 71st and have dinner at a restaurant that overlooks the lake. We had the whole family there last year to celebrate our 70ths and DGD's 3rd and it was a wonderful time. This year, just us chickens!

Before Labor Day weekend DS2 will have us to their place to enjoy lobster dinneron their roofdeck to celebrate DH's birthday and at the same time we will pick up granddog to bring up here for Labor Day weekend since DS2 and DGF are heading to Florida for a football game with both their alma maters.....Florida vs. UMASS, pretty funny!! Last year when UMASS played ND and I was shaking my head, DS2 explained the business of college football to me. So now I get these unlikely match ups.

Fortunately for us, GDog is no longer a puppy, very continent, and only chews an occasional tennis ball. Even so, while we enjoy him (I will not enjoy checking for ticks), when he leaves we are always pleased with our decision to go pet-less at this point in our lives.

susan_02143

Our weather has broken. In fact, last night I woke up and I was COLD! Had to get up and find a blanket. How wonderful, though I hate to see the end of summer in my sights.

Nance, Olivia The Puppy is mighty cute, and there just might be a bit of mischievous-ness in her eyes. Not happy to hear about knees being shot at all! I do hope that some alternatives will help, but I guess the surgery is a last resort option.

Lacey, are the families starting to clear out at the lake? I guess school is beginning soon throughout the Northeast. Your DD is 71??? I would never have guessed. The two of you are aging very nicely, indeed.

Two days ago, I began a poolish for a ciabatta bread, which I then made yesterday. We have tons of tomatoes, so I marinated some buffalo mozzarella a la Ottolenghi, and then made basil, garlic, oil paste. These were all tossed together for a bruschetta style topping. Mr. 02143 grilled up some of the lamb ribs from last year's animals and I made a large salad. Somehow, this was very satisfying. The bread was not perfect, but it was close enough for both of us.

Tonight, I have pulled out a packet of lamb schwarma from our Persian night. I am thickening some yogurt to make a garlic yogurt dressing. Then I will make a saffron bulgur with farm onions. Of course there will be a plate of tomatoes.

The crumb is a bit too tight, but it did mean that the toppings didn't just fall through a large whole. So, you win some and you loose some.

*susan*

auntienance

Oh my Susan, the bread looks lovely, tight crumb or no.

The brace and pt are the next in line options. This knee was injured in a fall in 1995 and was repaired (meniscus) via scope. Also tore the acl. I was told at the time that I could expect arthritis down the line. It appears this is the end of the line. I don't think I'll wait an awfully long time to replace it as much as I hate the thought of another surgery. But we'll see how it goes.

Lacey12

Susan, that bread looks pretty darn delish to me! But what do I know about proper crumb! This weekend was quite busy with families enjoying their last few weekends at the lake. And theNH kids are probably already in start school mode. Given the rainy days last week, we didn't notice beach "traffic". Today lots of families left in time to "beat traffic". It is always a bit sad to see summer end....and that happens quickly up here. I expect we will return home to a totally dead lawn....oh well, in much company with all the water bans!

ChiSandy

Bob & I are walking to B'way Cellars because they'll have the closing ceremonies on and we can probably get into less carb trouble there than if we walked to the Ethiopian, Thai, sushi or Mexican restaurants in the surrounding few blocks. (I had donuts, I confess--two late last night and one this morning, rationalizing that now, since I've fallen into the Medicare Part D “donut hole," I might as well have something symbolic. Being from Dunkin' they weren't even that good. Would you believe I've never been to a gourmet donut shop, even though Chicago has several of the best in the country)?

Taking a gamble and letting one tomato, about to begin turning faintly yellow, have one more night on the vine before the squirrels can get it. I had one little cluster tomato, with an overripe area, on the sill; so I cut the gooey part off and sliced up the rest. Had to trim back some of the basil before it goes to seed (some of it has, but the bees are sooo happy!) so I chopped up one blossom stalk, sprinkled it and one twist of grey grinder salt over the slices, topped with a drop each of good olive oil and real balsamico. I promptly ate it straight from the cutting board, using my fingers. We'll probably share grilled salmon, or maybe a tuna niçoise for dinner. Bob went to the Sox game with Gordy (I had a voice lesson) and has had nothing today but a burrito, peanuts, and several beers. So we need to get our veggies in (and Bob's not a fan of zoodles; Gordy's out seeing Wilco tonight).

Lacey12

Nance, I forgot I had two unhusked ears of corn from two nights ago in the fridge. So I prepared them tonight the way you described. They were delicious, and I can see how the silk annoyance would be averted....except that on one, I had torn the brown top silk cluster off before I brought it home, so that made it a bit more challenging to hold on to while shaking the ear out. It was still easier than husking them raw. What a great idea! Thanks!

auntienance

Glad it worked well for you Lacey!

ChiSandy

So we got to B'way Cellars about 8, an hour & a half before closing time....and they had just closed. Slow night, what with people watching the Olympic closing ceremonies and stuck in traffic coming home from the air & water show. I didn't want to walk further for Mexican--I might fall victim to the chips again, the Ethiopian joint was closed, and the pan-Asian place's food is a bit too starchy for me (thickened dark sweet sauces, rice, noodles, deep-fried stuff, etc.). So we went across the street to Whole Foods, where the wine bar was still open. We shared a “cheesemonger's plate" (Midnight Moon goat, Abondance herb-coated sheep's milk cheese from the Alps, Fourme d'Aubert raw cow's milk blue from the Auvergne, and a paté plate, and Bob had a sparkling Malbec from Argentina and I had a Canard Duchene rosé champagne. Walked home and cut up some strawberries and a fresh fig and tossed them with chopped basil blossoms and the Essenza Balsamico Riserva (almost like a syrup, but not a balsamic reduction). Yum!

bedo

Nance, that dog has human eyes.

My whole post was deleted 2x!

So I won't re-post the whole thing

i made zucchini lasagna with the huge zucchini, it was really good! I replaced the pasta with big zucchini slices

Tomorrow I start my job at the university and I hope they like me.

Tomorrow I will bring a salad with beets, goat cheese, tomatoes, avocados,etc to another (!) pot luck. It is listed under "My favorite beet salad" in the subject bar

Yesterday I had a fun day at a friend's house who just bought a miniature horse to add to their crew, a huge garden and a pool. I went with my friend and her grand boys. We had such fun

I would like a grand boy or girl

Whoops I did it again!

(Not supposed to ask)

You will be glad to know that the Cat has been reunited with his rescue sister who stayed at my DD's house while I was at camp.

They love it here

There are eagles, coyotes, and all kinds of wildlife.

They have to come in at dusk

MinusTwo

Bedo - good luck tomorrow at the new job. I hope you like THEM.

ChiSandy

D’OH! Bought a salmon filet to cook tonight, forgetting we’re going to see Pearl Jam at Wrigley Field. So dinner will probably be a bun-less bratwurst and a couple or three bottles of water (stadium wine is not worth the alcohol & calories and beer is too carby). Maybe nuke that salmon for midnight supper when we get home.

SpecialK

Tilapia with roasted peppers and onions, and a combo butternut and yellow squash gratin of sorts. Actually DH is eating this - I am going for a walk with my neighbor. We walked last night as well and I had roasted red pepper hummus and rice crackers when I got home - that was dinner, lol! Probably will have a salad tonight.

ChiSandy

Pearl Jam were great--played 3 hours. It was definitely a homecoming for Eddie Vedder--he’s been a Cubs fan all his life, wrote a song for them, and Wrigley Field is his spiritual home.

Had that brat (but ate the bun--I was starving and hadn't eaten in over six hours) and 20 oz. of water. Walked a mile to the bus so we could sit all the way home, instead of standing in an hour-long line to get onto the train--on which we would have stood all the way home--or taking an Uber at 4.6X surge pricing (half again the price of a regular cab). $2.75 apiece to ride the bus, vs. $20 for an Uber or $15 for a cab.

Hungry when we got home, so I pan-seared that salmon filet, stir-fried some snap peas, nuked some “corn a la Nancy", and served the salmon atop arugula--after finishing the salmon, I added a mini-tomato, basil, olive oil & salt to the remaining arugula. (Had to rescue another green tomato from the squirrels before it could reach “Big Boy" size).

april485

Grilled a bunch of chicken breasts on Sunday so made a nice big salad with lots of veggies and sliced up the chicken breasts to put in the salad as well. Made a balsamic vinaigrette with good olive oil and a nice balsamic vinegar that I use just for salad dressing or drizzling. On Monday, we had leftover stuffed peppers. All in all, very good salad. I enjoyed every bite. Trying to eat a little lighter this week as last week was very heavy food wise.

SpecialK

Tonight is oven braised short ribs - trying to decide whether to serve them with stone ground grits, kind of like polenta, or mashed potatoes. Will also probably have a Caesar salad. Went today for an assessment for a program at one of the wellness centers attached to a local hospital - much like Livestrong - free 12 week membership for cancer survivors, once a week class and free reign of the center all other days - this is a new fitness center, very high tech - you have a key and all the machines have a slot and it has a memory and tells you how many reps to do, etc.

MinusTwo

I'm spending all week celebrating my upcoming B-day. Today ex-DH took me to lunch at Capital Grille. The restaurant had a birthday card on the table & presented me w/a rose when I was seated. They served a complimentary triple dessert - cheescake, expresso chocolate mousse, fresh berries - and champagne for both of us. I had a very nice cup of Boston Clam Chowder (almost as good as those on my Boston trip) and an excellent 8 oz fillet, served with haricot verts. I won't need to eat for 2 days.

Good thing. Going to Benihana's with my SIL for lunch Thursday. Going to Eddie V's with a friend on Saturday. Still have to schedule something w/my friend Pat who has the same B-day. I can already see the extra pounds!!!

SpecialK

minus - I like the idea of celebrating one's birthday for a week - excellent plan! Also, Happy Birthday!

ChiSandy

I cheated big time today, but not without reason (though it wasn't really a valid excuse): today was my first Zometa infusion (multiple denials of Prolia by my Part D carrier). It took yet another blood test and then four more venipunctures to get the IV going (after lengthy delays from the lab & pharmacy).

So I’m sure you can understand why, en route home, I pulled into a parking space on the street, strode into Hoosier Mama Pies (hitting the loo first, of course) and had a cup of great pour-over drip coffee and a nice big slice of Dark Chocolate Cream--which I hadn’t intended to finish.....but it was a big mug of coffee after all (and the pie was even better than I’d remembered). By then it was 4:30. So I guess you could call that dinner. Off to the bathroom again.....

susan_02143

Dinner tonight was a grilled salmon steak [man do I love my fishmonger], roasted cherry tomatoes from the garden, tiny potatoes sautéed with local onions, and a big green salad. We ate so late [the grill was not behaving I am told] that we only ate half of the steak leaving half for tomorrow.

Tonight's guests are from Sydney Australia. What a cute couple. They slipped out this morning to do laundry. And then they were gone all day. In fact, they just returned from their late dinner. We are guest-less tomorrow [as planned]. Friday's guests are arriving WAY early, so I plan to just do our turnover tomorrow. I should charge extra, but don't have the heart for that kind of thing.

My sweet Olivia was a total dream yesterday. We went to Whole Foods since the kids had not been shopping and I knew I would need lunch. The Whole Foods had exactly three shoppers, each of whom had to comment on Olivia. At the checkout, every single cashier needed to come and coo at her. And how did she react? She smiled and cooed back to each of them! What I know is, a child like that will have a much easier time of life. Adults will delight, and adults control their world.

However, she was resistant to a nap, and by the time I got home, I was ready to take one for her. Only 15 minutes before the Australians arrived.

*susan*

ChiSandy

Last night I couldn't get to sleep--neuropathy from Zometa was like random cattle prods (mostly to my feet, hands, shoulders, knee and right breast). Took a Norco 7.5 to fall asleep--and 90 min. later had to get up to go to my hand ortho surgeon (I got a lift). We decided a second cortisone shot wouldn't work, so I'm getting the trigger-thumb release surgery 9/20. Ortho prescribed me Lyrica at bedtime to keep the “tasers" at bay so I can sleep. We dropped off the RX at CVS and went to Whole Foods, which had sea scallops on sale today, and I planned to pan-sear them tonight. Had a slice of their veggie-vegan pizza (not bad) about 2 pm. Went home, took a nap and woke up with a low-grade (99.2) fever--I usually run 97.6--headache and feeling like I'm wearing a full-body iron girdle. (An espresso took care of the headache temporarily).Took my Claritin...and found my fever is at 100.3. Took a couple of Tylenol 500s. I will re-take my temp in half an hour, and if it's not down I will call the oncologist on call (and message my MO). Will take the Lyrica at bedtime--actually, carry the bottle upstairs so I don't get dizzier (it's hideously expensive--but I found out that despite my being in the donut hole, inHumana still gave me about a $100 discount. Impossible to find out online what is & isn't in their formulary and if so what tier till you get denied). Unless of course my MO says no way. Will take my arthritis formula Tylenol when it's time for my other night meds, after 1 am.

Obviously, all I'm drinking tonight is seltzer & water. That bottle of Santana Brut is staying in the basement fridge, and if I don't get an appetite by tomorrow night, the scallops are going into the freezer.

Update--fever down to 99.7; got a bit of appetite back, so had breakfast for dinner: egg-in-the-hole with low-carb bread. Maybe I can cook the scallops tomorrow, with a bit of Old Bay and saffron.

SpecialK

Had a chest MRI yesterday, the one that my MO wanted after the abnormal PET in May, but couldn't have due to the tissue expander still being in place. I have had MRI with contrast previously with no problems, but this time I did not feel well afterward, was fatigued and felt off, and then later had some nausea. DH did not get home from work until about 10pm - a 15 hour day for him, so dinner never happened. I ended up having to run over to another center to pick up the PET imaging - even though my MO is upstairs from the MRI place that oncology branch can't burn the images onto a CD. The radiologist needed the PET images to read the MRI properly. I figured I would do what I could to expedite since we have a weekend looming - if they messengered the PET images they would not be received until tomorrow morning, so I just did it myself. Also, connected to this was a pre-MRI phone call to me asking for my mammogram films - I pointed out that I had no mams to gram and that they should know this since I had imaging done connected to my original BMX surgery back in 2010. Ugh. This same imaging center sent me a mammogram reminder card a year after that BMX - I called them and said really??? Ya'll might want to note that I don't have any breasts and stop sending me these cards - which they did. Sometimes I wonder who is running things - this is a breast only imaging center, you would think they would be a bit more oriented to not making those kinds of mistakes. I am not someone who reacts emotionally to this, but others do, and I am positive that this happens fairly often to their other patients since it has happened to me twice. Eeesh!

Dinner tonight is taco salad - easy, and it is hot and super humid so I am feeling like salad is the right choice. I have to run 6 million errands today so that will necessitate a low effort meal.

ChiSandy

Think I will make half those scallops tonight and freeze the rest. A little grapeseed oil in the pan; season with a sprinkle of Old Bay mixed with a crushed saffron thread (or after I've seared them seasoned with S & P, do a reduction/deglaze with some white wine or even sherry, and in the meantime soak a saffron thread and a little scraped vanilla bean in cream ahead of time and then add it to the sauce at the last minute). Serve them on a bed of arugula, and will see what other veg. I have that won't overpower them (maybe some julienned peppers).

april485

Oh my Sandy, does your scallop dish sound yummy! I would go with the sherry over the white wine but either way, I am betting that the vanilla bean flavored cream will make that sauce fabulous!

Tonight, I am making pasta with some delicious marinara sauce that I have in the freezer and a nice salad of mixed greens. I just feel like having some nice spaghetti today and since I already have the sauce, I will use that. I made a large pot two weeks ago and froze it in containers to use for nights that I want an easy out.

I will probably sauté some Italian Sweet Sausage to have with the pasta that my wonderful friend from Italy gifted me (she makes incredible home made sausage) for my hubby and call it a night. I am fine doing meatless but he likes his meat/fish/fowl. I will also probably pick up a baguette from the Italian store on my way home to have with the pasta. They get them delivered daily from Franklin Ave. bakeries in Hartford and also Arthur Ave. in NYC so they are always excellent.

ChiSandy

Mmmmm, April! I had been thinking of instead, perhaps steeping the saffron & vanilla in a little boiling water for better extraction and then adding the water to the sherry de-glaze--then I remembered I have some pesto I need to use up, and a zucchini I can spiralize. So maybe sear the scallops in olive oil with just a touch of S&P, then serve it over the “zoodles” with pesto, topping the scallops with a bit more pesto. Maybe not even need to deglaze the pan after the scallops are done (but if so, just use water and reduce it, mixing it with pesto to nap the scallops). Bummer is that since I’m on Lyrica I can’t have that Santana brut with it--but since my Zometa reaction symptoms seem to be abating, I can just take the Lyrica at bedtime--a good 5 or 6 hrs after dinner & champagne.

april485

That sounds really good too! My dad took Lyrica and ended up with serious problems..he did not even know where he was! Scared the daylights out of us. After he stopped, he was fine again. Bad reaction. He passed last year but I remember that drug for sure. He had diabetic neuropathy and used it for his zingers in his feet. But, my SIL takes it fine. I think she still drinks wine while taking it though...not sure.

ChiSandy

When I was recuperating from my second knee replacement (in the hospital, rehab center and home), besides opioids I was also put on Neurontin (gabapentin, an older drug in the same class as Lyrica) and tramadol, because due to a slow gastric bleed caused by therapeutic doses of Aleve after my first knee replacement, I could no longer take NSAIDs (at least not in the amounts necessary to relieve post-op pain). I’m not sure of whether it was from the tramadol or the gabapentin, I would find myself involuntarily raising my arm even in my sleep. I think it was from the tramadol, because I remember discontinuing it much sooner than I did the gabapentin (in fact, before being discharged to home), for that very reason. I was still on Norco (2x10, QID), so maybe it was the combination of all three types of drugs that caused it. The Norco took the longest to discontinue, but I used a careful weaning schedule and was off it by 6 weeks post-rehab. (I stopped the the gabapentin after 2 weeks home).

bedo

Hey Special, that sounds like a great deal!  I would probably start in Fall when I wake up from August Lethargy

Minus, let me be the first to wish you Happy Birthday!!!

Here's your spankings and one for good luck

MinusTwo

Thanks Bedo. But can I pass on the spankings? How is the new job so far?

susan_02143

Leftover salmon turned into a salmon salad with capers, lemon juice, olive oil, lemon zest and just a tiny bit of homemade mayo. Served this with one of the ciabattas I made earlier this week and sliced tomatoes.

Tonight we went old school. Aged beef steak on the grill, peas, a baked potato with lots of garden chives, and a caprese salad. Lunch tomorrow will be yesterdays leftover baby potatoes, roasted tomatoes, tonights' caprese salad made into a frittata. Dinner will be a composed salad with leftover steak, the last of this week's farm lettuce, and whatever else I have in there from Saturday's market.

Our peppers are just about ready to harvest. I am starting to dry some herbs. The sun is going down earlier and earlier. I fear that we are heading towards the end of summer.

*susan*