So...whats for dinner?

SpecialK

bedo - yay for Charlie! What a peaceful little face! So excited for all of you!

Dinner tonight was pasta salad and chicken salad over greens, not exciting, but it worked!

ChiSandy

What a cutie!

susan_02143

Welcome Charlie!!!

Dinner was in fact lamb burgers with Greek Lemon potato, garlic yogurt sauce, and some pickled onions. Pretty good! I am making an Orange-Almond cake tonight, but I made a huge error. My last gasp fix might or might not have worked. Only baking time will tell! I have redone the instructions so that there are several more paragraph returns! Run-on paragraphs aren't good for me when it comes to precise recipes. I have to pay attention better if I want to make cakes.

*susan*

ChiSandy

Had to stay home from my training tonight—apparently, I might have dislocated my knee by swimming a couple of laps yesterday. (!!!) Because I didn’t have goggles or nose clip, I did backstroke, and the scissor kicking might have caused it. The inner surface of my R knee felt a bit tender last evening but I thought nothing of it (though I wondered, without cruciate ligaments, meniscus or articular cartilage due to the knee implant, what could I have injured?). I was walking to the door to supervise the gardening team today and my R knee suddenly began to buckle, with a searing soft-tissue-type pain. (Not bone—it felt very close to the surface and hurt only when articulating while weightbearing—felt just like when my medial meniscus gave way back in 2010). Happened on & off a few more times, so I called my trainer & the gym to cancel. He took me off his schedule until I can find out what’s causing this, but my guess is that it was the swimming (something I haven’t done in 3 years—heck, except for try-ons I haven’t even been in a swimsuit since July 2014). Of all the exercises I’d done over the years since my knee replacements—whether physical therapy, training or Silver Sneakers—none involved kicking, which flexes & extends the joint rapidly & repeatedly…and in the water, against resistance.

There’s an outside chance my knee implant could be failing, but it’s only 5 yrs old. And I did none of the activities I was warned not to do (no running, jogging, jumping, skipping, singles tennis, basketball, or downhill skiing; heck, I haven’t played tennis in 40 years nor skied in almost 30, and that was cross-country). OTOH, when they opened up my leg in 2012 for the first surgery, the top of the tibia was so deteriorated (had open reduction/internal fixation for a tibial plateau fracture caused by being hit by a car in 1996) that several screws and weakened bone had to be removed so I needed an extra-tall “tibial tray” for the lower half of the prosthesis. And I am obese, which is also a risk factor (but none of my doctors ever mentioned that in connection with anything orthopedic). AIs aside, I still weigh 10 lbs. less than when that R knee was replaced. Not an infection either, since the knee is cool, not red or swollen and my temp is normal. Hope I don’t need revision surgery, and the most drastic procedure they’d need to do is to realign the joint immobilize the medial collateral ligament until it stabilizes…and hit the gym again, with very specific exercises, and no swimming.

Dinner was the path of least resistance (especially since I made and ate a classic French herb-and-chevre omelette this morning): leftover roast chicken and grilled eggplant, nuked together; had 1/2 c. of gelato for dessert. No alcohol. Might have some melted provolone on whole-wheat matzo (don’t ask). Too close to bedtime to have a tomato or orange, or anything else acidic.

M0mmyof3

Making chicken tacos tonigh

MinusTwo

Sandy - sorry about your knee. Hope you can stabalize w/o surgery.

carolehalston

Welcome, Charlie! You look so sweet!

Sandy, hope your knee ailment isn't serious and you can get back to exercise. Though some people hate that word and substitute activity!

Susan, is there a link for the Greek potatoes?

Lamb burgers without buns tonight, leftover sweet potatoes warmed up in a little butter, coleslaw

susan_02143

Carole,

I have not been able to find this recipe online. I will strive later to type up the recipe for you. It is quick [to prepare for the oven] and easy. Plus, it is delicious! I have never served my lamb burgers with a roll. I always figured if one did do bread that it would need to be a pita-like one, and they would fall apart with that application!

*susan

carolehalston

Thanks, Susan. Easy and delicious are good adjectives together!

I had a scary experience recently when I googled "enchilada sauce recipe." I clicked on an entry. My screen went red and a pop up announced my computer had been compromised and I should call Microsoft immediately. Stunned, I called the number on the screen and a foreigner answered immediately claiming to be Microsoft. I hung up and googled the pop up on the screen and learned it was a scam.

I followed the instructions about closing down the computer, restarting and erasing browsing history. When I told Dh, he knew about the scam. Just wanted to alert those who might experience the same result to recipe search.

M0mmyof3

Holy Cow!!!! That is scary! We used to get those scam calls until I verbally blasted one guy over the phone that I knew he was a scammer!!!!!

ChiSandy

Sports med. doc’s PA messaged me back: says anterior knee pain is common after exercise, usually due to patellar tendon strain or even irritation, or patellar mistracking. (Still have a patella after knee replacement, though it’s Teflon). Says I can carefully resume training but stay out of the pool for now. I recall having had patellar-mistracking in the months following OR/IF surgery for tibial plateau fx back in ’96, and having had to tape my knee. Maybe I need to visit Athletico for a refresher on how to tape it. The knee has stabilized since last night, though there’s a tender spot on the inside front of the tibia just below the joint. If the problem recurs, the P.A. says to go to the walk-in ortho clinic.

Not sure what we’ll do about Cinco de Mayo dinner—Mexican joints will probably be packed. I have no tequila in the house either.

M0mmyof3

Tacos made with chicken were good

CeliaC

We had a huge lunch Cinco de Mayo celebration, so not hungry for dinner. However, no guac at the celebration, so picked up some fresh made from store & had some guac & chips. Now, about that margarita . . . sure would have been a fitting drink for the day!

ChiSandy

Went to WF. Bought tequila (already had the limes & Cointreau) as well as dinner fixings: Frontera mole simmer sauce, which I mixed with the leftover chicken meat and heated on the stove and served over basmati rice & elotes; and chicken/salsa verde tamales. Flan (pre-made, more like creme caramel than Mexican style) for dessert.

susan_02143

I helped the German boys make dinner. They might like to cook, but they aren't all that good at it! They left a path of destruction, and yet, were so happy to be eating food that was healthy and NOT Burger King. Tomorrow, I will take control of the potatoes. They made a mess of it tonight. The alpha male took pictures of their dinner and sent them to his mother! I mean, they are men who are still boys. They are off to the "clubs" whatever that means.

They took so much of the kitchen time, we didn't sit down to eat our pork noodle soup until about 9:30. Way too late. I really wasn't able to eat my bowl of soup. Mr. SMT finished every single drop. This "loss of appetite" is a really odd side effect. Even Dr. C mentioned the loss of weight, and she hardly looks at that!

So, I ended up not Cinco de Mayo-ing at all tonight.

*susan*

ChiSandy

Susan, Germans who can’t cook potatoes? Well, I guess there’s a first for everything. I’m Jewish and I’ve never tried to make kreplach or bake ruggelach—and my matzo balls either disintegrate or sink like anchors. Up in heaven, Mom must be shaking her head and saying “at least she can cook Italian & Chinese.” Never told her I can do Cajun and roll my own sushi.

M0mmyof3

The German side of my family would have been horrified at the thought of not knowing how to cook potatoes. That is one of the first things my mom taught me when I was learning to cook

MinusTwo

The first thing my Mother taught us was to make waffles. After a few practice runs, we served them to her in bed on special days like Mother's day. We were allowed to put food coloring in them so the waffles were usually red or green or blue. Many years later, I taught my own son to make Green Eggs (& Ham).

Susan - you are so patient. I'm not sure I could stand all that messing in my kitchen. Is the doc worried about the weight loss or just noticing?

susan_02143

Well, they bought the wrong potatoes and the bag didn't really state that they were creamers. They also made 1 pound of potatoes per PERSON! So there were three pounds of potato in the pan, and it simply wasn't big enough to cook properly. So instead of turning into crispy slices of goodness, they collapsed into a mashed potato kind of mess. Tonight I will show them how to steam the potatoes first, THEN quarter them to get those nice crispy bits that we all love so much. They are nice young men. Most of my guests don't ask to use the kitchen, so I am willing to be patient occasionally. :-)

*susan*

M0mmyof3

Well tonight I am making mini steaks, salad and baked potatoes

HappyHammer

Welcome Charlie- too cute!

Sandy- glad you heard from the PA and hope the pain subsides and you can get on back to the trainer.

Shrimp Ceviche at Poncita and Left's in Charleston for CDMayo as we celebrated my DS2's 23rd birthday- made a day trip to celebrate with him.  Lovely time!

DH is coming home after 3 weeks away on a govt contract.  Looking forward to coking some of his faves while he is home- Keto style.  Roasted lemon and garlic chicken, roasted cauliflower with cheese sauce and tossed salad tonight. 

MinusTwo

Dunch will be cold boiled shrimp platter from Costco. I'm going to a concert tonight so I will eat early & easy.

auntienance

Oh Sandy, my knee hurts just reading about your travails!

Today I planted haricots verts and flower boxes. I ventured through the garden to see how it all fared with the 10 inches of rain and ghastly winds. The tomatoes and peppers don't care for the 40 degree nights so haven't thrived much but they look healthy enough. In fact one of the plants had a tiny tomato! The raised beds warm quickly though, so I imagine there will be some progress soon with a few sunny warm days. Cucumbers and squashes haven't sprouted yet, but they too should respond to a few warm days. I was afraid the seed might rot with all the water but the beds also drain beautifully so the soil is not compacted in any way. I think they'll be alright. The potatoes are up and growing. Tomorrow I'll plant the herb bed and some zinnias and tall snapdragons for cut flowers.

Dad's physical problems have improved to the extent that he has gotten a reprieve on his eviction from assisted living. He very eloquently pled his case in the meeting we had yesterday with the facility director and nurse supervisor and they agreed to wait and see if he can maintain. Fingers crossed there.

I'm making spaghetti sauce in the pressure cooker so we'll have that and some meatballs from the freezer. Not sure if I'll make fresh pasta or just use some boxed. A salad will be the accompaniment.

susan_02143

We are grilling up some chicken thighs and wings. When we pull those off, the asparagus will go on. Inside we are making a simple rice. My stomach has been in turmoil today, so simple is the plan! Some nights, that is the best thing possible. Managed to do a Costco run this morning. They opened the doors 15 minutes early so our strategic hit and run was fast. On to the chicken store which had already sold out of thighs and wings and they had only been open for an hour! Thank goodness a small tray of parts arrived while we were there. This place actually kills and breaks down the chickens on site so there is an ever-fresh supply of chicken coming from that "back area."

And then the Germans will take over my kitchen. We shall see how much chaos they create tonight. And then they are off, and the next group arrives.

*susan*

ChiSandy

Brunch was 2 olive-oil-fried pastured eggs and a slice of low carb/high-fiber toast & coffee. Good and productive training session today—my trainer is about to get his Masters in OT/PT, so he took me through some passive hamstring stretches and hip-flexor/iliopsoas-strengthening exercises (as well as some upper-body work: he noticed some left shoulder impingement so we’re working on that as well). I forgot my compression, so we took the weight stuff down a notch to 20-25 lbs. (Not gonna forget on Mon.). Afterward, walked to Cellars, where after the Derby (and juleps) we shared a Caesar and each had a “Mar y Tierra:” the “surf” being deep-fried soft shell crab and the “turf” a ribeye roulade stuffed with pesto. Dessert was the rest of my julep.

Went to a new bakery around the corner from me, Edge of Sweetness. Sigh. They’re trying, but they’re very, very new. No deep-fryer, so no doughnuts. (Edgewater remains a doughnut desert, save for Dunkin’ which doesn’t count). No real bread oven, so only quick breads. No espresso drinks, save for a commercial Nespresso capsule machine and an Aeroccino Plus frother. That they couldn’t tell me who their coffee roaster was does not bode well. To be a good neighbor, bought two cupcakes and a brioche.

What is it with this cupcake craze? I don’t get it. They’re cakes. They’re frosted. They’re small. So what? The only place I’ve been to that takes them up a few notches from the supermarket pastry section was in the Clarendon area of Arlington, VA—they did a version of the Hostess Devil’s Food cupcake, complete with icing squiggle and vanilla buttercream center, that made me nearly weep. But that was the only one I tried.

MinusTwo

For you music lovers - a bit off the subject but...

Went to a really nice concert tonight by Houston Choral Society (& orchestra) called Music Fit for a King. They sang & played pieces used at British Coronations and flashed picture of the various monarchs up on the screens throughout the program.

" I Was Glad" by Parry for the coronation of Edward VII in 1902; "This is the Day" by Rutter for the marriage of Prince William & Katherine in 2011; "O Taste & See" by Vaughn Williams for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953; Coronation Anthem No. 1 "Zadock the Priest" by Handel for every monarch since George II in 1727. And then Mozart's "coronation" Mass in C Major, which while technically not England's monarchs, was very well done.

I didn't even miss having dinner. But now will have popcorn before bedtime.

M0mmyof3

Last of the chicken tacos today

eric95us

A busy weekend.

DD's last final exam ended (she did well) at 4pm on Friday and everyone must be out of the dorm by Saturday at 1pm.

Well.........Sharon and I had school bus driver in-service training on Saturday until 1pm, so we moved DD out and into an apartment on Friday. DD had done a "as well as can be expected for a 19 year old taking finals) pretty good job getting things packed up for the move, but the moving facilities weren't so great. The 5 loading zones in front of the dorm were taken up by large trash dumpsters, and the nearest parking was 1/4 mile distant and up several flights of stairs (no elevators, the ground floor of the garage is devoted to those with handicap placards)....so it was easier to just roll everything over to the new apartment. Three 1/2 mile round trips and we were done.

The weather "cooperated". i put cooperated in quotes because while there was no wind or rain, the area set a new record high temp (108F) on Friday.

We ended up eating at a "take out or eat outside at the picnic tables" Mexican restaurant / market across the street from the school. DD said she had recently "discovered" the place. I figured there was no point in telling her I had discovered the same place in the early 1980s. :-) The son of the original owner is now running the place.

ChiSandy

Had planned to go to the neighborhood “edible plant sale” this afternoon, but sadly it’s still too cold out for tomato & basil plants—even in containers. (High of 49 today, 50 tomorrow. Going down to 38 tonight, 40s the rest of the week. Ugh). I don’t have much suitable room indoors for them, and the cats might get a bit too curious. (Heidi adores basil, which is why we stopped growing it on the windowsill—she used to nibble the leaves till they looked like tomato leaves).

Dinner tonight will be (leftover)steak, eggs, gnocchi, Brussels sprouts, and elotes. Maybe the last of the chicken meat reheated in mole, too.

HappyHammer

So Minus....Just realized that you are from Houston- (we live and have lived in SC forever)...sorry, am slow....that we spent a lot of the summers in Houston at my grandmothers...3110 Underwood Dr....and a LOT of time at the Shamrock pool...while I know the Shamrock is gone...just wondered about your experiences and thoughts abt that era.