So...whats for dinner?

Deb, both your dad and your dh, especially your dh, were too young to go.  This has been a hard year for you.

Susan, if it's any consolation my dh forgot our anniversary, July 12th.  But then I did, too!  We were sitting at an open air concert with a really good bluegrass band and they announced that it was the anniversary of a couple in the crowd.  DH and I looked at each other and he checked his cellphone for the date.  Sure enough, July 12th!  I'm not a person tuned in to dates.

Beautiful slicing tomatoes at one of the two farmers' mkts for $1 each.  I bought 4.  Also a quart box of small yellow tomatoes.  4 cucumbers, yellow snap beans, new potatoes, onion, multigrain bread, cookies, marmelade jam.

Tonight's dinner will be grilled ribeyes, boiled new potatoes in the jackets with real butter and a salad with tomato and cucumber and avocade and blue cheese.

Lunch today was a hot fudge sundae with French silk pie ice cream at Minnesoda in Park Rapids.

It's a gorgeous day here in northern MN.

Hi Everyone!

I just checked in to see if there were any updates on Michelle.  I know it's been quite some time since she has been on here and I hadn't seen an update from her daughter yet.

Meanwhile, I was reading all the posts on this page.  Eric, I want to try what your daughter made.  That sounds delicious.

My updates are this:  I was able to get on Metformin from my PCP, now will have the task of telling my Onc what I've done.  I think it'll be okay.  We have a unique relationship, and he has referred to me before as a trouble maker.  <grin>  That was only because he tried to get a certain test done for me, and the hospital wouldn't assist him, so he personally spent half a day arguing with the hospital and then took it upon himself to request my slides and get them to the lab, and package them up himself. This was over a year ago when we were checking (for the 4th time) to see if I really was TNBC. The test was new and so the hospital didn't have a contract yet with GenOptix.  The Metformin helps by keeping circulating insulin cells low.  I have perfect cholesterol and normal blood sugar (although at the high end of normal), but my PCP willingly said it could only prove helpful, not hurtful. I have started it with no problems, but went with brand.  I also finally turned myself in for my much avoided and delayed pap smear.  I had been a violator for so long on this, that they have changed some things up quite a bit with this checkup.  All the results came out normal.  Of course, 3 days before the papsmear, I spotted.  I didn't understand, as I haven't had a period in 18 months.  I didn't know if I should keep the appointment or cancel it.  I decided to go to it, as I really wanted to get on Metformin, but was concerned if it would give a false positive, and I knew of course, that if something is wrong, I should find out now. The doc said everything looked great, but he speculated probably just something having to do with the body after chemo/chemopause, etc.  I marked the date and will see if anything happens next month. Frankly I was enjoying no periods.  )

I'm a Candy Crush Addict. I'm on level 67.  I don't feel like I play too much, but when I hold the phone, I hold it a certain way, as I worry about exposure to anything bad from it.  And now I have a strange stiffness in my right hand, and it kind of snaps in and out of place now. I should hold the phone normally I think.

It is hard to lose pets.  We leave a light on each night for our beloved pet that we lost three years ago.  Each night we flip the light that sits on the window sill.  I wanted to make sure he always knew where we were and that we were thinking of him. We never miss a night.

I also play Words with Strangers.  So far no friends on there, only strangers.  LOL  )

SpecialK - Oh gosh, I have had the post disappear so often!  If it's a long post, I will use the copy feature to get it saved to my mouse, just in case of a submittal problem. That has kept my post safe on several occassions where something did not transmit through!

Tonight for dinner will not be anything exciting.  A bunch of veggies steamed.  My hubby has to work tonight. I am leaving for the gym now - I've procrastinated all day on this. Candy Crush is to blame for part of it.    But now I'm penalized and don't have any turns left for over 30 minutes so this is a great time to go.  heh 

Hope this post finds you all doing well and enjoying your weekend. 

gardengumpy, I am not convinced by THIS dry brine. Too much sugar, not enough salt. I am willing to try it one more time, and then back to my wet brine. I smoke on an [start laughing now] Emeril 5-in-one smoker in the house. It is actually pretty darn effective for small batches of fish. I don't do any meats inside and instead let my husband use a smoker box on his charcoal grill outside. I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to have a dedicated smoker, but that isn't going to happen.

Last night was our anniversary dinner, as declared by me. We grilled a prime tenderloin steak [yes, just one] outside. Inside I made a rainbowchard gratin, steamed corn, steamed green beans, and sliced tomatoes. During the afternoon I had prepped a pate brisee, 2 batches of pizza/calzone dough, made the ricotta cheese, and made a fresh tomato sauce. Husband smoked the cured pork belly.

Lunch was TA DA!!! BLT's.... with our own tomatoes, mayo and bacon. Sadly, the bread and lettuce were purchased, but no matter. It was delicious. Tonight, I made some calzones with some of the pizza dough, stuffed with a 4-cheese filling and a tiny bit of sausage served with the tomato sauce. Tomorrow night will be a leek-mustard tart from "Around my French Table" which I am still investigating.

The kid needs a car and tomorrow we are going to face those slimey car salesmen. Ugh. And I sincerely hope that none of you are married to a car salesman, and if you are, I aplogize for my response to this career choice. :-)

*susan*

lacey - thanks for the news about Michelle being pampered.  Those of us who don't use Facebook really appreciate any updates. 

Michelle - thinking of you.

Bedo, thanks for the suggestion!  The spotting also came with a bit of the typical period symptoms and now not a thing going on, just like a period.  I told my Onc about this on Monday when I dropped off the results of the labs, and he said it was normal this amount of time out.  I did recently have a pelvic u/s and transvaginal u/s as I had a bit of right leg swelling and they wanted to rule out a blood clot.  All was normal.  I posted the question on these forums, and several other women had a 'false start' like mine that never amounted to a steady period. 

Today I decided to make vegetable lasagna, so that complicated Mondays can finally be uncomplicated.  I really feel like we finally have things running smoothly everywhere else, and now need to get Mondays under control.

I made it with organic whole wheat noodles, organic marinara sauce and organic veggies, low fat ricotta and low fat mozzarella.  The veggies I used were:  broccoli, yellow squash, zucchini, orange and red bell peppers and spinach.  It was really yummy!  Whole wheat baguette. Tomorrow night I will add a salad.  I don't know how anyone can gain weight on lasagna.  It take a long time to prepare, lots of dishes get used, and lots of cleaning up!   Looking forward to uncomplicated Monday.

Moonflower, is there good news about Michelle?  I've been checking but haven't seen an update lately.

laurie - I regarded that change as a good thing as my kids were only a year apart - I was not one of those moms that cried as they dropped the kids off for school, lol!

Don't know what to do with myself for dinner - I spent today at the hospital with a friend who needed a lumpectomy re-excision - only for larger margins - and DH is still in SC with my MIL/FIL, and DD is at her first day of internship and will not be home until about 9 pm!  What to do?  I feel like a big salad since it is about 98 degrees and steamy here.  I have errands to run and really can't get geared up to go back outside!

laurie - I am thinking it might be popcorn while in the bubble bath, lol! You won't cry because you make the most of your time with your boys - you are a great mom, and you know they will be having fun and learning so much at school! 

I've been reading, but not posting so much.  As the schools start back up, the commute gets more crazy, so the time I had now evaporates on the freeway.

I'd never intended to stay in the city.....but...stuff happens.....

Hugs and warms thoughts to all those who need them....It seems that many do...I'd "name names", but I'd forget someone and I don't want to do that!

I'm glad to hear that Michelle is starting to get out and about again.  I was getting worried.

Laurie, I remember when DD was starting kindergarten.  It seems like just a few days ago.  10th grade now....

Dinner tonight was a quickie....tonight DD's school hosted a "meet the teachers" night and it was late when we got home.  So, some chicken went into the dutch oven, along with a couple of cans of beans and enough BBQ sauce to cover everything up.   I cut up some potatoes into tiny slivers and added onion and cilantro to make a sort of hash brown dish that I cooked in a skillet.  I think I spent 5 minutes getting everything ready and let it cook for about 20 minutes..

It apparently was pretty good as DD made some more for lunch tomorrow.

Yesterday morning I picked about 20 pounds of tomatoes, so I roasted tomatoes and made a simple marinara sauce. I also made pasta noodles. So what did we have for dinner? Carryout from the local Mexican joint.



Tonight is I don't know what. As usual, I'm all focused on my upcoming visitors this week and can't deal with the present. Maybe some stuffed peppers. I have bags of peppers from the garden that need to be used. I am Lady Bountiful these days!

A question for all of you.  Do you think I could layer the tomatoes and onion and bake it in a frozen pie crust? I only have the bottom crust. Would it be OK?  Or should I just stick with the original recipe and serve with beet greens and cottage cheese?

http://www.marthastewart.com/349808/tomato-onion-casserole?czone=food/produce-guide-cnt/summer-produce-recipes

Thanks!

I'm also making the "refrideragor green beans pickled" from Debs facebook page. I am obsessed with these vegetable recipes!

I think the liquid released from the tomatoes would make the crust soggy. You could try pre baking the crust and "waterproofing" it by brushing it with an egg white beaten with a little bit of water just before the crust is done.

Talk about preparing for hibernation - weather channel has fall forecast out. Fall can't come soon enough. Twas 103 here yest. Store had prepack fajitas on sale so made those with fresh red peppers - alas not mine - and onions. Garden yielded only one red pepper size of walnut and one skinny long green one to add. Yummy. Don't have a clue about today.

Carole - I know the feeling. Tried on a skirt I wore earlier in summer. Uncomfortably tight even for short time at church. I need to use motto - "push away from the table". LOL. Much easier said than done. Been recording my exercise at 5:30am. Now I need to use it.

So good to hear Michelle has been out and about some.

Bedo sister how are you feeling? Sound better since cooking and getting things in order for Alaska. Wow.

Laurie - sounds like a successful independent mom this weekend. And a wonderful time.