So...whats for dinner?

Hi CS. You'll have to post Some of your specialties so we can try finding ingredients. PAYback can be Fun! LOL

ok heres my thoughts. Keith, SK I DO NOT WANT TO LIVE ANYWHERE THEY HAVE TO HAVE A SPECIAL NAME FOR COCKAROACHES!! Especially that size!! ugh.

Love bugs! How I hate those horrible things! How do you guys get anywhere when they're mating? You can't see out of the windshield enough to drive.

Cocker_Spaniel, what ingredients are you unsure about? It would be interesting to see what different names they might have in different places, and their availability. I'm sure the prices vary widely too, especially some that have to be imported by air or sea.

Moon, I was TRICKED I tell you: if they'd been called roaches, I wouldn't have come down here The only reason I moved here from Richmond is to be with my love, but if I'd known about these things it might have been her that moved!

I don't know if anyone remembers Bob Ross, the painter who had a series on PBS, but I watched back when I painting a bit. He used to call mistakes "happy little accidents"; well I had one while making peanut butter cookies night before last - the cookies came out as airy little peanut butter puffs lol. I'm thinking a dusting of confectioner's sugar and maybe add some miniature chocolate chips to the mix and I might have a hit on my hands I'll babble on here once I try it.

Nancy - I haven't seen a tree frog in a while but still have praying mantis' around. That's what I'm afraid of bringing in. How did you find out about the tree frogs? I need to get out next week and start cleaning up patio plants too. Is it early for frost there?

Thinking of Michelle and her family.

The little green lizards get into the house every now and then, the ones that can change to a brown color, but they don't survive. If we don't see them and put them out, eventually I discover them dead and all dried out.

We have a saying here, "Even the best houses have roaches." We have an exterminator in to spray every 3 months so the roaches we see are belly up. Those ancient insects will be around when the human race has destroyed its own habitat.

I seldom see a snake but we have a big variety of those in Louisiana. When I was a kid, I stepped on a black snake (we called them black runners) and it was the oddest sensation. The snake felt cold. Needless to say, I was panicked.

Dinner tonight is the EASY MENU. Steak, baked potato, and salad. Dh will cook the steak on the grill or in the hot iron skillet and finished in the hot oven. We seldom have this meal and I really enjoy it.

Last night I cooked 4 strips of bacon, very crispy. And sautéed strips of chicken breast, well seasoned. Made a salad for each of us on a dinner plate (leaf lettuce, tomato, cucumber, avocado, blue cheese, onion for him, calamata olives for me) and put the crumbled bacon and chicken on top. I dressed mine with lime flavored grapeseed oil and champagne vinegar. Yum.

I'll try again to post pictures, using my phone.

So cute! Here's a gray tree frog that lives in our water bucket.

auntie - is he in the spout? How cute is that!

I like the welcome frogs, that's cute with the two little heads popped up.

Oh yikes on the critters but I guess it's all what you're used to!

Growing up in upstate NY we had Garter Snakes, crayfish if you were playing in the creek and some pretty ugly spiders (non-poisonous) to contend with but nothing really scary!

We also had toads, fireflies (that we used to spend hours catching) and Blue Jays all of which, along with the Garter Snakes, we haven't seen many/any of in recent years. I think mostly due to living in a neighborhood where many have lawn services ie: lots of chemicals that kill either the critters themselves or the food sources they need...

Not sure why but this year I have seen a couple of toads and a blue jay or two...

OK Special, those little welcome frogs are adorable, but I am just not tough enough to handle the palmetto bugs! I never fuss about snakes and even wore a boa con around my neck once during a school reptile show, but not sure I'd like to be surprised by them in my garage, patio, yard, etc. I get huge reactions to spider bites, so not too crazy about them....and probably spend too much time hunting them down and "exterminating" them at the lake house. Except, of course, those adorable daddy long legs.

Moon, snow in Feb.....no problem....and much prettier than many of the creatures we have been hearing about!

I went to a conference today driving an hour each way. Came home and collapsed on the couch, (stamina so low lately) so DH actually made dinner.....warmed up pomegranate marinaded grilled chicken breasts I'd purchased, made Michelle's microwaved corn on the cob, and made a cuke salad. It was a huge effort to get up and walk to the kitchen to eat....but no way I would negatively reinforce DH's rare cooking effort. The meal was all fine....I may use this strategy again!! 😉 Yay DH!

Nance, looking like the Cardinals will be in the World Series. If the Red Sox make it, maybe we can have a little Penzey's wager? 😉

Not unexpected but sad news nonetheless. Heavy heart.

Michelle wrote this almost exactly a year ago when her mom went to hospice:

"There's an elephant in the room with me... I can't help imagining myself in that bed with my DH and daughters keeping vigil over me.  As much as I try not to think about it, I can't escape the vision."

Wow, life is strange. I'm so proud of Michelle for, as she always said, living until she couldn't.

Thanks for the info. Nance I remember her saying that. . I know we were all hoping for much more time with Michelle, and I only knew her through these boards. Its heartwrenching gor those of you who really know her and her family. Prayers all around and damn that elephant!

Thoughts & prayers w/Michelle and family. Such a class lady. Auntienance - thanks for sharing Michelle's comment about hospice.

Oh, such sad news. I too hope she is comfortable are in loving care from her family. I also remember her saying those words. Who hasn't had those visions in our heads at one point or another through this journey? "There by the grace of God go I."

Chicken noodle soup today...for the soul.