So...whats for dinner?

Laurie, you are quite the woman! I am astonished by what you can handle in two hours or less. Hope you and all the men in your life have a wonderful week.

Costco ROCKS! Anything you bring to a gathering from Costco is just fine.

I have no interest in a Keurig. Someday I will talk about how we procure and then create our daily coffee. Needless to say, we don't take anything close to the easy way to consuming our caffeine. Is that a surprise?

Ice is on the way to the North Country. My mother is nervous. Not sure she will get here for Christmas. I think it will all work out.

*susan*

Moon, 

I am averting my eyes!

*susan*

Lol @susan. Oh no the food police! LOL but it actually is pretty good and so easy. So use an organic  cake mix! LOL

Wow. Laurie....an especially bad time to get sick... Amazing that you can get it all done with the flu and a cold..  It's good having the neighbors to help.. It's weird out here....I think it's the remote controlled garage doors..the folks drive up, open the door, drive in, close it and go in... I've met the neighbors across the street and next door (we're on the corner), but in 10 years, we haven't met the neighbors 2 houses down the street.  I don't really like it, but I never see them to say hi.

Moon, I agree with everyone else; take it easy.....I guess you could take a chair and relax in it while things cook.  I did that when I broke my ankle a very long time ago.

Debbie, I hope the doctors can get you breathing easier.  My mom gets short of breath when she walks and it frustrates her a lot--even at almost 96 years old.

There is ice out here, but one has to drive a couple of hours to find it.  And I'm not looking for it.  Sharon and DD may go up to Sunrise (in the White Mountains--Arizona has them too) to ski/snowboard.  I'll probably stay down here.  I like cross country skiing, but don't particularly like the downhill skiing....They usually end up having to re-groom the trails after each of my down hill runs.. :-)

I'm being paged to help DD wrap stuff.  So, off to that.  If I didn't mention you, it's *NOT* because I forgot you.

Eric

I've been trying to keep up with all your posts since before T-giving! I've enjoyed the vintage turkey dishes discussion and pictures. My sister is the keeper of the family turkey dishes and her kids are now old enough that she doesn't worry about them breaking them. I've also enjoyed all your holiday recipes, holiday prep and shopping and the pictures of your finished products.

This is my busy time of year at work so my cooking has been relegated to weekends. And 4 years and two days to the day of my original diagnosis, I found out I have high grade DCIS with microinvasion on the the other side. That same week, my husband was out of town, it was -10 with the windchill, it snowed twice and I had mouse in my kitchen drawer. It was a hard week. My dinners alternated between cereal with coconut milk and Christmas cookies!

I had an MRI, surgical consult last week and will most likely have lumpectomy at the end of January and then on to radiation. They've referred me to genetics counseling even though I have no family history. I can't believe I'm dealing with this again. 

On on positive note, I received a great Christmas gift from a client that would appeal to all you cooks...It was a gift box from Penzey's Spices called "Kind Heart". It has 8 spices, Oregano, Cinnamon, Dill Weed, Paprika, Basil, Garlic, Ginger, Fresh Ground Pepper, tip cards for each spice, a kind heart magnet, pin and a very colorful tea towel. The enclosure reads: "The Kind Heart. Kindness brings such great comfort to our lives. Even the littlest acts of kindness have a way of spiraling into so much more. Kindness is at the heart of cooking and at the heart of making life great. In little acts of kindness is the magic to transform our lives into something wonderful." If I was more proficient, I would attach a picture. It is so cute and reasonably priced at $19.95.

Thank you all for being that kind heart and for sharing your kind heart with me. Thinking of everyone who has had their own and/or family health issues and who have lost loved ones this year. Take care, Gina

(((Gina)))  I am sorry you have to go through this again. 

ok...I have always wanted to make banger and mash and today was the day because tomorrow is my last chemo and my taste buds will only go down from here!  Turned out pretty good too.

I love to hear about all of your cooking adventures!  I love to hear all your stories too!

Merry Christmas!

ok. Don't know what is wrong with me. We are snowed in pretty deep. LOL.  Got at least 12 inches on the ground. But it's pretty warm it's about 24 degrees. My DH is out snowblowing. But for breakfast I made potato pancakes. I haven't made them for about 15 years. Must be the snow.... LOL

It's 30 degrees here, but not warm enough to melt the 1/4 to 1/2 inch ice coating everything. If we had gotten some snow, at least you could walk on the stuff, but no such luck. Dh has had to de-ice the satellite dish twice now.

Speaking of good smells, I just baked some Old Bay nuts (sounds like a reality tv show) and boy did they make the house smell good. Even with my sniffly nose I can smell them.

Big cooking prep day tomorrow so something simple tonight -- tikka masala with some brown rice and naan. This will use up the last of the rotisserie chicken and make room in the fridge, which I desperately need.

Eric....mashed potatoes with sausages and onion gravy.

http://www.food.com/recipe-finder/all/bangers-and-mash

Gina I am sending you positive thoughts for your next few months. xo

Minus, I think we are eating twins, like Susan's sister, I live on soup and pull random things out of the cupboard or fridge for dinner. sometimes I get creative. Today I'm putting canned salmon, white beans, onion, olive oil and ? together. I like to cook best in the summer when my garden is growing. I make soup in the crockpot and then freeze portions so I always have a variety.

Moon and all. In an hour I have to face my knitting and crocheting group.  They will display their work and I will bring my "string of shame" I looked up paper snow flakes under Martha Stewart's children's crafts.  I can do it.  I will ask for a crochet hook and yarn as think as a pencil

I've been walking up and down the steep hills of the island this weekend and have met a few potential fiddle teachers. I will always stink until I go home in June, then will practice a LOT as I will take 4-6 months off before going to Ecuador or Costa Rica for some immersion Spanish.

Today I have to make something with all the potatoes and still the 1/2 cabbage on hand.

Happy cooking to all. I love your recipes.

Umm Nancy Old Bay nuts. Tell me more. Your ice storm sounds like ours but no electric/tree problems. Just no walking where the sun doesn't shine for several days. My path to goat yard is like that. I made it to storage shed, fence, along fence then finally broke out onto thawed grass.

Made what I hope is the last grocery run but forgot pineapple for ambrosia. Almost got a fresh one but then DH would have to cut it up and not sure I can deal with that. Hope I have a can in cupboard. DH & DD wouldn't know what is proper in it anyway.

Well, chicken did not get thawed this am so enchiladas tonight. Baked chicken tomorrow and leftovers into chicken tetrazzini for Christmas Eve. I kinda winged recipe in grocery - chicken, creamed soup, cream, onion, mushrooms, noodles, herbs, garlic. I pretty much had everything. Good thing I went, DH had almost finished the eggnog that I need for French toast.

Bedo sister I love you. Stay warm and safe. Alaska to Costa Rica is a big change, I guess not so much to Ecuador. No whale blubber in either I would venture to say.

Gina - We are glad to have your join our group but sad for the reason. So you're onto another LX in January. I only cook for myself and DH so we have a lot of skillet meal stuff but I love leftovers and he "tolerates" them. I'm trying to make some things to send with DD when she comes out (a whole hour away) Christmas. I remembered the pizzas DB sent came in a styrofoam cooler and guess what she's getting her meals in. I'll send turkey and trimmings, enchiladas, chicken tetrazzini and meatloaf. Pretty good. She DOES not cook but eats lunch in company cafeteria. Poor girl did not get home from DB's with her turkey leftovers - I mistakenly took hers and she got my green beans. Must make sure she is well fortified. Your spice gift sounds wonderful as well as the accompanying poem. Keep us posted and I will be praying for you.

Nancy - Those nuts sounds yummy. I think I'll have to try it. Thanks.

Joyce. I am sorry about your aunt. You have had a very rough year. I am glad Rick will be spending time with you. 

Nancy those nuts look like they're amazing. Yum. 

Susan, the potato pancakes are savory. Basically shredded potato, shredded onion, couple tablespoons flour, egg salt. I add A Couple Dashes nutmeg and I do add baking powder and baking soda. That's how mom made them. You panfry them with a little bit of oil slow enough to cook the raw potato. Serve with applesauce and or sour cream. Unless you are a unusual polish person who hates sour cream. LOL 

Bedo cook those Potatos with the cabbage it's yummy! 

And yes, Mr. MOON planned to get here yesterday to snowblow! My neighbors who normally do that are on vacation. So he did it for them and helped others too. Sometimes my DH can be real nice! Lol. 

Went to Costco and bought the roast beef slices. Also brought the pulled pork. I'll make the sauce for that. But the pork is pretty good so not much to be done for that either. I'll make a potato casserole and green beans. Also a salad of spinach with berries. It's so pretty. I'll have that for next Saturday so I didn't buy the greens yet. 

For Christmas I don't even know if anybody but my DH will show up. We are having the kids on the 4 of Jan. It's the only time all 4 and spouses can make it. With two in health care and one with a new job and no seniority you do what you can. So i don't know if I'll bake the ham or just do some pork tenderloins for the two of us. Oh well. Much love to all.