So...whats for dinner?

Minus, hoping your rads is gentle for you.  I'm happy for you that you have the supportive relationship of your ex and family. That says a lot about not just them, but you!

I made a really delish chicken/kale/farro soup today. I was wanting to make a variation of my mother's chicken veggie pastina soup, and decided to skip the pastina, added a few different spices, a lot of kale, and then the farro. Met my hopeful expectations for a light flavorful healthy soup. Combat to our latest snowstorm!  And the snow just keeps coming.....

Sharon is the faculty sponsor for her school's National Honor Society.  Today the NHS students ran the 23 mile aid station for the IMS Marathon.  I helped.   All went well.

I don't know what to do for dinner tonight.  It may be one of those fend for ourselves nights.... :-)

Minus, Sharon's radiation side effects were minimal...somewhat itchy, dry, tanned looking skin at the treatment site was about it.  They were minor enough that she accepted a full time teaching position 3 days after the last of, I think, 33 zaps.  I hope your SEs are as minor..or better yet, even less. 

Oh Nance - I'm so jealous.  I tried to buy an eye of the round on Friday and the smallest one was HUGE.  I've never seen any so big.  With just me, I'll have to look for a smaller one and I'll still freeze half.  Sorry about the sciatica.  A little whining is OK - sort of like it's OK to cry once in awhile

Eric - thanks for the rads wishes.  I hope I can be as strong & brave as Sharon.  I REALLY want to plan a trip to some kind of moving water to rejuvenate my soul & senses when this is over the end of April.

Tomorrow a group from my neighborhood is all going out for Prime Rib lunch.  Yum.

Laurie - hope you and the boys are OK.

Oh Nance, I do hope your sciatica resolves soon. I too hate this ailment du jour phase of "post cancer" life! I wonder if you used a foam roller on back and leg if it might resolve some of the muscle issues that impact the pain. Caveat....my son is the ortho....not me!

But my PT guy got me using the foam roller for general back tightness and shoulder issues last summer, and my back has been amazingly well for many months. It is easy to use, and almost fun! Good luck! Healing thoughts with you.....

We had leftovers from V-day night's dinner.....the heated up lamb chops were delish, as was the spiced squash. Made a new Greek salad to go with the "jump ups". 

Our snow is very deep and pretty today. I give it two more days to get ugly given that our temps are expected to rise this week.

Monica, are you anywhere near those ice caves they featured on tonight's NBC news? Would be great to see!

Nancy, whining is absolutely allowed on this thread! 

Minus, please do go on a trip to moving water.  You definitely have earned it.  I discovered two halves of eye of round beef in the freezer.  I bought one at Sam's and cut it in two. 

Today was so like a spring day.  Sunny and warm, high in low 70's.  DH declares that our winter is over.  The ground is drying so that I'm hoping to play golf on Wed.  I haven't played since Dec.

Yesterday I simmered a small fryer and 10 chicken thighs, all skin on, with onions, carrots and celery to make a chicken stock for chicken and dumplings.  I strained the stock and deboned the chicken and refrigerated both in separate containers..

Today I removed the fat from the stock.  And made the dumplings.  The recipe is 3 cups flour, 3/4 tsp. baking soda, 3/4 tsp. salt, 4 1/2 T. shortening or butter (I used butter), 1 cup milk.  Mix the dry ingredients, cut in the butter, add the milk.  Mix and knead into a ball.  Cover with plastic and let rest at least 30 min.  Divide into quarters.  Roll out very thin.  Cut into strips and then cut strips into squarish shapes.  Lay on parchment paper or cotton cloths until all the dumplings are made.

Combine the chicken meat and stock and heat to bubbling stage.  Drop in the dumplings one at a time and simmer until the dumplings are cooked.  You can make the dish richer with cream or half & half and extra butter. 

My dumplings had a lot of creamy white sauce from the flour that cooked off the dumplings, plus I added about half a cup of half & half.  My BIL (and a lot of other Louisiana folks) likes his dumplings over white rice so saucy dumplings is good for that.  I forgot to say that I took the big pot of chicken and dumplings to my mother's house for noon dinner.  Yesterday was my niece Rebecca's birthday so we had an ice cream cake, her favorite, for dessert.  I bought the cake at Walmart and it was good. 

I think these southern style dumplings are similar to old-fashioned home-made noodles or "slicks." 

My mother's MS relatives made a pot of dumplings like these and covered the top with a layer of dough and put the pot into a hot oven to brown the top crust. 

Carole, I love your detailed recipes! You make stock like I do (minus celery since I am allergic to that)....and then I learned from Ming Tsai (Simply Ming foodie show) yeterday that the best stock is made from just the bones (roasted bones even richer flavor), and that you can get chicken back bones (left from the boneless breasts) for practically nothing from the butcher at grocery store. Never before asked! I would probably still simmer some chicken in the pot so I would have the meat for the soup or whatever dish. Edited for ipad spelling issues! 

Monica, good luck with those lights! Glad for you that the days are getting longer!

I agree, Eric, having a short drive to daily rads makes a world of difference. Re: the time of appts, I could not have faced my rigorous work day racing to work after early AM rads, tho I know some people prefer that. I really liked knowing that when I went for rads in late afternoon, I had only me to be responsible for after it each evening. And then there's the fact that everyone works out what is best for their personal lifestyle and schedule.

I've done the avacado, didn't grow for me but like Dad used to say I have a green thumb--gangreen!  My only experiment that worked was several cloves of grlic in a pot.  Lovely crop of garlic chives!  Excellent in omletts and with baked potatoes.

You mean I shouldn't have thrown out the sprouted garlic bulb? Dang! 

Oh, tonight is unstuffed cabbage rolls.

Carole - I have been writing on mine in eraserable marker. Seems to work OK. I've never found a label that will stick in the freezer, at least not from the office supply. I don't see real "freezer" labels anymore. Hmmm - a mystery gifter of cookbooks.

Clucking again. Special on bags of Pilgrim's Pride boneless breasts frozen. These were small, well trimmed. Made them into fajitas with bag of frozen pepper/onion strips. Easy peasy for Sunday night dinner. Bit leftover for tonight for DH. Think I will have a big salad. Need to thaw that pork roast today for crockpotting tomorrow. Bought some asparagus on good sale. All mine, DH will not eat it. One of the few things he will not eat.

And yes I agree many missing including Susan. Hope all are out enjoying life.

Been wondering about Susan too. 

Went out with kids and DH after they finished painting the kitchen yesterday. Ate a taco salad. I'll pay for it today but it was so good. It was huge and I ate it anyway..it comes in a bowl not a huge taco shell so at least I didn't eat that too! LOL HAD a great visit but have to put the kitchen back together. Taking my time so I don't put everything back. 

Pop quiz: where do you keep all your meds? I used to keep them on a tray on my kitchen cabinet but I don't want them on it now as I am decluttering. U fortunately with my pacemaker, AI, Arthritis, diabetes meds, and supplements like B 12 and vitamin D. I take 14 in AM and 7 in Pm. So it's a lot of pill containers. For awhile I put them in a pill box every week. I may go back to that. But it's just a pain. So what do you all do?

Supper today will be chicken something. 

Much love. 

Carole, here is the unstuffed cabbage roll recipe:

UN~STUFFED CABBAGE ROLLS
Ingredients:



1 1/2 to 2 pounds lean ground beef or turkey

1 tablespoon oil

1 large onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 small cabbage, chopped

2 cans (14.5 ounces each) diced tomatoes

1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce

1/2 cup water

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon sea salt



Preparation:



In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat.

Add the ground beef and onion and cook,
stirring, until ground beef is no longer pink and onion is tender.

Add the garlic
and continue cooking for 1 minute.



Add the chopped cabbage, tomatoes, tomato sauce,
pepper, and salt. 

Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer
for 20 to 30 minutes, or until cabbage is tender.

Yield: Serves 6
to 8

This will be too much for the two of us, so I'm cutting the recipe in half.

Monica, I keep my meds in a large nylon (I guess it's nylon, it's the same stuff of suitcases) case that looks like a train case that zips shut.  I got it many years ago from Eddie Bauer. It's perfect because it has little holders for eight or nine bottles plus open space in the middle for the larger ones.  I still can't get all the supplements in (huge Costco bottles), but if I'm traveling with the case I put those things in something smaller. I do the weekly thing too but at least all the big bottles are in one place. Insulin has it's own case.

I think Susan is ok, just really busy with work.

Bedo, you hot locked out. I missed that post. I am glad you got in safely and quickly. 

Nance, I used to do a layered casserole of cabbage rolls. 

And minus good luck with rads. What I've seen on most boards Is AQUAPHOR.