So...whats for dinner?

Nance, glad to see your long post.  Your cooking projects all sound good. 

DH and I have been in MI for the last couple of weeks.  We spent several days in Escanaba in the UP.  Moved on to Petosky and from there to Manastee.  The weather was mostly cold and rainy.  We've been in Holland, MI, for the past week.  We stopped here to visit dh's cousin and his wife for a couple of days.  But the Ford truck, our tow vehicle, developed a problem.  We're hoping to depart tomorrow and head for home.  The weather here has been ideal, sunny with high in the high 60's or low 70's.  Cool enough for cover at night.

I have done no cooking to speak of.  We've had some good meals in restaurants.  Last night we ate at an Italian restaurant in Holland and I had cheese ravioli with pesto sauce and shared a delicious tiramisu (sp?) dessert. 

One interesting meal was at another Italian restaurant where the specialty is spaghetti pie.  It's very good.  I'm guessing the cooks mix cooked spaghetti with 3 different cheeses and press the mixture into a pan.  It's served cut into a square with a delicious tomato sauce that tastes like fresh-cooked tomatoes. 

At the moment a pot of chili is simmering on the stove.  Ingredients are ground chuck, canned pinto beans, tomato sauce and diced tomatoes.  I also have some chicken breasts cooking in the crock pot with barbecue sauce.  My plan was to prepare some food that we could warm up on our trip home. 

I am SO looking forward to getting back home. 

Mr. 02143 cooked the remaining piece of salmon for his lunch so that we could have turkey sandwiches for dinner. Since we smoked that turkey, I haven't been home for even one lunch! It was so good... a fabulous bread from the Seven Stars Bakery, with some mayo I made fresh, sliced garden tomatoes, lettuce, thinly sliced turkey, and for good measure, just a bit of maple-smoked bacon. I did put about one too many slices of tomato on these sandwiches, but man was it good!

It is about time to harvest our green tomatoes, and make the green tomato relish. T-Day is coming! We have already processed enough corn for this wonderful holiday.

I am hydrating like mad in preparation for treatment day tomorrow. Made a bit of popcorn so I could consume some salt. Tomorrow night will be a eat out night. I have faltered on my determination NOT to cook on treatment day lately. We'll see how I feel tomorrow.

*susan*

Special - I feel guilty too but I don't eat it often.  Can you post your spaghetti pie recipe?

Susan - Your sangys sound excellent.  Good luck w/treatment day.  Am I correct this is an injection and not an infusion?  Enjoy your meal out.

Supper tonite was potato and carrots with kielbasa. Just a small pan full. Yum. I love potato and carrots cooked till almost soft and crispy brown. 

I've been reading when I can but my phone is not charging well. Will have to spring for a new one. Just not yet. LOL

Much love to all. 

Last night was roasted pork tenderloin, sweet potatoes, and sautéed asparagus with red pepper flakes and lemon pepper. 

minus - here is the baked spaghetti recipe I usually use.  It is forgiving with the pasta, so use whatever kind you like or have on hand.

Saute onion and garlic in a scant amount of oil, then add ground beef (you can also add sausage of any kind) and cook until no longer pink, then drain off any accumulated fat.  You can add jarred marinara sauce, or add basil, oregano, a large can of diced tomatoes and two small cans tomato sauce, and salt/pepper/any other spices you like.  Cook for at least 15 minutes, or until sauce is tasting well combined.  In a bowl mix a 15 oz tub of ricotta, about two cups of mozzarella, an egg, salt and pepper, and about half a cup of Parmesan.  This is much like a lasagna filling.  Cook a pound of pasta, drain very well and add to the cheese mixture.  Add half of your sauce mixture to the bowl and mix gently.  Put half of the pasta/cheese/sauce mixture in a greased large casserole dish, spoon half of the reserved sauce over, sprinkle a bit of mozzarella over the top and repeat the layers.  Bake for about 20 minutes at 350 F., or until bubbly.  You can adjust the amounts of this and make less, or make two smaller ones and freeze one.

I have also seen this done, specifically with thin spaghetti or angel hair, where you make a crust in a pie dish with the pasta, then put the meat sauce on top and then cheese on top of the sauce - it is more of a layered dish, but I like the mixed one better because the pasta is more moist and you can use different shapes of pasta.

mommyof2 - it is old-school for sure, but definitely comfort food!

Also, a note - cook the pasta al-dente because it will continue to cook in the oven a bit. 

Mommyof2 - I've posted this b4 but it is a standard at our house. Brown 1/2-1 lb of kielbasa sausage (or any smoked sausage). I use a little olive oil. Add 2-3 cut up peppers - red, green, yellow whatever you choose and 1 cut up onion. I cheat and use BirdsEye frozen stir fry - has the peppers and onions esp. in winter when peppers are so expensive. Also add 2 small cut up yellow squash and 2 small zucchini. Add some chopped garlic about 1 tsp. Sprinkle in a good 2 tsp or so of dried basil. Crumble up a chicken broth cube or I use the loose chicken base in a jar. Cook about 1/2 lb or so of thin spaghetti al dente. You want the sausage a bit soupy, then stir the spaghetti back in to soak up soupiness. Serve with Parmesan cheese. We have this every couple of weeks or so. Now healthy not so much except for the peppers but yummy.

Special - I think I see spaghetti pie coming soon here. Thanks.

Everyone has been so busy cooking. I was under the weather last week with a cold. Hot tea and graham crackers. Been shuttling my car with lousy brakes back/forth to the dealer. Think they are finally fixed after they locked up and started smoking last week for DH after $800 in repairs the week b4. Sheesh. I'm looking forward one of these days to cooler days - nights have been nice. Oh Nancy I wish we had some of that rain. I think I heard record driest September. We have had a pittance. None of that stuff from west Texas made it this far east - like Ft. Worth area is east - not.

Special & Luv - thanks for the recipes.

MommyOf 2, if You don't already have Laurie's famous 'Salsa Chicken' from previous pages, I can copy that for you.

I went out to lunch today and had excellent prime rib and thin onion rings with a dinner salad.  We played dominoes after lunch and one of the ladies brought an awesome banana bread made w/pineapple.  I'll post the recipe after she forwards it.  Very moist.  My share of those leftovers was my dinner.

Tonight is going to be last of the lasagna.

I'll look through my recipes and post up a couple that I've made.

minus - I have a very similar recipe, makes a nice moist bread.  My recipe calls for rubbing a tablespoon of butter on top of the bread right after it comes out of the oven and still in the pan, then sprinkling cinnamon sugar over.  So yummy!  Also, if you sub zucchini you can add cocoa.

Might make omlettes tonight or make the other half cook for a change!

Susan - good luck w/the search.  W/your heavy work schedule, try to get some time to just kick back & relax.  Hope you'll post a picture of the bride once the event occurs.

Hi Laurie & Debbie.

Oh and Bedo - just what job did you take?  You are our vicarious adventurer so we love to keep track.

Minus, we can only hope... I am planning a trip for the Spring. Thinking Morocco and Spain... good food in both places.

Mo, oh that sounds lovely! My pig is almost gone. Time to order another. I didn't actually get the tenderloin with this pig since I wanted the pork chops more. Can't have both!

Didn't get my 10 hrs of coding today.... only 8.75. I suspect that tomorrow won't be much better.

*susan*

Making chicken pot pie for tonight. Probably can get two more nights out of it so it could help with dinner this week!

Lacey - welcome home.  It will be so fun to hear continuing stories & recipes from your trip.

When you get a chance would you post your previously 'faux french', now 'easy italian' bread recipe?  I've spent some time evaluating the difference but never made my own.

Off to get my periodic green chili fix at the one restaurant in Houston that serves New Mexican food rather than Tex-Mex.