So...whats for dinner?

Susan, I think  you were taught to LIVE by that mantra, not just travel....HA. Most of you gals exhaust me with your cooking escapades......When I was still working, I used to live in fear that some dog would come down the street on trash night, rip open my bag at the curb and everyone in the neighborhood would see how often my dinner came from a box or a take out carton........

I'm in that rut too Nancy. About 1 pm I thought darn it I haven't thawed anything for dinner. Found a frozen Hormel chicken parm. Oh boy. Will make penne and saute some onion, peppers for dress up. I bought shaved Stella parmesan the other day. Don't usually see the shaved here in local grocery. Only made it into next bigger town to shop yesterday, 25 minutes closer than Ft. Worth but also fewer choices, no big grocer. I have to go to Ft. Worth on Mon. to eye doc and then in 2 weeks for mammo. so plenty of shopping ops to come. DH made chili Tuesday so he had the leftover of that last night and I had the one chicken thigh with sugar snap peas.

Wow Susan your plans are coming along.

ETA: Eric so glad your mom is home already and no pneumonia. Keeping you both in my prayers. How is Sharon's mom?

My husband called tonight's dinner "Retro" and then continued with "and this is delicious!" I pulled out two of the last pork chops from this year's pig [almost time to order another half pig] and dry brined them. He grilled them while I made some mashed potatoes with these cute Holland potatoes I have been buying and sautéed up some frozen peas. I also made a sauce! I never make a sauce, but I had a craving for a mustard sauce on the pork chop. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't great either. I was unable to finish my chop, but Mr. 02143 ate every bit, plus gnawed on the bones.

Not much coding today. A bad carpal day starting at 4am.

And since 40" of snow in my hard is not satisfactory, we are getting more snow starting tonight, not stopping until Saturday AM.

*susan*

Dinner was Boudin's San Francisco Sour Dough & butter. They had a special. Can't remember now if it was the bread that was on sale or the shipping - but I ordered. I don't splurge much, but when you're from the San Francisco Bay Area and it's part of your heritage - who cares once every 10 years. Two long loaves came 2nd day air today. I've already frozen 3 portions, but I've pigged out on the 1/2 loaf that I didn't freeze. YUM

Susan- yes the irony was so not lost on me...DH couldn't live without the sweet so dipped some of the meatballs in a tiny container of smucker's strawberry jam leftover from some diner breakfast we had at some point!

Oh Eric, hoping your mom gets this situation righted soon.

Auntie- I know what you mean about the food pill! With 2 little ones at home, I am constantly trying to think up new things to try- and still find myself amazed- what? You little people need to be fed 3 times a day? Plus snacks? EVERY day????

Today was a long exhausting day. DH had a major surgery that's been on the books for a month and a tremendous source of anxiety for us. But the surgeon is pleased and we are cautiously optimistic. It went so quickly that I got nervous. He's staying for a few nights and now is pleased to be resting and watching golf, being fed strawberry jello and consommé. Meanwhile, i had leftover salmon and quinoa and a chopped veggie salad. Dragging my tired self to bed now

Veruka,

Best thoughts headed to you and your husband during his recovery. If he is watching golf and asleep at a hospital that must mean you are responsible for the kids solo. So you get best thoughts as well. My daughter's favorite childhood meal was, and I am embarrassed to say this, a 'picnic' meal with saltines, peanut butter and fruit jam. I would put out a blanket in the living room, which was never used since it was the most ugly room I have ever owned, and set up the ingredients on a silver tray. To this day, she thinks this was the most special meal ever. What i know is that this was the meal of last resort. A meal created by an exhausted mother when the husband was off doing something else.

*susan*

Prediction is a possible 4-6 of the wet heavy stuff Sunday.... Yesterday I made my late mom's vegetable soup at my dad's house and we divided the batch.  We had run a bunch of "useless" errands" but he needed to get out of the house, so we trekked thru Walmart and it was dreary and the temp dropping, so when we hit the second market, he sat in the car.  It was 3pm and I hadn't had lunch and I rushed him home and in the house, thru the short ribs in the soup pot and got that started and rushed to subway for a couple of sandwiches for us.  at 6:30 I decided the soup was done, and went to pull the ribs out to remove the bones--and THEY WERE BONELESS....No wonder I thought they were beautiful short ribs when I bought them.  My dad had never heard of them being that way and insisted on "excavating" in the soup caldron with a slotted spoon.  (It was trash night, so I had already bundled the kitchen trash and put it at the curb or I could have checked the label)...KInda funny.  So, we both had vegetable soup about 3 1/2 hours after Subway and called it a night.

I am needing to do a little grocery shopping before storm arrives, but am waiting on UPS to deliver my Bose radio back from repairs....I don't want it sitting on the stoop.

Think it might be a good night for Rotisserie Chicken and potatoes with cranberry sauce.   

MMM  I like sauerkraut too Susan.  I buy Bubbie's Sauerkraut at the natural foods grocery here.  It is sooo good.  they say 1/4 cup every day is wonderful for your digestion.  Fermented food keeps the gut populated with the stuff that's in yogurt..... Also tried Bubbie's dill pickles but I didn't like them as much.....

Susan.....looks kind your trip itinerary is shaping up beautifully!

Veruka, hoping you can get some support with childcare this weekend if you need to do that and hospital visits. Glad to learn that the surgery went well!

We've had a few inches of pretty snowfall today after a very cold sunny day yesterday. Another storm predicted for Sun nite/Monday. Hopefully the temps will not be very high or roof damage will be on folks' worry plates.

Yesterday after my social skills class, I spontaneously went for a hair trim, then to Job Lot with my hairdresser (my hairdresser is a character, and once when my mother was visiting she went with me to have her hair done, J, the hairdresser, and I killed time while she was under the old fashioned dryer with a quick Job Lot trip....she tells that story frequently). We bought new snow shovels and well-priced, interesting food items, then I dropped into my favorite kid clothes consignment store to get some adorable dresses for the princess granddaughter. Next I stopped at the Middle Eastern market, got some lamb lamejun (sp?), and some tandoor marinated chicken. Finished out my long day with a stop into Frugal Fannies where I intended only to get some boots, but ended up also finding some other shoes, good exercise clothes, a brown dress handbag (better go out somewhere now!), cuddleduds, and assorted other small items. Had babganoush on wheat bread and some walnuts for dinner when I finally arrived home.

Today I met up with a friend for a movie. Chose one DH would probably not be too interested in seeing, "Into The Woods". I was right about that!

Tonight, DH shoveled a path to the grill, and grilled the tandoori chicken and some red peppers. I made an expanded cuke salad with Greek dressing, and a kale sautee with onions, mushrooms, yellow pepper and balsamic. DDIL gave me some very special evoo and balsamic for Christmas, and I used this very delicious syrupy vinegar in the sautee.....nice! The chicken was wonderful.....worth DH doing the shoveling. The lamejun will be on our menu this weekend, along with some leftover chicken.

Have a good weekend everyone!

Go Pats! My poor DS2 came down with the flu yesterday and may need to cancel his trip to Phoenix ( he had termed this his "last Super Bowl"). He is a total illness minimizer like his father, so for him to actually see the doc today and get a tamaflu shot was uncharacteristic. I will be shocked if he decides to go in the AM (and would not want to be his airplane seat-mate!!) given how he sounded tonight. DS1 already bagged out after hearing about his sick brother and another snow storm Monday. He is always focused on getting back to the OR. Am hoping DS2 forgoes the trip to take care of himself despite the fact that the hotel is saying he can't get a refund, and plane fare will also be lost. Winter germs!! Ugh

Sitting here sipping a smoothie of greek yougurt, blueberry, blackberry and pineapple.  Not sure the pineapple was the best addition... Waiting for the 6-10 inches of heavy white stuff they say is coming. Winter storm warning begins at 9pm, snow route parking bans start at 5pm.  Have "provisioned" both my dad and myself and hopefully he will not have a ride to church tomorrow.  I told him he would not be able to maneuver "Winnie  Walker" in that kind of snow.  I offered to sleep over at his house but he bristled, and he does not want to come stay with me either..  So, we will see what Mother nature throws at us. 

Maybe I will get the sewing machine out and get some of these blocks sewed that I've been staring at since September.....

Red, are you doing piecework on a quilt? I have all but abandoned my sewing projects, and must get back to them, if for no other reason but to get the fabric moved out of my house!

I am dreading this next storm....DH has lost his good humor about snow clearing and I have a doc appt. Mon morning when we'll be at height of storm. Ugh!

These storms just remind us that we really do need to clear out this house and move to an easier property.

Tonight, I made "my" red lentil Turkish soup. So simple. So tasty. And it is good for us to enjoy vegetarian meals on a regular basis. For lunch, I made an omelette... man do I love eggs! Is there a more perfect food?

It appears that there is a game tomorrow that is getting in the way of my life. Football perhaps? That means I will have to come up with a dinner plan that doesn't interfere with the Man yelling at the TV. Since I had forgotten, I was thinking someone should cook for us. Maybe lamb stew would be good game day food?

*susan*

Susan I would love the recipe for the red lentil soup

This winter is so different and feels so much colder.

Went out to dinner for mussels with my friend as we have for the last 2-3 years once a week tonight, but it is so cold.

She told me that it was because it came on so suddenly

I am so in love with my Neato Vacuum which came yesterday I named it Hazel after my Mom. I don't know how I lived before without it.

Making salmon red potato corn chowder tomorrow

Veruka Hope everything is going OK

I just think Susan, and AuntieNance and Lacey should put together private collections of their favorite recipes for all the rest of us....... Their posts just make me salivate, as to many of the others as well.

Discovered a new favorite Land of Lakes cocoa-----Amaretto......shall we just say a cup of it gives me my 24 grams of sugar for the day.......Looking at snow covered trees here this a.m. and my snow guy came at 7a.m and when I got up at 8 all I could see was the small edge still visible to prove he's been here.  It's a "heart attack" snow in IL today.  Went to mass yesterday at 4pm  I go to the largest Catholic Church probably in my town, and we had standing room only.  I guess with the weather prediction and the Football parties everyone from the other 4 masses crowded into 4pm......

Eating soup for lunch and leftover chicken for dinner.  Might make a buttermilk pie today.

Very small Superbowl party here - me and DH, lol!  I always make snacks that serve as dinner, so will do deviled eggs, chipotle hummus with almond crackers and sliced pepeprs/carrots/celery, pepper coated pork tenderloin slices, some shrimp and cocktail sauce, and I may try to do almond butter and non-dairy chocolate tartlets - I have some little tart shells leftover from a party - but I have to figure out a recipe.