So...whats for dinner?

I grew up eating Hot Cross Buns at Easter every year. My father would buy them at a bakery in Grand Central Station on his way home from work. Oh my. So very good, delicious. I loved Easter. The fancy new dress, patten leather shoes, fancy hat and a new winter dress coat. We all had little purses with stuffed chickens inside that we were only allowed to use once a year. When Easter was late, the dogwood tree in the backyard would be blooming.

My husband had never even heard of Hot Cross buns. What is with Southern Presbyterians? They don't eat Hot Cross Buns! But he doesn't really like them. And I haven't found a bakery that makes them well in Boston. I have made them, but I can't eat so many myself and I am not good about doing things just for me. Maybe I should start candying some fruit to make some for myself. The recipe that I used had almost 100% whole wheat in the English tradition.

Nancy, are you willing to post your recipe? Maybe I can talk someone in the house into eating this delicious treat.

*susan*

OMG, Nancy!! Those are amazing and remind me of one of my favorite childhood treats. I'll clear your driveway anytime! Have gotten really good at it.

Susan, you got a bargain!

Eric, hoping Sharon's shingles case is mild. So sorry she has to cope with such a painful condition. Glad she is having some relief with the pain meds.

Busy with DH's care all day. I have such an expanded appreciation of the role of single mothers with no family support. Constant meals, clean up, laundry, leak management, more meals, clean up....and round and round it goes. Fielding well wishing calls but no time to talk. DH's shower event took two hours....mine, no time at all! so I decided that we will be on an alternating day shower schedule so I can get one too. Tomorrow is my turn. Still better than cleaning up after home health aide....and nice to see DH be so thrilled once in his shower. But yes, Eric, I think his gradual physical improvement will bring on some definite frustration that things are not hastening to his regular active format.

Made my way to food store by late this afternoon (who on this thread is surprised that I would choose filling the fridge over taking my shower) and while driving home in the snow decided we'd have take out pizza tonight, since I was just not going to cook after hauling in and putting away groceries. Roads really slippery, so we ordered from a place that is less than a mile from our house....survival for us, and the intrepid driver enjoyed making a generous tip. I had some red wine with our pizza and Greek salad.

Enjoyed your expanded post, Mommy!

Oh Carole, those mushrooms are works of art! Lucky you!

Really tired, but might be defeating the sore throat and headache...yay! Nite all.....

Joyce, did I read on one of your posts that you need to return to NH for a bit? I do hope that you find things as you left them.

I need to muster up some energy to get out and clear the snow ice crust that now coats our property from last night's installment. Oy!

A bigger worry is that I just saw a news repirt of a house in our town being destroyed overnight. Apparently fighting it was made difficult due to a frozen hydrant. We have (had) a hydrant between our hoyse and our next door neighbor.....but a couple of weeks ago some public works employees knocked it over, and we now have a "cone" there. Let's hope our block doesn't need it!

Oh dear...DH trying to be more independent just broke a glass in the kitchen....off to get the vacuum

Funny day. Lots done, but none of it was billable. We have bread. There is a lot of chicken stock. Lunch was our standard breakfast mix. He gets French toast, and I sous-vide some eggs to soft boiled. Dinner was a smoked salmon and some Lentils du Pay a la Anne Burrell which are tangy and delicious. I am building maps of all of our destinations, researching restaurants so I will have them all on a Google map when we hit the ground. Not a bad way to use a very choppy day. So easy to only eat mediocre food while traveling, and I simply am not interested!

Not sure I have mentioned this part of my mother's DNA. She is pretty ADHD. She plows through life full of energy, and then without any awareness on her part, her blood sugars drop and she HASTOEATNOW! She is 76. You would think she would feel this coming on, but no. It hits her by surprise. She has no patience. SHEHASTOEATNOW. So, I am building maps of every museum and neighborhood I think she might want to visit marked with nearby decent food. She can mange if I can say something like, 2 more blocks and we can have a great lunch. No way, she can follow me as I sniff out what is on the ground, so to speak. So much pressure. :-)

I think Sharon should consider staying home. How many of her students haven't had the Chicken Pox vaccine? What are the chances that one of these anti-vaxxers gave this to her?

Lacey, man do I feel for you. Your husband will owe you one of those lovely L'espalier Wine Monday dinners. And some nice new everyday glassware from the store of your choice.

Joyce, safe travels. Hope that your house is in good shape.

SpecialK. Glad you had a good time with the DD over the past two weeks.

*susan*

I got the slide projector working and took it back to mom's house, along with a projector screen.

We looked at probably 100 of the easily 3 to 4 THOUSAND slides and all so far have been in perfect condition despite being 40 to 60 years old.

Pictures of me as an infant. Pictures of my brother at 2 and 3 years old. Pictures of dad holding me. Pictures of dad in "mess dress" and mom in a beautiful evening gown. Pictures of her parents. Pictures of my childhood backyard before there was a house there.

Mom smiled a lot and shed a few tears too. It felt strange for me too--I was looking at a Christmas picture of me when I was 6 years old. I was opening a gift and I told mom that I was unwrapping a "King of the Hill" game....and sure enough 3 slides later..I was all smiles and holding up a "King of the Hill" box.

lacey - I spent 12 weeks in a non-weight bearing cast and on crutches and one of the things that was most handy was an apron from the hardware store - the kind construction workers wear - it ties on around the waist with pockets.  I could carry stuff around my house (with two sets of stairs!) and still have my hands free.  Like this:

http://www.globalindustrial.com/p/tools/tool-storage/Rigs-Pouches/rigs-aprons-pouches-irwin-4031051?infoParam.campaignId=T9F&gclid=CMrCub2o-MMCFQ4dgQoder4A_Q

susan - DD is the same as your mom - IHAVETOEATNOW!  She carries snacks for this reason.  She will actually get dizzy if she doesn't eat even though there is no real blood sugar issue, and often it has not been that long since she last ate.  BTW, she is ADD, without the H.  We have been in DD's proximity twice in the last two weeks but have not spent quality time, although it is always good as a mom just to lay eyes on your child, right?  She worked the boat show and had 10 hour days, came back to the hotel and we all sat around on the beds and chatted for a bit and then went to sleep.  This weekend she spent 12 hour days in Sarasota filming a commercial for the boat builder and tackle companies, but did eat dinner with us each night.  I am going up to see her and bring her the dog in a week and will have an opportunity to spend a few days and hang out with her more.

joyce - travel carefully and I hope you have no house issues.  Congrats on your 47 years of marriage and 5 years being cancer free!  Both are so great!

eric - maybe you need sugar depending on the peppers?  Just guessing.  Yay for your DD's cooking skills!  I have all of my parents slides too - I asked for one of those slide converters for Christmas a couple of years ago - the one that converts slides to digital format since I don't have a projector.  Have I started that project - no.  How great that you were able to look at those slides with your mom and experience those memories together!

bedo - I try to wear pajamas all day if possible.  Seriously.

carole - my best friend has to eat regularly too, but I am one who can go for hours without eating - when I visit her in California the where/when/what we will eat dilemma is always a big part of our time together, lol!

Joyce, so happy for you and DH to celebrate both of those anniversaries! Live in the moment as they say, and enjoy yourselves!

Special, I know what you mean that sometimes it is jus great to be able to see your adult kids. Your DD sounds like she has established a very busy young adult life. Great for her!

I am also a person who can go for many hours without even thinking about food...and DH is one of those who needs to be replenished frequently, which is one of the adjustments I have been making during this recovery period. ...paying attention to food prep constantly. Our DS1 is another one who eats lightly, then becomes ravenous (for another small meal). We just always thought that he had a small stomach.

DH on another business call....made him a modified ruben for his lunch, with soup, chips and pickles. So he should be sated for a while. I am going to head to the gym.....lotsof leftovers avalable for dinner. Hoping he does't try anything too independent while I am gone

We finished the red lentil soup for lunch.  Since this is definitely soup weather, I think I'll make leek potato soup tomorrow.  I found the recipe this afternoon, one that Susan recommended.  I've made it a couple of times. 

My dinner tonight will be a tossed salad with romaine, cherry tomatoes, cucumber and slices of leftover baked chicken.  I'll make a dinner salad for dh and he will have warmed-up red beans w/ sausage and brown rice. 

Lacey, hope you made it to exercise class. 

Eric what a beautiful evening! I'm not sure where our slides are but I do have a video of my daughter at 5 starring in Peter Rabbit at her school play that I will have to put on CD. Thank you for sharing that.... I'm picturing a sheet hanging on the wall

Joyce Congratulations on two wonderful anniversaries!

MOmmy I love leftovers, I've never understood why people don't like them Cold pizza for breakfast is the best, and did you know that re-heating leftover spaghetti in the microwave is supposed to lower it's glycemic index?

Special Great idea on the apron!. Err, what I meant was I put the PJs on Fri night, wore the top to Stop and Shop with jeans the next day then put the bottoms on and wore them overnight again. Hey, I was freezing and not planning on company. My daughter, myself and now her fiancé are obsessed with this particular brand of stretchy fleece inside and out and they are hard to take off. My daughter does the same thing Her fiancé is 6 inches taller than her and stole her top to wear to bed...she stole the extra set from me.

Carol I was thinking the same thing... I had 8 bags and had to wait after dark to distribute them among the neighbors.

Lacey, you are an inspiration! It's great that you are so healthy! I will not walk until this snow melts some

Hi Auntie! HI Moon Hi Susan Hi everybody that I missed! I just got home from work so am going to do some stuff.

Today for dinner I will finish The World's Worse Soup. Thank God.

Next split pea.

Soup here for dinner. I made 8 quarts of chicken stock this weekend. The kids were given 1 qt yesterday. I did an almost-Minestrone soup. Base of onions, carrots and celery, some garlic, then deglazed with some white wine and the rest of the Pomi tomatoes. Stock that had been simmering with parmesan rinds. Then some green beans and limas. After 8 minutes, remove the rinds, add the Greek pasta, and then in the past few moments, added a huge amount of spinach. He got a bunch of the roasted chicken at the bottom of his bowl. This was more stew than soup, and perfect for our 14º temperatures.

Leftovers are the only reason I am willing to spend so much time making food! For example, there is enough of the soup for tomorrow's lunch, and tomorrow's dinner is the rest of the smoked salmon with lentils. Actually have to go to a client office tomorrow. Should be about 9º with strong winds. Not good planning on my part. Oh well.

Bedo, it has been cold enough that I have been wearing multiple layers at all times. A nightgown might be involved much of the time.

Lacey, hang in there! It will all be over soon, though LaVoile seems very challenging to me.

Bobcats arrived today and hauled away lots of snow. I can see the curb! And they did not leave the resulting 4 ft snowbank in front of our drive. They carted that away as well. General cheers were sounded throughout the house! I will actually be able to see down the street when I back out of the drive now. What a luxury. Mr. 02143 was out and about today. Had to head to Arlington to pick up his new sunglasses. He reports that both Cambridge and Arlington haven't even cleared Mass Ave, the primary through street for both towns. My little city is way ahead once again. Our Happiness Index will remain high, and yes, we have a happiness survey every year and we all receive a copy.

*susan*

Thanks for asking Nancy. It has been an all around lost weekend. I spent Saturday getting ready for ice storm. Poured rain yesterday then cold came in last night with major sleet storm. DH called into work today and his day off tomorrow. All schools cancelled locally today and most for tomorrow. We've had a few cars/trucks up our road but it does lead further out. Only one car out of our cul de sac. Up early to watch the storm and napped long time on the couch. Besides I don't sleep well with sleet hitting the side window. Was going to really cook but instead have put on one of those frozen Stouffers chicken lasagnas. They cook for 1.5 hours so will appreciate the added heat. Poor electric heat is working hard. Some thawing tomorrow after hard freeze again tonight. Then - 1-3" of snow Wednesday and maybe more stuff for Friday. We're having winter in one week.

Bedo - I would live in in PJs but do feel guilty about DH. So I make sure I'm out of them when he leaves for work. I'm living in oversize yoga pants with longjohns underneath and some soft mens flannel shirts. I'm not really a "pajama" girl more like calf length or bit longer nightshirt girl. Can always put sweat/yoga pants underneath.

Lacey - I hope your Friday night plans work out with DS2. Maybe the restaurant has a "double secret entrance" with easier stairs. Know you DH must be getting tired of forced quietude since he sounds very active. Hope you got to you gym class without too much facing you back at home.

Joyce - Congrats on the double celebration.

Wow Carole those were some mushrooms.

I bought a pork shoulder roast 9.8#. It was 89 cents/lb. He is resting tonight in the refrig. with a rub. Planning on roasting him in the turkey roasting pan tomorrow. I've never cooked one. Reminds me of a ham before it becomes a ham. DH was my chef's assistant. He's already thinking BBQ sandwiches. Wish I had some hamburger buns. But I can always freeze the leftovers.

Off to make some hot chocolate

Luv, when I watched the weather forecast last night, there was a lot of pink color north of us but no sleet for us, thank goodness.  This is a dreary, cold week.  I assume the goats have a barn?  But you must have to go out and feed them. 

Susan, I've never been so excited about someone else's trip! 

Wow Susan, you hit the jackpot! Hope it lives up to its billing! What an awesome trip you've planned. I'm looking forward to a full report.

Off to meet with the new pcp this morning. Hope we like each other.