So...whats for dinner?

Yes Susan, your DH could be involved in much more questionable activity than a college basketball obsession...but then I am biased. And yes, I share your opinion about Kentucky's "NBA farm league" philosophy of college basketball. So I was happy to see the real college team make it to the finals.

Tonight the ND gals barely squeaked by South Carolina. They will not get away with that if they play UCONN Tuesday night. Go Irish!

Our Easter went well....after a lot of effort. I made what felt like a ton of food for five people, but it was well appreciated....DS2 and DGF took a lasagna home, and our niece took some, as well as the pasta dish with asparagus, lemon and parmesan.

For apps we had assorted cheeses and crackers, crudite and hummus, and fruit kebobs with dip that DGF brought. For dinner we had "combo fowl".....barbecued turkey tips and balsamic/rosemary marinated chicken breasts, two pasta dishes....roasted veggie lasagna, and lemon parmesan gemelli with asparagus, red onion and yellow squash, a garden salad, and mashed butternut squash. For dessert we had the fresh giant strawberries dipped in sour cream and dark brown sugar. Also offered a Trader's lemon tart and the cookies I posted along with anise pizzelles.

The egg hunt went well except for the fact that two eggs were not found and they were two of three that had $$ in them. DH still has no idea where he hid them. LOL

After dinner our next door neighbors joined us and we had some good laughs. She brought some chocolate meringues, and boy were they good! Everything she makes is good.

Oh, DGF's little Scotty came too, and loved playing fetch in the backyard with anybody who was willing to bear the chill. He is a city leash dog, so he was delerious about the freedom he had today. He is a very cute little guy, sort of like a little cartoon character, and easy to have around.

So we all had fun and DH and I will be eating leftovers all week which is fine with this tired cook!

Lovely family Lacey! I can't believe how much food you made! LOL

Just my DH made it home for Easter. DD1 husband was oncall, DD2 worked, DD1 wife still is laid up with the 2 plate 7 screws and 2 pin ankle, and DD2 wirjed. What you gonna do? LOL. Made a small part of ham about 3 lbs. Scalloped potatoes with sweet potatoes added in and the last frozen corn from last summer. Oh and Pillsbury biscuits. LOL. Not exactly what I usually cook with everyone home UT plenty for 2 meals Each. DH is going to South Carolina for work this week. He went last week to NC. He's kind of fed up with the corporate office releasing all those engineers. He's now working 6 days a week with no overtime pay.

I'm glad WI won. It was a heart breaker last year with them losing at the last second.

Red, i wouldn't worry about the eggs, most kids do what mine did, they eat the white and toss the yolk. LOL

Much love

Love the pics Lacey. Looks like you managed to please everybody. No wonder you're a tired cook!

I am doing taxes, no bunny heads or peeps consumed, no cooking yet.  I think we are doing leftovers from last night - ham with cherry/mustard sauce, my vegan scalloped potatoes that turned out ok, and a salad since we ate all the asparagus.

red - is this the recipe?  Looks yummy!  I have a similar one but has sour cream and no vodka.  I usually drizzle melted dark and white chocolate instead of glaze.  It stays moist forever, so it is a good cake to slice up and platter.

http://www.imbored-letsgo.com/black-russian-cake/

Special, I don't know.  Everytime I ask for recipe, he says GOOGLE IT.   His is really chocolaty and he puts a ganache on top.  But he makes it in a bundt pan.  So maybe he uses chocolate cake mix. But he kinda likes to cook so it might be from scratch.  One time he brought whipped creame in one of those aluminum pressurized cans like they use on TOP CHEF...... It is really black and gooey and jeez, I am getting so excited for CAKE......

Therapy---well today was the first day where the therapist worked the whole session with the hand and wrist.  It hurt some. he massaged my scar for a long time and then we did hand holding with resistance.  Its depressing how little they ask me to do and how hard it is to do it.....One of my exercizes is to touch my fingers one at a time to my thumb......and the pinky one hurts... I have a funny looking thing on my skin where the cast was that they claimed they have never seen, so tomorrow I am going to Urbana to my dermatologist to have her take a look.  It's a yellow triangular shaped thing and its a little bigger than a pencil eraser so sorta big considering the size of othe things she takes off.  Better safe than sorry... 

bedo, don't you have my email address? If not, PM me, and I will give it to you. Would be very happy to upload your photos. We need more KITCHEN!

Tonight was leftover tandoori-Indian stuff. Client meeting went much better today. I can finally focus on trip planning and packing. But, first, laundry. Lots and lots of laundry.

*susan*

Haven't arrived yet..... waiting....

and DUKE WINS! Mr. 02134 is very joyous! *susan*

A couple of more things.

Moon, DGD's expression makes me laugh. To me, her expression is, "Is that thing going to be really bright and bother me again?" DD got to hold a "real baby (her words) today at a track meet. It was a friend's niece. She thought it was pretty good and even better when she got to hand baby back to mom.

And, Lacey, great family picture.

I think the pilaf is almost done...probably it will be done around 9:30.....It's going into a container and into the refrigerator. I've usually had pretty good luck with this kind of thing as a leftover...we'll see.......

Oh well, Susan , thanks, I tried again this morning but it wouldn't work. Maybe too big. Just picture

Barbie's kitchen but bright yellow. Without appliances. Or Barbie.

I tried sending them to your phone too.

Osso bucco made with pork shanks and polenta tonight. Perhaps an Italian chopped salad too. Kind of warm today for a braise but i've already brined the pork so I'm committed.

Eric -- hope your lamb pilaf is good -- sounds wonderful.

Hi Fiaranchi,

Welcome! It would be helpful if you posted a link to the two disappointing recipes so we know what isn't working for you. Meanwhile, I will take a look at my Italian cookbooks. I bet someone can give this a try. And you should just post. Heck, we are cooks from all kinds of different traditions and always seem to learn neat tricks from each other.

Again, welcome!

*susan*

Special - I'd like the lemon cake recipe. Moist if my favorite.

This is an old Jello recipe, at least 50 years old, and was always my brother's choice for a birthday cake even though it was an unconventional choice. My mom made it in a 9x13 pan and I have done it that way but usually I make this in a bundt pan.  It looks very pretty sliced and pinwheeled on a platter, especially with fresh strawberries in the middle.  The beauty of this cake is that it stays moist for days and even after being sliced, which makes it great for parties.

Lemon Jello Cake - for the cake put a small box of lemon Jello in a large bowl and add 2/3 c. boiling water and stir until the Jello is dissolved.  Add a yellow cake mix, stir.  Add 4 eggs - one at a time - mixing well after each.  Add 2/3 c. vegetable oil and 1 t. lemon extract.  Pour into a greased pan of choice.  Bake 45 mins at 350 F. or until a toothpick comes clean.  I usually glaze this cake with this recipe and it is important to do it while the cake is still warm, either still in the 9x13, or turned out of the bundt pan onto a platter.  For the glaze - combine 2T. soft butter, 1 c. powdered sugar, juice and rind of a lemon.  Poke holes with a toothpick and spoon glaze over. 

 I have also put lemon frosting in the microwave to somewhat liquefy it and spooned it over the bundt cake after it is cooled, or melted white chocolate chips with 1 t. of vegetable oil and lemon zest and drizzled over the cooled bundt.  If you bake the 9x13   I would only use the glaze recipe, I don't think the alternatives would work as well.

For the limoncello option since it is such a strong flavor I might eliminate the extract and use limoncello for half of the water in the cake, and then maybe add a tablespoon of it to the glaze recipe in place of a tablespoon of the lemon juice.  You might have to experiment with measurements to get the right combo.