So...whats for dinner?

Carole,

So, you came up in conversation with some friends the other night. They load up a trailer every January and head to Florida where they park in State parks to enjoy some decent warm weather. In the course of this conversation, I realized I don't know so much about your yearly migration North. It is possible you have told these stories before, but if so, my mind is blank.

So, you head to MN for the summers. Is this because one of the two of you are from there or because you just like it? Where do you park your 5th wheel? Can you reserve your space for the entire duration, or do you need to move regularly? Do you see family while North, or do you have "camping" buddies that you have gotten to know over the years. What is the thing you enjoy the most about taking the 5th wheel north? What do you find the most difficult? What should I know about this time you head North that I am not smart enough to ask about?

And, I hope you don't mind me asking.

*susan*

Bedo - here's a great fish packet from one of the other treads. I always used tin foil since I usually made packets on a grill or a campfire.

1. 2 6-oz. salmon fillets-fresh or frozen and thawed
2. 2 zucchini, or yellow summer squash or one of each, whatever you've got, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
3. 1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
4. 1 tsp fresh dill, chopped
5. 2 slices lemon-use the rest of the lemon for the juice
6. 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
7. Extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
8. Salt and freshly ground pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare two large pieces of parchment paper by folding them in half to crease. Then open the papers and lay flat.
2. On one side of the crease, place half of the zucchini, red onion, dill, and one lemon slice. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place a salmon fillet on top and drizzle with the lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper. Repeat with the second piece of parchment paper and remaining ingredients.
3. Fold the parchment paper over the salmon to close, making a half-moon shape. Seal the open sides by folding small pleats in the paper. Place the parchment packets on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes until the salmon is opaque. Serve warm. Easy clean-up too, just toss the parchment paper away, wipe off the baking sheet and call it done!

We ate tonight also....at Volante Farms deli section prior to a jazz concert there given by a group of Oberlin students who are starting on a month's tour down the east coast. One of the kids is from Wellesley which is why they pitched their gig to Volantes and they got it. They were delightful. And I was thrilled to skip a dinner prep! Lazy lady.....

So DH started our BLT summer ritual, had it on an oblong ciabatta roll, so cut in half it looked like two sandwiches. He raved about it.

I went with something with a bit more interest....a roasted turkey sandwich on wheat bread with baby arugula, house made pear chutney, sharp cheddar and whole grain mustard. It was delightful! More delightful was our dessert of Volante's ice cream....I had a cone of cherry ice cream with large chocolate pieces and a scoop of pistachio as well. Yummm! I figured I could handle that after working out at the gym today for almost two hours. DH wisely stayed home with the rib pain. I carefully avoided any back stressing.

Tomorrow I head to my former school to attend a retirement luncheon for a woman who refused to have a real dinner/party/celebration. She's kind of a bitter lady who cannot allow herself to be given to. I always tried to collaborate with her for the sake of the kids. I'm hoping that some of us retirees showing up will help her feel valued as she rides off into the sunset. I hope they decide on a menu beyond lasagna...but if not, we'll have arugula salad and veggies for dinner since DH is also having lunch out.

Today at Trader's they were featuring samples of chicken salad using their yogurt dip made with cilantro and chives instead of mayo. It was totally passable....and would even be better with chicken other than their canned variety. This over lettuce would be a nice light summer dinner.

HaHa Red....so happy that I am in your thoughts at Panera!

Today we had an interesting letter from a couple who might like to buy our house...upsizing from a smallish cape. This is what is happening here with so few houses on the market, and lots of buyers. Too bad we are not physically or emotionally close to being ready ...and have no place to go!! Smaller houses are even harder to come by....most being snatched up by builders for expansion. Would prefer to stay in this town. So it does get our wheels turning......providing more motivation to keep clearing things out. To be continued.....

Ditto to Susan's Rao worthy comment!

Also, I neglected to mention that I am also sorry to learn about your WBC Susan. This so sucks! What does the doc say CAN be done aside from things that you must avoid to protect yourself. Anything?? I'm not familiar with the shots Minus mentioned....need to learn more. Hugs to you......

Lacey - we were cross posting but looks like you had another wonderful meal.

Going to see my new MO tomorrow. Lots of questions. Then meeting my SIL for lunch. Passing along all the jeans & pants for her daughter (my niece) that I bought at the bottom of the chemo cycle which are now way too small since I'm sort of back to normal. If I ever get that small again, I'll be in a hospital bed so no worries about saving the clothes. Her choice was La Madelaine. I can always find good bread there & something to match with it.

Susan, you and I were posting at the same time so I missed your news about the white blood count. 

DH and I have been rv travelling since the 90's, when we sold our last sailboat and bought a camper.  We call ourselves reverse snowbirders since we like our winters here in the south but find the summers too hot and humid.  We made many interesting summer trips over the years, exploring different areas of the US, including New England.  We also spent a summer in Canada and another in Alaska.  We always wandered from place to place, never staying at one campsite longer than a couple of weeks.

Then four years ago we decided to return to an area in northern MN.  We found a campground/resort on the internet called Pine Hollow Resort.  We ended up staying there two months and spent another month moving here and there in the Midwest and visiting dh's relatives.  This is our 4th year to return to this spot in MN and we plan to leave the camper and pay an annual seasonal fee to the owners of the small resort.  We have made friends with the other "seasonals" and with the young owners.  

This area of MN has affordable golf courses, many miles of paved bike trails and isn't as pricey and crowded as the NE.  It isn't as far away as the NW coast of the US, another area we like a lot.  There isn't a more beautiful spot in the country than the Oregon coast.

DH has his athletic shoes on and is waiting for me to don mine so we can go to the gym!

Lacey - interesting genetic info on cilantro. I'm one of the haters, but the taste I get is dirty sweat socks. Smell is definitely involved though. The stores often place cilantro by one of my favorites - radishes - and I have a hard time moving in on my red jewels.

Sorry about the luncheon food. Canned corn at this time of year? How large was this group?

With a heavy heart, I finally got rid of all my teaching material and books of ideas for young children. The last few are sitting in the middle of the floor now to mail to my niece & nephew. But like Susan, I haven't faced the scores of music (pun intended). I found another 3 boxes in the attic the other day that I'd forgotten. My cousin had the front page of some very old pieces of sheet music that our grandmother sang at the turn of the prior century covered & preserved to hang the memory. Interesting treatment.

Dinner tonight was actually delicious. Costco had reasonably sized packages of wild caught steelhead salmon. This salmon is a bit mushy, and it is pretty gamey for a fish. So, I made some teriyaki sauce and pan roasted the fish with a bit of teriyaki. Then I made a ginger-carrot dressing to toss over some local cabbage that I cut very thinly. This dressing is from a cookbook called The Japanese Grill, and was both complex and delicious. And finally a bit of jasmine rice. I did shake some Shishito pepper mix over the cabbage. Love this pepper mix which includes dried citrus peel.

There is enough leftover for lunch tomorrow. BONUS!!!!

Much of my music should be sold. The German urtext editions are wildly expensive, and I took very good care of my music. Then there is stuff that is pretty iffy. The thing is, someone needs to make that decision which means pawing through all of it.

*susan*

And, yes, you too are worth it Bedo. *susan*

Bedo,

At the risk of sounding snarky, the grocery store. I have bought it at Whole Foods, Stop & Slop, and Market Basket. I understand that the Star market also has it. Sometimes it even goes on sale, and then I buy quite a few. Others on this thread have purchased some of the other flavors as well, but I haven't yet.

*susan*

Bedo - when the talk started buzzing, I found it at Target - but not at any of my regular grocery stores. I'm REALLY picky about red sauce, and I loved this. You know if the chefs on this thread use it for their back-up, go to sauce when they don't have time to make 'gravy', it has to be good. The trick is, it's pricey - $6-8 per jar. But you can buy it, since you too live alone and are worth such special indulgences. I get 4+ meals from a jar so that makes it economical, especially because I almost lick the bottom of the pan it's so good.

Of course my 45 year old son is horrified that anyone would consider spending that kind of money for a jar of pasta sauce. Oh well...

Beautiful pics Eric! I think that I sat at one of those same tables once in Ashville when I met a friend from High School half way for a reunion.

Thanks for all the info on RAOs. I don't really know how to use it though, but I think that it would make a good spaghetti sauce with fresh tomatoes, basil and veggies??

For dinner tonight I'm scarfing off the landlords. As soon as I smell that grill I'm on my way, so don't know what's for dinner yet. I'm not a complete moocher, I have watermelon.

Roche Bro and their sister store, Sudbury Farms also carry Rao's for the high ticket of 9.99. However every once in a while it goes on sale for almost half price. Wonder where our recent thread sister who knew that "gravy" royalty went. Hope she is fine.....

Am in NH for the night. We came up to see Jesus Christ Superstar being performed at the Winnipesaukee Playhouse. It was done in a contemporary set, and the singers were great!

Our drive up was awful...terrible traffic until very close to here and we had made a dinner date with some friends we have not seen in a long time, at a restaurant yet another half hour away. Well we were only 15 minutes late but after driving for three plus hours my right leg sciatica was screaming! I have to start giving the helm to DH for these long trips, but I am a car control freak and a terrible shotgun passenger.

Anyway, for dinner we both had a "greens" salad with blue cheese and balsamic, and the duck special. It was fine, nothing memorable.

Minus, I have so so so many clinical books and materials, and social/emotional learning curricula I've developed, etc., that I just cannot bear to give up yet. I am impressed with your doing it. There is just that part of me that resists being "retired", especially since I'm feeling like my brain function has pretty much returned since off the Tamoxifen. At the school luncheon one of the first grade teachers asked if I might be interested in helping them reinstate the soc/emot lessons that seem to have disappeared since I retired. I already do a volunteer job of that in my neighborhood school, so I would only consider it if it were for pay (unlikely to happen).It is unclear to me why my replacement is not providing any of that, but often things change when personnel change.

Carole, I hope you are off to a great start with your tummies full of French Silk.

Tomorrow AM we are heading back home where DS2 and DGF are dropping off their pooch as they are attending a wedding reception at of all places, Volante Farms. This reception is for one of DS2's local friends...and they are all close to Volante's owner, another buddy. Then the two are staying at our house for the night. DH is excited about having the granddog on an overnight visit.

We are leaving Sunday morning for Western MA where DH is DJing at a party held for the outgoing director of the hospital where DH is on the board. Sadly the forecast is rain for the trip out there and for the party, part of which is supposed to be outdoors.

Monday, we return home from Stockbridge to pack up for coming back to the lake for the rest of the week....then July 4th at home, then off to P-town for our time share week....then home for doc appts then off to stay with my widowed friend at the Vineyard. Phew! Summer has begun!!

I'm so not a quick turnaround traveler....I'll collapse when we get back here....and at the Cape. But I will be glad to be getting in the sun! And we'll have some great meals in P-town. Good trade off for all the driving....which is certainly not much compared to what you midwest and southwest folks do

We travelled to Tunica, MS, yesterday and stayed in a casino rv park. We had dinner in the camper. Slices of meatloaf daubed with remainder of Rao's marinara, leftover eggplant parm and tossed salad. Tonight we're north of St. Louis at a pleasant rv park near Bowling Green. After a heavy lunch at a Cracker Barrel--huge burger and home fries--dinner may be cantelope.

Nance, what is the name of your town? You can pm me.