So...whats for dinner?

I'm in Orlando....my flight to here sounded like a sanitorium during a pertussis outbreak....sigh...

Bedo, that is a riot! The kids would probably like it better than the parents. I might have been tempted if I'd seen how easy it was before doing ours which is not that complicated, but required surgical repair on the eyeballs.

Yet another real estate update.....Just had a call from DS2 (we knew he was dying to hear his birthday song duet from us!;) who had an offer accepted on another condo about which they sound totally unambivalent. Yay! Considerably more expensive, but on a quiet street, more square footage, more home like and with a gas line to the roof deck which is required in order for owners to grill there. That 'first world' requirement seemed important to them...along with parking in the city. They also get to select paint colors for wall and floors. So I'm happy he settled on this on his birthday....so they can go off with their good friends to celebrate both events tonight. They will close in early January so aren't in a panic about selling his place....I would be! Most of his neighbors have sold their condos very fast. So, fingers crossed!

Wow! Beautiful!

Gb, bwahahahaha!

SK, beautiful! Love the lighting!

Oh no Eric! Hope you tried not to breathe.

Lacey, ditto yay for good real estate karma!

Feeling tired today so dinner is totally out of the freezer - - meatballs and homemade fettuccini in Rao's recipe marinara.

Dinner here was like Minus'.....sliced cuke and crackers to scoop spinach/artichoke hummus, a poached egg, and a tossed salad. DH had leftover pizza slices, salad and a bowl of leftover butternut squash soup with pepitos that he roasted this afternoon (after harvesting them from our pumpkin). Love that kind of dinner!


Poor DH is so disappointed about our low turnout. We should head over to some friends' neighborhoods where they have swarms of kiddies and drop off our candy!


Oops...one more customer...and it turned out to be a new neighbor behind us who we had not met. Yay! I feel like the night has now been worthwhile!

Here's our little guy greeting so few!

And in case anyone ever questions whether nature has the best design......

I

Well it's 8pm and I've only had 5 or 6 groups of Halloween revelers - all little kids. Unfortunately too much candy still left - yup I caved in and bought more - but I'll turn off the light shortly. Not interested in the rowdy teens anymore.

Oh special - that is gorgeous. I don't think I can make it for dinner this week though. I may get details on the decking for my own porch once things settle down.

Lacey - so glad to hear about DS2s offer. I don't understand how the economics work for that generation, but as long as they're paying their own way, I don't feel entitled to complain too loudly. So my son & DGF got moved into their new place back in San Francisco - downsizing from 2400 in the burbs to 1150 for the opportunity to move where there is one hour less commute each way.

I woke up at 4am with torrential rainstorms and couldn't go back to sleep. So at 6am I ate my leftover piece of pepperoni & mushroom pizza - cold at that. The newspaper wasn't here due to the storms & it was pitch black, so I went back to bed & slept from 8-10am. For lunch I had 3 slices of leftover sushi - California Roll - that I picked up for lunch in the medical center when I had my port flush earlier this week. Tonight I'm considering leftovers - black beans, rice already cooked, half an avocado, Hatch green chili salsa - or maybe Asian sweet chili sauce instead. I need to work on that loaf of Rosemary/Potato bread too before it starts to mold. I remember my Mom's bread sitting out on cupboards for days, but then it wasn't 80 degrees in Northern California either.

Eric - meant to say earlier, I've always been a fan of Airborne before, during & after a flight. It's kept me from many a cold. But hopefully you are home safe from the pertussis convention. I'm corresponding w/my brother about a Grand Canyon trip in the spring so maybe I'll get to meet you all.

Pushing the envelope folks - and planning 3 trips in 2016. Got to make up for the 4-5 years w/no trips further than a 2 hours drive & convince my mind forget about BC. The first recurrence was 2 years out. Next year will be 2 years again, so...

Bedo - we were cross posting. So was it the Ruby slippers? Or Ruby getting ready to go to town? Horses of a different color for sure. Glad you had fun.

We are back! I will try to write up a food diary later. In the morning, I go and sit in the new house while it is measured. I am going to sit in rooms and envision what they will become. I can't believe that we will be buying this sweet spot on Friday.

*susan*

Eric, Does your post mean you are back home safely?

That is sweet, Susan! Really happy for you!

DS2 and DGF also seem so very happy with their pending purchase. Turns out it is in a better area of Savin Hill....closer to the water, and on a quiet street. He sounds so unambivalent and excited about this. Lists his place later this week...hopefully it will sell soon! Anything reasonably priced in Southie goes quickly.

And I am thinking that by now, Special's real estate transaction is complete.
Also happy that your DS is settled, Minus!

Made a great healthy dinner tonight...sort of a stovetop "baked" cod with tomatoes, onions, garlic and......sauteed kale served with orzo, feta cheese, and a delightful "salad bowl lettuce" (my favorite) simple salad dressed with Trader's olive oil/lemon juice dressing.

Since today was Farmer's Market, I bought more greens (fridge is sooo crowded) and a beautiful large eggplant which I am using right now to make ratatouille. This will be a great several night meal for me since DH has conference dinners three evenings this week. I may defeat that nasty scale after all...after our Tuesday trip to erbaluce!

Can't wait to see your finished product pix, Special. I'm still amazed at the speed with which this is getting built!

Lacey: Somehow I don't remember a review of "Beautiful" or an erbaluce recap. I scrolled back, but maybe I'm nuts. Looking forward to a story about both.

Susan: It will be fun to hear about your imaginings as you sit & contemplate the new place - not to mention the upcoming food diary.

Special: Good luck w/the closing tomorrow. I know you're ready for that to be done. Neat that you're going to get the bathrooms done too.

You all are inspiring me. I've been putting off getting new windows for over a year so I researched this weekend. I have narrowed it down to two companies I'll call tomorrow and have them both out to quote this week.

I only see 2 or 3 movies per year, but went to see Intern this afternoon before it totally left the city. Funny movie w/Robert DeNiro and Anne Hathaway that really highlights the differences between the millennials & those of us who are "more mature". As a 70 year old retired widower, he goes to work as a senior "intern" for a 20 something tech company. His facial expressions are so comprehensive, he doesn't even need to talk to let you know what he's thinking. What a versatile actor.

Welcome home, Eric! Good meals in Dutch ovens soon to be cooked!

I don't love ratatouille and I think I tried making it twice. Before doing so, I read many recipes. Mine turned out "soupy" and I didn't like the texture of the eggplant.

Tonight we're having a chicken and artichoke heart casserole using a large chicken breast that I will cut into thick slices. I will use some baby bella mushrooms cooked in butter, a carton of home-made chicken broth and canned artichoke hearts. I looked up the recipe in Peg Bracken's I Hate to Cook Book and will use it as a guideline. Instead of flour for thickener I'll use zanthum gum and cut carbs. The recipe calls for a little sherry. I would rather have the skin on bone in chicken pieces but I had the chicken breast in the freezer. And the artichoke hearts in the pantry.

I couldn't resist buying a rotisserie chicken at Sam's Club. A bargain at $5. Nearly everybody leaves the store with one. I had a slice of breast with some goat cheese for lunch. The remainder is probably destined to become chicken salad.

Minus, this is a new copy I ordered from Amazon several years ago when an rv fulltimer friend, Bill, mentioned that it is his one cookbook in the motorhome. He does most of the cooking for him and his wife. I had owned a copy years ago and gotten rid of it. The chicken artichoke mushroom dish last night was delicious. Our side was bok choy sautéed in butter. I wasn't hungry because of my mid afternoon snack of rotisserie chicken and goat cheese.

DH and I are going into New Orleans today for lunch with a woman we knew eons ago in St. Thomas when dh crewed on a sailing charter boat that she and her husband owned. We have not seen her in all these years. She and her companions are staying in a hotel on Camp St. not far from the streetcar tracks. We're planning to ride the streetcar with the three of them to Mandina's restaurant on Canal Street. It's a favorite of ours when we venture into the city.

In a little while dh and I are going to the gym. My second day in a row, Lacey! I wish our YMCA had a stretching class like the one you describe.

Is anyone cooking and eating?