So...whats for dinner?

Carole - what was for dinner today?

Nance - you're right. We didn't hear what Carole took to her Mother's yesterday. Carole, I miss hearing about the good Sunday dinners too.

chisandy - yes, the whole reason the contractor piped in the gas line was to have that constant supply but the issue is the conversion kit for the existing grill - the orifices for the burners have to be the right size and we are having issues finding the right kit.  The grill manufacturer does not make one - using one made from another manufacturer voids the grill warranty, so...  we will probably have to just use a tank.  Because this is a hybrid grill we will most likely use the charcoal side whenever we have time to wait for the coals to be ready, so I think the tank ill last a fairly long time.  It is usually just the two of us eating, so while the convenience of not having to use a tank would be great but so far is proving to be a frustration.  The good news is that our son is a fireman, so if we can figure this out he can hook it up over the holidays for us!

Dinner last night was a grill dog and sweet potato fries at the Buccaneer's game, DD and DH had something from Chipotle.

Carole, I break down the carcass with my hands as much as I can and then place all the pieces into a large dutch oven [oval in my case.] Then I pour water over the beast until just submerged. Preheat the oven to 200º, pop in the oven. I reduce the temperature to 180º when I go to bed. Some people like to add some aromatics about 2 hrs before you are going to pull it out, but I don't bother since the thing was already seasoned and I season differently when I use the stock based on the soup I am making. Couldn't be much easier! I admit that I move the bones around a bit after about 8 hrs so they are giving all of their goodness. At that point, if I can break up the carcass a bit more, I do. Hope this helps. *susan*

Sounds like a wonderful, full, early Thanksgiving, Carole.

It is pretty amazing how lovely a stock is when those bones steep for so long. I loved the way mine turned out when I recently tried the overnite crock pot method....maybe a bit more economical than having the oven on overnight. Hope you have fun making some great soups from that stock, Carole!

Tonight, DH made himself chcken salad from the rest of the bought chicken, and I had two poached eggs over the last of the ratatouille. I also made a spinach salad with pear, red onion, pecans, cranberries, and feta cheese with a tasty spur of the moment made vinaigrette. So finally we cleared some space in the fridge.

Just talked with DS2 who has his P and S done for the new place, and he agreed to an offer made today on his Southie condo. So If all goes well, he will be able to swing the new place without any problem. What a fast moving crazy market, I will say once again!

I am happy that I got the taggies completed and delivered, so now I am able to attack all the sewing projects on my dining room table over the next week, purely to clear out fabric and undone projects before Thanksgiving!

I am wondering if my posts are not getting posted due to my use of the Rich Text option. I prefer it when on the ipad since it does not fuss so much....but will turn it back to 'plain text' when I push that submit button so I don't keep experiencing this frustration.

If, tomorrow, you talk with a US Marine...tell them Happy Birthday.

http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2013/03/doberge-cake-new-orleans-birthday-cake-lemon-chocolate-layer-cake-recipe.html

I just pinned this to my Let them Eat Cake board. I can see I'm going to have to make it.

Carole, we are going to try to go to Mandina's on Christmas eve for lunch. You'll have to tell me what to get.

No time off for me....oh well....hopefully the drive to work will be quick.

There is just a tiny bit of the 4 pound pot roast left. Everyone likes it, so I guess that will be one to add to the "red note book".

I took the juice and heated it tonight so I could eat it like an onion-beef soup.

I ran 7-1/4 miles tonight, Even though I'm now wearing a jacket and ski pants and ate the hot "soup", I'm shivering so much that I can barely type...time for a warm shower, I guess.

I am trying to make "Maid Rites" today in the crockpot---my dad is having his basal cell thingy taken off his neck this afternoon so I thought this would be a good quick late lunch/ early dinner. It is hamburger, soy sauce, Worchester sauce, onion,, apple cider vinegar and brown sugar, plus a chicken and a beef bouillon cube.(and water)

We are supposed to have some potentially serious weather today. I am hoping it holds off until we are done with his appointments and home.

Okay, my midwestern friends... what is a Maid Rite? Loose meat sandwich? All I can visualize is a sloppy Joe kind of thing.

My pregnant daughter has lost her appetite. It isn't that she is isn't hungry, just no appetite. I saw that her diet was declining as she was just choosing easy to make meals. That always translates to carbs like pasta. So last night I made her chicken with salads; tonight it was haddock, rostis with scallions, and asparagus. I made a buerre blanc which wasn't very good. Last time I will make that recipe. Instead, in the future, I will just make a pan sauce if I want a sauce. Way more flavor and a ton less butter. Anyhow, the girl took the largest piece of fish and consumed a great amount of protein. [Yay me!]

We meet with the first of three contractors tomorrow. I played with floor plans today and then did a bunch of coding. I hope that my mental calculations of cost are least close. It would be nice if I didn't have to be the general contractor.

*susan*

Ditto on your wonderful nurturing mommy style, Susan!


And I also wondered about Maid Rite definition. I kept thinking about a cleaning service. . I would probably prefer a cleaning service! Never was a fan of sloppy joes, and not sure ground meat without tomato sauce would appeal much more. Give me that ol sauteed kale and veggies with an egg on top! LOL


Tonight we headed to the Celtics game and on the way stopped for dinner at a place near there called West End Johnnie's. Since the last time we were there they have beefed up their menu to add some nice salads. I had a crock of onion soup, which was very good, and an interesting arugula salad tooped with grilled chicken that was cooked perfectly. I really did not expect it to be that good....pleasant surprise!

There were tons of military folks eating there or just passing through to collect the tickets that were being given out for the game by the USO. Then there were lots of service honoring activities during the game breaks, including a marriage proposal and a basketball game with military folks (men and women). I was fascinated to see that all the female military wore their hair in tight little buns. Is that regulation, I wonder?

Yesterday, I went to my new allergy doc. She is a DO, and is lovely. She had been on the staff of the place that closed, and now started a smaller functional medicine practice along with another doc and some of the related service providers from there. I basically just want her to follow me for my allergy treatment, especially since I am on this sublingual treatment for quite a while. And it is good that it is all I need her for since this is a limited practice, and she is honoring mainly her patients from the place that closed. What a mess they have gone through over the past six months, and I am glad that they have all landed on their feet.....and relieved that I was able to find a doc who seems kind, thorough and competent....and takes my insurance.

Oh, and we all might enjoy the fact that when the doc weighed me, I mentioned that I was trying to lose several lbs. since, until recently, I was lighter. I was shocked that she countered with the fact that my weight was fine especially since at my age one should not be too thin. I almost broke out laughing.

Red, I hope your appts with your dad went well and that you made it home before any scary weather.
And Nance, sending good thoughts your way for a productive and not too exhausting day caring for your dad's needs. Your cooking lately has sounded so wonderful!

The maid rites were good, but I cooked them much longer than the directions said. I add mustard and pickle relish to it once it is on the bun. I didn't have any ketchup or I'd have slopped some of that on too.....We waited an hour past the appointed time for his procedure as the doctor was behind. He was sent home with an antibiotic and a pain pill but told not to use them unless I see signs of infection. this afternoon I am to start with bacitracin twice a day and keep it covered till the stitches come out on the 20th. Tomorrow he is having a bone scan so we go to get the injection at 10:45 and the scan is supposed to be at 2pm. The storm was brewing as we came home, so he wanted me to go home before it hit. and he did not want me spending the night. It came in like a lion about 7pm and we had some major 70 mph wind gusts. But, no power outages and the leaves I had paid Polo to blow to the curb are still on the curb so the wind must have been coming out of the east last night. Still under a wind advisory until 6pm tonight. It is overcast and cold today--high only 51, but with the wind it is much colder... I hope the city comes and gets them today. I would have thought they would have been in texas by now, the way the wind is blowing...

Susan, did you put the asparagus in the rostis?

The thin parts of the haddock fillets from last night's dinner were tucked away and tonight they will turn into fish tacos. I will top with a bit of cabbage marinated in lime juice, some Mexican crema, tomatillo sauce and a bit of tomato. There is not enough food for two people, but it will have to do since the magic freezer is out of black beans. If I had looked earlier in the day, I could have soaked the beans and cooked them up before dinnertime. Oh well!

The news from the midwest about your winds and rain are astonishing! It has been somewhat windy, and very damp, here but nothing like what the midsection of the country is experiencing. Glad everyone is staying safe. Especially as you take parents to their numerous appointments. They are all lucky to have you nearby and willing to help.

*susan*

On Nov. 11, Nancy said: "Today I have been perusing NOLA hotels for our Christmas getaway. I've already made reservations for our Reveillion.“

I spent a week in NOLA in August and had a truly wonderful stay at the Old No. 77 Hotel & Chandlery on Tchopitoulas St. (halfway between Canal and Emeril’s). I was attending a conference at a Marriott Suites across from the Convention Ctr. but the conference hotel was a bit too pricey for me. Because I was flying on SW, I got an e-mail offering the Old No. 77 for $99/night if I booked it together with my flight. It used to be the Ambassador (most cabbies still call it that), which used to be somewhere between “meh” and “flea-pit.” But it was taken over last year by a boutique hotel consortium out of Portland, and they hit a home run with it. Brick walls & exposed beams throughout; rooms all have original artwork (the corridors are an art gallery) and Scandinavian Modern furniture, with down pillows & duvets on the beds. Rooms have not only plenty of outlets, but built-in USB ports (at each side of the bed, at midlevel so you don’t have to bend down to plug in) and free, secure high-speed wi-fi. Minibar has artisanal local booze! Wonderful, friendly, unpretentious service (despite the hipster decor). Full-service espresso bar & bakery cafe in lobby. The restaurant, Compere Lapin, is helmed by “Top Chef” runner-up Nina Compton and serves a fusion of Caribbean, N. Italian, and pan-Louisiana cuisine. Artisanal cocktails and deep and thoughtfully-curated wine list (by-the-glass choices if you’re carefully rationing your intake, as am I now). I have stayed in all sorts of NOLA hotels, from crummy chain motels to older boutiques like Maison Dupuy and St. Marie and large luxe hotels such as the Omni Royal Orleans and Sonesta. This was the only one from which I was extremely reluctant to check out at the end of my stay. It might be pricier now, but IMHO it’s worth being close to the CBD and a short walk from the Quarter without the noise and the drunken tourists. Parking (inexpensive paid lot) is across the street, but the valets will do it for you if you’d rather not schlep stuff from car to hotel.

I also ate at Galatoire’s (Sun. lunch), GW Fins, Arnaud's and Cochon; Brennan’s was a pleasant surprise, since at least at dinner it is no longer touristy and clichéd but elegant without being stuffy. Couldn’t get into Commander’s Palace (first time out of seven trips). I did indulge in cafe au lait and beignets--but at CDM’s Riverwalk branch, where it was easy to get a table without hovering over people who look about to finish. (No wind to blow sugar all over you, either).