So...whats for dinner?

Eric - that's the correct impression exactly!!! "Important" (??) men who lunch. Fits my ex-DH. And now you all know one reason he is an ex.

So I'm too lazy to look up "braciole" and would love a description by those craving it. My NO French college roommate's mother made an involved dish with beef rollups that had a similar name. Lacey how were the chicken rollups? I've never eaten those when the chicken had much taste. Funny story about your avoiding serving the beef. The older gentleman sounds like very good company.

DH made lentil soup on his own yesterday while I was out of the house. He first made Italian sausage with a lb of The Pig ground pork. I could tell he also used carrot and celery and onion. When I checked the pot in the late afternoon, it was almost brimming with soup. Much too thin. So I took off the lid and started reducing the liquid. Later I added a frozen package of home-cooked faro. The Italian sausage flavor was a tad odd for lentil soup, I thought but did not say. We both enjoyed two bowls of the soup for dinner along with a large bun (half whole and half all purpose flour) from the freezer. I was most appreciative of not having to cook dinner myself.

Dinner tonight will be the responsibility of Chef Hosie at the club. We are meeting another couple for dinner there. The prices are reasonable and the food is always good. And from 5 to 7 in the bar, the drinks are 2 for 1.

Since I do not have an Italian grandmother watching my every move, my definition of braciole is a bit more fluid. I never use the raisins even though I know that they are traditional. In the summer, I love to make a basil mixture for the interior. In the winter, I move towards spinach. Always include parmesan, pine nuts, and some sun-dried tomatoes. Such a marvelous dish with a special sauce.

Accredo called this morning. I will have my drugs on Sunday, but since I now have permission to delay the first day, I am going to wait until Tuesday to start. Sunday we are headed to Newport, RI to see some mansions, and Monday we will go to the MLK celebration at the Museum of Fine Arts. Have no interest in explosive diarrhea on either trip. So, why not wait until she is on her way to Paris? I have decided that I am in this for the long haul [we hope] and three days will not make a bit of difference.

Tonight's dinner is centered around a lovely avocado that is ready to eat. Grilled flank steak that has marinaded in a fajita thing, black beans, avocado, pico de gallo, and a lime-dressed cabbage salad. Mr. 02143 says that 28º is not too cold for grilling.

*susan*

My impression of Cap. Grille the couple of times we went (back in the day when drug companies allowed spouses to tag along at their doctor dinners) was the same as yours--businessmen trying to one-up each other and their clients. I don't miss it at all.

Houston & Dallas have just as upscale restaurants as do Chicago & Boston (though fewer edgier hole-in-the-wall places). And I wish we had a branch of Legal Sea Foods here! (Fortunately, Davis St. Fishmarket in Evanston is nearly as close as Dead Lobster in Lincolnwood--and no pricier).

When I got home from LE therapy yesterday, the steaks weren't yet fully defrosted, so I served the sauceless BBQ chicken dark meat quarters I bought from Mariano's on the way home. Two giant leg quarters (the legs were almost as big as RenFair turkey drumsticks) for three bucks! Their in-house Todd's BBQ finally has its act together--they were perfect, not at all salty, with the skin beautifully crisp. Gordy & I shared one quarter--he had the drum, I the thigh. Bob got home late from office hrs., and ate the entire other quarter. No starch--I nuked the remaining asparagus & kalettes I had on hand (rinsed first, then one minute, practically a “blanch"). Sauteed the asparagus in olive oil, lemon balsamic, and Sicilian orange sea salt. Tossed the kalettes in olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic, ground sage, cumin and a bit of smoked paprika. Dessert was Greek yogurt with a little raw honey.

Chicken pot pies tonight. Since I have extra crust, I'll get a quiche out of it as well. I have a plethora of eggs and tomorrow is egg day (again!) I also made a 7" key lime cheesecake in the pressure cooker. First time for this. I don't have high expectations for it but I'm very curious.

Eric - I'm sorry about your mom's decline. Believe me, I feel your pain. It's hard.

Bedo - 50 degrees! Yike! I'm a wuss. 67 is as low as I go lol!

Going to stovetop-grill (raining now, can’t use the outdoor gas grill) a couple of Snake River Farms tenderloin petite filets I defrosted yesterday (seasoned with just kosher salt and fresh-ground pepper). Have some wild mushroom blend, so I’ll saute it with half a shallot and some red wine or sherry. Baby haricots verts amandine or Brussels sprouts with balsamic-glaze (haven’t decided yet) and will split a small baked sweet potato seasoned with salt, pepper & cinnamon. Gonna tap that Bordeaux I Coravin-ed last month to see how well it fared--will drink about an ounce or two.

I love the days my neighborhood friends play Chickenfoot (a domino game). Most of the time everyone just brings something with no planning, so you never know what you'll get. Today we had shrimp dip (an old one with cream cheese & mayo), a banana pecan cake, a salad w/field greens & tangerines & grapefruit, an angel food cake w/fresh strawberries & whipped cream, sturdy straight wheat pretzels & a honey/mustard/sesame dip, rice cracker mix w/peas, truffles, etc. Always too much food so no dinner tonight.

Eric - am I remembering that your Mother is 90? I finally took the financial chores over from my father when he hit 92. Hope you find something that works for home care. We found the most loving young woman from Tonga who sang to my Mother while she changed her diapers & feeding tube, and massaged cream into her skin every day. When Mother died, she stayed on to care for my Dad for the 3 years until he died - although that was a much harder task since he didn't want anyone to do anything.

Bedo - 50 degrees? I would be frozen. I'm trying to keep the house at 68 but I'm wearing sweaters & a hat & sometimes gloves inside, and have a ceramic dish heater that I position by my feet when I'm reading.

So how is the taste and texture???? You are being VERY adventuresome with that pressure cooker!

*susan*

So... C arrived home around 8:30. I served her some supper. Her plate has some thinly sliced flank steak, half an avocado, a modest amount of pico de gallo, and a nice serving of black beans. She is very French, so first she ate her beans. Then she began on the avocado with salsa, intermingled with a bit of meat. Then she finished the meat. She asked if she could have some more the pico de gallo. Well, she took the spoon and ate the entire bowl of salsa! I think she likes freshly made Mexican food.

*susan*

My new bras (a band size and therefore a cup size larger) arrived today--and once again my cleavage is vertical & centered. (No red marks, either). I decided to relentlessly weed out and organize my underwear drawers (in my dresser, not on my person). I was ruthless--any frayed elastic, ladders, holes in the lace and out they went. Bob took a look and asked “Who are you and what have you done with my wife?”

Did indeed make those steaks. Baked a small sweet potato and when done, split and seasoned it with salt, pepper & cinnamon. Pan-roasted halved Brussels sprouts in olive oil, then tossed with balsamic vinegar and black truffle salt. After seasoning with just salt & pepper, seared the steaks 2 min. per surface. Deglazed the pan with red wine; added minced shallots, wild mushrooms, the juices from the resting steaks, a splash of sherry and chopped parsley. Didn’t need to add butter. Tried a couple of ounces of that 2010 Bordeaux Superieur I tapped with the Coravin last month, and it hasn’t changed at all--still sort of malic (apple-skin taste), with a wine-cellar aroma (grape skins, fruit) and some tannin.

Monica, the Coravin is the argon gas thingy--pricey ($300, but not $500). The reason I didn’t get the inflatable rubber bulb one is that you must keep it in the particular bottle you’re preserving, and have to buy a separate unit (not just the little balloon, which you can’t seal off & detach) for each bottle. The ability to sample and preserve as many bottles as you have argon gas available was what sold me on the Coravin. I used to use the Vacu-Vin pump system with rubber stoppers, but the stoppers eventually leak after about a week or so, need to be replaced, and the pump is tiring to operate. The only real drawback of the Coravin is that it doesn’t work as well on artificial corks--but you can’t tell what kind of cork is in there until you remove the capsule, which you’re not supposed to do with the Coravin: the needle pierces both the capsule & cork, and the capsule does help prevent evaporation after the cork heals itself when the needle is withdrawn. It doesn’t bother me that it doesn’t work for champagne, since you’re going to stopper and chill the leftovers and drink them within the week; nor that it doesn’t work for screw caps, because......well, they’re screw-cap wines, inexpensive enough to kill off the whole bottle.

I once made a diet key lime cheesecake when I was on Weight Watchers. I made nonfat “yogurt cheese” by straining nonfat yogurt overnight in the fridge, and using it as the base. I went through a bag of 20 key limes--probably burned more calories squeezing them (and then having to ice my sore arm) than I took in eating it. I used graham cracker crumbs for the crust, and sweetened it with Splenda. Garnished it with fresh blackberries from my garden. What little I managed to eat (my block party guests made short work of it) was delicious.

Nance, your pc manufacturer should have you QVC! I love that you're having so much fun with your pc and also love that you're so adventuresome.

Moon, I have a collection of crochet hat patterns. There's a gene in my family that I and my siblings all inherited that makes us go "whole hog" at whatever interest we develop. I've done it with pottery, stained glass, fresh water acquariums, gardening. My mo is to amass a library and buy lots of product. You should see the yarn in the guest bedroom. DH's comment was he hoped I used all that yarn before the passion died. I usually donate the library along with the equipment when I phase out the hobby. Fortunately this hobby isn't expensive although I'm shocked to see what decorative buttons cost now. Some of the hat patterns call for buttons as embellishment. Recently I finished up a spool of thread (different subject) that had a wooden spool and a price of 33 cents. It was OLD. A similar spool of thread now on a plastic spool is $3 or $4, depending on whether you buy it at Walmart or Hobby Lobby.

Sorry, that was all off subject.

Last night's dinner at the club was wonderful and the situation was most entertaining. It was Turn Back the Clock night with the prices reduced to what they were 4 or 5 years ago. We had a reservation but some of the regular Friday night diners did not. They arrived to find the place swarming with other well heeled folks there for the bargain! And it was a bargain. I FINALLY got my prime rib on the rare side along with a delicious scalloped potato dish and tiny green beans. There was also a good crusty bread and butter. Then there were pricey extras like the crab and brie soup and wine by the glass.

DH ordered lamb shanks which looked sumptuous and he liked them a lot. We all skipped coffee and dessert. I brought part of my dinner home but he ate all of his. So I will have prime rib sandwich for lunch!

Sunshine and Mom, I prefer plainer foods, too, but occasionally a simple sauce can elevate a food to another level of taste. My younger sister is not fond of cooking and thinks it's silly to go to a lot of trouble to make a meal that she and her dh eat in 10 or 15 minutes. This same women feeds horses and livestock twice a day and considers it time well spent.

Today I will make a red sauce with ground beef and Italian sausage donated by my mother. Tomorrow's dinner is spaghetti and meat sauce. Easy and fattening. Not sure what dinner tonight is. Maybe pizza. I have home-made crust dough in the freezer.

Oh you all make me so hungry. Carole - spaghetti - wouldn't that be wonderful in the cold. I desperately need to loose the weight I've gained since Thanksgiving since I'm on the cusp of a different size again. I refuse!!! I had 1/2 a grapefruit for lunch and will have several slices of a California Roll for dinner. Oh, oh - I just remembered there's a baguette in the kitchen and bread is my downfall.

Moon - we started playing a couple of years ago when I was in chemo but we never pre set games. It's usually on a Friday at 2:30pm and someone will email to see if we can get at least four together. We try to play every 3-4 weeks. One of the ladies has a game room with a large game table for 8 that stays set up all the time, so it's easy to do last minute. And it suits all of us that no one has to host a formal meal - so you can cook or bake if you choose or just bring cheese & crackers depending on how your week is going. Some still work part time, four still have husbands, four do not. The husband where we play always wanders in to nibble and often plays a hand or two if there's a chair.

About four hours ago I lost yet another post that was a long-y. Minus, how can I be in touch with the Mods to correct this? I thought maybe the HELP link, but that is formatted in a way that does not seem to entertain questions about such problems.

Chi, There is something about these long gray winter days that seems to get in the way of creative productivity, for sure. I had lots of plans for what I was going to get done today ...some of them creative....and basically got the laundry done and, as planned, found a recipe to use up the too many chicken cutlets I bought this week. I was amazed that they were still fresh. I ended up making a mexican roll up dish that included so many of the veggies, dairy, and salad makings that I had in the fridge....read mexican restaurant chicken roll ups with lettuce, tomatoes, blk olives, cilantro, and sour cream accompaniments. Now I remember why I never make Mexican style food except for fish or chicken with just salsa. DH loved it all! I felt unhealthily stuffed!

Tonight's dinner was to be my challenge to decide whether I would ever make any chicken roll up recipes again. I decided that while these were tasty, I will forget about doing any form of roll up. To keep them moist, it seems one has to include either cheese inside the roll up (tonight I melted cream cheese, since I had it, with sauteed onions, garlic, spinach and mushrooms for the filling along with a small piece of pepper jack cheese), or douse them in a sauce. Aside from the salsa idea, I do not need the extra calories of a cheese sauce, so there goes that! I 'd better revisit Laurie's salsa chicken recipe. By the way, I did send folks' holiday greetings to her on Facebook!

Minus, I like the sound of your "dominoes community" and the way your relaxed group operates...and the fact that the resident DH can breeze in and out for food and connection. Cute!

Okay let's see if this post disappears as the one I tried about our hobby habits did earlier today!

Lacey: Here's the thread I use for glitches. They're pretty good about following up. You should probably post what hardware & software you are using since it helps w/diagnosis.

https://community.breastcancer.org/forum/93/topics...