So...whats for dinner?

I knew it had been happening, and I'd been closing my eyes to it..and kind of acting like a crutch for her, but I no longer feel comfortable with the "Mom. Would you please sign here?" So, it's going through the steps needed to be able to act as a trustee..guardian..or whatever they call it.

I decided to sort of brine the salmon in chicken broth with a *LOT* of dill while the brown rice cooked and then I poached the salmon in the same broth. Tonight I wanted something simple and that was it. The dill sure does add its flavor very quickly. I had thought about making some sort of dill/plain yogurt sauce, but I didn't need it.

I've been running a lot lately. In three weeks, I've run just over 90 miles and have lost 5 pounds. It seems like a lot of work for 5 pounds, but, I'll take what I can get. The running is getting to be like it was in college...feels good mentally and physically.

I have two large pots by the front door, one with rosemary and the other with garlic chives. Both are like weeds and would take over the yard if I had them planted in the ground. The more I trim them for use in recipes, the faster it grows. Right now the rosemary is in bloom and the bees are 'lovin it'.

In the summer, spearmint does well under the protective shade of the orange tree. This is good as grass doesn't do well in that much shade. When our version of winter rolls around, the mint dies off.

Basil...basil..I've never had any luck with that here. Inside it gets "leggy" and outside it just dies.

Grapes do great here but the birds get 90% of the grapes. The grape vines shade the patio and now it looks like the leaves will be something for me to "explore", so even though I get very few grapes, the vines are worthwhile.

Eric, so sad about having to deal with your mom’s “long goodbye.”

I got lazy again tonight--Bob is working late, Gordy has a show. So I didn’t spiralize the zucchini, just nuked some non-breaded Buffalo wings with celery sticks and a single-serve bag of Skinny Pop. Downed over a pint of seltzer. Won’t comment on the “rumble” at the UIC Arena, except to say that cable news is tailor-made for those of us who are fascinated by trainwrecks but don’t feel like driving down to the tracks to have a look-see.

Nancy, I too had unwanted garlic chives that it seemed no power on earth could get rid of. They finally went away, mostly, though I'm not sure why.

Eric, sorry about your mother. My grandfather's dementia was difficult, for sure.

Taco night!

Another parent illness report. I learned at 6:30 am this morning that my mother was in the hospital. She woke up at 1 am and was unable to move her left leg. She called my sister, Michelle, who lives nearby. Michelle came and called an ambulance. The assumption was that my mother had suffered a stroke. DH and I spent the day at the hospital and were there to talk to the neurologist, who saw no evidence of a stroke when he viewed the MRI. He is exploring the possibility that she has a pinched nerve. She is alert and seems herself mentally. She has an appetite and enjoyed her lunch and dinner.

DH and I were afraid we might be trapped in the town where the hospital is located because overflowing rivers have caused closure of all roads between here and there except for I-12. And westbound it has been narrowed to one lane because of water over the other lane. We were happy to be able to make the drive eastbound and are now at home enjoying a Grey Goose martini.

Lunch was a hamburger in the hospital cafeteria. It was pretty good. Tonight we'll have one of my eggplant casseroles (out of the freezer) and a salad.

Carole, I know that trapped on the wrong side of the river thing very well. Glad you made it back safely. Good news about no stroke, but what a mystery. Hope it gets figured out and treated quickly.

Roast beef with garlic roasted potatoes and a sauteed vegetable medley tonight.

Susan, thanks for the vicarious carb fix! Bob & I just came home from Davis St. Fishmarket, where we shared an app of fried oysters, a seafood Cobb salad and “Crescent City Cioppino” (actually, just mildly spicy but lots of shrimp, crawfish, clams, mussels & swordfish in a tomato broth) with a side of spinach. Bob had a side of jambalaya and I had a little chunk of jalapeno cornbread. Brunch tomorrow is going to be an egg white-chorizo-tomato scramble with cucumber salad (he’ll have the biscuits and gravy).

Wow. Another quiet weekend. Not much going on here. DD is working and Sharon is grading papers. I've been to mom's house and then checked a vacationing friend's house, and got some laundry started.

I've been reading scienceofslowcooking.com and it gave me some ideas...sear pot roast in *SCREAMING* hot cast iron pan....put roast into a dutch oven, add balsamic vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, salt, water, enough honey to cut the sour taste, and water .

What got me stated on this was finding, at mom's house, a meat flavor injector. I used that (scary looking thing) to inject a bunch of the above braise into the meat.

The oven here will reliably go down to about 120F degrees, so for now, I've got the meat braising at 130F.

I have no idea how it will turn out. I know I've been looking for a perfect pot roast since the early 1980s and so far it's like the Lost Dutchman's gold..supposedly out there, but not yet found. In the 1980s, the three possibilities were; "Good as is", "Next time, let's try......", "When we have company over....let's not serve this" with the accompanying proper tone of voice and 'scrunched up' facial expression. I liked the first possibility, but the last one always made me smile....it's hard to explain...... :-)

I guess, in 2016, the possible outcomes won't be all that different from the 1980s.

I guess we crossposted......When I reorganize my dresser, I have to get a bit earlier than usual...changes in early morning routines aren't easy! :-)

I have a picture of bedo at Pickity Place somewhere. We should meet there again.

Good luck with getting dressed tomorrow morning, Susan! LOL

When I take things out of my closet now, it's to donate them to our Community Council second hand store. My effort to clear out this house (so that we can think about moving someday) is going extremely slowly. It doesn't help that DH has made comments to the effect that we could actually remain in our house if we want to. Well, at this rate, that might happen!

Last evening we were entertained by a very talented improv comedy group called Chicago City Limits (NYC's Comedy Improvisational Theater?) who performed at Wellesley College for a Rotary fundraiser. It was very good! I was worried that I would fall asleep since our afternoon walk left me feeling "allergically fatigued". But the show was so good that I did not have to worry about that.

I am dragging again today....but took a Claritin and headed out for another walk. I figure that I must enjoy whatever outdoor exercise I can before the real pollen erupts around here and I'll be relegated to the treadmill.

I made a cabbage lentil soup for tonight which we had with chicken sandwiches and a garden salad with an EVOO and white balsamic dressing. I realized recently that since our trip to Italy, I have not at all used bottled salad dressing, and our salads are just so light and wonderful.

Speaking of carbs (and your pizza nite wowed me, Susan!), DH made a quick Trader's trip before dinner, and surprised me with one of my favorite decadent food items from there....a six pack of cranberry-pecan pull apart rolls. Oh my! Such diet sabotage! ove those things. Maybe I should freeze a few so that the temptation is not on the counter.

Cute Pickity Place photo, Deb. I remember that day well...the first time I met all of you and our lovely Michelle. And I was thirty lbs heavier! Yikes! Nice to see Bedo.

I am dragging today as well. Went to work at 6am then gym now ready to crash at 11 am! It is "national nap day" though, so I may have to just go with it.

Relating with all the parent issues. Saw my parents yesterday and they say they are ok. Dad is learning to manage the side effects of his new med,but still doesn't have any energy, but mom says he is eating ok. Maybe when our weather perks up he will get outside and feel better.

Hubby wanted veal parm last night but the grocery store had none. Not my usual store, and the butcher says he doesn't stock it because it doesn't sell. So I did the chicken parm. Tonight will be more chicken of some sort, trying to use up leftovers

Susan drooling over those pizzas.

Our dinner was a family favorite, and easy. Merguez sausage with some saffron bulghar [cooked with turkey stock] and another huge green salad. I have been craving green lately, which is odd for this part of my Xeloda cycle. My plate was overflowing with tiny spring lettuces, and I couldn't have been more delighted. Only three sausages left, so I guess I will need to pull out the grinder and get to work soon.

Your salmon sounds wonderful, except tomato and I are not friends right now. I can add them back into my diet in about 12 days.

Apple sent my replacement machine. I am working to populate it now. Can't believe that my sweet little machine has to go back to the mothership. But, they just can't fix the problem, the switch must be done. Nuts that this has happened two weeks before the new machines are announced and released, but, eh, what can I do about that? Tomorrow I will deal with getting the AppleCare on the new machine, and a refund for AppleCare on the "defective" machine.

<ugly house update> Good news!!!!! The next slab from our lot is still available! It will arrive tomorrow afternoon and Mr. 02143 will go back [once again] to the fabricator to decide which piece of the slab should be used. We had to be firm, but they are actually fixing this! The countertops will now be installed on Thursday, very early, and the floor folks will come in right behind. Friday will be the tile backsplash. What I don't know is when the electrician will finish. The kids have moved their moving day to March 26th which gives us a few days to bring in some cleaners. <end ugly house update>

*susan*

Nace,

Great news re: Dad. I am so happy that he is doing so very well. This must be such a relief. And you dinner? It sounds likes the perfect antidote to what has been a very difficult month [or something like that.] I think the things you love can have more interest than cutting edge when special moments present themselves. One of my great wishes is that I could eat shrimp scampi or clams in a white wine sauce. My shellfish allergy leaves me drooling from afar.

*susan*

Nance, glad that your dad is doing better. Drooling over that linguine & clams description. (Is that restaurant in the burbs or on The Hill)? I got hungry again about midnight, so I stuffed a small tomato with tuna salad and had some Taittinger Brut with it. (I stay up tlll at least 3 am these days, since Bob gets home late after office & rounds and usually wants to watch a movie or a DVR’ed game on the TV in our bedroom--just so much a sleep mask & earplugs can accomplish). Peroni? I haven’t had a real beer in ages (I allow myself an O’Doul’s Amber or Kaliber very occasionally, but it’s pretty carb-y compared to even Amstel or Miller Lite, much less Michelob Ultra--and I think seltzer has more flavor than the latter).

Tomorrow is going to be a glued-to-MSNBC-and-CNN kinda night (not to mention local races for State’s Atty and US Senate). My favorite NY-style pizzeria is closed Tuesdays, it’s gonna be too stormy by evening to go out (so I’ll vote in the morning), so I will most likely boil up some Dreamfields cappellini or spiralize a zucchini and make a light primavera sauce (or even add some fresh basil & oregano to some marinara), liberally grating Parm. Regg, over it. Maybe arugula & vinaigrette beforehand, and a little cube of truffled Pecorino and a decaf espresso for dessert. Probably pour myself a glass of Etna Rosso from the Coravin.