So...whats for dinner?

Minus, Sounds like you have some great meals with wonderful people in your future. And you are right to think you might enjoy a ribeye cooked by Mr. 02143 on his charcoal grill. The man is a meat whisperer.

My mother has arrived safely, though it took a long time for her to get through customs and immigration. She was chosen for a random bag check. Ugh. Had a lovely chat, and now she has crawled into bed. The bagels are in the fridge, retarding, and I will boil and bake in the AM. We are going to visit the girl child, and will bring her a bagel. Then, my sister will come to see our mother. And all of this before 10AM!!!

*susan*

Though I do not post on this thread...do "lurk" quite often and just want to share that our very own ChiSandy will be performing a benefit concert in Hickory, NC on May 22, at American Honor Alehouse to benefit Healing Touch- a non profit group who gives breast cancer patients 6 visits to their medical spa for facials and/or massages to help them feel as well as possible during treatment.

I am VERY excited to be attending and am hoping to get as many BC.org gals as possible to meet face to face and have time together. We can get a group room rate if we have enough folks so please look at your calendars and let's make a plan. Would just love to meet you all and have time together!

The lamb loin chops are thawed. One side will be warmed up cauliflower potato mash and the other side will be a tossed salad. Alas, no avocado.

North Carolina, though it was once my home, is on my list of places I won't travel. I don't know what has happened to this place that I once loved so very much, but all the wonderful and progressive ideas that were once part of the cultural landscape have been completely dismantled. Once upon a time, artists could actually make a living there as Visiting Artists, paid by the state to live in smaller community to enhance access to the arts for all the citizens. Trust me, that is no longer the case! I hope it is a wonderful concert.

Dinner tonight was the rest of the cod sautéed with a green herb tartar sauce, french fries [oh do I need a vent hood], and cole slaw. A darn good Friday night fish "fry." Had a lovely time with my mother, sister, and unexpectedly, my daughter this morning. We went to a small coffee shop that is totally old school! They make their own donuts and brought fresh ones out while we there. Since I had had half a bagel earlier in order to take my drugs, I didn't get one, but I did have one bite of my daughter's cinnamon and it was like the donuts of my youth! The bonus? The coffee was actually good which is NOT old school. A lovely 5-block walk in sunshine. By 11:30 everyone was headed off. Perfect.

*susan*

DD would be AWWWWWWW over Casey's picture and I would agree! :-)

Tonight was burgers/fries at 5Guys and finishing up tax forms. We had everything done already except for printing the stuff out and stapling all the (seven!) W2 forms to the right pages......so tonight was a low stress day.

I also replaced a leaking clutch master cylinder in the Isuzu Trooper.

edited to add....

Kiks, glad to hear you're done with the chemo!!!!!!!!!

Now, as to dinner: Friday night I fired up the gas grill and grilled a grass-fed hanger steak marinated in chimichurri sauce; accompanied by a baked sweet potato seasoned with cinnamon, sauteed rapini with lemon. garlic, sea salt and red pepper; and baby heirloom tomatoes with basil, balsamic, and olive oil. Tonight was pan-seared Pacific salmon with teriyaki marinade and sauteed pea pods.

What a cutie Joyce!

Oh oh - Lacey mentioned doughnuts. Months go by w/o my thinking of them, but now I'm fixated - and I can't drive! It really would be over the top for me to call some neighbor to go get me a doughnut. When my DS was young (and the world was not as aware of healthy eats) we used to go to a little family owned doughnut shop before church every Sunday. In fact my ex-DH still meets a group of men friends at a different shop 5 days a week to solve all the worlds problems before work or retirement activities.

The wine tour sounds lovely. And fun to be back at your initial landing place.

Eric - I like 5-Guys bread. At least in Houston, they get their buns from am excellent local bakery. (Oops, looks like Sheila Partin's sweet sourdough is now sold to restaurants around the country.) I probably don't eat red meat twice a month but I will certainly enjoy a juicy hamburger when I get my sling off & have the use of both hands.

North Carolina's always been on my bucket list but I can wait out the idiots and go after they get their act together.

Heard from Bedo. Her recovery is coming along nicely. She's just super busy and excited about the summer job. I'm sure she'll check in soon.

Lunch Friday was explosive. Eight members of my SIL's grown family had excellent New Mexican food, but at all times at least one of the eight wasn't speaking to another & that changed throughout the meal. Moving is stressful; 30 somethings can be insistent on having everything their way RIGHT NOW; two babies crying; SIL intent on directing the show and having it HER way. Oh my. So I sat in the middle & had two margaritas. I love everyone of them but prefer to see each couple as a separate unit when we can really visit w/o "helpful suggestions" or corrections from the others.

Went to a lovely concert yesterday by Mercury Baroque. Three times a year they do a series of "neighborhood" concerts so you don't have to drive downtown. The other nice part is the 2:30 afternoon time so no one's driving after dark. I was home in time to make yet another large salad for dinner. This afternoon four neighbors are playing Chickenfoot (dominoes). I'm taking a cold boiled shrimp ring (yup, purchased since I'm not up to shelling shrimp yet). Another lady is making butter beans, I expect w/bacon. No doubt there will be desserts.

Carole - we were cross posting. How is your mother doing? Glad you're getting out a little more. I love the idea of a folding chairs & an outdoor concert.

eric - I did taxes with you in solidarity yesterday! Ours was non-eventful, but DD's taxes are complicated by having a lot of sources of income, some of them "business" related without federal withholding - so... it took all day, but is done for this year! Also had to figure out how to account for DH's executor fee and the write off for both us and DD for the property sale that were beneficiaries of from our friend's estate. Yesterday was a learning day! During the tax prep I did a quick chicken tetrazzini for my single friend (young TN BRCA1+ breast cancer a couple of years ago) who had plantar fasciitis surgery on Fri. I am taking it to her today along with some oranges and cranberry muffins. I took her to the surgery on Fri, I was surprised how fast it was - we were only there for a couple of hours. Last night's dinner was super boring - leftover steak, steamed carrots and quinoa for DH, soup, and apple, and some cheese and crackers for me. The crazy taxes wore me out! I need to shop for perishables today!

Sounds like your house is the place to go for good eats, Susan!

My food consumption today did not consist of well-rounded meals. Breakfast was plain non-fat Greek yogurt with fresh strawberries and diced mango. That was pretty healthy and tasty. I sweetened the mixture with packets of stevia. At the outdoor concert I bought a large bag of roasted peanuts in the shell and ate over half the bag. Next was a cappuccino and a delicious brownie. Then water. Tonight I finished up the peanuts and had a black plum. Now I'll have dessert, two dark chocolate Hershey kisses.

Tomorrow morning I'll bite the bullet and attend a WW meeting.

Everyone here all to exited about the nice weather....got invited impromptu to a friends for a cookout. Burgers and the usual salads. I did the macaroni salad and used lowfat plain greek yogurt with just a tbsp. of mayo as the dressing, added some red pepper relish with the celery and egg...I was disappointed there wasn't any left to bring home. Good time being outside.

Tonight we got invited to Martini Monday party. I am sure we will be on their deck overlooking the lake YAY! she is doing pizza, and I will bring a fruit salad Usually about 15-20 boat people there....she says we are celebrating the beginning of boat season.

Hope everyone is busy enjoying the warmer temps and getting outside. I picture Nance getting the garden ready.

After my WW meeting, I drove across the large parking lot to Fresh Market, where I bought some nice veggies: yellow beets, broccoli, and Swiss chard. At the fish counter, I first bought fresh cod, which was on special for $9.99. Then I ended up buying Pacific salmon, too. The salmon was thinner than I would have liked. I'm thinking I will cook it tonight and the cod tomorrow night. I will probably sear the salmon in the cast iron grill pan and not have to finish it in the oven as with thicker filets.

After my PCP visit, I stopped at Sam's Club where I bought huge blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, plums and a seedless watermelon in addition to other items.

Dinner last night was a gas-grilled organic ribeye, sauteed Brussels sprouts with balsamic vinegar, and baked beans with burnt ends. The beans were from the BBQ at Mariano’s supermarket; the other two were from scratch.

I too am dismayed by the actions of the NC legislature and Gov., but I don't think the breast cancer patients of Hickory should be penalized for the bigotry & homophobia of their state government. (Hickory is part of the general metro area of Charlotte, which had the courage to pass the anti-LGBT ordinance in the first place). Before the concert I will be attending the Southeast Regional Folk Alliance (SERFA) conference at the Montreat Center in Black Mt., part of the greater Asheville metro area--and Asheville is an oasis of enlightenment, culture and progressivism. They, too, should not be punished for the sins of their gov't in the capital (which is located in the the Research Triangle Area--where its neighbors Durham, Chapel Hill and Cary are also more progressive). Montreat, which is a Presbyterian-run facility, issued a statement denouncing HB 52, welcoming everyone as a guest regardless of race, religion, age, physical ability, sexual orientation and gender identity--and specifically invited guests to use whichever bathroom in which they feel comfortable. SERFA has decided not to cancel this year's conference (and I committed both to attending SERFA and playing the benefit in Hickory before the shameful conduct of NC's state gov't), and the liberal Local 1000 of the Musicians' Union (AFM) also supports holding the conference at Montreat this year. The progressive citizens and municipalities of Asheville and Charlotte areas should be commended, not punished, for the conduct of the disgraceful few at the top in Raleigh.

Yes, Springsteen and Adams cancelled their concerts in NC--but these were paid gigs, not benefits; and not located in the progressive areas of the state. Had my show in Hickory been just another paying gig, I'd have cancelled it and headed home to Chicago that morning.

Dinner tonight was last minute black beans [oh how I love my pressure cooker], carnitas, guacamole, fresh salsa, two Fontera sauces, and some home made tortilla chips. I didn't get home from my client meeting until 6pm, so we didn't eat until 8pm. A little late, but the best I could do.

Montreat, NC has a special place my heart. My husband's family had a house there, and we used this house for our honeymoon and for several years thereafter. Eventually we were told that it was no longer available to us since we were not participating in the religious eduction. Montreat is a Presbyterian/Episcopalian center which serves as a center for religious retreats. We were so poor when we got married. The house didn't have salt or pepper, but we had run out of money at the market so didn't have any more to buy these two staple items. The next door neighbors were so kind and gave us some. They were mighty surprised that a newly married couple would want salt and pepper, it had never happened before with honeymooner, but they almost instantly made us family.

I remember that my husband's friend [yes, four of my husband's friends joined us on our honeymoon for golfing expeditions] bought blueberries and I went back to the market [the only one in Black Mountain back then] with paper and pen, and wrote out a recipe for blueberry muffins from a cookbook they were selling. I certainly couldn't afford the book. To this day that is our "home" blueberry muffin recipe. We were so lucky that it was so very delicious. I should post this recipe....

What a lovely walk back in time this was.

*susan*