So...whats for dinner?

Wow Nance. I'm not sure how I missed the pie. I'm sorry to hear about your dad's CHF...one more thing.... My dad had CHF and I don't remember it needing a lot of specialized care, so maybe it won't change is living arrangements. There were the daily blood pressure, weight and ankle checks,plus half a dozen (more) pills and yet another doctor to visit each month.

That salad does look good Lacey..

If you haven't noticed, I do love food 'porn'

Everyone here is quite good about helping around the kitchen, so that's nice. Mom used to help too, but now gets a pass.

Susan, are the new parents "hitting their stride"? I see the pictures of Olivia and it takes me back to when DD was that age.

We have a $40 gift certificate to a local restaurant (not my fave, since it’s fairly heavy comfort food, but it’s open late 24/7/365), so I’m waiting for the massive Lake Shore Drive traffic jam Bob’s stuck in to resolve. If by the time he gets home and is too tired to go out, I have a duck breast thawed out in the fridge I can grill, and serve it with either broccolini or brussels sprouts and a nice Pinot Noir.

We had hamburgers smothered in mushrooms, peppers and a touch of cheese, left over veggie medley and cottage cheese. Along with ice cold, juicy sweet watermelon. Simple but yummy :-)

Yum... Pie and your beautiful salad! Perfect!

We made it to the Fireside--it was jammed, because there was a huge Memorial Day ceremony across the street in Rosehill Cemetery. They are notorious for huge portions, so I had the Bronzed Shrimp appetizer (had expected prawns in sort of New Orleans “barbecue shrimp” style, but it was smaller shrimp in sort of a very mild Moroccan sauce) and a side Caesar salad, hold the croutons, and they kept forgetting the salad. Bob had the Cajun meatloaf with green beans and mashed potatoes, and ordered soup--which never came. So we were comped a dessert--shared some really good red velvet cake.

It's called a clean out the fridge night, so another easy night for m

Still have two spareribs and a huge smoked chicken thigh left--but I’m gonna have to grill that duck breast before it goes bad. Think I’ll make garlic green beans to go with it.

Susan is right, zucchini doesn't freeze that well. At the end of the summer when I have bigger zukes, I usually chop and freeze some for zucchini bread. Even after draining and wringing the life out of them, they tend to be a pile of mush. It's ok for zucchini bread, but not much else.

Eric - normally CHF wouldn't be that big of a deal to manage, except in my dad's case, his pulse has been dropping drastically after exertion (e.g. physical therapy) so the diuretic has to be used judiciously to keep everything from dropping too much. He seems to be very fragile right now and can't walk at all. I haven't been able to get an explanation for that and we can't get into the cardiologist until next week at the earliest. He will not be able to go to supportive living if he can't walk at all so it's kind of a mess.

I made a large batch of chicken stock in the pressure cooker today. Smells wonderful. I was horrified to find that I was all out a couple of days ago so that has now been remedied. Easy meal tonight -- grilled smoked sausage and leftover sides from yesterday's bbq. Including pie!

Today's Wildlife Report - we were very thrilled to see that another pair of orioles were building a nest in a tree right next to the house. Sadly, one of the recent storms broke the branch it was on and it came crashing to the ground. When I picked it up I saw that it had 4 eggs in it. I hope they try again on a sturdier branch! On a happier note the house wrens have nested in the wren house on the porch and have been very busy. The damned squirrels have eaten my parsley plants for the second time and this time got the cilantro too! There has been a doe wandering around the property for the past few days. I'm wondering if she has a fawn in the woods since she never gets too far from them, but so far we haven't spied one. As usual, she's been enjoying the grass under the apple trees (is it sweeter?) as well as the lower branches of the trees. I suspect she's been eating the small apples too, since the trees are loaded this year. Maybe we'll actually get one or two (ha!) A suspiciously large raccoon (preggers no doubt) has been coming daily to eat the bird seed on the ground. It may have to be trapped soon if it decides to expand it's horizons. DH saw the fox yesterday heading toward where we think her den is. It's been a busy week in the Briarpatch* (*the name of our subdivision is Briarwood Estates -- so pretentious. It's always been Briarpatch to me.)

Friday is DS's birthday, so DS, DDIL and the new granddog Olivia are coming on Saturday. I've been busy with menu planning and shopping lists today. I think I've got it all figured out but Friday will be a BUSY day.

Minus, I always hate to be the bearer of bad news.

Dinner tonight was leftover grilled chicken, more mac/cheese, and a vinegar slaw. Clearly, I am in a rut here. Same foods over and over. I just don't have the energy lately to spend hours designed, shopping for, and making creative dinners. Can't wait for local produce to start coming in. Plates of locally grown vegetables is sounding so very appetizing about now. Tomorrow's dinner will be pretty much the same thing again. I have arranged to have some women come to clean the house. I think to pull off this AirBNB thing, I will need to have some of the spaces cleaned professionally, and it will all be tax-deductible!

*susan*

Eric - I'm saddened to hear that your Mom's memory has continued to decline. You are a wonderful son for taking care of everything. I sure do understand cooking for one - AND especially not turning on the oven to heat up the house, although we haven't hit 100 yet. Luckily I like leftovers so I'll cook my protein in large batches & freeze it already cooked in portions for one - pork loin, chicken breasts, meatballs. All I have to do is defrost and add sauce or a final sear.

Nance - sorry to hear about you Dad's additional troubles.

Susan - don't worry about a meal rut. You deserve some time w/o worrying about inventive dinners while the chemo works it's miraculous but nasty wonders. As a matter of fact, you've made me hungry for mac & cheese.

Eric, so sorry you have to watch both your parents in decline. Mine died 20 yrs apart--Dad suddenly at 72 of a massive MI, Mom at almost 86 after a 4-year bout with CHF and COPD (and probably lung cancer--she knew about a 6cm nodule but refused a biopsy), Dad had such deep depression that it was misdiagnosed for awhile as Alzheimer’s. Mom was reasonably mobile (Rollator walker) and fully cognizant to the end. (She died suddenly at home one morning, a month after being discharged from hospice for not dying within 6 months--the night before she died she called to for help with a NYTimes crossword clue). I was living in Chicago both times--Dad died when my folks were still in Brooklyn, Mom 13 years after moving to FL. (I had visited her a week earlier).

It’s warm here but not really hot--we’re in a storm cycle for the next few days. I grill outside whenever I can--haven’t used my oven, except to bake a low-carb pizza--in a couple of years! I do everything on the stove, with a reversible flattop grill.

dinner is going to be another clean out the fridge night here

To night we are having pork loin, truck stop tators and a small salad. Truck stop tators are left over cooked potatoes that I cut into small cubes, sauté them in butter and paprika, sometimes I add a little green onion.

I also did chicken on the grill.....usually just do chicken breast but I was craving a good crispy skin on thigh,so did a bunch of both and will use all week. Trying to plan stuffed peppers for tomorrow,we will see what happens.

Taking my dad for his oncology appt tomorrow. Mom says he is in too much pain to drive (his ribcage and back) got to find some source of relief for him somehow. He is too stubborn to let us help with his lawn and driving. Got to find out where we go from here as he still doesn't tolerate the meds and has stopped taking them. I may just make him a big casserole of Mac n cheese..his favorite.

Hauled a load of potting mix (6-25 qt. bags), planters & stakes home from the garden center. I was starving. Almost went through the drive-through at Panda Express, but thought “naaah...let me get that grill going while it’s still light out and not raining.” Got the grill lit, the duck breast thawed and seasoned with kosher salt & a few grinds of black pepper (scored the skin too). Washed, trimmed and nuked some Brussels sprouts for 30 sec. While the duck was on the grill, I sauteed the sprouts in olive oil, then finished them with a few drops of supermarket balsamic and a dash of truffle salt. Brought the duck breast back inside and tented it in foil for a few minutes. But when I took its temp, it was only 135F, which is not hot enough for poultry. So I poured its juices into the pan and seared it till it hit 165F; while it rested, I deglazed the pan with blueberry balsamic vinegar and made a reduction, which I poured over the slices. Sat out on the deck under the stars (and incoming planes in the O’Hare flight path) and ate it (perfectly mid-rare) along with a glass of Handley 2012 Pinot Noir. Afterward, I sopped up the sauce with a small piece of low-carb bread and kicked back out there with a decaf cappuccino.

Wow Eric, awesome!