So...whats for dinner?

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  • Betrayal
    Betrayal Member Posts: 1,374
    edited December 2020

    My FIL loved Jack Benny so when he turned 70, I presented him with a coffee bug that read "Happy 39th Birthday again". He loved it and drank coffee from it every day until he died. Said it was his best gift ever and as a DIL that meant a lot to me.

  • illimae
    illimae Member Posts: 5,710
    edited December 2020

    Dinner was Firecracker meatballs with less fire because I don’t care for siracha it chili flakes on cauliflower rice since DH is going low card. DH had more fire and green beans, it was a hit.

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  • ChiSandy
    ChiSandy Member Posts: 12,133
    edited December 2020

    Dinner was pickled herring from the kosher deli for an appetizer, and a grass-fed ribeye seared in cast iron (too cold & wet out to grill), with a potato knish (for Bob), roasted Brussels sprouts, and sauteed mushrooms (button, hen-of-the-woods, oyster in butter, Marsala and garnished with the steak juices, parsley and the last of the white truffle). Dessert is a Satsuma. (Last night was unsweetened vanilla Greek yogurt with strawberries, chopped nut blend, and keto dark choc. chips).

  • LillyIsHere
    LillyIsHere Member Posts: 830
    edited December 2020

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    My DH made this salad with red beets, purple carrots, pomegranate, cheese, parsley, and olive oil. It was delicious. He is a wonderful cook but he cooks once in a while. I was in a panic when I went to the bathroom to pee and then I realized, SE of red beets

  • carolehalston
    carolehalston Member Posts: 6,887
    edited December 2020

    Yesterday I went to the nearby produce stand and bought two bunches of mustard greens that looked very fresh. Also large Meyer lemons for 50 cents each. Also a jar of fig preserves.

    So last night's menu was mustard greens cooked with diced pickled pork. The two thawed catfish fillets breaded with cornmeal and cooked in a hot oven. And cornbread. We have leftover greens for another meal.

    Tonight will be leftover roast pork and gravy with brown rice and leftover mashed potato salad.

    I love good "jump ups."


  • MinusTwo
    MinusTwo Member Posts: 16,634
    edited December 2020

    Carole - I have several neighbors with Meyer Lemon trees. One just brought me 10 lemons last night - as big as huge naval oranges.

    Lilly - welcome. You salad sounds good and LOL about the red pee.

    I took some homemade red sauce with ground beef out of the freezer yesterday & decided I'm going to try to make my first flatbread pizza tonight. It's unlikely it will look as pretty as Mae's, but here's hoping for good taste. Thinking about black olives, fresh mushrooms, avocados. Hmmmm - maybe some spinach? Perhaps I'd best start smaller and see how it goes. I'm using flatbread from the store instead of making my own, so looks like approx 10 minutes at 425??? Anyone have better times or temperatures or other tips?

  • Lacey12
    Lacey12 Member Posts: 2,951
    edited December 2020

    Happy Hanukkah to Sandy and all who are celebrating.

    And Happy Birthday, Eric! You are the equivalent of being a teenager from my 75yo perspective.
    Happy (early) Birthday, Beaver. I hope you can plan for a wonderful celebration for this milestone sometime before your 81st!

    Our first grandchild just celebrated his 10th birthday, which was delightful despite it being a Zoom family party. We have not seen those NJ grands in a year, and they have grown up so much in that time. It was sweet to see how thoughtful DGS was while opening his gifts, appreciating them and being so thankful to his Zoom guest/relatives...and just being a very sweet, cool birthday kid. We'll be so happy to be able to visit them once the vaccine is well circulated and things calm down. I just feel like it's too much of a risk with DDS and DDIL's work at the hospitals to try to see them any sooner..especially since DS1 still covers ER ortho cases. I worry about them. Yet, I shouldn't since they are busy posting their rigorous workouts with their trainer each Sat morning, while I am worrying!

    Betrayal, I loved your sweet Jack Benny mug story. What a lovely memory for you to hold of your FIL.

    Cooking has been dull and sometimes on and off here. Covid fatigue has clearly impacted my productivity this week, even tho my bronchitis is gone. Yay for that! Still trying to get some holiday masks made for family, so they can wear them before the holidays are over!

    And yesterday, I finally made my pizzelle dough, and will try to complete those in the next couple of days.

    Since I ended up being sick on our anniversary, we never ordered our special take-out meal as originally planned. So since we will likely be here by ourselves over Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, (with a quick, safe, distanced hello with baby Mila and crew) we are planning to order ourselves a gourmet take out dinner for Christmas Eve, and have snacks and bits and bites throughout Christmas Day, while overdosing on basketball games which for me is a perfectly acceptable (and fun!) way to spend this “weird Christmas".
    What alternative “distancy" plans do others have? I feel like this stage of the Coronavirus is sort of like getting to the Heartbreak Hill of the pandemic's duration. Given the recent surge, I don't want to give up a successful race by making a miss step after being so careful to preserve our health this far.
    Sorry for my grousing....I do think of the many people who are truly suffering through this time.

    And Nance, I do hope that the moving “issues" are going more smoothly for you! Your energy this entire year is so impressive! I made need to send you some fuel to sustain (reward) you!

    On a positive note, I came across an interesting recipe that (other than the assembling and cutting prep) was easy, tasty, and provided us with two nights of jump ups. Here's a pic....

    A roasted, spiced “collection" of veggies and beans...sweet potatoes, onions, eggplant, tomatoes, red peppers, cannelloni beans (since I had no chickpeas), and a mix of middle eastern spices. It was delicious over farro, with sour cream, and later dinners were casseroles of same with pasta and moz cheese atop. I will definitely be making this again. I just happened to have had an eggplant and some sweet potatoes that needed to be used,,,so internet search landed us a nice option!

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    Happy (weird)Holiday Season everyone!

  • Lacey12
    Lacey12 Member Posts: 2,951
    edited December 2020

    Oh.....welcome, Lily! :)

    Minus, I would love to hear about and SEE how your fb pizza turns out!

    Meyer lemons get me to thinking about Susan and her wonderful uses for them. I haven't been to the store lately so have missed catching sight of the few we get shipped up here. Maybe I'll add it to DH's list since he braves the grocery aisles...tho I hate to make his shopping task any longer or more challenging.

  • eric95us
    eric95us Member Posts: 2,845
    edited December 2020

    That made me laugh too, Lilly. I was probably 6 years old when I ran to get my mom, a nurse practitioner-midwife.....because I thought I was "bleeding inside". At the school Christmas party, there was a big bowl of red tortilla chips. :-)

  • SpecialK
    SpecialK Member Posts: 16,486
    edited December 2020

    chisandy - thank you for the Hanukkah info - very interesting. I had a number of Jewish friends/neighbors growing up and was present at their homes for some days of Hanukkah and for occasional Friday dinners. I really enjoyed participating in something different from my usual Episcopalian doings, although my mom frequently made latkes, just because they are fantastic! My kids, and my husband and I growing up, all had exposure in elementary school to dreidel and latkes as well. My kids went to school in Fairfax County, VA which has a diverse population and I am glad that their public schools were so inclusive and knew there is much for all to learn.

    eric - Happy Birthday! 60 seems young to me too, although I was 60 four years ago, lol! Next stop Medicare!

    lilly - beautiful beet salad!

    minus - I have found that with pre-baked flatbread I do better when my sauce is pretty sparing. It isn't like a pizza where the dough bakes while the toppings heat so too much sauce may make the flatbread soggy. I have used jarred pesto more than marinara and I like how it turns out.

    My brother and I used to get a kick out of our dad saying he was turning 39 every birthday - it wasn't until later that I realized that he stole that from Jack Benny!

    Just got done making a monster batch of caramel corn with smoked almonds to bag up and place in cute Flip and Tumble wine bags for DH's office gifts - have to make eleven of them!

  • ChiSandy
    ChiSandy Member Posts: 12,133
    edited December 2020

    Carried out brunch today from a neighborhood bar & bakery (Beard & Belly/Honey Pie), a branch of the one in Milwaukee. I had a veggie quiche (dense instead of fluffy, but good--left most of the crust) with mesclun salad and extra bacon. Bob had biscuits & gravy, extra eggs, and sausage. Will split a slice of pistachio cream pie tonight after dinner.

    Dinner will be leftover roast chicken breast, likely shredded & sauteed with leftover tomato, kale & peppers, plus "tzimmes" (a sweet potato, prune & carrot compote) from Whole Foods.

    Will Zoom with Gordy & Leslie as they spend Christmas with her family on a rented farm outside Houston. I can't convince them not to go, alas.

  • illimae
    illimae Member Posts: 5,710
    edited December 2020

    Mmmm.... biscuits and gravy. Yum chisandy!

    Tonight’s dinner is Chicken sausage stuffed peppers with Israeli couscous, roasted carrots and sautéed yellow squash/red onion. DH’s plate is prettier as I choose not to top mine with the tomato/parsley/chive mix.

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  • MinusTwo
    MinusTwo Member Posts: 16,634
    edited December 2020

    Mae - thanks for the flatbread pizza inspiration. Mine wasn't as pretty as yours, but really quite good. Special - thanks for the tip about the sauce. I have another friend who recommends pesto. Next time I'll put cheese below & above the toppings - both since I like cheese and to keep the toppings from sliding. Also I used the shredded cheese I had on hand which was Cheddar Jack. Next time I'll add some mozzarella for "meltability". Still - DELICIOUS.

    Edited to add - I ate 1/2 of a rectangle. Thinking I'll head back to the kitchen and eat the other half. More food than I've eaten in months.

  • auntienance
    auntienance Member Posts: 4,216
    edited December 2020

    Today was final prep for the movers tomorrow. Still have to unplug and pack up computers but otherwise I think we’re ready.

    Of course we’re exhausted so Door Dash delivered chicken wings and garlic bread for me and toasted ravioli for dh. We split a house salad which was nothing but lettuce, provel cheese and croutons from a bag (won’t be ordering that again). New York cheesecake for dessert. We haven’t eaten the cheesecake yet but everything but the salad was delicious.

    I don’t like a lot of sauce, or cheese for that matter, on my pizza. I’m all about the crust. DH is just the opposite. He likes LOTS of stuff on his especially sauce. Flatbread pizza works better for me than him. Although truthfully, if I put anything on his plate and called it Pizza he would like it.

    Nice food pic illimae!

    Lacey, I have the exact same feelings about Christmas. I’d dearly love to see the kids but we’re so close to getting through this stuff, I would hate to jeopardize any us now. I feel like we’re taking a risk as it is with the move. It’s a dilemma that we need to make a decision about soon. Good luck with your marvelous pizzelles Lacey!

  • SpecialK
    SpecialK Member Posts: 16,486
    edited December 2020

    beaver - I somehow missed your post above - Happy Birthday to you too! Yes, 2020 gets a one star review...

    Our Christmas will be as quiet as our T-Giv. My California BFF was supposed to be here visiting right now but we both decided it was too risky - she has been as cautious as I have, so we agreed she should wait. Fortunately her tickets were on Southwest and they allow you to bank the fare for later. We will reconsider in the early spring. I had the opportunity to go to the Buccaneer game today but declined - Florida is too hot a spot for me to feel comfortable around that many people, even distancing in a mask. I will do a driveway gift drop off with a couple of friends sometime this week. My good friend and gym partner (when we were going...) has been home schooling her grandchildren up in Gainesville so I need to check when she will be in town, so I can drop off her gift. It’s all food - things that remind me of her, or we had together. Walker’s shortbread, Savannah Bee honey, Hungry Greek dressing, Texas Pecan coffee, blackberry syrup for sangria, and several other items all in a batter bowl. I wanted her to know I was thinking of her and remembering the fun we always have together.

    auntie - good luck on the move tomorrow - sending you positive energy

  • Beaverntx
    Beaverntx Member Posts: 3,183
    edited December 2020

    Nance, thinking of you this next week 'cause we well know that moving is not a one day thing! Take care of yourself. My criteria with a move has always been that so long as I have a bed to sleep in, a place to sit and eat and a working bathroom the rest will get worked out. Glad you are going to be able to get settled in your new digs.

  • eric95us
    eric95us Member Posts: 2,845
    edited December 2020

    An early Happy Birthday Beav.... Yes, we December babies need to stick together! :-)


    I managed to text ET (evil twin) during the short time where I was older. Every year I text her, "I'm getting old." and she replies, "Shut up". We get a good laugh over it. :-)


  • ChiSandy
    ChiSandy Member Posts: 12,133
    edited December 2020

    Bob was still carbed-out from brunch, so the tzimmes stayed in the fridge. Used the remaining dark meat from the roast chicken for a stir-fry with red bell peppers, Spanish & green onions, celery, mushrooms (button & shiitake), Coconut Aminos (fake soy sauce), Red Boat fish sauce, garlic, ginger, five-spice powder and a drizzle of toasted sesame oil on top. No cornstarch (and I couldn't find the mirin buried in the cabinet anyway). Side dish was blistered shishito peppers--amazingly, not a single one turned out to be a scorcher. Usually anywhere from 1 in 10 to 1 in 4 shishitos turn out to be incindiary, but you can't tell from the outside.

  • illimae
    illimae Member Posts: 5,710
    edited December 2020

    Tonight is crispy cheesy chicken with roasted broccoli and red potatoes.

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  • LillyIsHere
    LillyIsHere Member Posts: 830
    edited December 2020

    I already had dinner but Mae's dish makes me hungry again :). Delicious!

  • MinusTwo
    MinusTwo Member Posts: 16,634
    edited December 2020

    Lilly - glad to see you "at the table" again.

    Dinner was three eggs over easy with English Muffins. Thomas makes English muffins with Cranberrys on a limited basis at the holidays. They are hard to find but delicious.

  • SpecialK
    SpecialK Member Posts: 16,486
    edited December 2020

    I too am all about illimae's dinner - love me any kind of crispy chicken.

    minus - I get the cranberry english muffins here too, also corn,cinnamon raisin, and occasionally banana bread ones. DH and I traveled to the FL panhandle for a military reunion with our best man and his wife a few years ago and we stayed in a condo on the beach. We ladies grocery shopped while the guys entertained themselves somehow, and we found french toast english muffins and pancakes with syrup english muffins! They were so good, and even though we were shopping in the same grocery store as my local one here I have never seen those flavors down here. Several years ago I was in a restaurant supply store and found some sourdough bread with cranberries - it was super, but haven't seen it since either and I check regularly!

    edited to add - eric, DH and I both have birthdays in Oct and mine comes first. For about two weeks I am "four" years older than DH instead of the usual three, and he points it out multiple times over the course of the two weeks. After 37 years you would think he would stop, but no... he thinks he is hilarious. The really crazy part is that when we met he lied about his age because he was afraid I wouldn't go out with him if I knew he was so much younger. About a year later he confessed to being less than truthful, but had forgotten how old he had said he was (I didn't catch on because we were in separate states by that point) so he only corrected himself by a year. I flew overseas to marry him a year later and arrived the day before his birthday so we could spend it together. Someone asked how old he was but he didn't hear them because we were in a crowded beach bar, so I answered. He heard me and said, no, he was one year younger than my answer. Every birthday I got older and he got younger. I carded him on the spot, so didn't learn his actual age until about a month before we got married!

  • carolehalston
    carolehalston Member Posts: 6,887
    edited December 2020

    That chicken does look delicious! Also the broccoli and potatoes. I wish Illimae did delivery!

    Our dinner last night was leftover pork roast and gravy. DH had the rest of the brown rice. I used a slice of whole grain bread as a rice substitute. We often spooned gravy over bread (white) in my family. The salad was a mixture of bagged crunchy kale salad and lettuce with additions.

    Tonight will be more leftovers. Mustard greens cooked with pickled pork and cornbread. A salad.

    Tomorrow night it will be back to cooking!

    No idea what our Christmas dinner will be. Again, dh and I will stay home. Our neighbors always have a Christmas Eve open house. If they continue the tradition, I don't plan to go over. They both had Covid recently.

  • MinusTwo
    MinusTwo Member Posts: 16,634
    edited December 2020

    My grandpa loved bread and gravy - my grandma's homemade white bread of course. Thanks for jogging the nice memory Carole. Also he often ate a bowl of bread and milk for supper. We thought he was so funny to prefer that to cheerios.

  • Beaverntx
    Beaverntx Member Posts: 3,183
    edited December 2020

    Yes, memories! My brother loved to have two or three pieces of bread with gravy after he had eaten the rest of his meal. He was 6ft, 2 inches as an adult and skinny his entire life.

  • SpecialK
    SpecialK Member Posts: 16,486
    edited December 2020

    One of my fave things is either hot roast beef or turkey with abundant gravy over bread with a generous spoonful of mashed potatoes - I think also known as Roast Beef (or turkey?) Manhattan or diner style? Definitely comfort food.

  • illimae
    illimae Member Posts: 5,710
    edited December 2020

    DH cooked a beautiful rib roast and I am all over it!

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  • MinusTwo
    MinusTwo Member Posts: 16,634
    edited December 2020

    Oh Mae - is it too late to head to your house? YUM. I may have to do that for Christmas.

  • illimae
    illimae Member Posts: 5,710
    edited December 2020

    Minus, I think they’re still on sale at Kroger.

  • auntienance
    auntienance Member Posts: 4,216
    edited December 2020

    We’re in! The move itself went quite smoothly with an awesome team of movers - professional, helpful and efficient. Came in at half the quoted estimateand best of all - they didn’t break anything. We had a beautiful day, sunny and in the 40s. Everybody wore masks and of course the doors were open the entire time, so I felt a bit reassured about the whole thing. We managed to get the bed made and find the toaster and coffeemaker so we could have breakfast this morning.

    I actually managed to go to the store today. I was able to find and unpack enough stuff to make a real dinner tonight - garlic stuffed pork roast, roasted golden beets and leftover scalloped potatoes. About half of the kitchen stuff is unpacked. I already can tell that I’m soon going to be rearranging the contents of the cabinets I just filled.

    I still don’t know what our Christmas plans are but I bought a beautiful standing 5 rib roast. If we don’t get together with the kids we’re going to be eating rib eyes for a long time. I only hope the kitchen will be organized enough to cook it.

    DH thinks gravy is magical. He readily pours it over nothing but bread. It pains him dearly when I throw gravy away lol.

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