So...whats for dinner?

Illimae, yum!

Kimchi is awesome. I love the stuff, even/especially if it is hot. But then, I sometimes wonder what it would be like to combine wasabi and ghost chili peppers. :-)

Lol Eric - suicide

I never knew there was such a thing as "real wasabi" till I'd been eating sushi for over 20 years. I always thought it was that green lump that resembled spicy Play-Doh (powdered mustard & horseradish reconstituted with water, with just enough blue food coloring to turn the yellow stuff green). Then I read an article in United's in-flight magazine about an OR greenhouse that grew actual wasabi roots. They require extraordinary growing conditions: just the right temperature, low light, and growing in constantly flowing fresh water. Because of that, the real stuff (which is the bright green root peeled and grated like horseradish) is insanely expensive and is in extremely high demand by the Japanese gourmet market (which also bought up the bulk of Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee beans before hurricanes destroyed the plantations). So much so, in fact, that the OR greenhouse (in an undisclosed location) is constantly guarded by the fiercest of dogs.

After reading that, I resolved that someday I would taste real wasabi. I found it at a sushi bar in the Park Hyett hotel by the Water Tower. Not as sinus-searing as the cheap stuff, but a more vibrant green with actual texture--still spicy but with other nuances that hit after the fuego recedes. Since then, I've encountered it in the NoVA DC suburbs--at a Ritz-Carlton brunch and a little strip-mall Japanese restaurant that charged $5 extra for a tiny cup of it. Even a local fishmarket in Evanston that caters to sushi bars sells tiny cups of it.

Eric...does your “cruddy crudités” joke fall into the “dad joke” category??? Tho nary a cruddy crudite would be found in the kitchen of this compulsive produce washer. I sometimes wish I could be more casual about that...like be able to enjoy “pre-washed” greens right out of a bag like many folks do. It would reduce standing time in the kitchen by a lot, reducing my back pain! Happily, my PT work is now helping the back pain remit. Yay!

Am enjoying a feeling of lightness and hopefulness watching today’s inauguration ceremony. Maybe we will have a “special” meal tonight...like a good ol BLT and soup!

Last night we had baked salmon, yams, salad and slices of our fave Volante’s baguette with garlic spiced avocado spread. Stopping at Volante’s on my way home from PT sessions has become a ritual, which has been nice for our meals. Since I am in Laurie’s Facebook group that shares dinner pix, I have an overabundance of them. So why not share?

Carole, I love that your DH makes a good stew!

Lacey - how is Laurie doing? Her kids must be quite grown up now. Glad to hear your back is "on the mend".

Special - I too still have a landline. Great insurance in hurricane country. Since mine is hard wired to the wall, I always have lines of people outside my door begging to use my phone when the power goes out or the cell towers get knocked down.

Saw the bone endocrinologist today and got great detailed info about continuing Prolia shots, drug holidays, substitutes, ONJ, etc. - including all the ongoing European trials for Reclast. His published research has included ballet dancers & football players in addition to post menopausal bone loss & chemo effects. I'll write it up tomorrow & send you a PM.

Dinner was a Dole bagged Sunflower Crunch salad kit (unwashed) with added cold boiled shrimp. Side was the last two Thomas Cranberry English Muffins. They only have those at Christmas and never a wide distribution. Too bad since they're delicious.

Baked chicken in a bag tonight with a rice/lentil mixture, squash and orange peppers. Sprinkled Sunny Paris seasoning on it and mixed in broth. Not highly flavored but I liked it.

Pan seared catfish fillets last night. Delicious. Side of romaine salad. Warmed up leftover veggies from the beef stew for dh.

Will thaw out a chicken breast for tonight.

I subscribed to the Hello Fresh Classic Meal Plan with two meals a week in the Vegetarian category. We'll see how that goes. I can cancel at any time.

The inauguration ceremonies were uplifting for me. I'm amazed that a man a year older than I is taking on such an overwhelming job. I'm impressed than he was up to the challenge of that long day without taking a nap! It will be refreshing to have a President who doesn't govern by Twitter.

It's overcast outside but warmer than the last week.

I'm a very inconsistent lurker here but come sometimes for ideas. Mae, I made your creamy brussels sprouts last night--AMAZING! I was on Nerlynx for a year and among the many things I absolutely could not eat were brussels sprouts (spent a whole night on the potty--never again would I eat them until I finished, but now I'm enjoying with abandon). Thank you for sharing that recipe!

Also, unrelated, but Minus, did you know that Costco here in Houston opens up at 9 am for over 60 or people who are immunocompromised (think this is everywhere but the times may be different)? When the world turn upside down, I had just been told by my MO that my WBC's were in the tank and that I'd better be very careful. They're better now, but I still go at 9 am, and I'm there with about 25 other people, usually all older than me. Sure, you have the few men who have their noses sticking out of masks, but in that huge building, you can avoid them pretty easily.

Not a pretty dish but I sure tastes great!

Tonight was leftovers. Not what I planned but I had to go to the grocery store. I did not know that a truck fire on the interstate had traffic backed up and apparently everyone was seeking alternate routes home. The usual 20 to 25 min drive home for me took 1.5 hours. It was too late to fix what I had planned but at least I have menu ideas for the next few days!

We had a leftover meal of chicken with wine & mushrooms, red peppers, cucumbers & carrots. We shared the leftover Sauvignon Blanc from the first go around with this meal. The curious thing is - I ate two (2) (II) (TWO) packets of individual vanilla wafers. They tasted so very good! I love Vanilla Wafers & these little individual packs go down so very easy.

Making stuffed peppers for tonight

Nance, it makes my heart smile also to know that you have re-established your connection with your feathered friends!
I let my Costco membership expire a decade ago since I felt the volume of products were too much for just us two, but when I read about some of your finds, I am tempted to rejoin. Also may check them out for new glasses, since my ophthalmologist highly recommended the optician at our local branch.

Tonight we will finish up the kale soup and have little eggplant pizzas on the side. Odd combo, but easy to do. Eric, as far as the counter standing problem, we’ve tried my using DH’s ergonomic computer “chair/stand/stool, but it’s stationery since it’s really heavy, so becomes an obstruction. A lab stool on wheels could be an option if that exists. My PT says I should be repeatedly doing pelvic tilts while standing at the counter to relieve the back pressure. Oy! The good news is that my PT treatments are dramatically reducing the ongoing pain, so I am a happy camper. Of course my worry about even going to the PT center has me sewing up more masks, now with two layers of chiffon on the inside to ward off any particles that I might encounter!

Carole, I was totally unaware of crocheted washcloths! Have I been under a rock? They look interesting. I hope you are successful if you sell your product! You could pair/display your cloths with DH’s bowls.:) I love hearing about people crafting things. I haven’t crocheted since the seventies, but now am tempted.

Now every evening as I wash our salad greens, I think of our group at this kitchen table.

Minus, Laurie seems great. Such a sweet gal. Her boys are double digit ages now and she works in the local elementary school and loves it. It’s been fun for me to learn about what all the younger moms are feeding their families these days, since many in the FB dinner group are her friends, neighbors, colleagues, etc.