So...whats for dinner?

illimae - sorry about the trailer fiasco, lasagna looks beautiful!

Today was tax day at my house - did ours and also DD’s. Yes, I’m an enabler... she and DBF came for dinner - Boston Butt that became pulled pork on brioche with NC style vinegar sauce, Cole slaw, baked beans with bacon (pork on pork) and crushed pineapple, mac n cheese, watermelon, and a yellow sheet cake with chocolate frosting. Two returns on the plus side and yummy food! Yay! I have been waiting for three big glass doors for a couple of months - one 96” pocket slider, a glass swinging door, and a set of French doors. One was delivered this afternoon - according to the plan it should have been the on time slider, but it was the swinging door - 4 weeks early. On tomorrow’s agenda is a query about what is going on, lol!

minus - your fried rice sounds great! And the cheesecake! The end of your projects is in sight, correct? I can’t believe all you have gotten done! I have the three doors, pool deck resurfacing, I need to find dining room chairs, my bedroom to paint, and either new carpet or an extension of the bamboo floor from the bathroom, and lastly - sanding and re-staining the hardwood in the living room, dining room, and study. Also, still waiting for the fridge I bought in January.... some of this will now be broken up by an accelerated surgery date for explant/new implants and fat grafting on June 8th

Our forecast is like Minus's, rain today through Thursday, our departure day. You were due for a relaxing day, Minus.

Last night's dinner was large boneless skinless chicken thighs. I seasoned them and pressed a coating of seasoned panko, grated romano and olive oil on top. Cooked in oven. Steamed broccoli and tossed salad on the side. DH finished up a jar of Major Grey chutney, a favorite condiment with chicken but not easy to find. I bought several jars from Amazon.

This morning my weight is back to the plateau number. Good after two restaurant meals last week.

Will check the freezer for ideas for tonight's dinner.

You said that key word, Special. CONTROL. I feel things are out of my control most of the time now. I don't like living this way, but there is just no other choice when people are working on your house. (or should we say tromping through & tearing up your house).

Carole - we have flash flood warnings until Thursday morning. Hope your departure isn't disturbed by the weather there.

Pulled out 75 CDs tonight. Can you tell music was always a big part of my everyday life? But that was then & this is now. Given the choice between keeping books & keeping music, it would have to be books now, since I know I will re-read most of what's on my shelves. And I can always listen to music on line. Bless my son for getting me a GREAT speaker system for my computer.

We were awakened shortly before 3 am this morning by horrible shrieking sounds from our cell phones in the kitchen. DH got up and turned on the tv to learn there had been a tornado warning in our area, just ending. This morning there is flooding in places like Lake Charles and New Orleans, which is very susceptible to flash flooding. We are headed to Shreveport on Thursday for an overnight stay before proceeding to Tulsa area to visit my younger brother. Hope we don't encounter flooding highways. Weather is definitely an event in these times.

I hate theft, Eric. It's such a repugnant thought that people take other people's possessions, not caring about the repercussions.

Dinner last night was hamburger patties, microwaved green beans and tossed salad. I sliced up a big onion and cooked it in a skillet to top dh's burger. He also had sweet onion in his salad. He's a real onion person whereas for me the only purpose of onions is seasoning in a finely diced form.

Lacey must be busy as hostess for her son and family while their home is being renovated.

I don't like the warning sirens. I guess that comes from being a small kid on a large marine base during the mid 1960s. There wasn't a danger of tornadoes in California...but...there were "other things".

Tonight our houseguest made fajitas, which I love and he had also bought Corona’s, and I hadn’t had one in years but since we had limes, I went for it. Both were really good.

Grab your flashlight minus. I’m in my closet bunker until this passes, then off to bed. No power currently and some hail.

Tonight is BLT’s

There is not much going on here.

Most of the food shopping is taking place in front of the open freezer. I took one of the pork roasts and slowly cooked it in the dutch oven (2nd time I've done that in the past 4 weeks) so we can do the pulled pork sandwiches. "Way back when", the store was selling large pork shoulders--2 to a package--very inexpensively. I bought one and cut/sawed it into manageable parts, vacuum sealed the pieces and put them into the freezer. I have one or two 2 pound pieces left.

I make up some BBQ sauce in the dutch oven and then "just dump the pork in there". The dutch oven goes into the regular oven at around 250F degrees and I let the pork cook until its internal temperature is 145F. After it cools, I pull it apart with some *HEAVY* forks. The old dutch oven that is my avatar is perfectly sized for the job.

I've also got more sourdough bread making it's first rise.

I'm working outside a lot and I'm starting to lose weight again. Four or five hours working outside, in the heat, does a lot for "calorie burn". My watch estimates how many calories I'm "burning" and for the past 2 weeks, the watch says I'm using 3,500 to 4,000 calories per day. If that doesn't get me to lose weight, I'm eating too much! :-)

Going to our BFFs' for dinner tonight and dreading getting there. Parking in their neighborhood is impossible--they had to wait 5 years for another unit owner to drop dead so they could get a spot in the building's lot. The closest train station is 5 long blocks away in what is basically gang territory, (Their neighborhood is also somewhat of an "urban-pioneerland"). I haven't taken a rideshare in a year & a half, but it looks like that's our only choice. We've always had them over or taken them out, but they insisted on having us over. Wish us luck.

Last night's dinner was bean/fake cheese enchiladas. We, too, are cleaning out the freezer and refrigerator. The freezer is being cleaned out for the 'when we get around to it' move and the refrigerator for the trip to help DD move to northern Michigan.

Sunday lunch today was crab cakes (brushed with some melted butter & Luke's Lobster seasoning) and roasted brussels. Went to a a cat cafe yesterday (what fun, managed to not take one home) and then dined outdoors at a nearby restaurant. Had their Shrimp Roll, which has received favorable write ups. Consisted of: pickled shrimp, tossed in Old Bay Mayo, with fresh cut chives, topped with microgreens & a sprinkle of S Carolina BBQ chips in a terrific bakery roll and their coleslaw on the side. Absolutely delicious! So nice to dine out, even though it was 86 degrees, no humidity, so was able to manage being outdoors.

Had a late appointment with my plastic surgeon so we grabbed a quick dinner to eat when we got home.

Made spaghetti and meatballs last night as it was Hubby’s birthday.

We had a lovely time at our BFFs Fri. night, though our rideshare experience left something to be desired. We had to wait 20 minutes and pay $18 (surge price) for a trip that used to run about $7. (Going home we waited 12 min. and paid $12). An alderman introduced an ordinance today to cap surge pricing to 150% of the standard pre-pandemic fare--and fine Lyft & Uber for exceeding that. Rideshares have pretty much killed off the taxi industry in Chicago, and so Uber & Lyft have a monopoly. And the surcharges aren't going into the drivers' pockets either.

We had a delicious pot roast (though I had to avoid the potatoes and go easy on the carrots). Dessert was sorbet--but my friends forgot it has sugar. I brought an Atkins brownie for myself to go with the coffee. Aperitifs were Aperol spritzers, heavy on the Aperol. So I did have a carbier day than i'd intended.

Last night I had boiled baby shrimp with aioli over "super greens" salad plus cherry tomatoes. Will have the other half tonight, with maybe berries & an apricot for dessert. Brunch upon my return from my ocular-onc appt. was a 2-egg omelet with veggies & cheese (cheddar & provolone). Frustrated that I wasn't losing weight--but when I looked at my puffy ankles today I put two & two together and (per Bob's advice) popped a Lasix and a potassium pill. My bloat is resolving, thank goodness.

Running errands in the mornings this week. The contractor had an emergency so he's only coming a couple of afternoons this week. That's OK since the big stuff is done and I needed some time to buy groceries & wine, pay bills, return tons of building stuff, put gas in my car, get the neighborhood registration done for the Civic Club Pool, etc. etc. Two closets still need painting, and the linen closet, along with some assorted trim & a new door - otherwise the big stuff is done. Excepting of course an extensive punch list. He promised to finish before the carpet instalation 6/1.

But I discovered yesterday that I was NOT scheduled for carpet 6/1 as my contract stated. In fact I wasn't scheduled at all. Now the soonest date is 6/7. Sigh. But OK - that gives me more time to get together the next Salvation Army load since they come 6/8. And empty more boxes & file drawers for shredding. The only problem is there is no possible space left to move stuff. My stereo, VHS, phono, DVD, CD, etc is all stacked in the top of one of the closets. (or it was until they came to paint that closet yesterday - and will be again. I hate doing things twice.) Boxes are stacked in the garage up to the rafters. I've already planned to put lamps in the bath tub & framed pictures lined up in the kitchen, and my computer system to be rolled into the bathroom. Hopefully it won't rain that day and I can rush to move boxes into the driveway before they start.

Thanks for listening to my progress rants. I'm off to empty one of my cedar chests (the one with the winter clothes). I have two cedar chests - from both my maternal & my paternal grandmothers and they take up a lot of space. Hopefully my yard man will want this one.

Dinner was legs & wings from a Costco rotisserie chicken. They are so much bigger & better than the super-market variety, for several dollars less money. Lots of meat left for creative meals over the weekend.