So...whats for dinner?

beaver - I find that with all "alternative" pastas - they seem better when thoroughly rinsed. I feel like that runs counter to the usual advice to never rise your pasta after cooking, but this is not regular pasta, right? I have also discovered that, at least for me, almost none of them are good as leftovers - the texture seems to get rubbery. Do you eat any brown rice or lentil pastas as well?

I've found that of the "alternative" pastas I've tried, the only ones that even approach being al dente are the shirataki noodles. You do have to rinse them like crazy and since they're already cooked, you need to cook them only enough to be palatably heated. Otherwise, if I can't have real al dente pasta, I might as well just spiralize zucchini.

Feeling kind of "off" today (no fever, no congestion, no aches, 98% O2 sats--just a little more post-nasal-drippy than usual and not "up to par"). Intermittent-fasted till 2 pm, when I had a couple of keto waffles. Cooked two nights in a row--don't want to go anywhere (especially in the near-zero cold). I wouldn't mind ordering out for pizza and just eating the toppings--or maybe phô. Will wait till Sunday--if I don't feel better, then I will self-test. My last possible exposure was dining out Tues. night. (At my manicure yesterday I was double-masked: surgical over KN95). Rapid tests often don't detect a high enough viral load early in the disease (especially Omicron), so they recommend waiting 2-3 days after onset of mild symptoms. I'm vaxed and boosted, as well as flu-vaxed--and this doesn't feel like flu either, since flu tends to hit suddenly with fever and sometimes GI distress. Even as colds go, this doesn't feel as bad as the colds I'd always had. Feels like a bad allergy day except for the "blahs." Was hoping to be able to hold out long enough for Paxlovid to become available. Stay tuned.

Special, agree about the PITA with the MOHS.

Sandy, so sorry for the blahs. With a cat + litter, we are always a little sniffle-y here; hope you feel better soon.

The leftover cod with rice and broccoli in a "newburg-esque" sauce turned out great. Don't have enough leftover for two full meals so I'll pan-fry 2 eggs with leftovers for tomorrow. We are thawing some turkey thighs and DH will try his new sous vide.

Incredibly ugly winds all day. I was terrified listening to the windows rattling. Reading about quantum physics while listening to gale winds = unpleasant.

Sharon is very wary about the mandolines and I'm *extremely* careful, especially when cleaning them!

I did a bit more work today. I'm probably 75% of "all better". Hopefully tomorrow I'll feel "all better".

In a couple of days, DD will be 24 years old. In my film scanning project, I have on the desk some waiting to be scanned images of DD when she was less than an hour old. The time sure went fast!

I realized this morning that it had been 48 hrs since I'd remembered to use my OTC nasal sprays (saline, Nasalcrom, steroid), which should be used on arising & at bedtime. So it'll take a bit of time to dry up the postnasal drip (especially with both kitties literally "in my face"). I also take nightly Zyrtec & montelukast (the latter for asthma prevention, but it also helps with other allergy symptoms). No oral decongestants--I have hypertension, albeit well-controlled with medication; and they can cause strokes (which happened to an acquaintance at only 36--being a folksinger without medical insurance, she didn't know she had HBP, and took Sudafed for a cold). Nasal decongestant sprays can be addictive, develop tolerance, and cause rebound when stopped. I learned that almost 40 years ago--so there's no Afrin in my house.

This a.m. Bob is walking to Beard & Belly for a chicken hand pie and will be bringing home quiche & salad for my brunch. Part of the food he brought home last night was salad with apple slices & pomegranate seeds. So if I fill up on salad I will be less tempted to eat any of the yummy crust. By the time dinner rolls around, the streets will be too icy to go out (even for people to do food delivery). So dinner will be fridge-and-freezer-foraging.

Moon - hope your not is better!

illimae - enjoy your time a the cabin, looks beautiful.

Eric - I've had some major cuts using a mandolin, haven't learned my lesson as continue to use it. Happy Birthday to your DD!

MinusTwo - I'm with you...yay to desert first! Cherry crisp sounds good!

I made lasagna soup, with garlic breadsticks and a chocolate silk pie, all were my boy's request. I already had a small bowl of the soup and am anxiously waiting for the pie to set.

I'm not a fan of alternate pastas either. In fact Carole & Nance - thanks for allowing me to consider throwing away what ever is still in my pantry. If I didn't like it the first or even the second time - why am I keeping the stuff? Oh well - out it will go.

The fried rice was wonderful. Organic brown rice w/quinoa, sauteed onion, water chestnuts, celery, fresh mushrooms, green peas, leftover turkey scraps - with just a touch of soy

sorry Beaver. Great that there are options if you need to avoid gluten.

Carol, my major guideline in GF pastas is to avoid those made only with rice or corn. They tend to fall apart and to not reheat well. For some reason those made with rice and corn do better. Chickpea and quinoa do better going solo. Have a red lentil one to try.

I miss whole wheat pasta, it was my favorite! We too use light dairy products and mayo, including 1% milk. Couldn't get DH to go to skim milk even when his cholesterol levels were soaring (he cannot take statins or niacin, Dr finally found another approach that is working). We've been at the lower fat thing for over 30 years, gluten free is newer. Have seen and appreciated the increase in variety and availability of appropriate foods for both categories and do not think of them as alternatives but as chioces we have available. Not sure why the term alternative pasta rubs me the wrong way...

Enjoy your pasta, whatever it is made from and however it is shaped. A pasta free world would be a lot less interesting!!

Rice noodles are "da BOMB!" Chow fun is my favorite Cantonese dish, but alas, it's verboten for me. I wish they made shiratake noodles that broad (the equivalent of tagliatelle or pappardelle), but the broadest I've found are fettucine. Shiratake is made from konjac root--almost zero-net-carb, extremely low-calorie and gluten-free. You drain & rinse the noodles before you briefly heat them in boiling water just until they're hot. They stay al dente.too, and like tofu pick up the flavor of whatever you put on them. (I've had the spaghetti & angel hair versions with pesto). Only drawbacks are that many brands need to be refrigerated, they're not available in smaller Western-style groceries, and the soluble fiber in them might not be suitable for those with IBS.

Brunch today was low carb/hi-fiber avocado toast with eggs. (I had a small one, Bob had two large). I'm out of avocados, but I do have a small container each of Whole Foods spicy guacamole and pico de gallo. Usually, I'll use the pico as a shortcut when making guac, but this guac had enough pico in it to need no additions whatsoever. Atop the guac I put a bed of baby arugula, and finally an over-easy olive oil egg, But I cheat the "over-easy" part (which I figured out long before ATK featured that tip). Once the olive oil starts to shimmer (over medium heat) I break however many eggs I need into a nonstick pan (up to 4 in a 10" and 6 in a 12"). I gently and partially spread out the whites, put a lid on, and turn off the heat, Once the yolks have begun to film over, they're done--still nice & gooey but intact. (I can never flip eggs without breaking the yolks).

Dinner tonight will be salmon burgers with sugar-snap peas and mesclun salad. I'm not comfy with dining out indoors right now--in spite of feeling more secure about the proof-of-vax mandate, you do have to remove your mask to eat & drink, and increasing numbers of people unknowingly have asymptomatic breakthrough infections. That fear, and not mandate resistance, is what's keeping people out of Chicago-area restaurants of late. There are a couple of Cook County suburbs--Elk Grove Village & Orland Park--that refuse to enforce either the vax card or even indoor-mask mandates. Bob's office manager, who was about to return to the office tomorrow, lives in Orland; and her husband--the GP whose office space he shared--just tested positive Friday night. So the office manager will be working from homw till her husband tests negative,

How's this for ironic: I just received a pasta making machine ! Anybody know of a good source for gluten free pasta machine recipes?

Beaverntx, LOL at your gift! I own the pasta attachments to my stand mixer, all nicely stored in a cabinet. Evidence of my homemade pasta stage of cooking. Everything works beautifully. Years ago I was gifted a pasta maker with multiple parts to be cleaned after use. I gifted it to someone else.

Dinner last night was grilled loin lamb chops, baked sweet potatoes and romaine salad. I baked the sweet potatoes the way my mother did, unwrapped in a pan, until the skins loosen and the syrup oozes. They end up almost candied. Really delicious. I texted my sister while the potatoes were cooking. She replied that "some potatoes ooze and some refuse," depending on the quality of the potatoes.

MinusTwo - thanks for the quiche recipe. Will def be making it soon.

Dinner last night was leftover lasagna soup, which was even better then it was on Saturday, and it was really good then.

Today's dinner will be simple; a baked sweet potato for me and a baked potato for my son with some air fried chicken (seasoned with evoo, adobo, oregano and garlic powder) and steamed garlic/evoo French green beans.

Sandy, thanks for the suggestions. I have the ATK book and their recipe specifies a manual pasta machine. (At least it does not require their made-at-home flour blend which I made a while back and found it difficult to use up before it became stale).Until I've made pasta with the machine a time or two, so I have a better idea of what the dough is supposed to look and feel like, I plan to use recipes intended for machines. This is a whole new venture for me. I have made egg noodles/dumplings by hand mixing, rolling and cutting years ago but have not used a pasta machine! I do use flours from Bob's Red Mill and King Arthur.

Carol, I thought about getting the mixer attachments a good while ago but never did. Suspect they would have ended up in a drawer here too. Should the pasta machine prove not worth the bother there is also the possibility of donating to a thrift store. I also love the ooze or refuse; the phrase at our house has been that some potatoes are first cousins to rocks.

Minus, interesting. I used gluten free Bisquick to make cookies for Christmas and also made what used to be called a surprise pie because it made it's own crust.

Think I've been snarky about food because the low purine diet for gout has just added more restrictions to my low cholesterol, reduced salt, anti gi cancer, and gluten free regime. Had no idea how many products have high fructose corn syrup in them including my favorite pickles which were an occasional treat. Also really miss shrimp. I will get used to it but it will take time. Enough grouching, the sun is out, the wind has died down and it is time to get busy.

Have a good day!!

Beaver, I don’t know what brand your machine is - mine is a Philips. For what it’s worth, through trial and error I’ve found that adding a little more liquid than the book calls for and a teaspoon of olive oil makes the dough more pliable and less crumbly. I also dust the noodles with semolina after they are extruded. Don’t know what the GF options would be but I’ll be interested in knowing your experiences with it as I might try some for my SIL.