So...whats for dinner?

Carole, I hope DH's COVID is one of the "weaker" variants.

My vaccinations are listed on the CDC/USPHS "yellow cards". I need four cards as each card only holds a couple of dozen shots. Whenever I see a different doctor, I bring the records. It's interesting watching the doctors' reactions as they look down the list. :-)

We drove up last night from Phoenix, so dinner was a bag of chips and ice cream bar. One of the boxes in the trailer is labeled "Aebleskiver pan". I will have to get some buttermilk as the verbal recipe I was given included buttermilk. One of Sharon's cousins is at their summer cabin about 45 minutes drive from here and we are going over there tonight for a birthday/early 4th celebration.

My grandparents (and parents) would boil the shucked ears of corn for a couple of minutes. I've always done the same. I'll have to try the microwave oven method as it does take some time get get the water boiling.

I haven't read Prairie Fires. I'll have to put that on the list as I like that kind of reading. Since I grew up in the desert, I have a huge collection of books relating to the pioneers that lived in the Mojave Desert. The stories of the pioneers are fascinating to me.

Wally - I usually shuck my corn in the grocery store in the big barrels they have beside the displays. That way it's really easy to use the wax paper method. My mother also did boiling water Eric, but it's nice not to fool with it.

Oh Carole - I am so sorry about your DH. I agree with Wally - watch for a rebound. Hopefully it will be like my son's case - sore throat, nasal drip, dry mouth, cough, fatigue. His only complaint - it's still going on after 2-3 weeks. His wife didn't get it - so you may be lucky.

Eric - I can just imaging your vaccination cards with all the volunteer emergency work you did all over.

Goldie - how long are you on antibiotics? Hopefully there are no residual problems from the staple removal. I think you said you'll be in PHX most of next week? Of maybe it was last week??? My brain is slipping.

Minus, I remember the barrels in WI. None here. They expect you to make the mess in your own home out here, LOL.

Carole, Glad symptoms are minimal.

I'm using the leftover wine reduction and putting tofu in it, over rice for tonight. The lamb was exquisite. Love that stuff!

Goldie - so glad you didn't end up with an infection from the staples. Wow - you have a long week ahead. And I'm sure your temperatures are over 100. Safe travels... Ugh about the possible kidney issues.

I have asparagus I MUST use of lose. Also a friend picked up the bag of spinach for me that I forgot to buy on Thursday so I'll put together the cauliflower salad this afternoon. And I have squash for the zucchini pasta. Way too much food for one. And on that same vein...chuckle for the day. I think I mentioned I bought a watermelon last week It's cut in chunks and in the fridge. I couldn't possibly finish it all in a week so I've been looking for someone to share. Yesterday two different friends showed up with bowls of cut watermelon that they wanted to give me. An abundance of riches...

Wally - I imagine they expect you to put the husks & silks in your compost pile!!!

That *is* a lot of driving Goldie. I, too, hope the schedule stays on schedule.

Greetings all -


So sorry about your DH Carole - I do hope you manage to escape COVID's clutches. I was certain that DH's recent bout with bronchitis followed by a terrible cold and horrendous cough was COVID but he tested negative twice. Miraculously I avoided all of it, so miracles do happen. How frustrating it is to be so vaccinated and still vulnerable. I want it to end.


Food has been happening - most recently chicken Pomodoro, sausage with rigatoni and grilled pork burgers. Tomorrow I'm making huli huli chicken wings with potato salad andsome a watermelon cucumber salad that I made for the first time. It's pretty simple - watermelon cubes, thinly sliced cucumber and red onion dressed with olive oil and wine vinegar with some crumbled feta added. The sweet/tart/salty combo is pretty tasty and quite refreshing.


It's just the two of us tomorrow. We were supposed to go to my niece's house tomorrow morning for a continental type breakfast followed by a 4th of July parade then back to her house for a grilled brat/burger lunch and fun and games but it's going to be near 100° tomorrow -- too hot for me to be frolicking in the sun so we bailed. We can see our local fireworks display from our front yard so that's pretty easy.

I use Wally's corn on the cob method. I despise trying to remove silk from ears of corn. Its at the top of the most annoying things list. The only thing you have to be sure of with this method is cutting the bottom far enough so that the husks slip off easily. (An ove glove is valuable for holding the hot ear and slipping it out of it's husk.) Minus - one of our local stores has a "corn barrel" too during the height of corn season. Corn is late here this year because of the cold wet spring. I have not had a really good ear yet.

Minus - are the rosemary crackers from Trader Joe's or HEB? I got some at HEB (rosemary and olive and rosemary and currant) when I was in Texas and I AM ADDICTED. I bought several boxes home. Trader Joe's version are pretty good too.

Carole - you always make turnips sound so good! I'd like to taste yours sometime. They have never appealed to me probably because of how they were cooked.

We've cooked pizza on a stone on the grill a number of times. I like how the crust turns out but it's a bit more trouble because depending on what you like on it, you have to pre- cook the toppings. Mine never seem to brown much on top. It's nice not to have to heat the oven though.

Grilled hamburgers and (toaster) oven fries here tonight. Pretty simple.

Healing thoughts going out to goldie and all who need them!

Happy Independence Day!

Nance - rosemary crackers are from HEB. I'd be happy to send you several boxes if you can't find a good equivalent. I may have to try your watermelon/cucumber dish.

Oh WALLY - my goodness I don't know when I last immediately fell in love with a recipe like I have your cauliflower salad. Yes, I did nuke the cauliflower a bit. I subbed spinach for lettuce and Provolone for Parm. I also replaced some of the mayo with sour cream. But.... After I finished stirring everything together - I had to lick the spoon of course. OH MY. Absolutely delicious. It was very hard to discipline myself to put the dish in the fridge to 'meld' overnight. If it's any better tomorrow, I'll be in heaven. Luckily on only made 1/2 of your recipe since it makes a LOT.

Funny - my brother would only take peanut butter sandwiches in his lunch box. I would only take tuna fish. But my Mother never had mayo in her house - so it was canned tuna w/oil drained & spread on bread & butter. And of course there was no refrigeration - so my lunch box sat in the "cloak room" all morning. Oh well - I didn't die from that. Nor from roller skating on sidewalks with cracks. Nor from riding my bike with no helmet. Nor from riding in the open back of a pick up truck.

Dessert was just a sour cream angel food cake - purchased from Kroger as a weekly special. It's pretty good.

Dinner last night was a version of salsa chicken cooked in the small slow cooker. Two bone in skin on chicken thighs with half a small jar of salsa. Brown rice on the side. A delicious guacamole made with two small ripe avocados, roughly diced, chopped tomato, lemon juice, hot sauce, and mayo. We spooned the thin "gravy" on the rice and dh put extra salsa on his.

Nance, the "salad turnips" are white and small, not as big as a tennis ball. And they are sweet with just a slight turnip flavor. This is my first time to see them.

DH and I tested ourselves again yesterday and I was still negative. He was still positive. He still has minor symptoms, mainly coughing. So far, so good.

Lacey, time for you to check in! Same message to Moon!

Wally - I decided I like the cauliflower salad better a little warm, so I took some out of the fridge to sit a bit before eating. I shared with a neighbor and she likes it "ice cold".

Carole, hope your DH is on the mend and you stay okay. It's not that Paxlovid "causes" a rebound--it seems to be that the subvariants, because they are more transmissible, tend to produce a higher viral load, with some virions "hiding out" before the Paxlovid can get to them. During trials for the drug, the percentage of rebound cases was identical for both the medicated and the control groups. The rebounds tend to be milder and don't require repeat antivirals--but Fauci's was more symptomatic due to his age (81) and the fact that though he was fully-boosted he was a "COVIrgin," never having had an infection before the current one (likely BA.2.12.1 or even later variant), so he lacked "hybrid" immunity. But now he has it going forward.

Last night we had friends over and grilled sausages: truffle brats, chicken brats, weisswurst and grass-fed beef Polish. I made a tossed green salad, and our friends brought a black bean/corn/cherry tomato salad and a watermelon-mozzarella "pearl" salad. I also grilled pre-shucked corn (no need to nuke it). When I make corn indoors, I either strip the rougher outer husks, open the top, pull out some silk, run the ear under cold water, close up the husks and nuke for 3 min.; or if pre-shucked, wrap in damp paper towels and nuke for 3 min. I dress it with salt butter and sometimes smoked paprika and rub with a cut garlic clove. I stayed low-carb last night so had extra salad and a bunless chicken brat instead. (Buns were keto for me and whole wheat for everyone else). Dessert was assorted berries: sliced organic strawberries with garden mint, red raspberries with basil, blackberries, and the first backyard black raspberries of the season. I put out balsamico, vanilla crème frâiche, and English double cream.

No celebration tonight, of course, because of the Highland Park parade massacre. They just caught the guy,. Bob brought home wings (sauceless for me, I will add my own). I will put real blue cheese into 365 brand (no-sugar-added) dressing instead of the packets the restaurant provided, and cut up plenty of celery sticks (and maybe some pepper strips as well). We both had lunch (for me, brunch) fairly late, so will eat after 8. (Third day I've been able to achieve an intermittent fast--easy, because I have so much to do once I get up before I can even enjoy my coffee).

We are buying a new car, though--taking delivery Friday. 2022 Hyundai Tucson Hybrid. SEL, not the higher gee-whiz Limited version of the non-hybrid we test-drove Friday--because the Limited Hybrid is not expected in till Sept., and we're not sure if his Fusion won't break down again before that. The Limited has automated parking assist (which, it turns out, only makes the car go back & forth rather than steer into the space); and cameras attached to the mirrors & connected to the turn signals with little screens on the dash showing the view of the curb, roadway & sidewalk directly below the front fenders so you don't run over a critter as you turn. Meh. Also leather seats, but we're paying to upgrade from cloth for ease of cleaning. Otherwise the SEL has the same options, including blind-spot monitoring, cross-traffic alerts, indiv. tire pressure sensors, and pedestrian detection.

What both models lack are a CD player and spare tire. But I bought a USB portable CD player that will plug into the USB data port (Bob loves his CDs); and ordered a full-size spare tire kit (tire, wheel, specialized reinforced jack, wrench, extra lug nuts, and carry bag). The emergency "tire mobility kit," which includes a compressor and container of sealant, is useless for tread punctures >1/4" and for sidewall damage; you're supposed to drive to a Hyundai dealer if you can; or if you can't, call Hyundai roadside assistance to be towed to a dealer--and their roadside assistance is supposedly very slow, slower than GEICO or AAA. The full-size spare kit will at least allow any tow-truck operator or law enforcement officer to change the tire. Alas, fewer & fewer new cars have even a donut spare, and none have CD players.

Carole - fingers crossed that your DH tests negative. Do you put raisins in your broccoli salad?

Last night's dinner was a pork steak cooked in an aluminum pan on/in the outdoor grill. It was overdone but still tasted good. The broccoli salad was just ok. And I do put raisins in it, Minus. Before we eat the leftovers, I will try microwaving to room temperature to loosen up the mayo dressing.

This morning dh takes the final three Pavlovid pills. Fingers crossed that he tests Negative. And I do, too. He is so-o-o tired of isolation in a camper.

Tonight leftover sauteed asparagus with a new thing I'm trying - Steamed Organic Thai Black Jasmine Surin Rice. Appetizer is deviled eggs. Likely watermelon for dessert.

Anybody ever subscribe to or see Cook's Illustrated? I got a flyer in the mail for a year's subscription for $9.95 which includes a free copy of "All Time Best Recipes" cookbook.

Night before last I had dinner with friends, filet mignon, grilled shrimp and I had brought a macaroni salad (with tuna, lol) that I was supposed to make for a neighbor hood gathering, but since I wasn't there, brought it with me. Last night was an awesome greasy burger from the The Moon, across from my hotel. Tonight was cheese popcorn I got when I checked in and a banana nut muffin I grabbed from the buffet yesterday morning. I really do NOT like eating out and can't wait to get home tomorrow!