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Off Topic => Off Topic - Ideas, humor, inspiration => Topic started by: Homegrown Tomatoes on October 17, 2007, 04:08:34 PM

Title: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on October 17, 2007, 04:08:34 PM
Thought it might be fun to see what everyone else is having... we're having bulgogi and rice (Korean bbq beef) and whatever side dishes I can scrape up...  maybe some of the pickled green beans I canned last summer since I'm out of kimchee.  Trying to clean out all the freezer and pantry over the next few weeks/months.  

So what's for dinner at your house?
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: StinkerBell on October 17, 2007, 05:16:05 PM
Funny, I was just thinking what should I make for dinner....
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on October 17, 2007, 06:30:43 PM
Cool idea, Homegrown. Wife's night out here.... I had a left over baked pasta-dish-without-a-name that I made Monday. Rotini (50-50 mix of semolina & whole wheat), chopped onions, spinach, tomatoes, garlic & thinly sliced zucchini, Bertolli organic olive oil basil & garlic tomato sauce, some ricotta and mozzarella cheeses, and a pepper spice mix I like.

It's my own off the cuff recipe.  :)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on October 17, 2007, 09:02:16 PM
Sigh. Nobody else is eating dinner?
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on October 17, 2007, 09:05:26 PM
Sounds good, Don... you must cook like we do... make it up as you go.

I ended up adding fried okra (hey, it needed to be used tonight) and some tomatoes from the garden to our dinner, as well as the pickled green beans.  The girls were helping me in the kitchen, and so we ended up with about 2 cups of millet in the rice (because each one wanted to put some in)... by the time the rice was done, it looked almost like more millet than rice.  It was good, even if a little incongruous.  We eat a lot of whatever needs to be used up... makes for interesting meals that way.  Made half of the bulgogi with hot chilies (for us) and half without (for the kids), and doggone it if the spicy stuff didn't get eaten up entirely.  Not even enough left over for lunch tomorrow.  I got the okra from the grocery store... first time in almost three years I've seen it up here.  Got tickled when the check-out girl was ringing it up and announced proudly, "And this... this is okra, which I just learned this morning!"  There was some at the local farmer's market a month or two back, but they'd let it grow to 8-10" long, so I knew I'd need a steak knife just to cut it... I think it was an experimental plant for the grower, but it was something they obviously don't eat since they don't know when to pick it.  

And since we're on the topic of dinner, what is your very favorite dinner for just a regular weeknight?
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on October 17, 2007, 09:16:28 PM
QuoteSounds good, Don... you must cook like we do... make it up as you go.
Or I work from recipes and make changes. The tough thing is to remember to jot down what worked really well when winging or modifying so they can be repeated reliably.

Quotewhat is your very favorite dinner for just a regular weeknight?
OOOh! That's tough to say. One favorite?

I could be facetious and say it's one someone cooked and where someone else did the dishes.   :)

I'll give some thought to this.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on October 18, 2007, 01:27:37 AM
Every so often (tonight) we like a great big pretty well done hamburger - about an inch thick - I like mine with ketchup and salt-   Sassy made some 7 grain toasted bread and a salad to go with it.  For desert I had about a cup of vanilla and orange sherbet.  A cup of each-- :)

I don't keep regular hours and many times eat at random times of night.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on October 18, 2007, 11:21:13 AM
So is that your favorite, Glenn?

I think I only have seasonal favorites... Summer, it's a bowl of black-eyed peas with thick slices of fresh tomatoes, fried okra, salad, and a glass of so-cold-it-hurts-your-teeth milk.  Winter, it's a bowl of stew (I like calabacitas stew with squash, whatever veggies I can find,hot peppers, a little cheese, and lots of cilantro) and cornbread.  Guess I have simple tastes.    One of my uncles and I have started a campaign to forgo all the traditional holiday fancy food and have beans, cornbread, and collards.   ;D  Not that I don't like holiday food, but I hate the fact that the aunts and my mom tend to freak out about getting everything done and that there is always so much excess.  

Hmmm... tonight I think we'll have the leftover rice/millet mixture with...well... maybe I'll make fried rice with veggies?  And maybe a little chicken to go with it.    I'm pretty unenthusiastic about cooking right now... antibiotics are having major impact on my appetite... might be the first pregnancy where I'll actually lose weight.  Sigh...and today I've got to make the monthly pilgrimmage to the grocery store to get some stuff with the three year old who is begging to wear her superman getup to the store.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on October 18, 2007, 11:55:48 AM
Cool on tthe Superman outfit.  My son used to like to wear his Spiderman Underoos when he went places and he was 16. :-? :)

I think my favorites are anything that is special and tastes good -- probably Ice Cream of various flavors - then steak cooked in the Round Oak wood stove in a basket with Montreal Steak seasoning pretty well covering both sides.

This mornings breakfast is Spaghetti squash from our garden, coverd with brown sugar and butter and a dash of salt , along with leftover steak.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on October 18, 2007, 12:21:24 PM
Your recipe sounds good, MtnDon - I make a pasta dish sorta like that - love it, although it doesn't always sit real well in Glenn's stomach - he gets heartburn pretty easily...  :-/  

I like stews & soups, made a big pot of pinto beans the other day - was gonna make cornbread but never did get around to it - broiled some French bread that had garlic chunks in itto go with it.  Blackeyed peas are a favorite - I like to cook them with bacon & onions - yummy!

Have made a lot of "frittatas" with our garden veggies, ham or bacon & eggs - with cheese sprinkled on top - those are always good.  Don't have any eggs anymore - there still must be possums or skunks eating them.

I like Oriental dishes - you can concoct all kinds of stuff... I have to watch it with the hot peppers/chile etc - I like it but Glenn is too "delicate"  ;D

Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on October 18, 2007, 12:27:30 PM
Some hot is not too bad -- but Chile powder tears me up... and it varies --- sometimes  no problem. :-/
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on October 18, 2007, 01:49:55 PM
QuoteMontreal Steak seasoning
That's a great pepper/spice mix. You can use it on just about anything. Very good on fish fillets as well.

As far as a favorite... no such thing here really. My tastes are fairly eclectic I think.

Tonight will be: a stir fry; white and dark chicken, extra firm tofu cubed, sugar snap peas, broccoli, julienned carrots, sweet onion, red pepper, with a mix of diluted lite soy sauce and Bragg liquid aminos seasoning sauce. All over angel hair pasta.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on October 18, 2007, 04:16:54 PM
I really like the flavor of the Montreal Steak seasoning, but around the time I had our first child I developed a real strong reaction to MSG, so I try to avoid it nowdays.  Instead, I use Mrs. Dash extra spicy or southwest chipotle and then add a little salt.  Even the thought of eating Chinese food out gives me a headache (I used to really like it, but now just associate it with head splitting pain.)  We also don't usually eat out at chain restaurants because a lot of them rely heavily on MSG, and the waitstaff has no idea if it is in anything or not.  We went to a Lone Star steakhouse up here once and I found out the hard way they use it (I'm assuming in their spices/marinades?)  Anyway, it's cheaper to eat at home and know what I'm putting on my food.  I still really like the Montreal steak seasoning flavor, and every once in a great while, use it anyway.  Most Asian food we prepare at home because I've found that even if the a lot of ethnic restaurants don't knowingly put msg in stuff, they sometimes use soy sauce or other flavorings with msg already in them.  

I am still not sure what I'm making for dinner... need to use up the leftover rice still, but starchy stuff sounds absolutely terrible to me today... about the only things I'm remotely hungry for are greens... maybe it's like when the dog is sick and goes out and eats all the grass and dandelions in the yard???  Lunch was eggs with green and red peppers and onions, drowned in tabasco and sprinkled with a little feta cheese.  Maybe I can talk hubby into grilling catfish and he and the kids can eat leftover rice if they so desire.  Meanwhile, I think I'll go pick some dandelions and chard.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on October 18, 2007, 07:41:46 PM
Finished dinner off with fresh strawberries and a square of dark chocolate (Lindt Excellence Extra Fine Dark) plus a glass of Two Buck Chuck Cabernet Sauvignon. [Two Buck Chuck is Charles Shaw wine, only available at Trader Joe's ($1.99 - $3.49 per bottle, depending on the region)].   :) :)  http://www.traderjoes.com/locations.asp
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on October 19, 2007, 12:15:13 AM
Mashed Potatoes and Tomatoe(Homegrown Tomatoes- :) -really -- Green Zebra, Brandywine and Cherokee Purple) with club crackers.  Trying to get over the McDonalds Double Cheeseburger I had on the way to Fresno to get parts - 150 mi RT. :P  Ice cream when the fullness goes away.  Note - no cholesterol problem here. :)

Homegrown -- I checked the McCormick Montreal Steak Seasoning we use and MSG is not listed -- doesn't mean it's not there -- could be disguised but not much listed there.  Spices?
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on October 19, 2007, 12:19:40 AM
Quote... McCormick Montreal Steak Seasoning we use and MSG is not listed -- doesn't mean it's not there
:) I checked the bottle too Glenn, and then their website. No other info there. So I used the contact us email thingy and asked specifically if the product contained MSG. Answer may take a week or so. Will post the reply.

It may be one of the many things that legally can be included under "natural flavors". Not sure.

I also noted there is a lower sodium version, 25% less.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on October 19, 2007, 12:33:59 AM
Got my curiosity raised....

MSG is in anything that lists the following as ingredients...

MSG       Gelatin       Calcium Caseinate
Monosodium glutamate       Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein (HVP)       Textured Protein
Monopotassium glutamate       Hydrolyzed Plant Protein (HPP)       Yeast Extract
Glutamate       Autolyzed Plant Protein       Yeast food or nutrient
Glutamic Acid       Sodium Caseinate       Autolyzed Yeast
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on October 19, 2007, 12:43:58 AM
Interesting -- I had heard it can be hidden by other names.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on October 19, 2007, 10:36:19 AM
I'll try this again... I posted a reply (or attempted to) a few minutes ago to have it not work.  

I feel like an idiot now.  I just went and grabbed the Montreal steak seasoning off the shelf, and lo and behold, there isn't msg listed on the label.  I wonder now if I just figured it did have it since so many pre-mixed spices do (like taco seasoning, fajita seasoning, and ranch dressing both in bottles and mixes).   I am sure the last bottle of it that we had did have msg, though... the bottle we have now hasn't been used much because I thought it had it!  On the bright side, even though I'm an idiot, I can enjoy it on my steaks and burgers again, woohoo!  

FWIW, almost all ranch dressing has MSG, unless you buy Annie's organic, as well as the packets of stuff you mix with sour cream.  So do most seasoning mixes.  Taco seasoning is easily replaceable with cumin, oregano, chilies, and so forth... tastes better, too.  


Hmmm.... maybe we'll have steaks off the grill today... I even checked the Worchestershire sauce and it doesn't have it, so now I'm royally confused as to how and why I decided to lay off the steak seasoning.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on October 19, 2007, 10:49:52 AM
See how you benefit - and we do -from hanging out here? :)

Now you can have great tasting steaks without worry.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on October 19, 2007, 07:39:56 PM
Well, tonight we had grilled chicken breasts (with montreal steak seasoning, of course  :-[) and collards, and cranberry-orange-mango relish) and homegrown maple cornbread.  I didn't make the maple syrup that went into it, but we grew the corn.  It was pretty delicious.  And now my husband has run out to fill a prescription that he didn't have time to fill earlier in the week, so he took the kids and the house is excessively quiet... I should get off the computer and go try to get all the dog hair cleaned up in the bathroom!  (We had a major dog-washing today...we homeschool and because it took so long to finish trimming and washing the dog, my oldest asked me, 'Mama, is Grover the lesson today?")
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on October 19, 2007, 08:16:00 PM
We had our son over for dinner this evening. Yesterday I put an elk chuck roast in a bag with some marinade [lemon juice, olive oil, sliced onion, Worcestershire sauce, mustard powder, garlic, Montreal Steak seasoning and a splash of Almaden Mtn Burgundy (box wine)].

This morning it went into the crock pot with an onion, 1/4 cup of the Burgundy, 1/4 cup H2O, some chopped tomato a little Real Salt broke down and bought some after Glenn mentioned it.  :) Cooked on low for about 9 hours. Made some gravy. Served with mashed potatoes and a peas & corn mix.

Tomorrow we're up in the mountains. Probably have the left over elk with rice & some veggie.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: John Raabe on October 19, 2007, 09:19:33 PM
Boy, that smells good.

And I just finished dinner.... :)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on October 19, 2007, 11:00:14 PM
We love that Real Salt.  So much better than other normal store bought salts.

http://www.realsalt.com/

You are making me hungry too, Don.  Sounds great.  I'm sure I don't have to say enjoy your trip -- you will. :)

I remember when we went to Wisconsin my Granddad and family back there made Maple syrup, Homegrown.  Dinner at your place sounds great too. :)



Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on October 20, 2007, 09:49:43 PM
My oldest daughter had a conniption (that's somewhere between a hissy and a hickeydo fit) last winter because we have three big maple trees in our yard and I didn't make maple syrup.  

Tonight we had naeng-myun (cold Korean noodles with hot mustard and vinegar.)  It sounds weird, but it grows on you.  Needed something light as we spent the whole day outside painting the trim on the house to match our three random windows upstairs.  Actually, my husband painted and I alternately held the ladder still, dug sweet potatoes and carrots, and turned over a spent garden bed, as well as burned off brush.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on October 21, 2007, 10:21:55 PM
Making Maple Syrup is a whole lot of work/time. But I do love it.  :)

Pierogi {pyrohy to Ukrainians} (some with potato & sharp cheddar filling, some filled with finely chopped sauerkraut) fried w/onions & served w/sour cream, Kie[ch322]basa (spicy Polish sausage), diced cucumber and tomato
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on October 22, 2007, 12:49:46 AM
Sounds good, Don -- reminds me of those great cabbage rolls I had last year.

I had a giant Salisbury steak, with a bit of Montreal seasoning, dried onion slices bothe sides and smothered it in Ketchup along with some Spaghetti squash with butter and salt.  Desert was a big bowl of Apple Pie Ice Cream. :)-- Cooking for myself tonight.  :-/
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on October 22, 2007, 02:20:22 AM
No one was in the mood for real food after this weekend, so we grabbed Subway.  Not really too inspired, but no dishes to wash and it tasted pretty good.  My kids were all up in arms over a teenage boy who came in, ordered a sandwich, sat down and took a few bites, and then when his girlfriend found him there, he got up and trashed the remaining sandwich to follow her out the door.  They were absolutely infuriated that someone  would waste that food, and my older daughter went on and on about how he could've given it to his dog if he didn't want to at least share it with his too-skinny girlfriend.  It was hilarious, though I really don't want to encourage her tirades, so I didn't laugh out loud.  (I guess it beats the time we were at an outdoor table at our favorite Mexican place and the couple at the table next to us were both smoking and my older daughter starts very loudly proclaiming all the evils of smoking.  "Well, they might as well just set their lungs on fire... don't they know that stuff stinks?  Don't they know it kills people?  Why would ANYONE do that to themselves?")
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on October 22, 2007, 02:53:49 AM
I had one of those.  #2 son.  He pulled some good ones.

Your daughter sounds like she is smart as a whip and you have been giving her some good training - even if she does like to voice her opinions.  Maybe she will teach them something or make them think at least.  
Could even give them a few more good years of life. :)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on October 22, 2007, 11:30:05 AM
She's a mess, but a lot of fun.  She is really interested in what's "healthy" to the point of asking about every single thing we eat and wanting to know exactly what's good and what's bad about it.  I have a friend who was raised in foster care in Chicago and really never learned how to cook anything from scratch, and  my daughter was horrified at the things that they ate.  I would take my friend to the grocery store with us and so forth, and one day as we  pulled into the grocery store, my daughter starts in with the "teacher" voice and says, "Now Sandra, you know that junk food isn't good for you or your kids.  Are you going to learn to cook and eat some real food now?  If you keep eating junk, you' ll get sugar in your blood and get diabetes and die."  Thankfully my friend thought it was funny and just laughed.  

When she was about three, she asked me why my dad drinks alcohol and I do not.  I told her that I didn't drink it because alcohol kills brain cells and I figure I don't have that many to spare, and besides, it's not good for your liver, and I don't like the way it makes people act sometimes.  Of course, the next time we were around my dad, she announces to him, "Grampy, your brain can't take it if you keep drinking alcohol... you've been drinking it so long that there's probably not much of it [his brain] left.  Besides, it makes your liver act funny!"  

When we have company, she takes them on a tour of the garden explaining what each plant is, how it is used, and why it is good for you.  She'll pick nasturtiums or calendula and insist that they taste them, or want people to compare the flavors of mint and sage.  By the time she was two, she would sit poring over seed catalogs, and she could tell you what every single plant in them was, even if it was something we didn't grow ourselves.  So, in spite of the fact that she is so completely different from me in so many ways, in a lot of ways, she's a kid after my own heart.  We relate well in the garden and in the kitchen.  My little one isn't such a firecracker, but she's also very smart and very mechanically inclined...she must get at least part of that from my husband.  She doesn't say nearly as much as her big sister, but her comedic timing and vocabulary are really great.  Of course, either of them can promptly repeat anything they overheard that they shouldn't have, LOL.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on October 22, 2007, 01:24:01 PM
That's really great - I love to see brainy little kids like that.  :)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on October 22, 2007, 09:30:07 PM
Tonights menu: Hamburgers.  1/2 venison (deer), 1/2 beef.** A couple Tbsp finely chopped green chili per pound of meat, Ditto chopped onion, ditto crumbled blue cheese, small splash of Balsamic vinegar (1/2 tsp?). Mix well, form into 3 to 4 patties.

Grilled on the new Weber Baby-Q. (It works very well!)

(https://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q75/djmillerbucket/2750/mini-IMG_2728.jpg)

When meat is just about done bring inside and spread more crumbled blue cheese (to taste) on patty and broil briefly to melt cheese.

Served with a thinly sliced sweet onion and tomato. Whole wheat buns. Tossed salad.

** Meat is frozen, previously ground and mixed in roughly 50/50 proportions of store bought on-sale beef and gunshot deer.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: John_C on October 22, 2007, 09:57:17 PM
Started with a big bowl of rice.  Rotisserie chicken, sun dried tomatoes, olives stuffed with Feta cheese, artichoke hearts, marinated mushrooms and a dressing made with olive oil, vinegar and habanero peppers. Ah yes, dinner that bites back.

Bottle of Killian's to go with.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on October 22, 2007, 10:11:13 PM
Quotehabanero peppers. Ah yes, dinner that bites back.
Oh John, man of cast iron, that's an understatement. Habaneros bite back with shark teeth! I draw my own personal pepper line at what to you would be a mild pepper, the Jalapeno. Maybe, if I'm feeling adventurous a Serrano. But not often.

http://www.painisgood.com/scoville.asp

Bon appétit!

Gero apetito! Skanaus! in Lithuanian, Glenn.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: John_C on October 22, 2007, 10:32:11 PM
Occasionally I'll stir fry a half pound or so of jalapenos and mix them with some boiled collard or turnip greens.  Takes the bland taste out of the leafy veggies.  
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: John_C on October 22, 2007, 10:36:46 PM
Don,

One good link deserves another.  The health benefits of capsaicin.  


http://www2.oprah.com/presents/2005/young/life/life_peppers_b.jhtml
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on October 22, 2007, 10:57:23 PM
Good link John. Thanks. But I'll have to get my dose via eating greater quantities rather than a higher dose in one bite.  :) Peppers are addictive, can't really only eat one or two.

Other good info via that link too. Once again, thanks.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on October 23, 2007, 12:29:36 AM
Ow, John C.  that hurts. :o

Once again I am reminded of  the Mexican Flu-Flu bird. :-/

A bird in Mexico who lives on a diet of Jalepeno's and refried beans, and flies backwards to keep his tail feathers cool. :-?

Ok - OK -- I know -- I mentioned it before.  There may be new victims now though. :)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on October 23, 2007, 09:43:08 PM
Crock pot: 4 chicken thighs, 1/4 red onion, big splash of balsamic vinegar, cup of chicken stock, 4 hours on high (late start)

Baked potato, sour cream.

Casserole: sliced zucchini and tomato, layered, sprinkled with a little montreal steak seasoning, Tbsp of Smart Balance margarine. Microwaved a couple minutes, then sprinkled with grated Parmesan and placed under the broiler for a few minutes (until slightly browned).
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown_Tomatoes on October 23, 2007, 10:02:32 PM
grilled chicken, macaroni salad (leftover from some I made for a church outreach dinner tonight), steamed broccoli, and leftover cranberry/orange/mango salad.  (At least that's what hubby and kids had.)  I went to the church function and took the salad, and we had sort of a fall picnic... mostly junk food.  I don't even like macaroni salad much (most of it is so bland) but was asked to make my "favorite" one... since they asked, I made it mostly salad with a little macaroni.  It probably wasn't exactly what they had in mind, but it was pretty decent and had a lot of spice. [smiley=evil.gif]  
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown_Tomatoes on October 23, 2007, 10:04:29 PM
By the way Don, I see you got that new grill... looks just about the right size... not so bulky that you need to build a second garage to park the thing.  Glad you're already getting to use it.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on October 23, 2007, 10:41:28 PM
QuoteI don't even like macaroni salad much (most of it is so bland)
I use a generous dollop of Jack Daniels Horseradish Mustard for some flavor and zip in macaroni and/or potato salads.

I do like that grill... good size for a couple with enough room for 4 actually, IMO.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown_Tomatoes on October 23, 2007, 11:02:50 PM
I used some extra extra extra hot giardiniera (sp?) and some pepper jack cheese.  Also put in lots of other peppers so that you couldn't pick by looking which ones were hot and which were not.  Some parsley, cukes, chopped up pickles, crumbled bacon, fresh dill and basil, a little homemade dressing, and lots of tomatoes from the garden.  Never thought about horseradish, though that does sound like a good answer to the whole boring dilemma.  It wasn't bad.  The whole dishpan I took to church got eaten, so I guess someone liked it.

Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn-k on October 23, 2007, 11:04:51 PM
Cool.  Plastic beetle problem at the church, Homegrown? ;D
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown_Tomatoes on October 23, 2007, 11:08:47 PM
 ::)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown_Tomatoes on October 23, 2007, 11:09:41 PM
good grief... leave it to you to come up with something smart-aleky to say about any given topic!
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on October 23, 2007, 11:19:10 PM
Must be never a dull moment there on Kangiser's Mountain.  :)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn-k on October 23, 2007, 11:32:28 PM
I try. ;D

Dang -- that one took me 2 minutes. :(  I must be slowing up in my old age -- but then again cut me some slack--- I was on another thread when that was posted.    ::)

Wouldn't you have loved to have me in English class, Homegrown? :-?

Hmmm --thought you'd say that. :(

The ones who had me didn't like it very much either. :-/

I tended to ignore that and just go ahead and run my smart aleky  little mouth though. :)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown_Tomatoes on October 24, 2007, 12:02:16 PM
The good thing is that you wouldn't have been in my class.  I taught English as a second language... and high school math.  I would've hated teaching a regular English class... after all, I wouldn't have had foreign students coming to class enraged about how they'd gone to the student union bookstore and asked for "rubbers" and didn't understand why the clerk doubled over laughing at them... or the time the Thai student went looking for "hookers" at Wal-mart and they called security on him.  And just so you know, the above students meant "erasers" and "hooks". ;)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on October 24, 2007, 04:00:40 PM
McCormick's response to my query about MSG.


Dear McCormick Consumer:

Thank you for taking the time to contact us.  We appreciate your interest in our Grill Mates Montreal Steak Seasoning and welcome the opportunity to be of assistance to you. [highlight]This product does not contain MSG.[/highlight]

Although Monosodium Glutamate is approved by the Food & Drug Administration, many consumers, such as yourself, do have a concern about its addition to food products.  Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) is used to enhance the natural flavor of foods.  

Our company recognizes that there are differences in individual preferences and sensitivities to certain ingredients.  We attempt to provide a wide variety of seasonings to accommodate various tastes.  Because of concerns such as yours, we are continually evaluating our products and formulating new items without the addition of MSG.  We have successfully removed MSG from a number of our existing products.  We will continue our reevaluation process to determine if the quality and flavor our consumers expect can be maintained without the presence of MSG.

[highlight]Whenever MSG is directly added to our products, it is always labeled in the ingredient statement. [/highlight] Because we are constantly improving our products, we encourage you to read the ingredient statement on our packages at the time of your purchase.

We invite you to join our "Friends and Flavor Club" and receive our newsletter, and personalized recipes and cooking tips.  You can join by clicking on "Friends and Flavor" at www.McCormick.com.

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Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown_Tomatoes on October 24, 2007, 05:00:20 PM
Wow, that's  a pretty good response, and fairly quick, too.  I'm just glad that I can use the stuff again... still haven't figured out why I thought it had msg in it, though.  

We're having stew with beef, chicken, collards, potatoes, garlic, onions, carrots, celery, and ??? tonight... otherwise known as "clean out the fridge stew."  MIght make some pumpkin bread or cornbread if I get energetic... might be nice to turn on the oven, as it's pretty chilly.  I'll probably make the pumpkin bread because my kids eat cornbread like it's going out of style.  The two of them can eat a whole skillet of cornbread before dinner's even ready, if they can get away with it. If I do the pumpkin, then we have some left for breakfast, at least.  
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on October 24, 2007, 05:13:49 PM
Wednesday... wife's night out and I'm not ambitious...

Digiorno frozen pizza.  :-[  

I'm baking it first.

Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown_Tomatoes on October 24, 2007, 08:58:10 PM
So do you bake it the traditional way, or do you too have a rocket stove?  The stew and pumpkin bread were pretty good... made a big pot of stew and 4-yr-old ate 3 or 4 bowls.  Only had enough left to pack hubby two lunches out of it.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on October 24, 2007, 09:18:35 PM
The only rockets around here are a couple of "keepsakes" in the attic from when my son and I were into making and launching rockets. And my neighbors '56 Olds Rocket 88.   ;D:)

... slide it into the preheated oven on a sheet and wait 25 minutes.  :)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn-k on October 24, 2007, 09:51:44 PM
Quote4-yr-old ate 3 or 4 bowls

Probably a plastic or glass deficiency, depending on the type of bowl the 4-yr-old has acquired a taste for Homegrown.  I'd have her checked. :-/

I know -- this is getting old. :o :)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on October 24, 2007, 10:01:08 PM
 ;D ;D ;D ;D
Homegrown's going to develop some sort of a disorder/syndrome if you keep it up.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn-k on October 24, 2007, 10:40:38 PM
I know, but I couldn't resist. :'(

I think I have unwittingly slipped back into my old harass the English teacher ways. :-/

Sorry, Homegrown.  
That will probably turn you into Homegroan,  Bummer -- I'll have to try to see if I can suppress my primal urges. :( :)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on October 24, 2007, 11:07:39 PM
Uh-oh! As if the California fires aren't bad enough, 1/3 of the states Avocado trees have been destroyed by the fires. Avocados and Guacamole will be going up in price for a number of years. Unless the Chinese have lots of Avocado trees.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn-k on October 24, 2007, 11:12:53 PM
You haven't heard of the New California Tree Roasted Guacamole? :-/

I know -- not funny -- it is a pretty sad situation.  My buddy, Al mentioned that we helped put those houses there.  We installed roll bars, sloper blades and air conditioners on the equipment that destroyed much of the Southern California landscape and made it into housing complexes. back in the late 80's and early 90's.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown_Tomatoes on October 25, 2007, 08:55:46 AM
 ;)I think :-?I'm developing :P some sort :D of tick... It's that >:( Glenn guy :-/ driving me to ;D distraction :o :P.


Seriously, I thought cooking pizza with rocket stoves and garbage can lids was a common practice around here.   ;D
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown_Tomatoes on October 25, 2007, 08:58:32 AM
How about this alternative to my previous post about dinner?
My 4-year-old ate three or four bowls of stew... that's a lot of stew for someone barely over three feet tall.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn-k on October 25, 2007, 10:25:40 AM
Quote;)I think :-?I'm developing :P some sort :D of tick... It's that >:( Glenn guy :-/ driving me to ;D distraction :o :P.


Seriously, I thought cooking pizza with rocket stoves and garbage can lids was a common practice around here.   ;D

Oh sure - try to change the subject and make me look crazy. :-/

Oh wait a minute -- that's what I'm trying to accomplish here. :)

It is common when the opportunity arises.  I also barbecue steaks in the wood stove, warm my lunch on the turbo-charger of my truck and even considered wrapping a burrito in foil and sticking it in the exhaust pipe -- didn't do the last one though - too much diesel soot. :-/ ;D
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn-k on October 25, 2007, 10:27:43 AM
QuoteHow about this alternative to my previous post about dinner?
My 4-year-old ate three or four bowls of stew... that's a lot of stew for someone barely over three feet tall.


Ah - much better -- sounds like my old English teacher now. ;D

No room for ambiguity there. ::)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on October 25, 2007, 10:28:49 AM
QuoteMust be never a dull moment there on Kangiser's Mountain.  :)

How'd you guess, MtnDon?   :D  

BTW, Homegrown - there's very little I can say that can't be construed another way  ::)(Glenn might even come up with something from what I just wrote!   ;) )
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn-k on October 25, 2007, 10:38:06 AM
Quote
QuoteMust be never a dull moment there on Kangiser's Mountain.  :)

How'd you guess, MtnDon?   :D  

BTW, Homegrown - there's very little I can say that can't be construed another way  ::)(Glenn might even come up with something from what I just wrote!   ;) )

That's why I have such a hard time understanding what you mean sometimes.  My mind automatically analyzes each statement to see if there is the possibility that I may have misunderstood, and the possible ramifications or actions required on my part if I should choose to understand what you said the way you may have meant it , or , if in fact it would be better for me to pretend that the alternative meaning was what I understood it to be and continue on my way in good conscience, fully believing that I was in compliance with your vaguely stated wishes. :)

There-- that should keep them busy for a while. ::) ;D

Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown_Tomatoes on October 25, 2007, 02:44:35 PM
I should never have mentioned that I used to be an English teacher... setting myself up!  If I'd mentioned teaching math first, then he would have found a way to give me heck about that.  It's paybacks... I had a roommate in college who was an engineering student, and her composition was so poor that when she'd have me proofread for her, I'd end up laughing until I cried over misplaced modifiers and so forth.  The problem with computer forums is that your fingers can type way faster than you can actually consider what you're writing-- it's all so conversational-- and you don't worry about good grammar nearly as much.  Nobody but Glenn will be grading, anyway ;D.

As to sticking a burrito in the tailpipe of your truck, that would assure that everything in it is dead, but how much fuel would your truck consume to warm the darn burrito?  What about parking in the sun and putting the burrito on a piece of black paper in the windshield?  Then you could have a nice burrito "air freshener" for your truck as well.  Last year we were camping and I wrapped some sweet potatoes in foil and threw them in the coals of our campfire.  Unfortunately, my husband piled more wood on the fire and I forgot the sweet potatoes were there... around 11 PM I heard foil ripping open and came out of the tent just in time to see a black bear slurping the mushy potatoes out of the foil.  I was glad he was satisfied with our two sweet potatoes and didn't go looking for anything else.

Well, time for my kids' reading lessons... hopefully I won't warp them forever with my teaching! :P
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn-k on October 25, 2007, 03:07:17 PM
You covered yourself quite well on that one, Homegrown.  

I think your kids are very fortunate to have you teach them rather than send them to the "state owned child" training center.

Now for the burrito --- I generally throw it on the manifold by the turbo charger when I arrive at the job.  By lunch time it is hot.

Commercially made burritos must be made from all the things that would not be able to be presented in a store if shown in their true form.  I think most of the things that are in them were dead for a very long time before they were assembled.  I only considered the exhaust pipe one day when I forgot to throw them on the manifold.  I finally settled on heating them with the oxy/acetylene torch.  Nice and toasty on the outside - cool in the center. :(

The death that is contained inside of a burrito lingers for hours after they have been consumed. :-/

Grading -- nah -- just looking for opportunities to give you a bad time. :)  ...but I'll give you an "A" on your last composition and "C" on the two previous. ;D


Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown_Tomatoes on October 25, 2007, 05:09:33 PM
Hey, I worked hard for that A.  

Store-bought burritos are scary.  Who knows what's really in them?  I like the steak burritos we get from the locally owned Polish-Mexican place.  The owners are Polish, and the first time I walked in, I almost turned around and walked back out because everyone but the dish washer in there was white.  Glad we ended up staying, though, as it is the best Mexican food in the area, and they are really nice folks.  (Now they have both a Mexican dish washer and a second cook who is Mexican... however, the Polish guy makes better food.)  It's one of the very few places that we eat out.  They have some of the best chili rellenos I've ever eaten, and their carne asada is really good, too.  I know, heart attack on a plate, but I love 'em.  My husband orders one of the steak burritos, and it is as big as the platter we put the turkey on at Thanksgiving... he eats half of the burrito for that dinner, and then he takes the other half to work for lunch the next day.  Thankfully he doesn't resort to heating it back up in the machine shop or anything, though!  The last time those guys tried to cook something for him, they set off the smoke alarms and the fire department showed up (they put fireworks on a cake to celebrate DH getting his citizenship! ::))  

How do you quote on the forum?  I was going to quote what you said about teaching my kids but wasn't sure how...
Anyway, thanks.  I feel blessed to have the chance to teach them at home... and I am always amazed at how fast they learn when there's one-on-one teaching involved.  Both of them are reading.  My older one is close to a second grade level already, and the little one is maybe midway through first grade reading.  I wouldn't ever put them in the public schools here because I've already had major run-ins with the superintendant.  He wouldn't admit an exchange student we were due to host this fall because we are homeschooling our own kids (does not matter that our kids are not even legally school age yet!!!)  But , that's another soap box for another day... I start seeing red just thinking about it.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn-k on October 25, 2007, 06:57:26 PM
Just the thought of wet store bought pre-made food is almost enough to make me ralph.

QuoteHow do you quote on the forum?

There are a few ways to do quotes.  The above was as reading what you want to quote, - right click and slide across it to highlight it -- before you do your reply.  Click copy (to the clipboard) - (that imaginary place that your computer remembers stuff in) then do your reply.  Click about the 12th button on the reply page - top row- the sheet of paper with the blue arrow sticking out to the right of it.  Paste the copied text between the quote tags.

The other way to quote the entire thing is to click the quote button above the message that you want to quote - it will go to the reply page with the entire message dated - labeled and quoted.  You can delete the parts you don't want or edit it as desired.  Just don't erase any of the quote  tags - brackets -etc or it won't quote properly.  

... or paste text you want to quote - to your reply, highlight it there then click the quote button and the quote tags will be applied before and after it.  [quot e]Like this. :)[/quot e]  Spaced it to show the text.

I find many of the school officials are on power trips.  They had a cop there with his hand on his gun when they ordered me to appear for a parent teacher conference because my son had asthma and had missed some school.  Possibly because of a remark I made regarding the example of a local teacher and his boyfriend who decided to dispose of him.  They erected a plaque in his honor.  I was not in agreement with the example he set or them giving him sainthood.  I hope that comment was PC enough.  They ordered me to sign a contract to state that my son would not miss anymore school.  I told them he would do as he always had and be there as much as he could.    I told them to sign the contract themselves - It was not a contract if they forced me to sign it.  I walked out on them -- the cop didn't shoot me in the back.  I guess he was really a chicken. ;D
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on October 25, 2007, 09:22:10 PM
Tonight:
Pork Loin. Marinated in balsamic vinegar & olive oil for about 5 hrs. (plastic bag, squeeze all air our... saves having to rotate or turn over the meat. Grilled, 10 min on high, turned 3 times, then about 25 min on low to internal temp of 160 F.  Mashed potatoes, salad.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn-k on October 25, 2007, 09:54:25 PM
Lets call them Beerocks to avoid confusion, and Mint Chocalate Chip Ice Cream.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on October 26, 2007, 12:38:11 AM
QuoteLets call them Beerocks to avoid confusion, and Mint Chocalate Chip Ice Cream.
We have some cross-pollination going on here between the "What's for dinner?" and "Food for thought- Building extreme hunger" threads.   :-/

Beer-rocks they will be  ;D and I'll see how much damage I can do in the next week.

http://www.countryplans.com/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1144265293/134#134
http://www.countryplans.com/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1192655314/70#70

I shall report back here.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn-k on October 26, 2007, 12:52:45 AM
It's like --a parallel universe, Don. :)  I thought we should bring the Extreme hunger series up to date also. ::)

It's just that -- like --- I knew we had all been there.  

Anybody else speak a little "valley girl" here? :-?

Looking forward to seeing those Cabbage Rolls, Don. :)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on October 26, 2007, 07:43:53 PM
Hey bro. Like, tonight we had awesome megagrilled NY Strip steaks, steamed rice and a corn/peas mix. Sweet! [Steaks with Montreal Steak Seasoning, low sodium version, after marination in my Italian dressing + balsamic vinegar marinade]

I'm fer sure seeing that grill works before hauling it off to the mountains.  :)  ;D

I'll post tomorrow's cop-out dinner tonight... It'll be some way lame highway restaurant food, not sure what/where we'll scarf it. We're getting up like early to drive to Holloman AFB, 235 miles south of here to attend the X-Prize Cup. It'll be tubular. Lunar lander competition and bitchin' AF flyovers.... rad F-22 Raptor, etc. and hella static displays. It should be totally radical dude!

Later.

http://www.xprize.org/space/press-release/attractions-at-the-2007-wirefly-x-prize-cup
http://space.xprize.org/x-prize-cup/
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: StinkerBell on October 26, 2007, 08:26:15 PM
glen, glen glen,




Like OMG, fer sure, like ya know I was born and raised in the San Fernando Valley, Fer sure. It is sooo like radical, ya know? Totalllly.


I am off to go gag myself with a spoon now.







lol
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn-k on October 26, 2007, 09:41:40 PM
You two are good. ;D

I think there may have been a little hippy and truck driver in there too, Don.  Right on. :)

San Fernando, Stink.???? :-? :-?   :o Crimoney.  I thought you were a genuwine Washingtonian Redneck gurl. :o

I used to work and drive truck through the San Fernando Valley.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: StinkerBell on October 26, 2007, 09:43:34 PM
I am a graduate of L A Unified School District, North Hollywood High.....GO HUSKY's.....
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn-k on October 26, 2007, 09:55:44 PM
Cool, Stinkerbell.  I always associate Hollywood with the La Brea Tar Pits.  A cool place.  

So North Hollywood picked a Husky for a mascot.  Does the Husky know and appreciate that?

Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: StinkerBell on October 26, 2007, 09:59:25 PM
I have no clue.

Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn-k on October 26, 2007, 10:12:50 PM
The American Indians have in many cases had themselves removed from being mascots, probably because they don't want to be associated with the actions of many of the individuals who do not necessarily represent their name in a conscientious manner.

I was just wondering if any Huskies had voiced their disapproval or not. ;D
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: StinkerBell on October 26, 2007, 10:35:09 PM
Ask PETA, I think they might know  ;)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on October 28, 2007, 06:39:14 PM
A brown rice and barley medley: brown rice, barley, black beans, corn, green peas, tomato, peppers, cilantro. All that wholesome goodness counter-balanced with some Kielbasa and a beer that was begging to come out of the dark fridge.

Yesterday's air show was a good one. (F22 standing on its pipe going straight up to 40K+ feet in no time.) Dinner grabbed along the road home; Inn of the Mountain Gods c-a-s-i-n-o/resort; Apache C-a-s-i-n-o Smoky B's Buffet, adequate food and prices, no waiting. A little bit of a detour out of the way home, but my son's RX8 needed the twisty road exercise.  ;D

Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn-k on October 28, 2007, 10:47:16 PM
...a whole can of Spaghetti O's and about three tablespoons of pure apple cider vinegar an hour later to see if I can get them to digest. :-/

Not working yet. :(  

May need more vinegar.  :P
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on October 28, 2007, 11:23:17 PM
My condolences Glenn.

I just noticed that your filters don't like the word c-a-s-i-n-o.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn-k on October 28, 2007, 11:26:20 PM
One of the bad words, Don. ;D

We had a spammer that wanted to post links to an online one so we blocked it.  Might have even put some crazy substitute word in there. :o ;D
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn-k on October 28, 2007, 11:29:42 PM
Cooked for myself, Don.  Just nuked the "O"s.  I don't know if I'll ever be able to eat a whole can of them again. :(

Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: benevolance on October 29, 2007, 01:28:21 AM
glenn

sucks to be old dude... I guess it is not all bad...Canned food mostly is crap! Filled with Sodium and MSG...Friend of mine who is pushing 90 has trouble eating restaurant food and the good thing about that is he eats really healthy light non greasy meals a lot of fish and vegetables.... no spaghetti-o's or mc donalds
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on October 29, 2007, 10:08:36 AM
We had one of our granddaughters over for the night - when I was at the store with her, she insisted on Spaghettios.  I don't like the crap myself.  When I fixed it for her, Glenn said - "she never buys me Spaghettios."  I told him he was welcome to eat his own can of the stuff.  I think he may be cured of the hankering for Spaghettios  ;D
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn-k on October 29, 2007, 10:12:16 AM
Seems the vinegar and Pepcid did their job -- the Spaghettio's got digested.    Guess I should stick to better food. :-/
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown_Tomatoes on October 29, 2007, 11:19:28 AM
Ugh!  Spaghettios!  I didn't even know if they still made those.  The last time I saw them was when I was about fifteen.  I was babysitting a couple of little boys and when I went to make lunch, that's all they had in the pantry.  I fasted.  They ate them like they were going out of style.   :P

Several years ago we started eliminating almost all processed foods from our diet, and now if I try to eat fast food it makes me almost sick.  In fact, the last time I ate a Whopper, I was miserable for a few days.  Last night we'd been working in the house, and the stain fumes were overwhelming.  It was about 50 degrees and all the windows were open, but I was still getting sick (and I mean SICK) from the fumes... there was no way I could stand in the kitchen and cook without up-chucking, so we decided to go out.  DH decided that fried chicken sounded good, and since it'd been years since we'd eaten at KFC, we decided to stop there.  I had to laugh at him when he ate one of the potato wedges and said, "Man, that's salty!"  When we first met, he would've salted his ketchup before even tasting the fries... he's just gotten used to tasting the foods and not the salt.  It probably wasn't the healthiest thing to eat, but it didn't taste bad, though I couldn't eat a whole lot of it.  For the baby's sake, we slept with all the bedroom windows open and the fan going on high last night... even though we did were staining the shelving in the kitchen downstairs and had the door shut to the stairwell, the smell of wood stain had certainly drifted up there and was overwhelming to me.  However, the kitchen is looking really good.  I have to get it cleaned up and get the top of the remaining cabinet tiled, as well as the rest of the backsplash, and then take some pics to post.  Freezing to death today with the windows up, but just don't think I can take it with them closed.   :P  Even the smell of the sourdough starter pushed me over the top yesterday, so much so that I threw it out and don't think I'll bake sourdough until after this baby is born!  

Tonight we'll have goulash, or something to that effect.  Had a hankering for burgers the other day (which we almost never eat) and so I still have part of the ground beef left that needs to be used up.  Actually, I don't think I wanted the burger itself nearly as much as the drippy tomato/onion/pickle/mustard combination, but the meat probably boosted the nutritional value of it considerably!  Cravings are strange things.  Wanted a coke float from Sonic really bad a few days ago, but there isn't a Sonic in Wisconsin (or even Illinois?) to my knowledge.  Didn't think it was worth driving all the way to Missouri for  ;D.  Ate a whole jar of the crunchy kosher dills in about a day and a half last week, and that was TRYING to show some restraint.  Would have eaten them all in an hour if I had let myself!  Another day, ate a whole bag of frozen chopped broccoli.   :-[  At least that on was healthy!
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn-k on October 29, 2007, 11:27:49 AM
Mornin, 'maters.   :)     For Sassy's benefit, (Ex-FIL was from Arkansas and called Tomatoes 'maters)

Please keep reminding me that nearly all pre-prepared and fast food is crap. :-/

Do you think a water based stain would be better?  Probably cant find it in the color you want.

I liked the Sonic Coconut Cream Pie shakes but last time I had one it really tasted a lot like shaving cream. :(
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn-k on October 29, 2007, 11:32:28 AM
Note that Spaghetti-O's has changed from Franco-American to Campbell's but it probably isn't an improvement.

Remember the song?
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on October 29, 2007, 11:48:35 AM
Homegrown, I can remember those days even though my youngest is now 26!  I was working in a bank at the time - we had carbon-paperless forms (new product at that time) I couldn't stand the smell, would drive me nuts!  Well, at least you know there's a fairly defined time-frame for being pregnant... & a wonderful reward at the end  :)

Three days before I delivered my 1st I made an "entertainment center" - went to the lumber yard, picked out the boards I needed, knew one of the owners from church - he cut the lumber to my specifications for free, went home, built, sanded & stained it in 2 days - it covered a whole wall.  I guess I was in that nesting mode & needed storage - gave me lots of room for the stereo, books, nicknacks etc.  

We try to eat fairly healthy - Glenn still likes to add salt to everything - usually when he is working, he sweats a lot - especially when welding in the summer in 100+ degree heat - his clothes will be covered with dried salt  :o so I don't worry too much about his salt intake - he loves ice cream & eats at least 2 bowls a day - I keep telling him that is probably what's bothering him, but he doesn't believe me.  

I offered my granddaughter other food, but she didn't want anything but the spaghetti-o's - Glenn offered to give me a bite - I said "no thanks, I don't even want to taste them" in fact, I don't think I've ever had more than a spoonful when they 1st came out & I didn't like them then!
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: benevolance on October 29, 2007, 11:59:48 AM
well as for fast food... most of it upsets my stomach also... burger thing mc dogfoods are never on the menu with my wife and I ... it has been several years since we have eaten their crap.... my wife for some reason likes Wendys chili

even if someone wants to buy me supper I will not eat Mcdogfoods....I love the dog too much to even feed it to him

I used to eat the irish stew in the can as a kid....I do not enjoy it much anymore...never could eat spaghetti- o's

The only thing we eat from a can is corned beef....We have corned beef hash with potatoes usually once a week...

Grab half a dozen good sized potatoes  the size of your hand palm opened up and mash them.... and then dump them in the drying pan with a can of corned beef.... cook until potatoes are just starting to brown add desired spice  and presto...

that is about the extent of our canned foods...

Once a year we make chili and I guess the kidney beans and stewed tomatoes come from the can

our pasta sauce comes from the bottle sometimes....
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown_Tomatoes on October 29, 2007, 12:13:08 PM
Well, most stuff that we eat from cans is stuff we canned ourselves.  I buy canned pineapple because I really like pineapple, and how the heck do you get fresh ones in Wisconsin???  I like canned pears every now and then, too.   I never liked Spaghettios, though, and my kids have never even tasted them... have a feeling they wouldn't care for them.  The never order off of  the kid menu when we go out because they just don't like bland stuff.  If we go eat Mexican food, they order steak tostadas or carne asada.  Went to a steak house when we first moved here and my oldest pitched a fit because they didn't have steak on the kids menu.  So I ordered a big steak and worked it out with the waitress to divide it and add some sides for DD (who was then 2.5).  When the waitress asked how my daughter's steak was, I wanted to slide under the table when she replied cheerfully, "It is tough.  It tastes like shoe leather.  Do you have any Heinz 57? I don't care for A-1."  This was the same steak house where the same DD kept pronouncing loudly, "Why is it so dark in here?!  Don't they want you to see what you're eating?" and "Why's everyone whispering?"  Needless to say, we never went back there!   ::)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown_Tomatoes on October 29, 2007, 12:29:04 PM
QuoteHomegrown, I can remember those days even though my youngest is now 26!  I was working in a bank at the time - we had carbon-paperless forms (new product at that time) I couldn't stand the smell, would drive me nuts!  Well, at least you know there's a fairly defined time-frame for being pregnant... & a wonderful reward at the end  :)

Three days before I delivered my 1st I made an "entertainment center" - went to the lumber yard, picked out the boards I needed, knew one of the owners from church - he cut the lumber to my specifications for free, went home, built, sanded & stained it in 2 days - it covered a whole wall.  I guess I was in that nesting mode & needed storage - gave me lots of room for the stereo, books, nicknacks etc.  

We try to eat fairly healthy - Glenn still likes to add salt to everything - usually when he is working, he sweats a lot - especially when welding in the summer in 100+ degree heat - his clothes will be covered with dried salt  :o so I don't worry too much about his salt intake - he loves ice cream & eats at least 2 bowls a day - I keep telling him that is probably what's bothering him, but he doesn't believe me.  

I offered my granddaughter other food, but she didn't want anything but the spaghetti-o's - Glenn offered to give me a bite - I said "no thanks, I don't even want to taste them" in fact, I don't think I've ever had more than a spoonful when they 1st came out & I didn't like them then!


Three days before delivering?  What a champ!  A week before our second was born, we went tent camping in the Ozarks (she wasn't due for almost another month) and the day after I got back, my doctor checked me out and then looked up and said, "Well... I don't know how you feel about having a baby TODAY..."  I told her I couldn't and that she needed to let me go home so that I could finish unpacking from the trip and get the garden picked, etc.  She reluctantly let me go home, and in the mean time, I canned tomatoes and pickles and cooked a whole freezer full of dinners so that there was always something to be popped in the oven for dinner... In fact, we were still eating those stupid homemade frozen dinners up until we moved away because I went so overboard! :D  (Nothing like goat enchiladas and goat lasagna for weeks on end, ha ha!)  When our first was born, no one knew for several days (because it was during Christmas) and so there weren't ladies from church showing up at the door with dinner every night for two weeks... I thought we were going to starve to death because the baby wanted to nurse all the time and making a PB&J was sometimes the best I could muster.   The next time, boy was I prepared!  This time around smells are bothering me way more than before.  Last time it was putting anything in my mouth (straws, spoons, toothbrush) because the gag reflex was so strong.  With the first, it was intense cravings for fish and broccoli.  So weird the things that set you off... I got sick eating a really mild Korean soup in Korea when I was pregnant with the second one, and to this day, I can't even look at or smell that soup without the same feeling coming back, even though I used to really like it.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on October 29, 2007, 12:40:19 PM
I couldn't stand the smell of coffee any of the times I was pregnant but as soon as I delivered I liked it again  :-?  seemed like I just wanted to eat healthy stuff - especially the 1st 3-4 months- must be the good Lord looking out for the baby  :)  Loved potato salad with dill pickles - made a big bowl - lived on it a couple days & couldn't stand it afterwards  :D .  I can't remember a whole lot of other smells - but I know there were several that bothered me.

You really outdid yourself with your last child - harvesting the garden, canning, fixing up dinners & probably remodeling during all the pregnancies!  

I used to make bread every week - I need to start doing that again.  Homemade bread is so much better, although they are making better breads - at Trader Joe's you can get the Ezekial bread.  

Peter, I like corned beef hash, too, out of the can, fried.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: benevolance on October 29, 2007, 02:20:11 PM
I have to have corned beef hash about every week.... it is a staple at the house... a Chicken a week a beef roast and corned beef hash .. we have fallen into boring routines at the supper table...

as long as that does not happen in the bedroom I am okay with it ::)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown_Tomatoes on October 29, 2007, 03:11:31 PM
QuoteI couldn't stand the smell of coffee any of the times I was pregnant but as soon as I delivered I liked it again  :-?  
Wish I had that trouble!  Was really good with the first and never touched caffeine and was so careful about what I ate and yet she is the wildest little woman I've ever seen.  With the second, I needed a cup of coffee a day just to survive pregnancy and a toddler (they're only 18 months apart.)  Drank coffee most of the way through with #2, and she's the sweetest, calmest, most compliant child in the world.  Now I'm still drinking coffee, but don't think I could stomach more than one cup a day.  It still smells wonderful, though, and I'll find myself wanting some if I smell it, but I've been pretty good about not drinking too much of it.  Can't stand Coke, though... and usually in spite of knowing it's not good for me, I really like Coke.  Probably have to give up coffee by  month 5 anyway because the heartburn gets so bad.  Maybe it had something to do with drinking coffee when I was pregnant and/or nursing  my girls, but both of them actually LIKE black coffee... when they were little, if my husband left his cup sitting somewhere where they could reach it, he'd turn around and catch them guzzling it like apple juice.  I remember tasting my dad's coffee when I was little and thinking it was gross and wondering how anyone could drink that stuff.  I still don't like it without cream and sugar... with my older daughter, I craved fish all the time, and she absolutely loves fish, including things like anchovies and sardines... she could make a meal off of them.  With the younger one, I had a total aversion to fish, and she still doesn't care for fish (except the Korean fried dried anchovies and grilled tilapia with a lot of spices.)  Older one hated potatoes and has only recently learned to like them (though she only likes them baked, and then only with sour cream) but I craved potatoes with the little one and she loves them.  Sometimes I wonder how sense of taste develops in kids... I know that I am blessed in that my kids are great eaters and not really picky.  I don't think it is so much a matter of parenting that they ask for things like spinach at the grocery store as opposed to things like Cheetos... I think it has more to do with what we eat and what they were introduced to early, and the fact that they've been in the garden and seen how things grow since birth.  Still, it's funny to go in the grocery store and watch the looks on faces when the girls start hollering for some of that "beautiful broccoli" or a bigger bag of carrots, or asking if we can buy some ginger root for putting in kimchee, and it's fun to take them to the farmer's market and listen to my four-year-old try to talk farming and genetic diversity with the vendors (she always asks which things they sell are heirloom varieties and then is sure to tell them that by growing a variety of heirlooms, they're protecting genetic diversity.) ::)  Dunno where she heard that from. ::)

Benevolance, I don't think I've ever eaten corned beef hash... I may have to give it a try.  I like corned beef on reuben sandwiches.  Our food rut is tabouleh, which we usually eat more than once a week.  In the winter, we usually don't have tomatoes in it, but we almost always have it on hand in some form or another... made with lots of parsley, mint, green onions, and cumin.    It's usually what we take to potlucks, etc., too, even though a lot of people haven't ever tasted it before.  Sometimes we add grilled chicken or canned tuna and just eat that for dinner.  However, I was just reading here a while back that mint in large quantities isn't too good for men, so I may have to slow down on it for hubby's sake.  Guess it stimulates your body to produce estrogen if eaten in large quantities??

Tonight, I am going to experiment with making tiramisu for dessert.  We had some the last time we went on a date... it was so delicious, and expensive, and so I've been looking up recipes on the web to see if I could come up with a less expensive substitute that didn't require hiring a babysitter and going out to a nice restaurant.  :)  I'll post later to let you know how it turns out.  I finally found one recipe for it that didn't require raw eggs (which I wouldn't have a problem with if we still had our own chickens, but with store bought eggs, I'm kind of leery.)  If it turns out good, I'll post the recipe if anyone is interested.

Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on October 29, 2007, 03:48:58 PM
Quote...corned beef hash... I may have to give it a try.  I like corned beef on reuben sandwiches.  
Corned beef out of a can is very different from the sliced corned beef that goes into a Rueben, IMO. Ya' can't really compare them. Out of the can has way too much animal fat for my liking.  :-/ OMMV   Heavy on the sodium as well

Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on October 29, 2007, 04:05:54 PM
Speaking of men's health...

I made fresh stewed tomatoes a couple weeks ago when Harry was over.

He mentioned that tomatoes were good for prostate health.

I told him I had a hard time walking with tomatoes down there. :-/
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on October 29, 2007, 07:03:19 PM
What is OMMV?

Glenn, that's sick.

The tiramisu was a hit with everyone but the youngest who thought it tasted like really strong really sweet coffee.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on October 29, 2007, 07:19:08 PM
Was it a lot of work?  I had the tiramisu from Costco once it was pretty rich...
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on October 29, 2007, 07:21:47 PM
QuoteWhat is OMMV?
Here's the origin. I've just been spreading it around.  :)

http://www.countryplans.com/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1193516399/8#8

That should come up at the top of the screen
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on October 29, 2007, 07:56:59 PM
Beef Stir Fry. Thin sliced beef marinated in a balsamic vinegar, Italian salad dressing, red wine marinade. Broccoli, sugar snap peas, julienned carrots, sliced red onion, chopped green onion, jalapeño pepper. Served over rice.

Did anyone notice I/we seldom do desserts at dinner? Most nights a couple hours after dinner we have some yogurt with blueberries or some other fruit, but usually blueberries. Blueberries are chock full of antioxidants. Also great with Cheerios for breakfast. With soy milk, Silk Lite. Wish we could grow blueberries here.

I have a big crock pot of a split green pea and lentil soup slowly cooking for lunches.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on October 29, 2007, 08:28:04 PM
We're coming over for dinner, MtnDon!  I'm steaming some butternut squash & then will put a little butter & brown sugar & broil it.  We had french toast this am with the Ezekial bread & some turkey bacon that doesn't have all the nitrites, nitrates & growth hormones - it was pretty good - 97% fat free - I guess it is ok once in awhile - I still like real bacon...  :-/  

Even though I work as a nurse, study nutrition & try to eat healthy - we still like our desserts fairly often - if no dessert, Glenn will eat ice cream - I eat ice cream about once a week or less.   I am buying more organic or at least looking for things that don't have a lot of additives, preservatives or artificial coloring.  I hardly ever drink soda but buy the Hansens natural soda when I do.  Glenn likes soda when he's working so rather than him buying the bad stuff at least I know this is the lesser of 2 evils.  

I love soups - just about any type - the split green pea & lentil soup sounds good, maybe I'll cook some of that.

So who does the most cooking in your families?  
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on October 29, 2007, 08:33:52 PM
The tiramisu was really easy, though I had to go buy everything but the maple syrup as it is made of stuff we usually don't eat.  You line the bottom of a pan (8" by 8") with lady finger cookies or store-bought pound cake.  Then you soak them with a mix of 2/3 c. really strong coffee and 1/3 c. maple syrup.  In a big bowl, you mix 1/2 c. sour cream, 3 oz. cream cheese, and some more maple syrup.  After you mix them up well, fold in about 12 oz. whip cream.  Spread that concoction on top of the coffee soaked cookies and refrigerate.  Right before serving, sprinkle unsweetened cocoa on top (2 T. approx.)  Here's my suggestions as to how to make it better:
1.  Make a few alternating layers with the cream mix and the coffee soaked cookies...
2. Way less whipped cream or eliminate it entirely.  Sour cream, cream cheese, and maple syrup were sufficient.
3.  Add a little cinnamon... don't know if it is supposed to have it or not, but it tastes better.
4.  Wash it all down with a big glass of milk.

It was really rich, but it was really good.  DH loves sweets, and he wolfed it down exclaiming, "Mmmm!" with each bite.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on October 29, 2007, 08:37:16 PM
Gosh Don, that does sound mighty tasty.  In our house, I do almost all the cooking.  My husband will occasionally grill, if I get everything marinated and prepared.  He will do eggs and bacon on a Saturday morning every now and then, or biscuits if I buy him ones in cans... good biscuits are so easy to make that I don't understand why he doesn't want to make them himself.  
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on October 29, 2007, 09:00:56 PM
QuoteSo who does the most cooking in your families?  
C'est moi!   :)

I really don't know how we ended up not observing dessert time.  :-/ My Mom always had desserts, always home made; pies, cakes, home canned fruits, etc. Karen grew up with dessert as the final course as well. She is my chocolate chip cookie monster.  ;) After I gave up Oreo cookies and milk many many years ago desserts disappeared. Maybe that's because I'm more of a main course cook and not a baker. Mind you if we kept ice cream in the freezer it would be hard to resist.

In the sweets department our big weakness is dark chocolate.  :)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on October 29, 2007, 09:47:31 PM
We don't do dessert on a regular basis, either.  I don't like to make desserts because then someone has to eat them, and it certainly doesn't need to be me... and I sometimes wonder if my husband has blood sugar issues because of the way high-carb food makes him feel.  So for us, it's a once-in-a-while thing... BUT I do make pumpkin bread regularly because it is no problem to eat  ;) and because it's got a lot of good stuff in it.  I usually make it with whole wheat flour, and I cut a lot of the sugar out and it still tastes good.  We hired a babysitter here a while back and went out to a cute little Italian place... I think real Italian food is so heavy it just doesn't do much for me... I'm probably better off with lighter fare... but we ordered dessert anyway afterwards and shared a piece of tiramisu and it was so good, I really wanted to learn to make it myself.  Probably won't make it again until there's a potluck or something.

Don, I'm with you on the dark chocolate... good stuff.  I try not to keep it around.  
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on October 29, 2007, 09:56:42 PM
I like the dark chocolate, too!  The tiramisu sounds good - probably a lot better than Costco's.  We used to get the Tres Leches cake for dessert when we'd go down to Mexico to work in the clinic.  It was really good - but I've tasted Costco's, yuk & I've ordered it somewhere else for dessert - nothing like what they served in Mexico.

Guess I'll have to find a recipe & try it.  I like pumpkin, carrot, zucchini, banana bread - you can replace a lot of the sugar & fat with applesauce.  There's a bakery in Fresno that makes wonderful pound cake - they use no sugar or fat - just applesauce - you can't taste the applesauce but the pound cake is delicious.

That's why I don't bake so much anymore - I like to eat the stuff too much & we both don't need it really.   :-/

Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: StinkerBell on October 29, 2007, 09:59:30 PM
Just reading the last few post on this thread I gained 5 pounds......
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on October 29, 2007, 10:19:11 PM
Well, this just might make you lose your appetite...

Cloned meat/dairy make it to the dinner table...  http://www.examiner.com/a-1015939~Cloned_meat__dairy_make_way_to_the_table.html
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on October 29, 2007, 10:28:00 PM
Quote
Glenn, that's sick.

Sorry, Homegrown --- it must have been one of my -- out of touch with reality ---moments. ;D
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: benevolance on October 29, 2007, 10:38:34 PM
Don I have planted several blueberry bushes here in SC... They are growing well highbush not like what you see in Maine and the berries are large...Like marbles... My wife stripped them bare...She is a blueberry junkie... We both like them... But growing up working in a blueberry processing plant as a teen ager I lost all desire to gorge on berries...

I used to like them in homemade ice cream.... mmmmmmm
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: benevolance on October 29, 2007, 10:40:24 PM
Don the blueberry bushes would grow great in New Mexico... but they would need a little shade...So if there is a garden spot at your place get them into some shade and make sure they get some water... the frost will not bother them nor will snow in the winter... keep em wet and shaded in the summer and you will have mounds of berries
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on October 29, 2007, 11:19:56 PM
I planted a couple blueberry bushes this past spring.  Had a lot blooms but I'd read that the 1st year you are supposed to remove all the blooms.  I left a few - nice, large blueberries.  They're one of my favorites, too.
Peter, I packed peaches for 3 summers but I still like peaches - but only freshly picked - the ones you get at the stores aren't too good.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: benevolance on October 30, 2007, 01:25:43 AM
sassy

I agree fresh Peaches are amazing... I like Blueberries but not like I did as a child I was nuts for them then....

i was shopping for groceries today and for the heck of it I stopped to smell the limes and there was no smell to them at all... very sad :'(

i picked apples a good many days for extra money as a younger lad... easy to make $100 a day picking apples at least it was when I was 18-20 years old...cash money under the table... worked out great for me.

I am still insanely in love with apples...great orchards in North Carolina... though very few of them have my favorite apple: Cortlands
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: benevolance on October 30, 2007, 01:29:42 AM
fresh apple cider lightly spiced on site at the orchard when there is a little chill on in October and you can see you breath in the autumn afternoon air... and the cider is hot.....

To drink it down and have the warmth and spice go through you... the taste does not stop at the tongue... Sort of like that warming feeling  inside when my wife first grabbed my hand so many years ago.... pretty much unbeatable

every time I take a deep breath of fresh air in the fall I long for the time in the orchard drinking hot cider..... soooo amazing
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on October 30, 2007, 10:47:30 AM
I grew up on a fruit farm (there you go, Glenn, I just gave you that one.) :D  We had apples, peaches, apricots, pears and plums.  To this day, my favorite apples are jonathans and winesaps, and that's one of the best things about living where we do now.  There are a lot of orchards up here with a wide variety of apples.  We also grew watermelons, cantaloupes, grapes, tomatoes, okra, and cukes for market.  I never eat peaches these days unless I buy them in cans or frozen because they're nowhere near as good.  Last summer, we went to AL on vacation and stopped at a farm stand to buy peaches.  I think we ate half a bushel of them in half an hour.  Of course, we were miserable from it later, but it was worth it... the kids were sticky from head to toe, so we just threw them in the gulf to wash off when we got there.  One of the first and only sunburns I ever got was when I was in 6th grade picking the vineyards.  I usually wore overalls, but that day I had on a boat-neck blouse and jeans.  I'd forgotten my hat, so I picked all day with my back to the sun (switched sides of the rows after lunch) until dark, which in summer is pretty doggone late.  We'd started at 6 in the morning, and had filled up two truckloads by night for the only local (at that time, anyway) who made wine because he'd bought out one of the vineyards for that harvest.  When I got back to the house, I had these two painful and red triangles on either side of my shoulders with a light stripe down the middle where my braid had been!  It hurt like a big dog!  I didn't even know that I could sunburn until that day!  Grapes are another thing I hardly ever buy now at the grocery store... nothing compares to the tart, tangy, rich flavor of seeded grapes... the seedless varieties in the store are so sweet and bland by comparison, and shipped from goodness only knows where (Chile, Brazil, Columbia.)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on October 30, 2007, 11:25:16 AM
Your stories remind me of when I lived in Ohio.  What I remember most is the smell of those fresh apples.  The farmer had a huge warehouse where he stored the apples & the fragrance was outrageous!  He'd take us kids & my mom on a trailer behind the tractor, through the orchards so we could pick apples.  Great memories.

Seems most of the apples in the stores around here are last year's - Glenn drilled a water well in a Fuji apple orchard a few years ago - the owner told him to help himself to all the apples he wanted.  He brought home a few boxes of apples - they were so good!  I think I lived on them.  The owner mentioned that most of the new crop apples are shipped out & what you get are last season's apples.   :'(

MtnDon, I ended up making split pea soup last night - turned out pretty yummy  :)  I added onion, garlic, about 3 slices of bacon, some chopped, fresh green pepper & 3 diced tomatoes from the garden, salt & pepper.  We also had the butternut squash - I sliced that in half, steamed until fairly tender, put some butter & brown sugar on it & broiled for a few minutes - that was dessert, even though we ate that 1st because the soup wasn't finished yet  :D
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on October 30, 2007, 11:36:39 AM
Here you can get the new crop apples at the grocery store in certain varieties... I know for sure they had new crop pink ladies and jonagolds last time I was there.  However, we usually go straight to the orchard.  There's one nearby that has over 100 varieties, and they have a big treehouse for the kids to play in.  Sure it's sort of touristy, but the apples are great and the owners of the orchard and really nice folks, especially to people who buy large quantities each year for preserving... she always remembers us because most of the locals buy a peck at most, but when we go, I get bushels of their culls (which usually have nothing more than a slight blemish) and either dry them or make apple butter out of them.  I always buy some winesaps for some pies, and a few jonathans for myself to eat, and then get something like honeycrisp for hubby to take in his lunches.  (He's a wimp when it comes to sour food.)  I love the smell of the apples, too.  It's the one place that I've found since living here that feels like home, but then I don't think they'd like it too much if I just pitched a tent and moved into their orchards!
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: benevolance on October 30, 2007, 01:06:56 PM
when my wife and I go to the orchard I usually eat a dozen apples while we pick...I can barely move by time we get out of there...*LOL*

at my dads place as a kid we had 2 massive cortland apple trees...they were old as dirt and the apples were the size of softballs my dad and I could not join hands and wrap our arms around the trunk of either apple tree..

we used to pick the apples for aunts and my grandmother and they used to send us a couple pies every fall for picking the apples...a good trade off in my opinion... my grandmother makes amazing apple pie.

but as kids we would eat apples until we were stuffed...I never got stomach cramps or anything like that.... made my mom mad a bunch when I would not eat supper because I gorged on apples... :)... you know just normal kid stuff

in college 4 buddies of mine and I went picking in the orchard one fall... we had an apple eating contest in the orchard... they were  lightweights.... I remember eating another ten apples after they all stopped...*LOL* and they did not even eat the cores... which I love
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on October 30, 2007, 10:02:01 PM
Grilled fish and shrimp, broccoli, couscous.  Not bad.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on October 30, 2007, 11:07:39 PM
Pizza. Homemade, sort of. Store bought refrigerated pizza dough (Kroeger, store brand). Sauce; Ragu regular Pizza Sauce. Spread out dough on cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and spread the sauce. Sprinkle with grated parmesan. Add chopped onion. Spread thinly sliced zucchini. Add thinly sliced tomato. Spread thin layer of grated mozzarella. Spread finely chopped spinach. (I used frozen). Add another thin layer of grated cheese (mozzarella or whatever you might like... colby & cheddar for example). Sprinkle with Italian seasoning. Bake for another 10 min. Enjoy.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on October 31, 2007, 12:06:49 AM
What - no garbage can lid :-? :)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on October 31, 2007, 12:17:03 AM
No garbage can.  Just those plastic, wheeled Waste Management carts.

I have done fry pan pizzas with aluminum foil covers when camping.  :)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on October 31, 2007, 12:23:28 AM
Sassy, I was re-reading things... first time was in a rush and missed your slpit pea soup. Sounded yummy too. I had some of mine for lunch. Have frozen a few portions.



[Ron Paul on Leni right now]
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on October 31, 2007, 09:56:54 AM
I thought that using garbage can lids to cook pizza was some kind of requirement around here.  We have to clear out the leftovers from the fridge tonight and get everything packed and ready for tomorrow to go to OK.  Was up until after midnight giving my husband critiques on the presentation he has to do Friday.  He hasn't had much of a chance to practice, so it'll most likely be a late night tonight too.  Of course, if I hadn't made him wait to start on it until after Ron Paul was done on Leno, we probably could've gotten to bed earlier.  
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on October 31, 2007, 12:53:23 PM
Gee, you're busy, Homegrown!  Wish I could have seen Ron Paul on Jay Leno - it will probably be on YouTube, though.  Wish your husband the best on his interview!  Have a great time & hope your find the place of your dreams while in OK!
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on October 31, 2007, 04:25:30 PM
Well, I heard back from the realtor I contacted... she's set up three properties for us to look at... I noticed they were the three most expensive ones on my list of possibilities even though I told her we would probably prefer to look just at land.  The one has a beautiful and incredible barn I could live in, though.  Really nice horse barn with shiny wood and metal stalls and electricity and plumbing and the whole nine yards.  The listing showed no pictures of the house, although there were multiple pictures of the land and the ponds and the cows... it said it had a 3 bed/2 bath 900 sq ft. house, too.  In 900 sq. ft. it must be mostly bedroom and bathroom.  Did I mention we don't own a horse?  Anyway, looking is fun.  I still prefer the idea of buying land... however, I think the real  looking will probably happen after we move.  She didn't want to show me some of the land properties I'd picked out because they didn't yet have a well... shoot, I've never been anyplace in my home state that you couldn't dig down just a few feet and hit water.  And after the water we have in our well here, anything seems potable by comparison!!  (Our water here is so bad that the first time I did laundry after moving here, it literally rusted holes in some of our sheets and clothes!!)  After about $2000 worth of filtration equipment, plumbing, water softeners, and so forth, it is finally drinkable.  Then on top of that we had to buy new appliances and bathroom fixtures to replace the ones rusted beyond repair.  Even so, we have to replace the filters about every 2-3 weeks to be able to drink the water... at the end of 3 weeks, it even tastes terrible in coffee.  (I know, none of this has ANYTHING to do with dinner, does it?)

Show of hands, how many of y'all bought land that had no previous well and still found water?  Am I just being stubborn?  I think the realtor thinks we're too young to know what we want OR too stupid to notice that realtors make bigger commissions off of bigger sales.   :-/
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on October 31, 2007, 04:28:42 PM
By the way Sassy, while I was watching Leno last night, there was an ad saying that you could watch the show anytime on the computer... unfortunately, I don't remember where :-? It said that you could watch the episodes you missed online,tho.  MSNBC maybe???  Sorry I don't remember.  My brain is full.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on October 31, 2007, 05:22:57 PM
The realator is probably just hoping ya'll fall in love with one of those properties/homes and go for it. Just remember whatcha really want and stick to it.

Yes I bought land with no proven water. But neighbors around who have drilled have water.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on October 31, 2007, 06:19:06 PM
Heck, after all the rain they've had down there this year you could probably kick the dirt and create a mud puddle.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on October 31, 2007, 07:11:04 PM
Beer-rocks!!  Okay, Beerocks, or Bierocks.

Rolling out the dough. I couldn't find the rolling pin (neither of us bakes) so I improvised. Ice cold from the fridge... I seem to recall reading that a chilled marble or ceramic roller works best. Don't need any fancy marble roller!

(https://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q75/djmillerbucket/food/rollingdough.jpg)

And here they are, ready to eat. Whole wheat frozen bread dough, ground beef, cabbage, onion, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper... They were pretty good, but I over did the baking time a little; too well done on the bottom. And next time I'll use more cabbage and more spice of some kind. Maybe roll the dough a little thinner.  :-/

(https://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q75/djmillerbucket/food/ready.jpg)

The other days crock pot split green pea soup...

(https://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q75/djmillerbucket/food/peasoup.jpg)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on October 31, 2007, 07:44:20 PM
The Beerocks look good... never heard of them before this forum, but then I never heard of garbage can lid pizza before either.  Guess I just don't get out enough?  

My kids don't get the whole trick-or-treat thing, so they just left with dad a few minutes ago to go take candy to all the neighbors.  They thought we weren't giving it away fast enough, I guess.

You're probably right, Don... I like looking at houses, even the really bad ones because you see what all NOT to do.  The first one that I'm supposed to look at on Friday is awfully tempting from the pictures.  The house is nothing really fancy, though it is roomy and well kept, but with a fenced 50 acres and barns and so forth it looks pretty homey.  

After dinner we had some of the leftover tiramisu.  One suggestion if anyone decides to make that stuff-- use decaf coffee!  I made the coffee so strong that when we ate it the other night I was awake most of the rest of the night from the caffeine...  I figure I probably will be tonight, too, even though I only ate a little bit.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: benevolance on October 31, 2007, 09:31:21 PM
beerocks look great don!
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: benevolance on October 31, 2007, 09:38:32 PM
my real estate lady was a snake in the grass and a terrible person to boot... I found my home for sale and called the real estate office...We took one look at the pics on the net and wanted it...We did an assesment of the area how close it was to my wife's work the taxes the ordinances for my cars all on the net and when I called the real estate lady I was pretty sure I was going to buy the house.

She did not want to show me the house... she tried to talk me out of looking at the house on the phone several times... she finally agreed to show it to us and when she arrived an hour late she had a stack a inch thick of other listings she thought were better for us... I threw them in the trash right in front of her and told her this was the only house that she would ever show us...I was pissed

Finally she opened the door we went in and she started telling us reasons not to buy the house... why we needed a house in a area miles out of town less land smaller home with no features we wanted for 2-3 times the money this house was selling for...

she was a piece of garbage.......

We walked out of the house and my wife and I had our ten second talk and were ready to make an offer then and there...

do not lose faith... know what you want... write all of it down and keep looking at that piece of paper.. no matter what the real estate people try to sell you or talk you into you need to keep that piece of paper on hand and focus on what you want... Do not let anyone scare you into something else... stick to your guns... Success requires focus and stubbornesss...

Good luck
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on October 31, 2007, 09:47:36 PM
Beerocks & split pea soup looks very yummy - it takes a little bit of trial & error to get th flavor just right on the beerocks & rolled out & cooked the correct time.  I can't find the whole wheat dough at our local grocery store - guess I'll have to look down in the valley.

Was cleaning & refinishing all the floors in the house & porch/conversation pit today so fixed some frozen chicken pot stickers for dinner.  I put a little coconut oil to brown them, then added basalmic vinegar & then the sauces that came in the package.  Quick & easy - tasted pretty good.  

Homegrown, I really enjoy looking at homes & land for sale - we're not in the market but I like to see what's out there for sale, the prices etc.  You'll enjoy looking at the properties, I'm sure - the 50 acre place sounds pretty good, but then would you have to remodel again?  It's really nice to find some land you like & build what you want, although, it takes a lot longer...
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on October 31, 2007, 10:45:00 PM
That garbage can lid oven was a stroke of genius, Homegrown and I see it has made quite an impression on you. :)

I am making a shop heater from that barrel I used for the Rocket Stove, and I think I will try to incorporate that garbage can lid into it so I can impress you with more garbage can lid culinary masterpieces.

Good luck on the land search and don't forget to offer at least 10 to 15% less than they are asking.  Sometimes it is possible to find deals that don't go through an agent but that is easiest if you have been there a bit.  

Congrats on the Beerocks, Don.  The first of many more. :)

The garden sounds great, Homegrown.  We tried a few new vegetables this year.  After talking to our Aussie members I wanted to try Swedes so planted some.  I remember my grandmother talking about Rutabagas (Swedes) years ago but never tried them.  We should get more this winter.  The seedlings look good
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on November 01, 2007, 12:20:18 AM
QuoteThat garbage can lid oven was a stroke of genius
Is there a Kangiser coat of arms?

If not maybe we need a competition to design one....

Crossed welding torches (a stick arc & a gas cutting) over a garbage can lid, with a rocket stove chimney and a windmill with a plate of parsnips in the background?   ::)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on November 01, 2007, 12:45:05 AM
There was one but I think some company just created it to get me to buy their genealogy book. :-/

My relatives were from Lithuania but the name is German and means something like --One who pours from a can.  Could it have been a garbage can?

Or could it have been "one who was poured from a can"  -- An ancient Kangiser falls asleep in a dumpster he was diving in and is poured out from the can in the morning by the garbage man?  

I don't know, Don.  The possibilities for the Kangiser coat of arms doesn't look too promising so far.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on November 01, 2007, 12:56:15 AM
MtnDon,  ;D ;D ;D
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on November 01, 2007, 01:04:04 AM
 ;D ;D ;D

Our last name means "Wide".  I don't think I like that too much.  My husband likes to make it sound better by saying it means "open" or "expansive" or "broad"... aren't they all just another way to say "fat"?

Don, love the orange face and head... my kids would get a kick out of that.  
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on November 01, 2007, 08:59:37 AM
Easy there Homegrown.  You're just feeling sensitive right now. :-?  

Try to think of the garden and pretty flowers and stuff. 8-) :)  

I'm sure the name refers to boatmen in Korea and how they successfully navigated a wide river or some such. ::)  

(http://www.prkorea.com/photo1/upfile/d74dab29403e9f67c32b098b56c1af17)

Not the state of any particular person in the family. :)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on November 01, 2007, 09:58:33 PM
Fish: peppered salmon fillets, grilled. Parsnips: sliced, partly steamed, then fried in Smart Balance. Tossed green salad with tomato, black olives and a couple small pickled jalapeños, olive oil & vinegar dressing.

Desert: yes, desert! Some absolutely wonderfully delicious Halloween motif cookies that were gifted to us by an appreciative preschool parent. Melt in your mouth shortbread, perfect sweetness frosting... Superb!

(https://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q75/djmillerbucket/oddsnends/halloweencookies.jpg)
from a local business that ships...
http://patisseriec.com/
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on November 01, 2007, 10:49:41 PM
Those cookies look like some fine eating!  Dinner sounded good, too.

We had some friends over for dinner - I fixed white bean soup with ham hock, onions & garlic & Glenn insisted I cook dumplings in the soup so I did.  Steamed some "sweet mama" (winter squash) & put some honey/butter/brown sugar on & broiled, cornbread, fruit salad, variety of olives, tomatoes, pumpkin pie that our friends made from a pumpkin they had.  We were all very full but it sure tasted good...  :)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on November 01, 2007, 11:45:15 PM
Hmm... had  Tom Kah Kai at a Thai restaurant in OK tonight... been a long time since I had it and it was delicious.  It's nearly midnight and still no sign of my backpack from the airlines.  I want to know how when they had five cotton pickin hours to get it on the plane they still managed to lose it, especially since it was a non-stop flight, and they didn't get it in on any of the flights within the next several hours.  The rental car company didn't have the toddler car seats ready like they were supposed to...  The baggage claim people sent us on a two hour scramble looking for our own luggage because they didn't want to own up to their mistake.  
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on November 01, 2007, 11:48:38 PM
that's why we don't fly anymore - its happened to us several times  >:(  hope you get some rest!
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on November 01, 2007, 11:59:16 PM
I was a bit worried about whether we would be blessed with your presence while you were traveling.  Thanks for checking in, Homegrown.  You now rate as a true Countryplans addict.

Hope you get your stuff-- I hate traveling and may be a bit to radical for TSA to allow me to go unmolested. :o  They pulled my son in for a special checkout -- don't know why.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on November 02, 2007, 12:12:56 AM
QuoteThey pulled my son in for a special checkout -- don't know why.
Sometimes it's totally random. Sometimes where you're coming from. I've been given special treatment a number of times; having a bag wiped and then the wipe placed in some machine... drugs? explosives? Another time, years back, coming from Jamaica they drilled holes in the bottom of a couple pieces of statuary ans seemed disappointed they didn't find anything. Couple of times for that. Another two times my name rang a bell and I was quizzed about places I'd been, lived.?? They don't have to tell you why. I didn't ask. Probably some drug smuggler with the same name.

Then there was the time I attempted to smuggle Cuban cigars in from Canada...  :-[  It was only 18 cigars and I "dumbed" my way through with the cigars intact.

Or the time they confiscated my lunch sandwich because it was beef and they were having a Mad Cow Day (driving across the border). Government dogs have sniffed my Jeep a few times as well when crossing back this way.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: benevolance on November 02, 2007, 01:15:14 AM
I made wholewheat bread sweetened with molasses and I baked a Sirloin roast with onion, Pepper, Carrots and Potatoes... Picked some Lemons off the trees and made fresh squeezed lemonade

Not a bad meal... simple but we love it...Roast day is my favorite I think We had corned beef and potatoes the night before
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on November 02, 2007, 01:46:40 AM
sounds really good, Peter!  I've got to start making bread again - I used to make it on a regular basis - once you get in the habit of making it doesn't seem like such a big deal... & it is always soooo good  :)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: benevolance on November 02, 2007, 02:29:39 AM
sassy it just takes so damned long and you have to babysit it... if i am working in the house painting or whatever as I was doing today I can watch it rise and look after it.... Otherwise I have a hard time making bread.... My wife and I both love it and she bugs me to make it all the time

Once you get used  to fresh homemade bread you do not want to go back to store bought bread ever again
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn-k on November 02, 2007, 09:44:29 AM
My home mad bread secret -- Bridgeford frozen dough.  I'm not that picky and it does make a pretty good loaf like homemade bread without the work.  Microwave thaw for quick or with time - grease a pan up - drop it in --let it thaw and rise and bake.

You can make your beerocks - cinnamon rolls etc out of it too after it has thawed -- just let it rise again after you have made what you want.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on November 02, 2007, 10:56:59 AM
MtnDon, you mentioned that you & your wife drink Silk soymilk - I've read a lot of articles on soymilk that says it's not the health food most people think it is, besides most of the soybeans are genetically modified anymore...  >:(

Here's a link http://www.mercola.com/2004/jan/21/soy.htm  I can find info from other sources, also, if you would like - there are lots of them.  
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on November 02, 2007, 01:52:29 PM
Thanks for the concern and info Sassy. We were aware of some of the possible problems including the women's estrogen thing. I have a mild lactose problem which led me to first try Silk. At least half the time I prefer my Cheerios dry with a cup of blueberries. I know, go figure.

Silk, uses organically grown soybeans that are NOT genetically engineered. So it's probably one of the better soy choices.  :-/
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: benevolance on November 02, 2007, 02:03:51 PM
i cringe at anything other than right from the cow... and I do not mean a genetically altered cow being fed steroids or hormones...

Growing up working on the farm in the summertime we would dip the gallon pitcher into the milk tank at meal time... before it was pasteurized... real milk...

everything else in my mind is crap
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on November 02, 2007, 02:17:26 PM
MtnDon, glad to know that the Silk brand isn't the GM type.   I like dry cereal, myself   :)

Benevolance, when I lived in Washington state there was a dairy close by that I could go to & get raw milk - I used to skim the cream off the top & make butter.  Never realized until the past few years what they are doing to commercially processed milk & all the additives - yuk - and now I'm reading that even some of the Organic brands aren't really organic...  what do you expect when the FDA & big pharmacy are in bed with each other  >:(

Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn-k on November 02, 2007, 02:23:11 PM
Quotei cringe at anything other than right from the cow...

Peter, be careful she doesn't step on you or kick you in the face when you're drinking.  You can make a hobble from rope. :)

(http://thumbs.ebaystatic.com/pict/230068293803_0.jpg)

Goats are probably much safer.

Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown_Tomatoes on November 04, 2007, 12:17:14 AM
Got my suitcase late last night.  Lot of good that did.  We're home now.  Stopped after we got off the plane for Korean food.  Service was terrible, but food was good.  Except luggage and delayed flights, it was a good trip.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn-k on November 04, 2007, 12:28:28 AM
Great to hear you made it back OK.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown_Tomatoes on November 04, 2007, 12:23:59 PM
 :) Thanks... everything is better after a decent night's sleep.  Looks like the move is getting more and more positive.  Waiting for the written offer now.  Got to eat at my favorite Mexican place while we were there... seems like it is still as popular with the locals as ever... We went to my aunt's house on Friday night  for a potluck dinner with the whole family.  Nothing like 9 little girls all under the age of 7 screaming through the house and having a ball together.  My kids have really missed their cousins.  My aunt made a roast and some spaghetti, and most of the others brought everything else... there were salads and fruit dishes and homemade breads and so forth... it was great.  Someone even made pumpkin pie, so I feel like we almost had Thanksgiving dinner already.  

The first night we were there we went out to dinner with the hiring committee.  The fellow in charge seemed like he was really trying to butter me up for my husband to take the job, and I kept getting tickled during dinner thinking, "Look, you really don't need to convince us... we want to be here!"  It was a very pleasant dinner and they were good company.  The older of one of the professors thought it was funny when I ordered my food at a "5" on a scale of 1-5 of hot... he asked if the baby could handle that kind of heat and sat there shaking his head when I was eating it like it was going out of style.  (Supposedly "spicy" food up here is never spicy enough for me... I know if I ask for it there, they can do it.)  Anyway, the youngest professor kept us in the lobby of the hotel talking until after 10:30 at night (thank goodness that my mom was upstairs with the kids and got them ready for bed and everything!)  He was trying to tell my husband how to go about getting tenure and so forth, and trying to encourage him to take the job, too, it seems.  So, we'll see how it goes.  In the mean time, I'm packing up the house and finishing all the projects we've started around here!  Hopefully the house will sell quickly and we can camp out at my cousin's house near the school  (which he just put on the market and expects it to take a while to sell.)  From there, we'll get serious about looking at properties...  there are a lot of them that look far more interesting to me than the ones I looked at (although I admit the first one along the river was really tempting in a lot of ways.)

Looks like the cold is about to kill my garden off, so I guess today I'll go salvage what I can and we'll have that and some baked chicken for dinner... maybe some pumpkin bread, too.  We also have an acorn squash and two other little squash that need to be eaten....  maybe some fried green tomatoes or a green tomato and cheese pie (good stuff if you've never tried it.)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn-k on November 04, 2007, 01:15:02 PM
Sounds like a great get together.  They are fun.

Hope everything works out the way you want it to.

Fried green tomatoes are really great and soon we may have to make some too.  Tomatoes are growing but not ripening fast here now.

Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on November 04, 2007, 08:45:38 PM
Work Weekend in the mountains.  :) Dinners up there on a work weekend more often than not don't take much preparation effort.

Saturday: Uncle Ben's 90 seconds microwave rice in a bag; "Vegetable Harvest" (brown rice, barley, lentils, carrots, peppers, some other stuff). A meatloaf from the local deli, microwave 4 minutes. Jolly Green Giant microwavable broccoli and cheese. Quick, easy, virtually no dishes.  :)

Sunday: store brand "kraft dinner"  :o mac 'n' cheese, left over meatloaf, raw baby carrots.

Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn-k on November 04, 2007, 09:10:35 PM
Do you carry a microwave with you Don, or have one at the site?  I used to carry one in a couple of my trucks.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on November 04, 2007, 09:27:09 PM
The RV's been up there since the end of May and I don't plan on driving it back. All the comforts of home, except internet access.  :) :(  

I've been firing up the Yamaha generator to power it for the past month or so. Since one of the old batteries dropped a cell, not enough ooomph to run the big inverter for the microwave and still have enough power left for the furnace overnight ( RV furnace blowers are power hogs... seems I use more electricity than propane) without running the gen to recharge anyways.... I know I need new batteries. IF I believed the forecasters saying we'll likely NOT have any great amount of snow this winter I'd buy new ones right now... but I hate to leave new ones sit idle over their first winter IF it snows too much, like last year, when we couldn't get up there after the end of November.  What to do? Decisions, decisions...

I affixed some 2x4's to the RV ceiling, and have cut some 4x4's to fit under them with plywood pads to spread the floor load out for internal roof bracing just in case in does snow a bunch.  :)  They're easily removed with a whack or two with a big hammer when we're up there and easy to replace before leaving.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn-k on November 04, 2007, 09:46:10 PM
About all you could do is get one of the little solar panels to keep the batteries up while you are gone - with a small regulator to keep from overcharging.

All winter dead with no charge would destroy new batteries.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on November 04, 2007, 10:08:27 PM
QuoteAll winter dead with no charge would destroy new batteries.
Yep, that's a fer sure.  

Parked under the trees small solar would be iffy enough that I won't play that game with new batteries.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown_Tomatoes on November 05, 2007, 03:48:27 PM
Just threw dinner in the crockpot and hopefully it'll be done by the time we get back from the doctor's office this evening.  It's a chicken with corn on the cob, potatoes, carrots, celery, onions, garlic, some salt, basil, and a little balsamic vinegar on the chicken.  It smells good already.  I figure we'll be back late as the appointment isn't until 4:40 and it's a 45 minute drive to the doctor anyway.  I usually make something that one of my friends in college, a guy from Pakistan, used to call "chicken something-something" when I use the crockpot, but didn't have all the stuff today.  He would marinate the chicken in plain yogurt and then add tomatoes, onions, bell peppers, chilies of whatever sort he could find, and garlic.  He'd just throw it all in the oven and it always came out so delicious.  Sometimes he also added potatoes.  Oh, and always some cumin and turmeric.  It is goooood stuff.  
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on November 05, 2007, 04:59:58 PM
Yours and his both sound good.    :)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on November 05, 2007, 05:47:30 PM
QuoteParked under the trees small solar would be iffy enough that I won't play that game with new batteries.
Hmmm. Maybe I should play the game with the old batteries?  :-/
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown_Tomatoes on November 05, 2007, 08:39:40 PM
The chicken something-something would've been better, but this one was pretty good too, even though it wasn't done when we got in from the doc and we had to toss in in a stock pot and crank up the heat.  We also tried some stuff I bought at the grocery store the other day that looked interesting.  It was like a cross between dill pickles and sauerkraut with cukes, carrots, cabbage, and onions... it said "Polish style vegetable salad" on the label.  Not bad.  

Don, are the trees bare in winter, or is it all evergreens?  
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on November 05, 2007, 09:09:41 PM
QuoteDon, are the trees bare in winter, or is it all evergreens?  
Depends.   ::)      ;)

Here at home (5400 ft. elevation) in the front the Pinon Pine, Colorado Blue Spruce and cactii remain green all year. No grass. In the backyard it's 50-50. Three Japanese Pines, several Boxwood shrubs, a couple of Mugo Pines and two large shrubs, name forgotten, all remain green. The Honey Locust tree, Crab Apple and Dwarf McIntosh Apple trees have changed colors and are well into the process of leaf dropping. The grass stays green; "Astro" type of turf.

Up in our mountains (8800 ft.) our trees are predominantly Ponderosa Pine, Douglas Fir, and CO Blue Spruce. Those of course stay green. We have a few Aspen and fewer Bur and Gambel Oaks that have all changed color and have mostly dropped their leaves. Grasses are all yellow/brown now. On the drive up there are a great many Aspens and Cottonwoods, now turning and dropping. Lots of Pinon Pines and Junipers until the elevation increases to about 6500 ft. That's where the aforementioned Ponderosas, Doug Firs and Spruces proliferate.

There ya' go.   :)

Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on November 05, 2007, 09:19:20 PM
Dinner. For one, tonight.  :(  An emergency of sorts with my wife Karen's Mom took her across town.

Fried Rice: pre-cooked rice (steamed brown), chopped red onion, left over grilled chicken breast, a few sugar snap peas, broccoli florets, slivered baby carrots, all sauteed in Olive Oil. One fresh egg added, fried and stirred in with lite soy sauce at the end.

Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown_Tomatoes on November 05, 2007, 11:56:27 PM
Is your wife's mom OK?  

Hope so.  

I asked about the trees because of the solar discussion and the fact that we have some little solar lights in the front yard and three of them work great in the winter because they actually get less shade than in the summer because they're in the shade of the big maple.  However, the fourth one does OK in summer but gets the shade of the spruce tree more in the winter...doesn't charge enough to put off light for more than half an hour or so after sunset.  Should probably relocate it, but have been too lazy.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn-k on November 06, 2007, 12:02:55 AM
Last night was an 8" diameter 1 1/2 lb hamburger fried with dried onion slices sprinkled to cover both sides and some salt -- then smothered in ketchup --  I saved part of it for breakfast. After that I had a bunch of A\lmond Praline ice cream.  Sassy's working so I get to cook for myself.

She also provides me with some frozen meals so I had The Man Handler -- Salisbury Steak with mushrooms, mashed taters, green beans and a brownie.  Worked on the Bobcat all day so I needed the nuked meal. :)  What's for desert ... hmmm --- How about Ice Cream. :)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown_Tomatoes on November 06, 2007, 12:22:11 AM
OK, time to hit the sack... my eyes are getting tired because I just read that as "naked meal" instead of "nuked meal" and had to try to figure out if that had anything to do with the naked chef that I've heard about (he had his own cooking show in... was it England??)  And then I thought of the nudist joke and the discussion following... well, all that and then I realized I'd misread it.  Don't know what I did with my glasses.  
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on November 06, 2007, 12:26:47 AM
QuoteIs your wife's mom OK?  
yes/no

She fell 10 days ago or so. Didn't break anything luckily. Even had an MRI as well as regular X-rays looking for cause of all her pain. Nothing showing. She lives in a retirement community; her own apartment. There's also an assisted living wing and a heath care (nursing home) wing. She's been in Assisted Living since a couple days after the fall, but not getting better, high level of pain, and she's being as ornery and uncooperative as a two year old to boot. Karen went over and spent about 6 hours with her seeing how things are first hand.

Re: the solar. I've order a 15 watt panel and a small controller and am going to see if that helps keep the old batteries charge up. Sitting there doing nothing for a week or so at a time they self discharge too much. For $116 it's worth a try.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn-k on November 06, 2007, 12:34:18 AM
QuoteOK, time to hit the sack... my eyes are getting tired because I just read that as "naked meal" instead of "nuked meal" and had to try to figure out if that had anything to do with the naked chef that I've heard about (he had his own cooking show in... was it England??)  And then I thought of the nudist joke and the discussion following... well, all that and then I realized I'd misread it.  Don't know what I did with my glasses.  

;D ;D ;D

I forgot to turn the video off on my computer I guess.  Worked on the Bobcat then moved about 30 yards of dirt -and dust -- then hit the shower so I could eat without getting dirt all over -- then cooked dinner.  But I did have my cowboy boots on.  :o ;D
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn-k on November 06, 2007, 12:35:48 AM
It may work just fine, Don.  

We have one on the D8 at Mike's and it stays charged quite well.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown_Tomatoes on November 06, 2007, 09:10:53 AM
Glenn  ::) good grief.

Don, if MIL is still hurting, maybe y'all should try to take her to see a chiropractor.   She may not have broken anything, but she may have gotten joggled around enough to still be hurting.  Back in May, I was helping an elderly woman in her garden.  She'd had a stroke a few years back and has to use a walker ever since and just hates not being able to work in her garden.  I was pulling weeds and looked up to see her pulling buckbrush out from under a lilac bush on a steep slope.  I jumped up and ran toward her, but not before she got off balance and somersaulted right down the hill under the lilac.  Her caretaker is also getting on up there in years and has a difficult time walking, and so it was really a struggle for the two of us to get her upright again and  get her seated back on her walker.  She kept insisting she was alright, but you could tell she wasn't.  Her caretaker took her to the chiro and that helped some, but a week later she was still complaining of pain in her shoulder, and when the caretaker finally convinced her to go to the doctor, she'd fractured her shoulder in the fall.  She is a tall big-boned lady and I thought we'd never get her up and back to the house with just the two of us... and she was adamant that she was OK and iddn't need an ambulance.  Tough old cookie.  Unfortunately, I think the greatest loss to her was her confidence. :(
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn-k on November 06, 2007, 09:20:30 AM
Sorry, Homegrown.  I suppose you are wondering why I had cowboy boots on and forgot to tell you. :-?

I guess it slipped my mind. :)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown_Tomatoes on November 06, 2007, 09:31:44 AM
Good morning, Glenn. :)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn-k on November 06, 2007, 09:46:53 AM
Hmmm, not biting. :-?

Good morning, Homegrown.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown_Tomatoes on November 06, 2007, 05:41:47 PM
We're having pumpkin and chicken porridge tonight.  Heater is NOT kicking in when it should.  Turned the thermostat up to 80 and it still ain't happening.  I lit a fire in the fireplace and lit every candle and oil lamp we've got, and that's taking some of the chill off a little bit.  I'm throwing some frozen veggies in with the porridge just for a little variety.  Earlier you could just about see your breath in here it was so cold.  My nose and cheeks are all red and my fingers are numb.  I don't know how the kids can stand it... I tried to get them to put shoes on but they're still running around on bare feet (no socks even!!!)  It's supposed to be 25 tonight... so, I hope we can just take it apart, vacuum it out and dust it and it's going to miraculously fire up.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on November 06, 2007, 06:17:23 PM
QuoteWe're having pumpkin and chicken porridge tonight.  
That's a combo I'd never would have thought of.

G/L with the heat.   :'(  BRRRR, I get shivers just thinking about not having heat.

Re: MIL. I never thought of the chiropractor; I've never been to one. Never had a need, knock wood.  ;)  I suggested it. We'll see what the nursing staff think as well. DW's over there now.

Making another pasta bake. Rotini, 50-50 regular and whole wheat. Some home made meat sauce, frozen, previously made... ground turkey, onions, garlic, other stuff I forget.  :-/  Cheeses; Ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan, romano, egg, pepper, italian seasoning; all mixed and spread on top. Bake till bubbly and browning. Oh yeah, some chopped spinach between the pasta and meat sauce layer and the cheese on top.

Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on November 06, 2007, 06:26:47 PM
When contemplating seafood for the menu, you may want to this into consideration...

Some seafood is naturally low in mercury and is safer to eat.
When buying seafood, chose:
    :-/ Clams  
    :bhumbsup Wild Alaskan Salmon  
    :bhumbsup Shrimp  
    :bhumbsup Sardines  
    :bhumbsup Crabs  
    :bhumbsup Scallops

Some seafood is high in mercury and PCBs:
    [smiley=thumbdown.gif] Chilean Sea Bass
    [smiley=thumbdown.gif] Grouper
    [smiley=thumbdown.gif] Marlin
    [smiley=thumbdown.gif] Orange Roughy
    [smiley=thumbdown.gif] Rockfish
    [smiley=thumbdown.gif] Atlantic salmon (farmed)

The EPA and FDA list four fish that should never be eaten:
    [smiley=thumbdown.gif] Tilefish
    [smiley=thumbdown.gif] Shark
    [smiley=thumbdown.gif] King Mackerel
    [smiley=thumbdown.gif] Swordfish

No mention of Cod   :-/
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown_Tomatoes on November 06, 2007, 08:20:54 PM
The porridge turned out pretty good... I made some dumplings to go on top, but don't have any bisquick so I had to make them the old fashioned way.  It was tasty and filling.  

The heater is working again... I think DH threatened it with a sledge hammer or something. :-?  I'm still so frozen though that I haven't warmed back up.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown_Tomatoes on November 06, 2007, 08:33:30 PM
Re: the chiropractor... I'd never been to one until after my first daughter was born.  She was sleeping through the night by 7-8 weeks, but I wasn't because I was in constant pain (I've done so many dumb things to injure my back I'm not sure what really caused the issue, but having a baby seemed to worsen it.)  My regular doctor told me to take Tylenol... which of course, didn't work to fix the cause.  By the time she was 8 months old, I barely slept at all and spent most of the night tossing around trying to get comfortable.  We were in Tulsa one day and there was a lady with a booth set up and a thing to compare the curvature of your spine with a normal spine curvature... well, mine was so far off it wasn't even funny.  They were offering  free x-rays and initial adjustment, and at that point I thought, "Hey, it couldn't make it any worse!"  So, I made an appointment and went in for my x-ray and adjustment.  The first time the doc adjusted my back, he started warning me to ice it when I got home and that I would probably be sore, etc.  Well, the second he adjusted my back and neck I took the first deep breaths I'd taken in months and immediately felt better.  He called me at home that night to check on how I was doing and I told him I felt GREAT.  I went to bed that night and slept 8 hours without ever waking.  Anyway, I continued to see him during my second pregnancy and couldn't believe the difference it made.  With my second pregnancy, I never had sciatic nerve pain or neck pain or anything like that...in fact, I didn't even realize I was having contractions in my third trimester because I felt so great.  It made a world of difference and I never would have believed it without trying it.  I still go to a chiropractor from time to time here in WI, but I don't think he's quite as good as the old guy in Tulsa... guess it just depends on who you find.  Both of them are good, but the one in OK was a little gentler yet more effective.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown_Tomatoes on November 06, 2007, 08:36:38 PM
QuoteWhen contemplating seafood for the menu, you may want to this into consideration...

Some seafood is naturally low in mercury and is safer to eat.
When buying seafood, chose:
    :-/ Clams  
    :bhumbsup Wild Alaskan Salmon  
    :bhumbsup Shrimp  
    :bhumbsup Sardines  
    :bhumbsup Crabs  
    :bhumbsup Scallops

Some seafood is high in mercury and PCBs:
    [smiley=thumbdown.gif] Chilean Sea Bass
    [smiley=thumbdown.gif] Grouper
    [smiley=thumbdown.gif] Marlin
    [smiley=thumbdown.gif] Orange Roughy
    [smiley=thumbdown.gif] Rockfish
    [smiley=thumbdown.gif] Atlantic salmon (farmed)

The EPA and FDA list four fish that should never be eaten:
    [smiley=thumbdown.gif] Tilefish
    [smiley=thumbdown.gif] Shark
    [smiley=thumbdown.gif] King Mackerel
    [smiley=thumbdown.gif] Swordfish

No mention of Cod   :-/


Any mention of anchovies?  I would think they're in the same class as sardines...  the only one on the "never" list I've ever eaten is mackerel... never tasted the others.  Also no mention of things that are gaining in popularity like tilapia?  As for Cod, I don't think it is really fish :D It has no flavor unless you season it like crazy.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown_Tomatoes on November 06, 2007, 08:38:28 PM
I'll have to look up pictures of some of these to see if I've ever eaten them in Korea... I ate a lot of really ugly fish there, but some were really tasty.  My kids both LOVE fried dried anchovies... they would pick them over candy any day.  
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown_Tomatoes on November 06, 2007, 08:57:33 PM
Found an interesting site just now looking for the names of some of the fish I've eaten in Korea.  It is a fish wholesaler in Korea that markets to the US and Japan.  The one I remember being so ugly is the called a blackmouth goosefish... the lady at the fish market in Korea used to assure me they were really delicious, but if I ever ate one, I didn't know it.  Anyway, most of these fish are ones you won't see for sale in the US... some are really tasty, like the croaker.
http://www.zagalchi.co.kr/zagal/ezagal.html
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on November 06, 2007, 09:00:36 PM
Apparently there are King Mackerel and then there are less royal, more common mackerel.  ;D ;D  I don't know if the type matters; but I've never knowingly eaten one.  :-/

Tilapia are farm raised and could be susceptible to pollutants that might get into their water. No idea if that's a concern. That is the reason farm raised Atlantic Salmon is on the no-no list, IIRC.

Cod tastes great when deep fried in batter, as in English Fish 'n' Chips (french fries to the uninitiated.) And the chips are served with salt and vinegar (cider vinegar is best). I haven't had a deep fried anything in years... those sure were great though. After quaffing a few pints at the pub a stop by the local fish 'n' chip shop was a real treat to the end of an evening.  :)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fish_and_chips
making me hungry.....
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn-k on November 06, 2007, 11:15:04 PM
What about Holy Mackerel? :-?

Currently at this magic moment, it is 69.3 degrees outside.  May have to start the fire, Homegrown.  I actually feel sorry for you. :'(  Glad the heater is running.  Thanks for the tip on how engineers fix things. ;D
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on November 06, 2007, 11:51:22 PM
Well, last winter in our house in the valley, the heater was broken - I did have one in the bedroom - but we had 2 weeks of 22 degree temps when I would drive home from work at midnight or later - I'd lay in the bed shivering for a couple hours even though I had a couple down quilts on.  This year I said I was getting a heater for the house, I can't take that much cold!  

Up here in the cabin we seldom put a fire in the wood stove in the bedroom - but we stay warm enough...  :)

Once you get that chilled, Homegrown, it's hard to warm up - it helps now that I have frequent hot flashes  :-/ ;D
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on November 06, 2007, 11:57:33 PM
Oh, were we talking about "what's for dinner?"  I just got back up to the underground cabin - had to make a quick dinner so boiled some organic whole wheat pasta, drained it & set aside.  Cooked mushroom soup, onions, celery, green peppers together, added tuna & then put the pasta in & mixed it all together.  I've always liked tuna casserole, although I guess a lot of people don't because it's always talked about kinda derogatorily...   but I like it  :)

One of the doctors I work with has a wife from Columbia - she & their daughter love chicken feet!  :P  Every year they take a month & travel someplace - I think this past year they went to Vietnam or Cambodia - don't remember which.  They said the people there were really friendly.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on November 07, 2007, 12:13:07 AM
I like tuna casserole!  :) Make room for me.  ;)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn-k on November 07, 2007, 01:01:27 AM
You are always welcome at our table, Don.  Call and we'll have dinner ready when you get here. :)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on November 07, 2007, 01:08:59 AM
QuoteYou are always welcome at our table, Don.  Call and we'll have dinner ready when you get here. :)
Dittos.

I'll eat darn near anything that doesn't move on it's own or smell bad.  :)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn-k on November 07, 2007, 01:20:52 AM
I think we can find some of that for you. ;D ;D ;D
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown_Tomatoes on November 07, 2007, 04:40:13 PM
Count me in, too... I have no idea what we're having for dinner tonight!
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown_Tomatoes on November 07, 2007, 06:57:00 PM
Well, hubby got caught in a meeting and so I decided to go ahead and whip up something.  We're having Black rice (short grain wild rice?) with sort-of a Chinese-y thing... maybe a cross between peanut chicken and kung pao chicken.  Kind of spicy with peanuts, chicken, and lots of veggies.  Wish I had snow peas... I love the way they crunch when you bite into them.  Instead it's got green beans, red peppers, and carrots, garlic, and onions.  It tastes pretty good so as soon as the rice is done I'll go ahead and let the kids eat.   :-/  Mexican OUT sounded better, but I need to use up the groceries on hand in case we do move.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn-k on November 07, 2007, 10:02:02 PM
QuoteCount me in, too... I have no idea what we're having for dinner tonight!

Come on over -- we'll have plenty.

We can even eat outside here.  70.7 degrees F. right now.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on November 07, 2007, 10:04:44 PM
Quote70.7 degrees F. right now.
Nice.  Down to 52 here now.

Tonight's dinner was last nights dinner.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on November 08, 2007, 10:58:28 AM
The high here was something like 42 yesterday.  I think it's going to be slightly warmer today because the wind has finally slowed down.  UGH.  I hate being cold.  I like cold weather food, though.  Baked stuff and stews and so forth.  Don't need any, but like it... all the more reason we need to move to a warmer climate.  I looked at the forecast for our hoped-for destination, and it is in the mid-70s all week... looks perfect.    It's driving me crazy waiting for word about whether or not we're moving... Even though it looks like a really good chance, I am somewhat worried about what will happen if for some reason he doesn't get the job.  He's had other offers but I just wasn't as emotionally invested... now it is almost winter and suddenly it is REALLY important that we move (especially since all the flannel sheets are packed up in storage already waiting to be loaded onto a truck!!!) and because it is his dream job.  And I'm getting really sick of "clean-out-the-pantry-and-freezer" food.  DH always gets a turkey for Thanksgiving from work, and we have already decided to give it to a family we know with 5 kids because there's no way that just the four of us are going to be able to eat a whole turkey on Thanksgiving and deal with all the leftovers before the potential move date.  I think we're going to have black-eyed peas and cornbread for dinner tonight...I'm off to try to finish the rest of the kitchen tile!!!
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on November 08, 2007, 01:11:55 PM
Ummm, I love blackeyed peas!  Add a little ham or bacon, some onion - one of my favorites.  A friend used to get boxes of them - I bought some one year - gee, it is a lot of work shelling all those peas!  I even got Glenn into the act...  ;)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on November 08, 2007, 02:18:40 PM
Sassy, that's exactly what I had in mind until I got down to the freezer and realized that there was absolutely NO bacon, ham or anything else that would do the trick... instead I added a little bit of hot giardineira in hopes that the oil in it somehow replaces the fat from the meat, and that the flavor gives it a little extra punch.  I got out some fish fillets to grill too because DH doesn't like black eyed peas without some ham or bacon and I figure he won't eat enough to fill up on them.  

I think the kids and I will be plenty hungry by the time dinner rolls around because lunch was simply macaroni and cheese and some minted peas with green onions (my kids are weird...they LOVE peas.)  Unfortunately, they also love cornbread, and so I always figure if I make a skillet of it, they're going to eat 2/3 of it before they touch anything else.  

Well, I hung laundry out and now it is trying to cloud up and rain, of course!  It was gorgeous all morning until I hung clothes out on the line.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on November 08, 2007, 07:18:40 PM
Tonights dinner was last nights dinner  ::) (the last of the pasta bake from the night before that) with stir fried Brussels sprouts (halved), baby carrots, onions.

[I don't usually stretch the same thing out over three nights in a row. However, we're running around a lot what with the MIL's health issues/crisis. She won't see a chiropractor. Stubborn. She's still in pain in her hip. She was constipated, from the hydrocodone. Now isn't due to the power of prune juice  :) ::)  Now she tells us she's also had problems swallowing for some time so hadn't taken some of her meds. She's not eating much. She was back in the hospital for most of today because her temperature was coming up again. Nobody's sure what is wrong. More tests. We think she's been depressed before this happened as well.]
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on November 08, 2007, 09:13:57 PM
It's tough caring for family members...  sometimes you just don't know what to do for them & they don't know what they want either.  The families I think it is hardest for, though, are those whose loved one has dementia or alzheimers.  The pt can be pretty combative, you can't rely on them to follow through on anything - it's like having a toddler in an adult body.  
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on November 08, 2007, 09:16:20 PM
Quoteit's like having a toddler in an adult body.

Now you know how I feel.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on November 09, 2007, 12:47:49 AM
Our next door neighbor just recently put her mom in a long-term care facility because she was so exhausted from taking care of her... her mom had alzheimer's and would forget stuff constantly.  I felt so bad for her... she didn't want to put her mom in the place but  felt like she didn't have another option.  I used to watch her mom in the mornings until the senior center bus would pick her up, and every day I'd tell her our names  and the kids ages again, and each day she'd forget before she left.  Yet, she'd work a book or so of word puzzles every week and told me that when she was a little girl in Sonora, TX that's how she learned to speak English (she's Puerto Rican).  She would tell me stories about her husband and about gardens they'd grown and places she's share-cropped as a young woman.  All over my neighbor's house are big signs saying, "Mom, don't use the stove."  and "Mom, flush the toilet" and "Turn off light" and "Close refrigerator door" etc.  She was so afraid that her mom would burn the house down or wander off.  When she made the decision to put her mom in the home, she really had a tough time with it...she came over and cried for a few hours... it's a tough spot and I hope I'm never in that situation.

Don, sounds like your MIL is pretty fiesty.   :)  I hope she gets to feeling better soon, for her sake and yours.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on November 09, 2007, 01:27:04 AM
One day at a time. Who knows about tomorrow?

At least we won't have to make any decision about a nursing home, ourselves. My MIL & FIL made the decision themselves in the mid 80's when he retired and they moved to Albuquerque, NM. One of the reasons was that ABQ is home to one of the few retirement communities in the country that offers three stages.

1. You live in your own apartment, have your own kitchen, etc. But you have the option of having one, two, or three meals a day in the dining room. Costs extra of course.

2. Assisted Living, where you have a one or two room apartment clustered with others in it's own wing. No personal kitchen. There is staff on hand to assist with day to day life chores, bathing, dressing, whatever is necessary. You eat in your own communal dining room.

3. Healthcare; a nursing home type wing. One room. For folks who are in need of help with nearly everything.

It's expensive, but they could afford it and it offers the peace of mind of knowing where you'll be if some illness or whatever comes along.

Her husband passed away a couple years ago, after suffering a torn aorta. That took him from being able to live an ambulatory 85 yr olds life to being totally dependent on others in one fell swoop. Rather than dieing quickly after being struck down he lingered on moving between hospital and Healthcare for 5 months. That was a trying time.

October was the second anniversary of his becoming incapacitated. I think that affects her more than she will let on. She may be fiesty as it was put, stubborn, but she's also closed when it comes to talking about herself and her feelings. We've been aware of her declining memory. She's been able to do most of the day to day things in life up to now, with only some help for a few things. She's not been very fit for years and is on the cusp of requiring oxygen. She resents those intrusions on one level, accepts the need on another.

Now she needs assistance with everything. She can't get herself out of bed, across the floor to the bathroom, because of pain. That would be depressing to me too.

Maybe she's pondering if it's all worth the effort/pain.  :-/  A couple of comments she's made have us wondering. The doctors inability to pin down the source of her pain, why her temp rises & falls, is disconcerting, depressing.

Time will tell. Hopefully something will click and she will be able to resume what passes for normal life. However, a small part of me wonders if she'll even get back to walking with a walker, let alone on her own steam. Whatever will be, will be.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on November 09, 2007, 06:21:33 PM
I hope that she makes a good recovery, Don... sometimes I think people lose the will to make it on their own, and that's worse than any physical or mental loss.  

Tonight we're going out... most likely for Mexican food.  Probably have chili rellenos or carne asada.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on November 09, 2007, 06:37:45 PM
Buffalo burgers tonight; grilled, crumbled blue cheese on top. Some baked beans; Bush's Maple flavored. Tossed Salad with onion, black olives, jalapeños. Just my son and I. DW is over at the nursing home (Healthcare) with her Mom.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on November 09, 2007, 11:45:59 PM
Sassy made fried Pork chops, mashed potatoes and corn.

I found an add for a local small orchard that still had some apples - end of the season- so yesterday we picked apples and today  she made apple pies with crumbly stuff on the top.  So some of that and Ice Cream for dessert.  Yummy. :)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on November 09, 2007, 11:56:02 PM
Quote...apple pies with crumbly stuff on the top.  So some of that and Ice Cream for dessert.  Yummy. :)
Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm! French Vanilla Ice Cream? ... and it must be the good stuff! When it comes to ice cream I refuse to use inferior tasting, low fat, no fat, options. Mind you we only have ice cream maybe 4 times a year so I can afford that (healthwise).
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on November 10, 2007, 12:06:08 AM
Yes - French Vanilla -- Sassy had to go to the store to get some.  I can even eat it with Peanut butter and chocolate ice cream though. :)

I agree about the Ice Cream.  It has to be real, but I refuse to buy any -- even the best brands where they have cut the sizes down to 1.75 quarts.  Many still call that 1/2 gallon.

It is a blatant consumer ripoff with no redeeming qualities.  The only reason the big dairies are doing this is to shortchange the customer and make more profit by selling many more packages of a slightly smaller sized product for as much or more money than before.  I am boycotting Breyers - my favorite, Dreyers, Denali,  and any other company participating in this consumer abuse. >:(

I currently buy Foster Farms Ice Cream as they still have 1/2 gallons that are really 1/2 gallon.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on November 11, 2007, 09:06:51 PM
Tonight the rest of the family had a lot of assorted leftovers, and I took a snooze on the couch instead of eating... either the baby's going through some huge growth spurt or something or I've got a little bit of a bug or something. :P
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on November 11, 2007, 10:23:23 PM
Hope you are feeling better soon, Homegrown...  

We had company for the weekend.  One of the nurses I worked with in ICU & clinics for years.  He & his wife & their 22 y/o niece.  I made a big pot of vegetable soup - of course I had to add dumplings for Glenn.  They brought salad & some really good French breads.  The salad had sugar peas, pine nuts & sunflower seeds in it, very tasty  :)

We had the other apple pie, brownies & ice cream for dessert.  
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on November 11, 2007, 10:28:39 PM
Pretty simple tonight; grilled a NY Strip for us, a baked potato, salad.

Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on November 11, 2007, 10:45:39 PM
Sassy said,

QuoteWe had company for the weekend.  One of the nurses I worked with in ICU & clinics for years.  He & his wife & their 22 y/o niece.

He was the one who made 6 of us dress up in thrift store cloths for the Janet Reno look alike contest many years ago.  I did not win as I recall.  I think I was too pretty. :-/

Hope you feel better soon too, Homegrown.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on November 11, 2007, 11:18:41 PM
Thanks guys.  I do feel a little better after sleeping a bit. Still not really hungry, though. The girls stuck a caterpillar up my pants leg while I was sleeping so the rest was short-lived.  I'm just glad I didn't kill him before I realized what it was... they were just trying to tickle me, not traumatize the wooly bear.

You know... I always thought that no one could make dumplings as good as my grandma, and every time I had ever tried before, they weren't that good... but last week when I made the pumpkin/chicken stew, I decided to try some (guess Glenn talking about his Bisquick dumplings made me hungry for them), and they turned out so good... they were light and fluffy, and really good.  I may have to do that more often if I can just get it right every time.  Well, I think it's time to go back to bed... the girls and the caterpillar are long since asleep by now.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on November 11, 2007, 11:23:58 PM
Good nite- sleep tight - don't let the bed bugs bite -- or the woolly caterpillars as you prefer.  ::) Rest well, Homegrown. :)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on November 12, 2007, 10:26:41 AM
Well, I didn't even realize it was a caterpillar they'd put up my pants leg... I thought it was a piece of grass or a dried leaf or something, so I was brushing at my jeans trying to shake it loose... it's a wonder I didn't kill the poor thing. :-/

Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on November 12, 2007, 07:34:05 PM
Well, I started Irish stew, but didn't have a chance to get the veggies in it in time to be done for dinner, so we're going out for a double-decker, Mediterranean pizza... so the stew will be for tomorrow.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on November 12, 2007, 10:26:33 PM
That pizza sounds good!  Haven't had pizza for quite awhile...  What do you put in your Irish stew?  
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on November 12, 2007, 10:56:31 PM
Usually meat, potatoes, celery, carrots, and sometimes a little of whatever other veggies I have on hand...always some bay leaves and peppercorns, sometimes garlic and onions.  My mom always just made it with stew meat, potatoes, carrots, and celery; it was like roast with lots of broth.  The pizza was great, though, so I didn't regret going out for it.  They have this double-decker pizza that is really good... lots of feta cheese, tomatoes and spinach.  One piece is enough to fill you up.  Still not feeling really up to par, so eating out was just being lazy on my part.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on November 12, 2007, 11:04:27 PM
Quote...  What do you put in your Irish stew?  
Make it Irish all the way! If you enough Guiness it doesn't matter much what goes into the stew.  ;D

Dinner here was a previously frozen, originally slow cooked in the crock pot, venison pot roast, mashed potatoes, and frozen carrots and peas. Easy and quick.

MIL has decided to die. She's refusing to get out of bed for anything, eats a couple spoonfuls of the soup de jour and says dinner's over. She's called Hospice and signed papers. She says she never did like visiting her mother when her mother was in a nursing home (for about 6 years) and she'll be darned if she's going to live like that. She says she's tired and just wants to join her husband in heaven. She's had mobility issues for a few years now and it would take a large commitment of effort and work to regain the strength she's lost in a couple short weeks. The nursing staff have told us the last time they tried to get her out of bed, into a wheelchair, to the bathroom, it took 2 of them and that MIL said she was trying but she was like a dead weight.

Karen & I can't argue too much her because we both have made it clear to each other that when the time arrives that we can't do our personal things for ourselves we're not interested in being kept alive just because technology enables that.

My Mom made that decision when she was 85, 2 yrs ago. She'd broken a hip ball joint and recovered to where he could walk with a walker. Then kidney cancer stepped in and slowed her way down. When she had to face moving from her own apartment into a nursing home because of mobility and self help issues she said that was no way to live.

So we'll see how this plays out. The rest of her immediate family, 1 son and 1 daughter are likely to have personal issues with this decision of hers.

Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on November 12, 2007, 11:22:03 PM
Glenn & I have told each other the same thing.  It's hard to let go & let our loved ones make that decision, though, once the time comes.  My mom had congestive heart failure really bad, 2 open heart surgeries & hip surgery, on oxygen most of the time her last 2-3 years.  She just kept saying she was ready to go, she'd prayed to go before my father & she knew she'd be going to heaven so wasn't worried at all.  She'd also prayed to go in her sleep, which was exactly what happened.  My dad was so upset - he'd thought she was just sleeping well for once & kept saying later, "if I'd only known, I could have done something."  We told him, "Mom went exactly how she had wanted to, there was nothing you could have done."

I've seen so many people whom we've had to call a code on in the ER when their heart stopped or they stopped breathing, when a person is elderly & has a lot of health problems, they seldom make it - resuscitating someone can be pretty brutal.  Everyone I work with say they don't want to be resuscitated.  I say "I only want to die once!"  
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on November 12, 2007, 11:43:29 PM
A couple guys I know, both radiologists, agree with me that there are many procedures performed to save the elderly from immediate death that they themselves would never subject themselves or their loved ones to. Once you are up there around 80-something, perhaps with other health issues as well, it may be time to call it a day.

My FIL spent 4 1/2 months postponing the inevitable and having zero quality of life because of family members who themselves were not prepared to deal with his death. Bad bad scene. I don't want to see a sequel.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on November 13, 2007, 10:10:18 AM
After working in a nursing home when I was in college, I made a promise to my Grandma that I would not ever let her live in one... a lot of the people that I cared for went downhill  so fast because they didn't have the daily motions of feeding the dog or cat and just getting up and taking care of themselves.  Granted, many of them were in no mental condition to be left alone, but they deteriorated much more quickly sitting around in wheelchairs and in bed.    I really think my great grandma had the right idea... just about 6 months ago, she was having breathing problems that were serious enough that she had to be in the hospital.  When she was released from the hospital, she made the decision to move into a nursing home because she was afraid of being alone and blacking out, so she made arrangements to teach oil painting and china painting at the nursing home and thus to reduce the cost of living there.  She'd been there maybe three weeks when she pushed her call button in the middle of the night.  A nurse came down to check on her, and Grandma was sleeping when she got down there.  The nurse woke her and asked why she'd pushed the call button, and Grandma said she must've rolled on it in her sleep or something.  The nurse asked her if she was feeling OK, and she said she was feeling great.  So, the nurse decided since Grandma was already awake, she was going to go ahead and take her vitals so she didn't have to wake her up later.  She took her blood pressure and it was fine, and her pulse was fine, and she turned to get a thermometer and she heard Grandma sigh deeply... she assumed that she was just lying back down and settling into bed, but when she turned around, Grandma was already gone.  THAT's the way to go.   She never lost the will to live or to be independent, really, but she was ready and feeling great (in her own words) when she went.  

Don, I'll keep your MIL in my prayers.  It's hard to see someone lose the will to live... probably much harder on the ones who love her than on her.  
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on November 13, 2007, 06:03:13 PM
Tonight we're having the stew I made last night... it smells wonderful.  Been a busy day with a long-dreaded dentist's appointment (I'm severely allergic to fluoride) and a run 45 minutes in the other direction to the doctor's office.  The kids thought we were on a road trip.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on November 13, 2007, 06:09:06 PM
QuoteI'm severely allergic to fluoride

Bad in a way - good in a way --Fluoride is a poison that nobody should have. Lots of info on the net about it.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on November 14, 2007, 10:11:16 AM
I don't think I'm missing anything by not using fluoride... I didn't develop the allergy until after my second daughter was born, and then suddenly one day my gums, face, and airways swelled up and broke out in hives (even down my throat)!!  It would get a little better throughout the day, but then around bedtime the reaction would start all over again.  This went on for about a week where I could barely breathe, and I was cleaning the house like crazy thinking it was the dust or something I was eating... pretty much went on a fast trying to figure out what I was being exposed to that was causing it.  When my gums got sore and bloody, I decided maybe it was the toothpaste, so I started using plain baking soda and it gradually got better.  Then one day my husband had just brushed his teeth and then gave me a kiss, and I swelled up like a balloon again!  So, I called the dentist, who I couldn't afford to go see at the time and asked him what could be causing it.  He said that it was probably sodium lauryl sulfate, so to find a toothpaste without it.  I finally found one without it, but it had fluoride.  I used it exactly three times before I had another severe reaction.  Then I found one that had sodium lauryl sulfate but no fluoride, and it didn't cause the severe reaction, but made my gums really sore.  Finally, at a health food store, I found one that has neither.  Whew!  Anyway, I've never minded going to the dentist until all this happened, and so here I was afraid to go because I'd be accidentally exposed (you know it is a bad reaction if kissing my husband after he's used fluoride toothpaste is enough to set it off!) and swell up and have to go to the hospital or something... I was a bit worried about having the kids with me in case something like that happened, but the dentist was great and put big red labels on EVERYTHING on my chart  with notes that I am allergic, and he told me to remind him every time I come in.  I kind of have a new empathy for folks who are so allergic to peanuts that they can't be around other people who've eaten them...

I was kind of surprised that the dentist was talking and said that he didn't even think toothpaste was necessary.  He said some studies had been done that show brushing with just water was just as effective as using a fluoride toothpaste.  The study didn't surprise me, but the fact that a dentist was saying this did.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on November 14, 2007, 10:26:16 AM
I've heard the same about toothpaste.  I like to rinse with a capful of Hydrogen Peroxide morning and night -- stops the bacteria that cause tooth aches and cavities.

Fluoride info.  Bad stuff.  http://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla%3Aen-US%3Aofficial&channel=s&hl=en&q=fluoride+poison&btnG=Google+Search
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on November 14, 2007, 11:17:37 AM
Homegrown, you should carry an "epi-pen" with you in case your reaction to the fluoride causes your airway passages to totally shut down in an anaphylactic http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000844.htm reaction where you can't even breathe - that could be bad.  Each exposure usually gets worse & you can't guarantee that you won't be exposed again.  

I've taken care of patients who have gone into anaphyaxis - not a fun thing to happen - it is amazing, though, how some epinephrine helps to turn them around - each dose lasts approx 5 min - had one young girl (I call our patients in their 20's young) who was given a medication that she was allergic to - I wasn't taking care of her at the time, but her boyfriend came out & told me she was having a hard time breathing - I went over to assess her, listened to her lungs which sounded terrible & noticed she had big red welts on her back - called for the MD who was on break & told him she was probably having an anaphylactic rxn to something - started her on oxygen & breathing  treatments (she had history of asthma also) The MD ordered steroids & I was giving her epi every 5 min - for awhile we thought we were going to have to intubate her - sent her to ICU when I got her stabilized & she was able to go home the next day doing fine... but it can be a very serious thing.

We get Tom's toothpaste or Trader Joe's - be really careful that it doesn't have fluoride - we haven't used flouride for 3-4 yrs  - it's not good stuff from what I've read.   Here are a few more links to info about fluoride.

Please get yourself an rx for the epi-pens so that you can carry one with you at all times - it will give you a reprieve so that you can get to the hospital if necessary....

http://www.keepers-of-the-well.org/due_diligence.html
http://www.newswithviews.com/brownfield/brownfield30.htm
http://www.fluorideresearch.org/
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on November 14, 2007, 11:53:58 AM
I have an epi pen for my younger daughter who had a bad reaction to something (we still do not know what caused it and she was too little to tell me) but I've never gotten one for myself... I should, as I'm also allergic to bee stings and hornet stings and in recent years have become allergic to a few medicines.  I use KissMyFace toothpaste because I like the flavor better than Tom's... and some of the Tom's, even without fluoride, seems to irritate my gums a little.   It is kind of expensive... but worth it.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on November 14, 2007, 05:45:15 PM
We're having Korean food for dinner tonight, but as I don't have any tofu, we're ad-libbing a bit... we're having soon dubu chigae without the dubu. :)  The funny thing is that the whole point of the soup is that it is chigae(stew/soup) with tofu, but I'm subbing eggs for the tofu.  They usually serve it with a nearly raw egg floating on top anyway, which sort of cooks as you mix the rest of the stew together.  It also usually has a lot of seafood... oysters and clams and stuff, but when I eat some of the seafood varieties in restaurants, my throat gets itchy, so I skip any seafood but fish and shrimp, and since i don't have any of those, either, it's got chicken and beef in it tonight. :D  So maybe it isn't really even Korean food anymore... it's morphed into something else... One thing about Korean food I've never quite learned to handle is the temperature at which it is served.  Soups are usually served in a hotpot still boiling like crazy when they're put on the table... it always amazes me to see Koreans gobble them up and I wonder how they can even taste them after their mouth becomes so calloused from being repeatedly burned.  My husband can't do it anymore, either... he's becoming soft I guess.  He also can't handle the spiciest heat in some of the Korean dishes anymore, which I always find hilarious (his face turns red and his eyes tear up and he breaks into a sweat.)  Thankfully the kids both like Korean food, both spicy and not spicy, and so we don't usually have any trouble getting them to eat it.  

What are you all doing for Thanksgiving?  We're planning on making a variety (Korean) of chicken stew with ginseng, garlic, jujubes, and chestnuts.  Usually it is made with bantams instead of full-size chickens, and each person gets a whole, stuffed chicken, but since it'll just be the four of us, we're just using one regular chicken.  We figured it would be better than trying to deal with a huge turkey for just the four of us... last year, the turkey we got from my husband's work weighed over 21 lbs.  We'll have cranberry-orange salad and probably some of the other more traditional Thanksgiving foods too.  It'll be the smallest Thanksgiving dinner we've ever had... last year we went to our pastor's house, and for several years prior to that, we invited all the international and out of state students we knew to our house for Thanksgiving dinner (one year over 100 came, and we still had leftovers, though no turkey left!)  I love Thanksgiving.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on November 14, 2007, 06:17:31 PM
My sister is having Thanksgiving over at her house - we usually have turkey, ham & sometimes tri-tip.  Everyone brings veggies, side dishes, desserts, salads etc.  There's usually around 50 people I would think.  They have a great backyard for kids, usually get a bounce house, have a large walk-in cage (10'x6') with bunnies, another cage with various birds; a fenced area behind with a goat & miniature donkey.  Plus there's a section that is pure sand where he always digs 3' diameter x 3' deep holes that the kids love playing in.  There are so many cousins below the age of 10 - so they have a ball.  The adults get to visit on the back patio & watch the kids or in the house.  They also built on a large sunroom that is "kid-friendly"...

Homegrown, you made me hungry for pizza so I picked one up yesterday - at Pizza Factory - they have pretty good ones - a combination.  Glenn wanted the Canadian bacon with pineapple - I tell him it is not natural to combine pizza sauce with pineapple  ;D  The only time he gets that is if there are more people & we order more than one pizza or I'm not around.  I don't even like doing the 1/2 & 1/2 - my pizza is ruined if the pineapple touches my side  :P  I do add a lot of the hot pepper seeds - use about a packet per piece... so I'd probably get along pretty good at your house, Homegrown.  Glenn doesn't like things too hot...  
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on November 14, 2007, 06:31:04 PM
When a woman controls the  pizza you are allowed to eat, I think things may be getting a little out of hand. :-/
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on November 14, 2007, 07:55:50 PM
Yup, I agree Glenn... and Canadian bacon with pineapple is one of the best ones, too... she just doesn't know what she's missing does she?  Thankfully, my husband likes the combination of pineapple and canadian bacon... but then, he's not too picky about anything.  However, I haven't had good pineapple pizza since we moved up north, but the Mediterranean is a good second.  Pineapple might improve it, now that I think about it... maybe next time I'll ask them to add it.  Pineapple and feta cheese should be good together, right?
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on November 14, 2007, 09:35:36 PM
QuoteGlenn wanted the Canadian bacon with pineapple - I tell him it is not natural to combine pizza sauce with pineapple  
Considering the source of the request, need I say anything more?   ;D  I have to admit I do like that as well.  ::)

In past years we've usually hosted a small family Thanksgiving dinner; Karen & I, son, Karen's Mom (& Dad before '05). Sometimes a brother-in-law from CO, but usually not. Christmas is our bigger get together because the teachers in the family have more time off.

This year we're planning on a smaller version of Thanksgiving; probably just the 2 of us up in the mountains. The forecast is calling out a 60% chance of snow on the 22nd.  :-/  A little snow is alright, just hope it doesn't do a dump on us while we're up there.

Dinner for 1 tonight... I grilled a salmon fillet and had a steamed bowl of really mixed veggies with it (peas, corn, carrots, lima beans, green beans, pearl onions). Followed by a chocolate éclair (from the local bakery), a rare treat I couldn't resist when picking up a loaf of bread.  
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn-k on November 14, 2007, 10:22:24 PM
Thanks, Homegrown and Don.  I needed the support.  Seems I am now the NORMAL one here. ;D

Anybody else like Smoked Oyster Pizza? :-?
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on November 14, 2007, 10:28:08 PM
QuoteSeems I am now the NORMAL one here. ;D
Anybody else like Smoked Oyster Pizza? :-?
For 5 seconds...
...then ya' blew it.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn-k on November 14, 2007, 10:33:10 PM
Damn. :(
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown_Tomatoes on November 15, 2007, 08:29:17 AM
 ;D  Never tried smoked oysters... the only time I've eaten oysters at all was when my husband's crazy uncle was egging me on and trying to tell me that that's what makes him so good-looking.  I ate a few raw ones to make him laugh.  In Korea, the take-out pizza is really good (funny enough, Dominoes in Korea has really good pizza, but I won't even eat Dominoe's pizza in the states) and my favorite is bulgogi (bbq beef) with corn.  Sounds weird, but is really good.   But Glenn, there's not a lot of hope for you being normal... and I don't think it has much to do with what you eat! ;D

Don, a quiet Thanksgiving in the mountains sounds really nice, actually.  I hope you all have an enjoyable weekend with enough snow to be pretty, but not enough to be messy or hard to drive in.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn-k on November 15, 2007, 12:36:17 PM
Thanks, Homegrown- I needed that. ::)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on November 15, 2007, 10:04:47 PM
We had a nursing home meeting then dinner at Applebee's on a gift card from an appreciative preschool parent. Chicken Fajitas and a chicken salad; split between us. K had a chocolate mousse dessert.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn-k on November 15, 2007, 10:20:26 PM
I'm afraid to ask, Don, but exactly where on the chicken is it's fajita located and what function does it serve?  Also is it something we should be eating? :-?
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on November 15, 2007, 10:48:25 PM
My leg's getting way too long, you're pulling it so hard.  ::)

It's Tex-Mex food... I have no idea if it's real Mexican fare, as in naturally found south of the border.

For any who really don't have a clue...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fajita
and that's fah-hee-tah          Hee-Haw!!!!

I generally don't eat the tortillas, though.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn-k on November 15, 2007, 11:07:42 PM
Occasionally it is fun to go into a Taco Bell and really Americanize the word while acting like you really think you know how to pronounce it, fairly loud of course.  Redneck humor I think is the description of this type of behavior. It is best that you don't let on that you know you are saying it wrong. :)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown_Tomatoes on November 16, 2007, 06:29:28 PM
that sounds like my grandma... for whatever reason she has never been able to say "bueno" so it's hilarious to take her to Taco "Beeno".  When they first came out with those Symphony candy bars, Grandma misread or misunderstood the ad and gave me some coupons to pick up a couple of those 'sympathy' candy bars for her when I went to the grocery store.   :D  It's even better because she has no idea why she's funny to the rest of us.  We blame it on the years she spent in California during the dust bowl... warped her forever :D

Well, tonight we're having baked sweet-spicy peanut chicken and Asian broccoli slaw with cilantro and almonds.  That chicken is smelling really good... hope it tastes half as good as it smells cooking.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown_Tomatoes on November 16, 2007, 07:29:18 PM
It was delicious. :)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn-k on November 16, 2007, 08:28:34 PM
Sounds good -- Sassy is on her way to the other house to work a few days so I have to rustle up my own dinner.  i think she left me a big ol' hamburger in there somewhere.  So I guess that's it -- Hamburger, ketchup and ice cream. :-/
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on November 16, 2007, 08:31:50 PM
My son and I finished off the left over pot roast, with some steamed rice and broccoli.

Off to the mountains in the AM. Trying to decide what simple dinner to take.  :-/
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn-k on November 16, 2007, 08:35:51 PM
I like pot roast with lots of salt and lots of cold ketchup. :)

How long you gone for, Don?
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on November 16, 2007, 08:38:13 PM
We'll be back Sunday afternoon/evening.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown_Tomatoes on November 17, 2007, 08:39:22 PM
Boy, it sure gets quiet around here on the weekends...

We went to Home Depot today to price a few things, and ended up being down there around lunch time, so we stopped in this little store front place with a sign out front that read, "El Pollo Rico".  I walked in and thought it was probably a mistake, , but we figured we'd give them a chance.  For less than $20 we got roasted chicken, a huge stack of toasty hot tortillas, beans, rice, salsa, and four drinks... there was enough left over for supper tonight.  It was much better than we'd thought it would be.  We had a salad with the leftover chicken for supper, and some leftover biscuits from breakfast.  The beans and rice and tortillas can go into something tomorrow.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn-k on November 17, 2007, 11:01:18 PM
Yup -- Cooking for myself tonight so Marie Calendar's Chicken Pot Pie Nuked, Pineapple and cream cheese turnover with butter on to - nuked and Orange Sherbet for dessert.  

Sassy or I usually put a few instant frozen dinners of one type or another in the freezer for when I'm to busy or too lazy to cook.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown_Tomatoes on November 18, 2007, 08:54:01 AM
We do that with Korean food sometimes... either naengmyun (cold noodle soup) or jja-jjangmyun (black noodles)... for those lazy days.  Sometimes I also marinate bulgogi (BBQ) and freeze it in dinner size packages where I can dump it from the freezer to the skillet for a few minutes and throw some rice in the rice cooker.  We have a microwave, but keep it in the basement and it is almost never used... we only bought it when we didn't have a stove while we were first working on the kitchen, but even then we usually used a camp stove, grill, hot plate, or crock pot.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on November 18, 2007, 08:05:52 PM
Marie's Pot Pies aren't too bad at all.

Back from the mountains. Pizza tonight. Kroeger store brand refigerated pizza dough/crust. We like it better than the Pillsbury brand, and cheaper too. It gets crustier. Zucchini, onion, jalapeños. Discovered I didn't have any pizza sauce so I subbed Bertolli traditional spaghetti sauce with a little Ketchup squirted around. Turned out good.

Last night in the mountains we had a couple ham steaks, baked potato and green beans.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn-k on November 18, 2007, 10:32:37 PM
Worked on my steel stairway project and repaired my woodsplitter today -- leaf roller in the carb vent and jets plugged - tipped up so oil was showing low on low oil shut down.

Not much time to cook - so its 1lb frozen nuked Hungryman Pork rib dinner with corn, mashed potatoes and a brownie.  Could have been worse. :)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on November 19, 2007, 02:03:46 PM
OK, now doggone it, I replied to this post this morning too... where the heck did all my posts go??
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on November 19, 2007, 02:05:24 PM
We didn't eat supper yesterday because we had too much for lunch and everyone was still full.  We went to  the Korean restaurant and Korean store after church yesterday. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on November 19, 2007, 08:01:00 PM
Lost a few around the time you were replying.  I just posted to ask John when the big change would take place and it miraculously appeared at that moment.

I've been eating Honey Mustard Pretzels for dinner.  Have to look for something soon.  Maybe I will do stewed tomatoes tonight. :)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on November 19, 2007, 08:45:20 PM
Soloing tonight. K's checking up on her Mother.

A three egg omelette; grated cheddar, romano, a little chopped onion, a small chopped pickled jalapeño, a small chopped tomato and a couple of tablespoons of cooked green peas.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on November 20, 2007, 10:59:23 AM
Sounds good, Mtn. Don.  We had clean-out-the-fridge stew last night... complete with the leftover rice and beans from the little Mexican joint we found by accident.  It also had tomatoes and carrots and celery and corn and cilantro and chicken, etc.  Pretty tasty, but I wasn't too hungry because the kiddo was doing some kind of gymnastics last night leading to serious heartburn even without eating.  Starting to feel the baby moving every now and then... usually feels like two steel ball bearings rolling around on top of the bladder. 

Kind of good weather for chili... not sure what we're having tonight yet.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on November 21, 2007, 02:24:32 AM
You take something for the heartburn, Homegrown?   ???

I do Pepsid Complete or something like that but many times a couple tablespoons of vinegar is the thing to take as a lot of the heartburn is not from too much acid but not enough - per a hint from my daughter.  It works quite well most of the time - especially with greasy stuff.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on November 21, 2007, 08:32:24 AM
I usually don't unless it gets especially bad... sometimes drinking a little milk or eating a little bit of something seems like it is enough to distract my stomach momentarily.  I think I usually just accept it as part of the territory... soon it'll be time to give up my one cup of coffee a day because it seems to contribute... in fact, it doesn't taste that good to me this morning, so maybe today is a good day to lay off the joe. c*  But I sure do like it.  Hmmm...maybe tomorrow ;D.  The doctor told me to take Maalox or something like that for it and I just laughed because that ain't going to happen... sure tell a woman when she's pregnant and her gag reflex is in great working order to swallow liquid chalk!  It goes away on its own usually, eventually... and in 6 more months, it will be like I have never had it.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on November 21, 2007, 10:58:56 AM
Re: HEARTBURN

I must put my 2 cents worth in here on this topic. Recurring heartburn cab be a cause for concern. If you watch TV you've seen the ads regarding reflux disease, the proper name is Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease or GERD for short.

If it occurs at intermittent intervals, after certain foods there may be nothing to worry about. If it recurs frequently you should be checked out by a GI (Gastrointestinal) specialist.

To make a long story short I had the symptoms on and off for an extended period. Just before turning 60 I went in for my annual colonoscopy. The doctor decided it would be a good idea to perform an endoscopy (down the throat) as well. It was good that he did as he found erosion of the esophagus, a result of GERD. After a course of Prevacid a second endoscopy showed the problem repaired.

About the same time a friend of my sister complained to his doctor about his frequent heartburn. He wasn't so lucky. It turned out cancer had developed at the site of his esophageal erosion. He's now dead.

I get occasional bouts from time to time and on the doc's recommendation use Prilosec OTC and I'm good to go. A recent double ended internal checkup a month or so ago turned up no problems so I'm scheduled again for next year.

Last nights menu, just before the DSL collapse, was grilled Alakan Salmon, baked potato wedges with parmesan cheese and pepper sprinkled on plus steamed green peas.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on November 21, 2007, 11:19:21 AM
You are right on the 2 cents, Don, but I still try to not do doctors.  [yuk]

The meal sounds good.

Homegrown probably already knew it, but this thread gets us trying new stuff.  Thanks Homegrown. [cool]
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on November 21, 2007, 02:26:17 PM
The DSL is being ditzy; I'll get tonights dinner in here while it's working...

Angel hair spaghetti, Bertolli Organic Traditional style sauce and Brussels Sprouts or maybe green beans.  :-\

I think the DSL problem may be a bad filter; have to go get some replacemenmts ( free) from the ISP across town.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on November 21, 2007, 03:02:16 PM
Ugh!  It's flurry-ing outside (I don't think that's a real word, is it?)  I think I'm making a cherry pie for supper.   ;D  You see, it is either dinner or dessert as there is not room for both.  And because I am not supplying dessert for any Thanksgiving dinner, doesn't cherry pie with some vanilla ice cream sound good?  I'd bought the stuff to go in the pie last week before we were asked to dinner and asked to bring cranberry relish for the dinner... might as well go ahead and have the pie.   ;)

Speaking of the cranberry relish... ever try the recipe on the back of Ocean spray cranberries (orange, cranberries, and sugar?)  I really like it, but usually only use 1/2 the sugar called for... mango is nice, too.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on November 21, 2007, 03:36:05 PM
My mom always made that - she had a hand grinder - would put the whole oranges through along with the cranberries & add sugar - very tart but very good - maybe that is where she got the recipe - never checked out the source.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on November 21, 2007, 05:56:28 PM
I'm hoping that the folks we're having dinner with don't mind the tartness... it tastes so good.  If I make it for us at home (and I often do during the time cranberries are available) I also add walnuts, but I think one of our hosts is allergic to everything else, and I don't want to risk the walnuts.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on November 21, 2007, 07:41:35 PM
Changed the veggie to broccoli and cauliflower.

I think, knock wood, I have the DSL problem solved. Installed a couple new filters. I don't understand how that can fix the problem as the phones are what's plugged into the filter. The modem is plugged directly to the phone line and isn't filtered.  ??? ??? If it works I don't care why.  [cool]
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on November 21, 2007, 10:26:55 PM
I didn't get around to making the pie... was too busy biting my lip and jumping up and down from catching the palm of my hand in the tile cutter.  Instead, we had Korean-style bean sprout soup... light and not very filling... figure we'll get filled up good tomorrow.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on November 22, 2007, 12:07:01 AM
Our Thanksgiving plans have changed slightly. Instead of running right up into the mountains and having our Thanksgiving dinner with just the two of us, we're not going up until Friday AM.

Tomorrow we'll have our son over for dinner. We'll roast a turkey, with potatoes, onions, carrots and parsnips roasted alongside. A pumpkin pie brought to us by a happy preschool parent will finish off the feast.

We'll then take some pie over to MIL at the nursing home and see if she'll eat any. She loves desserts but is still only eating a couple spoonfuls at mealtime.  :(

Friday we'll head up into the mountains and see what the forecast snow brings.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on November 24, 2007, 12:40:20 AM
Subway tonight!

On the road home from the mountains there's a very General Store; storage lockers/sheds for rent, "antique" shop, Uhaul truck/trailer rentals, groceries, beer, motor and chain saw oil, fishing tackle, and other sundries and most recently a Subway franchise was added.

I had a veggie deluxe with almost everything. K had a tuna sub. Excellent and very nice friendly folks. Pumpkin pie leftovers from yesterday once we were home. Yum!
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on November 24, 2007, 01:30:43 AM
We were snacky tonight-- I needed chocolate. d*

Sassy said we had brownies and after I had mentioned it she got the urge so she nuked the brownies -- I dished out French Vanilla Ice Cream on it then she nuked some chocolate and caramel syrup and poured on it and we sprayed whipped cream all over it and ate it.   [cool]

Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on November 24, 2007, 01:48:06 AM
Quote from: glenn kangiser on November 24, 2007, 01:30:43 AM
-- I needed chocolate.
.... brownies....
Unmentioned in virtually all of my dinner posts is the fact that each dinner K has is invariably followed with two squares of Dove brand Dark Chocolate Miniatures. 33% of the time I also indulge.
http://www.dovechocolate.com/Collection/DoveChocolate/Dark.aspx?PageID=336&ProductID=6
On occasion the Dove brand is eschewed as we avail ourselves of one of the Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate delights...
http://www.ghirardelli.com/products/chocbars_intense.aspx
(Dove, in our opinion, is the best dark chocolate value for the money; but Ghirardelli is suberb.)

Ghirardelli also makes the absolute best store bought brownie mixes.

Ghirardelli is probably the best American chocolate.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on November 24, 2007, 08:55:39 AM
Last night after a day of running around to get kids to an 8 AM dentist appointment and stopping by the hardware store on the way home and having to fight crowds there, we had leftover turkey  sandwiches and cranberry salad for dinner.  My mom is here visiting now (after making the 13-hour drive all yesterday!!!) so I'll have to get out of my lazy dinner rut.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on November 24, 2007, 12:22:45 PM
Have a good visit, Homegrown. :)

Don, interesting you like Ghirardelli so much.  The founder first came to Mariposa county, to Hornitos, to sell to the miners before he started his store in 1852.  It is about 17 miles from us.

QuoteToday, Hornitos is a sleepy little village filled with structures from the gold rush days. Among the ruins are the walls of the Ghirardelli store, where Domingo Ghirardelli traded with the miners before moving to San Francisco in 1852 to found his chocolate company. The remains of the store is still owned by the Ghirardelli company.
(http://www.ghosttown.info/ca/hornitos/i005.jpg)

http://www.ghosttown.info/ca/hornitos/

http://freepages.history.rootsweb.com/~gtusa/usa/ca/hornitos.htm


Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on November 24, 2007, 12:59:47 PM
The last time I worked, we had an in-service on new intraveneous catheters - of course the sales rep always has to bring goodies  [cool]  he brought a big bag of Dove chocolates.  They lasted us through the weekend - they are really excellent chocolates - I've only eaten the dark - & of course, it is full of antioxidents & good for you!  ;D

We went to my sister's & her husband's for Thanksgiving.  I made a swiss chard/spinach quiche.  It's pretty simple - takes awhile to make, though.  I don't have the official recipe anymore because I always change things  hmm

I fry bacon, drain & put on bottom a large casserole dish (13x8), then layer lots of fresh, chopped swiss chard & spinach (you can use broccoli, green peppers, carrots - whatever veggies you like or have on hand - chopped onions, salt & pepper, 3 cups of grated cheese.  In a blender you put  2 cups of milk (I used 1 cup organic, non-fat yogurt & 1 cup milk), 10 eggs, 2 1/2 cups bisquick - blend for 2 minutes & pour over everything.  Bake at 325-350 for approx 1 hr or until set & browned (don't want the center raw) - I think it probably took almost 90 min this last one - I sprinkled some parmesan cheese a few minutes before taking out of oven.

Everyone at the dinner seemed to like it.  When we had chickens I had so many eggs so was always looking for recipes to use them in.  This was one Glenn & I really liked.  It's pretty rich, but has a lot of healthy things in it (don't know about the bisquick)!  It isn't low calorie. 

Anyway, Glenn had that for a late lunch, I ate tabouhli from Whole Foods & some homemade cranberry relish - chopped cranberries, oranges, walnuts & a little sugar - it wasn't real juicy so I added a little bit of orange juice - couldn't find the recipe so just combined to taste.  It was really good, in fact, I think I will make some more   [yum]
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: StinkerBell on November 24, 2007, 03:56:30 PM
That sounds so yummy Sassy....   :drool <----drooling emote here.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on November 24, 2007, 06:17:59 PM
Turkey Pie:
Left over turkey (natch!), green peas, corn, green beans, carrots, onion, mashed potatoes and yams, gravy, salt, pepper all in a store bought frozen pie shell. And the last of the pumpkin pie.

[yum]

After it was in the oven I realized I forgot the salt and pepper. It turned out just right though... flavorful gravy.

(https://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q75/djmillerbucket/oddsnends2/turkeypie.jpg)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on November 24, 2007, 08:15:53 PM
Thanks, Stinkerbell - it was pretty yummy if I do say so myself  [yum]  MtnDon - your turkey pie looks pretty yummy too! The spinach quiche looked good but I always forget to take a picture  d*

I made a banana cake - used 6 bananas, applesauce instead of oil, honey, whole wheat, eggs, baking soda, honey - turned out pretty good.  Also made some rolls (cheated, made the ones from the frozen dough) but still turned out good, am roasting a pork roast, made cornbread dressing, picked some artichokes, will steam those, & Glenn just picked some carrots so guess I need to clean those & cook them. 

Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on November 24, 2007, 08:18:52 PM
Mmmm. I love banana cake/bread. But alas I am not a baker. Turkey pie is as close as I usually come.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on November 24, 2007, 08:45:38 PM
It was actually a banana bread recipe - they cook better in a big rectangular cake pan (I doubled the recipe & changed some of the stuff) 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on November 24, 2007, 09:15:08 PM
Took the kids to a picture show and filled up on popcorn and then came home and snacked on some boiled shrimp and cocktail sauce, as well as some veggies and dip.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on November 24, 2007, 10:22:12 PM
Here's the dinner Sassy made.  It was great, but I think I ate too much. [innocent]

(https://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d184/glennkangiser/P1000680.jpg)

[burp]           ;D
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on November 25, 2007, 06:48:47 PM
Hamburgers, approx 1/3#ers, slice of onion and tomatoes on toasted whole wheat bun with crumbled blue cheese. Stir fried Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, red onion, sugar snap peas.  :)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on November 25, 2007, 10:38:54 PM
 [hungry]  We had our artichokes from the garden -- I eat mine dipped in Miracle Whip, pork roast - I put on lots of salt and ketchup,  carrots from the garden and dressing leftover from yesterday but still was good today. (Sassy doesn't always approve of the way I eat my stuff). [oops]

(https://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d184/glennkangiser/P1000679.jpg)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: fishing_guy on November 25, 2007, 10:39:49 PM
From Turkey day on Thursday.  Started the turkey at 5:00 a.m.  It came off the pit 2:30 p.m.

Fell off the bone. 

Turkey pizza leftovers tonight.

http://good-times.webshots.com/album/561566021IAUsTw


Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on November 25, 2007, 10:44:43 PM
Smoke cooked is the only way to go.  That's a serious looking barbecue there.   :)

I usually do it in a Weber with an Oak wood fire - sometimes a bit tough to regulate but worth the trouble.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on November 25, 2007, 10:49:12 PM
very nice fishing_guy
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: fishing_guy on November 25, 2007, 11:22:14 PM
Quote from: glenn kangiser on November 25, 2007, 10:44:43 PM
Smoke cooked is the only way to go.  That's a serious looking barbecue there.   :)

I usually do it in a Weber with an Oak wood fire - sometimes a bit tough to regulate but worth the trouble.

Yes, I was good one year, and my wife was super and bought it for me for my birthday, anneversery, etc...

We've cooked for over 30 people at once on it.  It's great, because You can keep food warm, while still cooking on the rest.  For the fourth of July, (my son's birthday) we cooked a 14 lb Boston butt, 3 racks of ribs, 20 brats and a couple of dozen hot dogs. 

A pleasure to cook on, because you only have to check on it eery hour or so.  A quick rearrangement of the meat and a quick stoking of the fire, and you are good to go until the next time.

My daughter ren x-country for University of Georgia.  My wife and I had the best time experiencing every podunk bbq joint where my daughter ran.  A lot of inspiration came from those trips.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on November 26, 2007, 01:37:08 AM
I remember trucking through Texas, and my buddy and I would always look for the good Barbecue joints -- Dallas --San Antonio-- La Grange-- :) [hungry]

That's why I am always disappointed when I go to any restaurant - none of them are as good as what we do at home with oak. [noidea'
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on November 26, 2007, 09:41:12 AM
Last night Mom watched the kids so that we could go out and do a little Christmas and birthday shopping.  We had to find  just the right field guide to insects for a four-year-old who asked us for "100,000 caterpillars" for her birthday. :)
While we were out we went to the Olive Garden for dinner... my husband just discovered Italian salad dressing recently and really likes it and now he thinks that the only eating out place that has it is Olive Garden.  Anyway, we both had the Venetian Apricot Chicken, which is pretty tasty, and not as over-filling as most stuff they have. 

After dinner, we managed to get the girls a few pair of thermal socks and turtleneck sweaters for Christmas... I know, we're boring... maybe we'll find a little something more interesting before Christmas.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on November 26, 2007, 10:37:14 AM
Olive Garden is quite good. THeir salad is always nice and fresh and refillable! Eat lots of salad and breadsticks and then half the main course. Take the remainder home for another meal.  :)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on November 26, 2007, 06:27:17 PM
tonight it's grilled tilapia with cilantro and lime (and Mrs. Dash extra spicy).  (Yeah, I know my beef with all the China-farmed tilapia, but it just sounded so good tonight that I couldn't resist...)  We're also having lemon spinach couscous and broccoli slaw with sesame dressing and chopped salty peanuts and cilantro.  And the girls are making brownies with pecans for dessert after we eat.
:wink
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on November 27, 2007, 02:15:05 AM
I don't have a problem with Chinese tilapia. I'm just amazed that it can be shipped that far and still be economically priced. I wish tilapia was thicker... I just like thicker fish/food.

We were busy before/during our normal dinner time. Meetings. So we had a real simple omlette when we got back home; eggs, green peas, onion, tomato, jalapeños, cheese. With toast. Grape Jelly on K's.

Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on November 27, 2007, 02:35:57 AM
Fixed meatloaf - added chopped green & yellow peppers, tomatoes & swiss chard from the garden, chopped onions, diced garlic, basil, a couple raw eggs, oatmeal, salt & pepper.  Of course I had to put ketchup on top of one of the meat loafs for Glenn & I also added a little organic ceasar drsg to the lean ground chuck.  Turned out pretty tasty!   :)  Mashed potatoes, corn, baked sweet potatoes & berry pie with vanilla ice cream. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on November 27, 2007, 09:53:53 PM
The last of the Thanksgiving left overs! Turkey white meat, gravy, stuffing, with non-leftover (new?) mashed potatoes and steamed peas & corn. Tasted just as good the second time around.  :)

There's fixings (turkey) for another couple turkey pies or Chinese fried rice meals in the freezer.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on November 28, 2007, 05:59:39 PM
We're having Korean food for dinner tonight... Kalbichim (stewed ribs? with veggies.  The ribs are cut crosswise with very small sections of bone, and they're much easier to get the meat off.)  Of course, rice, and some shigumchee namool (spinach "salad", which is briefly blanched and then you add toasted, salted sesame seeds, sesame oil, and a little green onion.)

Thankfully when my mom came she brought a big paper grocery sack full of tomatoes from my grandma's garden... some are ripe and some are green, but either way it is nice to have them...  I am thinking that we'll have to have fried green tomatoes sometime this week.  The weather has been horribly dreary...really tired of winter already. :-\
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on November 28, 2007, 09:31:40 PM
I want fried green tomatoes.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on November 28, 2007, 09:48:11 PM
Solo tonight: grilled salmon fillet (2). Feeling lazy, but hungry.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on November 30, 2007, 05:50:17 PM
Last night it was Mexican restaurant... ;D  I like it when others cook AND do the dishes!

Tonight we're having steaks (smelling wonderful at the moment), slaw, and smashed taters.  For dessert we're having popcorn pie, a new recipe I got out of the latest TMEN.  Made with heirloom homegrown popcorn, of course.  It looks and smells delicious, albeit very rich.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on November 30, 2007, 07:55:09 PM
What did I cook last night anyhow??  :-\ :-[ ... spent too much time sorting out problems created by my internet web host computer and software upgrades. But that's a whole other story...  [frus]   [noidea'

Tonight: stir fried chicken teriyaki, onions, red & green peppers, sugar snap peas, mushrooms over steamed rice. And I'm almost ready to forgive the service host.  :-\

Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on November 30, 2007, 10:20:11 PM
Leftover Steak we barbecued in a grilling basket in the Round Oak wood stove last night (1920 - PD Beckwith -Dowagiac Michigan -great design lends itself to cooking on top and grilling through the bottom door) .  The fire is going often in the winter so with a basket, barbecued steak is always easy... and some corn and mashed potatoes Sassy left for me so I wouldn't become anorexic. [crz]
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on November 30, 2007, 11:01:31 PM
Quote from: glenn kangiser on November 30, 2007, 10:20:11 PM
... so I wouldn't become anorexic. [crz]
Uh... no I won't say anything cause it might come to bite me someplace I should slim down.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on November 30, 2007, 11:13:22 PM
:)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on December 02, 2007, 12:34:09 AM
Roasted pork tenderloin wrapped with a piece of bacon. Yes, bacon. I seldom use it; keep some individually frozen slices in the freezer for moments like this. Potatoes, par-boiled and then roasted along side the meat along with parsnips. Tossed salad.

Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on December 02, 2007, 01:13:38 AM
I think we can find a few parsnips  year round in the garden now.  We've only French fried them though I think.

Sounds good.  I'm on day three of leftovers and 2 bowls of Mint Chocolate Chip Ice cream for desert. ;D
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on December 02, 2007, 01:47:55 AM
Potatoes, parsnips, carrots and onions all make for good roasted veggies alongside a roast.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on December 02, 2007, 08:53:10 PM
Tonight was chicken stew.  It is getting colder by the minute, but thankfully got up over freezing today so a lot of the snow melted during the day.  Mom is still visiting so haven't had much of a chance to post. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on December 02, 2007, 10:37:12 PM
We spent the day up in the mountains. The 1 to 2 feet of snow that had been forecast for Fri- Sat never materialized; temps were too warm. It rained 2.53" instead.  :) Melted all the old snow. There was a fresh dusting on the roads from this AM, but only a half inch or so.

Dinner on the way back, via a little detour, was a superb pizzaria pizza in a little nearby village. Nice to not have to cook or do clean up.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on December 03, 2007, 02:17:47 AM
I was thinking of how you were doing when I saw that a storm hit the Midwest, Homegrown.  Keep warm if you can.  I was prospecting so it was Marie Calendar's from the freezer and ice cream for desert.  I did actually cook a decent breakfast for myself. 

I took steak - chopped it threw it in a frypan with some olive oil, a Cherokee Purple, a stick of celery from the garden, a red bell pepper also from the garden -- 2 eggs and 2 slices of cheese -- some kind of a country scramble thing -- looked fair -- tasted great.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on December 04, 2007, 12:10:36 PM
Yesterday I had a late afternoon doc's appointment, and so DH and came back by the house and picked up my mom and the kids and took them out to eat at a nice place about 5 miles from here... it used to be a stage coach stop way back when, and they have a little museum upstairs.  Neat old building and good steak.  Mom and I had the filet mignon and DH had the ribeye.  All was excellent.  Oh, and the kids had chopped steak that was big enough to feed a family of four.  Tonight we're celebrating DD's 5th birthday early because mom is heading home tomorrow, so at her request, we're having breakfast for dinner... we'll have waffles, veggie frittata, and bacon, and then we'll have some butter cake with "valinna" (how my daughter says "vanilla") cream cheese icing and peppermint icecream.  Weird combo, I know, but she's a kid and this was her pick.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on December 05, 2007, 12:16:29 PM
Quote from: glenn kangiser on November 28, 2007, 09:31:40 PM
I want fried green tomatoes.
I finally got around to making some for breakfast this morning.  I know, probably not a typical breakfast food, but I'm pregnant and they sounded wonderful... and they were.  Not quite as good as the ones at the Dairy Freeze in Yale, Oklahoma, but good just the same.

Last night we had gingerbread waffles, veggie frittata, and bacon for DD's 5th birthday party.  I made a butter cake and orange/vanilla cream cheese icing... it was pretty darn good, if I do say so myself.  Our friends nearly ended up in the ditch because of the snowstorm on the way over, but they're loyal because they came anyway.  And of course, there was icecream, but I did notice that hubby got out the cheap vanilla stuff in the big bucket as opposed to the peppermint cream icecream he hid in the deep freeze. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on December 05, 2007, 12:33:04 PM
hmm I must be pregnant too, because fried green tomatoes sound good to me for breakfast also.  Guess I better go test. ::)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: williet on December 05, 2007, 03:01:20 PM
Tonight is pintos, cornbread and pickled corn salad.....yum yum!
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on December 05, 2007, 03:06:22 PM
Last night was Alaskan King Crab, baked potato and salad.

Tonight; not sure yet.  :-\
Maybe grilled salmon.  ???
solo night

Yep; grilled salmon and salad
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on December 05, 2007, 05:47:10 PM
Tonight, it is most likely the leftover coconut milk/chicken curry from lunch.  It doesn't really sound that good for a second round, but we're nearly out of groceries... there's not much to pick from.  I didn't even have that many veggies left to put in the curry, so I used some of the green tomatoes from my Grandma, and also an onion and potato we had left... and half a pepper.  Maybe I'll make some quick bread too...
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on December 06, 2007, 05:36:27 PM
Dinner tonight is going to be zza-zzang-myun and naeng-myun (black noodles and cold noodles) from the Korean grocery store... I am sick of cooking.... Mom left to go home today, and I am flat worn out.  These noodles are like one step up from ramen... they're refrigerated and you cook them for about 3-4 minutes is all... throw in a boiled egg and the sauce packet and good to go.  I figure the girls will get the cold noodles as they like them better than the oniony black noodles.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on December 07, 2007, 11:27:29 AM
Guess we're the only ones eating these days.   ;)  It's stew tonight.  Went to the grocery store so I have enough stuff to make it now...  Last night the girls asked me to make homemade biscuits for them for supper, so I did, instead of feeding them the noodles.  DH and I ate the noodles.  Those kids would live on buttermilk biscuits and cornbread if I'd let them.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on December 07, 2007, 11:39:03 AM
I eat quite often, but people get tired of hearing what flavor of ice cream I am having. 

I forgot to eat the meatloaf Sassy made for me the other day, so we had it smothered in Ketchup - fresh stewed tomatoes and crackers and snacks.

I had Orange sherbet with store bought German chocolate cake. :)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: williet on December 07, 2007, 01:48:35 PM
Tonight we're having home-made veggie-beef soup and cornbread...I make the soup and she makes the cornbread   :)

Perfect match.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on December 07, 2007, 03:05:45 PM
That sounds about like what we're having tonight... good weather for it.  Brrr.... I hate the cold.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on December 07, 2007, 03:12:51 PM
Last night: crock pot stew; beef, venison, carrots, onions, potatoes, celery, green peas, green beans.

Tonight: not so much of a clue yet.  ???
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on December 07, 2007, 03:17:11 PM
Haven't thought about what to fix yet tonight - I'd be satisfied with soups or beans every night - just cook a big pot on the wood stove - maybe that's what I'll do...  :)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on December 07, 2007, 06:37:04 PM
OK - Sassy has made an executive decision influenced by this thread.  She has started soup on the stove and sent me to the garden for vegetables.  I have a giant Swede thanks to our friends in Australia (influenced me to plant them) and some carrots.  She has a dried bean mixture she has started in the pot, and we are doing it on the wood heater.

(https://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d184/glennkangiser/P1000726.jpg)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on December 07, 2007, 06:51:32 PM
Quote from: glenn kangiser on December 07, 2007, 06:37:04 PM
I have a giant Swede...
Yep, a lot of 'em are well over 6 foot. Any other foreigners living around there?
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on December 07, 2007, 06:55:24 PM
 rofl rofl rofl rofl
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on December 07, 2007, 06:57:07 PM
Bratwurst, sauerkraut, potatoes, tomatoes
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on December 07, 2007, 07:01:02 PM
hmm Got caught with my pants down on that one...and I'm half Swede myself (mom's side).  OK -- so I put a giant Rutabaga in there. rofl
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on December 07, 2007, 07:16:04 PM
The dried beans have pinto, kidney, black, lima, white, peas, barley, lentils - looked like a good combination - I know, barley isn't a bean  ::)  I put in a few tomatoes & peppers from the garden, rutabaga, carrots, swiss chard, onions, & garlic - hodge-podge of veggies.  Also put in some ham - salt & pepper...  should be pretty good & healthy.  Of course, Glenn wants me to put dumplings on top  ::)

Did you know that rutabagas (swedes) are a cross between a turnip & cabbage?  I never knew that, they are in the cruciferous family - so very healthy for you.  They taste wonderful raw... supposed to be great in salads either chopped or grated. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on December 07, 2007, 07:42:46 PM
Sounds good Sassy. Re the Swede, I didn't know that about them

Also, re the Swede; I was confused  ;D ;D ;D  Never mind!

Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on December 07, 2007, 08:02:16 PM
Sorry Don, you can't get off that easy.   [scared]

I'll just have to bide my time, until you make that fatal slipup. [crz]
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on December 07, 2007, 08:04:31 PM
Quote from: glenn kangiser on December 07, 2007, 07:01:02 PM
hmm Got caught with my pants down on that one...and I'm half Swede myself (mom's side).  OK -- so I put a giant Rutabaga in there. rofl

The giant rutabaga -- I put it in the soup --- not my pants.

Sorry about that -- had to do it to myself.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on December 07, 2007, 08:32:00 PM
Tomorrow's dinner. No cooking for us.  :) Tomorrow night is the dance club's Christmas dinner!!  n* Or as the PC bosses there call it, the Holiday Party...  d* anyhow I'm going to the Christmas Party  ;D , I'll wish every Merry Christmas, not Happy Holidays.  :P  And I'll eat my fill of the great catered foods and then come home after a while. Then I won't eat for a day. 

Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: StinkerBell on December 07, 2007, 08:36:25 PM
Red Beans (been in the crockpot all day cooking with some taco seasoning). Rice and cabbage.

My kids love this simple cheap healthy meal!





I wonder though if it is because when I make this dinner I also make a double chocolate cake for afterwards....Hmmmm
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on December 08, 2007, 11:17:35 AM
My grandpa always liked beans with chocolate cake, too... I never did get the connection between the two, but that's always what we had.  He even used to eat them out of the same bowl because he said they were going to the same place anyway.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Redoverfarm on December 08, 2007, 11:17:06 PM
Hey this was Dons big night out. Wonder what he had for dinner? 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on December 08, 2007, 11:21:46 PM
Must be having a good time - he's not here yet.:)

We had leftover soup from yesterday - always even better the second day.  I have to highly recommend Swedes, or Rutabagas if you must.  Really good in the soup or raw.  Sassy made dumplings for it too.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Redoverfarm on December 08, 2007, 11:22:59 PM
Glenn

My neighbor raises rutabagas.  I like the smaller ones.  Some he has raised are in excess of 8-10".  Have to use my sawzall just to cut.  Too big for me. But I could eat that much at one sitting.  But pay for it the next day. [toilet]
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Redoverfarm on December 08, 2007, 11:26:35 PM
Well mine was left overs. I like just as well. Strogonoff, porkchop, salad. I was like the movie tonight " Home Alone". Wife went X-mas shopping, boy went bear hunting, daughter went with grandma shopping. Got to love her but bought a 5YOA a white coat.  That will look good after she goes and helps dad at the cabin.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on December 08, 2007, 11:40:18 PM
Interesting thing about the Rutabaga-- It measured 5 1/4 inches through the center and was totally solid all the way through - not pithy or tough.  Slightly sweet - barely a little starchy with a flavor cross between a turnip, a potato and cabbage.  Really good.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on December 08, 2007, 11:42:28 PM
Quote from: Redoverfarm on December 08, 2007, 11:22:59 PM
Glenn

My neighbor raises rutabagas.  I like the smaller ones.  Some he has raised are in excess of 8-10".  Have to use my sawzall just to cut.  Too big for me. But I could eat that much at one sitting.  But pay for it the next day. [toilet]

I prefer sitting but making Sassy pay.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on December 09, 2007, 12:29:08 AM
Quote from: Redoverfarm on December 08, 2007, 11:17:06 PM
Hey this was Dons big night out. Wonder what he had for dinner? 
It was a smörgåsbord. [another Swede-ish thing  ;D]

swedish meatballs w/gravy
spicy meatballs
smoked pork
teriyaki chicken pieces on skewers
mousaka (greek baked eggplant dish)
devilled eggs, 2 types
stuffed mushrooms, spinach +?
cheesy potato wedges
baby carrots, brocoli, cauliflower with assorted dips
green chili quiche
4 or 5 bean salad
assorted greens, tomatoes... salad
asparagus wrapped in finely sliced ham

desserts:
about 5 varieties of brownies (tried 'em all)
pecan pie
strawberry cheesecake
almond balls, rolled in confectioners sugar
fruitcake
poppy seed loaf
banana bread w/rum flavor
shortbread

I know I left out some desserts and a couple main course things I can't recall and didn't try.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on December 09, 2007, 12:46:30 AM
Sounds like it was good.  Maybe even good enough to go out an rub elbows with civilization for. hmm
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on December 09, 2007, 01:20:13 AM
No ice cream though, so maybe not worth your while.  ;D

Though one of the brownies were to kill for.  :o and made for a mandatory second trip

Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on December 09, 2007, 01:26:16 AM
Sassy just made brownies and had me buy ice cream today.  Looks like you just sent me for a snack.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on December 09, 2007, 01:28:53 AM
Yeah, blame it on me!  :o 

Good brownies and ice cream are hard to beat. Must admit that.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on December 09, 2007, 01:41:31 AM
OK - I'm loaded -- 2 brownies and vanilla ice cream topped with orange sherbet.

Sassy doesn't know what's good.  Doesn't like the orange with the brownies. hmm
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on December 09, 2007, 01:44:03 AM
I can see that being a good pairing.

Need some orange sherbet.

...and some brownies here...

...and some more roooooom!  ::)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: StinkerBell on December 09, 2007, 12:27:09 PM
Anyone recommend a good Veggie cook book? I mean one with the good basics and some veggies never realy heard of or so hard to get or unable to determine if they are good when I buy them cause they are an oddity? I have never had to my knowledge a rutabaga, but its common enough. May give it a try. I wonder if a Veggie 101 for Dummies cook book exist....
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on December 09, 2007, 12:41:10 PM
I've found lots of assorted recipes on   cooks.com (http://www.cooks.com)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Redoverfarm on December 09, 2007, 12:49:03 PM
Stink I don't know about veggies but I am E-mailing you one on cookies. Can't figure how to seperate the site from the E-mail so I will just send the whole kit and kaboodle.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: StinkerBell on December 09, 2007, 02:28:42 PM
Thanks Gang!
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: StinkerBell on December 09, 2007, 03:36:38 PM
 ???  That's my email.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on December 09, 2007, 03:52:05 PM
Tonight: Spinach n cheese Ravioli. Alfredo sauce with crab meat. Green salad with sugar snap peas and tomato.

Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on December 09, 2007, 10:16:59 PM
Leftover beef and veggie stew and cheesy garlic bread.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on December 09, 2007, 11:02:27 PM
We had friends over for a barbecue - tri-tip.  I made a veggie-bacon quiche, brown rice with onions, peppers & beef broth; baked sweet potatoes, roasted squash with butter & honey, yeast rolls, salad, lemon bars & brownies.  Plus other snacks...  it was cold out (48-50) but sunny - so most of the time I didn't even need a sweater or jacket - later we had a big fire in the brass fire pit. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on December 09, 2007, 11:51:55 PM
Yup -- grub was fine and I'm full as a tick.:)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on December 10, 2007, 02:49:28 PM
That sounds delicious.  During cold weather, all I can think about is what to put in the oven.  Granted the heater works fine, but if I really want to get the house warm, I have to bake something.  I am thinking about baking some squash (or pumpkin) tonight.  I found a recipe last fall for pumpkin baked (think it would be good on the grill, too) with maple syrup and chipotle pepper sauce...just the right amount of sweet with a  really good bite to it.  We have several small squash and a few little kakai pumpkins left from the garden..got a few little squash that look like little pumpkins (not sure what they are called, but they're the color of colby-jack cheese and look like a little squatty pumpkin) from the local orchard when we went to buy apples this fall. There are a few pieces of chicken left in the freezer, and a little broccoli... so maybe a combo of the three things for dinner tonight?  I used to be really good about planning meals a month in advance and only buying groceries once a month, but I've been a slacker lately.   
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on December 10, 2007, 07:32:10 PM
Well, dinner plans changed a little... I made a chicken and rice with tomato and broccoli sort of casserole.  It was was pretty good.gggggg
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on December 10, 2007, 10:14:59 PM
A month in advance -- I'm lucky if I can do it a few minutes in advance.

Left over oak smoke  barbecue tri-tip on dinner rolls with a bowl of Orange sherbet and peanut butter and chocolate ice cream -- made my own meal tonight.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on December 10, 2007, 11:09:42 PM
Penne pasta (little tubular pasta noodles), Bertolli spaghetti sauce with some extra garlic and an ounce of red wine added. Grilled chicken breast. Green salad with oil & balsamic vinegar dressing). Pretty simple; pretty good.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: benevolance on December 11, 2007, 02:07:53 AM
Back to the old staple...

Roast beef with organic Carrots onion and Potatoes... And fresh whole wheat bread (made with molasses)

We usually have it once a week... I never get tired of it..
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on December 11, 2007, 10:41:36 AM
Quote from: glenn kangiser on December 10, 2007, 10:14:59 PM
A month in advance -- I'm lucky if I can do it a few minutes in advance.

Left over oak smoke  barbecue tri-tip on dinner rolls with a bowl of Orange sherbet and peanut butter and chocolate ice cream -- made my own meal tonight.
Glenn, that's because it would get really old writing out "ice cream" for a month's worth of dinners at a time... ;)
The past few months have been so up in the air because we thought we were moving that i was just busy trying to use up every thing we had on hand... up until November I have done that for a long time, mainly because I that way I don't buy anything on impulse in the way of food because I've planned out exactly what we need for the month.  When we lived in Oklahoma, it was mainly to conserve our meager resources... I'd plan from what we'd have in the garden and what we could raise on our own... in summer, we ate a lot of egg-based meals because the chickens produced so many eggs that we could always count on good ol' omelettes for dinner (WIC cheese came in handy for that, too, at the time.)  In the winter, we ate a lot of tomato-based stews and more things like lasagna... just the other night we were talking about the fact that I can't remember the last time I baked lasagna.  Guess i got burned out on the goat-lasagna that last year we were in OK.  I froze a lot of them before the baby was born so that I'd have dinner ready to pop in the oven on busy nights, and it seemed like it took forever to use them up.  Since we now don't have any plans to move in the immediate future, I guess I should go back to planning for at least two weeks at a time.  The nice thing about it is that you can eat different stuff every night for an entire month with no repeat foods, and I like the variety.  I always try to portion it so that DH can get one or two lunches out of the leftovers.  UG... freezing rain outside today and I'm really wishing I had some chili meat.  Guess I could make veggie chili, but what fun is that?

Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on December 11, 2007, 10:54:02 AM
Darn it, Homegrown.  Now you made me want peanut butter and chocolate ice cream for breakfast.  hmm

We eat lots of Costco lasagna's as they are pretty good and easy to keep. 

Sassy can prepare them on short notice if we get company. 

We had quite a few chickens until the coyotes and bears got them -- just 2 old worthless ones now -- they don't lay often, but before that we had so many eggs we got tired of them.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on December 11, 2007, 11:16:07 AM
I've never tried a store-bought lasagna, though I've thought about buying one a few times just to keep in the freezer for days I don't want to cook... I did buy one to take to a friend with a new baby one time.  They were cheap and easy to make with all the ground goat meat we had at the time, plus all the tomatoes in the garden, and with WIC cheese on hand... all I had to buy was the noodles.  I used to make chicken enchilada casseroles a lot too, but haven't done them in a while...same reason.  They expanded to be goat and bean enchiladas back then, too.    I'd usually make 2-4 lasagnas or casseroles at a time, and then freeze the extras for later use.  It didn't seem to take much more time to make more than one, and I kind of went into overkill when it got close to my due date with DD #2 because when the first one was born, because it was Christmas time, no one knew because it was really hard to contact anyone at home, and by the time the church found out she was born, she was already a week old.  I just remember starving during those first few days at home, and not having time to cook with this newborn who was wanting to nurse 24/7.  When folks at church did find out, they brought us meals for a few days which really helped (really, my husband should not be allowed in a kitchen, though he does OK with a grill if I prepare it all in advance.)  Anyway, there must've been a month's worth of pre-made meals in the freezer by the time DD2 was born... and then the church brought us dinner for the first two weeks or so, so we were more than set. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on December 11, 2007, 01:28:28 PM
There's no re-training Glenn  [noidea'  I always have healthy food around for him to eat.  I leave enough prepared food for him while I am out of town working to usually last him most of the time - but he never looks in the fridge.  I even tell him what there is & what type of container & which fridge!  But I come back to spoiled food everytime...  :-\  So, I think he is pretty hopeless  :( 

Our freezers are full of food, garden is full - so there's never any excuse not to eat well or healthy  :)

Years ago, when in Washington, our neighbors raised rabbits - they were gone for the summer so had me take care of their garden & rabbits.  I think there must have been around 70 babies born that summer... anyway, we had lots of rabbit in the freezer (they wanted us to butcher them & keep them, also help ourselves to the garden) So, I had to be pretty creative with the meals after awhile.  It was great to have all the meat - tastes like white meat from a chicken.  But ya kinda get tired of it just the same... I always had a big garden up there too - it grew like crazy  :) We didn't have much money, so it really helped out. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on December 11, 2007, 01:38:34 PM
My husband refers to that condition as "food blindness" and he suffers greatly from it too.  I flew home last August for my grandma's 80th birthday party, and  when I called my husband the second day to see if he was feeding the kids, he replied that they'd had a boiled egg for breakfast, ramen noodles and boiled egg for lunch, and they were about to eat dinner, which was something like a boiled egg and slice of bread.  Meanwhile, I'd stocked the fridge with stuff, already prepared, and had even shown him before I left... when I got home the kids were thrilled to see me because they were starving for ANYTHING besides boiled eggs!
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on December 11, 2007, 01:52:28 PM
At least I know I'm not the only one with the affliction.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: benevolance on December 11, 2007, 01:57:26 PM
a little land in Washington and you can raise enough food for a large family and self sustain everyone...

Amazing climate for growing out there...
Not bad here in the south either..my winter tomatoes are still going... and I am still picking lemons off the trees... but I think there is more water out in Washington state...and when you have a good climate temputure wise more water usually means larger crop yields.

It gets plenty hot here but it gets dry too
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on December 11, 2007, 02:46:00 PM
Quote from: glenn kangiser on December 11, 2007, 01:52:28 PM
At least I know I'm not the only one with the affliction.
He also has a condition called "clothes blindness" which causes him to wake up every morning and then grill me with the questions, "Where's my socks?" and "Where are my shirts?"  and "Where are my shorts?" until he wakes me up thoroughly enough to go fix him breakfast.  I found a fairly good remedy for this by making him put up his own clean clothes... I still fold, iron, and hang his clothes on hangers, but I put them on his side of the bed afterward so that if I am lucky enough to get into bed first, he has no choice but to put them away where they belong, and consequently, he has no excuse for asking me where all the different articles of clothing are... it only backfires when he gets to bed first, which is often, and he moves the pile of his clean clothes to my side of the bed. >:(  I'm trying to talk him into using his profit-sharing bonus this year to pay for lasik, to see if it improves either of these "blindnesses". :)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on December 11, 2007, 04:58:56 PM
Quote from: Homegrown Tomatoes on December 11, 2007, 11:16:07 AM
I've never tried a store-bought lasagna,
Michael Angelo's  ::) Lasagna and other frozen Italian dishes are pretty good. Sam's Club sells larger sizes and Kroger's has smaller, even individual serving sizes. Very handy for rush and or lazy occasions.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on December 11, 2007, 07:34:30 PM
Burritos. Our own with leftover roast pork loin and chicken. Grated cheese, lettuce, jalapeños, sour cream, salsa.

Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on December 11, 2007, 08:16:08 PM
Leftover chicken and rice casserole, salad, and homemade tomato-cheese bread (yummy...can't wait to try toasting a slice for tomorrow's breakfast.)  The fridge is getting pretty sparse, but I have to wait until Thursday to go shopping, and hopefully by then the roads will be a little clearer.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on December 11, 2007, 09:17:42 PM
We went to the store and got 6 fresh flavors of Ice Cream -- well - I restocked on a couple. :)

Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on December 12, 2007, 10:51:57 AM
I forgot to mention, we had peppermint ice cream for dessert.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on December 12, 2007, 11:42:47 AM
How could you?  Now go say 50 hail Marys and sin no more. ::)

OK - you are forgiven -- at least you didn't forget to eat it. :)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on December 12, 2007, 12:43:37 PM
 ;D  Hey, guess what???  I saw the sun today.  Think I'll go eat some more icecream.  I wish they had Braum's up here... I want some of that dark chocolate cappucino crunch stuff.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on December 12, 2007, 06:42:25 PM
Being on my own tonight, and feeling lazy and busy with some things I elected to buy a DiGiorno frozen pizza on the way back from the parts store. It was good.

Note to self, and anyone else:
Remember to remove the round cardboard support the pizza comes on before placing in oven.  :-[

After 21 minutes the pizza was done (on top). Imagine my surprise and chagrin when I rolled the pizza cutter and found something extra under the slice I was removing.  :o ??? Placing it back in the oven helped crisp the crust a bit, but it wasn't like it should have been.  :-[ :-[
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Redoverfarm on December 12, 2007, 08:22:47 PM
Sons birthday so he chose dinner.  Rib eye steak(homegrown), toss salad with blue cheese dressing, broccoli, macaroni and cheese.  In a way I wish his birthday was everyday. Was going to have a bake potato but had that last night with hamburgers(again home grown).
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on December 12, 2007, 09:00:28 PM
Corn on the cob, grilled spicy catfish, waldorf salad, and peppermint ice cream.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on December 12, 2007, 10:17:26 PM
Good on the ice cream, Homegrown. :)

Unfrozen nuked meatloaf smothered in ketchup and salt, cranberry orange relish, rutabaga & dumpling vegetable soup, potato chips, Cherry Vanilla Cream Soda, and when all of that settles -- maybe some Very Cherry Ice Cream.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: benevolance on December 12, 2007, 10:53:11 PM
glenn yuck dude... too many things going on all at once...

I like it simple... well more simple than that...

So hard to get really good meatloaf... Someday I will open a restaurant and it will be like the one in Arlo Guthries song... You can get anything you want... Including to die for meatloaf, Baked Beans, Chili, Soup, Stews.... Hot roast beef sandwiches will come from an actual roast that was cooked in the kitchen.. not from a deli meat container with processed pressed roast beef....

It is almost impossible to get real sliced off the roast roast beef when you order a hot roast beef sandwich... I remember being a kid travelling to California all the time with my dad.... we would stop at restaurants in truck stops and they had real mashed potatoes with real roast beef off a roast cooked in the kitchen... and fresh not frozen veggies

you know like Grandma used to make.... Now it comes frozen and the potatoes are instant... the beef is processed roast beef roll... No fresh homemade bread.... And it costs $10 a plate.... Yuck

Sorry for the rant

I had a couple of peanut butter sandwiches for supper... I removed all the gas heaters from the house today... put the second coat of paint on the Sunroom...So I did not have time to cook anything...I polished off the last of the homemade bread...I will make more in the morning...

I sometimes feel like I am 10 years old because I still get goosebumps for fresh bread peanut butter sandwiches and cold milk... just like I was 10

Tomorrow I am trying out a new Stew recipee for supper... ;D gotta spice things up every now and then.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on December 13, 2007, 08:03:15 AM
Quote from: glenn kangiser on December 12, 2007, 10:17:26 PM
Good on the ice cream, Homegrown. :)

Unfrozen nuked meatloaf smothered in ketchup and salt, cranberry orange relish, rutabaga & dumpling vegetable soup, potato chips, Cherry Vanilla Cream Soda, and when all of that settles -- maybe some Very Cherry Ice Cream.
Ug, Glenn, how did you feel afterward??? [toilet]  I always heard that you should never eat anybody's meatloaf except your mom and your wife's... but smothering it in ketchup sounds like something my husband would do.  He puts ketchup on everything, just like a kid... he even ruins stuff like Philly beef and swiss with ketchup.  Blah!  (I admit, when there's no tabasco or salsa, I like ketchup on eggs, though.)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on December 13, 2007, 08:07:21 AM
I intend to eat out tonight if I have any say in things.  I want steak and eggs or something similar... an omelette or something.  That's one thing I gotta say for this area.  I love all the little mom and pop greasy spoon restaurants that serve a million things all day long, including breakfast.  And I love that all of them serve soups, winter and summer.  Back home, in most little restaurants, they only serve soup and chili if it is cold outside.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: benevolance on December 13, 2007, 12:57:34 PM
i hate the soup and chili when it is a rip off...I took my wife out for supper last saturday and it was a rib and wing place...and the pulled pork plate came with a thing of red beef stew (meant it was tomato sauce based with corn and spices not bad) the portion was ridiculously small 4 ounces on a styro container...I looked on the menu and to buy that 4 ounces of stew cost $2.50! I was shocked...the next size up was a 8 ounce and it was $5.00 that is still smaller than a regular bowl we would use at home for cereal or whatever...and they sold a larger container 16 ounce and that was like 9 bucks!

I know I could easily eat 16 ounces of soup or stew....But nobody should have to pay 9 bucks for a real life sized bowl of soup... It is ridiculous how small the portions are here for soup stews and chili... Complete rip off...

Hmm another interesting idea...Soup Stew and Chili restaurant with real life sized portions without the rip off prices.... Good idea
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on December 13, 2007, 05:05:45 PM
Benevolance, I used to think I'd like to own a restaurant where I just served soups, stews, chili and different homemade breads...Have a choice of three or or four of each every day, no two days exactly alike.  I told one of my friends about my idea and she said, "They already have them... they're called soup kitchens." :P 

Up here, most of these little places soup comes with everything.  For $5-6 you can get a sandwich, soup, bread, and fries or chips, way more than anyone needs to eat in one meal.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: benevolance on December 13, 2007, 06:29:49 PM
where are you at homegrown?

There are a few old timey places here where you can eat reasonable... no frills paper plates and plastic forks... pulled pork plate with a side of Slaw and a Tea for $7 bucks... they are fastly disappearing and being replaced with the chain type of eateries. Where a side costs 3 bucks and the cheapest thing on the menu is 10 bucks
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on December 13, 2007, 07:54:16 PM
Marinated grilled salmon. Hash brown potatoes. Tossed salad.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on December 13, 2007, 11:14:26 PM
Quote from: Homegrown Tomatoes on December 13, 2007, 08:03:15 AM
Quote from: glenn kangiser on December 12, 2007, 10:17:26 PM
Good on the ice cream, Homegrown. :)

Unfrozen nuked meatloaf smothered in ketchup and salt, cranberry orange relish, rutabaga & dumpling vegetable soup, potato chips, Cherry Vanilla Cream Soda, and when all of that settles -- maybe some Very Cherry Ice Cream.
Ug, Glenn, how did you feel afterward??? [toilet]  I always heard that you should never eat anybody's meatloaf except your mom and your wife's... but smothering it in ketchup sounds like something my husband would do.  He puts ketchup on everything, just like a kid... he even ruins stuff like Philly beef and swiss with ketchup.  Blah!  (I admit, when there's no tabasco or salsa, I like ketchup on eggs, though.)

Not too bad, Homegrown and Peter --- Sassy made the meatloaf --- I simply drank 3 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar and took a Pepcid Complete afterward. [noidea'
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: benevolance on December 13, 2007, 11:18:00 PM
cannot hold down vinegar... instant sickness for me.. the smell of vinegar is like a gag reflex trigger on me...

Thankfully I do not have to eat those rolaids or Pepcid  or tums... Never had heartburn other than the time I drank a whole roaster pan full of gravy at thanksgiving I was young and foolish...

Mostly just getting away from deep friend foods and eating more bread and vegetables I find I rarely ever get indigestion or even feel bloated...

glenn is it worth it.. having to take pills or suffer from heartburn to eat those foods?
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on December 13, 2007, 11:26:08 PM
Once it is done -- all that is left is to get over it --- there is no choice.  ::)

Think I'll go have some Ice cream.

BTW --Nuked  Barbecued chicken wings from a freezer bag -- acorn squash -- rolls --potato chips-- soda Pop.  Sassy says to tell yo at least that it was Hansens.

She went to visit ill relatives and I worked at a real job today so got home late.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: benevolance on December 14, 2007, 12:01:43 AM
Well as for working a real job...I took the week off to work on the house and to check to see if I was still married..I had been away working for the last couple of weeks and it really gets to both my wife and I when I am gone for more than a day or two... So I put work on the back burner and tried to take care of a bunch of crap here at the house...

Ordered flooring... ripped up some nasty carpet...Painted a bunch...Bought a used table saw and got a great deal... going to use it to make window trim on  the week-end...And started to restore an old dresser...But mostly I am picking at things at the house...I like to be here for the  wife to make her supper she has it rough here alone when I am gone teaching all day so I try to spoil her a bit when I can...It seems like every night she has an hour or so of work after supper for school...

going back to work a couple small jobs on Monday and then we are heading to maine at the end of the week to spend the holidays.. Likely be gone from here unless I figure out how to have Wi Fi...I have verison Wireless on my cell and I would love for someone to explain to me how to use the internet in the car

thanks in advance guys
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on December 14, 2007, 12:18:18 AM
Re Meatloaf. The thing that kills most meatloaf that's is the cook over handles it. Too much heavy handed mixing is what turns it into a brick. And some folks use too much bread crumbs trying to stretch it.

I like a well prepared meatloaf. Too many people look down at it.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on December 14, 2007, 12:19:41 AM
If you have a wireless laptop, I will connect to any unprotected wireless  if you park near the signal.  You just drive around and stop in a likely place and try to locate a wireless. 

The computer will ask if you want to connect to the unsecured wireless and you allow it.  It cannot connect to protected ones.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on December 14, 2007, 12:23:37 AM
Quote from: MountainDon on December 14, 2007, 12:18:18 AM
Re Meatloaf. The thing that kills most meatloaf that's is the cook over handles it. Too much heavy handed mixing is what turns it into a brick. And some folks use too much bread crumbs trying to stretch it.

I like a well prepared meatloaf. Too many people look down at it.

The meatloaf was good, but I just like lots of ketchup and salt on roast, sausage, wieners, hamburger, Salisbury steak etc.  Not on Steak, barbecue tri-tip unless it's been refrigerated for some reason.  Must be a pattern of some sort? hmm
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on December 14, 2007, 12:26:46 AM
Quote from: glenn kangiser on December 14, 2007, 12:19:41 AM
If you have a wireless laptop, Ii will connect to any unprotected wireless...
It is surprising how many unprotected signals you can find. In my neighborhood there a sometimes 2 "default" systems available. They seem to turn off their router when they turn off their computer, or something like that. I also found one up in the Jemez. But same, thing, not always there.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on December 14, 2007, 12:27:49 AM
Of course there are also some places that offer free access. That includes the local Arby's... free wi-fi to attract the lunch trade?
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on December 14, 2007, 12:28:15 AM
I seldom have a problem in large towns.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on December 14, 2007, 12:44:55 AM
Couldn't decide on which ice cream for desert so ate some of three types.  Peanut butter and chocolate, very cherry and butter pecan.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on December 14, 2007, 12:50:09 AM
I'll have some of that butter pecan.     :)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: benevolance on December 14, 2007, 12:50:43 AM
how do I know if i have wireless laptop... the laptop is a year old from Dell... I thought that I had to get somethingy from verizon wireless (my cell provider) and install it in the computer? hopefully I can figure it out before we leave next week
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on December 14, 2007, 12:55:10 AM
If it's that new it probably has builtin wireless.

We're talking about using that capability to borrow wi-fi service from someone.

What model Dell?
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on December 14, 2007, 12:58:29 AM
Glenn, do you like soft serve ice cream or just the regular?

Myself I like to get it soft; the flavors seem to come out more.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on December 14, 2007, 01:32:57 AM
I like it all , Don.  As long as it's good and as long as they don't try to rip me off with 1.75 quarts posing as 1/2 gallon.

Peter - that is different.  An air card where you are paying for and getting your own signal is what you are talking about.  We are talking about the wireless adapter that is usually built in that will pick up anybodys wireless signal if they are kind enough to leave it unsecured and share it with the public.  Many will because they hope to borrow from others when they are on a trip.  It is the same adapter you can use with a motel or restaurant wireless signal. 
Built in almost all new ones.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on December 14, 2007, 01:52:29 AM
I only have dial up at the house in the valley, but I can use our renters wireless - they have cable & recently added DSL - they told me they were getting it & to feel free to use it.  I credit them some of the rent just for the convenience & their offer.  It would cost me another $60 at least to have DSL with our local phone service - don't know if I would have to get the cable also - don't watch TV so wouldn't do me any good. 

I just turn on my computer & it tells me the wireless is on...  pretty simple.  If you are going to be in a real remote area of Maine, there may not be any available.   :(

Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on December 14, 2007, 02:08:11 AM
Getting the use of the DSL is  [cool]

DSL beats dialup all to heck. I was thrilled when we first got DSL a few years back. 256K was so wonderful!  Then about this time last year we ungraded to 1.5MB for an extra $10 a month. It's amazing. Though in the past month we've experienced some down times.  :(  But they have been good at solving the problem.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on December 14, 2007, 02:11:03 AM
The thing to remember with borrowing service is that it could be a two way street.  :o
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: benevolance on December 14, 2007, 02:27:22 AM
well we are likely going to stay in Lewiston which is not too remote off the interstate 95... a short  drive to Stoneham Maine where we are looking at the land... Well we found several parcels...one in Dixfield... one in Rumford... The one in Stoneham might be the best bet... borders a nationally protected forest on the back side...50 acres 60 grand :-\... but it has a small river on the property and it is completely wooded with mature trees and it is in the foothills of a mountain range with nice elevation and good views so the land is not all up and down..

this is according to the real estate lady of whom I have zero faith...So we are going to look see for ourselves.

I wonder how expensive it is to get the card and be guaranteed internet on the laptop no matter where I go.. I think that is what I would prefer...Seeing as how likely in the future there will be less and less unsecured wireless feeds... I saw in the news where a guy at starbucks got charged for stealing internet because he did not buy a coffee... just went there to get internet on his laptop
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on December 14, 2007, 07:52:03 AM
There are no guarantees with the card either.  Usually to the tune of about $60 per month.

I have never had a problem with using unsecured service but there potentially could be one.  There is a group of people who do it purposely though - leave it open on a share system.

I'm off to work again so will have to come back and post my wonderful dinner tonight -- Sassy will be off to work also -  So I get to exercise my Food Blindness -  I think that was the term for the disease that Lyon used.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on December 14, 2007, 10:35:50 AM
Yes, that's the correct terminology. ;D  I went to the grocery store yesterday and was so sick of not having anything on hand (there was literally nothing in the fridge except two quarts of yogurt and things like steak sauce and ketchup) that we kind of went on a spree...  We have food in the house, hooray!  We had really cleaned out the pantry, fridge and freezer because we thought we were going to be moving, but then because the university has never paid us back for our trip down there a month and  a half ago, it' has kind of squeezed us financially, so I had to wait until payday to buy food.  We'll be eating well for  a while. :)
The checker at the store looked at us kind of funny, like there were only four of us, why were we buying so much... she said, "You must be expecting company for Christmas or something."  We just laughed.  Today, my husband will get a big old ham from work, too, so I think we're set.

Last night we ate at one of the little mom and pop places I was talking about, and I had cream of potato soup, a reuben sandwich, and fruit (yes, under $6) and DH had steak and eggs with fruit and toast.  The kids split four mini-tacos and fruit. We were so stuffed we didn't even want to go grocery shopping, but then that is the best time to go. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: benevolance on December 14, 2007, 12:18:28 PM
i have heard people say never shop for food when you are hungry... you take home all junk food... Me I always but the same stuff...whole wheat pasta.. a chicken a roast some fish.. bag of potatoes 2-3 bags of carrots some onions... Big thing of Cranberry juice....Jug o milk couple cases of coke (my bad habit) Peanut butter...Spicey italian sausage (for the pasta)....Pasta Sauce.... Spices can of corned beef..Cereal, granola bars....Some fresh fruit... and sometimes flour and such for making bread

Kind of routine for me now....
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on December 14, 2007, 12:31:29 PM
Benevolance, the property sounds really ideal if it is really what the real estate lady says it it.  Gets kinda cold up that way, doesn't it? 

Homegrown, hope the university pays you pretty quick!  I have a gov't credit card that I had to use when sent to conferences etc.  I had to pay it off the next month - made things kinda tight when I didn't get reimbursed for awhile  :(

Well, Glenn told me our 2 freezers are full now so I better not keep stocking up...  :)  It's good to use up everything once in awhile - then everything is fresh.  Gotta take my own advice!  ::)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: benevolance on December 14, 2007, 12:40:14 PM
Sassy we have been looking at acreage in several states and it is tough finding an honest real estate person....Worse than used car salesmen... Yeah cold in Maine... My wife hates the summers here in the south part of South Carolina... Savannah Ga and Columbia SC are unbearable with the heat and humidity...She wants out...She wants snow...She wants maine...

I tried to find middle ground this summer...I found cheap breathtaking land in Tennessee...1200 an acre for mature wooded mountain land with amazing views.. great location close to the tri Cities in Eastern Tennessee.... I figured being at 2400 feet it would be a lot cooler than at sea level like we are in Lake City...Mountain breeze and being under mature hardwoods and in the shade would help a lot also to keep it cool.

And I would still have a great growing season and be close to the south for my old car thing swap meets in Charlotte a few times a year and the like....

But no my wife was not hearing Tennessee...She worked in Maine a few summers while in college and she decided it was Maine or Maine...Everyday all she talks about is Maine for the last 6 months.... She has called half a dozen real estate people there and we have been sent plot plans and aerial photos of several properties...

So even though my lemon, lime, grapefruit, and orange trees will not like it..We are going to try to buy acreage in Maine... I still love the piece of land we found in tennessee...But I know my wife and there is no talking her into it...
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on December 14, 2007, 01:22:41 PM
I admit it, I like Coke, too.  I don't drink it often, but I really do like it, especially over crushed ice. 

Benevolance, I'm the same way, but my husband (who was with me last night) is terrible if let loose in a grocery store on an empty stomach.  He'd come home with twice the grocery bill and half the real food.  I sent him to the store a few weeks back for oatmeal and a few other things and he came home with a jumbo box of really cheapy ice cream sandwiches instead.    Thankfully he was well fed last night, and was busy helping me with kids, and we actually got out of the grocery store with only one thing that wasn't on our list, which was a couple of avacados for my daughter who begged.  I take that back... two things.  My oldest got on to her daddy and told him that he oughtta buy mama flowers more often, so I ended up with a small bouquet of pink carnations that DD picked out. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on December 14, 2007, 01:40:53 PM
BTW, dinner tonight will be grilled walleye and wheat berry/garbanzo bean salad.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: benevolance on December 14, 2007, 02:02:38 PM
i think my wife got flowers once... the fake ones at the wedding :o
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: benevolance on December 14, 2007, 02:03:31 PM
we try to have grilled or pan fried (no fat used) once a week...Here the selection is poor...We usually get tilapia or whiting
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on December 14, 2007, 02:24:52 PM
Quote from: benevolance on December 14, 2007, 12:18:28 PM
i have heard people say never shop for food when you are hungry...
I do believe that
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on December 14, 2007, 03:12:08 PM
Somehow I missed a few posts before my last couple... Sassy, I hope they pay us back soon, too. 

Oh, Benevolance, you poor thing... Maine is going to feel so cotton-picking cold after SC.  Tennessee is really pretty and a great place to live, I think.  So, your wife worked a couple of summers up there in Maine?  Key word is "summers".   ;D

On the fish thing... seems like with this pregnancy, as well as with my first daughter I crave fish.  With my second daughter, I abolutely couldn't stand it. My oldest eats anything with fins (as well as just about everything else) and my second one, who is not particularly picky, doesn't really care for it unless it is fried.  (Excepting anchovies, which she absolutely loves... go figure.)  Well, my husband grew up in Korea and ate fish several meals a week... since he moved to the US, he's had a lot of skin problems (excessively dry itchy skin) but when we eat more fish, his skin looks better.  I don't know why/how, but it does have an effect on him...maybe just one of the fringe benefits of the fatty acids in fish?  We usually have some sort of fish 2-3 times a week, even if only a side dish of myeolchi (fried dried anchovies) with Korean food.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on December 14, 2007, 03:23:43 PM
My favorite fish would be salmon, either grilled or baked. Our preference is for a fillet with the skin still on the outside, over a steak cut. Grill or bake skin side down and when done the meat just slides off the skin.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on December 14, 2007, 03:57:58 PM
Tonight: Crock Pot Turkey Chili.  Leftover turkey scraps off the Thanksgiving turkey, canned Bush brand chili beans, diced fresh onion, tomatoes, celery, chopped garlic, chili powder, pepper, tomato paste. 6 or 7 hours cooking on low.

We'll have some fresh baked bread from the bread machine. It's underway now. [it works well, just looks strange... square loaf]  ::)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on December 14, 2007, 04:41:55 PM
 Don, what kind of bread machine do you have?  My grandma gave me her old one, which I used for a while, but bread baked the regular way always tasted better...  I like the idea of a bread maker, especially in summer when I don't want to heat the house up.  I just don't know what kind to get... they take up so much room, too.  Hmmm... maybe  I'll just build an outdoor brick oven? ???  I eventually freecycled our breadmaker when we moved here because of our tiny kitchen and the lack of room to store it.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on December 14, 2007, 04:45:22 PM
We have a Hitachi that is probably now more than 10 years old... likely longer. It's the only one I've ever owned. Back then it was near top of the line.

It's very convenient, timer start for overnight or whatever.

You're right about needing space.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on December 14, 2007, 05:02:31 PM
Hmmm... I can't remember what kind ours was, but I don't think it was an expensive one.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: benevolance on December 14, 2007, 07:09:20 PM
Fish has omege # oils in it maybe it has skin benefits as well?

As for Salmon...Love it... I like it in Fillets as well... On the barbeque is my favorite...Wrap it in tinfoil and yeah the skin slides off... I love good canadian Sea Trout too.... much cheaper than Salmon and as good in my opinion..So much salmon is farm raised and that is not the same thing to me...Still good though.... Sea trout back home in Nova Scotia is still local caught when you get it at the grocery store.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on December 14, 2007, 08:24:51 PM
Omega-3's:   Good stuff for our bodies.

Flax seeds ate the #1 food source. Next in line walnuts.
Then Chinook Salmon, followed by Sockeye Salmon. Here's a handy list of some foods and their Omega-3 content in a 4 ounce serving.

The list is not a be-all list though, as even though Albacore Tuna has a high level of Omega-3's it is also high in mercury. FDA recommends a maximum of 6 ounces a week. Even worse is King Mackerel; it shouldn't be eaten at all. Ditto swordfish and shark.

Canned light tuna is okay; low in mercury. Ditto crab, pollock, flounder,oysters, and shrimp.

Sea Trout contains about the same as Tofu; 0.4 gr. Trout tastes good, but if you're selecting a fish for Omega's go for the Chinook (also known as king salmon, spring salmon, tyee salmon, Columbia River salmon, black salmon, chub salmon, hook bill salmon, winter salmon and blackmouth), or the Sockeye.

Atlantic Salmon, the species that is commonly farmed, has about 1.7 gram of Omega-3 per 4 ounce serving

Chinook salmon   3.6 grams
Sockeye salmon   2.3 grams
Atlantic salmon  1.7 grams
Albacore tuna   2.6 grams
Mackerel   1.8-2.6 grams
Herring   1.2-2.7 grams
Rainbow trout   1.0 grams
Whiting    0.9 grams
King crab  0.6 grams
Shrimp   0.5 grams
Cod   0.3 grams
Tofu   0.4 grams (probably much less in 'lite' tofu)
Spinach   0.9 grams

Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on December 15, 2007, 01:10:25 AM
Food Blindness strikes again.  Sassy left me a note telling me there was meatloaf in the Fridge.  I looked 3 times over a 15 minute period before I found it sitting in a plastic bag on the bottom shelf in the front.

I even went up to the surface and checked the big freezer. hmm

Maybe that's because meatloaf can take on so many different personalities. [noidea'
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on December 15, 2007, 01:17:23 AM
Getting late... weirdness sets in.  ::)

I wonder if there's a good recipe for a salmon loaf?
Have to look. I've made and like salmon or crab patties.

Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on December 15, 2007, 01:20:07 AM
 rofl rofl rofl
That's funny.  I can even describe the color and shape of the container and which shelf it is on, and my husband will still miss it 4 out of 5 times.  He wanted a Coke earlier, and I told him that I'd stashed the case under my sewing machine cabinet so it was out of the way.  He turned and looked at me and said, "Where?"  I pointed.  (The TV is sitting on top of the cabinet right now, and the weather was on.)  He said, "Turn off the TV?" and turned it off.  Then he said again, "I need a Coke."  I told him again that they were right in front of him under the sewing machine.  He looked puzzled and walked off toward the room where the machine used to be. ::)  He'd starve without me.  Sigh... I'm needed, I guess. :)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on December 15, 2007, 01:25:38 AM
Don, there's a recipe out there for it somewhere, but I don't know about  a good one... I made some one time when I got canned salmon on sale.  It was edible, but certainly not great... I like salmon patties better.  I don't know... something about fish and loaf just doesn't go together.  The texture was all wrong to me.  Fish should be either crispy (fried) or flaky (grilled) IMO... I didn't care for moist and succulent in the realm of fish.   ;D  Not to mention, it really made the house smell fishy.  Consequently, my favorite fish is always whatever is cooked outdoors.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on December 15, 2007, 08:35:00 PM
Crab cakes tonight. Maine crab. Caught, turned into crab cakes, frozen same day and shipped to the father of the crabber here in NM. Cooked and eaten here. Salad w/ sugar snap peas, carrots slivers, cucumbers, jalapeños. Balsamic vinaigrette dressing.  :)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on December 15, 2007, 09:52:01 PM
That sounds great, Don.  I love crabs. :)

Homegrown, I thought for a minute there you were describing me.  It must be the constant thought process taking place inside our minds that keeps us distracted.  Sometimes I have to tell Sassy to wait a minute until I stop thinking about what I'm thinking about so I can make some kind of intelligent reply to her or comprehend what she is saying..
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on December 15, 2007, 11:48:41 PM
Quote from: glenn kangiser on December 15, 2007, 09:52:01 PM
That sounds great, Don.  I love crabs.
We enjoy crab more than lobster.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on December 15, 2007, 11:56:41 PM
I love both -- dripping with hot butter and lots of salt. [hungry]
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on December 16, 2007, 05:36:18 PM
Another no cooking night! No dishes either!  :)

A Christmas party with a Greek and Italian mixed buffet.  It's been superb in past years.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on December 16, 2007, 11:31:37 PM
Stuffed, I am.  :)

Mousaka (like eggplant parmesan w/o tomato sauce), Souvlaki (lamb roasted on a vertical rotisserie, finely sliced, w/ cucumber-yogurt-garlic sauce, tomato, onions and served on pita bread) also known as a gyro (yee-row in Greece) , Spanakopita (spinach pie), Pastitsio (sorta like lasagna)

I didn't even try the Italian lasagna, both beef and veggie, as the Greek dishes were marvelous.

Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on December 17, 2007, 12:28:27 AM
I did it. d*

Coming in from covering up the plants tonight, I snagged a couple of green tomatoes.  Along with a couple more in the house, I sliced up enough for two big panfuls. 

I sliced them up, salted them and put just a little pepper, didn't drop none on the ground,
then dipped them in Marie Calendar's corn bread mix and rolled them round and round,
then I fried them in olive oil and butter to a nice golden brown. 
A bit more salt to make them taste great and now I'm munching them down.  [hungry]
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on December 17, 2007, 10:54:15 AM
They're good, aren't they?  We've had them 4-5 times in the past couple of weeks... I still have a lot of the green tomatoes Grandma sent up for me, but some of them are getting ripe and I've had them in salads and sandwiches.  I have a whole cookbook of tomato recipes, including green tomatoes.  When we have a lot of green cherry tomatoes, I make dill pickles with them.  The ones Grandma sent are all fairly big, so they're getting used in other ways.  I have a recipe for green tomato dip that I'm going to make today.  I also recommend green tomato and cheese pie, but drain off some of the liquid or you'll have a soggy bottom crust, which doesn't taste too good.

Yesterday, we ate Korean food out for lunch, and it was so big that we didn't really eat dinner.... we just had a few snacks.  Do any of y'all have Super H Marts near where you live?  You probably have to be in or near a large city to know what I'm talking about...the one we went to was in Chicago.  It was started by a guy from Korea, and my husband says that he was suspected of having Korean mafia ties when he left (was booted out?) Korea.  Anyway, when we go to the Korean store, we usually go to this little mom and pop place where the folks always know us and are glad we came there.  Their prices aren't as good, but they have everything we're looking for, and I don't really worry that my money is going to organized crime in any way, shape, or fashion.  Well, yesterday, we were going with an elderly friend of ours, and she wanted to go to  the big Super H because they have such a variety, and their prices on produce are really good, and because her bank is located inside the market.  So, we went down after church, and they even have about 6 or 7 restaurants inside the store, and we had lunch at the Korean restaurant there.  I think it took us 2 hours just to get through the store... it was so overwhelming and so big.  Considering I use and know a lot of foreign vegetables in every day cooking, I was amazed at just how many things they had that I didn't have a clue about.  There were some of the things which I knew of but have never tasted, but then there were so many things I'd never seen before, especially in the realm of vegetables... strange little baby-dill looking things that were NOT cucumbers, spiny little squash/melons, weird looking greens. It was thoroughly exhausting!  All we needed was some spinach, ginger, green onions, sesame oil, and soy sauce.  On the outer edge of the store, where you would usually find produce, meat, and dairy, there are little shops selling everything from Korean-made pottery to clothes to shoes and cosmetics.  The store caters to all Asians, but I saw a lot of Americans buying produce there... there were also a lot of Chinese, Vietnamese, Malaysian, Indonesian, and Indian customers, but seemed like the majority were Korean.  As soon as we dropped off our dear friend, I looked at my husband and he said, "It's too much.  Next time, we're going to our usual place."  I was so glad that he wasn't dazed by the big displays and bright lights... I was going to say the same thing.  Nevertheless, it was an interesting experience.... oh, but I'd fogotten to put on my body armor before going.  If any of you venture into places like this, be prepared to be run down by old ladies and young men with shopping carts who are oblivious to the fact that you are between them and the garlic.  My littlest daughter was rammed by a young woman with a shopping cart, and while she was still there, dazed, the gal rammed her again because she didn't move fast enough. (Of course, she didn't even apologize or realize she'd hit a little kid.)  Going out the door, my husband stopped to let a couple of old ladies through and the middle-aged man behind me rammed me full force with his cart... I'm obviously pregnant, and I turned around and gave him the "look" whereupon he ran into me again.  Anytime I am tempted to think Americans are rude, I simply make a visit to a big Asian grocer and my mind immediately processes the fact that we're not as rude as I thought.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on December 17, 2007, 11:41:22 PM
Had the rest of the  green tomatoes tonight.

If that guy did that intentionally, Homegrown, I would have turned around, picked up the front of his cart and dumped it on him very likely, seriously.  That is why I try to stay out of the cities.  I don't tolerate some people well and will act irrationally sometimes --- of course I would have tried to get the heck out of there before the fuzz showed up.  I'm not totally stupid.  ::)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on December 18, 2007, 12:28:59 AM
Dinner tonight:
Chicken/turkey stew with leftover garbanzo beans, wheat berries, and misc. veggies.  Three different kinds of kimchee (cucumber, daikon, and shredded radish).  Korean style spinach.  Leftover wheat berry and bean salad.  Homemade guacamole and blue corn chips.  Oh, and one mango divided up between the four of us.  It was a random dinner, but very good.  I spent the day (or at least most of the afternoon making kimchee (total of 5 different kinds).  After dinner and getting kids to bed, I made green tomato dip because believe it or not, I am finally getting tired of fried green tomatoes.  I didn't want to do green tomato jam again because we just ate our way out of last year's supply.  It's pretty tasty... think it'll be good with pretzels or with celery or carrot sticks. 

Glenn, I don't think that the people run over you so much on purpose as it is they're so used to the crowd pressing in on every side that they often don't seem to realize it is a person they're hitting instead of an inanimate object.   But I hate cities, too.  I'm sure when my husband was growing up in Seoul, he never realized it was rude to push and shove, but when we were there when I was pregnant with our second daughter, I about died laughing at him in the subway when two or three little boys about 10-11 years old ran into me  when they were playing on the platform.  He starts yelling, in English no less, "EXCUSE YOU, YOU LITTLE CREEPS!!!"  and he went on with his tirade about how mannerless they were, and it took him a while to realize everyone in the whole subway station was staring at him like he'd just stepped off a spaceship.  Even in the big Asian grocery stores I've been in here in the US, if you say "excuse me" when you bump into someone or need to squeeze past them to get to something, you get these weird looks like, "Why are you talking to me?  Why are you making eye contact with me?  What are you going to do next, ask me for money?"  If you can keep from getting too irritated by it, it can be pretty funny.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on December 18, 2007, 01:03:03 AM
We had one of my home made on refrigerated Kroger dough, Pizzas tonight. The usual, zucchini, onion, tomato,  finely grated Parmesan mixed into the sauce, mozzarella on top, Italian seasoning. Salad.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on December 18, 2007, 08:50:45 AM
Tonight we're having spicy grilled fish, quinoa with lime and cilantro,  and a salad.  Oh, and second rounds of all the Korean side dishes I made yesterday.

The girls and I have plans to bake all day today, and to make peanut brittle.  We're going to a cookie exchange tomorrow... our ladies' Bible study is hosting one, and I've never done this before... not really sure I get the whole point.  Anyway, we're making toffee/walnut cookies, oatmeal cookies, and maybe one other kind.  The peanut brittle is to send home for Christmas.  My grandma and I usually make peanut brittle and "aunt bills" (have no idea where the name comes from... maybe it is ant bills???  but that doesn't make sense either.... all I know is it has been a tradition with my Grandma since she was a little girl) for Christmas.  In the past few years, Grandma's shoulder is so bad that she can't lift and pour the candy out of the big iron skillet, so unless I'm there, she doesn't get it made, and then she gets kind of bummed out about it.  Out of all the kids and grandkids, I guess I am the only one who knows how to make the aunt bills... even though they're so rich that I only eat one and I'm done with them for the year.  I took a tin of them back to college one year and was very popular for a few weeks, though.  If I have time, I'll make some of them just for Grandma and send them to her.  Wish I were going to be home for Christmas, but it should be a nice quiet Christmas here.  My mom WAS going to come back for Christmas, but then she got damage from the ice storm that she's still trying to clean up, and then yesterday the fuel pump on her van went out and she's not sure how she's going to pay for it, so I don't think she'll be coming back up here after all.

Well, I guess I should quit horsing around on the computer and get busy in the kitchen getting everything ready to go for the day.  Baking with two pre-schoolers is messy and requires serious prep work!
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Drew on December 18, 2007, 12:44:24 PM
Tonight I think I'll make a vegetable lentil soup and some 10-grain bread.

Ah virtue thy name is Bob's Red Mill.  If you haven't seen it, it's a line of bagged products that include things from plain organic flour from any grain you can think of to bread mixes, soup mixes, pancake mixes, etc.

Certainly these mixes are one step up from the recipe for boiled water, but they are a great starting point for new ideas.  "Soup and bread for dinner.  It's easy.  I don't need 1,000 calories before bed.  Heeey..."

Dan and I became vegetarians last March.  I did all the cooking, and my philosophy was that if nothing died, it wasn't dinner.  Switching over left my repertoire completely flat.  I didn't cook with prepared foods, but I did work around meat as a centerpiece.  Switching out of it required a lot of research and a lot more prep time.  Dan stepped in with prep and some recipes and we are back with a new bag of tricks.

Ah.  Dan and I are vegetarians, but the kids are not.  Dave is close, but Robin is still an avowed omnivore.  We deal with this by having three classes of dinners:

Class 1 - Native vegetarian - This is something like vegetarian enchiladas, soup 'n bread, vegetarian chili etc. that is naturally vegetarian.

Class 2 - Omnivore option - This is a dinner that people can add meat to it if they want, like homemade pizza, chef salad, or what we call Roman Night.  That is basically a bunch of cheese, crackers, fruit, marinated vegetables, bread, and maybe some smoked salmon.

Class 3 - Two dinners - This is two dinners at the table; one vegetarian, one omnivore.  This is so Robin can get her steak or meatloaf without having to move out and join the gypsies.

A while ago, before the vegetarian thing, I noticed that no one but me was eating much of the vegetables at dinner.  Even so, they would only eat corn or broccoli (Except Dan, who only likes corn.  Period.).  I addressed this problem by replacing the vegetables with a bowl or plate of cut seasonal fruit.  Last night we had a bunch of mandarins and pears.  Sometimes its strawberries, bananas, grapes, and apples.  This stuff gets hoovered up, and the vegetables started getting some collateral damage as well.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Drew on December 18, 2007, 12:52:47 PM
Oh, one more thing.

The homemade pizza was a non starter when we tried it with either the store bought pizza crusts (yaaack!) or the pizza dough recipes.  Dan did it once with a focaccia recipe from the Williams Sonoma Breads book (Although any one would do) and it was the Thing.  We make a recipe, cut it into 3 parts, and press each part into a 9" cake pan.  Dress your pizza, cook it for 15-20 minutes (the temperature will be in your focaccia recipe) and you have food.  This is much better than $25 plus tip for the pie that came through the winter night.  And for those of us training for the 2008 Laziness Olympics, you can mix the dough in a bread machine and let it rise on the stove.

It's a great way to finish off the leftover cheese and onions, too.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on December 18, 2007, 04:23:36 PM
Drew, if you like Bob's Red Mill, try making the cracker recipe on the back of the dark rye flour/meal bag.  It is absolutely wonderful.  Make two batches the first time because it just doesn't make enough.  We ate them all up immediately the first time... couldn't even wait until they were cool and the kids were burning their fingers trying to snatch them off the pan.   It is one of their favorite things to help cook now... we cut them out with cookie cutters and they'd take them over cookies any day.

If Dan only likes corn, being a vegetarian must be mighty boring!   ;D  Do y'all still eat eggs and stuff, or not at all? I'm thinking you must from some of the meals posted. I have a good veggie frittata recipe that I like because it only takes one skillet and because it tastes great.    I could be a vegetarian for four or five days a week, but I know eventually I'd break down and have to have a steak or something...  I did go about three years without eating any pork at all, though.  I had a bunch of Malay friends in college, and they couldn't eat stuff cooked in the same pans as pork, so I totally quit eating it for their sakes, and the first time I had bacon after that period of time, I felt absolutely awful... like I was coming down with a stomach flu or something.   :P
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on December 18, 2007, 04:37:43 PM
Red Mill products are good. I use some with the bread machine breads. I've also used it for prepping pizza dough, but don't always feel like it.

As for the store bought refrigerated pizza dough, you can't beat the convenience and the Kroger tastes better to us than the big popular brand. Crispier crust too.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Drew on December 18, 2007, 05:02:07 PM
I know what you mean, HT!  I'd been away from all meat for weeks when my dad came over.  It was his turn to cook, so he put out some shrimp and calamari while he was cooking.  I had about five shrimp, and it felt like it took two days to digest it.

Thanks for the tip on the dark rye flour.  I'm planning to stop by the market on the way home and I'll pick some up.  I bet Robin would even teach her 4H baking kids how to make them if I can win her over.  Sounds like that will be easy. :)

You hit the nail on the head with Dan and corn  d*.  Fortunately she's expanded her horizons a lot.  She used to hate beans, but now actually craves them.  I bet there is some body chemistry at work there.  Beans and corn together are supposed to have the right kinds of proteins (or amino acids to make those proteins, I forget which) to keep you healthy.  Kind of like in "Slaughterhouse Five" when the P.O.W. Billy Pilgrim ate the vitamin syrup and his cells sang out with joy.

Yeah, vegetarian, but not vegan.  But I'll do some pretty strange things to keep from taking Lipitor.  :D

It's funny talking to people about being a vegetarian.  I end up in conversations with people that are more than just being polite.  They seem to want to know how a human can exist without meat.  Maybe they just want to talk about food to keep me from talking about my building projects all the time.  :)

Someone once asked me what it was like becoming a vegetarian.  I said it was like quiting smoking.  The first couple of weeks really suck, then you feel a lot better.

Dan and I are ambivalent about the idea of raising livestock on our farm once we move out there.  It's not all about animal ethics, but a bunch of things.  Economics, management, conservation, etc.  Our neighbors raise stocker cattle, and I don't want to do that.  Too much hassle, even though they leave them alone all week.    Their infrastructure is also very expensive.  I'm not sure how these guys plan to make the loan payments with  8-12 head.

I'd like to raise laying hens for the eggs, though.  I had my first yard bird eggs not long ago and can't get them out of my mind.  I thought for a while about raising pastured broilers for sale even though I wouldn't eat them myself, and I'm not sure where that sits.  I have no problem at all providing clean food to people.  It provides a valuable service and gets the word out that there is an alternative.  I don't think that raising meat birds is a contradiction, but I have some time to let that one stew...

Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on December 18, 2007, 05:25:51 PM
Tonight: Poached catfish; the method of cooking not the method of acquisition.  :) In white wine, water, white wine vinegar, peppercorns, garlic. Baked sweet potato and steamed green beans. Was very tasty.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on December 18, 2007, 08:43:10 PM
Quote from: MountainDon on December 18, 2007, 05:25:51 PM
Tonight: Poached catfish; the method of cooking not the method of acquisition.  :)

I was ready to call the game warden.:)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Redoverfarm on December 18, 2007, 10:59:33 PM
Don I know how you felt last week.  Everything imaginable to eat. Yes I tried it all. THE WHOLE THING.  I don't think I will even be able to munch on the Wasaba Peas I picked up at the pantry.  Maybe tomarrow.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on December 19, 2007, 10:25:43 AM
Tonight we'll have baked chicken, broccoli, and maple-chipotle glazed pumpkin for dinner... and leftover Korean side dishes.  Can you tell I've gone back to planning meals in advance?  Got the rest of the year covered.  DD wants sausage and pancakes with strawberries and cream for her birthday on Christmas Eve...She'd choose breakfast for any meal of the day.  I get tickled at her whenever we do have sausage because she always says, "This is the best pig I ever ate!  It must have been a nice pig!" without a tinge of remorse for the pig.  She's so pragmatic about it that it cracks me up.  When I was her age, if I had to think about the animal I was eating, I would get all choked up and have trouble eating it, but not my oldest!  I still remember when I was about three or four crying over the deer strapped across hunters' hoods and my dad making up this crazy story about how those were "bad deer" and the hunters had to kill them because they were attacking families.  My oldest has no problem accepting that we eat big animals, like goats, cows, pigs or deer... her greatest conflict is with chicken because she likes chickens so much.  While she understands that that is why we raise them, it's still harder for her than anything else.  When she was two or  three she also flipped out one time at a buffet where they had the little mini corndogs... she'd never tried a corndog or a hotdog, and I decided to let her have one.  When I said, "Take a bite of this corndog and see what you think, " she began to wail (very loudly) about the "poor doggie!  poor doggie!!!" As much as we tried to convince her it wasn't really a dog, she wouldn't stop... then her little sister began to cry just because she was crying, and we sort of gave up on the all you can eat aspect of the buffet to get her out of there... it was obviously too traumatic. :)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Drew on December 19, 2007, 12:04:50 PM
Heeee!  If only they made those things out of dogs, I think we'd be better off!  :D

The kids are in 4H, and Dave helped raise a steer one year.  He was 9 or so (Dave), and maybe 60-70 pounds.  The steer was named Kobe (Yep.).  He had a few other steers for company, but still learned some bad habits.  He was not good on a lead and got aggressive with Dave.  He wasn't a show steer, only a meat steer, so he didn't get the training time he could have used.  That, and I'm sure there are some things that we could have done differently.  Nevertheless, Kobe Got On the Truck and one of the families brought some of him along on an camping trip.  Dave was very happy to be eating that steer.

"Not so tough now, are you Kobe?  Hmm.  Kind of tender, actually..."

It's not easy for some kids with food animals, even in ag programs like 4H.  Dan and I are the community leaders for our club in Belmont, and we wanted to open the small animal projects to something besides rabbits.  All meat animals that go to fair need to get aced, and that was hard on the younger 4Hers.  I proposed doing a laying hen project both for the experience and the revenue from the eggs.  We ended up in a bunch of red tape over it and I ended up helping out the Pacifica club on the same idea.  I'm still hoping for some yard eggs!

Anyway, back to the topic.  Today our vegetable bin comes, so I think it's Roman Night!
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Redoverfarm on December 19, 2007, 12:54:48 PM
Drew my son also in 4H raised a show pig.  I am glad he sold it as we would have never been able to recover the cost of the pig, feed and so forth.  Did real good 40# to 330# in 5 months.  He tried to chow at County 4H but it was 30# over allowed weight.  Several others were in the same boat. His was with 5 others in pen and only 3 were light enough. He got Best of Show in overweight class. Auction followed and a buisness owner purchased for $2.45#.  Wanted to enter in State Fair(only 35 miles away) but found out he had to have two seperate ones and twice the work.  He's working toward next year for a steer and pig.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on December 20, 2007, 10:16:45 AM
Tonight is quesadillas and salad.  And hopefully after that, we can go Christmas shopping for the kids a little bit, IF I can find someone to babysit for a few hours.  Of course, my husband is wanting to go Christmas shopping for himself and buy a set of wrenches he's been wanting because they're marked down to half off, and he needs them because we have major repairs that need to be done on the car.  I don't know what they charge per hour around here for labor, but it must be fairly extravagant.  He priced three different places, and the cheapest one was about $500.  The part is less than $80, so even though it's cold and our garage is small and unheated, he is going to do the work himself, which will take a couple of days.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Drew on December 20, 2007, 10:38:10 AM
Tonight it's pasta and salad, and I'm not making it.  It's our last night in town.  Tomorrow we'll drive out to my dad's place in Colusa so we can wake up early and get to work on the place in Palermo.  Casa Guacamole, our uninsulated 10'x12' shed makes a great summer cabin for four, but even Henry the dog starts cursing if we try to camp there in the winter.

(https://i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii183/amhogan/Farm/Picture024.jpg)

Red, our 4H club has seen a decline in "animal families" over the last few years.  We got down to about two who had animals at our 4H farm and their kids were getting old.  Bird diseases ruined a year for fair.  Poultry was a great entry project, so that hurt (All kids have to raise a small animal before they raise a large one).

Our community leader terms are two years.  Dan and I are in our second, and we've spent the time bringing our membership numbers back up.  We had a lot of older kids and no new ones.  That effort was wildly successful, and we're laying the groundwork for a bigger animal presence at the farm next year.  Now we have three new small animal projects that will set those kids up for large animals in '08-09.

I hear you about the effort and cost.  While we're not an "animal family," we see what it really takes.  Good luck to your son and you!
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Redoverfarm on December 20, 2007, 08:05:30 PM
I was ready for supper tonight after working all day outside.  The menu tonight was flounder, snap peas, corn and baked potato.  Then to top it all off 30 minutes in the hot tub to take the chill out of these bones.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on December 20, 2007, 08:35:01 PM
Cheese and potato pirogies, w/sour cream. A small piece of kielbasa, w/spicy horseradish mustard. A spoonful of sauerkraut. Mixed veg; steamed corn and green peas.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: tanya on December 20, 2007, 08:41:05 PM
Homeade chicken soup again, we eat that so often but no one seems to get sick of it. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on December 21, 2007, 03:01:03 PM
We're having venison stew tonight, and homemade bread.  Might be going out to buy flooring to install over Christmas week??  Don't know yet.  I'm going to finish my mosaic on my kitchen wall TODAY.  The house is clean and ready for Christmas, so I need to get back to work and quit being so lazy.  That's the thing I hate about being pregnant... I just feel so slothful yet can't handle drinking more than one cup of coffee a day.

I wish my husband liked venison....  we got this from friends whose parents are pastors and receive a lot of their tithes in meat from their congregation.  They can't always deal with the large quantities, so they sent some home with our friends who shared with us. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: tanya on December 21, 2007, 05:42:33 PM
If your husband doesn't lilke the venison because it tases gamey you can soak the meat in apple cider vinegar overnight and it tastes great, no game taste left.  An old native woman taught us this method for a bear and everyone said that bear was going to taste pretty bad but in fact it was very delicious and I am very sensitive to that game taste, I hate it. You could try it with just one steak and see how it goes. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: peternap on December 21, 2007, 06:11:40 PM
Steak sandwich with real butter!!!!!!

Just what I'm NOT supposed to eat >:(
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on December 21, 2007, 06:17:53 PM
Green chili chicken enchiladas. White and dark chicken, onion, sharp cheddar cheese, mild green chili enchilada sauce. Salad.

That sandwich sounds good Peter. Wash it down with a dark beer.  Mmmm

Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Redoverfarm on December 21, 2007, 06:35:47 PM
Half the family's not here so we opt for homemade Pizza. The boy is spending the night with a friend to go bear hunting tomarrow.  I hope he see's one but not too thrilled about dressing it.  Peter you are making me hungry for a steak sandwich.  When I was in High School I frequented the only sizeable town near where I live. Cumberland, MD. There was an Italian sub shop called Diatri's that served the best that I have found steak sandwich. No pressed beef there. You watched as you picked it up 5 gallon of sliced sirloin, 2 gallons of onions all cooked on a large grill chopped. Then on a 12" hoagie bun, lettuce , tomato and mayo.  To think I would get two at a time.  I still could get two but would have to wait a day apart to eat them now. It has been several years ago now but about 10 years ago I did get in that area and picked one up. Nothing changed still the best.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on December 21, 2007, 10:28:40 PM
Sassy cooked dinner - I had a small serving of mashed potatoes with butter and salt, green beans and chicken because I was still a bit plugged from lunch.

The company I am sub-contracting for bought all the Pizza we could eat and Soda's ... and one of the Mexican workers brought great Tamales for everybody -- so I had 2 -- one had a big hot pepper in it -- like a chile rellano tamale.

I had a tough time working on the roof bending over welding after lunch.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on December 22, 2007, 06:51:06 PM
Tonight, shrimp and cocktail sauce and veggies and  dip.  That's it.  Simple.  I finished the mosaic on my kitchen backsplash completely today, and now I just have to get the grout done... I am so glad that this project is just about finished!!!
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: peternap on December 23, 2007, 04:34:23 PM
Tomorrow the buffet table goes out and p :Pretty much stays out until after Christmas. Today, we cooked a country ham.....

So, tonight, I'm having Country ham sandwiches
Something else that's on my forbidden list :P :P :P :P :P :P :P :P :P :P :P :P

Christmas morning with the Kids and grandkids....fried oysters! I'm sure I'm not supposed to eat them either ???
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on December 24, 2007, 12:44:33 AM
My parents always had their traditional oyster stew on Christmas Eve.  All the kids had to have a serving.  To this day, I can't eat them  :P  I guess it was the combination of the milk (I don't like the taste) & the oysters...  Glenn likes them fried. 

I had a conference in New Orleans a few years ago - Glenn & I were sitting at an oyster bar watching this big guy clean gunney sack after gunney sack of oysters - there were lots of people slurping them down raw  [yuk] 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: benevolance on December 24, 2007, 03:45:30 AM
Camping out in Western Maine...Cooking in the Cabin... Had Chili and Rolls tonight...Going for Beans, weiners and Rolls tomorrow night. We were so eager for cooked meals.. that we cooked..2 days of restaurant food had both of us feeling like crap digestion wise. Even though we are not eating perfectly healthy...Just seems like less grease and nastiness in food when you stay out of the restaurant.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Drew on December 24, 2007, 12:00:37 PM
Christmas dinner for vegetarians?  I asked my wife about that.  "Quiche" she said.  Excellent!

I'll probably make a ziti tonight.  Very simple, very well received.

I've been asked to audition for a band on 1/3, so I need to spend time working up the songs.  Faster, simpler dinners is the order of the week.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on December 24, 2007, 03:40:01 PM
Last night: a half of a left over chicken enchilada each, couple scrambled eggs each, salad w/sugar snap peas, black olives, jalapeños.

Tonight: crock pot vegetable beef stew, diced left over small piece of steak from freezer, chopped left over half a hamburger patty from freezer, diced potatoes, diced carrots, peas, corn, cut green beans, diced parsnips, diced onion, small piece of diced sweet potato, three small tomatoes. Bread machine whole wheat bread.

Tomorrow: Turkey, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole (traditional Christmas dish in my family), stuffing, roasted parsnips and carrots.

Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: tanya on December 24, 2007, 05:29:17 PM
Tonight pizza, tomorrow roast, rolls, potatoes gravey and vegies with pear cherry pie and upside down apricot cake all homeade.  After that it is all leftovers and fast food I am off to work out of town and it is going to be hectic for awhile.  Taking on a new position and being an independant consultant as well as starting the garden shop is going to take everything I have and all the help I can get!!! 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: lonelytree on December 24, 2007, 08:46:40 PM
Tonight:

Salad

Sour cream mashed potatos

Seasoned green beans

Prime rib

Pie - Cherry and Custard.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on December 24, 2007, 08:55:36 PM
I made chicken vegetable soup - carrots, swiss chard, beet greens from the garden, onion, garlic, corn & green beans with mostly white chicken meat.  Fried up some green tomatoes, also.   :)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on December 26, 2007, 10:53:50 AM
Christmas Eve we had pancakes with strawberries and sausage, per my daughter's birthday dinner request.  Last night, we had sliced ham marinated in a combination of wasabi, mustard, cider vinegar, honey, paprika, and cayenne (it was the best ham I've ever tasted in my life), deviled eggs with cucumbers and dill, fruit salad, cheese log and crackers, four kinds of kimchee, veggies and dip, buttermilk biscuits, steamed mixed veggies, squash/apple casserole, and pumpkin pie for dessert.  It was all really good... a few friends came over who weren't celebrating Christmas with their family until today, and I'd fixed everything except the steamed veggies and the pumpkin pie.  We also had leftover birthday cake, but everyone was too stuffed to eat any.  There were other random things on the table, too, but I can't remember what else we had... it was all good. 

Tonight, we'll have leftovers...the only leftovers we have are veggies and dip and the fruit salad, so we'll probably supplement with something else... maybe lentil stew or something.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Drew on December 26, 2007, 02:38:53 PM
My Christmas present from my wife was a binder of all our vegetarian recipes; ones we make all the time, ones we tried once and said, "That is great!  Let's do that again!", ones the kids brought home from 4H, and ones that looked great in magazines that we want to try.

It's easy to get into a rut, and this "wish book" will keep things fresh!  Each page is inside a plastic page protector, so it will stay safe from splashes forever.  I can even add pages of any size to the book just by sliding it into one of the extra pages.

Last night was sauteed chickpea with tsatsiki, red onions, and a tomato, parsley concoction on homemade naan.  Amazing!
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on December 26, 2007, 05:53:15 PM
Drew, could you please post your recipe for naan?  Thanks in advance...
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Drew on December 27, 2007, 09:18:24 AM
Hi HT,

Here's that naan recipe.  Credit where credit is due: This recipe came from Mic at All Recipes.  Here's a link: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Naan/Detail.aspx (http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Naan/Detail.aspx)

Naan

SUBMITTED BY: Mic      PHOTO BY: abrooks
"This recipe makes the best naan I have tasted outside of an Indian restaurant. I can't make enough of it for my family. I serve it with shish kabobs, but I think they would eat it plain."
PREP TIME     30 Min
COOK TIME     7 Min
READY IN     3 Hrs

SERVINGS & SCALING

Original recipe yield: 14 servings

INGREDIENTS

    * 1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
    * 1 cup warm water
    * 1/4 cup white sugar
    * 3 tablespoons milk
    * 1 egg, beaten
    * 2 teaspoons salt
    * 4 1/2 cups bread flour
    * 2 teaspoons minced garlic (optional)
    * 1/4 cup butter, melted

DIRECTIONS

   1. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand about 10 minutes, until frothy. Stir in sugar, milk, egg, salt, and enough flour to make a soft dough. Knead for 6 to 8 minutes on a lightly floured surface, or until smooth. Place dough in a well oiled bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and set aside to rise. Let it rise 1 hour, until the dough has doubled in volume.
   2. Punch down dough, and knead in garlic. Pinch off small handfuls of dough about the size of a golf ball. Roll into balls, and place on a tray. Cover with a towel, and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
   3. During the second rising, preheat grill to high heat.
   4. At grill side, roll one ball of dough out into a thin circle. Lightly oil grill. Place dough on grill, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until puffy and lightly browned. Brush uncooked side with butter, and turn over. Brush cooked side with butter, and cook until browned, another 2 to 4 minutes. Remove from grill, and continue the process until all the naan has been prepared.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on December 27, 2007, 10:49:40 AM
Sounds really good... I'll have to try it out.  In college, a Pakistani friend of mine used to make it, but he didn't use sugar or garlic in his... it was a really simple mix.  One time I remember cracking up at him trying to get the consistency right and looking up from his mixing bowl with this comical expressions and saying, "You see, this is why Pakistani women don't work outside the home!!!"   Usually most of the flavor of his naan came from whatever we ate with it, curry or "chicken something-something"... the guy was a great cook, but didn't know the names of most of the foods he made.  He just cooked like his mom did without really knowing what stuff was called.  Might even try your recipe tonight seeing as I don't know what we're going to have for dinner yet...thought we'd still be eating Christmas leftovers, but they're pretty much gone.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Drew on December 27, 2007, 11:16:02 AM
Dan brought this naan out for the first time last week.  She did the frying in a cast iron pan with those grill ridges and it worked out great.  David, our son went on and on about how great it was. 

Funny.  This was the kid who just a little while ago would eat almost nothing.  Once we were at an Italian restaurant in San Francisco.  Dave, with his picky palate was having a baked potato for dinner.  Plain as it was, he was really into it.  He looked up from his plate with a blissful look and said, "I love Italian food."

Tonight I think we'll make the homemade pizza tonight. Either that or this awesome tortellini in sun dried tomato pesto, zucchini and onions.   I was on a backpacking trip in the Yosemite wilderness and our guide made this up for dinner.  While alpine appetites were fully engaged that night, Annie's superb recipe played just as well at sea level.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on December 27, 2007, 12:45:36 PM
Quote from: Drew on December 27, 2007, 11:16:02 AM
Dan brought this naan out for the first time last week.  She did the frying in a cast iron pan with those grill ridges and it worked out great.  David, our son went on and on about how great it was. 

Funny.  This was the kid who just a little while ago would eat almost nothing.  Once we were at an Italian restaurant in San Francisco.  Dave, with his picky palate was having a baked potato for dinner.  Plain as it was, he was really into it.  He looked up from his plate with a blissful look and said, "I love Italian food."

That is hilarious...I am glad my kids eat pretty much everything, including a lot of stuff that I'm not all that crazy about.  However, a lot of Korean food is too spicy for them, but they love the side dishes.  I remember sitting in a restaurant one time when my oldest daughter was about 2 1/2, and she was happily munching away on a dish of fried dried anchovies, blanched watercress and rice and said something similar about how much she loved Korean food. This was after she'd said that she couldn't handle the soup or some of the kimchees because they were too hot.  Meanwhile, her little sister  gnawed on a chunk of spicy radish kimchee and couldn't seem to get enough.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on December 28, 2007, 10:48:53 AM
Beans and cornbread tonight.  Simplicity sounds really good and it is snowing like crazy right now.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on December 28, 2007, 10:54:27 AM
Seems there is something un-natural about knowing what you are going to eat so far in advance, Homegrown. [crz]
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Drew on December 28, 2007, 11:14:31 AM
The kids are going to grandma's tonight.  Dan and I are going up to the farm early tomorrow morning to do some more foundation work between aborted rain storms.

"What do you want to do about dinner?" said I to my beautiful wife.

"The kids are at my mom's.  Let's go out!" she said to her stunningly humble husband.

"Sounds great! Where?"

Cri-cket.  Cri-cket.

The downside of being a relatively new vegetarian is that heading out to the Corral Steak House is not the Mom and Dad good time it used to be.  I think I'd better do a little research.  I don't want to drive in the rain and find parking for a baked potato.  Mexican food is always a good option.  Hmmm.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on December 28, 2007, 01:16:18 PM
Yeah, you could have chilies rellenos... one of my favorite vegetarian foods... tastes so good even us meat eaters don't miss the meat! 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on December 28, 2007, 01:19:29 PM
Quote from: glenn kangiser on December 28, 2007, 10:54:27 AM
Seems there is something un-natural about knowing what you are going to eat so far in advance, Homegrown. [crz]
Unnatural??  No way.  If I plan in advance, I cut the grocery expenses WAY down (especially now that we're in a place where we don't grow/raise evreything we eat.)  Besides, I can put stuff on in the morning or early afternoon and stop every now and then to doctor it up and it's done without much effort when DH walks through the door at 5:17 on the dot.  :)  But since you think it is not natural, then maybe I'll change it to chili... sometime between now and dinner.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on December 28, 2007, 01:30:00 PM
Amazing how we can affect each others eating habits from the other side of the country.  :)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on December 28, 2007, 06:59:04 PM
Since Christmas Day and the turkey feast, dinners have been a rather haphazard affair. We've been selecting meals from left over turkey or stews and soups I made and froze in individual portions prior to Christmas, or dining hall food, sandwiches, whatever.

Some of you may recall my mentioning my mother in-law 2 months ago. She had fallen, did not break anything but had intense pain.  Well basically she hasn't been out of bed since then. She has ceased eating, wants to sleep all the time. She'll thank visitors for coming, then closes her eyes. For the most part she does not converse except to say she wants to die, or wants a sleeping pill, or to say 'go away, leave me alone'.

We're now having to sort through the private apartment and distill the furniture and all down to what might fit in an assisted living apartment. [The retirement facility has 3 levels; [1] normal private apts. for self sufficient people, [2] assisted living for those who need regular help with many daily activities and [3] heath care, a nursing home wing. It's actually a very complete, nicely equipped place; pool, exercise room, couple of dining rooms, superb model train room, nice grounds, planned activities, buses for transport, etc.] Anyhow she's been in health care long enough and with a poor prognosis for getting better to where she could return to normal living, that the private apartment must be exchanged for the health care room.

So K and her brother and sister from out of town have been sorting everything into groups; what must go, what should be saved in case MIL can be moved to assisted living... At this point I don't see that happening without a miracle. She wants to die. She's 86 and has had some mobility problems for a while as well as worsening mental abilities.

Sorry for the downer....  :(
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on December 28, 2007, 10:26:07 PM
When we were kids seems nobody or few we knew died.  Now that were getting older it seems that they are dropping like flies.

Sassy headed to the other place for work.  If only I could remember what was for dinner. hmm

I started with cookies.  Like Trader Joes Mint JoeJoes -- I wonder what goes good with that?
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on December 28, 2007, 10:37:36 PM
Quote from: glenn kangiser on December 28, 2007, 10:26:07 PM
Now that were getting older it seems that they are dropping like flies.
It hits home that you are getting older when some of your high school / university friends are showing up in the obits.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on December 29, 2007, 12:31:41 AM
Quote from: glenn kangiser on December 28, 2007, 10:26:07 PM
I started with cookies. -- I wonder what goes good with that?
Ice Cream     ;D

I'm having apple pie 'n' ice cream right now.   :)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on December 29, 2007, 02:50:10 AM
I added barbecue potato chips. salt and vinegar potato chips and the last of the Butter Pecan ice cream.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Drew on December 29, 2007, 08:40:45 AM
"My plan is to live forever.  So far, so good."

Source unknown.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on December 29, 2007, 09:25:51 AM
So you are saying you wouldn't eat chips and cookies for dinner, Drew?  It is vegetarian food. :)

There is good food around.  When Sassy leaves for work, I sometimes get lazy about cooking...and ...that really sounds like a good plan, if you can pull it off, Drew.  I was just funnin you a bit...
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on December 29, 2007, 10:32:37 AM
I think sometimes men feign ignorance about cooking just so their wives feel needed.  Nice of you to be so thoughtful to Sassy, Glenn.   8)

My husband can boil eggs, make ramen, and cook rice in a rice cooker.  He thinks that qualifies him as a cook. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on December 29, 2007, 11:01:49 AM
hmm Think I'll go fry an egg and makes some ramen. Thanks, Homegrown.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on December 29, 2007, 10:38:05 PM
 :)  It's OK, Glenn, we're on to you... we know it is only an act, but we like to feel needed anyway.  ;)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on December 29, 2007, 10:55:10 PM
Tonight we had potato soup.  That's it.  Plain ol' potato soup.  After the chili for last night's supper and then the coffee and omelette loaded with tabasco this morning, it was the only thing I could think of that didn't sound like heartburn.  The soup was good and filling and warm, but after all, it's just kind of plain.  That's the worst part of pregnancy.  Even water gives you heartburn, darn it.  I feel kind of bad for my family because I suddenly become a little picky when I'm pregnant, not so much because I crave something, but more because there are some things that sound absolutely repulsive.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on December 29, 2007, 11:07:34 PM
No wonder I always have heartburn.  I must be pregnant. d*

...and that would explain the bulge around my center too. ???

I must continue the act, Homegrown... I couldn't have anyone thinking I was self sufficient. :o
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on December 30, 2007, 12:55:11 AM
That must be it, Glenn.  You better get into see a doctor and see how far along you are...   :)   Some guys luck out on playing helpless in the kitchen, and some don't.  My dad used to be one of the non-cooking guys, but then he married my step-mom and he had no choice but to learn or he was going to starve to death.  So far I've found that he makes decent fajitas, good omelettes, he can handle pinto beans, and I can finally stand his chili, which he makes with steak.  He and my step-mom used to use her cooking as a form of child abuse, as far as I'm concerned, and I'm not (and never was) a picky eater.

My husband was looking at me this evening, straight-ahead, and he said, "You don't really even look pregnant."  But then I turned to one side and he giggled, "Well, now you do."  I know I'm on the level, though, 'cause my bubble's in the middle. :P  I'm only halfway through... I don't want to think about what the heartburn's gonna be like a few months from now... it'll be like with my first where I couldn't eat much of anything even though I crave everything spicy, hot, pickled, sour, and salty.   :(  I could handle another one of those omelettes drowned in tabasco right about now, but won't do it because I'd pay for it all night.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on December 30, 2007, 01:11:12 AM
Does drinking a few tablespoons of apple cider vinegar help with your heartburn? ???  It works pretty well with mine a lot of the time.  My daughter said she read that many times people take an antacid when what they actually need is more acid to digest the tough stuff. 

Apple Cider vinegar does the trick.  You will drink it -- maybe 2 or 3 tablespoons then in about 1/2 hour things begin working -- you start burping -- passing wind -- etc.  --- all the good things that make heartburn and reflux go away. ::)

Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Redoverfarm on December 30, 2007, 11:43:04 AM
About six months ago my wife's family and friends started a monthly tradition or sometime every couple of months.  Usually keeping with the themes of holiday's throughout the year each family would cook a dish that corresponds to that time. Well last night was "something you never fixed before".  Some of the items were
black-eyed pea salad, cabbage casserole, taco salad, beef casserole, honeybun cake, new variety of orange jello salad just to name a few.  No one walked away hungry.  Occassionally someone cheats and slips something in that they usully cook but ha thats ok as nothing is thrown out on that account.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on December 30, 2007, 04:20:13 PM
Quote from: Redoverfarm on December 30, 2007, 11:43:04 AM
About six months ago my wife's family and friends started a monthly tradition or sometime every couple of months.  Usually keeping with the themes of holiday's throughout the year each family would cook a dish that corresponds to that time. Well last night was "something you never fixed before".  Some of the items were
black-eyed pea salad, cabbage casserole, taco salad, beef casserole, honeybun cake, new variety of orange jello salad just to name a few.  No one walked away hungry.  Occassionally someone cheats and slips something in that they usully cook but ha thats ok as nothing is thrown out on that account.
That sounds like it would be a lot of fun... maybe I should start something similar with family and friends...

Glenn, to answer your question, vinegar doesn't seem to help, but sometimes drinking a cup of hot green tea does, possibly because it is supposed to speed up digestion, too.  From what I understand, heartburn during pregnancy is different in that it isn't caused by the same thing... it is because your body produces the hormone relaxin which causes the muscle that keeps food in your stomach to loosen up, and therefore, no matter what you eat/don't eat, it is really hard to avoid.  I really try to avoid taking anything for it if I can, especially chalk stuff like tums because I've read that taking calcium in the form of calcium carbonate contributes to kidney stones, and that sounds painful, so I'd like to avoid it.  I also try to avoid eating close to bedtime because lying down increases it.  Sometimes it is just going to happen whether I've eaten anything or not.  Last night we had dinner around 5 PM and I didn't go to bed until after midnight, but I still had heartburn... on top of that, I'd only had really mild soup for dinner.  After the baby's born, I'm sure I'll have no problem at all... and right now it only seems to be a problem in the evening hours when the baby is most active... I think the little bugger is kicking the daylights out of my stomach and that's not really helping.  :)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Redoverfarm on December 30, 2007, 10:07:02 PM
Glenn I came across a book which deals with nothing but vinegar remedys.  If I can find it I will try to locate the author.  A lot of the "ol timers" swear by it.  Oh wait you might fall into that catagory  ;)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on December 30, 2007, 10:34:14 PM
Hey John, I'm not a real old timer-- just a medium old timer. 

I know how you feel, Homegrown.  Mine comes and goes too.  Just not in 9 months. [crz]
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Redoverfarm on December 30, 2007, 11:57:44 PM
They saw you are only as old as you feel.  This changes daily for me. But I am not complaining as I am still on the right side of the grass.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: benevolance on December 31, 2007, 12:50:50 AM
reduce salt intake to eliminate kidney stones...

Glenn you use ocean salt or some such do you not... from salt lake city or something...I bet that is why you get kidney stones.. lack of proper hydration and salt intake are key  contributors to kidney stones....

Drink more pure water and lay off the salt dude
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on December 31, 2007, 01:10:50 AM
I don't have any kidney stones, Peter.  We use Real Salt from Redmond Utah --- much better for you than the plastic stuff they sell in stores.  Tastes better too.

I can use as much salt as I want with no I'll effect.  In the summer you will find it dried on my T shirt.  I become a walking salt lick.  Nope -- no problems here --everything works fine except the occasional heartburn from too much sugar or grease.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on December 31, 2007, 01:13:13 AM
Sage advise, Peter.

Re water intake: one thing I learned when I moved to the southwest is that most people here are partially dehydrated all the time. I fell into that trap myself and went through a terrible bout of heat exhaustion in UT one summer. One way to judge whether your water intake is sufficient is to monitor how frequently you have t0  urinate. If you're not having to urinate every few hours at least you are likely not drinking enough water, prostate problems and pregnancy issues not included. Along with that if your water intake is insufficient when you do go your urine will be a darker shade of yellow.

As for salt, whether the normal table salt, kosher, sea or Real, my opinion is that if you are adding salt to your cooked food at the table you are likely consuming too much. Certain exceptions apply to those involved in some activities that cause profuse perspiration. One of the few foods I add salt to at the table is for a baked potato. I use it sparingly in cooking, adding to water to boil rice, pasta, potatoes is the most common. Using spices and/or stronger flavored foods frequently will obviate the need for heavy salting to make things tasty.

It also seems to me that consumption of large amounts of dairy can increase ones propensity to form kidney stones.  :-\

It should almost go without saying that commercially canned foods are extremely high in sodium content. Ditto for restaurant foods; most restaurant foods are also high in fats. Restaurants use an awesome amount of butter.

With that aid we ate out tonight. We had a sub (maybe not too bad on the salt and fat) at D'ions (Pizza and sub place; semi fast food) using up one of our gift cards Christmas gifts from appreciative preschool parents.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on December 31, 2007, 01:35:14 AM
BTW - I had a 16oz Stouffers? Chicken Pot Pie tonight -and a bit of mint chip Ice Cream.

Water -- hmm  better drink some and see if I can get that specimen up to a Whiter Shade of Pale.  (Procol Harem '67)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: benevolance on December 31, 2007, 02:47:22 AM
I helped a guy out that was an alcoholic one time he was going to a rehab course and they said that almost everyone is dehydrated...through use of coffee, soda alcohol we are not getting enough hydration...And one of the things they did in that rehab was to treat the dehydration from consuming so much alcohol daily...

One thing about urination...It is a good idea to check the urine if it is yellow you are pretty dehydrated...We do not need to turn this into how is your urine debate... but it is true...

If you are urinating all the time you may want to check your blood sugar level as it is the easiest symptom of diabetes... but we need to be urinating at least half a dozen times a day and it should never ever be yellow... Direct sign to drink more water.

My bad habit is coca Cola...I do try to drink a lot of water though...Once you get dehydrated all kinds of bad stuff starts happening to your body...

And yeah I read that people in the southwest were not only dehydrated...but the salinity of the water there is much higher than that on the east coast and it causes stuff like the Kidney stones.

Of course some people can eat salt licks daily and live for 90 years without a problem...Sort of like the guy that smokes cigars and lives forever... it can happen but it is not very likely.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Redoverfarm on December 31, 2007, 08:01:04 AM
Listening to the thread I was wondering if anyone had heard that water around large deposits of Limestone contribute to stones. When I once lived in Charlestown/Harpers Ferry the local people seemed to be more prone to have stones. This area was completely limestone with a mass of underground caverns and lakes.

Glenn what are you doing next fall. My son would like to take you hunting to attract the deer to a salt lick.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on December 31, 2007, 10:42:19 AM
Last night we had frozen pizza and plums for dinner.  Weird combo, but we were in a hurry to get back to work because I was finally grouting the tiles in the kitchen.  My 3 yo came in and asked me why I was "growling" at the tile and when my husband was able to quit laughing, he showed her what the grout was and what we were doing with it.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on December 31, 2007, 11:01:56 AM
Quote from: Redoverfarm on December 31, 2007, 08:01:04 AM

Glenn what are you doing next fall. My son would like to take you hunting to attract the deer to a salt lick.

hmm That sounds like it could be fun.  Will a licker license be required?

Seems anywhere that there is extra hard water, kidney stones could be a problem although some people may be more predisposed to them IMO. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on December 31, 2007, 12:21:12 PM
Tonight, I've actually planned a meal of cheese and crackers and whatever veggies are left in fridge, freezer or wherever.  Doesn't sound like much of a meal, but DH and I are of course staying up till midnight to finish the kitchen completely.  I got the other countertop and one wall done last night.  Must...finish... the kitchen!  Of course tomorrow it'll be black-eyed peas, coleslaw, and cornbread or corncakes.  Incidentally, after reading Little House on the Prairie to the kids, they wanted to know what cornmeal mush was, so I fixed it for them for breakfast this morning and they acted like they were in heaven.  My little one came in and announced, "Mama, you can make cornmeal squash for me anytime 'cause I love it!"  Next they'll be wanting me to fry prairie hens. ::)

This will be the third year in a row we've been doing home repairs at midnight on New Year's Eve.  Two years ago, it was our old house... we were getting it ready to sell.  I looked up from nailing down baseboards when I heard the neighbors shooting off fireworks and leaned over to kiss my husband who was finally finishing up the floor inside the downstairs closet.  We'd gone home for Christmas, spent part of the day with my family, part of it with my dad and his family, and then spent the rest of our vacation finishing up that old house.  Last year, I think we were installing the kitchen sink on New Year's Eve... I know we finished the tile right before then... one way or the other, we were working on the house.  One of our friends recently suggested that since our kids are a little bigger now we ought to go out or do something for New Year's Eve... I looked at him and said, "What do you think we're DOING???  Hey, we're getting a lot accomplished here."
Title: RIBBS ! Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: FrankInWI on December 31, 2007, 01:29:15 PM
I gotta spend more time on these side-bar forums.... looks like a friendly place. 
Yeh, it's NewYears Eve.... which means nothing to me (only thing I have in common with G. Bush is we both put the cork in the bottle).  I did buy some pork ribs on sale last night and I'll bake them, and at the end sauce them up with BBQ sauce.  I did buy saurkraut too, thinking of cooking them in a roaster with that and some shredded apple, but I soon realized the boys probably wouldn't eat it.  Son #1 is Ice Fishing, he'll come home with a hell of an appetite (not that he really needs to work to eat). 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on December 31, 2007, 01:32:59 PM
Frank, you should spend more time over here... in my case this is where I hang out while I'm waiting to move and buy land and build a home, LOL.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on January 01, 2008, 12:28:17 AM
This is where it's all happening, Frank.

Homegrown is in charge of bringing in the sunshine every day even though it is snowing everywhere.

OK -- I had ice cream and candy, but somehow that wasn't enough.  Something seemed to be lacking. hmm

I had dug a bunch of small new russet potatoes from the garden a couple days ago.  They didn't get very big but boy, are they good nuked with salt and butter.  I added a piece of sour dough bread with butter and nuked the whole thing for another minute or so to melt the butter.  Very Nutritious. 
;D
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on January 01, 2008, 12:36:08 AM
Home-made baked beans tonight, made with brown sugar and molasses. With a couple slices of preservative free, local bakery, rye bread and Smart Balance margarine and some salad.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Drew on January 01, 2008, 12:53:29 AM
It was home made pesto and marinara over pasta tonight.  Dave's girlfriend was over.  She's a little shy, but at the dinner table she gives me the occasional, "Did you really just say that?" look.

This girl listened to me go on about composting and manure without glazing over.  I think she'll be okay.

"We've come to this exclusive restaurant and replaced the Folgers Crystals with dehydrated humanure flakes.  Let's see if they can tell the difference!   c*
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on January 01, 2008, 01:29:44 AM
Should be similar.  I drink the crystals when Sassy is working and I am lazy or in a hurry.

Sometimes I just pour a tablespoon in a half a glass of cold water, stir it and drink it.  Face it -- we don't drink Folgers Instant Coffee crystals because they taste good -- we drink it for the caffiene.  Let's stop pretending.  It tastes like crap -- put it in a glass of cold water and swallow it. [crz]
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: benevolance on January 01, 2008, 01:41:32 AM
don we had homemade baked beans with molasses...and I made bread... something pretty awesome about fresh bread still warm and baked beans... They should just go together...It ought to be a law...

I got that way because my Grandmother always made fresh bread for the beans....Always

takes three hours to make bread and it is worth every second of it.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Redoverfarm on January 01, 2008, 10:24:30 AM
Well as always I overindulged last night. Went to friends to bring in the new year. They are musicians and my son plays clawhammer banjo so it was a good time.  To eat was roasted dill pork, chicken livers seasoned and wrapped in bacon, taco dip, garlic & buttered shrimp, meatballs ,apple pie(apples, cranberries, currants) and of course some spirits.  We didn't arrive until 8P(my fault because of some last minute construction) but at 11:00 my wife said you know you have been eating for 3 hours.  I guess she was right but I just know how to pace myself.
;)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: benevolance on January 01, 2008, 04:28:14 PM
hey

you only live once... three hours of boozing and gorging sounds pretty good to me! ;D
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Redoverfarm on January 01, 2008, 07:11:09 PM
Yeah it was good at the time.  Today I couldn't eat a thing until supper. Had something light. Pork stir fry. That was it. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: williet on January 01, 2008, 07:23:07 PM
We had a pot roast stew and biscuts....it was GREAT!
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Drew on January 01, 2008, 07:32:34 PM
Dan made naan and a new red lentil soup for lunch today.  I remember when she wouldn't eat lentils on a dare.  Tonight it's homemade pizza.

I found a recipe for masoor dal (Mashed lentils with curry and a few other things).  I want to work that up this week and see how it goes.  If it doesn't fly I can use it for earth plaster on my straw bale house.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: benevolance on January 01, 2008, 08:03:55 PM
Baked chicken coated in Pepper and Kicken Chicken spice...After the skin was removed and it was cut up of course ;)
We just coating the chicken in spices and letting it cook to make a crispy outside to keep the chicken moist inside...Sort of like a spicy version of shake and bake...

Sweet potatoes baked in the oven slow cooked with spices and butter for the side...
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: tanya on January 01, 2008, 09:16:13 PM
homeade chicken pot pies.  Bake the chicken cut it up, put it in a foil pan, steam the vegies, put a couple scoops in each pan, put a spoonful of gravy over it and top it with a biskit then bake in the oven 425 for 15 minutes.  I used the little foil bread pans I had left over from making the little christmas loaves.  They work better thant he little pie tins because you can make a bigger portion and put two biskits on top.  The extra ones are going inthe freezer if the kids don't eat them up to quick. Low cal version use the gravy sparingly. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on January 01, 2008, 10:21:07 PM
Turkey pie. Homemade except for the crust (frozen store bought). White and dark urkey, onion, corn, peas, beans, diced sweet potato, my own gravy, pepper mix, pinch o salt.

(https://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q75/djmillerbucket/oddsnends2/turkeypie-1.jpg)

Leftovers for another dinner and a lunch or two.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: benevolance on January 01, 2008, 11:27:30 PM
damn that looks pretty good
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on January 02, 2008, 10:57:31 AM
Yesterday we had a big bowl of black-eyed peas (with a little of the leftover Christmas ham thrown in for flavor, though the dog got most of the ham.)  Homemade wholewheat/corn bread (my kids can eat a whole pan of nothing else for dinner if I'd let them get away with it.)  We also had some leftover kraut from lunch a few days ago.... It doesn't sound like anything fancy, but black-eyed peas are one of my favorite foods and I would have been fine with just a bowl of them.  Tonight it'll just be soup and sandwich because I have a lot to get done.  We took down the Christmas tree and stuff yesterday so I need to put all the decorations in storage, etc., as well as make a dreaded trip to the grocery store.  It is maybe 5 degrees outside this morning... but at least the sun is shining. c*
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on January 02, 2008, 11:07:35 AM
Quotethough the dog got most of the ham.

Wow -- lucky you were able to wrestle enough away from him to make soup, Homegrown. :)

Think I'll run out and broadcast some seed for the coming rain - wheat, barley and oat mix -, so maybe I will have some to harvest in the spring.  I've always wanted to try making my own bread from grain I grew.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on January 02, 2008, 11:24:26 AM
I've never grown enough wheat, barley, oats, or buckwheat to make bread from them (though we have grown enough to feed the chickens) but we have made cornbread from our own corn a lot of times.  Heirloom corn makes the best tasting cornbread that I've ever had.  We used painted mountain last year and the cornmeal came out looking similar to whole wheat or something.  The bread was rich and sweet (with no sugar added) and all-around more flavorful than if made with bland yellow store-bought cornmeal.  We've also made it from the Earth Tones dent corn, which was good, and from Tom Thumb ( an heirloom mini popcorn).  We just ran out of our homegrown cornmeal last month, but it was some good stuff.  I just grind it when we're ready to use it and it seems to hold the flavor better.  I think painted mountain was my favorite, but the kids like Tom Thumb because it is so cute and little.  Next year, Lord willing, if we're somewhere where we can, I intend to grow a lot more of our own corn for making bread.  Someday I'd like to expand it to other things like wheat, barley, oats and buckwheat, or even millet.  I love buckwheat buttermilk pancakes. 

The dog only got the ham that was boiled with the peas because the girls don't like soggy ham and they picked it out of their black-eyed peas and gave it to him on the sly.  They also found out on Thanksgiving that he really likes brussels sprouts, but the deal is, if they feed them to him, they have to sleep with him in their room because brussels sprouts give him *problems*.   ;)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on January 02, 2008, 11:57:50 AM
(https://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o29/annairene1976/fart.jpg)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on January 02, 2008, 06:24:02 PM
We were passing a dead skunk on the side of the road one day, and I could hear my younger daughter sing-songing in the back seat, "Blame it on the dog, oh, blame it on the dog!"

I think we're having chicken noodle soup for dinner tonight... maybe a sandwich.  I'm too cold to eat.  I just want to go hibernate until spring.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on January 02, 2008, 07:41:37 PM
Left over turkey pie for me tonight.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: lonelytree on January 02, 2008, 11:47:27 PM
Raw cauliflower, carrots, green peppers and celery with a tad of ranch dip. 3 oz of garlic chicken and some fruit.

You don't want to know the rest....
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on January 02, 2008, 11:52:15 PM
I nuked a sweet potato and covered it with butter and salt.  Sassy returns tomorrow so I may get real food again.

Ice cream for desert with a couple tablespoons of Cider Vinegar for a chaser to help it digest before I go to sleep. ;D

When I found the cartoon above I was laughing so hard I was almost crying.  Obviously everybody else has a lot more class than I do.  Maybe Homegrown is down there with me. hmm  Probably not. :(
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on January 03, 2008, 12:20:13 PM
Quote from: glenn kangiser on January 02, 2008, 11:52:15 PM
I nuked a sweet potato and covered it with butter and salt.  Sassy returns tomorrow so I may get real food again.

Ice cream for desert with a couple tablespoons of Cider Vinegar for a chaser to help it digest before I go to sleep. ;D

When I found the cartoon above I was laughing so hard I was almost crying.  Obviously everybody else has a lot more class than I do.  Maybe Homegrown is down there with me. hmm  Probably not. :(
Not quite, but my husband fell over laughing on the couch when I showed it to him!
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Drew on January 03, 2008, 02:00:36 PM
Tonight it's going to be Hiker Pasta.  It's a concoction our guide made at 9,000 feet in Yosemite and it tastes just as good at sea level.  You sautee up some zucchini, winter squash, red onion and basil.  Then you stir in some sun dried tomato pesto.  Mix that up with some tortellini and shave some parmesan cheese on the top.  Eat it up in a plastic dog bowl with a cup of filtered lake water and you got dinner.  It is awesome!
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on January 03, 2008, 02:47:36 PM
Quote from: Homegrown Tomatoes on January 03, 2008, 12:20:13 PM
Quote from: glenn kangiser on January 02, 2008, 11:52:15 PM
I nuked a sweet potato and covered it with butter and salt.  Sassy returns tomorrow so I may get real food again.

Ice cream for desert with a couple tablespoons of Cider Vinegar for a chaser to help it digest before I go to sleep. ;D

When I found the cartoon above I was laughing so hard I was almost crying.  Obviously everybody else has a lot more class than I do.  Maybe Homegrown is down there with me. hmm  Probably not. :(
Not quite, but my husband fell over laughing on the couch when I showed it to him!

I have to thank Lyon for having a great sense of humor and not leaving me there laughing by myself. rofl
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Redoverfarm on January 03, 2008, 05:13:10 PM
Well last night it was a surprise. The wife had her SIL to pick up KFC about an hour away from here and drop it off on her way home.  Haven't had KFC for about 8 years. Yeah it still has a lot of grease.  I counteracted the grease by eating a small bowl of raw oysters from New Years Day. ;D

Don't know what it will be tonight but I guarantee it will be good.  Of course right now I could eat "the south end of a north bound mule" and it would be good.  Starving.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on January 03, 2008, 05:53:34 PM
We're having quesadillas and steamed veggies tonight.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: lonelytree on January 03, 2008, 10:00:49 PM
Raw cauliflower, carrots, green peppers and celery with a tad of ranch dip. small bowl of chili and some fruit.

You don't want to know the rest....
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: benevolance on January 03, 2008, 10:36:44 PM
that was pretty awesome glenn...

we only have a little tiny dog...So I cannot blame the massively pungant paint stripping fumes I let go on the little dog

Which is another reason I want a lab
;)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on January 03, 2008, 11:05:14 PM
We're having cheese tortillini in tomato basil sauce for dinner tonight.  Would have a salad but don't have anything to make it with - could go out & pick some chard & spinach & add it to the sauce.  I think I'll send DH, he needs some greens after eating ice cream, salt & butter all week...  d*  Tomorrow, at my own risk, I'm going to make a big pot of chili & cook it on the wood stove...  Glenn & I may have to sleep in different rooms - what's with you guys?   :P
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: tanya on January 03, 2008, 11:27:47 PM
I made a hige pot of potatoe soup.  My kids love it and it is all gone.  It is snowing hard here again so I ate, went out and shoveled the driveway and came in and ate again.  They don't like the store biskits though.  When I make homeade they eat all those too but not the store ones they are left sitting around waiting to be fed to the dogs.  Oh well I was to busy and fod is food if you are hungry enough. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on January 03, 2008, 11:38:32 PM
Sassy was tired when she got here but I got her to cook by suggesting that I eat a whole can of Bush Baked Beans by myself.

Ahhhh --- food --- that's better. [crz]
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Drew on January 03, 2008, 11:57:14 PM
I gave blood today so I can eat ANYTHING I want.

Malt balls and butter.  Mmmmm.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on January 04, 2008, 12:15:34 AM
Well, the quesadillas were a hit with the kids.  Plates were all cleaned. 

Now Glenn, you could have nuked another sweet potato and saved Sassy the hassle of cooking... at least that's pretty decent for you.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on January 04, 2008, 12:37:27 AM
Found this looking for gold information.  Thought some of the health nuts here would be interested -- greaseless - fast - reduces salt and grease- expensive $800 to $1400 - about the size of a Microwave -- cooks with 550 degree steam -- uses about 1400 watts - similar to a microwave --

Cooking a chicken reduces from about 2 hours to 20 minutes and removes the grease.

http://www.sharpusa.com/products/ModelLanding/0,1058,1539,00.html

(http://www.sharpusa.com/images/sso_AX700S_pic2_h174.jpg)

AX-700S
Superheated Steam Oven
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on January 04, 2008, 12:39:52 AM
Quote from: Homegrown Tomatoes on January 04, 2008, 12:15:34 AM
Well, the quesadillas were a hit with the kids.  Plates were all cleaned. 

Now Glenn, you could have nuked another sweet potato and saved Sassy the hassle of cooking... at least that's pretty decent for you.

I couldn't stare another helpless poor sweet potato in the face.  I couldn't send another one to the nuke chamber...at least for a day or two.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on January 04, 2008, 12:45:32 AM
Have you ever read "The Vegetarian's Nightmare" by Baxter Black?  Better yet, heard him recite it in person?   ;D  Too bad all my books are in storage or I'd go get it and put it here.... You would enjoy his sense of humor.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on January 04, 2008, 12:47:05 AM
Haven't read or heard of it, but am checking info on it out now.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on January 04, 2008, 12:50:25 AM
It'd be great if you could find a recording of him reading it online somewhere... it adds so much when he's reading his own stuff.  I love Baxter Black.... he cracks me up.  The first time I ever heard it, he was at the Cowboy Hall of Fame in OKC reading it, and I laughed so hard I was sore the next day... had tears running down my face.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on January 04, 2008, 12:52:29 AM
I can't get it to let me scroll down so that the whole thing is visible...
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on January 04, 2008, 12:54:41 AM
Nicely written and yes -- a good sense of humor. :)

I think it is all to the right - but I can maybe copy it and post it here with credit of course.

Note:  Removed my above link -- couldn't find the audio.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on January 04, 2008, 01:00:12 AM
Try this,

THE VEGETARIAN'S NIGHTMARE
by Baxter Black, ex-veterinarian

Ladies and diners I make you
A shameful, degrading confession.
A deed of disgrace in the name of good taste
Though I did it, I meant no aggression.

I had planted a garden last April
And lovingly sang it a ballad.
But later in June beneath a full moon
I, forgive me, I wanted a salad!

So I slipped out and fondled a carrot
Caressing its feathery top.
With the force of a brute I tore out the root!
It whimpered and came with a pop!

Then laying my hand on a radish
I jerked and it left a small crater.
Then with the blade of my True Value spade
I exhumed a slumbering tater!

Celery I plucked, I twisted a squash!
Tomatoes were wincing in fear.
I choked the Romaine, it screamed out in pain,
Their anguish was filling my ears!

I finally came to the lettuce
As it cringed at the top of the row
With one wicked slice I beheaded it twice
As it writhed, I dealt a death blow.

I butchered the onions and parsley.
My hoe was all covered with gore.
I chopped and I whacked without looking back
Then I stealthily slipped in the door.

My bounty lay naked and dying
So I drowned them to snuff out their life.
I sliced and I peeled as the thrashed and they reeled
On the cutting board under my knife.

I violated tomatoes
So their innards could never survive.
I grated and ground 'til they made not a sound
Then I boiled the tater alive!

Then I took the small broken pieces
I had tortured and killed with my hands
And tossed them together, heedless of whether
They suffered or made their demands.

I ate them. forgive me, I'm sorry
But hear me, though I'm a beginner
Those plants feel pain, though it's hard to explain
To someone who eats them for dinner!

I intend to begin a crusade
For PLANT'S RIGHTS, including chick peas.
The ACLU will be helping me, too.
In the meantime, please pass the bleu cheese.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on January 04, 2008, 01:15:02 AM
His intro into it is as funny as the poem itself.  He was a vet at the time he wrote it and he said that he got a call from an animal rights group asking him to be on their show.  As he said, "You see, they think just 'cause you're a veterinarian that you care."  He said  he'd read a study from Perdue where the researchers had attached electrodes to plants and then started chopping up the plants and reached the conclusion that plants feel pain, too.  And then, with his eyes twinkling and a smile sneaking at the corners of his mouth he says, "So, armed with that information, I wrote 'em a little poem."  Apparently it didn't go over really well with its initial audience, but later recitations were much more successful.  If you ever have a chance to listen to him speak or tell stories, go for it.  I guarantee you won't be disappointed.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on January 04, 2008, 10:17:04 AM
Tonight we're eating out because I have a late doctor's appointment, so we decided to make a date of it.  There was a place in that town that we liked, but the last time we ate there the service was slower than molasses, and DH doesn't want to go back because our waiter, Larry Lightloafers, was hitting on him big time.  I told him he should be flattered that even other guys think he's cute, but he wasn't too amused. :)  So, I have a feeling we'll be trying something new.  Too bad because that place made really good steak brochettes.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: tanya on January 04, 2008, 11:48:39 AM
We had potatoe soup last night and I don't have a clue what I will make tonight probably rice and beans and corn bread.  It is wet snow/rain mix this week so I will be working hard to keep up withthe shoveling and big pots of hot soup are called for inthis kind of weather.  And since it is going to snow all week and I am getting more than enough exercise I am getting both kids a new snow shovel they will be so surprised!!!
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on January 04, 2008, 01:07:45 PM
Not a hint of jealousy, Homegrown? ???
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on January 04, 2008, 01:24:43 PM
 :)  Not a bit.  I thought it was hilarious... it took him a while to pick up on it... he's a bit spacey at times.  If it had been a woman hitting on him, it might have been a different matter, but usually he's just as oblivious to that.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on January 04, 2008, 01:35:24 PM
Yeah -- if he wants him let him go -- you only want him around if he really wants to be with you, eh? ;D
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on January 04, 2008, 02:02:34 PM
Aw, he wants me... that's one of the few things in this life I'm certain of... I kinda like him, too.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Redoverfarm on January 04, 2008, 08:20:33 PM
Well last night was just as I predicted. Good.  Salmon filets, baked potato, tossed salad w/bc dressing, broccoli.

Tonight was hamburger, fried potatos, corn.

Hey I was lucky enough to get a meal fixed on Friday evening. Apparently we have a short in the stove and oven as when it comes tothe weekend it usually quites working until Monday evening [noidea'
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on January 04, 2008, 09:03:41 PM
Well -- Sassy has made a gigantic bucket of Chili.  I am going to eat a big ol' bunch of it and just sit back and see what happens. hmm
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: tanya on January 04, 2008, 09:10:51 PM
I made vegetables, barley and bean soup with homeade bisquits this time.  It was good But it made me so tired. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on January 04, 2008, 10:01:38 PM
Dinner was brisket, corn on the cob, coleslaw, baked potato, and cornbread.  Nice thing was that I didn't have to do the dishes. ;D
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Redoverfarm on January 04, 2008, 10:16:13 PM
Glenn seems like the craz around here with chili is to dress it up with some grated chedder cheese and some sour cream. Personally I just like to add the hot sauce and let nature take it's course.

Speaking of Cheddar Cheese. I had a friend from Wisconsin that says they use it on apple pie. I just like to add a little ICE CREAM. ;D

Well you still have some evening left but for me it's close to bed time.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on January 04, 2008, 10:22:07 PM
I'm hoping the evening is quiet...  ::)  I made cornbread & a fresh banana cake for dessert.  The wind has settled down outside, hope we don't have much wind inside  ;)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on January 04, 2008, 11:10:59 PM
Apple pie with cheddar is great! Not limited to just chessehead country.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on January 04, 2008, 11:41:32 PM
Quote from: MountainDon on January 04, 2008, 11:10:59 PM
Apple pie with cheddar is great! Not limited to just chessehead country.

I agree... I've always made it that way (even before moving up here.)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on January 05, 2008, 12:46:11 AM
Quote from: Sassy on January 04, 2008, 10:22:07 PM
I'm hoping the evening is quiet...  ::)  I made cornbread & a fresh banana cake for dessert.  The wind has settled down outside, hope we don't have much wind inside  ;)

Houston, we have a problem.  ???

I think she must have put Beano in this Chili.  These darn things are not working.  May have wasted my whole dinner. :(
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: sparks on January 05, 2008, 03:41:33 AM
Hi Folks,  It was beans, scalloped potatoes, and lasagna. (leftovers).  The wife wasn't home and I believe I've mastered the microwave........sparks.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Drew on January 05, 2008, 05:32:34 PM
A veggie burrito from the one joint that still has power and food left.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: tanya on January 05, 2008, 06:51:26 PM
I think I will make shepards pie again.  I am gettin gsick of cooking though.  Tomorrow my daughter is coming for dinner so I am making something good.  She wants spaggetti but I am thinking nice thick pork chops.  Either one sounds pretty good I guess.  I have to get the cook back though and the housekeeper.  This domestic crap is killing me. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on January 05, 2008, 08:01:45 PM
We had a London Broil, mashed potatoes, peas and corn.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on January 05, 2008, 08:50:46 PM
I'm getting sick (cold or something) and so we didn't have much in the way of supper.  It was just a simple smoothie with yogurt, flaxseed, celery, carrot, orange, blueberries, banana, apple and a little milk.  We spent too much time today driving up to Racine to try out a newer Korean restaurant, and this is the second time we've gotten up there and they were closed!  What restaurant doesn't open until 4 o'clock on a Saturday.  We gave up, so we had Thai food for lunch and then the smoothie for supper, and somewhere in between we stopped and bought enough flooring for our whole downstairs... got a good deal on it and hope to get it done pretty quick.  Tonight we're staying up after we put the kids to bed to finish the kitchen (for real this time, even if it means staying up until midnight... besides, the baby is always awake and kicking around until 12:00 or 12:30, so I might as well be productive. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Drew on January 06, 2008, 12:44:18 AM
I made fritatas and Dan made fingerling potatoes in onions and peppers for dinner.  Robin, our daughter, has been a real sport about her parents going vegetarian and her brother nearly so.  So I picked up a grass-finished rib eye steak (A big ol' sucker, let me tell you) and cooked it up for her with a baked potato.  The pure joy and adulation in her eye was priceless.

Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on January 06, 2008, 07:10:04 PM
We're about to sit down and eat pizza... but, the good news is that the kitchen is pretty much finished!  We were up until 2 this morning finishing the grout, and then after church we came home and worked on cleaning up the mess left over from the grout, and I'm almost ready to take pictures and post a few.  14 months of working on the kitchen... but it sure looks cool. ;D
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on January 06, 2008, 08:50:33 PM
Hot roast beef sandwiches from last night's left over London Broil, with blue cheese. Green beans side.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Redoverfarm on January 06, 2008, 09:15:11 PM
T-Bone steak, baked potato, broccoli, tossed salad.  Trying to work the beef out of the freezer.  Will be butchering in about 3 weeks and need the room. So I guess it will probably be some kind of beef on a regualr basis for the next week or so. Not good for the HDL and T-Glyc's and such but had a little more left than what we had thought. Been trying to limit to twice a week and it just lasted longer than I thought.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Drew on January 06, 2008, 09:21:57 PM
Dave's making naan and tsatsiki.  His girlfriend is over, so he'll be showing off a bit.  I think Dan is making a new kind of lentil soup to go with.

I thought I would be bummed out about not being the one and only cook around here, but this is okay.  I get to design the farm stuff (Buildings, irrigation system, solar system).  As long as I keep it cheap and effort effective, and if I can explain it clearly, I get to be that guy.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: sparks on January 06, 2008, 11:43:26 PM
Hi Folks, The wife and I went out for dinner at a place we've been to for many years. (tho we have not gone there in several months). I couldn't believe it! The steaks were nasty! It was quite apparent to me that they have not only changed suppliers, but cooking methods. Very disappointed.  Sign of the times I guess.......higher price....lower quality. Thinking about getting a quarter side and eating at home all the time. Wish we had enough land for a small garden. Envy you guys.......sparks.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on January 06, 2008, 11:53:22 PM
That's why I have a hard time ordering steaks at a restaurant.  I almost always know I can make them better at home.  There is the rare exception occasionally.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on January 07, 2008, 12:05:27 AM
I quit ordering steak in any restaurant I can afford to eat at years ago. I'm never happy with them. Chicen breast is a safer bet. Most of the time.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on January 07, 2008, 11:47:53 AM
Tonight is stew and I think I'm going to try Drew's naan recipe and see how it turns out.  The whole house is smoky-smelling this morning because I seasoned some cast iron cookware last night.  My mom got us a big heavy set of camping cast iron cookware in a big wooden trunk... we've had it for a while, but I don't have room to store it in this tiny kitchen (believe me, I'd use it inside if I just had room to put it... but maybe one of these days we'll have a camp trailer and can put it in there.)  Anyway, I wanted to use the dutch oven for something because my other one is a thin enamel one that I don't really care for that much.  I ended up having to clean it 2-3 times before I could even season it.  It smelled and looked like they'd coated it with hydraulic fluid or something similar at the factory to prevent rust.  Anyway, it was a pain to get it cleaned and smoked like crazy when I was seasoning it.  Thankfully it was so warm last night, I just turned on  the ceiling fans and propped open the front door to let the  smoke out.... and darned if I didn't swat a mosquito on the front porch!   We have two days above freezing and already we're getting mosquitoes!!!
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on January 07, 2008, 11:57:20 AM
Quote from: glenn kangiser on January 06, 2008, 11:53:22 PM
That's why I have a hard time ordering steaks at a restaurant.  I almost always know I can make them better at home.  There is the rare exception occasionally.

We quit ordering steaks at restaurants after our oldest (then 3) embarrassed us to death at a local steak house.  It was probably the first and only time we went out to a steak place after moving north.  DD knows her steaks. Anyway, it was not a kid-friendly place and the lights were low and there was soft music playing.  DD walks in and bellows, "Why is it so dark in here!??  What are they trying to hide?  Why is everyone whispering?" etc.  Then, she got upset because there were no steaks, even chopped steaks, on the kids menu.  The food was expensive, so I convinced the waitress to cut my steak in half and serve it with it's own baked potato and salad.  The waitress comes back to check on us a few minutes after we got our food and asked DD how her steak was... she held up a finger and chewed and chewed until she could swallow and then said flatly, "Like shoe leather.  Besides, you don't have Heinz 57."   :-[  I wanted to crawl under the table.  The steak was a little tough, though not exactly shoe leather... we never went there again.  There is one other place we've been once or twice since we moved here that has really good steaks, but we always order the girls a chop steak with sauteed onions and they split it (they just don't do "kid" food.)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on January 07, 2008, 12:29:04 PM
Sounds like she knows what she is talking about - and not afraid to tell it like it is...and has probably listened to mommy. :)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: tanya on January 07, 2008, 03:08:15 PM
NO dinner tonight the kids are all gone and I have a big old box of cheeze its to work through. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Redoverfarm on January 07, 2008, 07:19:21 PM
This years venison. DW put a roast in the crock pot this morning and covered with Mushroom soup and let it cook all day. With it was mashed potato, lima beans, corn and crescent rolls with homemade apple butter. Another night of emptying out the freezer.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on January 07, 2008, 07:55:57 PM
Drew, thanks for the naan recipe!  It was a big hit.  My daughter said I'm the best cook in the world.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on January 07, 2008, 11:12:43 PM
Quote from: tanya on January 07, 2008, 03:08:15 PM
NO dinner tonight the kids are all gone and I have a big old box of cheeze its to work through. 

Tanya, I've had meals like that  c*
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on January 07, 2008, 11:44:46 PM
Quote from: Redoverfarm on January 07, 2008, 07:19:21 PM
...venison. DW put a roast in the crock pot this morning and covered with Mushroom soup ...
MMMMMMM :)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Drew on January 08, 2008, 12:13:32 AM
HT, that's great to hear!  I'm glad your daughter came to that realization all on her own.  :)  Dave plans to take that naan recipe and some tsatsiki to 4H Favorite Foods Day this spring.

Tonight Dan made Tuscan sweet pepper soup from a James McNair cookbook.  She served it with slices of baguette, some with a white bean spread, and some with roasted garlic.  We also had some sliced pears, grapefruit, and bananas.  Robin and I got to have some when we came home from our yoga class.

Boy, I sure love being a tree-hugging California hippie.  With a pocket protector.  Yup!
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on January 08, 2008, 12:42:36 AM
You play the part well, Drew. :)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on January 08, 2008, 10:16:22 AM
We're going to have leftovers from last night tonight... yesterday was nuts!  DH had a phone interview in the heart of tornado alley, and here we are in Wisconsin in JANUARY, no less, and the tornado sirens went off three different times while he was interviewing and while I was cooking dinner.  I sent the kids to the basement with the dog and then watched the sky and the weather, AND  cooked dinner at the same time.  The tornadoes passed within just a few miles/minutes of here, but the crazy thing was that the trees in our yard weren't really even moving, and it wasn't raining in our yard.  Just across the road, the trees down by the creek looked like they were going to snap in two, and it was pouring over there.  I could see some power line flashes, but we never lost power....  After all that, we installed half the new laminate flooring in the dining room and stairwell.  I'm hoping to finish the rest of that room before DH gets home today so that we can do the next room after dinner.  My goal is to have the floor complete by Friday... so nice dinners may go by the wayside for the week.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Drew on January 08, 2008, 10:41:01 AM
If you want something done, give it to a busy person!
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on January 08, 2008, 11:32:18 PM
The stew and naan tasted even better tonight than last night.  The naan is now all gone.  The girls ate it until I thought they'd explode.  We also added the last of the several kimchees because I was starting to have issues with the strong, ripe kimchee smell every time I opened the fridge.  The exceptions were the two in glass lock containers because they don't stink... we had some but left enough for some more meals from them.  I got most of the rest of the floor in the dining room done today and DH is putting in the last few right now... in order to put the last row of boards in the dining room, we had to tear up the first part of the entry into the breakfast nook (the floors were 1/4 inch different in heights because there was a thin layer of plywood over the old tiles and under the ugly linoleum.)  Now, we have a huge chunk of the nook floor ripped up with little staples sticking up here and there... there is no way I can keep the kids off this all day tomorrow, so I'm either going to have to put them to work pulling tile and staples with me, or we're going to have to spend a good part of tomorrow elsewhere!  I really want to get this floor finished, doggone it...it looks so nice in the dining room already.  It is awfully hard to live in a house while you're working on tearing up major components of it.  Tomorrow night, it'll be stew again, and maybe some cornbread.  I think that'll finish off the stew.  And maybe some collard greens... I bought some the other day because we've now entered the phase of winter where I start craving sunshine, even if indirect, and the most common expression is in starving for dark leafy green foods for the majority of winter. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Redoverfarm on January 09, 2008, 08:31:34 PM
Well last night I winged it myself. Cleaned up some leftovers.  Tonight everyone was home and it was short ribs, broccoli & rice, peas and biscuits.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on January 10, 2008, 08:26:14 AM
Last night we went out for dinner instead of having stew... little greasy spoon place.  I had a skillet with steak and eggs, and it hit the spot.  Tonight, we're going to a friend's house for dinner.  I think she said something about making sandwiches with Italian sausage or something to that effect... all I know is that I'm to show up with tiramisu for dessert.  That's the way to go with tiramisu... take it to a potluck and then you don't have overload from eating rich stuff every day trying to eat up leftovers.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Drew on January 10, 2008, 11:38:08 AM
Last night I made ziti, which is fast and welcome at home.  Slice some tomatoes for the bottom, add cooked rigatoni, drop in a bunch of half spoons of ricotta, pour your favorite (organic, of course) marinara sauce (I like to add some oregano or maybe some left over pesto), and top with slices of mozzarella.  Bake at 350 for 30 minutes and serve it with sliced fruit, a salad, bread, whatever.  It's a recipe a kid could do which is a good thing.  It's a recipe a kid could eat, which is even better.

Tonight will be the pizza on the homemade focaccia bread.  It's gotta be fast because I'm going to talk to the Pacifica 4H club about starting a pastured laying hen project.  "Yard eggs" in the city.  Planet Organics sells them for $8 a dozen.  We could sell them for $5/dozen and it would be a lot more 4H-ey than See's Candy.

Not that there is anything wrong with See's Candy.  Oh, no.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on January 10, 2008, 02:27:59 PM
$8 a dozen!!!  Are they made of gold???  Whew!  One of my old co-workers used to sell hers for $1.50 a dozen.  My dad and step-mom don't usually even sell theirs, though they're some of the richest eggs I've ever eaten... they give them away to friends and relatives and co-workers...every now and then they take donations for them.  Are you going to be certified organic? 

The tiramisu is done and the kids have licked the mixer off, and the bowl out.  :)  Now I can kick back because there is no more cooking to do today. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on January 10, 2008, 02:34:15 PM
We used to have so many eggs - some of my co-workers wanted them & asked "how much" - I just told them, make a donation for the chickens if you want - for the food etc - I didn't feel comfortable charging - don't know why, though... we'd give them away to friends & family - and I cooked with a lot of them!  Now we only have 2 old hens & they're not laying anymore that I know of, if they do, the possums, skunks & whatever else are eating them.

BTW, our dogs got sprayed with a skunk the other night.  These dogs are still pups - about 6-7 month & are so high energy & frisky - it's almost impossible to keep them from jumping on you.

So anyone have good egg recipes for when we get more chickens? 

I cooked a roast & put just picked green tomatoes, green peppers, onions, beet greens & garlic in the juice & then made a gravy out of that for mashed potatoes.

Drew, that recipe sounds tasty!
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Redoverfarm on January 10, 2008, 02:51:04 PM
HG  When I was working a co-worker and myself (wives included) would go camping and trout fishing.  If we were lucky at the end of the day we would cook a traditional supper which included trout, fried potatos and the like. Well his wife was Korean and she would always eat her traditional food which on one evening she fixed rice(plain). But she would spoon out what looked like apple butter (she said it was made from fish) and pour it onto her rice which she laid in a lettuce leaf. She rolled it up an gobbled it down as we did our menu. I tried it and it was "hotter than hades".  Do you have any idea what it might have been? The only thing that comes close that I have eaten is chinese mustard. It ranks right along with horseradish which I love. 

Speaking of which I can remember growing up we would go to my grandfathers house in the country and he would always raise his own ,grind it and can it. When you walked in the house the vapors would almost take your breath. I don't know how he managed to work it up without passing out.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Redoverfarm on January 10, 2008, 02:56:04 PM
Sassy I know there are some recipe's that use eggs for homemade ice cream. ;D That ought to get Glenn to buy some more chickens.  My boy has been pestering me to get some chickens for him. But I told him he has to master the care for the animals he already has first.  With the price of corn and the cost of the feed it is hard to pay for themselves now.  Maybe in the spring. Oh he raised a pig this year for 4-H and got pretty good money for it and he now wants to raise hogs.  Just another dream in a childs mind.  This years pics he's the one with the JD hat. Go figure.

(https://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd161/redoverfarm/hightop/farm/100_1358-1.jpg)
(https://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd161/redoverfarm/hightop/farm/100_1360-1.jpg)
(https://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd161/redoverfarm/hightop/farm/100_1384-1.jpg)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on January 10, 2008, 03:09:35 PM
At least your son is headed in the right direction  :)  I don't want to get the baby chicks until it gets warmer around here.  We have to be so careful to keep them warm enough & cleaning out the nest (we keep them in a dog carrier while they're little with warming light).  The nest has to be cleaned everyday - they make such messes but are so cute  ::)  Until we get our chicken coop varmint proof it doesn't pay to have chickens.... and as you said, they are expensive to raise... but if you are paying $8 a dozen like Drew quoted, I guess raising them yourself would save money  :)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on January 10, 2008, 03:47:49 PM
Quote from: Redoverfarm on January 10, 2008, 02:51:04 PM
HG  When I was working a co-worker and myself (wives included) would go camping and trout fishing.  If we were lucky at the end of the day we would cook a traditional supper which included trout, fried potatos and the like. Well his wife was Korean and she would always eat her traditional food which on one evening she fixed rice(plain). But she would spoon out what looked like apple butter (she said it was made from fish) and pour it onto her rice which she laid in a lettuce leaf. She rolled it up an gobbled it down as we did our menu. I tried it and it was "hotter than hades".  Do you have any idea what it might have been? The only thing that comes close that I have eaten is chinese mustard. It ranks right along with horseradish which I love. 

Speaking of which I can remember growing up we would go to my grandfathers house in the country and he would always raise his own ,grind it and can it. When you walked in the house the vapors would almost take your breath. I don't know how he managed to work it up without passing out.
Redoverfarm, sounds like a combination of kochu-jang and duen-jang that she was using on the lettuce.  My husband and I make it for making lettuce rolls all the time (especially in summer when we grill a lot of Korean style meat/fish).  Is there a Korean market anywhere near where you live?  (Usually other Asian markets, unless they are really big, don't carry a lot of Korean food because it is different from everyone else in the region.)  Kochu-jang is red pepper paste, and duen-jang is made from fermented soybeans (usually with some broth from myeolchi, anchovies).  We usually mix a little of both and add ginseng (powdered), a tad bit of honey, sesame seeds and a little oil, and whatever else strikes our fancy.  Cooks from the deep south part of South Korea make this stuff a gourmet specialty while the further north you go it has less flavor and simply more heat.  If you have a Korean market nearby, they sell the stuff in little rectangular tubs (or big ones, if you like).  We usually get one red tub (the pure chili paste) and one brown/tan tub (the soybean paste, which you can also use to make soup similar to miso soup, if you like) and then mix about two parts chili to one part duen-jang to eat with the rice and lettuce and meat or fish.  Mixed together, it also makes a really awesome marinade for baked chicken...  Oh, and a side note, the Korean markets also sell a variety that is in a green tub, and it is premixed, but to me it just doesn't taste as good as when you mix it yourself.  If you liked that, you probably would also like the hot mustard oil they sell... it's made with horseradish.  It comes in a little bottle (ASSI is a good brand) and is sold as "Hot Dressing Oil".  A little dab'll do ya, though, as it's hot!  It's especially good on cold noodle dishes.  I'll try to take a picture of the tubs so that you can see what they look like... it's always easier to find if you know what you're looking for.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on January 10, 2008, 04:07:56 PM
Quote from: Sassy on January 10, 2008, 02:34:15 PM
We used to have so many eggs - some of my co-workers wanted them & asked "how much" - I just told them, make a donation for the chickens if you want - for the food etc - I didn't feel comfortable charging - don't know why, though... we'd give them away to friends & family - and I cooked with a lot of them!  Now we only have 2 old hens & they're not laying anymore that I know of, if they do, the possums, skunks & whatever else are eating them.

BTW, our dogs got sprayed with a skunk the other night.  These dogs are still pups - about 6-7 month & are so high energy & frisky - it's almost impossible to keep them from jumping on you.

So anyone have good egg recipes for when we get more chickens? 

I cooked a roast & put just picked green tomatoes, green peppers, onions, beet greens & garlic in the juice & then made a gravy out of that for mashed potatoes.

Drew, that recipe sounds tasty!

Veggie fritattas are easy and really filling.  And, they can be made ahead and heated back up and still taste good.  I always make mine in my big cast iron skillet.  I boil a few potatoes until they're just getting tender, and then in the meantime, I saute' onions, tomatoes, peppers, mushrooms, garlic, and whatever else sounds good just until tender.  In a big bowl, mix the veggies (except potatoes), as much pepper jack cheese as you think it needs, some pepper, and about 8-10 eggs (depends on how big your skillet is.)  Chop fresh cilantro into the mix and then butter the skillet.  Slice the potatoes thinly and layer over the bottom of the skillet, and then pour in the egg/cheese/veg mix.  Cook on the stove top on medium heat just until the eggs are starting to set on the bottom and around the edges and then pop it in the oven at 350 degrees for about 10-15 minutes until it starts to get golden.  Cut it like a pie and sprinkle with parmesan and serve with your choice of salsa or other sauce.  Very good and fairly well-rounded meal.  Sometimes I add meat, but not as a general rule, though it is good with ham, sausage or steak.

There is also an egg-cheddar bake I make sometimes for supper.  Basically just mix eggs, cheese, mustard, and pepper and bake it.  I usually add peppers or chilies and onions and/or garlic.

My MIL makes awesome steamed eggs for breakfast or dinner... here's the basic method:
Beat 3-4 eggs and add 1 t. soy sauce, 1T. water, one chopped green onion, and 1/2 t. sesame salt or toasted sesame seeds, and red and black pepper to taste.  Pour the mixture into a small greased pan or casserole (I use a heavy stoneware bowl that's made in Korea and is heavy enough to be cooked in)and sprinkle red pepper flakes or threads on top as well as chopped green onion.  You steam it in a double boiler or a steamer for about 10-15 minutes.  It should not boil.  In Korea, it is usually one of many side dishes on the table with any given meal, but it is especially good with kind of bland foods (ie. plain rice).  Would probably go well with grits or cream of wheat, etc., too.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Redoverfarm on January 10, 2008, 04:31:10 PM
HG there is not any markets even close by.  There was a market in Williamsburg Va that had food from all over the world.  I don't get there very often and just stopped while on vacation.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on January 10, 2008, 04:40:07 PM
I've made a lot of fritattas - used a lot of our garden veggies & eggs - one thing I didn't do was put it in the oven...  that would give it a more crisp texture, I'd like that - in the summer I can't use my oven - the whole thing heats up & it makes the house too hot.  I love to use the oven in the winter, though - helps to heat up the place  :)  The fritattas are wonderful... lots of times I would fry some chopped bacon 1st, then the potatoes, when potatoes were getting tender, add the onions, then the other veggies (chard, spinach, carrots, peppers, cauliflower, broccoli, green beans, whatever I had handy - let that steam a bit, pour the egg & cheese mixture on top, cover & let that cook through, then add some more cheese & let that melt on top. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Drew on January 10, 2008, 05:02:58 PM
Quote from: Homegrown Tomatoes on January 10, 2008, 02:27:59 PM
$8 a dozen!!!  Are they made of gold???  Whew!  ...  Are you going to be certified organic? 


I'm not sure what causes it.  There has always been a strong foodie culture here in the Bay Area, and local food is becoming a big deal.  The CSA Dan and I go to sell eggs from a neighboring farm for $6/dozen.  It's where the economics equalize.  $5 doesn't make it, but $6 can be done on that scale.  And people drive down to Pescadero (about an hour south of SF) to get them.  Not sure how green that is, but w'ever.

The eggs we produce will be coming from our 4H project.  One of the cool things about that is the built in brand.  We will use organic feed and follow all the practices for CCOF certification, but we won't try to get certified.  At least not this year.  The 4Hers can tell the buyers all about the source and process.  Ever hear a confident kid in dress whites give a talk on animal management?  By the time they are done, no one is going to think we're running a battery enterprise.   :D



Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Redoverfarm on January 10, 2008, 05:25:53 PM
Drew around here there is what they call "Ham & Bacon Sale" which is kids raising their higs then curing up the ham and bacon and then having a sale. It is suppose to FFA but most of the kids are in 4H as well. A couple years ago my nephew sold a dozen eggs for $300. Of course it is a charity type sale. Some hams went for $20 pound. If you could return that kind of profit on eggs you would get your picture next to Bill Gates ;)

I posted a few pictures in this thread of my boy and his 4H pig project earlier today. I think I mentioned it once before.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Drew on January 10, 2008, 06:02:53 PM
I saw the pictures, Red.  They're great!  I really like the confidence and responsibility that programs like FFA and 4H build in kids.  I think my favorite part of being our 4H community leader is writing the scholarship letters.  I love bragging up these kids!  :D

I'm hoping I can show the kids what it means to be a supplier - that $5 a week from 10 families is $2,600 a year -if- you take care of your customers and your flock.  We have models where the kids raise an animal and auction it at fair, but nothing yet on repeat business.

Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on January 11, 2008, 12:01:00 AM
Quote from: Redoverfarm on January 10, 2008, 04:31:10 PM
HG there is not any markets even close by.  There was a market in Williamsburg Va that had food from all over the world.  I don't get there very often and just stopped while on vacation.
that's too bad... here we have to drive clear down to the Chicago area to buy Korean groceries.  We only go once in a blue moon.  During the growing season, I grow most of what we use, though. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Drew on January 11, 2008, 06:07:23 PM
Soup for dinner and a PB sammich on the way to the farm.  it's a work weekend!  Yessss!
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Daddymem on January 11, 2008, 06:16:02 PM
A nice big piece of cod, some rice pilaf and cauliflower.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on January 11, 2008, 06:23:47 PM
A big venison pot roast with carrots and onions. Potatoes.

Family from out of town coming in for the memorial service.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on January 11, 2008, 07:40:49 PM
What, Daddymem, no Lobsta?
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Daddymem on January 11, 2008, 08:32:27 PM
Heh, had one a couple weekends ago actually.  Now you got me cravin' the sea bugs...I could go for some dungeness.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on January 11, 2008, 08:54:12 PM
Mmmm. Prefer crab myself
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on January 11, 2008, 10:45:16 PM
Chopped steak and eggs.  It was good.  Mushrooms and onions with the steak.  MMMM
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Redoverfarm on January 11, 2008, 10:53:56 PM
I used to think shrimp was number one for me next to crabs. But in the last several years I have grown to lust for scallops and oysters(half-shelled). Never really liked Lobster that much. But hay I will eat any seafood. I guess because it is no always available in my neck of the woods so I generally settle for rainbow or brook.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: tanya on January 12, 2008, 12:35:16 AM
So far I had strawberry smoothie, pizza, two kinds, an orange, and baked chicken and cottage cheese.  I want CANDY and there isn't a store open anywhere!!! I wish I just would have gone and got the candy when I first started craving it.  There is only plain old sugar in this house and I am trying very hard not to eat the cake mix but you know what I am going right now to eat it because that is what I want now that I remembered I have it plain old cake mix right out of the box.  No kidding. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on January 12, 2008, 12:39:37 AM
I think you can snort it through a straw to keep from getting the powder all over your face, tanya.

Don't want you walking around looking suspicious in todays world. ;D

Sorry, tanya -- I keep having this illusion that I'm funny. ???
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on January 12, 2008, 11:33:13 AM
Tanya, I have cravings like that sometimes, but I'm pregnant...What's your excuse?? ;D
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: tanya on January 12, 2008, 12:01:59 PM
I have no excuse I just like sweets.  as far as snorting it well that wont work because no nose tastebuds.  Anyway I only ate a few spoonfuls and that took care of the craving usually I eat about half a box.  And now I have my sugar stash for awhile no one else here eats cake mix so I don't have to be paranoid about that. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on January 12, 2008, 04:44:59 PM
Dinner tonight will be samgyetang (Korean chicken and ginseng soup) iff I can get the rest of the floor outside the kitchen replaced in time to cook it.  We're still tearing out all the senseless old layers of flooring at the moment, and we've been at it almost all day.  You see, we have a portable dishwasher which sits just outside the door of the tiny kitchen, and we rolled it into the kitchen and ran it just as we started tearing up the floor...  now we have to have a floor to roll it back onto before I can access the fridge!  (I can't squeeze past the dishwasher because of my belly, though DH can.)  Anyway, our kitchen is so small that when the dishwasher is in there, there is room for nothing else (and no one else!)  I'm taking a break until DH pulls up the last little bit of the ancient tile covered by ancient linoleum, covered by 1/4 inch plywood, covered by another ugly layer of linoleum, etc.  Then I'll go in and pull up the rest of the staples (there were literally thousands in this tiny 8' by 8' room while he hauls the contractors garbage bags out.  THEN we can start on the floor and eventually get the dishwasher out of the kitchen so that maybe by midnight we can have supper.   ;D
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Daddymem on January 12, 2008, 06:40:12 PM
Hamburger soup has been cooking all day in the slow cooker....mmmm
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: williet on January 12, 2008, 07:59:09 PM
We went to the Pizza Hut. I had the new Bistro Chicken Bake....it was fantastic.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Redoverfarm on January 12, 2008, 09:30:09 PM
Ha guess what. The wife's stove worked today and it a "Saturday". We had Fried Chicken , dumplings and broccoli. But I have already been told that it is acting up again and she doesn't think it will be working tomarrow. Had plans on driving to Elkins then to do some shopping. Yeah we will probably eat out.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on January 12, 2008, 11:39:35 PM
Sassy is at work -- I had a tuna sandwich and peanut butter and chocolate ice cream.

There are some frozen shrimps and salt and butter -- I could make some microwave scampi. :)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Daddymem on January 13, 2008, 02:47:36 PM
Nova Scotian Hodge podge from leftover ham.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Drew on January 13, 2008, 10:35:40 PM
Dan and Robin made Brinner.  That's breakfast for dinner.  Scrambled eggs with pepper jack, skillet potatoes, grapefruit, kiwi, and blood oranges.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on January 13, 2008, 10:49:55 PM
I like that too-- and many times I'd rather have dinner for breakfast.

Today I went to the mountain and received a vision.

Seriously.  I was prospecting with one of my buddies and after a few hours of climbing over rocks , under brush and up mountainsides looking for old gold mines, I had a vision of this nice big steak in the freezer.  I knew it was going to be dinner tonight.

After a trip down the hill that was probably harder than the way up I was ready.

I fired up the Round Oak wood stove when I got home- got a nice bed of coals going -- nuked the steak on defrost to hasten it's demise , coated it with Montreal Steak Seasoning on both sides and threw it in a barbecue basket.  The oak had burned down to a mild inferno so it was about 3 minutes each side and I was ready to dig in. 

It was every bit as good as I thought it was going to be when I was up on the mountain.  I brought down the stone tablets--- OK -- so it was just a big bag of rocks, but failed to find the burning Bush.  Wish I could have. :)

Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Drew on January 13, 2008, 11:11:17 PM
I may be a vegetarian, Glenn, but I sure know how to appreciate a good steak and a good steak story.

Tell us the story of the Three Little Pork Chops, Uncle Glenn!   :D

A few years ago when my daughter was 8 (Hmm.  Maybe more than a few), we were standing at a >good< meat counter.  Gazing at the beautiful red meat, Robin said, "Daddy's in beef heaven.  And so is the cow."

Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on January 14, 2008, 01:56:53 AM
Thanks, Drew -- vegetables are just a state of mind. [crz]

It really was good.  Hope we don't turn you back into a carnivore, nephew. :)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Daddymem on January 14, 2008, 11:25:08 AM
Snow day today-Nor'Eastah.  Beanie Weenies cookin' in da crock.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on January 14, 2008, 04:36:33 PM
Hmmm... trying to remember what the past few days have been...  We had kimchee chigae one night, I know (kimchee stew served boiling hot).  And we had veggie and chicken stir fry last night with some soggy leftover rice.    But we got the whole first floor of our house replaced during this span of time, so... worth it to eat plain.  The new floor looks great.  Shiny and bright and clean.  :)  I love it.  Somewhere in there we had corn pone (hot water cornbread sticks) that were kind of plain, but filling... that might not have been a "meal" though; I can't remember.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Drew on January 14, 2008, 06:26:54 PM
I think I'm making enchiladas tonight.  Either that or soup.

We went to the Rainbow Grocery in SF yesterday.  Think Whole Foods with a CCW.  This place is employee owned and hard core. It sits south of Market (SOMA) under the freeway.  You won't find a butcher counter but you can find anything in bulk.  Malt syrup, hemp seeds, all kinds of coffee (Including ones where you choose your cause - Lift the embargo on Cuba?  Do it one pound at a time!), and don't even ask about the beans and pasta.  There's a matrix of producers and farming practices on the egg counter.  No debeaking?  Don't buy Clyde's Eggs.  Everything you need for intentional eating.

This was not your father's Safeway and it made me feel so good to be in this place.  It was a place of strong inner-city commerce in organic, clean food.  Money collects around things that are happening, and this is a thing that needs to happen.  Maybe its easier to eat local organic in rural areas, but seeing the market forces bring it to the city gives me hope that this isn't a lost cause.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Redoverfarm on January 15, 2008, 08:44:24 AM
Last night it was honey glazed pork fillets, snap peas, maccaroni & cheese.  Personally I can live with or without maccaroni & cheese but the DW like's to keep it interesting for the kids.

Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on January 15, 2008, 11:29:59 AM
Last night was American cheese slices with the plastic ripped off and broken into 4 pieces and stuffed between 2 Ritz crackers.  A lot of them -- and Arizona Grapeade.  Suzy had a carry along bag of dog food --- we were prospecting  and getting a bit of color. :)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Drew on January 15, 2008, 11:46:58 AM
So when you get gold, you eat crackers for dinner?  I hope I never strike it rich.  I'll starve! ;D

I used to make the blue box mac 'n cheese with a can of tuna mixed in.  It got me through a lot of tight weeks.  Later I found it was one of the few things the toddlers would eat.  Now they hoover the stuff like the 110 pound eating machines they are.

Survival food -> baby food -> cob spackle.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on January 15, 2008, 12:15:55 PM
Today I'm going to have to make a trip to the grocery store, like it or not.  It is seriously cold outside, and I'd rather sit inside wearing my coat and drinking hot soup and tea and the like, but the sun is shining, and maybe it'll feel warm through the truck window?  Just wish I could hibernate.  May make some rye muffins for lunch for me and the kids.... and some lentils.  Doesn't sound that good, but pickings are getting somewhat slim around here.
On one hand, I really want to just stock up so that we don't keep having to go shopping, but on the other hand, I am desperately hoping to move soon (and so is DH), in which case, it would be silly to have a lot of food to have to get rid of.   Maybe I can just cook with the odds and ends in the pantry/freezer today (ala. salmon patties, steamed frozen veggies, etc.) and have DH stop and get TP on the way home (which is probably the main thing we really need to have TODAY.)  ;) 

Sigh.  I hate winter.  Think I'll go bake something to warm the house up.  Besides, I need to check on the kids.  They are way too quiet and it involves glitter glue and tempera paint.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Daddymem on January 15, 2008, 07:59:55 PM
Leftover hodge podge...mmmmmmmm
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: benevolance on January 15, 2008, 09:22:33 PM
good to see you daddymem
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on January 15, 2008, 09:52:10 PM
More salmon... baked this time as I didn't feel like doing the outdoor grill in the cold tonight. Steamed green beans and cheesy garlic wheat bread.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Redoverfarm on January 15, 2008, 11:04:09 PM
Chicken breast filets, baked potato, whole kernnel corn.  Taste pretty good after battling the elements all day. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on January 16, 2008, 03:12:09 AM
Quote from: Drew on January 15, 2008, 11:46:58 AM
So when you get gold, you eat crackers for dinner?  I hope I never strike it rich.  I'll starve! ;D

I used to make the blue box mac 'n cheese with a can of tuna mixed in.  It got me through a lot of tight weeks.  Later I found it was one of the few things the toddlers would eat.  Now they hoover the stuff like the 110 pound eating machines they are.

Survival food -> baby food -> cob spackle.

I bought it for lunch in case I had to work out in the boonies, but... the work I thought might happen didn't so made my delivery and rushed to the gold field.

I  didn't want to leave so that made dinner.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: benevolance on January 16, 2008, 07:20:46 AM
cannot do food in a cardboard box much anymore...Unless it is Ritz crackers and a jar of Peanut Butter...I take them along with me on long trips in the truck going after cars. Peanut butter is like Crack for me..I eat a large jar a week and have my whole life
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on January 16, 2008, 12:07:27 PM
Tonight is omelettes with fried taters.  There's some leftover ham and pepper jack cheese and bell peppers... I'll have to see if I can scrounge up some maters, too.  I love breakfast for supper.  For a long time we had a tradition that Friday nights were breakfast nights, but I don't know what happened to it.  We'd always either have breakfast or a homemade pizza with pineapples (sorry Sassy, but they are really good.) 

I never did convince myself to go to the store yesterday.  I took the dog out and checked the mail... that's as far as I made it.  We had rye muffins for breakfast this morning... haven't thought too much about lunch.  Maybe we'll eat out and then go grocery shopping...I know, I'm terribly lazy.  I just hate being cold!  Today is slightly warmer, but it takes a turn for the worse the rest of the week. By Saturday, I think our high temp is supposed to be 10 degrees.  UGH.   c*
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on January 16, 2008, 02:44:10 PM
Well, last night, after we went grocery shopping, we had steaks barbecued in the Round Oak stove, salad with mixed greens & macaroni & cheese - ice cream for dessert.  I just got back from the valley last night - it was all fogged in, ugh, now wake up today to "cloud" cover engulfing our mountain  :(  but tomorrow is supposed to be sunny.  I did get out on Monday & worked in the yard at our house in the valley for several hours, it was sunny - raking leaves, cleaning walkways, trimming grapevines & rose bushes etc.  Lots to do. 

Haven't done much today except make coffee & wash dishes & sit down to the internet...   c*  Glenn went to the dentist early, I have to go this afternoon  :(
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on January 16, 2008, 02:50:32 PM
QuoteWe'd always either have breakfast or a homemade pizza with pineapples (sorry Sassy, but they are really good.)

Funny you should mention that, Homegrown...Last night when Sassy made the Mac n' Cheese, she had a can of pineapple sitting on the stove.  I mentioned it might make a good combination with the Mac n' Cheese.  :)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on January 16, 2008, 06:37:25 PM
Why not, cheese and pineapple are good together on pizza.... ;D

I'm off to make omelettes.  I did go to the store today.  Darn expensive trip too... dollar doesn't go as far as it did just  a few months ago, even.  I got three bags of groceries, no meat, no processed foods except the maple syrup, and two tubes of toothpaste, and it cost over $100.  Got to move soon.  Got to get someplace where I can grow stuff during the fall and early spring, if not winter.  It's like that feeling when you dive too deep and then suddenly you realize you're running out of air and you just have to get to someplace where you can breathe... homesick doesn't come close to describing it!
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Daddymem on January 16, 2008, 07:58:41 PM
Rosemary pork, broccoli and cheese, and parmesan potato wedges...dang I got it good.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: benevolance on January 16, 2008, 11:46:24 PM
Beans, weiners and pepparoni... (Noxious gas warning in effect)...Homemade brown bread...

Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on January 16, 2008, 11:48:47 PM
After you two guys posted, I think I'm glad I'm on the west coast, but I still wouldn't mind having a plateful.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on January 16, 2008, 11:55:54 PM
 :-\ Baby was crowding my stomach too much to eat dinner, so I made DH an omelette and some scrambled eggs for the kids, and I had a handful of almonds and a pear.  Later, a glass of milk.
Right about now, that omelette's starting to sound good, though, so I'd best go to bed!
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: benevolance on January 17, 2008, 03:48:16 AM
you have not lived Glenn until you have had Hot pepparoni with the beans and weiners...Cut the pepparoni up  into chunks the size of the end of your little finger.. it adds a good kick to the flavour of the beans and the weiners...my wife resisted the idea at first but once she tasted it she was hooked.

She farts almost as much as I do...So we are peas in a pod...Hers do not peel the paint off the walls though or make your eyes water ;D
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on January 17, 2008, 10:48:34 AM
 rofl [scared]  Maybe this should be the "What's After Dinner" thread???

Tonight it is ham and tater soup.  And some fruit and/or salad.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Drew on January 17, 2008, 11:05:40 AM
It's another blood donation day, so I get whatever I want!

And today I want a fritatta and fruit. 

And a 4x4 truck.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: tanya on January 17, 2008, 11:25:17 AM
Last night I had steamed vegies and chicken.  It was really good I didn't think I would like steamed chicken breast but the flavor was actually pretty good and I cut it up and mixed it in with the vegies and seasoning so it didn't look so bad. Easy to cook and pretty mcuh fat free so I think it might be one of my more popular meals.  Cake mix straight from the box for dessert, I still have a lot of that left. Tonight I have a guest coming home with me and we will be hungry after that long trip so I am thinking meatloaf, baked potatoes and steamed broccli.  Chocolates for dessert. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Daddymem on January 17, 2008, 02:49:05 PM
Corned beef and cabbage and homemade Irish soda bread...better check the wind direction.  ;D
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on January 17, 2008, 03:04:43 PM
Well, I just changed dinner plans... it is snowing like crazy and it seemed like a good day for beef stew and some of Drew and Dan's naan again.  For any of you who haven't tried that recipe yet, you oughtta... (I mixed about 1/2 whole wheat with it, though... it still tasted great.)
Maybe tomorrow will be a good potato soup day... it is supposed to be even colder tomorrow, so I like how potato soup seems to warm you up from the inside out...
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on January 17, 2008, 03:10:05 PM
We have SUN today -  [cool]  I took out a roast - haven't decided how to cook it yet...  I don't want to be cooped up all day inside - so what in the world am I doing on this dang computer?  ???  d*
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on January 17, 2008, 03:31:25 PM
Maybe I'll move to CA instead?  :D

This is not the place to live if you come from a place that averages 300+ sunny days a year, for sure.  I have two friends here who both moved from California, and I don't know how they can stand it.  I don't think I would mind the cold so much if it weren't so darn cloudy.  OK, I need to get off this darn computer and get to work!
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on January 17, 2008, 10:16:52 PM
I'm cooking the roast in a big, heavy pot on the wood stove again - added celery, onions, tomatoes, potatoes & carrots - might as well use the wood stove rather than using more propane  :)

btw, I got outside & took the dogs for a walk, was able to sit on the deck outside in the sun & pay bills, somehow, didn't seem as bad, then read for about an hour - didn't even need a jacket.  Had to go to the post office to mail the bills & pu mail, then go to store for a few things (it's right on the way). 

Came home & baked another banana nut cake - when the bananas get too ripe, I just toss them into the freezer still in the skins, then take them out, let them thaw & mix them up in the cake!

Glenn's been out prospecting again - got his trommel (sp?) built last night & took off this am - I had washing & stuff to do so stayed home - besides this was the 1st sunny day that I've been able to go outside for awhile. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Redoverfarm on January 17, 2008, 10:24:55 PM
Sounds good Sassy. Wish I didn't live so far away.

I heard a couple years ago that bananas was the food that was wasted the most with people throwing it away. Bread I think was #2.  Never thought of freezing bananas but bread when it gets old is thrown into the freezer to make stuffing and croutons out of.

Another interesting thing that I heard about dairy and butter manufaturing. India is the largest consumer of butter in the world. They use 46% of the global butter made annually.  It shows as they do have good food. Probably use alot of Curry as well.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on January 18, 2008, 04:32:20 PM
We never waste bananas...they go in the freezer and are thrown into smoothies and milkshakes, or sometimes a loaf of banana bread.  :) 

I've been a little preoccupied about DH's job situation, so haven't thought much about what's for dinner tonight.  I think that tonight we may go out for Mexican food before heading to the lumber yard to get the trimmings for our new floor (hopefully we'll get it all done tomorrow, as far as trimming it out.)  Also need to do a little painting over the weekend, though DH will be gone Sunday and Monday.  I am ready to pack to move, but at the same time am a little overwhelmed at the thought of it.  There are certain things that I will miss about living here... especially now that the house looks so good.  :) 

If we go out, it'll be chilies rellenos for me.  Heart attack on a plate but out of this world delicious.  DH will probably have carne asada or a combination of tostadas and tacos.  The kids will have their favorite, a steak tostada with a lot of guacamole and salsa.  Guess we're kind of predictable.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on January 19, 2008, 07:56:37 PM
Tonight it is lentils and rice, with some other veggies and a tad bit of ham thrown in... and corn sticks.  The kids love those and it was cold enough that it felt nice to crank the oven up to 450 degrees.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Daddymem on January 19, 2008, 10:21:24 PM
Dominoes pizza-blech, but hey it was on the cub scouts-Pack bowling night.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on January 19, 2008, 10:36:38 PM
Quote from: Daddymem on January 19, 2008, 10:21:24 PM
Dominoes pizza-blech, but hey it was on the cub scouts-Pack bowling night.
I agree... the only good tolerable Dominoes pizza is a free one.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on January 20, 2008, 01:44:09 AM
Don, I don't know about that... i wouldn't eat dominoes in the US unless there was nothing else to eat, but in Korea, it was the best place to order pizza from.  They were so good there.  (KFC is a lot better there, too... spicier and not greasy.)  Dominoes pizzas in Korea came with a lot of unusual ingredients, like corn and bul-go-gi and pineapple.  (Just for kicks, I tried McDonald's and BK one time each there, and they were even worse than here.)  Subway there doesn't carry wheat bread, though the server dutifully offers it to you every time regardless, and then responds, "We have no wheat." and then makes it on white bread.  I also tried TGIFriday's there (I've never eaten at one in the states) and it was OK... overpriced but alright.  Chilies there was mediocre, at best.  Mexican food in Korea was terrible... whoever tried opening the Mexican restaurant I ate at there had obviously never eaten Mexican food... it was more bland than canned baby food.  The best thing besides Dominoes was the Vietnamese noodle shops, which were much like the ones in the US, only the broth was heartier and more filling.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on January 20, 2008, 01:57:54 AM
So this is turning into a fast food review....
Subway, we like
Domino's, we don't like their crust
McD, uh-uh
BK, would you believe I've never been in one
Wendy's, only been once or twice, don't recall it being bad or good
TGIF, never been
Chilis, we don't like
KFC, can't remember the last time, but it tasted good
Pizza Hut, we like their pan pizza crust, but it's more greasy than my own
(FYI, it only takes 3 minutes in an 800 degree oven)
We like Olive Garden
For fast Asian we like Pei Wei and Panda
Red Robin, we like
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on January 20, 2008, 10:07:55 AM
 :)  I don't like fast food, period, in the US, but some of it is significantly better in Korea.  I also don't like chain restaurants... the last time we went to one was a "Noodles" restaurant but that was because we were in a hurry to get somewhere.  When we travel, we either pack our food or stop at little mom and pop places along the way... it's fun to see if they're any good and what the local specialties are....
I mentioned Chili's in Korea because it was right across the street from where I worked, and I took my MIL, BIL, and SIL there to try American food.  (Incidentally, my MIL didn't realize I understood her when she said, "I would die if I had to eat this every day.)  My BIL returned the favor by taking me to TGIFriday's.  I haven't eaten food at a BK anywhere in years, but every now and then I admit to taking the kids to McDonald's and getting their plate of fruit so that the kids can play for a while somewhere warm. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Drew on January 20, 2008, 01:48:22 PM
Jacky, Dan's mom, is taking us out to dinner tonight to celebrate her 70th birthday.  Cool, huh?  We're going to go to Cafe Gibraltar, a Mediterranean restaurant down in El Granada.  It's good because it's not just the European side of the water but the African side as well.  And the kitchen uses only organic and as much local ingredients as possible (I don't know if figs and dates grow within 70 miles of this place).

I know the last sentence seems overused these days, but you can really taste the difference.  Part of it is the food itself.  The other part is likely the chef who cares enough to seek out these ingredients in the first place.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Daddymem on January 20, 2008, 02:44:43 PM
sausage subs with kraut and sweet potato and white potato chips.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on January 20, 2008, 05:42:15 PM
Just me and the kids for dinner tonight, so not sure what we're going to have.  I thought about making pancakes.  They'd like that.  Or maybe crepes, since they have a little more protein...
I've gotten four big boxes of kitchen stuff packed up so far (mostly canning jars and supplies that I'm not using right now, and stuff like pie plates and baking dishes that don't get a lot of use. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on January 20, 2008, 07:10:39 PM
Roast chicken  :) mashed sweet potatoes, steamed green beans
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on January 20, 2008, 11:24:23 PM
I made buttermilk pancakes with cream cheese and maple syrup for dinner.  It was pretty good.  We added some apples, and glasses of cold milk, and it was a done deal. 

It's the time of winter when I start craving green so badly I'll sit down to a lunch of nothing but steamed broccoli or collards or kale.  I have got to move soon!!!  I bet I could grow greens all winter in Kansas with a cold frame.  I know I can in OK, if we end up back home instead. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on January 21, 2008, 09:34:09 AM
Beans 'n' greens tonight, with leftover rye and corn muffins.

Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on January 21, 2008, 11:16:51 AM
Last night I was prospecting so had taken Mexican worker tacos with me.

Over the years I have had crews with or worked with a lot of Mexicans and it is common for them to bring extra tacos for others.  They commonly call meat or filling wrapped in a flour tortilla in this manner a taco - although you may think of them as a small burrito.

They usually toast the tortillas by flopping them directly on a propane burner on a stove, flame directly on the flour tortilla, flipping every 10 seconds or so to keep from burning, until lightly toasted, and the tortillas bubble up then put a filling in them.  The toasting takes away the gummy texture a bit.  I used chunks of steak.  After they make a batch the then pile them up and wrap them in foil.  Pretty easy, fast, handy and ready to eat later in the day - hot or cold.

We have been toasting flour tortillas over the flame in this manner lately and rubbing them with a cube of butter then rolling them up.  It's good for a quick snack also.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on January 21, 2008, 12:28:32 PM
That sounds pretty good, too.  Maybe I could make bean and cheese burritos with some of our beans for dinner tonight... my kids aren't really too crazy about beans unless they're like refried beans, and they'll eat anything with pepperjack cheese on it.  Better yet still if I give them salsa and sour cream to dip it in and make a mess with.... 

Don't know what's gotten into me lately (the itch to get out of Wisconsin, maybe?) but I not only don't feel like cooking, but nothing sounds very good to eat, either... I think around this stage with both of the pregnancies before I was eating like a half-starved horse.  The other day for lunch, I made sandwiches for the kids and then I proceeded to have a little pan of steamed veggies, and that was it... nothing else sounded remotely appetizing.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: fishing_guy on January 21, 2008, 12:34:45 PM
Quote from: glenn kangiser on January 21, 2008, 11:16:51 AM
Last night I was prospecting so had taken Mexican worker tacos with me.

Over the years I have had crews with or worked with a lot of Mexicans and it is common for them to bring extra tacos for others.  They commonly call meat or filling wrapped in a flour tortilla in this manner a taco - although you may think of them as a small burrito.

They usually toast the tortillas by flopping them directly on a propane burner on a stove, flame directly on the flour tortilla, flipping every 10 seconds or so to keep from burning, until lightly toasted, and the tortillas bubble up then put a filling in them.  The toasting takes away the gummy texture a bit.  I used chunks of steak.  After they make a batch the then pile them up and wrap them in foil.  Pretty easy, fast, handy and ready to eat later in the day - hot or cold.

We have been toasting flour tortillas over the flame in this manner lately and rubbing them with a cube of butter then rolling them up.  It's good for a quick snack also.

I know exactly what you mean Glenn.  Back in the 70's we worked with a couple of brothers from Guadalahara Mexico (although they swore and had the "papers" that they were born in Chicago, IL.

Anyway, that's exactly the way they would do lunch.  The owner of the drywall company always showed up around lunchtime.  He loved the food, especially when they would do corn.  They always had enough to share. The funny part is that the owner NEVER showed up anytime esle.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on January 21, 2008, 12:55:07 PM
I find them to be pretty generous when you show them a little respect. 

2nd or 3rd generation in the US changes them quite a bit in many cases.

Food in Mexico is quite good usually and not at all like Taco Bell. :)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on January 21, 2008, 01:26:13 PM
I know that as a foreman for a construction company, the Mexican guys that my dad has working for him are the only dependable workers he can get.  And it isn't like those guys don't make decent money, but the American kids he get don't show up, show up late, are undependable, etc.  Dad always says he ends up re-doing half of what they do.  And he gets along well with them because they like each other's food... he has a "chuck wagon" thing he built that fits up between the tool boxes on his truck, and he makes a lot of stuff for them and vice versa.  They like his chili, or so he says.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Daddymem on January 21, 2008, 08:16:08 PM
venzin stew and biscuits...mmmmm
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on January 21, 2008, 08:20:25 PM
Made biscuits, sausage gravy, fried eggs & fruit (sliced apples & grapefruit), and of course coffee for breakfast...
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: tanya on January 22, 2008, 01:29:37 AM
Dinner was left over spagetti and garlic bread and it was very good spagetti, and for bedtime snack I had an apple. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Redoverfarm on January 22, 2008, 08:55:07 AM
Last night it was fried venison steak, mashed potato's, broccoli, peas, rolls.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Drew on January 22, 2008, 12:53:32 PM
Glenn, that's a really good idea.  Lunch on work days at the farm is usually sandwiches, and we tend to stop in at the market on the way in.  It costs time, and cheese sandwiches get old fast for this vegetarian.  prepping a bunch of tacos before we go up would be great.  My double burner from Cabela's is on its way to my house to replace the Coleman burner we have.  That could work.

Hmm.  Eggs, cheese, and black beans with Tapatio and salsa inside the tortilla.   ::)

Tonight is alphabet bean soup, fruit, and bread.  My dad's coming over so I'll pick up some chicken thighs to go along with it for him.

I'm going to be leading a pastured poultry project for our 4H club.  My dad, who's in the same business I'm in and made me the propeller head I am today, grew up on a farm and has volunteered to demonstrate how to process the birds once they stop producing.  They'll be too old for roasting but would make good stewing hens.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Daddymem on January 22, 2008, 01:46:16 PM
King crab legs and broiled flounder....mmmmm
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on January 23, 2008, 11:16:30 AM
Last night was breakfast for supper at a little local diner.  I was so aggravated with the dog that i forgot to start dinner until it was nearly time for DH to be home. 

Tonight we're having the leftover beans and some bread I made yesterday in the dutch oven.  It is good, sour, crusty bread, though I still need to tweak it a little... The phone was ringing and the kids were running back and forth and opening the doors trying to get the darn dog in, and I was busy making the bread, but in the process of trying to answer my mom's questions on the phone and get the bread in the oven, I somehow turned the oven off and didn't realize it for 30 minutes.  Thankfully the dutch oven was hot already, so it still cooked, but was more chewy than it should have been... I'll try to make it again soon and see if it turns out right when I don't accidentally turn off the oven.  This particular loaf was part wheat and part barley.   I am completely out of plain white flour, so the next one will be completely whole grain... not sure I have enough wheat to do the whole thing, so it'll be a mix of wheat, buckwheat, millet, oats, and/or rye.  Trying to use all the groceries up again! ;D
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on January 23, 2008, 10:19:16 PM
Homegrown, hope you are ok after your fall!  The bread sounds good - even if you did turn the oven off.  Did you use a sourdough starter?  What's the recipe? 

Any decisions yet where you'll be moving to?  We are eagerly awaiting the decision  :)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on January 24, 2008, 10:23:15 AM
Sassy,  I'm fine after the fall... the snow was pretty fluffy, and I managed to miss all the nails and staples sticking out of the old board.  But the funniest thing is this:  When I told my husband about it, he had fussed about why didn't i walk around the boards (I'd thought I'd cleared them, but they were covered by snow when I went out and I only caught the far corner.)  Anyway, last night, he went out to get the dog back in, and came in a few minutes later covered in snow and in a tad bit of a hissy fit.  He wiped out in the exact same spot after making fun of me! rofl  What's worse, HE should have been looking out... after all, there was a big bare spot in the snow where I'd wiped out;it looks like he would have walked far enough to get around that.  I about died laughing at him... he wasn't hurt either, but he was covered head to toe in sticky snow.  Thankfully, when the dog bolted away from him, he managed to grab his leash so we didn't end up on another two hour chase.   ;D

The bread was a recipe from the most recent Mother Earth News magazine.  I'll look it up in a minute and post it here... but of course I didn't follow it exactly.  It tastes like a sour dough bread though you're technically not using a starter in the sense of one you keep going in the kitchen all the time...you just let it ferment overnight.  I had a good sour dough starter for a while, but the problem was that it tended to outgrow our ability to use it up... and I'd wake up to find it growing out of it's one gallon jar and climbing around the kitchen counter.  It got so that I was baking bread for the neighbors and so forth just to keep up with it, so when the weather started getting warm again last spring, I quit feeding it and stuck it in the fridge and used it all up.  I may start it up again after we moved, but I liked the fact that this bread tasted every bit as good and sour as regular sourdough, but didn't require the space to keep a starter going and didn't eat us out of house and home.  I think if I hadn't accidentally shut the oven off, it would have been even better.  The outside had a good, thick crust and was perfect for soup or beans. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on January 24, 2008, 11:00:30 AM
No Knead Dutch Oven Bread

1/4 tsp. active dry yeast
1.5 cups warm water
3 cups all-purpose flour plus more for dusting (or use wheat bran or cornmeal, etc.)
  You can use white flour, wheat flour, or a combination.  I used all-purpose, barley flour, and a little whole wheat.

1.  In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water.  Add flour and salt, stirring until blended.  Dough will be shaggy and sticky.  Cover with plastic wrap and let rest at least 8 hours, preferably 12-18 at warm room temperature.

2.  The dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles.  LIghtly flour a work surface and place dough on it.  Sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice.    Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let it rest for about 15 minutes.

3.  Using just enough flour to keep the dough from sticking to the work surface or your fingers, gently shape it into a ball.  Generously coat a clean dish towel with flour, wheat bran, or cornmeal.  Put the seam side of the dough down on the towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal.  Cover with another towel and let rise for 1-2 hours or until doubled in size.

4.   At least 20 minutes before the dough is ready, heat oven to 475 degrees.  Put a 6-8 qt. heavy covered pot or dutch oven into the oven as it heats (cast iron, enamel, pyrex or ceramic will work.)  When dough is ready, carefully remove the pot from the oven and lift off the lid.  Slide your hand under the towel and turn the dough over into the pot, seam side up.  The dough will lose it's shape a bit in the process, but that's OK. 

5.  Cover and bake for 30 minutes.  Remove the lid and bake another 15-20 minutes until the loaf is browned.  Remove bread from dutch oven and cool on a  wire rack at least 1 hour before slicing.  Yields a 1.5 lb. loaf.


It tasted good with a combination of wheat and barley.  I'll probably try a combo of wheat and rye next time and throw in some caraway seeds.  Also was incredibly fast and easy to make... five minutes to mix it up and then wait until the next day and spend five more minutes and another five minutes to get it in the oven. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on January 24, 2008, 11:35:03 AM
I forgot to mention that tonight is BBQ baked chicken, coleslaw, more leftover beans, and maybe biscuits... since the oven will already be hot.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on January 24, 2008, 12:14:31 PM
Thanks, Homegrown - I used to make bread all the time but just haven't wanted to get into the kneading part again - maybe this will break the ice or it will be so good that I won't have to make any other kind of bread!   :)

BTW, how much salt?

That is too funny about your husband  rofl  glad you are ok!
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on January 24, 2008, 12:33:09 PM
Oops!  I guess I skipped the salt... I think it was a teaspoon and a half.  Yep.  That's right. Should have gone back and proofread.  It is really nice because there is no kneading involved, so it's really quick and easy to make.  I have another recipe I used to make all the time for peasant bread which doesn't have to be kneaded, either, and I used to make it in an iron skillet all the time... makes the best sandwiches.  I'll have to look it up.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on January 24, 2008, 12:46:04 PM
thanks!  I'd be interested in that peasant bread, too  :) 

I'd like to try adding some molasses to bread sometime like Benevolance does - hey, Peter, do you have any recipes?  But yours would be the old fashioned kneaded breads...   :-\
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Redoverfarm on January 24, 2008, 02:43:56 PM
(https://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd161/redoverfarm/hightop/farm/100_1592-1.jpg)

Venison? Well maybe not.  This group of deer have hung around for the last 4-5 years.  She just keeps adding to her family each year. Actually the photo doesn't show they are only about 40-50ft from the house.  At night they bed down about 5ft from my porch.  Apparently there isn't anything to eat in the woods or they prefer my bluegrass lawn.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on January 24, 2008, 02:49:47 PM
Here it is:
Peasant Bread:

1 pkg. yeast
2 c. warm water, divided
4 c. flour (your choice)
2 tsp. salt
1 T. sugar (or other sweetener, like honey or molasses)
butter/poppy seeds (optional)

Dissolve yeast in 1 c. warm water and mix dry ingredients in another bowl.  Add yeast and water and mix well.  Cover and let rise until doubled.  (approx. 1 hour)  Stir down and half.  Place in greased pans and let rise until doubled again.  Brush with butter and or poppy seeds before baking in a 350 degree oven 30-45 minutes.

It doesn't get any easier than that... i bake it in a couple of smaller cast iron skillets about 7"-8" across... I gave this recipe to my aunt when I was about 12 years old (think I got it out of Capper's Weekly or something) and to this day my aunt makes this bread AT LEAST once a week, more in the winter.  I'd made it for Thanksgiving that year or something, and it became a family favorite.  I haven't made it in a while just because it seems like there's always a new recipe I want to try.  Like Drew and Dan's Naan recipe, which was really good, and a big hit with the kids.  
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on January 24, 2008, 02:53:22 PM
Red, I've seen a lot of them around here lately, too.  Yesterday, the kids and I went somewhere and we passed three or four big does out in a field near a town, and they seemed to be scrounging in the brush for a little something to eat.  When we came back a few hours later, I fully expected them to be gone, but they were still hanging out there.  Wish I'd had my camera with me... could've gotten a really pretty shot of them out in the snow.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on January 24, 2008, 04:03:25 PM
Those large rodents have eaten my garden so many times I no longer care for them except for dinner.  7 foot fence pretty well stopped them though.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on January 24, 2008, 11:16:03 PM
Grilled a couple New York strips tonight. Baked a couple sweet potatoes and steamed some green peas.  :)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on January 25, 2008, 12:16:14 AM
We had French toast & fruit this am.  Made some candied yams later - used honey, coconut oil & vanilla & cooked them on the wood stove;  then we had lentils & barley soup - with garlic, onions & cut up the last of the green tomatoes from the garden & put them in, also added some turmeric.  Was going to make the bread, Homegrown, then I got lazy!

BTW, turmeric is an incredible spice - very good for health - here's a link - lots of other good stuff to read about at the website also...   http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=78
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on January 25, 2008, 12:26:14 AM
Turmeric is good for you, but as far as flavor goes, I don't think I could live without cumin and garlic...  I put them in everything.  We buy cumin in bulk and I have about a quart of ground cumin on hand at a time.  I like to make tabouleh, so I always put a lot of cumin in that, and I like it in soups, stews, chili, tacos, any grilled meat, etc... pretty much everything. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on January 25, 2008, 12:29:38 AM
We like curried dishes. Turmeric and cumin are both part of the mix that makes curry powder.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Daddymem on January 25, 2008, 06:20:27 AM
leftova venzin stew last night
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Redoverfarm on January 25, 2008, 08:05:51 AM
Beef stroganoff last night.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on January 25, 2008, 11:45:27 AM
Tonight will be chicken tortilla soup.  It is still not above 10 degrees!!!  I hate being cold!
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on January 25, 2008, 12:18:08 PM
How do you get the chickens flat enough to make tortillas out of them, Homegrown?  Our snow is melting.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on January 25, 2008, 03:00:33 PM
Big heavy rolling pin, of course! ;D
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: ScottA on January 25, 2008, 08:18:25 PM
Got a big pot of chili cookin on the stove. Should be ready any minute.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on January 25, 2008, 08:22:42 PM
The soup was really good.  Even the kids finished off their bowls.  And it finally did away with the last of the leftover beans.  Still trying to use up the groceries.  We're looking at moving in 4-5 weeks, max.  That is no time, really, so I figure we'll do our best to use up every bit of groceries we've got between now and then.  However, had to send DH to the store for lightbulbs and milk, which we're out of...
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Daddymem on January 25, 2008, 09:51:14 PM
veggie soup with veggies from our gahden
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on January 26, 2008, 02:27:26 AM
Sassy gave me a big bowl of your lentil soup earlier today, Homegrown so it was comet effect all over Costco shopping this afternoon.

I nearly exploded before I go out of the cash register line.  Lentil soup -- a gastronomic wonder.

Tonight it was Lacy Crisp Chocolate Cookies and a corn dog.  Sassy went back to work..

Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on January 26, 2008, 10:18:12 AM
"comet effect"-- did you coin that yourself?
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on January 26, 2008, 11:47:10 AM
No -- It's old in bathroom humor.

After the main body of the comet passes, it leaves a long dissipating trail -- possibly clear to several isles, but since the comet is so fast, many may not even be aware it passed through, but may still be forced to wander unknowingly through the tail. (That is the effect achieved anyway).  The comet hopes to continue to wander about the galaxy (or store) undiscovered.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Daddymem on January 26, 2008, 12:16:07 PM
Looks like Red Robin boigahs tonight!  Yummmmmm
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on January 26, 2008, 04:02:53 PM
RR does have great burgers

Tonight we're dining a little more upscale. Not sure what's on the men u, but it's the dance club Winter Ball. It's usually a very good catered dinner. Looking forward to it.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on January 26, 2008, 05:21:07 PM
I've never eaten at a Red Robin before... a friend told DH the other day that we should take the kids there sometime, though.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on January 26, 2008, 05:59:36 PM
They have a nice variety and a grilled salmon burger too.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on January 27, 2008, 02:20:26 AM
Quote from: MountainDon on January 26, 2008, 04:02:53 PM
RR does have great burgers

Tonight we're dining a little more upscale. Not sure what's on the men u, but it's the dance club Winter Ball. It's usually a very good catered dinner. Looking forward to it.


Cool  going to the ball, Don.  Hope it's great.

I wanted to go to the policemen's ball out here, but I was informed that policemen out here don't have balls. hmm

On another note-- I really like the Teriyaki Burger  with  pineapple on it at Red Robin. [hungry]
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on January 27, 2008, 02:53:07 PM
Tonight it's roast, taters, and carrots, though at the rate I'm going there's no way I'm going to be able to eat a lot of it!  I'm so darn full from eating lunch out (Mexican food).  The weather is exceptionally gorgeous today, so I have to get outside for a little while!
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on January 27, 2008, 04:19:49 PM
The food at the ball was great to so-so. The grilled chicken breasts were superb; marinated is some kind of southwest oriented flavor, a little spicy. The prime rib beef was great. The potato wedges were good, nicely seasoned. The veggies, a small whole carrots and bean mix were so-so. They were hot/warm with a herb and oil mix, but they were basically raw. I like raw veggies when they don't pretend to be cooked veggies. The dinner rolls were not as soft and fluffy as they should have been; this was not chewy because it was a crusty chewy on purpose thing. They seemed to be a bit dry. Desert was good, a chocolate cheesecake; but I've had better.

There was one thing that happened that was shoddy and unprofessional in my opinion and I hope the club president raises holy hell over it. This was held at the ABQ city convention center. We've held it there in previous years. In previous years the club used an outside caterer who was very good. This year the convention center management has a new rule; no outside private catering. Catering must be done by the 'chefs' in the centers own kitchens.

Okay, this is one of those planned events where the club has to guarantee the number of dinners to be served. Nothing wrong with that. But how in the world do they end up running short on dinner plates by around 30 or so when we tell them the number of dinners?  ??? I was in the next to last group and had to wait while they work crew rounded up some more plates. It's not rocket science or brain surgery. But perhaps typical of how some many government run entities are capable of screwing up.

Years ago we used the Hilton, but the club has outgrown their available space. They were superb in everything they did.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: sparks on January 27, 2008, 10:33:28 PM
Chicken pot pie. Wife is on vacation (business trip). And our cat seems to be picky also. Ughh.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on January 28, 2008, 12:03:57 AM
Still cleaning out the freezer.  Tomorrow night it looks like it's going to be oxtail soup.  May have to go out and dig under the snow and see if any of my green onions are still green (they usually take the winters here rather well) and add them.  Haven't decided whether to cook the oxtail soup with seaweed or kimchee...  Probably the kimchee to get it out of the fridge.   The seaweed is dried, lightweight, and doesn't take up fridge/freezer space.  The kids are so wound up about moving that they're going like the energizer bunny... I could hear them upstairs talking until just a little while ago (they were awake until nearly 10:30 local time!!!!  I put them to bed before 8 PM! :o)  They keep asking every single day if we're moving today... for them, it's just a big adventure.  My little one was jabbering on this evening about moving and she said she was going to pack her 'Ary-cauny' chickens up in a crate and put it between their car seats in the truck, and that her "cow" was just going to walk to Oklahoma and meet us there (we don't have any chickens at the moment, nor do we have a cow....)  She has been talking all day about her "Ary-cauny" chickens laying blue and green eggs... don't know what suddenly brought it up, but she's already picked her breed of chickens for when we move back to OK.  (We used to have Aracaunas, among other chickens, and they were her favorite... I am amazed that she remembers them at all.)  Little one was also asking me today if we could have a beehive when we move so that we could have our own honey.  Kids....  the older one has informed me that she wants to raise Buff Orpingtons and that we can eat all the "grouchy" roosters.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on January 28, 2008, 12:11:46 AM
We had a grouchy buff.  He was a mean one.  Still have an Aracauna - never lays anymore.  Too friendly to eat.  Oh well.   Maybe we could eat just one leg. [crz]
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on January 28, 2008, 12:34:15 AM
That's what I liked about the Aracaunas...they weren't skittish.  We also had a few brown leghorns and a couple of other misc. chickens (can't remember what all else, off the top of my head.)  Aracaunas eat like horses, though.  We had this big, pretty Aracauna rooster that we just couldn't eat because he was so friendly... his name was Anachronism because his clock was always a little off and he was bound to crow at the oddest times.  One of the leghorn hens was a great layer, but she acted like she was totally terrified of everything, so we called her Chicken Little because she acted like the sky was falling every minute of the day.  Some of the Aracauna roosters thought that they could whip anything, including the kids and the dogs, so they usually ended up as dinner. 
http://blufiles.storage.live.com/y1pIF0xsB2mbiw-tXTjqJ8nEmPHveNMSeK0X4LG8TWlMPxMKi5XAld7tuNe75YlwcRd7sYkXjdYvHk (http://blufiles.storage.live.com/y1pIF0xsB2mbiw-tXTjqJ8nEmPHveNMSeK0X4LG8TWlMPxMKi5XAld7tuNe75YlwcRd7sYkXjdYvHk)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on January 28, 2008, 12:35:33 AM
I posted a link to a picture of Anachronism... he was so pretty.  Sorry, forgot to mention what the link was.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on January 28, 2008, 01:40:09 AM
Nice one.  I had a few fighting roosters that were pretty -- just raised them -- one would attack me every time I cam into the pen.  I kicked him clear across to the other side -- he thought a little bit before attacking after that.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on January 28, 2008, 03:52:29 PM
Ox tail soup is still a go for tonight... and I'm making some more of the dutch oven bread, this time 100% whole wheat... we'll see how it turns out.  It smells really good at the moment.  It's almost warm enough out today that I hate to turn the oven up to 475 degrees, but the bread is worth it if it turns out good.  I also got some pumpkin out of the freezer (from our garden) to make some pumpkin bread for breakfast the next couple of days.  It'll have to be whole grain, too, as I don't have any white flour (a little oat flour, buckwheat, millet, rye, and whole wheat, though... can take my pick.)  It tastes really good made with WW.  Still avoiding going to the store.  Hope not to have to make another trip before moving.  Veggies are getting a little sparse, though...
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on January 28, 2008, 05:07:30 PM
Well, I just got the whole wheat version of the dutch oven bread out a little while ago.  The loaf wasn't as firm and fluffy as the mixed grain one... but it does taste good.  It's good and crusty, not chewy at all.  Perfect for going with soup.  The wheat bran I rolled the loaf in kind of scorched a bit, though, and I had to reduce the cooking time by a few minutes to keep it from burning. 

I contacted a relocation company that works with the company that offered DH a job in OK this morning to ask a few questions.  I told them we still haven't officially accepted the job, but already we've had two mortgage brokers call and email just since I talked to them.  Enough to drive you nuts.  If I want a loan, I know good and well how to go about getting one.  Besides, why would I take out a loan when we haven't sold our house here????  Grrrr...
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on January 29, 2008, 11:48:59 AM
Tonight is roast, taters, and carrots, and maybe some corn on the cob. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Drew on January 29, 2008, 01:13:20 PM
Dan's making enchiladas while I run around town.  Planet Organics delivers on Wednesdays so that will be what our daughter calls "Baked Potato Bar".

Planet Organics (www.planetorganics.com (http://www.planetorganics.com)).  It's not my own garden and it's not a CSA, but it is a whole lot better than Road Warrior Tomatoes from Safeway. 

It warms my heart to see someone making money at this.  Sure, there are always some details we'd like to see fixed in the schema, but the overall direction is good.  Let's just make sure that the "certification" process doesn't blind the consumer to asking the rest of the questions, nor keep the small grower out of the marketplace.

Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on January 30, 2008, 11:17:28 AM
Leftover roast.

Anyone want to come help me clean?  A real estate lady is coming over tomorrow to appraise our house.   :o  We still have flooring materials piled in the sewing room, etc., and the rest of the place ain't its usual clean self, either.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on January 30, 2008, 12:38:04 PM
Clean up? hmm

Uhhh, I have to go work in the shop Homegrown.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on January 30, 2008, 12:57:31 PM
I just got back to the cabin after being away for work - gotta clean here now...   :P
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on January 30, 2008, 12:59:44 PM
heh
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on January 31, 2008, 12:32:00 AM
Some thrown together fried rice.... started with some chopped onion. Added left over rice, sauteed all in olive oil. Added finely sliced left over London broil and a piece of rib eye. Added chopped celery (on its last legs) and left over green peas. Added three eggs near end... mixed and added some soy sauce, pepper mix. Done. And some left over for lunch.  :D
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on January 31, 2008, 02:18:21 AM
I fried some chopped bacon, added sliced potatoes, when they were getting browned & tender, added onions & variety of peppers from our garden (I'd frozen them this fall), salt & pepper - then threw in a few handfuls of fresh spinach & turned the whole thing off, let the spinach steam a bit.  Fried up some eggs, broiled some wholegrain sourdough french bread & that was brunch (also the leftovers were dinner  heh ) 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on January 31, 2008, 09:40:04 AM
I forgot to mention that we had strawberry cheesecake for dessert.  Tonight, it'll be homemade lasagna that our pastor's wife gave us.  It looks really good, so I can't wait to try it out.  When I was expecting my second daughter, I cooked up a storm right before she was born and froze dozens of casseroles and lasagnas (made with goat meat, then) for after she was born.  (This was because my first daughter was constantly starving and when she was a newborn it was so hard to get a meal ready because she wanted to nurse constantly during the dinner-time crunch.)  I was afraid that no one would show up with meals (as happened with the first) and I'd be too starving to produce enough milk for DD#2 (as with the first.)  Anyway, we ended up with a whole freezer full of lasagnas and enchilada casseroles, and I thought we'd never eat our way through them...we were giving them away before we moved up here.  So, I haven't had lasagna in  a long time simply because I got pretty burned out on the "goat-sagna" for so many months!  :D 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Drew on January 31, 2008, 11:37:35 AM
The Old Man (OM) is in town for a while.  He lives up in Colusa, about an hour away from our farm in Palermo which makes his place a great crash pad for work days.  I'd rather drive 2 hours, sleep in until 6, drive another hour, and get to work by 8 than wake up at 5 (again), drive 3 hours and get to work at 9.  Or 10.  We're losing the light, people...

At any rate, he's an omnivore.  Before I gave up meat we'd trade turns in the kitchen.  In our family cooking was the "manly art" as far as those things go.  Now I end up cooking things that have an optional meat component and rarely have a meatless table.  I admit the change over from my repertoire from omnivore to vegetarian was long and a little tricky.  However, I was motivated since it would be me going hungry.  He, on the other hand, was like the traveler to Amsterdam.  There are enough people who speak English around to get by and he never had to learn Dutch.

Nevertheless, he's going to be spending a lot of time at our place over the next couple months before he leaves the country for a while, so I'm going to see about teaching him a few words in Vegetarian.  He is an accomplished cook.  The question is not how to cook but what to cook.

Dan said she'd make her vegetable noodle soup with homemade noodles.  I'll bake a loaf of multi-grain bread to go with it.  Then Robin and I go off to our yoga class.

Yoga:  It's good for the health of the people around me.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on January 31, 2008, 11:46:18 AM
QuoteYoga:  It's good for the health of the people around me.

[cool] It's good frozen too, Drew -- taste like ice cream. rofl  d*
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Drew on January 31, 2008, 12:22:29 PM
I'm gonna have to kick your butt now, Glenn.

In slooooow moootion.

Oh, wait.  That's Tai Chi.

Not the kind you get at Starbucks, Glenn  That's Chai Tea.

Namaste

(^.^)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on January 31, 2008, 12:28:07 PM
touche'  c*
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on January 31, 2008, 12:35:19 PM

QuoteI'm gonna have to kick your butt now, Glenn.

You and who's army?, Drew.   [slap] (Old Oregon backwoods hick saying).

I have to caution you, Drew.  In cases of fighting the unknown assailant, I always go for the Huevos.  Seems effective.

Maybe we should sit down and have that glass of Chai Tea.

Must I drink it with a pinky extended?  [noidea'  I am rather unlearned in the city ways.  Thanks in advance for the reply.  :)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on January 31, 2008, 12:45:33 PM
I love Chai tea!  Actually, 1st drank the East Indian version years ago working with an Indian nurse - she always brought a big thermos full - it was so good - but I do resist the urge to go to Starbucks - everyone at work either buys a big coffee/tea on the way to work or sends someone out with a bunch of orders...  it just gripes me to pay $3-$4 for a cup of coffee/tea!  I can buy good coffee beans & grind it myself, put cinnamon, vanilla, etc with a little milk - tastes just as good to me.  I've asked my co-workers what they spend a month - one guy buys at least 2 drinks a day from Starbucks - figure $7 x 30= $210 a month!  :o  Granted, he is single, doesn't smoke - I always tell the patients "think how much money you'd have if you stopped smoking?  All the things you could buy!  Right now you are just burning it up... " 

Anyway, there's just certain things I draw the line at  c*  ::)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Drew on January 31, 2008, 01:08:56 PM
I used to smoke, Kathy, and while your advice is right on the mark, it might as well weigh 300 pounds.  Tobacco is engineered to be addictive in order to maximize the profits for its manufacturers.  It also has no medicinal qualities.

Thank our lucky stars that marijuana is illegal.  Can't have a dangerous medicine like that running around.  [noidea'

The tea would be a good idea, Glenn.  I gave up inhaling pretty much any kind of smoke a while back (Some messed up my stair climbing abilities, others ruined punchlines).  I'd be no good at fighting 'cause I'd have to get mad at ya first.   :D

So Dana, our yoga instructor, has us back against the wall with one foot on the ground, one hand on a block, one hand pointing toward the ceiling, and the final leg at 90 degrees to the ground.  My daughter, who is 15 and has the build of a waif-like anime character, has folded and is taking a break.  A good father is not in competition with his children, but my inner 42-year-old is saying, "Alriiiight!"
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on January 31, 2008, 01:12:34 PM
QuoteSo Dana, our yoga instructor, has us back against the wall with one foot on the ground, one hand on a block, one hand pointing toward the ceiling, and the final leg at 90 degrees to the ground.

Seems like you'd be very vulnerable at that moment, Drew. d*
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Drew on January 31, 2008, 01:56:35 PM
Absolutely.  Fortunately none of the yoginis, including 3 pregnant women, took that moment to extract their revenge on the Gender.

Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on January 31, 2008, 02:03:37 PM
I'd suggest you skip class the days after any of them deliver. [crz]

By the way --- Sassy is going to bring back "Big City Surprise" tonight.  She's making the trek to the valley to rub elbows with the Starbucks, bagels and Granola crowd.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Drew on January 31, 2008, 03:50:38 PM
I hope she gets back to the mothership before her air tank gives out!

;)

I'm looking at a biiig Doppler smear covering the Central Valley.  Much as I want to work at the farm, I'd probably better work at home on the bathroom.  Dan said she is willing to make concessions to let me do that instead of having to man the 4H candy sales table at the Belmont Lunardi's grocery store.  It needs to get done and it will be fun, but it's not the same.

Maybe I'll go to HD and get parts for my irrigation manifolds.  Make chili for the week.  Play power ballads and look at pictures of my farm in the springtime.  Sigh.    :(

---

Later that week we find Drew in front of the Colma Home Depot.  He's got an overloaded tool belt and a desperate look in his eye.  "I can hoddy, mister.  I can dig septic!  Five bucks an hour!  Okay, three!  Come on, man!  Roof!  I'll roof!"
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: StinkerBell on January 31, 2008, 03:50:51 PM
Tell Sassy the wine and cheese crowd is much better then the Starbucks and Granola.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on January 31, 2008, 05:02:08 PM
Think we'll do something with some winter squash still left from the garden...We have to use stuff up.  By the time we get ready to move we may be living on granola and starbucks, but I doubt it.  Lasagna (not made with goat, hooray!) and something squashy... how does that sound for appetizing?  Maybe I can talk DH into going out for a celebratory dinner instead? 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on January 31, 2008, 10:12:59 PM
Drew, I spent many hours wandering through that Home Depot.  I rebuilt the totally screwed up front entryway of the Lucky Chances Casino in Colma on the hill (lots of dead people there) and lots of other misc. work there.  30 foot tall structural steel beams.  Guard rails around the perimeter of the parking lot -- painted them Home Depot Rustoleum dark green.  Sassy sanded handrails after I welded them there.

I told the engineer why his way wouldn't work for the repairs - he agreed and turned me loose to do it my way.  He said if anyone needed drawings to let him know and he'd draw them up.  Never had a problem.

...and for dinner -- big city Grocery Outlet Marie Calendar's Lasagna, Sautéed Mushrooms and salad. :)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on January 31, 2008, 10:14:47 PM
Hey, Grocery Outlet has a lot of good deals  :)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on February 01, 2008, 12:45:18 AM
I decided that tomorrow for lunch (as we won't be home for dinner) I'm making baked beans... I've never actually made baked beans before because I don't really care that much for them...they're too sweet, but must be a pregnancy craving or something.   So I sorted, rinsed and am soaking beans overnight.  I was thinking what I don't like about baked beans is that they're too sweet, so I'm thinking I'll reduce the molasses and brown sugar and substitute some of the dry mustard with wasabe... whaddya think?  Baked beans with a kick?  Besides, still trying to use up what we have in the larder before we move... unfortunately, apple butter alone doesn't make a very good meal, and neither does dried seaweed or a gallon sized bag of crushed red chili peppers.... now is when I get to be really creative.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on February 01, 2008, 12:51:24 AM
I love baked beans with a kick!  :)  I've pretty near always added mustard powder to batches of beans, and add a spoonful of Jack Daniels horseradish mustard to store bought baked beans as a rule. Should be tasty with wasabe. Myself, I'd leave out more of the brown sugar and keep the molasses as I like the molasses taste better than brown sugar.   :-\
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Redoverfarm on February 01, 2008, 08:04:56 AM
Glenn I think I had mentioned before that after I retired(1st time) that I worked for a guardrail contractor and supervised a crew.  Well we had to install some at the Greenbrier Resort. Yeah they only know two colors. Green and white. So we ordered green rail and installed. That's the first time installing new green guardrail but have to admit it looked pretty good. So good that I have four pieces to install at my own bridge (wing wall approachs) and probably will make it green using the same paint you did.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on February 01, 2008, 11:50:43 AM
It did look surprisingly nice.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on February 01, 2008, 01:07:04 PM
Quote from: MountainDon on February 01, 2008, 12:51:24 AM
I love baked beans with a kick!  :)  I've pretty near always added mustard powder to batches of beans, and add a spoonful of Jack Daniels horseradish mustard to store bought baked beans as a rule. Should be tasty with wasabe. Myself, I'd leave out more of the brown sugar and keep the molasses as I like the molasses taste better than brown sugar.   :-\
Well, they're in the oven now.  I cut up a slice from the leftover Christmas ham into them because I didn't have any bacon or salt pork.  I reduced the brown sugar to maybe a fourth of a cup (for two pounds, dry weight, beans).  I did go ahead and add the molasses.  There were four hot onions... my eyes are still burning from cutting them up... and I realized after I started the whole process that I didn't have any ground mustard, so I took whole mustard seed and crushed them in a mortar and pestle (they were much more fragrant than if I'd used ground dry mustard, anyway, and I added the powdered horseradish/wasabe to the mix.)  It smells really good... hopefully they'll turn out as good as they smell.  Like I said, I've never made baked beans before because I always thought they were too sweet.  I usually get my fix of them when my aunt makes them for a family get-together... and then they're too sweet.  We'll see.  May make some buttermilk biscuits to go with... tonight, DH and I have a date.  Highschool kid I know offered to  babysit tonight so that we can go out...she wants a chance to babysit the girls again before we move, and they can't wait to see her.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on February 02, 2008, 09:16:14 PM
Tomato and basil pizza.  We would have the baked beans again, but I'm afraid I've banned DH from eating them.  After two bowls of them yesterday, he was impossible...
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on February 02, 2008, 09:46:13 PM
I am not the one who started it this time.  Hooray.  :)

I have a very good set of bacteria.  I suppose that chewing less -- swallowing the small beans whole so they will pass through the stomach and into the intestines for the bacteria to break down can enhance the experience.  The .22 caliber navy beans are some of the best.  The brown sugar and baking make them yummy. [crz]

Note that I have resisted commenting on this ever since you posted that your were going to be making baked beans.  I love 'em.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on February 02, 2008, 09:47:33 PM
Red Robin!
1. a Royal Red Robin burger, it has a fried egg in it
2. a Pot Roast burger, loads of grilled onions and yep, sliced pot roast
3. a basket of Cod Fish and Chips (same fries as in the other dinners but here they call 'em chips) and they serve them with vinegar, like good Chips (fries) should have

there were 3 of us
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on February 03, 2008, 01:50:47 AM
Quote from: glenn kangiser on February 02, 2008, 09:46:13 PM
I am not the one who started it this time.  Hooray.  :)

I have a very good set of bacteria.  I suppose that chewing less -- swallowing the small beans whole so they will pass through the stomach and into the intestines for the bacteria to break down can enhance the experience.  The .22 caliber navy beans are some of the best.  The brown sugar and baking make them yummy. [crz]

Note that I have resisted commenting on this ever since you posted that your were going to be making baked beans.  I love 'em.
Well, they tasted great, BUT, seeing as this is winter and you can't exactly throw open the windows and doors, maybe I should save the baked beans for summer picnics?  It was enough to make your eyes water.  My little one begged us to roll down the windows on the truck, even though she hates the cold and it was below freezing, and then she told Dad he needed to get out and find his own ride.  He ran into the store to get some milk on the way home (leaving a trail behind him, no doubt) and while the kids and I were waiting in the truck, the little one asked me if a guy across the parking lot was daddy.  I said, "I don't think so... he's about 6' 3" and white."  She then said, "Well, you're right.  He's got a hat like Daddy's and a coat like Daddy's, but he doesn't stink as bad." ;D
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on February 03, 2008, 01:54:03 AM
rofl rofl rofl
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on February 03, 2008, 02:01:12 AM
 rofl  I feel your pain, Homegrown  rofl
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on February 03, 2008, 10:38:33 AM
I'd send the leftovers to work with him, but I figure that's cruel and unusual to the guys he works with... so I guess that means more for me and the girls.  Besides, we are just as likely to suffer the consequences if he eats them for lunch.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on February 03, 2008, 10:41:46 AM
Think tonight we'll have grilled fish (it's almost up to freezing, so that's grilling weather, right?) If there's any potatoes left, we'll have them too, and maybe some cornbread or corn (still have a little corn in the freezer.)  Sounds pretty starchy, but we're still trying to clean out the larder.  I have some peanuts up in the freezer (raw ones) and so I think the kids and I need to make some peanut brittle since we never got around to making it for Christmas... maybe today would be a good day for that after church.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on February 03, 2008, 07:01:00 PM
Well, we made two batches of peanut brittle, and now there are no more raw peanuts in the freezer.  Yum.  It turned out perfect.  My husband offered to "cook" dinner tonight, so we're about to sit down and eat his "gourmet" productions.  It consists of: boiled shrimp, cocktail sauce, olives, leftover strawberry cheesecake, and leftover whole wheat pumpkin nut bread.  Highly nutritious, I'm sure. ???  Think whether I like it or not, I am eventually going to have to make one last trip to the grocery store before we leave here!
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on February 03, 2008, 07:46:34 PM
Well, Homegrown.  I'm a bit disappointed.  I'll bet your DH could have really made something outa them thar goober peas.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on February 03, 2008, 07:50:44 PM
Fried left over sweet potatoes, lightly steamed broccoli & cauliflower, grilled ground turkey, pork and venison patty with blue cheese crumbles melted on top.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on February 03, 2008, 07:55:26 PM
I made biscuits & sausage gravy for lunch - haven't thought about dinner yet...  we had coconut/banananut cake again that I baked yesterday...  need to make another fruit salad - mixed oranges, bananas & apples with yogurt & a little vanilla & honey - oh & added coconut - Glenn loves coconut.  I need to make something green...  guess I could send Glenn out to the garden, even though it is covered with snow, still lots of swiss chard, Swedes, onions, broccoli, etc.  Have lots of squash too...  down in the deep part of the house that isn't finished yet... keeps very cool there.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on February 04, 2008, 06:31:23 PM
think we're going out tonight.  can't handle one more day without green veggies.  Stopping by the store before we come home, too.  Got a floor in the sewing room and will paint the walls in there and the breakfast nook tonight. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Drew on February 05, 2008, 09:23:49 AM
Robin and I were out last night so Dan made my ziti.  It has to be about the simplest recipe in the world past PB&J, but hers came out different.  Good, but different.  It turns out she covered the dish for the baking and didn't let the mixture evaporate a bit.  I'd show you what it looked like, but we ate it all!

She also made a great salad with red lettuce, feta, and caramelized shallots.  The salad making around here has taken a miraculous turn for the  better since she's been at it.

Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: tanya on February 05, 2008, 10:16:28 AM
I am pretty hungry now after reading those posts.  Last night Ihad a small pot of instant mashed potatoes and a pbj sandwhich.  To cold in the kitchen to stay in there very long.  I am trying to save money on heat so I only have one room heated.  Brrrr.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on February 05, 2008, 04:22:27 PM
Tonight, we'll have the grilled fish that I didn't get around to making the other day.  And some broccoli.  Maybe some potatoes.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on February 06, 2008, 12:17:48 PM
Broccoli is nice.  One of the gas foods.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Drew on February 06, 2008, 12:44:43 PM
Dan made this salad of spinach in a vinaigrette, diced and fried potatoes, and a fried egg on the top.

No, really!  It was great!

Man, I love spinach... 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on February 06, 2008, 01:23:02 PM
Drew, when my oldest was about 18 months old we were at the grocery store and they had the bagged spinach marked down to about 4 bags for a dollar.  I grabbed four bags, thinking we couldn't possibly eat more than that before it was past its prime, and my daughter started crying for "more spinach".  She was pleading and reaching for it and begging.  Boy, did I get dirty looks from other parents!  As if I was depriving my kid of healthy food!  To this day, our kids freak out other parents at the grocery store when they're shouting in jubilation over things like avacados and cilantro, or at the farmer's market where they want to discuss varieties and growing culture with the local farmers.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Drew on February 06, 2008, 01:33:17 PM
Yesss!  That's great, HT!  Not only will they take care of themselves by eating helathy foods, they will feed the same to their own children, support local food systems, and be inspirations to their friends.  That's the kind of politics that really works.   [cool]

Nice work.   ;)

Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: benevolance on February 06, 2008, 01:54:28 PM
Last night we looked on the internet for a Hearty chicken stew recipee...We looked at chicken soups, chicken corn chowders and chicken stews...And took a few ideas from a few different recipees and made our own...We loved it.

Half a dozen large carrots
Half an onion
3 medium sized celery sticks
tsp of butter

Cut vegetables into small cubes...Cook with butter in pan about ten minutes to soften vegetables for faster prep time..Then throw veggies in Stewpot with 8 cups of water and a couple oxo chicken boullion cubes

Then we took a cut up chicken...I baked the wings and legs in oven with homemade shake and bake...the rest was cut up into cubes and cooked for 5 minutes with pepper and oil in fry pan

Add chicken to vegetables and broth...spice according to taste..For us that meant lots of pepper..a hint of paprika and some basil...

Cook on low heat...30 minutes and the carrots and celery will be almost soft...Then throw in some whole wheat rotini (half a package...about 1 cup) and some fresh corn (1 cup of kernals)... We also used 1/4 cup of whole wheat flour to thicken the Stew...

When pasta is ready the stew is ready...Cook time for everything was under an hour...And that is including cutting chicken vegetables etc...

I had fresh bread cooling on the counter as a I made the stew...So we ate good!...The wife took a couple slices of bread and a container of stew for her lunch at school today.

This is great as a meal because it will serve about 6 people..It is easy... fairly quick and you can easily customize it to suit your exact taste

We try to keep it healthy... organic vegetables...Real local butter with nothing added ...And we use extra virgin olive oil...when we use flour it is whole wheat

The only thing that bothered me about the recipee is that bouillion cubes have a lot of sodium in them...I would like to eliminate that in the future as we continue to make this sort of thing more often.

Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on February 06, 2008, 01:59:34 PM
soup sounds good, Peter  :)

boiling a couple chickens for stock - freeze some of it - take the chickens out, fry or bake & use some of the broth for dumplings - yummy - I've never made biscuits or dumplings with whole wheat flour - will have to try... 

still haven't made any bread yet...  :(  I'd bought some really good bread at Trader Joe's - whole wheat sour dough that is really good - need to use up the bread I have before baking (that's a good excuse, isn't it?) 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Redoverfarm on February 06, 2008, 05:27:18 PM
Last night was lazy night. Had french bread pizza. Really easy and quick. Just substituted french bread for the crust and laided on the trimmings, Sauce, cheese, mushrooms, pepperoni, peppers and about 15 minutes your eating.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: tanya on February 06, 2008, 05:47:56 PM
Today I had a calzone from the co-op for lunch they are soooo good.  Artichoke hearts, garlic, kalamari olives chedder cheese and great homemade bread crust.  yummm that was good.  To lazy to cook anything else though so I am having dried papaya and banannas for dinner.  It is cold here. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: benevolance on February 06, 2008, 09:19:54 PM
Sassy

My wife went to work today and a couple other teachers were asking her what she was heating up...Smelled it...and they wanted the recipee... I laughed because I just sort of read a bunch of them and came up with something based on what we had in the fridge and cupboard...

The loaf of bread is gone...Every time I make fresh bread it never survives 24 hours..And there is only the 2 of us here....Maybe I am getting better at making it?

despite her friends hating their peanut butter sandwiches compared to the chicken stew...my wife did find something to complain about....turns out that lately corn makes her poop or so she thinks....So she told me no more corn in the chicken stew...

And as for whole wheat flour in Dumplings or gravy....I love it...We use nothing but whole wheat flour and pasta now...I could not go back
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on February 06, 2008, 09:51:43 PM
Benevolance,
I use whole wheat flour for gravy & whole wheat pasta, brown rice...  I'll have to try it for biscuits & dumplings.  So everyone was jealous of your wife's lunch I bet!

Re the corn - don't know about it helping with the movements but Glenn says he doesn't digest it...   ::)

I mixed dried green & yellow split peas, onions, garlic, salt & pepper & made split pea soup on the wood stove today - had bought a 1/2 shank ham so cut that in 3 pieces, used the shank part for the soup & froze the other 2 pieces.
Also had a mixed green salad with avocados & broiled crusty whole wheat sour dough bread with butter.  Tasted pretty good.

I need to get into the routine of making bread again - we'd be the same way as you guys - I LOVE fresh, warm homemade bread!   
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on February 06, 2008, 10:13:07 PM
So, Glenn, what you're saying is, "Corn in = Corn out?"

We had the last of the corn on the cob from the freezer, mini-frozen pizzas, and smoothies made with frozen bananas, strawberries, and mangoes... the smoothie would have been plenty, but the rest didn't hurt.  I'm stuffed.  We finished remodeling the sewing room and it is cute as can be now.  Now we're painting the dining nook outside the kitchen.  Hopefully we'll finish that and get the trim back up by tomorrow morning.  The movers couldn't come assess our stuff today because of the heavy snows.  Any of y'all have damage from the tornadoes?
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Redoverfarm on February 06, 2008, 10:20:27 PM
Homegrown  just wanted to let you know that the wife fixed your peasant bread a few days ago. It was really good. She made rolls for supper and a loaf for toast and sandwiches. Neither lasted long.

Sassy you need to tell Glenn to chew up his food and not just scarf it down. I am sort of like glenn just scarf it down.  That has been my lifestyle when I worked.  Not much time to eat so you did it as quickly as possible before getting called to somthing. Cattle usually don't digest all of their corn either but hogs are a different story. Completely digested.  Same thing happens to my little girl when corn is in season.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on February 06, 2008, 10:23:08 PM
yep, I gotta make it - I even have the recipe on my desktop in my computer - everytime I turn the computer on there's "Homegrown's bread recipe"   d*
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on February 07, 2008, 12:29:23 AM
Quote from: Homegrown Tomatoes on February 06, 2008, 10:13:07 PM
So, Glenn, what you're saying is, "Corn in = Corn out?"

We had the last of the corn on the cob from the freezer, mini-frozen pizzas, and smoothies made with frozen bananas, strawberries, and mangoes... the smoothie would have been plenty, but the rest didn't hurt.  I'm stuffed.  We finished remodeling the sewing room and it is cute as can be now.  Now we're painting the dining nook outside the kitchen.  Hopefully we'll finish that and get the trim back up by tomorrow morning.  The movers couldn't come assess our stuff today because of the heavy snows.  Any of y'all have damage from the tornadoes?

Corn is good, Homegrown -- Fritos is my main corn problem especially when they accidentally made it with Frankencorn, but corn on the cob is great, and an excellent marker to time the efficiency of your system in processing nutrition-- especially if you don't chew it well. :)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on February 07, 2008, 12:41:40 AM
There's a poll for you...  :o  ::)   what's your transit time for kernel corn?
........

Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on February 07, 2008, 12:42:57 AM
rofl -- do the numbers, Don. :)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on February 07, 2008, 12:44:08 AM
Would that be what is called an exit poll? ???
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on February 07, 2008, 01:00:51 AM
Red, in light of the conversation going on here, I'll skip over the last several comments and just say thanks for your comments on the bread.   ::)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on February 07, 2008, 01:07:44 AM
hmm dang thread drift. ::)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Drew on February 07, 2008, 11:15:47 AM
I think it's going to be alphaveggie soup tonight.  Dan is sick and my dad's in town and I need an administration night to do the taxes, 4H stuff, and a few other things. 

Admin night was going to be last night but Dan fell sick, the Old Man couldn't get on my wireless network (It's my fault for purposely blocking his two laptops - My other machines work fine.  Issues?  Naaaaw!), Dave's girlfriend was over and neither of them have a license to drive her home, and KathyUptheStreet's computer slagged itself and I'm the local computer plumber.  Dinner was  homemade pizza.  It's great, but it means making the dough from scratch (Which my daughter, Robin, handled) and prepping a bunch of stuff in between router restarts.

So it's soup tonight.  Yup.

Hmm.  I just categorized homemade soup as fast food.  I think there's something good happening here.  :)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: benevolance on February 07, 2008, 03:40:17 PM
exit poll

only here ;)

I love corn and until recently my wife loved it too... I hate not cooking with it.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on February 07, 2008, 09:35:58 PM
Dinner was Korean food.  I had bi-bim-bab (rice with a fried egg, a little ground beef, mushrooms, fiddle head ferns, bean sprouts, and bellflower root, and hot pepper sauce.) It also came with the usual side dishes and a little bowl of mustard green soup, which was really tasty.  DH had another soup that is hot and spicy, but not sure how to spell it... tastes good, though.  Kids had kimbab (seaweed and rice rolls, like sushi without the raw fish.)  Unfortunately I'm not sure the baby liked Korean food as it has been pounding on the insides of my stomach ever since :-\
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on February 08, 2008, 11:34:48 PM
Korean noodles.  I'm still hungry AND have heartburn. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: fishing_guy on February 09, 2008, 11:54:41 PM
A nice dinner with our bowling partners.  We provided Jumbalya and King Crab legs and they provided the wine.  We then played a game of Pinochle (my wife provided the Whine for the game), a game of Spite & Malice, and to finish off the night, a game of Fill or Bust.

Off to the RV show tomorrow.  My wife wants an RV.  I want to build.  A hard decision! ???
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on February 10, 2008, 12:02:04 AM
Tonight was Korean food for Lunar New Year at a friend's house.  They cooked a lot of different stuff, and we contributed fried anchovies and Korean "pancakes" made with veggies and tuna.  Everything was good, but again, I'm thinking this baby doesn't like Korean food as much as his/her sisters.  I am getting pummelled to death from the inside out.  Maybe it's the kimchee?  Or maybe the baby likes kimchee and is doing the happy dance?

Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on February 10, 2008, 08:39:35 PM
Venison stew with kimchee, carrots, celery, green onions, perilla seeds, black pepper, and spinach.  It was really good, and the funny thing was my husband didn't even realize he was eating deer meat.  We had tabouleh for a side and a dessert of half-frozen berries with whipped cream for dessert.  I managed to get the freezer in the basement completely cleaned out today, which is a big accomplishment.  Now, to get it thawed and cleaned out and moved into the laundry room.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: tanya on February 10, 2008, 09:59:15 PM
Well I made homeade chicken soup because my son said he would be home for dinner but he isn't here and I already filled up on nachos and sticky buns so I guess we will have that soup tomorrow. It's good though, lots of fresh vegies, garlic,and chicken.   
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on February 11, 2008, 05:32:34 PM
I'm hoping we'll be going out for dinner.  Been a heck of a day.   I might oughtta start cooking something though because DH is going to be home late from work.

Maybe some cornbread and ??? chicken stew or something....  kind of running out of stuff again and I'm so cold and tired of being cold.  Pregnant women aren't supposed to get cold, are they?  I always had that "internal heater" feeling with the other two... too cold even for that to help here.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on February 11, 2008, 10:16:57 PM
Went out.  Had turnip greens, fried okra, grilled catfish, and bread.  Was pretty good.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on February 12, 2008, 01:54:10 AM
Fresh beets and chicken - ice cream for desert.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on February 12, 2008, 02:05:02 AM
Quote from: glenn kangiser on February 12, 2008, 01:54:10 AM
- ice cream for desert.
[/quote
Glenn, the day you don't finish off dinner with ice cream will be the day after a total failure of your refrigeration equipment.  ;D
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on February 12, 2008, 02:11:45 AM
We have plenty - two freezers -- still on solar --20 cu ft and 8 cu ft and a propane fridge with room for around five  1/2 gallons -- the real old one - 1934 onlt has a small freezer -- could maybe do 1 or 2.  We will manage somehow. :)

The chest freezers hold it best though.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on February 12, 2008, 02:14:58 AM
The Underground Cabin --- a Bazillion Flavors...   :)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on February 12, 2008, 02:17:53 AM
...must have variety...get bored easily.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Drew on February 12, 2008, 08:49:48 AM
Freezers on a solar system.  Nice.  Do you feel like describing your system for us, Glenn (Even in a new thread?)?  I'm not the power hog I one was, but I'd like to plug my guitar in at night every now and then.  And run the irrigation system.  And the lights.  I can size and do the math, but I'd love to hear what someone has done for real.

8)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on February 12, 2008, 10:43:34 AM
I have to get to work, but the short description, - and there is more here in the forum somewhere.

Probably a bit over 2000 watts of panels set up for 24 volt system

2 4024 trace sine wave inverters stacked to make 240v

1 - 1000 watt Bergey XL1 wind generator which supplies around 1/4 or so if our power.

...all connected together in a home brewed set up by me -- a timer and relays control water pumping when excess power is generated using the excess for water storage rather than wasting it. 

Batteries  - 12 L16 375ah batteries series paralleled for 24v at around 1100ah with about 1/2 usable to keep reasonable charge.  We occasionally run too low but bring them back up with the generator in extended cloudy periods.  Haven't had a problem in the last few weeks since the big storm.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on February 12, 2008, 05:30:51 PM
Gettin to be real slim pickin's around here again.  Tonight is stew made with pumpkin, ham, and misc. from the fridge, freezer, pantry.  It tastes OK, but not great.  Might make some cornbread to go with... just me and the kids because DH had a business dinner today.  Have just enough leftover tabouleh and fruit salad for us to clean those up as well.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: tanya on February 12, 2008, 08:55:04 PM
Frozen Raspberries, that is all.  I have been eating everything in sight for days now and all of a sudden today I am not hungry.  Luckily the scale is being very nice this time but it is pretty tricky it could still go way up in a few days even if Idon't eat anything between now and then.  I eat when I am hungry and I don't when I am not.  My appetite has a mind of it's own.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on February 12, 2008, 11:26:33 PM
Elkburgers, with crumbled blue cheese on fresh whole wheat buns (local bakery, not my own). Salad with homemade oil and vinegar dressing.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on February 12, 2008, 11:40:17 PM
For Suzy, it was dog food.

I fixed her a little plastic bag of dog food for her dinner as she was riding with me in the truck.

I opened the top of the bag for her so she could get some, but she wasn't hungry so she took her nose and carefully folded the top closed so none of the dog food was exposed.  I suppose she wanted to keep it fresh.

If it only happened once I wouldn't have thought too much of it, but she has done it 4 times now.

Isn't that just remarkable? ::)

Sounds like my mom always bragging on her smart kids. [crz]
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on February 13, 2008, 03:11:51 AM
 ;D  Sounds smarter than my dog, who is too lazy to sit up to eat and instead lies on the floor and tips the bowl over and then drags the dog food to his mouth with his paw one piece at a time, getting little crumbs of dog food everywhere!

Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on February 13, 2008, 09:59:38 AM
Something has to be said for the smartness of the lazy dog.

There is an old saying,   "If you want to know the easiest way to do something, ask a lazy man." (Dog?) ???
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Drew on February 13, 2008, 11:09:30 AM
My dad says, "I put a lot of effort toward being lazy."  He grew up on a farm and hid out in his room reading science fiction.  He rigged a siphon to feed him Kool Ade.  This is the same guy who kills snakes with OSB sticks and wants to show me the proper way to dress a chicken.  Funny.  He is also an IT guy and we have "different approaches" on some of that.  So now we connect on this stuff.

The bin from Planet Organics comes today so we'll have tons of fresh fruit.  I'm leading the 4H web design project after work today so Dan is going to start up the spinach, potatoes, and fried egg concoction that went down so well a couple of weeks ago.

I like spinach so much I think I'll write a song about it.  :D
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on February 13, 2008, 10:49:29 PM
I had mixed grill at Olive Gardens.  DH took me out for my birthday (truth is he forgot).  I would have just as soon had Mexican food at the local place, and it would have saved a considerable amount, but it was still pretty good.  It was also overly crowded with people trying to beat the Valentine's Day rush....  Anyway, it was nice not to have to cook/do dishes.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on February 14, 2008, 12:13:31 AM
I had Potato Chips, a nuked potato with butter and salt, and two flame toasted tortillas with butter.

For something different, I think I'll have Peanut Butter and Chocolate Ice Cream For desert.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Drew on February 14, 2008, 11:09:22 AM
I believe that Peanut Butter and Chocolate may be the very best ice cream flavor in the world.

I'm just sayin'.

I'll donate blood after work, then go home and make ziti.  With two kids and grandpa at dinner the candles will get the night off.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on February 14, 2008, 11:48:20 AM
My vote would have to go for Braum's Buttered Pecan.  But I also love the apricot-mango and cappucino chunky chocolate.  Sometimes, when the mood strikes, peppermint is also good... I went on a peppermint icecream kick for a while.  Then there's the toffee and coffee flavored varieties, also good....  for the past 30 years, the only flavor I have ever seen my Mom eat is buttered pecan.  I think she has an addictive personality... how could you eat the exact same thing all the time, even if you really like it?
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: tanya on February 14, 2008, 07:27:47 PM
Not potatoe chips!!! I had those for lunch and snack already, now I have to figure out something else if I get hungry again and it is time to hide the chips. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Redoverfarm on February 14, 2008, 09:09:41 PM
It was T-bones , baked potato, corn and tossed salad.  This is the last of the steaks. Good thing too as the butcher shop called this evening and said my beef would be ready to be picked up on Saturday. Sure hope I have enough room in the freezer as the boys vension took up part of it that we didn't have in there last year.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on February 15, 2008, 08:48:43 AM
Last night, our very romantic Valentine's Day dinner was... hot ham and cheese sandwiches and a salad.  We're still trying to use everything up, of course.  Have friends coming over this morning to help me clear snow off the walks to help prepare for the moving crews.
Got the rest of the grout in the kitchen sealed last night, the basement scrubbed up, the oil in the truck changed, made an appointment to pick up a little u-haul, and so forth yesterday.  All in all, very productive day. 

Today we're having chicken noodle soup for lunch and it'll be a baked chicken for supper, along with whatever veggies can be scrounged up.  In fact, I'd best go get the chicken for the soup started so that I can get it deboned.  I am sick of the ham... ready for something else, thus the two chicken meals in a row.  Actually, I'm ready to just stop cooking until we can move!  The day is coming soon.  I've already packed clothes for me and the kids... haven't packed DH's yet... he's going to have to have nice clothes out for work, so I thought I'd let him pack his own.  The packers are coming one week from tomorrow!
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on February 16, 2008, 06:32:12 PM
Well, we needed to run to the hardware store last night, so we ended up going out for Mexican food.  Tonight we're having the last chicken, the one I baked.  Soup was good and there's maybe one or two bowls left.  We'll have some mashed potatoes and some broccoli with the chicken, and then I thawed some berries out for dessert to be topped with a mixture of pumpkin, whipped cream, and cinnamon (it sounds weird, but tastes good.)  Most of the week it'll be sandwiches or frozen pizzas for dinner; breakfast will have to be oats or cream of wheat and/or yogurt and fruit.  Not much else left.  Packed up the spices this afternoon.  The oven is self-cleaning at the moment (smoky choking mess!) so I don't intend to cook anything else that can spill or splatter until we're relocated!
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on February 17, 2008, 10:28:54 PM
PB&J
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on February 18, 2008, 05:07:53 PM
tonight: frozen pizzas and Coca-cola.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on February 19, 2008, 01:51:36 AM
Doing good, Homegrown.  Last night Suzy and I went prospecting as I had chores to do during the day so it was Dog Food, cheese and crackers, V-8 and Hansen soda.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on February 19, 2008, 10:43:56 AM
Glenn, I'm hoping that the dog food was for Suzy?  Crackers, cheese and v-8 doesn't sound half bad.  Our fridge is getting really bare.  Girls ate the last of the oatmeal this morning.  Lyon ate the last of the cold cereal.  I guess my breakfast was instant coffee and crackers and an apple.  I'm ready to move.  Once you start getting rid of everything, it's time to move!
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Drew on February 19, 2008, 02:01:55 PM
I made a dal (Indian lentils) on Saturday out of a James McNair cookbook.  I left out the chili and it still packed quite a punch.  I don't know if I killed the three trillion microorganisms in my gut or gave them what they need to become a Cloverfield monster.

Dan made her nan last night.  Ain't globalization grand?
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on February 19, 2008, 03:42:03 PM
In the realm of food, I enjoy it.  There are other areas i don't think it's so grand.
My daughter was asking me to make the naan again this morning, but we're out of everything and I told her it'd have to wait until we move.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on February 20, 2008, 12:13:44 AM
QuoteGlenn, I'm hoping that the dog food was for Suzy?

Yes -- it was a bit of a fight but she won.  ::)

It really was for her.  We picnic out every so often.  :)

You know -- quality family time.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on February 20, 2008, 12:56:55 AM
We had dinner at Boston Market en route to Home Depot.  Second time in a month we've wasted a trip to Home Depot only to get all the way there and find they don't have what they DID have that we came after.  We improvised at Menard's later.  Anyway, dinner was roast sirloin, chop salad, long cut green beans, corn, and cornbread.  We have yet to be able to finish one of their "dinner for 3" meals, and for the food you get, you can't beat the deal.  It was about $24 for the four of us to eat until we were stuffed, and it was all good food... I don't think they have Boston Markets at home...at least I don't ever remember seeing one, but who knows... might be one in the city by now.  Anyway, I think that whoever came up with that idea had a good one... real food, but as quick as fast food.  Their rotisserie chickens are also good (and about $4-5 cheaper on the meal for 3 or 4).  Their mixed veggies are also really good, as are the rosemary baked potatoes and the apples, and their salad is good, especially since DD loves blue cheese crumbles on her salad (weird kid...I know).  Anyway, I was glad not to have to cook, and glad not to have dishes to wash!  And, it hit the spot.  Usually, if we order the dinner for 3, we have lunch for one the next day for leftovers... when the girls were a little smaller, we got at least two dinners (sometimes more) out of that one 'dinner for 3'.  Pretty good bang for the buck, and the kids love it too.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on February 20, 2008, 07:50:23 PM
A friend brought over meatloaf.  We had it with some canned tomato soup and steamed broccoli.  Pretty decent.  My friends painted our whole basement today (great gals!) so that we are one step closer to getting stuff done for the move... Need to take some pics of the recent home improvement....
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on February 20, 2008, 11:11:58 PM
Sassy and I had Spaghetti Squash Spaghetti with Trader Joes Tomato and Basil Marinara sauce topped with heaps of shredded Mozzarella, then nuked until the cheese was melted.  It actually tasted pretty good.

I guess I'll have the rest of the Peanut Butter and Chocolate Ice Cream and a slice of Coconut Cream and Chocolate Cream Pies for desert.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on February 20, 2008, 11:13:51 PM
Please do - the pix  :)  We had spaghetti squash with basil marinara sauce (organic from Trader Joe's) & mozzarelli cheese - quick meal - very good!  I added some hot peppers to mine. 

Just saw DH posted saying about the same thing I did, since I went to the trouble of typing this, I'll post it anyway  :P
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on February 21, 2008, 11:02:06 AM
I can just see you two sitting there with both of your computers competing to see who can type what was for dinner first.  :D  I'm taking the girls over to a friend's house today so that I can work on their room without them trying to "help".  It needs help, but not their kind of help.  Dinner sounds good... I am sick of eating junk and eating out... I'll be glad to be settled back into a cooking routine.  Reheating my friend's meatloaf last night dried it out a bit, so I decided to take whatever was left of it tonight and make it sort of like meatball stew.  Besides, DH is sick and stew or soup would be as good for him as anything else.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on February 22, 2008, 12:04:04 AM
Change of plans as DH is still sick... very sick.  Had a 103 fever when he got home today.  I fed him some canned soup and sent him to bed after a dose of Nyquil.  I went to pick up my kids from my friend's house, and she'd made me sweet and sour pork and rice, and it was really tasty.  She said the marinade was 1/3 cup of maple syrup, 1/2 bottle of bbq sauce, and 1/4 cup spicy mustard, and then throw it in the crock pot with the meat... she'd also made some with venison, but they'd eaten all the venison by the time I got there.  I'll bet it was even better on the venison, but then I'm not a big pork eater anyway.  To complicate matters beyond the fact that DH is really sick, the movers called me at 5:30 this evening and told me that they want to move up our loading day to Sunday.  I told them only if they started after 2 PM because we had better things to do and we'd agreed on Monday and Tuesday.  However, it's probably best if they do load us Sunday and we get started driving Monday because the weather is supposed to get bad again Tuesday, I think. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on February 22, 2008, 01:24:48 PM
Tonight we're going to grab something while we're out after getting back from the doc and the tax office... probably Mexican food.  Then run grab a few things for the moving days and to eat on the road....I'm tired just thinking about it.  Would be glad if we were already on the road because then all the hard part is done.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Redoverfarm on February 22, 2008, 01:30:05 PM
HT haven't you figured it out yet.  The hard part in life is never done until someone else sets your stone.  ;)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on February 22, 2008, 02:06:35 PM
 ;D Gee thanks, Red.  I meant only that I don't mind the unloading part of moving nearly so much as the anticipating getting gone!!! ;D

I am sick of snacking around and not eating much real food, too... my ankles were all swollen up this morning, so I need to cut back on the salty stuff, I guess.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on March 06, 2008, 09:49:07 AM
Well, I figured out that crepes aren't good for my blood sugar, even if they're filled with meat and cheese and spinach... we ended up going out last night again because we had to get some stuff for the new house.  Three hours after we ate, my numbers were still sky high.   Doggone it, they tasted so good, too.

guess I'll soon be reduced to cabbage and meat.... :-\
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on March 06, 2008, 10:46:10 AM
hmm Cabbage and meat.  Yummmmm  [hungry]

Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on March 07, 2008, 01:45:54 PM
Taking DH out for Korean food tonight for his birthday.  Usually I would make Korean food at home, but just not up to it today.  Besides, this way everyone else can order what they want and I can order something with only meat and veggies... after seeing how crepes filled with meat work, I'm not too keen on trying white rice with anything.  I had plain yogurt with cinnamon for breakfast this morning thinking there was no way it would make my sugar go up... after all, no sweet in it, not loaded with carbs... well, two hours afterward, my blood sugar was still up and out of the range it should be.  I didn't FEEL bad like I did the other night after the crepes, where I suddenly was just wiped out like I'd run a marathon and my legs were nearly too shaky to walk...but it was still higher than it is supposed to be.  :(  Really hope that things return to normal after this ornery little one is born.  I can live without stuff like white rice, bread, and other sweets, but I really miss milk and whole grains and fruits.  Besides, I am so stinkin' hungry... all the time.  I don't usually have that problem.  Even things like tomatoes and carrots are making the sugar levels go up beyond what they should.  Those are some of my favorite things, and overall are really good for you.  I love sweet potatoes, too, but don't dare eat one right now.  In the mean time, please pass the collards...
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on March 07, 2008, 02:18:19 PM
HG, I think sweet potatoes are not as bad as white potatoes in raising your blood sugar...  I would have to check that...
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on March 07, 2008, 04:04:43 PM
I had a few pieces of carrot with my stewed chicken (avoided the potatoes altogether, though) and also had collards and celery.  Sugar was still high.  Just that and a glass of water. :-\  Was so tired of being hungry that I decided to make a sandwich for lunch today.  I had the heels of a loaf of WW bread with mustard, cheese, and turkey,  and some celery sticks.  Two and a half hours later and my sugar is still up around  180.  I feel awful.  So far, it seems like meat and green veggies are the only things that don't raise my blood sugar.   ???  Think I have no choice for now but to totally elminate carbs, which really stinks.  I like meat and greens, but I like other stuff too.  Kind of takes the fun out of eating when you have to be so careful... I kind of understand better now why so many diabetics eat stuff they shouldn't.  It's probably more than just a matter of lacking willpower; they probably feel hungry a lot.  I sure am. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on March 07, 2008, 05:03:26 PM
The Adkins diet is actually a good diet for controlling your sugar but is so restricted...  I feel for you - other than restricting the diet, exercise helps - fats & protein don't raise your blood sugar - one of our docs was always recommending that type of diet & our diabetics really did well...  would have to study up on why pregnancy makes it so much harder to deal with - I rarely care for women & almost never pregnant ones...  so don't remember all the details.  Here the Diabetic Assoc recommends lots of veggies, whole grains, fruits - all things that raise the blood sugar   
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on March 08, 2008, 09:42:34 AM
Well, I don't mind eating a lot of veggies, but the meats are getting to me.  I like a steak now and then, but don't like to eat it all the time... tried lentils the other day and they also raised it out of range.  Who would've thought?  Also, I like veggies with fruits and nuts (like a salad with some apples and raisins or  whatever, and that doesn't help me much either, although balsamic vinegar doesn't seem to affect the blood sugar, even though it tastes sort of sweet.  So, breakfast this morning is going to be bacon and eggs....and some veggies.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on March 08, 2008, 11:41:59 AM
My sister, who is a nurse practitioner, said that gestational diabetes is really difficult to control - hopefully you can do it, your pretty motivated.  A lot of women end up going on insulin while pregnant...   :( 

Isn't it amazing that the very foods - eggs & bacon - that the docs have been telling us to stay away from are the foods you can eat when your blood sugar is out of line?   ???
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on March 10, 2008, 01:23:30 AM
Yep... it is weird.  Tonight we had fried chicken, salad, and steamed broccoli, and I even ate one girl scout thin mint cookie and was still well within range, but yesterday, I had an Indian taco, and even though I only ate part of the fry bread (and ooooh did it ever taste wonderful) it totally shot my blood sugar.  For lunch, I had an omelette, and would have been fine, but I decided to eat the toast that came with it, and even though it was 100% whole wheat, it was enough to send my sugar through the roof.  It has been really hard to stay within the range the doc wants me to stay unless I forego all grains and breads and fruits.  A few tomatoes don't seem to hurt, but if I eat very many, they also raise the blood sugar levels.   :-\  Only about ten more weeks (perhaps less?) to go.  I think this baby is going to be earlier than the original due date. 

Anyway, dinner was nice and filling.  I soaked the chicken in buttermilk overnight before frying it, and it was really delicious.  I don't make fried chicken very often, but every once in a great while it hits the spot.  I rolled it in mixed grain flour seasoned with garlic, oregano, paprika, and pepper, and frankly, I don't think the colonel himself could've done better. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on March 12, 2008, 02:47:14 PM
pot roast for dinner tonight...
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on March 12, 2008, 03:05:12 PM
I made corned beef & didn't have cabbage so cooked rutabagas & the greens in the juice after the meat was done...  tasted pretty good.  Made mashed potatoes (the natural instant - didn't have any regular-the potatoes had gone bad)  Then today cooked some freshly picked asparagus & an artichoke...  don't know what I'll have for dinner - have to run some errands...
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on March 12, 2008, 09:39:24 PM
MMmmm... fresh asparagus... my daughter would be envious.  She always kept an eye out for it in the grocery store in Wisconsin and would beg for it and ask me to make her some cream of asparagus soup.  People would always look at us like some really bizarre oddity.  She's already itching for a garden, but don't know where we'd put one.  The front yard is better than the back in the way of sun, but the whole flower bed appears to be stuffed with cannas, and I can't complain because they're colorful and fairly maintainence free, and our lease says we can't add or make new plantings.   :-\
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on March 13, 2008, 10:04:13 AM
Tonight is Arkansas bacon, salad, and steamed veggies.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on March 13, 2008, 10:27:19 AM
Can you do that in OK?
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on March 13, 2008, 12:04:05 PM
Arkansas bacon?  Sure.  It comes from Ralph's Meat locker up in Perkins, OK.  I don't remember why they refer to it as Arkansas bacon... looks and tastes the same as Canadian bacon to me, but it's good stuff, and Ralph's is the only meat locker I've ever been to and still wanted to eat meat.  (In college I had to go on tours of several meat processors as a part of being an ag major...I almost never wanted to eat meat for a while after the majority of them, but Ralph's was a small, clean operation, and they were really conscientious about the way they handled the animals and the meats.  Afterward,they let us do a taste test, and we were all able to partake, unlike the other factory-style places we toured where we couldn't even handle the beef jerky afterwards.  :P  That was one lesson in college that stuck with me, and so I still try to buy from Ralph's when I can because they're a small locally owned business, and I've seen the way they operate.)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on March 13, 2008, 12:29:02 PM
Well -- Imagine my happiness to learn that the meat in the last HOT POCKETS I JUST FINISHED EATING [hungry] has been recalled.

By the way -- the re-callers said it was not their problem to see that the consumers were informed.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2004276452_meat12.html
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on March 13, 2008, 12:33:59 PM
Lovely.  I hope you nuked the heck out of it!   :P 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on March 20, 2008, 07:43:37 AM
What's on the menu for Easter Sunday?  Our whole family (extended in all directions) has always gotten together for Easter at Grandma's house, and the food is always amazing.  I plan on making some of the naan (since I shouldn't be eating it, I figure if I take it, it'll all get eaten, except maybe one little piece I can nibble myself) and some salad.  Seems like too many people bring desserts, so I'll be skipping that whole affair, but the salad should be OK. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on March 20, 2008, 09:45:56 AM
Easter Sunday is coming? hmm
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: tanya on March 20, 2008, 09:54:38 AM
I am making turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravey, steamed vegies, and fruit salad, and pies and chocolate bunny cake and ice cream.  Most of the prep is going to be done Saturday evening though because I am concerned that making all this food could interfere with my baby holding time on Sunday. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on March 20, 2008, 11:17:04 AM
I'm working 1130-mid Sat & Sun so won't be having Easter dinner...  :(  Glenn will have to fend for himself  c*  My son is here helping with some stuff.  He took out the rocket stove yesterday & wheel barreled out all the dirt - the stove wouldn't have been practical & took up a huge amount of space - but Glenn got to do his experiment...  he wanted to get it out too...  my son is going to level the floor today & wash all my millions of windows  :) ! 

We barbecued a couple tri-tips & some pork chops last night, had mashed potatoes & fresh carrots out of the garden.  Yummie!

Glenn is headed off to the large house job in Coulterville with tri-tip sandwiches & I'm meeting with my brothers & sister this am in the valley.  I think we're going to the Japanese restaurant for lunch.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Redoverfarm on March 20, 2008, 12:21:21 PM
Well I hope he doesn't get a hankering for Rabbit to eat while you are gone. The kids will be disappointed.  Seeing that you had fresh carrots that is probably not the case in your garden. Domesticated animals probably keep them at bay.

Sassy & Sushi?  Not many Japanese eating establishments around here. Have to drive 1-2 hours to get Chinese. But usually worth the trip if I didn't have to drive. Gas and all. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on March 20, 2008, 01:47:57 PM
We went to a place with my cousins last Sunday after church that is a big Asian buffet. I usually don't like those places because most Chinese food is coated in MSG, which causes me severe headaches.  However, this place didn't use MSG, and it was owned by a Vietnamese family that my cousin has become friends with, and they had a great variety.  They had a big Chinese selection, to be sure, but there was also Mongolian BBQ (pretty yummy) and a section where you can make your own noodle soup.  They also had a small section of sushi.  It was really good.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on March 20, 2008, 11:02:41 PM
"Sassy & Sushi?  Not many Japanese eating establishments around here." (Redover)  Nope, don't much like sushi  :P 
Had teriyaki beef & tempura veggies plus a couple types of soups & salads were served along side - had some wasabi with it - whew, got a few bites that really cleared my sinuses   [shocked]  But the food was good.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Redoverfarm on March 21, 2008, 06:31:22 AM
Making me hungry Sassy.  Talking of Wasabi there is a deli here in town that carries alot of Amish foods. They have dried/roasted peas and soy beans that are wasabi flavored. I just eat these instead of potato chips for snack food.  Real good but as you say "a little dab will do ya".
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on March 21, 2008, 12:44:08 PM
worked one summer in the Grand Canyon when I was in college.  One of the guys that worked with us, Wisconsin Mike, drove to Flagstaff with a group of us to take a couple from New York to the train station to return to school for the fall.  We stopped to eat at a huge Asian buffet with a little bit of everything.  I noticed Mike put a big glop of wasabi on his plate, but I figured he was an adult and had a right to eat whatever he wanted, so I didn't say anything.  Thankfully, he sat right across from me, so I had box seats to the event that followed.  As we sat down, I noticed Mike scanning the table, but I didn't realize what he was looking for until it was too late... he shrugged to himself and grabbed a fried wonton and scooped probably a tablespoon or more of wasabi onto it and into his mouth before anyone could warn him.  It was like he was having a seizure!  He grabbed his nose and screamed, fell out of the chair and lay writhing on the floor.  Tears were flowing down his face, and he never stopped screaming.  When he did finally recover (somewhat... I'm not sure Mike ever really recovered from the pain) he said, "Whoa!  Whatever that was, it was NOT guacamole!"   At that point, the rest of us laughed to the point we probably looked as convulsive as poor Mike.  Gotta love wasabi.

Tonight, it's so nice out I think I'm going to do steak kabobs with peppers, onions, and squash.  I was going to make fried chicken, but it's too nice to cook indoors.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on March 21, 2008, 05:25:43 PM
 rofl rofl rofl  sorry, couldn't help myself!   ::)  poor guy - that stuff packs a powerful punch!
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Redoverfarm on March 21, 2008, 11:03:45 PM
I use my brow as a guage. When the sweat starts to pop out I lay off for a while. ;D
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Redoverfarm on March 23, 2008, 01:52:31 PM
I can't believe I ate the whole thing.  Relatives for Easter dinner.  Spiral Ham, potato salad, beats, combination bean casarole, broccoli, home made rolls, and orange marble cake. As usual probably won't eat any supper. Well maybe a little later tonight.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on March 23, 2008, 02:53:28 PM
Don's Homemade New Mexican Chicken Enchiladas!  I'm using chicken meat pulled from the carcass of the last roast chicken, plus a small piece of left over grilled breast. Hatch (New Mexico brand) medium green chili enchilada sauce.  Grated strong NM cheddar cheese (8th in the nation for cheese production). A little chopped onion, no idea where it came from.  [noidea'  The chicken; Arkansas, I think.  :-\

Roll the meat, onion, some cheese and sauce in Bueno (another NM brand) flour tortillas (no trans fats, no lard... traditional tortillas are made with and fried in Lard.  [yuk] People still do that). Place the rolled up Enchiladas in a glass baking dish, cover with the rest of the sauce, being careful to wet the tortilla edges. Sprinkle some grated cheese. Bake, or cheat and microwave until hot and cheese is melted.

EDIT: I discovered a ripe tomato and will chop it and add a little to each Enchilada. Cookong with me is an ongoing experiment.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on March 23, 2008, 09:45:08 PM
Well, lunch was interesting.  I found out this morning that I am allergic to the medicine my doctor prescribed to help with the blood sugar, which always seems to run higher in the AM even if I eat no carbs.  Anyway, if she'd been paying attention, she would've seen that my records showed that I'm allergic to some other sulfa drugs, and the warning on the Glyburide (spelling?) tells you if you've had a reaction to sulfas you may be allergic to it, too.  I am.  I had a big dorky welt across my forehead and a very itchy throat.  So, by the time we got to Grandma's I was about half afraid to eat anything.  I had a lettuce and tomato salad, some chicken and squash soup, and a few green beans... thankfully I stayed within range.  Dinner was stir-fry chicken and veggies while DH and the kids had in addition some of the carb-full leftovers that Grandma sent home with us.  I made Dan and Drew's naan and everyone else enjoyed it immensely, but I had to be content to smell it.  I think there were some thirty pieces, and all of them were eaten.  Since I'm allergic to the meds, I think I'll go back to eating a plain egg with tabasco and celery for breakfast, which didn't seem to make my numbers skyrocket.  As long as I keep my foods boring, I should be OK.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on March 25, 2008, 12:18:51 PM
Dinner tonight will be grilled chuck steak and salad.  I think I'll make some taters for DH and the kids... they're about to starve to death trying to eat what I am eating.  Poor DH has already lost about 5-6 lbs., and believe me he didn't have any to lose!  If anything, he needs to gain a little weight, but he kept insisting on eating what I was eating so that I wouldn't feel "deprived" or whatever for not eating rice, bread, other grains, and sweets (it doesn't keep him from drinking a coke in front of me, which seems especially tempting, though.)  I finally decided that the coffee has to go, even though it's only one cup and only about a half teaspoon of sugar... :-\  I didn't have any this morning, and thankfully it is warm enough that I haven't really missed it too much.  The good thing about all of this gestational diabetes stuff is that when the baby is born, there is a pretty good chance that I'll weigh less than my pre-pregnancy weight.   ;D  That'd be a welcome first!  Only about 7 weeks left... how many dozen eggs does that mean I will have to eat between now and then?   I wonder how many heads of lettuce and stalks of celery and pans of steamed broccoli?  Oh well, steak and salad is a pretty safe bet, and if I can just alternate meats and eggs to go with the salads,  I guess it is do-able.  Now, the hard part... we still haven't picked out names for the new baby yet... at this rate, we really might end up calling him/her "Spud" per DD's wishes!
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on March 25, 2008, 12:42:50 PM
I think that is a great name.  Spud --- it has a nice likable sound to it.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Redoverfarm on March 25, 2008, 03:35:04 PM
Just not "sue" for a boy there is already a song about that. :-[  Remember the child has to live with it for the rest of his life not yours. Be kind. I bet you already know the foods that don't agree with the baby.  It probably lets you know or I mean pays you back for the wrong things.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on March 25, 2008, 10:14:24 PM
I've heard some doozies for names lately.  People can be cruel to their kids.  My step-brother wanted to name his kid Wolfgang Ammadaeus Wilhite.  Thankfully someone talked some sense into him.  Another friend wanted to name her son "Brayden Colby" and all I could think was "Cheese Log", but her husband talked her into naming the boy Tyler instead.  Whew.  If it had been a girl instead, she wanted to name her Margeaux, which I also thought was awful!   

With both of our kids, we thought long and hard about their names. Our oldest was named before I was even five months pregnant.  We could already tell she was a fireball.  So we gave her a name that means "battle strength" and "grace" and her middle name means "light" in English and "decorum" in Korean.  After the first one, we really prayed for a peaceful second one, so we chose a name that means "Peaceful", and she is... her middle name also means light. This time, it seems like things have been so hectic, and we don't know what we're having, so it's been harder to come up with a name, though I can tell this one is a tall kiddo, and pretty active, especially about the time I finally get a chance to sit down.  Tonight, my oldest suggested Lena for a girl, which is kind of pretty... I always think of Lena Horne, the singer when I hear it.   
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Redoverfarm on March 25, 2008, 11:07:53 PM
With both of our children we used partials of our loved ones names in theirs. They turned out real well with the combination as each child is named after two of our relatives each. It sort of keeps the memory alive and gives the child some roots to their family.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on March 25, 2008, 11:17:38 PM
It could be worse.  My mom named me Glenn.  A variant of Glen. 
so - I'm a varaint to start off with.

Then to add insult to injury, I find out that it means "A glen is a narrow valley between hills", so it really hurts when Sassy says, Come on ya big boob.  She nearly has it right. [crz]
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Redoverfarm on March 26, 2008, 07:11:17 AM
  rofl Somethings you just can't escape from.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on March 26, 2008, 10:46:36 AM
Quote from: glenn kangiser on March 25, 2008, 11:17:38 PM
It could be worse.  My mom named me Glenn.  A variant of Glen. 
so - I'm a varaint to start off with.

Then to add insult to injury, I find out that it means "A glen is a narrow valley between hills", so it really hurts when Sassy says, Come on ya big boob.  She nearly has it right. [crz]
rofl

;D  Our older daughter's name is Corianna Rae, and the Rae comes from my MIL's name, Sam-Rae.  Cori means "battle strength" (or, at least that's one of the meanings) and Anna means "grace".  The little one's name is Evannie Eileen.  Evannie is a variant of a Greek name, Ivanni or Ivanna, which means peaceful. I am not sure how the original name should be pronounced, but we say it where it sounds close enough to "Ebony" that people get it mixed up sometimes.   Eileen means "light".  And, besides that, when they're in trouble, the first, middle and last name roll off the tongue quite smoothly.  Ev suggested a name if the baby is a little sister, and I really like it... she said she wanted to name the baby Sylvia Angeli.  Sylvia is my grandma's name, and grandma always belly aches that no one will ever name a baby after her... it would tickle her pink if we did.  Sylvia means "from the woods" which seems appropriate considering where we just moved from....  Angeli means "angel", or there is a name that sounds the same from the Hindi language which is Anjali, which means "offering".  Either way, I think it is pretty, not too weird, and has a good meaning.  I don't know what we'll do as far as Korean names are concerned... if it is a girl, we could continue the jewel theme as our oldest's Korean name is Jin-ju (Pearl) and the second is Su-Jeong (Crystal)...what's May's birthstone?  Or, what the heck, we could just pick a random one... emerald, ruby, etc.  If it is a boy, I'd like to name him after my Grandpa, Johnie.  I like Levi, Lyon, or a few other names as a middle name...  I also thought about giving him my Grandpa's family name as a middle name... Johnie Chambless?  I don't know.  At the same time, I can't imagine him ever deciding to go by his middle name if that is the case.  I even thought at one time of naming a girl after Grandpa because of the unusual spelling of his name... I think it looks like it could be a feminine spelling. 

Of course, none of this has anything to do with what's for dinner.   ;D  I even hijack my own threads.

Dinner will be grilled steaks or chops, salad, and mashed potatoes for everyone else.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on March 26, 2008, 11:03:45 AM
We'll just have to wait and see the name.

Last night dinner was left over barbecue tri-tip sandwiches nuked and slathered with miracle whip, cookies and icecream -- chocolate chip mint. [hungry]
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on March 26, 2008, 11:35:43 AM
cookies and icecream sound like they'd be messier than the average BBQ sandwich, Glenn.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on March 26, 2008, 01:33:54 PM
Quote from: glenn kangiser on March 26, 2008, 11:03:45 AM
...miracle whip...
No, no, no! If you're going to slather fat on a sandwich use Best Foods Real Mayonnaise, AKA  Hellmann's Real Mayonnaise east of the rockies. Here in NM depending on what store you go to you can find both. Sometimes both in the same store.  :-\

I used Miracle Whip because my Mom did. Then decades ago a sweet young thing I was enamoured with had me try Hellman's. It was superb! Maybe it was the love interest influence.  ???  Anyhow after K and met I introduced her to Hellman's and she liked it better than the Miracle whip her mother also used.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on March 26, 2008, 03:50:23 PM
Yuck... don't care for either, but if I need to use one or the other for a recipe, I usually go with the miracle whip... except I use the cheap knock off brand, Garden Club.  But, mustard is always better if you're just gonna slather a sandwich with it.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on March 26, 2008, 04:56:24 PM
I agree that a good tangy mustard, maybe with a little horseradish is perfect for a lot of sandwiches, BUT ya' can't make a egg salad sandwich, a tuna or salmon salad sandwich, a BLT, or a deviled egg without Mayo! I don't eat 'em everyday, but they are very delicious once in a while.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Redoverfarm on March 26, 2008, 05:51:05 PM
Yeah for the Mayo. My mom raised me on salad dressing.  Once out I would rather fight than switch back.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on March 26, 2008, 10:39:56 PM
Quote from: Homegrown Tomatoes on March 26, 2008, 11:35:43 AM
cookies and icecream sound like they'd be messier than the average BBQ sandwich, Glenn.

I meant I had cookies and Ice Cream after the sandwich.  Not on it.   I guess you got me there. d*
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on March 26, 2008, 10:41:44 PM
I'm with HG - don't really like either... when I make tuna sandwiches I use celery, grated carrots & sweet pickle relish (I changed to that because that's what DH likes, although I usually put some dill pickle in it) I have to put a lot of Miracle Whip on Glenn's sandwich - don't put any on mine.  Deviled eggs I use a lot of mustard...  when I order hamburgers, I have them hold the mayo or sauce & ask for double veggies (lettuce, tomatoes, grilled onions etc) 

Was raised with Best Foods Mayo - had a friend when I was a freshman in HS who used the Miracle Whip - I insisted that my mom buy Miracle Whip - she finally did & I then wouldn't eat it...   ::)  :P 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on March 26, 2008, 10:49:28 PM
Quotewhen I order hamburgers, I have them hold the mayo or sauce & ask for double veggies (lettuce, tomatoes, grilled onions etc)

...and it totally drives me crazy when we go to a fast food place and she does that --- most of them just plain can't handle it-- it's not in their training.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on March 27, 2008, 09:25:21 AM
Well, around here, everyone knows a good burger has mustard, onions, lettuce, dill pickle and tomato on it, but it seems like a lot of other places put mayo on it if you don't tell them any different.  The whole time we lived up north, I had the hardest time ordering  a burger because they just couldn't seem to understand that I wanted all the veggies still, but with mustard.  Half the time I'd get a burger with nothing on it!  The really crazy thing is that my husband is the foreigner, yet 9 times out of 10, it was my order that would come back wrong.  He thought it was a riot that they could understand his accent and couldn't understand mine.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on March 27, 2008, 10:14:40 AM
We don't generally dine out on burgers. Actually we don't dine out a lot at all. Mostly we grill our own burgers at home. Mayo was never meant for burgers. Never. Ketchup, mustard okay.

But if we do eat burgers out we avoid the usual fast foods places. Red Robin would be our fave.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on March 27, 2008, 10:47:24 AM
These were mostly mom and pop places, not really fast food joints because we rarely if ever do places with drive-thrus.  (And even less likely to up north where nobody could understand me when we're having a face to face conversation... let alone hollering over an intercom.) 

???

And the funny thing is that I don't have a  heavy accent at all... after all, I taught conversational English.  I didn't want my students to sound like a bunch of foreign hicks.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on March 27, 2008, 12:21:41 PM
We seldom eat out, either...  about the only fast food place I'll order a hamburger at is In & Out...  but I don't like American cheese on my hamburger either - Glenn just orders the double double or the triple triple - I like to add my own mustard or ketchup...  Red Robin is good - I really like their hamburgers...  but haven't been there in ages... 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on March 27, 2008, 08:23:40 PM
So after saying we seldom eat out.... we did tonight. K came up with some gift cards we had for Outback. It was okay, although maybe not having to do the cooking and clean up was the best part.   :-\ ::)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on March 27, 2008, 10:19:31 PM
I only ate at Outback once, and it was years ago when a friend of mine was waiting tables there.  My steak was awful, and the wait was long, and when I told them that the steak had something wrong with it, they didn't do anything about it, so I never went back....

Speaking of steak, that is what we had leftovers of again tonight, along with salad.  Gosh, I'd love some ice cream, but I've gotten my sugar levels to behave for three full days now, so I have to be good.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on March 27, 2008, 10:21:19 PM
I'll go eat some for you, Homey. heh
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on March 28, 2008, 10:53:31 AM
Thanks Glenn... hope it was a good flavor.

Tonight we're having grilled chicken and pineapple, and of course, a salad.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on March 28, 2008, 11:34:32 AM
Last night we had lasagna & fresh cauliflower from the garden (of course with cheese, Glenn has to have the cheese) I made a cake with a filling of pie cherries & some coconut - turned out good - we had vanilla ice cream with that - then DH had to have 2nds on the cake & ice cream - this time he had mint chocolate chip...   ::)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on March 28, 2008, 01:35:43 PM
It all sounds good! :)  My uncle swears sugar free peach jello tastes good, but I'm not sure I really believe him....

I think I'm taking the kids out for lunch.... not sure where.  Mexican food is the only thing I know for sure I can eat without wasting colossal amounts of food or messing up my blood sugar, but I think the girls are getting tired of enchiladas and burritos when we do take a day to eat lunch out... trying to think of something different...

It's funny, ever since I stopped taking the medicine that was supposed to help my blood sugar stay down, it HAS stayed low... sometimes almost too much so.  Of course, I don't get to eat as much of a variety as I'd like, but as long as I eat several eggs a day, we're in business.  I'd love to have a pizza, but don't think it's going to happen. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on March 31, 2008, 12:10:08 PM
Storming right now so it looks like I won't get to grill tonight.   :-\  Maybe leftovers from the church potluck yesterday?  We have coleslaw and fried chicken leftover, and I'm sure i could scrounge up something to go with it.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: tanya on March 31, 2008, 06:57:52 PM
Sugar free jello is good, so is sugar free Reeses p-nut butter cups, and ice cream but I think they still have carbs.  I don't like sugar free stuff much but when I do find something that tastes OK I remember it.  Tongiht I am having Top Ramen noodles. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on April 01, 2008, 04:45:43 PM
Grilled pork chops tonight, coleslaw, and toast.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on April 01, 2008, 04:59:35 PM
Just about anything sugar free that I've tried has usually tasted okay but as soon as I finish it I get a funny aftertaste that lingers. Even if I am not aware that it is sugar free while eating I can tell.

Tonight: Scrambled eggs, home made turkey chili, salad.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: NM_Shooter on April 01, 2008, 06:17:33 PM
Wife's working late. 

Sloppy joes, fried potato slices, Bush's beans, and to keep this healthy, a salad.

-f-
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on April 01, 2008, 06:45:40 PM
Quote from: MountainDon on April 01, 2008, 04:59:35 PM
Just about anything sugar free that I've tried has usually tasted okay but as soon as I finish it I get a funny aftertaste that lingers. Even if I am not aware that it is sugar free while eating I can tell.

Tonight: Scrambled eggs, home made turkey chili, salad.
I can taste the "aftertaste" even while I'm eating it... and stuff with aspartame also usually makes my stomach hurt.  I usually just try to avoid anything with sweeteners other than sugar, maple syrup, sorghum, or the like.  I made some of the sugar free jello today, but it's not set yet...
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Redoverfarm on April 01, 2008, 06:51:33 PM
Artificial sweetner? Ugh.  I love iced tea. In fact other than water that's all that is drank in our house.  I will order Unsweetened tea if we go out and I add the sugar or in most cases just drink it without sugar.  The kids are a different story. Like Christmas order a soft drink.  But the little girl is slowly staying with water even when eating out.  But that is usually not always a good choice with the taste of Municiple water.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on April 01, 2008, 08:18:48 PM
We drink water as the norm, iced tea with a dash of lemon, no sugar. Red wine, beer a little. One cup black coffee a day. Earl Gray hot tea (myself) for about 4 - 6 cups a day, no sugar.

Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Redoverfarm on April 01, 2008, 09:00:08 PM
Shoot Don I drink that much coffee before I get out of bed.  Usually take two cup thermos to cabin for Mid-morning break, Lunch and mid-day break with a little junk food. No sugar or cream in the coffee.  Don't worry about getting too much or the other.  Do try to eat fruit during the breaks.  Fruit is really high here now at the market.  But I learned to perfer Calf oranges over Fla. Bananas are $.65 #. I stop buying when they are over $.40.  Apples $1.99 #
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on April 01, 2008, 09:40:26 PM
I used to have my own Bunn coffee machine with an IV when I was with the bank.  :o ::)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Redoverfarm on April 01, 2008, 09:49:13 PM
Yes it seems office work is the worst when it comes to caffine.  I have slacked off a good bit since I retired.  It is catching up to me in the afternoon as it effects my sleep at night.  Any coffee in the evening if it's not with a meal and I am up half the night. When I was younger and work later I would drink it at 2:00am and be asleep shortly there after. Not anymore.  But as a lot of things I used to do when I was yonger that I can't do now. Or at least as well.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on April 02, 2008, 01:20:07 AM
Quote from: Homegrown Tomatoes on April 01, 2008, 06:45:40 PM
Quote from: MountainDon on April 01, 2008, 04:59:35 PM
Just about anything sugar free that I've tried has usually tasted okay but as soon as I finish it I get a funny aftertaste that lingers. Even if I am not aware that it is sugar free while eating I can tell.

Tonight: Scrambled eggs, home made turkey chili, salad.
I can taste the "aftertaste" even while I'm eating it... and stuff with aspartame also usually makes my stomach hurt.  I usually just try to avoid anything with sweeteners other than sugar, maple syrup, sorghum, or the like.  I made some of the sugar free jello today, but it's not set yet...

If you eat anything with Aspartame- Nutrisweet or any other name for it you just as well help yourself to a few spoonfuls of Rat Poison too.  About the same difference.

There is a big effort by Snopes and others to say there is no problem with it.  I think there is enough information out there to be really cautious about it and I won't use it.  While Snopes is generally accepted as gospel, it is not certified for anything and I would research it much farther rather than stopping at them.

http://www.befreetech.com/aspartame2.htm
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on April 02, 2008, 09:08:25 AM
Well, the way I see it, my mom was always pretty healthy until she started drinking diet coke. Nasty stuff.  I don't trust aspartame.  And I did try the jello, but it had the same funky taste that I don't like, so it'll probably be tossed.  Besides, I just don't think it is good for you.  It's probably better for me to just totally skip sweets than to try to have a substitute for them.  I really miss fruit, so I thought it might be a way to get some of the fruit flavor craving dealt with without making my blood sugar go up... :-\  Just have to behave myself for six more weeks or thereabout.  *sigh*  I miss things like tabouleh, cream of wheat, rye bread, and fruits especially... I could skip the dessert type things a lot easier because I usually don't eat much of that anyway, though through the whole process of moving I couldn't wait to have a scoop of Braum's ice cream as soon as I got back here, and then I found out that I couldn't eat it about the time I got back! 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on April 02, 2008, 10:52:50 PM
Turkey, potato, onion, celery, peas, corn, green beans, carrots, tomatoes, V-8 juice, garlic STEW, from scratch
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on April 03, 2008, 10:37:25 AM
We ate at a Korean restaurant after my doctor's appointment yesterday.  I had kimchee chigae, and DH had dakbulgogi (Korean bbq chicken).  There's not a lot of Korean food I can eat right now because of the blood sugar issues, but if I stick to soups without rice, noodles or potatoes, and then eat the veggie side dishes, I'm OK.  Tonight we'll be having grilled pork chops, green beans, pineapple, and salad. 

I got a good reassuring feeling from the doctor's appointment... I am three weeks away from the time I had my second daughter, and I found out yesterday that my doctor is going to China for the next several weeks, and even though I should be coming in every other week, supposedly (if not every week?) she won't be able to see me for another three weeks!   ::)  May get that home birth I wanted after all... who knows?  DH says nesting has already set in because I made the baby's cradle up the other day and have been washing newborn clothes and getting allt he baby stuff out.  Trying to marinate meats for the grill in advance and freeze them in serving-size portions, and cooking up and freezing casseroles, etc. for after the baby gets here.  DH's mom will be coming sometime within a few weeks after the baby is born, so she'll probably drive me nuts wanting me to eat nothing but seaweed soup for a month, as is the custom...I'm a bit worried that she's going to be bored because the kids and I don't speak Korean very well and it'll be hard to communicate with her.  Getting along with my inlaws was much easier before we had kids. ;D  They just don't understand parenting in the same way we do, and it makes it kind of tough... they think you should give a kid whatever he wants, even if it is bad for him.  I'll never forget my MIL feeding my oldest daughter straight strawberry jelly as a 1-year-old... DD had never had sugar to that point, and of course she liked it, and my MIL thought it was the same as feeding her fruit!  She fed her so much of it that DD got sick and threw up for two days.  I was furious because every time she quit throwing up, MIL would try to feed her some more of it, or sugar-laden soy milk instead of plain milk, and she'd just ignore me if I told her not to.  DH has already had a talk with her and told her that whether she agrees or not, when she is in our house, she'll abide by our rules for the kids... it creates too much chaos when kids are getting two different messages.  Don't know that she'll listen, though... she's planning on staying for two months. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: tanya on April 03, 2008, 03:02:18 PM
ooooo two months....  YIKES.  I spent jsut under two weeks with my daughter and her husband when they just had thier baby and I know she was glad to have me go home when I left.  We get along pretty good too.  People just need their space somethimes.  Can you get her a room ?  Or maybe a cabin at an off season resort?  A tent?  anything for two months will be good. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on April 03, 2008, 09:50:37 PM
Nope, as America will all be new to her, we couldn't do that to her.  She's going to stay right  here with us!  She doesn't speak any English (unless you count "good morning" and "thank you", but I'm not sure she really knows what either means!)  She's a great gal, and I get along with her most of the time, but I really hate it when I tell her not to feed the kids something and then she does it anyway.  Or when she gets mad if I make the kids go to bed at the same time every night... I guess when DH was a kid, she let him and his little brother run around until they just totally crashed.  She was also amazed when our oldest was one how she would go sit down in her booster seat when it was time to eat.... I told her that she did it because she knew if she wanted to eat, that was the only way it was going to happen, and the only place.  She told me that she used to chase her boys with a spoon to get food in their mouths.  Absurd.  She thinks I'm way too strict, but would have had a cow had she seen the way my folks raised me.  It'll be fun... an adventure having her here.  I just hope she likes it enough to convince my FIL to come sometime.  I know he'd love it here.  I'm not so sure about MIL... it'll be hard for her not to be in the hustle and bustle of a big city.  If I just took my FIL fishing, he'd have a ball, whereas I'm not so sure what to do with MIL.  Planning on taking her to the Red Earth Festival, some state parks, maybe the zoo, maybe a few museums, etc.  If all else fails, the lady who owns the Korean restaurant told me to drop her off there for a few hours if I need a break and let her have a break from all the English speakers, too.  We'll see... I like Korean food, and I'm a fairly decent Korean cook, but probably we won't eat it three meals a day for the whole two  months, and she's pretty set in her ways that anything other than Korean food is NOT food. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on April 03, 2008, 09:57:50 PM
You're on the right track as far as kids and meals go. There's breakfast, lunch and dinner time and if they can't sit still and eat and leave the table, it's all over until the next scheduled meal. They will not die and will quickly learn IF you don't cave in and give them their way. IMO.

G/L   :)

We run into a lot of different parenting styles with all the preschoolers.  ::)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on April 03, 2008, 10:56:02 PM
Ummmm ... steamed fresh picked artichokes from the garden with creamy Black Aphid and Miracle Whip Sauce. [hungry]
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on April 03, 2008, 11:02:24 PM
Quote from: glenn kangiser on April 03, 2008, 10:56:02 PM
Ummmm ... Black Aphid and Miracle Whip Sauce. [hungry]
??? ???
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on April 03, 2008, 11:05:49 PM
I told Sassy they had Aphids on them -- she said they wouldn't hurt me.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on April 04, 2008, 12:05:43 PM
I washed the artichokes - if I got rid of all the aphids, there wouldn't be any artichoke left...   :-\  ::) :P  They get into our cauliflower also - I have to wash & soak the stuff like crazy...  I just try & ignore them...   ;)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on April 04, 2008, 12:57:26 PM
Actually I picked off the outer leaves they were on - then no problem.  Just funnin ya

Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on April 04, 2008, 05:12:02 PM
Adds to the protein, right?



Quote from: MountainDon on April 03, 2008, 09:57:50 PM
You're on the right track as far as kids and meals go. There's breakfast, lunch and dinner time and if they can't sit still and eat and leave the table, it's all over until the next scheduled meal. They will not die and will quickly learn IF you don't cave in and give them their way. IMO.

G/L   :)

We run into a lot of different parenting styles with all the preschoolers.  ::)

Don, I bet you do run into a lot of parenting styles.  I liked teaching college kids because though they may have all been parented differently, at least their folks aren't calling you at home to bawl you out for making classes to hard for their kid, etc.  When I taught high school, I actually had one kid's mom call me up multiple times and go to the school to try to get me fired because I made the kids keep a notebook for their math homework wherein they had to do reading notes from their text books.  Her son wasn't doing anything and was failing my class, even though he was the brightest kid in the class, and she called me up to scream at me about how her 6'3" "baby" came to her with tears in his eyes because he "didn't know" why I was flunking him.  Then she pitched a fit because they had to take "reading notes" and it was an algebra class!  How dare I make them read their texts!  How dare I make them actually learn how to apply the math they were learning to practical things... after all, everyone knows that there is NO reason that reading and math should have anything to do with each other, right?  This particular mom was the guidance counselor at a local public school, and she and her hubby both had doctorates in child psych.... and their son was different that all the other kids who flunk math!  He was going to Harvard and was going to be a doctor, so how dare I fail him in math?  I asked the young man one day what he wanted to do with his life and he said he wanted to go to Japan and study animation, which is something he would have been great at.  ???  People have all sorts of ways to mess their kids up!

In my husband's case, somewhere along the line, someone must have given him an example to follow of how to take responsibility for himself... unfortunately, his brother never got the same lessons.  He's still an irresponsible lout.   ;D

Dinner tonight will be burgers from the grill, salad, and fixings for the burgers.  I won't get any bread, but at least I can pile on the veggies and mustard and pretend.   ;)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Redoverfarm on April 04, 2008, 06:15:38 PM
Quote from: glenn kangiser on April 03, 2008, 10:56:02 PM
Ummmm ... steamed fresh picked artichokes from the garden with creamy Black Aphid and Miracle Whip Sauce. [hungry]

Makes you wonder whether you had already put pepper on or not.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on April 04, 2008, 09:14:47 PM
That's what I said, Homey.  Just a bit more protein.

John -- I've always told Sassy I don't use ground black pepper because I can't tell it from the fly specks, then this happens. [crz]
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Redoverfarm on April 13, 2008, 02:39:23 PM
Quote from: Homegrown Tomatoes on January 24, 2008, 02:49:47 PM
Here it is:
Peasant Bread:

1 pkg. yeast
2 c. warm water, divided4 c. flour (your choice)
2 tsp. salt
1 T. sugar (or other sweetener, like honey or molasses)
butter/poppy seeds (optional)

Dissolve yeast in 1 c. warm water and mix dry ingredients in another bowl.  Add yeast and water and mix well.  Cover and let rise until doubled.  (approx. 1 hour)  Stir down and half.  Place in greased pans and let rise until doubled again.  Brush with butter and or poppy seeds before baking in a 350 degree oven 30-45 minutes.


Hey HT where does the other cup of water go in or where?  Making it again today with potato soup but wife had a brain fa*t and couldn't recall if it was added before or not.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on April 13, 2008, 09:40:40 PM
Add as needed after adding the yeast and water... don't know why, but sometimes I use the whole 2 cups and sometimes not...maybe depends on the flour?  Haven't made any bread (except the Naan for Easter) in the last few months since I can't eat it right now!  Sounds really good, though.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on April 13, 2008, 09:45:41 PM
Dinner has been pretty boring of late... usually some meat off the grill and a salad, or some steamed green veggies.  Not feeling too creative in the kitchen because it is too tough to control the blood sugar. 

Tonight we had gone to our college town to visit folks from our old church, and on the way out of town we stopped at one of our old favorite Mexican places... i had carne asada, guacamole, salad, rice and beans, (though just a few bites of rice), and then the girls had flan for dessert and I couldn't resist JUST ONE little bite.  Of course my blood sugar went way up and stayed up for a while, but not too terribly high.  It was heavenly.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on April 13, 2008, 11:25:14 PM
We had some great tuna salad sandwiches Sassy made for lunch with fresh garden carrots and celery.  I went for seconds... oh yeah...and slathered with lots of Miracle Whip.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Redoverfarm on April 14, 2008, 01:52:33 PM
HT the water wasn't the problem.  The yeast got old and it didn't rise. DW thought she had some more but didn't.   Oh well there is always another day.  It made good suet for the birds though.  Came out real heavy and wouldn't bake. I know the birds like it because they keep falling to the ground.  ;D
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on April 14, 2008, 05:17:45 PM
It helps if you keep the yeast in the freezer... When I was baking all the time I bought a big bag of yeast because gets kind of expensive buying the little packets.  Kept it in the freezer ever since (except the days we were moving which were as good as having it in the freezer because it was really cold out) and have never had any trouble with it.  I always let it sit in the warm water a little while to "proof" it.  If it isn't bubbly something is wrong.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on April 15, 2008, 04:25:56 PM
Quote from: glenn kangiser on April 13, 2008, 11:25:14 PM
We had some great tuna salad sandwiches Sassy made for lunch with fresh garden carrots and celery.  I went for seconds... oh yeah...and slathered with lots of Miracle Whip.
Did you grow the celery, too, Glenn?  I experimented with Conquistador last year, but we went out of town one weekend and had a heat wave (in WI) and they apparently dried up and withered away in those two short days.  I think I'd have to grow it in early spring or late fall here to get it to grow, but I'd like to try. 

I've been wanting a tuna sandwich, but the problem is I can't eat the bread.  So I made the kids tuna salad sandwiches for lunch the other day, and I just ate some of the tuna salad on lettuce, and STILL my blood sugar skyrocketed.   :(  Didn't have anything sweet in it, either...

Tonight we're going to have grilled chicken and a salad... I think I'll make some taters for DH and the girls, too.  About four or five more weeks, max... then hopefully I'll be able to re-introduce a few carbs.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on April 16, 2008, 02:19:48 AM
Yup -- That is the first time we got celery to grow here -- started it last year and over the winter it grew.  I had great celery when doing hydroponics-- It overloaded the trough.  I was doing NFT on that one.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on April 16, 2008, 07:22:35 AM
NFT??? Please elaborate.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on April 16, 2008, 11:58:38 AM
Nutrient film technique.

The hydroponic nutrients are liquid only and are flowed along the bottom of the trough where only roots grow.  No soil.  Some flow constantly, but the best method is to flow intermittently to allow the roots time to get air.  Roots need air -- that is why packed soils - clay etc stifle growth.

Here is a link to one method, http://hydroponicfarm.blogspot.com/2007/09/nft-hydroponics-system.html

It mentions constant flow -- experimentation shows that intermittent is better -- More roots and faster growth after the first few weeks.

Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on April 16, 2008, 01:31:14 PM
Very interesting, Glenn.  Thanks.  I'd never heard of it before...

When I was growing I had direct seeded out doors, and the celery had come up and put on its first set of true leaves before I left on my trip.  When I got home, they were just these dried out thread-thin corpses. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on April 16, 2008, 07:15:22 PM
The thing to remember about some of this stuff is that there are  a lot of different ways to do it.  If anyone gets going on it I will offer more help from my experience.

Here is where I bought my nutrients because they furnished the good stuff then the cheap bulk part could be bought locally.  Some other companies will try to rip you off royally many times.

http://www.hydro-gardens.com/all.htm
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on April 16, 2008, 07:17:27 PM
Don't pay fortunes for fancy systems -- the plants don't care-- build your own.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on April 26, 2008, 01:32:43 PM
I was just showing DH the link you posted about NFT.  He's interesting in experimenting with it as soon as we are in our own place... he got kind of excited about it, especially since he designs submersible pumps for a living.   [cool]  He had to check out the drawings and is talking about how we could build our own setup.

Dinner was IHOP last night.  We don't eat stuff like that too often, but it tasted pretty good.  I had steak with grilled onions, mushrooms, and some provolone cheese.  They were kind enough to substitute broccoli  for my potatoes, so I had no blood sugar issues afterward.  All the waitstaff was awed over the fact that both of my kids ordered the grilled tilapia with steamed broccoli (one waitress told me she'd NEVER seen a kid order that there even though she knew it was on the menu)  and they were even more amazed when they actually finished the whole thing.  DH had an omelette, which came with a short stack of pancakes... he gave the girls each a pancake, which they ate some of, but stopped when they were full.  I have to admit, I was pleasantly surprised that both of them voluntarily ate the real food first without any discussion before they even tasted the pancakes.  Must be our superb parenting skills ::)  (or maybe just good timing in catching them really hungry!)   
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Redoverfarm on April 26, 2008, 01:45:15 PM
HT what is the due date.  You need to count them down for us.  Have you found out if they have WiFi at the hospital?
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on April 26, 2008, 08:55:06 PM
Hey Homey, my first one was in about a bushel plastic container for water.  I used a small pond pump and cheap 15 minute timer.  I used plastic gutters for troughs but they proved to be too small soon and I had to cut roots from things to allow the nutrient through. 

Guess I better mention that we had lots of celery and stuff for dinner so they don't think we are in the wrong thread.  Let me know when he is ready to start the system -- we can start a thread on it and I can help him to keep it cheap.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on April 26, 2008, 09:53:58 PM
Thanks Glenn, I'll start a thread on it or send you a message when we get to that point.  It'll be a while yet, though, most likely.

Red, they moved the date up about a week, so probably between the 14th-17th somewhere???  I think it's going to be sooner than that, though.  My dreams are getting weirder by the day and I'm sleeping less and less because I'm getting to the huge and uncomfortable stage.  Funny thing is a dear lady that I've known all my life saw me the other day and I was introducing her to my girls, and then I said, "And this one is due in a few weeks..."  She said, "YOU'RE PREGNANT?  I thought you'd just put on a little bit of weight... are you really due next month?"  Granted, she was looking at me face to face.  If she'd seen me from the side, I don't think there'd have been any room for doubt!  Still, it was pleasantly surprising after two super-size pregnancies with the girls. ;D  Kinda made my day.  I think the baby will be here within two weeks (my guess).  Every time I walk any distance at all, I start having contractions, so it makes me more determined to walk often.  Also, I'm kind of losing my appetite.  I'll think I'm hungry, but then once I start to eat, I just can't eat very much at a time at all.  I cleaned out the truck today, even cleaned all the seats with leather cleaner, and installed the baby's car seat.  Picked all the fuzz out of the carpet, etc.  Yep.  I think it  is getting about time.

Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on April 26, 2008, 11:26:54 PM
Dinner was a charity dance ball dinner at the Sandia Casino. It was very very good...   :) grilled chicken, salmon fillets, potato wedges, a pasta & veggie salad, tossed salad, a green bean and squash veggie dish, and several great desserts. Mmm good!
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on April 27, 2008, 08:55:55 AM
Always nice when somebody else has to do the cooking and the dishes, isn't it Don!
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on April 27, 2008, 11:54:46 AM
Yes, and even better though when the food is delicious.  :)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: gandalfthegrey on April 27, 2008, 01:17:27 PM
Stew in slow cooker.  MMM  gona be a good night. c*
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on April 27, 2008, 08:20:28 PM
We had hot breakfast sausage patties and salad made with broccoli stems, carrots, cabbage, sprouts, cilantro, sweet peppers, green onions, and nuts and drizzled in dressing made from sesame oil, a pinch of sugar, rice vinegar, etc.  One of my favorite salads and it always gets eaten up the first time.  It never makes it into a meal of leftovers.  This was after starving through lunch because we visited a Korean church in the city, and they served lunch afterward, but I couldn't eat a single thing there because it was all starch-based and my blood sugar was unusually high this morning, so I fasted while DH and the kids ate (oh so slowly) and visited.  While I enjoyed the church, I was absolutely starving by the time we got out of there (somewhere in the neighborhood of 2:30 PM.)  Somehow it didn't occur to DH that I hadn't eaten since about 7:00 in the morning, and even then I just had nuts and a cup of milk...  Anyway, it was a long day.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on April 28, 2008, 01:31:03 PM
Tonight we'll have homemade chicken fajitas off the grill (no tortillas for me, though :( ) and some salad.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Drew on April 28, 2008, 08:52:02 PM
Hiker pasta.  That's the one with zucchini, onions, carrots, sun dried tomato pesto and tortellini.  It's a good fast one.  Dan and I have an extra contract on top of the day job this month.  It's her turn.  She's doing the QA testing while on the phone to the Old Man.  The OM and I did the development.  I'm here now for moral support while she tries to break our code.  It takes a strong family to do that... d*

One day we'll be doing this on our farm.  "Oh darn!  The solar batteries ran out!  Too bad, so sad!  Well, good night!"
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on April 28, 2008, 11:44:39 PM
Well, Sassy made us Fresh Artichokes, Fresh Asparagus and ravioli.  Also , orange juice given to us by the firemen.  We wentto breakfast at the fire house and due to internal conflicts they didn't get their advertising done -- so lots of free food afer we bought breakfast.  The gave us lots of sausages also - and a couple dozen eggs.  Good we showed up. 

Grub was fine and I'm full as a tick.  [hungry]
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on May 07, 2008, 12:17:32 PM
QuoteChile eruption spurs evacuations
[hungry]

Did this headline strike anybody else funny or was it just me?  d*

Has nothing to do with dinner except the thought it invokes but here is the story. 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7386050.stm

Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on May 07, 2008, 06:28:02 PM
I thought it was pretty cute, myself.


We're having Chinese take-out....  cashew chicken sounds good.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on May 08, 2008, 03:38:00 PM
Dragging myself to the kitchen to see what there is to eat... maybe some shrimp with cocktail sauce and a salad.   ???
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: nickolekidd on May 08, 2008, 04:31:59 PM
mmmmmmmmmmm you guys make me hungry. :) I wish I could cook stuff like you guys do. I can cook a little but nothing fancy. Anyone know and good ground beef recipes? My hubby mainly eats ground beef and I only know how to make a few things with it and am getting really tired of them. Thanks,
Nickole
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on May 08, 2008, 09:05:21 PM
Well, Nickole, when my wife is gone I usually just make lots of fast crappy food and post it here to gross people out and make them feel sorry for me. [crz]

We like to make giant hamburgers -- about 1/2 lb or more each just cooked in a fry pan with a lid on for quite a while .  We put lots of dried onion flakes and salt- mix them up with a fork then make them about an inch or more thick.  I like mine with lots of cold ketchup.  Kind of a salisbury steak thing.  Mushrooms would go good with them too - maybe cooked with them in the same pan or sauteed with butter if fresh.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Redoverfarm on May 08, 2008, 09:17:58 PM
nickolekidd there is always "hamburger helper". You might check out the beef counsel as they should have something to do with their beef products.  Spagetti, meatloaf, taco's, and the like. If you are serious you might try to find a board for cooking and then do a serch for hamburger.  Got to be something that the Biggkidd will eat on there.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on May 08, 2008, 09:48:46 PM
http://www.cooks.com/
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on May 08, 2008, 10:17:24 PM
I don't know much about hamburger meat because we seldom use it, but we went through a long time period in our early marriage where all we had for months on end was ground goat meat.  One thing I liked to do with it was season it like sausage (sage, salt, red chilies, etc.) and cook it in little patties for breakfast... it was super lean, though, so you almost had to add some butter to the pan to keep it from sticking.  I also put it (the sausage version) into stuff like spaghetti or lasagna or fried rice.  Make the fried rice with the meat and some cumin, oregano, and cilantro and the veggies of your choice (and of course, tomatoes) and it is pretty good.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on May 09, 2008, 04:10:08 PM
tonight we're having grilled fish and salad and maybe some steamed mixed veggies.

Oh, and DH and the kids can have some leftover mashed potatoes.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on May 11, 2008, 11:43:34 PM
Last night for desert we had fresh strawberries from the garden - first picking - with ice cream and pound cake topped with whip cream. This morning we had strawberries on blueberry pancakes and whipped cream.

Tonight we are having fresh artichokes - steamed.- from the garden also.  We are getting tons of them off 4 plants, and in the store now they are $1.49 each.  That makes $10 worth about that we cooked tonight. ( OK -- so it's just that the dollar is toilet paper now but it still takes a lot of dollars to get them.)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on May 12, 2008, 02:02:00 PM
I don't think I've ever tried fresh artichokes, but I love the ones out of the can.  During the first part of this pregnancy, I craved them so much I ate a can/bottle at one go.  I'd like to try my hand at growing some one of these days.


Last night we ate at my dad's house.  My dad cooked supper.  It was Hamburger helper, canned spinach, and stove-top stuffing. :P  Not stuff I usually eat, and not stuff I should be eating with the blood sugar issues, but know better than to offend Dad about his cooking.  So, I just soaked it all in tabasco and chili peppers and ate it.  Today, I feel like processed food is coming out of my pores!  Gross! 

We're having grilled steaks, salad, and meokkuk (Korean seaweed soup, which is supposed to be good for pregnant women because it helps prevent blood clots.)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: nickolekidd on May 12, 2008, 08:37:31 PM
hi guys,
I wanted to thank you all for your comments and sugestions I didnt make it back on here till today. we went to our property for the weekend it was great. I have tried hamburger helper and we are tired of it. I make spag. taco's, sloppy joes , shepards pie ect I was just looking for something diffrent. I also make hamberger peper gravy ( white gravy) and biscuts its pretty good. I my self feel that if I'm gonna eat beef I want steaks but cant always have them. :(
Thanks again...
Nickole
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Redoverfarm on May 12, 2008, 08:47:16 PM
nickolekidd when Larry gets everything in ship shape on the property he can run a beef cow and you will have steaks & roast.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on May 13, 2008, 10:22:05 AM
Quote from: nickolekidd on May 12, 2008, 08:37:31 PM
hi guys,
I wanted to thank you all for your comments and sugestions I didnt make it back on here till today. we went to our property for the weekend it was great. I have tried hamburger helper and we are tired of it. I make spag. taco's, sloppy joes , shepards pie ect I was just looking for something diffrent. I also make hamberger peper gravy ( white gravy) and biscuts its pretty good. I my self feel that if I'm gonna eat beef I want steaks but cant always have them. :(
Thanks again...
Nickole
Nickole, I would get burned out on Hamburger Helper really quick too!  I had some at my dad's house for the first time in years the other day and it just didn't taste good at all to me.  To this day, my husband has a hard time eating goat meat because of our years of goat meat.  My dad butchered and gave us the meat, which was a lifesaver at the time, but we were kind of like the Israelites getting sick of manna, I guess.  It wouldn't have been  so bad, but since his BIL did the butchering for him, he just had him make it all ground meat because he could sneak it into anything.  My step-mom wouldn't eat it because she knew the goat, so we ended up with all but  a few packages of it.  Like I said, making it into sausage seemed to be one of the best things to do with it, and it was way less greasy than pork sausage.  I also made goat 'n' bean enchilada casseroles and froze them ahead of time for quick pop-in-the-oven dinners.  You might try stuffed peppers, too, with ground beef.  I used to tell DH that I had filet mignon taste on a ground goat budget.   ;D 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on May 13, 2008, 12:14:52 PM
That reminds me of the summer in Washington state when I took care of about 50 bunnies for some friends across the street.  They were going to be gone past the time when they should have been butchered so they told us to butcher them & keep the meat.  Well, after taking care of all the bunnies, then watching while they were killed & skinned...

Rabbit meat is really good, like the white meat in chicken - I made all different types of recipes for the meat & while it tasted good, after awhile, I couldn't eat it anymore...   :P  But it sure did help out because we were pretty poor at the time.  She also had a great big garden I took care of & was able to harvest all the veggies - made one mistake, though...  picked a big pot of "green beans", fixed them with bacon & onion...  yummmm, one of my favorite dishes...  took a big bite - they were peas & the pods were totally stringy & tough - yuk, really ruined it...   :(  Had my own garden & yard  I was taking care of at the same time & working fulltime - think I only had one kid at the time, don't remember... but I remember I was pretty busy taking care of the house, gardens, yards, kid, putting up all the produce, cooking... don't know how I used to do it...  guess I was younger then...   :-\
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on May 13, 2008, 03:34:08 PM
Rabbit meat is really good, but I haven't had it in so long it would be practically a delicacy.  I like squirrel, too, but don't think my husband would eat it. 

I think tonight we're having hamburger patties and steamed broccoli, and some strawberries for everyone but me.  Doesn't matter because I'm not really even hungry anyway.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on May 18, 2008, 11:23:47 PM
Had my mom and dad over this weekend.  Neither had eaten artichokes 83 and 76 -- 159 years of never having eaten an artichoke.  We cured that. We figure we will have around 20 per plant for 4 plants so far.

After dinner I put on my head light and went to the roof of the shop and picked fresh strawberries for dessert.

(https://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d184/glennkangiser/P1010325_edited.jpg)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on May 19, 2008, 06:34:09 AM
Those look so good!  Yum!

That long without eating an artichoke... what a life of deprivation.  What did they think?
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on May 19, 2008, 12:13:08 PM
The first night they thought they may be OK.  By the second night they liked them....or felt they better like them because as I was cooking they may not get anything else ???

Artichokes are on sale at the Supermarket  here now - two for $3.00 - more expensive than steak by weight?
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Drew on May 19, 2008, 07:56:34 PM
Growing artichokes is about all Pacifica is good for.  My backyard is Milagra Ridge and it used to be an artichoke farm.

Well, we do okay with our potatoes and onions and salad greens.  The spinach is coming up too.  Mmm.  I'm getting hungry again.

I made dal (Indian lentils) last night and served it up tonight with brown basmati rice, salad, nectarines, and strawberries.  I'll be going off to my yoga class soon without Robin since she has a 4H County Council meeting tonight.

I was at a meeting one night where people were ragging on this guy.  He's a good guy, but loud and overly exuberant.  I could tell he was being cool about it but not enjoying it one bit.  I went over to him and said, "Mark, it has been my experience that all you have to do is pick one of them, beat the living $%*!! out of him, and the rest will leave you alone."  His shoulders receded from his ears and he was okay.

Namaste.

Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on May 20, 2008, 11:43:45 AM
Turkey keilbasa and kraut for supper tonight.  And whatever else I can scrounge up.  Last night we had turkey burgers, steamed broccoli, and I had a few strawberries because they looked too good to resist!
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on May 20, 2008, 08:13:01 PM
The coast is a great place for artichokes -- I was really surprised they did so well here.

Yum - strawberries, Homey. :)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on May 20, 2008, 08:20:30 PM
Yeah, but mine were from the store instead of the garden... they were good, but probably not as good as if we had just picked them from the yard.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on May 20, 2008, 08:22:03 PM
Nothing like freshly killed strawberries.

I wonder if vegans worry about the death of vegetables? hmm , Drew?
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Redoverfarm on May 20, 2008, 08:26:34 PM
Right now it is the death of the pocketbook. Planted new strawberry plants this year. Don't expect a whole lot from them the first year although they are growing and blooming.  In the meantime the wife just ordered a flat from the Carolinia's for $20.  4H fund raising thing. About the same as the grocery. Hope they taste better?
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Drew on May 20, 2008, 11:51:09 PM
Any vegan who couldn't come to grips with a properly slaughtered squash has died of hunger.  I don't think you can make a diet of salt alone for long.

I may be a vegetarian, but I am no vegan.  I just had some Ben and Jerry's Chunky Monkey.  Some things are not negotiable.

Watch out for those 4Hers.  Some of them are backed by real sheisters.   ::)

We were driving out near our place a while ago.  I can tell a horse from a mule from a donkey, but there was a new one on me standing out in a field."

"What is that?"  I said, "A burro?  What's a burro anyway?"

"It looks like a small burro," said Dan.

"It's a burrito," said Dave.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on May 21, 2008, 12:23:13 AM
Good for you Drew -- Ice Cream -- I'm not quite as worried about you now.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on May 21, 2008, 10:42:15 AM
IMO, there are probably a lot of vegetarians who'd eat meat if they knew it was raised humanely and cleanly.  I had a friend who grew up on a dairy farm and wouldn't eat meat/dairy/eggs/etc. because of the way her folks ran the dairy.  (It was a modern factory-farm style dairy.)  Her folks thought she was nuts, but she just couldn't handle the fact that the animals were in confinement and not really allowed to be cows chewing their cuds out in the pasture.  I guess she assumed that ALL farming was done that way. 

In Everything I want to do is Illegal Joel Salatin tells a story about a vegetarian friend of his helping butcher chickens on his farm and then taking them home to eat and reintroducing meat into his diet because he could see that the way they farm was sustainable and clean.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Drew on May 21, 2008, 02:11:44 PM
I agree with you, HT.  I think a big part for a lot of vegetarians is the way the animals are raised, both in terms of humanity and sanitation.  The higher we eat on the food chain (and that includes processed foods), the greater our risk for unintended additives.

I've read a lot of Joel Salatin's books, including the one you mentioned.  I consider him a hero and had the privilege of meeting him when he came out to talk in Point Reyes.  A lot of what he says makes sense to me, and I like the work he does.

But I have a few other reasons for being a vegetarian.

1.  Even through I exercise every day and am at the right weight and body fat percentage, my total cholesterol is still between 20 and 40 points on the wrong side of borderline. It's a lot better than it was, but I can't get anywhere close to that if I eat meat.  I don't want to start taking Lipitor if there is something I can do to put it off for a while.  There's something about being beholden to a drug company that bothers me.  Maybe I'm not alone on this one.

2.  I feel better.  I have more energy and endurance.  Yeah, sometimes I hurt myself with that energy, but I'm learning (e.g., tools are your friends).  I used to feel slow after eating, and digesting seemed to take days.

3.  I get more variety.  It's paradoxical, but yeah.  I cut out meat and I get more variety in what I cook.  More Mexican and Indian cuisine.  The Italians know what to do, too.  Meat was pushing the creative stuff off the plate for me.

4.  I don't have to.  There are plenty of other things to eat before I have to get personal with another animal.  I won't starve to death with a steak in the room.  But I'm an omnivore; I have choices.

5.  It's not an efficient way to eat.  With 8:1 grain to meat ratios for cows and 2:1 for chickens, it doesn't scale.  I do appreciate the manure, though.  Still, I can grow green manure.

6.  It makes me more self-sufficient.  I can grow a greater proportion of my own food.  So far no one wants me to put a chip in my zucchini.

7.  There are fewer laws governing me buying vegetables and fruit from a farmer.  Farmers markets provide better value to consumers and more margin to the farmer, thereby stimulating the economy for local produce.  Most meat cannot be sold that way and must be presented to the market in ways that bleed off profits from the producers.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on May 28, 2008, 01:31:14 PM
More like what's for breakfast today.

I picked more strawberries so we made strawberry sundaes with French vanilla ice cream over pound cake then topped of with a healthy slathering of whipped cream. [hungry]

(https://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d184/glennkangiser/IMG00002_edited.jpg)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on May 28, 2008, 04:08:06 PM
Glenn, I think you're trying to make us all jealous!  At least I CAN eat that now if I want to!
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Redoverfarm on May 28, 2008, 05:55:27 PM
Glenn does that fall into the catagory of " Breakfast of champions".
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on May 28, 2008, 07:27:06 PM
Sorry the pix should have been better - playing with my new phone.

Yes - Homey - I am trying to rub it in. :)

John, obviously must be if I eat it. rofl



Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Redoverfarm on May 28, 2008, 08:56:31 PM
No I meant "sassy".
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on May 29, 2008, 02:21:02 AM
 [noidea' heh
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on May 29, 2008, 11:35:18 AM
 c* rofl heh heh
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on May 29, 2008, 05:17:19 PM
Tonight is leftovers night... I think we have two grilled chops, about a cup of rice, some artichokes, some raw veggies for dipping, and a few bites of watermelon.  That oughtta be enough, right? 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Redoverfarm on May 29, 2008, 07:15:53 PM
What is the rest of the family going to have since you and sylvia have your menu already.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on May 30, 2008, 12:53:56 AM
That was my thought. d*
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on May 30, 2008, 12:34:06 PM
My aunt and grandma came to see Sylvia (she is named after my Grandma, which tickled Grandma pink) and brought us pizza and bread sticks.  So, we ended up with leftover pizza to boot.   It tasted so good after two ir three months with no carbs!
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on May 30, 2008, 01:07:50 PM
Ohhh nooooo.   Banned word, Homegrown.  Catch word ---carbs ---- can't say it - it drives me crazy --- I'm against yuppie advertising targeted catch phrases. [crz]
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on May 30, 2008, 01:11:05 PM
Yeah, all I have to do to get Glenn's blood pressure up is to read a label saying "zero carbs" - it's like the videos that tell you at the beginning - "this has been formatted to fit your screen" or calling somewhere & they ask you in Spanish 1st & then English...  really bugs me  >:(
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on May 30, 2008, 01:16:26 PM
Shall we talk about transfats, chipotle, lattes, etc. then?   ;D  Mom and I were just talking the other day about how until the past five years or so, most of those words were not even a part of our vocabulary.  But, if it makes Glenn happy, I'll sub
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on May 30, 2008, 01:18:41 PM
oops! I hit the post button accidentally... there is a wiggly baby in my lap!

I meant to say substitute the words "starchy foods" for carbs.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on May 30, 2008, 01:32:44 PM
:)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on June 03, 2008, 01:31:13 PM
OK, Glenn, it's starchy food from now on. 

I figure it will be about a year and a half before I have a hot meal again anyway.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on June 03, 2008, 08:13:59 PM
There ya go. :)

Sassy gets to cook tonight - no more cookies and Ice Cream for my dinner. ::)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on June 04, 2008, 04:26:23 PM
We're having bulgogi (korean bbq beef) for dinner tonight. 

Anyone hear about the salmonella outbreak caused by eating tomatoes?  UGH!  So, all the more reason to grow your own food!!! 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on June 04, 2008, 06:32:10 PM
Didn't hear about it but it doesn't surprise me.  The corporate farms probably get a bonus from the government population control program.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on June 04, 2008, 09:21:02 PM
 :D  Probably...DH asked me what salmonella was, and I told him that basically it means there's crap in the food.  He gave me a blank stare for a few seconds until it sunk in that I meant that literally.  He told the girls at dinner that by next year we need to be raising most of our own food again.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on June 04, 2008, 09:23:56 PM
Good. :)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on July 03, 2008, 08:31:54 AM
Thought I'd revive this post seeing as since we're having company for an extended period of time, supper has become more interestng again.  Last night we had fried green tomatoes with homemade/grown tomato basil pesto, and leftover curried chicken and fruit salad from lunch.  In addition, there were several kimchees and fried dried anchovies and rice... pretty much just a free-for-all.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on July 03, 2008, 08:37:11 AM
Sounds good, Homey.  We had last years tomatoes out of the freezer last night -stewed tomatoes - and barbecued steak.  We needed room for more Ice cream in the freezer as we have a new Rite Aid store in town and it had Ice Cream on sale - so we bought 9 of the 1.75 quart size but at least the price was fair for the size. 

You know my pet peeve-
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on July 03, 2008, 01:40:03 PM
 ;D  9???  Do you think it'll be enough?

Tonight will be shrimp  cocktail, rice for MIL, and salad.  I'm makig wheat berry/garbanzo bean salad t
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on July 03, 2008, 01:46:01 PM
Dang it...having trouble getting stuff to post today!
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on July 03, 2008, 10:04:30 PM
I have one of those touch pads on my computer that likes to do mysterious things when I get close to it sometimes.

Probably not enough, Homey, but Sassy is taking up a lot of freezer space with bread and stuff, so I made her take a cake out so we could get it in.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on July 05, 2008, 01:09:48 AM
Yeah, that thing drives me nuts, too...I have big clumsy hands and when typing one-handed and holding the baby, inevitably I accidentally hit it and delete the whole thing or accidentally post something when I'm not done with it.  And the "n" key on the keyboard is starting to act funny... you have to mash it really hard to get it to work.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on July 11, 2008, 12:21:15 PM
Last night we had a Korean food feast.  Bulgogi, rice, several kinds of kimchee, etc.  And wouldn't you know it, just after I'd taken one bite, the phone rang and it was some guy doing an AP survey... boy did I give him an earful of my political views.  Not sure how much he understood because he barely spoke English.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on July 11, 2008, 02:48:09 PM
Yeah - surveyors many times go away from here with an earful.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on July 13, 2008, 05:35:44 PM
DH was about to blow rice out his nose listening to my rant about how the USDA could never insure food safety becase they're in bed with the big commercial producers and packers and how all the salmonella and E. coli breakouts were from USDA approved food, etc.  The surveyor, confused, said cautiously, "So... you would say that there aren't enough inspectors?"  I busted up laughing at him and told him I wasn't in favor of there being ANY.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on July 13, 2008, 08:59:47 PM
Good job. rofl
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on July 15, 2008, 09:32:35 AM
Dinner last night was Mexican food at one of our favorite local places.  DH had shrimp tostadas, and I wished I'd ordered them... they were really good.  Instead, DD and I split an order of fajitas, and I still ended up taking over half of them home.

I keep thinking about the surveyor who called the other night during dinner and thinking how pointless it is to even try to tell them what you think.  Of course, on places like this forum, I can say stuff like that and it makes sense to people because there are a lot of good, practical, sensible folks on here, but sometimes it would be nice to have a way to persuade folks who've never thought about stuff like that much.  It's frustrating because a lot of people just don't think for themselves much to begin with... they sit around and let CNN or FOX tell them who to vote for and what the issues are, and I think most of them miss the real core issues.  I dreamt the other night that I was arguing a case before the supreme court (I think I was a lawyer-yikes!) about how that the USDA is violating our basic liberties by regulating what Americans CAN eat and what farm products are sold, etc.  My argument was that everyone has a right to choose what to feed their family, and if they want to feed them fresh local milk and meat from their neighbor's pasture, they ought to have the right to choose that, and the farmer who grows it ought to have the right to get paid for it, whether or not he has the USDA's stamp of approval. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on July 15, 2008, 10:10:48 AM
The Mexicans always look at me funny when I walk into a Mexican restaurant and order Fajitas pronouncing it phonetically like I don't know how.  Darn near a Redneck. :)  I won't pronounce it here, but you can imagine what I do to it. ::)


I agree -- It may very likely be much better cleaner milk that the Corporate Produced Tits dragged in Cow Sh-t milk you get from the store.

(http://advocacy.britannica.com/blog/advocacy/wp-content/uploads/feedlot-on-a-dairy-factory-farm.jpg)

Note that the above picture is much cleaner than what I see on the corporate dairies in the winter time.

http://advocacy.britannica.com/blog/advocacy/2007/06/dairy-farming/

Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on July 15, 2008, 03:57:37 PM
Yep, I'd like some of them thar FA-JEE-TUHS.  And do you have any "wrench" dressin' or barbeque sauce t' go on 'em?
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on July 15, 2008, 04:02:18 PM
I always use the long "I" --- it's...  like....What did you say? hmm
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on July 15, 2008, 04:13:00 PM
 n* heh  You trouble maker!
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Redoverfarm on July 15, 2008, 05:34:35 PM
DW's birthday today.  So I fixed supper.  Tossed salad, Linguine w/ clam sauce, sauted shrimp & scallops.  Finished it off with White Zinfandel. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: muldoon on July 15, 2008, 06:23:35 PM
wife picked up some salmon, going to grill it with butter and lemon over charcoals.  got some nice cucumbers from the garden to pair with the head of broccoli and cheese.   I'm gonna drink some homebrew beer I made 3 months ago, a very strong 9.8% abv trappist style tripple that went into bottle 2 weeks ago.  I'm looking forward to dinner  :)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on July 15, 2008, 06:31:43 PM
The beer sounds goooood, muldoon.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: muldoon on July 15, 2008, 06:39:03 PM
if your familiar with the belgium style trappists, it's a clone of a rochefort 10. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on July 15, 2008, 06:49:01 PM
Haven't had that.  I just read up on it- not a simple beer.

I made some dark beer  a long time ago -- one somehow malfunctioned and I could drink a bottle and it would make me sleep for 3 hours....just one bottle.  My ex-FIL kept rippng it off but he had the same problem with it.  I quit making it as I couldn't keep him out of it and didn't need him missing work...... then I never got back into it again.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: ScottA on July 15, 2008, 06:52:31 PM
Charcoaled hamburgers, hotdogs and hot links with guiness ale.  :)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Daddymem on July 15, 2008, 07:57:18 PM
Pan seared ocean scallops in wine, steamed green beans, white rice, and a glass of Moscato.  Life is good sometimes...
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on July 15, 2008, 11:39:02 PM
A nice cold bowl of ice cream.  :-\

Daddymem, I wanna eat with you. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on July 16, 2008, 03:07:37 PM
Tonight is BBQ chicken, salad and taters.  That's about all I can scrape up.  We're low on groceries and after having a houseguest for a month, I don't think I can afford the grocery store just yet.  The container garden is keeping us in cucumbers and tomatoes and basil and yard-long beans.  You can make a salad with little more, just not really diverse.   
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Daddymem on July 17, 2008, 06:26:58 PM
Martguerita pizza with tomatoes from the farm stand and basil from the gahden.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on July 18, 2008, 01:58:57 AM
What? hmm

No Beah?
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on July 18, 2008, 02:50:59 PM
Forgot to mention that I saw the write up from that AP pollster that I talked to the other day, and that they didn't even mention that there were people who disagree that we need more USDA inspectors... they made it sound like it was unanimous and that everyone in this country is afraid of their food!  I was a little ticked off reading it.  People believe that idiocy because they think the inspection process actually involves science (ie, that cultures are taken, etc., which DOES NOT happen unless there IS an outbreak of something terrible.)   >:(    The sad thing is that their results aren't based upon truth... they're based upon the mistaken notion that the food inspectors are truly unbiased and don't have a vested interest in mass production of cheap food, and that they are actually doing something to prevent illness.  I had really hoped that when they called me back and kept me on the phone for over half an hour asking more in depth questions and typing out my answers that they would at least give the dissenters their two cent's worth!  GRRRR.  Should have known better and hung up on them like I do the telemarketers, I guess.  As I told DH, I'm probably now on some anti-government watch list for telling them that I thought we oughtta do away with the USDA inspectors entirely.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Daddymem on July 18, 2008, 09:14:48 PM
Jagacida tonight
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on July 18, 2008, 10:16:17 PM
You got me on that one, Daddymem. hmm

Join the club, Homey.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on July 18, 2008, 11:30:30 PM
Quote from: Daddymem on July 18, 2008, 09:14:48 PM
Jagacida tonight
Jug of cider?  What in the world are you eating for dinner?
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Daddymem on July 19, 2008, 06:14:55 AM
Cabo Verde.
http://www.recipezaar.com/305846
It's all about the linguica.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on July 19, 2008, 01:10:14 PM
I'll be darned - looks pretty good.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: muldoon on July 20, 2008, 10:51:30 AM
This was dinner last night.  I bbq'd a pork shoulder on the smoker all day, then made fusion tacos by blending the bbq style in a texmax taco.  Got started around 8:30am and we ate around 8pm.  I went with a 9lb picnic cut, drinking a fat tire clone beer nearly the entire time.  Great day, great food. 

Entire cook was over pear and oak. 
(http://www.loopy.org/pictures/galleries/.pig-tacos/_thumbs/640x480-dscf2010.jpg)

(http://www.loopy.org/pictures/galleries/.pig-tacos/_thumbs/640x480-dscf2011.jpg)

(http://www.loopy.org/pictures/galleries/.pig-tacos/_thumbs/640x480-dscf2019.jpg)

(http://www.loopy.org/pictures/galleries/.pig-tacos/_thumbs/640x480-dscf2020.jpg)

After 5 hours into it, I decided it was time to wrap. 
(http://www.loopy.org/pictures/galleries/.pig-tacos/_thumbs/640x480-dscf2032.jpg)

These were my veggies
(http://www.loopy.org/pictures/galleries/.pig-tacos/_thumbs/640x480-dscf2066.jpg)

After 4 more hours, 9 total I judged it done at 190.
(http://www.loopy.org/pictures/galleries/.pig-tacos/_thumbs/640x480-dscf2068.jpg)

Grilled veggies in little olive oil
(http://www.loopy.org/pictures/galleries/.pig-tacos/_thumbs/640x480-dscf2072.jpg)

Salsa made with fresh tomatoes, peppers, garlic in the blender with some cilantro
(http://www.loopy.org/pictures/galleries/.pig-tacos/_thumbs/640x480-dscf2073.jpg)

Finished product, mixed the veggies with the meat and let them meld together.  The one on the left was spicy with some smoked jalapenos added.  They were HOT. 
(http://www.loopy.org/pictures/galleries/.pig-tacos/_thumbs/640x480-dscf2077.jpg)

Georgia got some shoulder bone.  Happy girl. 
(http://www.loopy.org/pictures/galleries/.pig-tacos/_thumbs/640x480-dscf2087.jpg)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on July 20, 2008, 11:22:43 AM
That looks good, muldoon
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on July 21, 2008, 09:56:07 AM
Think I'm going to show up at muldoon's for dinner! ::)

We had samgyetang (Korean chicken ginseng soup) last night.  I stuck it in the pot before we left for church so the chicken was falling off the bone by the time we got home.  It was pretty tasty.  Even with four of us eating, there was enough leftover to make DH a couple of lunches to take to work this week.

Night before last, we ended up eating out at a Korean restaurant.  I had Wugujikuk, which is sort of comfort food... in Korea, it is usually something you'd eat at home.  Basically it is soup made with radish greens, bean sprouts, and hot and spicy beef broth.  Cheap, healthy, and tasty.

I am about sick of Korean food for the week, so we're grilling filets outside tonight, and I'll make a salad or slaw to go with it. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on July 21, 2008, 12:16:44 PM
Yummm, that really does look good, Muldoon!  I think I'll join HG & come over for dinner too!  Your pics make it too inviting.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on July 22, 2008, 10:01:02 AM
Tonight it is grilled salmon.  Whatever else is cooked (if anything) will have to be cooked on the grill.  It's going to be over 100 degrees again today.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on July 23, 2008, 12:09:42 AM
I love Salmon; grilled, baked, whatever. And by strange coincidence that is exactly what we had to night. Grilled Salmon with a shared baked potato and grilled corn on the cob that we bought in Los Alamos this morning.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on July 23, 2008, 11:31:41 AM
Well, I have a confession to make... I saved the salmon for tonight.  I haven't bought a pair of shoes in about three years and was in bad need of a new pair of tennis shoes.  My old ones were holey and pathetic-looking, so when DH came home from work yesterday and asked if I was finally ready to buy a new pair (I resist shoe-shopping like the plague because I'd rather be barefoot) and I agreed that the pavement was getting rather hot.  It was also a good excuse to go enjoy someone else's AC.  So, en route to Sears, I saw a barbeque place and we decided to try it.  It was pretty good... they had a hot and spicy BBQ sauce that was pretty good (I don't think it had anything hotter than jalapenos in it, but it still tasted really good.)  I got brisket and okra and slaw.  DH had corn and slaw with his brisket.  The kids made pigs of themselves, too.  Washed it all down with a strong glass of iced tea and then was awake all night because I usually make decaf tea at home!  And, I finally got around to getting some new shoes, to boot.  So, we'll be having salmon tonight, which, incidentally, I really like, too.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on August 20, 2008, 11:56:58 AM
Grilled fish, slaw, and either taters or bread...haven't decided which yet.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: apaknad on August 20, 2008, 12:20:16 PM
speaking of grilled fish, yesterday i caught the biggest bass of my life. 23" and six pounds. it will go on the grill today w/ corn and taters. in michigan that is a whopper. :)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on August 20, 2008, 10:56:49 PM
Sounds like a decent sized one in my book.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: muldoon on August 22, 2008, 10:14:53 AM
This is a multipart recipe.  I'll continue to add to this post as the recipe comes together. 
...
Step1: (2 weeks ago). 
add 2 cans whole kernel corn, 1/2 cup milk, 1 raspberry jello packet, 1 beer, 1 packet yeast.  set in sun for 3 days until "ripe".  yumm
... 
Step2: (that next weekend)
Take the bait from above.  bury in some soft dirt where hogs are present in the area.  Dont get any on your hands or shovel, it stinks. 
...
Step3:
yup (http://www.loopy.org/piggy.jpg), 00buck does it again. 
...
Step4 comes tomorrow morning, on the smoker. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on August 22, 2008, 11:18:54 PM
How may feet or yards on the 00buck, muldoon? hmm

Tonight its left over barbecued steak, barbecued chicken and barbecued sweet potatoes along with potato salad with added Miracle Whip and Mustard.  [hungry]

Spike likes to sit by my feet and look at me when I eat.  I lay food on my leg and he gulps it down.

I gave him a small piece of steak - gulp - gone

I gave him a small piece of chicken - gulp - gone

A big mosquito hawk like bug flew by me - I caught it - put it on my leg - gulp -gone.... and he sits there licking his lips.

:)

Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on August 23, 2008, 12:45:40 AM
Could you eat and not share with this little guy? hmm

(https://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d184/glennkangiser/P1010705.jpg)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: muldoon on August 23, 2008, 07:39:51 AM
cute pup, I'd share with the pitiful fella. 

QuoteHow may feet or yards on the 00buck, muldoon? -
from about 30 yards.  As I was walking, it was about the time they noticed and started grunting.  close enough for me.

The meats ready to go on now, 2 shoulders and 2 hams. 

I also have the fire going now, still building up a bit.  I dont use any fire starter or any other chemicals for fire.  Its a slow process for me, a few paper towels soaked in corn oil.  light it put one or two charcoals on top.  Keep adding more on top in a pyramid without killing the fire.  It takes about 30 minutes to get it good and going, but once its there its the best fire. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on August 23, 2008, 10:19:29 AM
Cool - that 00 is pretty effective.

A propane weed burner will light that fire in about 30 seconds, muldoon with no gassy aftertaste. :)

We use it for lighting oak in the barbecue.  We call it the ceremonial lighting of the barbecue.  Sounds like a jet taking off with about a 3 foot x 2 foot dia. flame.

Spike gets worried that he won't get his share and gets his lips stuck in his mouth when he licks them.   Sometimes the side lips too.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on August 23, 2008, 05:15:25 PM
Spike looks like he's pouting a little in that picture... pretty persuasively, I might add.

We had grilled chicken with hot peanut sauce, salad, leftover biscuits from breakfast, and fresh peaches for dinner, so don't think we'll be needing supper tonight.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on August 23, 2008, 06:05:36 PM
He is really a clown.  His eye operations went well but he still has a little excess fold under each eye -- he gets a slight bit teary eyed once in a while but not the infections or scratched eyeballs like he used to get.  He can look quite pitiful when he tries.

I don't know what's for dinner yet but probably more of the same til it's gone.

I had Chocolate Mint Truffle Ice Cream for lunch break.  Actually worked a bit today.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: apaknad on August 24, 2008, 03:48:51 PM
hey muldoon,

try  a fire chimney, they work great. no chemicals, just a couple of pieces of crumpled newapaper or whatever and you can light quite a number of briquets in a short period of time.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: muldoon on August 24, 2008, 04:08:19 PM
Cooked over hickory the entire time, the hickory comes from a park in Austin where a limb was dead and down.  We just couldnt leave without it (even though my wife was "frustrated with me" over it)  :) 
(http://www.loopy.org/pictures/galleries/.pig-tacos/_thumbs/700x500-dscf2439.jpg)

Two shoulders and two hams, dry rubbed and ready for action
(http://www.loopy.org/pictures/galleries/.pig-tacos/_thumbs/700x500-dscf2436.jpg)

Heres the halfway, they were at 150 internal when I wrapped them.  They finished at 185 after 10 hours total cook time around 235 degrees. 
(http://www.loopy.org/pictures/galleries/.pig-tacos/_thumbs/700x500-dscf2440.jpg)

All I can say is that they were awesome.  Still have lots leftovers too, gonna make a smokin pot of beans with some of these in a few months.

apaknad - I have heard good things about them.  Am going to check it out sooner or later. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Redoverfarm on August 24, 2008, 05:57:19 PM
muldoon almost exactly what I had last night. Two of the local farmers put on shoulders/hams both pork and lamb at the livestock sale/show. I got there at 8:00 AM and they just put the meat in. Then supper was at 5:30 P.M.  They used a smoke cooker.  Probably did 5 of each variety.  Supper was a paid affair but at $6 per it was well worth it.  Baked beans, coleslaw, Potato salad and a drink.  Only one small pan of scraps at the end. And the cooker was made in Texas as the vent for the firebox was cut in the shape of the state.  It belonged to another local who spent time there so I guess he picked it up while living there and hauled it back.     
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on August 24, 2008, 06:04:44 PM
"Cooked over hickory the entire time, the hickory comes from a park in Austin where a limb was dead and down.  We just couldnt leave without it (even though my wife was "frustrated with me" over it)"

rofl  I can identify with her  ::)

The pork looks delicious! 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: StinkerBell on August 24, 2008, 06:07:49 PM
Dinner to night is fresh homemade bread and thick bacon. Bacon sandwiches.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: muldoon on August 24, 2008, 06:24:41 PM
Quote from: StinkerBell on August 24, 2008, 06:07:49 PM
Dinner to night is fresh homemade bread and thick bacon. Bacon sandwiches.

Yum.  I love homemade bread too, do you use a machine or do it by hand?  I have been thinking about getting a machine, anyone have any ideas on who makes a good one?  By "good" I tend to mean it will last forever and not so much on the bells and whistles. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: apaknad on August 24, 2008, 06:43:35 PM
i bought a cheap one and it lasted for years. finally sold it for $5 in a yard sale. made very good bread. i think you could get a cheaper one and find out if you like doing this. i will get another one and move up on quality but i do not think the $79 i spent was wasted. i made hundreds of loaves of bread with it and the quality can be very high( i screwed up some loaves while experimenting but that was half the fun of it).

dan
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: StinkerBell on August 24, 2008, 06:52:12 PM
I do not have a bread machine, but I do have an electrolux mixer that helps with the initial mixing of the flour and ingredients.

I make baguettes, the peasant bread recipe is almost dead on to my baguette recipe.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on August 24, 2008, 08:33:13 PM
I had a bread maker that was given to me by my grandma who wanted a fancier one because she had a lot of "oops" breads from it.  I was OK and seemed to work alright, and the bread smelled heavenly cooking in it.  However, I gave it away on freecycle because:  1) It was heavy and huge and hard to store in my tiny kitchen in Wisconsin, 2) I sometimes like to knead the bread by hand as it is a great way to take out your frustrations on something you can't really harm, and 3) it was just as fast, and much simpler, to use my vitamix to grind the grain, knead the dough, etc, and then just finish the process the same as you would for any bread in the oven, and it still smelled every bit as good as the breadmaker. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: StinkerBell on August 24, 2008, 09:16:07 PM
I have yet to make bread in my vitamix.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Redoverfarm on August 24, 2008, 09:34:49 PM
We also have a bread machine.  Used a good bit when new but not very often now.  Ocassionally my DW uses it to mix rolls and then removes and bakes the convientional way.  We had a hard time keeping it from drying out.  The crust got very hard.  Without all the preservatives it also does not last as long in storage.  But when it is fresh nothing beats it.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on August 25, 2008, 12:07:38 AM
I actually used to bake bread the old fashioned way and that would still be my choice if I did it -- bread machine bread doesn't seem quite real to me, but I am not above taking a shortcut and buying the pre-made frozen dough and baking it.

I have gotten a bit lazy now and just buy flour tortillas and cook them directly on the propane flame on the cook stove just like a real Mexican.  Just toast and flip- toast and flip until they bubble up from the steam inside and get toasted in several places.  They are done when they are hot enough to burn your fingers as you flip them - -slide a cube of butter across them while hot and suck 'em up.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: StinkerBell on August 25, 2008, 01:30:48 AM
I do the same thing with tortillas. I place them on the top gas burner and use a pair of tongs to flip and butter. I have seen people just eat them right out of the bag never toasting them up properly....I also will use a pizza cutter to cut triangles up on old stale tortillas then fry them up for my own chips. After you take them out of the deep fry you can add a little sugar and cinnamon, yum. Better then a churro.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on August 25, 2008, 09:02:36 AM
One of the advantages of being from California, eh, Stink.  We are already learning to be Mexicans.

Guess we got the jump on the others. :)

Y nosotros habla un poco espanol.  Es muy bueno, si?
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on August 25, 2008, 11:28:19 AM
Glenn, tu eres un pocito loco, no?
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on August 25, 2008, 11:56:01 AM
 rofl
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: StinkerBell on August 25, 2008, 01:04:16 PM
muy poco espanol habla, glenn



HT...El Pollo Loco.....Good dinner choice!
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on August 25, 2008, 01:16:22 PM
Stinkbell, just had a couple of the dollar soft corn tortilla chicken tacos (chicken taco carbon I think) from El Pollo Loco about a month ago - surprisingly good  [hungry] and their little dollar salad is quite tasty...  I was pleasantly surprised - it's close to where I work, so we can send someone out to get food there, when we are really busy & can't get away for lunch or dinner.  Usually I bring my own food, though.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: StinkerBell on August 25, 2008, 01:18:38 PM
I wish they had EL Pollo Loco up here....and In and Out Burger...

Funny thing is, some people think I hate Mexican culture. Tis not true! I just have a strong mind set on what is right and wrong. What is legal and illegal.

Anyways.....The chicken at El Pollo Loco is yummy.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on August 25, 2008, 01:35:31 PM
Quote from: StinkerBell on August 25, 2008, 01:18:38 PM
I wish they had EL Pollo Loco up here....and In and Out Burger...

Funny thing is, some people think I hate Mexican culture. Tis not true! I just have a strong mind set on what is right and wrong. What is legal and illegal.

Anyways.....The chicken at El Pollo Loco is yummy.

I feel the same way, Stink...  we used to go down to Mexico & work in a free clinic every month - all expenses on us...  I loved staying at different places there & I like the culture - much slower - you can actually relax & the people we met are very nice.

I also like In & Out Burger - don't like the cheese but the fresh fries & hamburger & lemonade (actually real lemonade) are always good & the food is fresh & hot, the places always look really clean...

You won't believe this, but when I lived in Washington, whenever I'd visit family down in California, the 1st place I'd hit was Taco Bell!  I can hardly stand the stuff now, but I'd have this craving for a Burrito Supreme  [noidea'
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: StinkerBell on August 25, 2008, 01:40:01 PM
Taco Bells all over here....Burrito supreme extra sour cream!

Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on August 25, 2008, 05:19:04 PM
Quote from: Homegrown Tomatoes on August 25, 2008, 11:28:19 AM
Glenn, tu eres un pocito loco, no?

Si, yo soy muy loco.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on August 25, 2008, 05:23:21 PM
I'll soon eat a 3x3 for you, Stink. ::)

UMMMmmmmm, Yum. [hungry]
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: muldoon on August 26, 2008, 05:19:26 PM
Were celebrating a bit tonight as today is our anniversary.  Been together for 10 years and married for 8. 
Tonight's dinner is http://www.fuegovivo.com  Neither of us have been there before, but it sounds good. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Redoverfarm on August 26, 2008, 05:43:09 PM
Looks nice but I doubt they can beat your grilling.  I know she wanted atmosphere ;D.  As for me tonight it was Dad's night cooking. Wife had a board meeting. So it is Omlets.  Filled with a variety of left-overs from the past couple days.  They cleaned up their plates so what can I say.

Hope you enjoy your evening.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on August 26, 2008, 07:53:37 PM
Happy anniversary Muldoon and Mrs. Muldoon! ;D

We had grilled bbq chicken, corn on the cob, homemade potato chips (the girls made), and coleslaw.  Some of the potato chips were a little burned, so the girls were plotting how to get them all exactly to the right doneness next time.  Meanwhile, when I reached in the oven to get them out for them, I didn't realize there was a hole in the oven mitt, and melted the end of my middle finger to the hot pan!  Yeouch!  Kinda hurts to type now, for some odd reason.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on August 26, 2008, 07:59:12 PM
Sometimes it just hurts to be that hot. [crz]
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: StinkerBell on August 27, 2008, 11:52:40 AM
Congrats muldoon!
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on August 27, 2008, 12:51:14 PM
Congrats!  How was dinner?  The looked good in the pics but no better than what you've served up per your pics - maybe you should start your own restaurant! 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Redoverfarm on August 27, 2008, 02:04:49 PM
Tonight is a Home Owners Assoc supper. Oh well there are only three of us that are building/remodeling.  Sort of a tradition that we get together for Liver & Onions, baked sweet potato, corn on the cob, salad & apple pie.  The one that is the chef has lived off grid for close to 30 years at the top of the mountain 4.5 miles past my place(dead end). 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: muldoon on August 27, 2008, 09:18:38 PM
The dinner last night was really good, we both had a great evening.  I would recommend it to others as a nice place to go out for grown up time.  That being said, my wife told me my ribs were better than theirs.   ;D - yup, she's a keeper

... in contrast, tonight was white rice, marinara sauce and meatballs with some black beans on the side.  Good, but not last night good. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on August 27, 2008, 09:40:45 PM
Congrats on the 10/8 years muldoon.  :)  Keep it up and you'll get to where we are; 32/30, if I haven't lost count. Turns over another year in less than 2 months.   :o
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: muldoon on August 30, 2008, 01:55:57 AM
I took Friday off to make a long weekend a little longer, have to say it was a great idea.  Today I worked on some woodworking stuff in the garage and helped with the house a bit.  Got to make up some brats for lunch. 

It's the tried and true simple bratwurst sausage recipe - 1 red onion cut up, 1 stick of butter, 1 beer.  add a shake of salt to that and put in a little tin on the grill.  grill the brats right beside the pan until they are cooked and charred up but not burned.  Then into the pan with the onion and buttery beer to let them soak for another 20 minutes.  yumm. 

For dinner, I did some spaghetti.  started with tossing some olive oil and garlic in a pan, added in onions and bell peppers and cooked them down a bit.  Added 2 pounds or so of deer meat hamburger from a doe from 2006.  (deer hamburger is just lean meat + black peppered bacon in a grinder).  I made up the tomato basil sauce with from fresh basil from the garden.  Then looked at those leftovers from lunch and sliced the 1 and a half brats left and just tossed it into the spaghetti.  Worked out just fine, theres none left. 

Got my baby back ribs dry rubbed for tomorrow.  got the brisket wet rubbed for sunday.  going to run the smoker this weekend again.  I love 3 day weekend cooking. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: muldoon on August 31, 2008, 06:28:05 PM
I was talking to my wife earlier this weekend and told her I wasn't sure I wanted to barbq this weekend, that it was a lot of work and I was tired. We put together a nice romaine green salad with some tofu cubes instead.

yeah right. 

However, this year I did try something new.  In fact, I would call it possibly a foray into experimental madness.  Most of the ingredients are somewhat non-traditional in a barbq setting, but new things can be good things.   With that background this was our dinner. 

I started this brisket back on Thursday night with a wet rub.  After rubbing it, it was wrapped in saran wrap and put in the fridge for two days. 
------------
rub recipe
2 Tbsp cinnamon
1 Tbsp nutmeg
2 tsp allspice
1 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp cloves
about 1 cup apple sauce -- 2 of the 4 oz snack pack sized
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp black pepper
1 shot glass crown royal
1 shot glass olive oil

All of this went on an 11 pound brisket. I kept some back for the sauce, about a 1/2 cup or so in a baggy.

Cooked it over hickory and pear, 9 hours on the smoke, then wrapped in foil to steam the rest of the way. brisket went on at 10:15pm last night fat cap side down. at 12:30 I flipped it to fat side up and let it cook all night. Woke up at 7:15 and the pit temp had come down to 190. meat internal was between 150-165. pit ran at 230 for as much of it as I saw. brisket wrapped at 7:15 (9 hours smoke).  Finished product was around 11am. 

When I wrapped the brisket I then started the beans, big can of bushes bbq beans, 1 hoegarden belgium beer, 1 cut up garlic clove, 5 handfuls of the leftover pork shoulder/pulled pork from last weekends barbq. Put it on the smoker in a tin where it sat for 5 hours in the smoke.

Also did the bbq sauce. took 2 12 oz frozen apple juice concentrate tubes, the leftover spices from the rub, 1 more jigger of crown royal and brought it up to a simmer. When it boiled up I added a bottle of generic honey barbq sauce. (I think it was the Budweiser brand that was on sale).

When the brisket hit 180 degrees internal temperature I opened the foil and glazed the top with that sauce. Then took it out and let it rest for about an hour.  still wrapped but in the oven. 

Out of seven people who were here for lunch, and four neighbors since- everyone says its a hit.  I personally think its a keeper of a recipe too. In the future, I'll add some paprika (maybe 3 Tbsp) to the rub, but thats about it. 

I'll add a picture later, I took one of the final result but cant do that now. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on August 31, 2008, 07:36:01 PM
Sounds great, muldoon.  What temp do you smoke it at?
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: muldoon on September 02, 2008, 09:40:00 AM
Theres different kinds of smoking, some people do the cold smoke for fish or cheese.  I don't know anything about that process other than what I do for meat doesn't work for that.  Also, there's grilling which is different for smoking again.  grilling is high heat - like steaks, chicken, hotdogs, hamburgers, shrimp and such.  smoking is a long process of low heat to cook tough pieces of meat into tender edible meat.  basically, things like brisket, shoulder roasts, and such.  the collagen (muscle fiber tissue) makes the meat very tough and needs to be broken down - which only occurs at low temps on a long period of time.  It turns into a gelatin and makes the meat juicy when done right.  For that, 225-240F is the sweet spot, usually needing about 1.5 hours per pound or so for whatever your cooking..   
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on September 02, 2008, 10:29:43 AM
Great info, muldoon.  Thanks.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: muldoon on September 02, 2008, 05:39:32 PM
Quote from: muldoon on August 31, 2008, 06:28:05 PM
...snipped, see previous page
...
I'll add a picture later, I took one of the final result but cant do that now. 

(http://www.loopy.org/pictures/galleries/.pig-tacos/_thumbs/700x500-dscf2474.jpg)

(http://www.loopy.org/pictures/galleries/.pig-tacos/_thumbs/700x500-dscf2475.jpg)

(http://www.loopy.org/pictures/galleries/.pig-tacos/_thumbs/700x500-dscf2476.jpg)

(http://www.loopy.org/pictures/galleries/.pig-tacos/_thumbs/700x500-dscf2478.jpg)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on September 02, 2008, 07:31:45 PM
(https://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d184/glennkangiser/P1010744.jpg)

I'm hungry, muldoon, please drop some of that down here.   [hungry]

Signed

Your friend,

Spike
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on September 02, 2008, 10:50:57 PM
Spike, Stop begging.  :o

Sorry -- he got a hold of my computer. d*
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on September 23, 2008, 10:23:23 AM
Seeing as how politics and the economy range from depressing to terrifying, I thought I'd try to think about something else for a while and see what's for dinner.... I think tonight we're having salmon patties, salad, and probably some homemade "Hippo rolls".  (The girls roll them into the shape of a hippo with a big open mouth and then stick raisins on for the eyes.)  Certainly nothing fancy.  We need some groceries, but I am sick as a dog and just don't feel like going anywhere.  It's nuts.  My husband earns probably three times what we earned combined when we first got married, and we're still eating like we get food from the church's food pantry!  OK, so actually not quite that bad... we do have real meat more often now.... but the prices at the grocery store have gone up so much it makes my head spin. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on September 23, 2008, 11:10:03 AM


All the more reason to enjoy that garden or container garden.  Seems food is still economy related...as well as everything else I guess. d*
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on September 24, 2008, 02:39:59 PM
Guess there's just no escaping it, then, is there?  :)  We ripped out the sad cucumber vines and replaced that knock off earth box with salad greens which have sprouted, but aren't eating size just yet.  Spinach and Asian redleaf lettuce.  In a few weeks, one less thing to buy at the store.  Switched dinner last night and made up chicken noodle soup with tomatoes and lots of garlic, oregano, pepper, basil and the like.  Didn't have much chicken, so I added some leftover chickpeas for some more protein.  I was so sick yesterday that was the only thing that sounded remotely edible by the time dinner rolled around.  Lots of celery, cilantro, and parsley, too, and carrots. 

Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on October 14, 2008, 10:31:13 AM
Last night the girls and I made a cherry pie for dessert that was delicious.  Unfortunately didn't have any icecream to go with it.  Supper was sirloin marinated in orange/pineapple juice and soy sauce and grilled medium, salad, and corn.  And iced tea, of course.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on October 14, 2008, 10:43:37 AM
Oh sure, Homey -- make me hungry for cherry pie and Ice Cream. d*
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on October 14, 2008, 07:30:51 PM
Sorry Glenn... when I got up this morning, I was thinking that a slice of that pie would taste good with my coffee, but I went to get it and it was all gone. ???  Maybe DH thought I would be offended if he didn't have a second piece... a really LARGE piece.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on October 14, 2008, 07:47:04 PM
May have taken it for survival at work.  I take bags of cookies. ::)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Redoverfarm on October 15, 2008, 05:44:30 PM
deer steak, mashed potato's, corn.  Got to start eating out of the freezers more.  Just put 1/2 hog in an already stocked freezer.  Will get beef in January on top of that.  Might have to buy me a couple of plastic barrels and stick some in salt bri. d*  [hungry] [hungry]
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on October 15, 2008, 05:48:54 PM
A Yugoslavian friend used to do that with leg of lamb -- cure it and dry it and then we would eat it while consuming mass quantities of his bad home made wine and eating slices of it.  It wasn't coooked , but after a few glasses of that wine you didn't care and it didn't taste bad either... after a few glasses of the wine the wine didn't taste as bad either.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Redoverfarm on October 15, 2008, 06:21:22 PM
Speaking of Salt bri. Did you ever wonder how they knew when the mixture was right. I know of one but just wondering if anyone else does.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on October 15, 2008, 06:37:59 PM
A fresh egg will float when enough salt is in the brine.  I think what I remember my grandmother saying/doing. Long time ago.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on October 15, 2008, 09:42:17 PM
Ugh.  I remember when I was a kid and it got close to butchering time, Grandma would start cleaning the freezers all out.  One day I walked into the kitchen from working with Grandpa and she stuffed a large serving spoon of something in my mouth and said, "How does this taste?"  It was like chicken salad, but it wasn't, and there was something a little weird and freezer-burned tasting about it.  Rudely, with my mouth still full of it as I asked, "What is that?"  Grandma grinned and answered, "Tongue salad!"  It was then I noticed a big platter piled high with sandwiches made with it!!  She was taking it to Wednesday night after church fellowship.  Usually Grandma was a great cook, but when people asked what it was that night and who'd brought it, I kept my mouth shut!!
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on October 15, 2008, 09:46:22 PM
Oh, and tonight we actually had liver and onions with wild rice. ???  I don't know what came over me, but here a while back I got to thinking that it actually sounded good (maybe I'm low on iron or something??)  Anyway, I made it tonight, and it wasn't too bad as far as liver goes, but it'll probably be another ten years before I get another hankering for it.  Can't believe I actually went to the store and paid for it.  I think I'd rather eat tripe.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on October 15, 2008, 09:59:56 PM
Liver and onions is good!  :)  Tastes good anyhow... not sure if one's diet should include it too often.

IMO, most liver is ruined by overcooking, or too high a heat. The onions want more cooking time than the liver.
(I  don't mean to say you did...)

You could have used the liver my grandmother fried for shoe soles.   :o  >:( 

Soaking in milk before cooking can soften the strong flavor of beef liver. Baby beef liver is milder.

Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on October 15, 2008, 10:03:42 PM
We had baked wild salmon, hash brown potatoes fried in a mixture of olive oil and Smart Balance, with parsnips mixed in and brussels sprouts on the side.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on October 15, 2008, 10:07:10 PM
It was baby... and it was good as far as liver goes.  I never cared too much for liver, but always ate it if someone else made it or if it was what I had on hand.  I made it Korean style, so it also had a lot of ginger and a little soy, sugar, sesame oil and seeds.  The flavor of the broth was good and the onions were downright yummy, but the liver still tasted like liver.  I don't think I cooked it more than ten minutes because I've always heard that it is better if you don't over cook it.  

The liver that my grandma used to cook was always kind of tough and gristly too.  But I ate it... and didn't even make faces.  That and poke salad.... never understood what possesses people to take a poisonous weed and cook it so that they can eat it.  Give me collards or mustard anyday, but I still hate poke weed, though I'd eat it if someone cooked it for me.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on October 15, 2008, 10:09:53 PM
I like liver and onions once in a while but I only get it every few years. d*
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on October 15, 2008, 10:10:50 PM
I love parsnips fried in butter.  Love 'em, love 'em, love 'em.  That is one of those foods that I'd never tried until I was an adult.  I planted them in one of my first winter gardens after we got married just to have one more different veggie during the cool season, and fell in love with them.  I like them for breakfast with a little maple syrup (don't knock it until you've tried it.)  Brought them for Thanksgiving dinner one time and none of my family knew what they were.  And boy, do they smell good cooking!
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on October 15, 2008, 10:14:49 PM
We have them growing on the roof and in the garden.  I picked some last week and Sassy french fried them in coconut oil. [hungry]
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on October 15, 2008, 10:19:06 PM
That sounds good too.  I never tried them in coconut oil (though I've cooked other stuff in coconut oil.)  I just cooked the rest of the steaks that were marinated the other day.  Now the steak smell has overtaken the liver smell..... which is a good thing.  Now DH will have steak for lunches for a few days.  They smell wonderful.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on October 15, 2008, 10:24:39 PM
We always barbecue a bunch of extra steaks then I can make rolled tacos like my men used to bring to work and share with me.

Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on October 15, 2008, 10:31:43 PM
Steak!!  MMMM!!

What's your favorites cut of beef to grill?

I/we lean heavily towards Rib-Eye or NY Strip... haven't had one in quite a while...  :(
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on October 15, 2008, 10:38:08 PM
We have a store here that has Angus steak and the Chuck is well marbled and tastes so good we prefer it to the better cuts -- often it is about $3 per lb.

We just put McCormick Montreal Steak seasoning and grill it.  [hungry]

Lately Whitlock and wife and we have been doing a weekly or so barbecue together.  It's always enjoyable.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Redoverfarm on October 16, 2008, 05:46:37 AM
Well Don I heard this from a Canadian friend who transplanted himself here some 50 years ago.  He lived far north in Canada.  He said that his dad would mix the bri until a potato would float.  Without mentioning any names he went by "Hands of Stone" in his profession.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Whitlock on October 16, 2008, 09:49:39 AM
Quote from: glenn kangiser link=topic=3439.msg 68634#msg 68634 date=1224128288We have a store here that has Angus steak and the Chuck is well marbled and tastes so good we prefer it to the better cuts -- often it is about $3 per lb.We just put McCormick Montreal Steak seasoning and grill it.  [hungry]Lately Whitlock and wife and we have been doing a weekly or so barbecue together.  It's always enjoyable.


No barbecue tonight. But your in for a treat with the wife's famous venison tacos [hungry]
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on October 16, 2008, 10:22:06 AM
Sounds great to me.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on October 16, 2008, 01:05:48 PM
The steaks I made last night were top sirloins... they were delectable.  (The leftovers will go with DH to work this week, but we shared one when they were done.) I only meant to cook them to medium/medium-well but they were pretty well done when I got them off.  However, they were still really tender and juicy, so that's fine.  I marinated them in pineapple and orange juice and Korean soy sauce (not that Kikkoman junk)  for 72 hours and they were really tasty and tender.

I was thinking of maybe making taco soup or turkey chili tonight for supper.  It's kind of chilly, but the sun is out and beautiful today. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: muldoon on October 16, 2008, 01:50:40 PM
I love steaks too, mostly do rib eyes, sometimes tbones. 

Best marinade by far I have found is the simple one.  drizzle olive oil on the meat, sprinkle with crushed black pepper and light sea or kosher salt - do the same to both sides.   Out them in a ziplock in the fridge overnight and on the grill the next day over some hot mesquite hearts. 

I think I'm going to have to stop at the store on the way home now.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: apaknad on October 16, 2008, 02:47:19 PM
i have what i think is a real good marinade recipe for meats. if anyone wants it i will post.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Redoverfarm on October 16, 2008, 03:32:29 PM
HT they had some turkey chilli at the cookoff.  Just like a variety bean soup but turkey substituted for beef and obmission of the tomato sauce. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on October 16, 2008, 03:47:48 PM
Quote from: apaknad on October 16, 2008, 02:47:19 PM
i have what i think is a real good marinade recipe for meats. if anyone wants it i will post.
please do...I'm always open to new ideas
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: apaknad on October 16, 2008, 04:56:16 PM
ok HT, here's the recipe:(BTW, please let me know what kind of soy sauce you feel is better than kikkoman's and where to get it).

Marinade: general use for all meats(especially beef).

1C soy sauce
1C olive oil
1/2C brown sugar
2TBS grated ginger or 1TBS dry
1/2tsp fresh ground pepper
4 cloves garlic
red pepper flakes to taste
1C minced onions or shallots
1TBS dry mustard or 2TBS dijon
zest and juice from 1/2 lime
1/2C light red wine

Marinate 4-24 hrs in fridge





Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on October 17, 2008, 01:47:35 AM

Sounds good, Dan.

We just got back from Whitlock's place where we had a great venison Taco dinner made by his wife along with a great ginger cake for dessert. 

I ate until I was ready to explode...or that may have been from the Navy bean soup my other neighbor fed me for lunch... d* 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on October 23, 2008, 03:34:57 PM
That does sound good, Dan.  Tonight I think I'm making turkey chili... and some sort of bread.  I have a bread recipe that dill and cottage cheese in it, and it goes over well with the family (read: no leftovers for lunch tomorrow. :-\)    It turned off a little chilly the past few days, and the wind is blowing like crazy....  perfect chili or stew weather.  Last night it was a thrown-together concoction of baked chicken with a garlic sauce, steamed cabbage, and minty walnut brownies for dessert (I know, what a combo, but I was pressed for time with homeschooling and with house-hunting all over the place yesterday, and trying to use up stuff that needs to be used up.)

Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Whitlock on October 24, 2008, 02:12:18 PM
Glenn there is a rumor that dinner is at your house tomorrow night [cool]
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on October 24, 2008, 11:13:47 PM
That is true and it is still a bit up in the air as to time as we are not sure what time the guest of honor is going to arrive and what he will want to do.  We may make it lunch but at any rate we can have a surprise photo op for the Countryplans people.  As soon as I hear from him I will give you a call and we will set things up.  I got a message he was working  late and laptop was on the fritz.

:)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Whitlock on October 24, 2008, 11:42:44 PM
Didn't know there was going to be a guest [cool]
We need to get you a steam whistle. So I know when dinners ready heh
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on October 25, 2008, 01:06:59 AM
I actually made a steam whistle for a customer one time - seems he may have been in Canada.  It worked well.

Yup -- a mystery guest forum member from way far away and maybe even another new forum member with loads of enlightenment for the unsuspecting... heh
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Whitlock on October 25, 2008, 10:16:30 AM
Quote from: glenn kangiser on October 25, 2008, 01:06:59 AM
I actually made a steam whistle for a customer one time - seems he may have been in Canada.  It worked well.

Yup -- a mystery guest forum member from way far away and maybe even another new forum member with loads of enlightenment for the unsuspecting... heh

Enlightenment and unsuspecting ???I hope this has nothing to do with politics d*
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on October 25, 2008, 10:53:26 AM
rofl --- if I can get him to drop by it will be a lively time....  he was out of town yesterday though.  Our new member - Spook01.  I think you met him at Carla's briefly. 

He has stories that can make your hair curl -- the ones he can tell us without having to kill us..... :)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on October 26, 2008, 07:37:13 AM
I was going to put the mystery dinner guest here, but thinking about it decided it would mess up the What's for Dinner topic so you have to find out in the Underground Cabin thread.

We had a barbecue with Whitlock and wife, the mystery guest, Sassy and I.  Tri-tip and sirloin steak, corn, spanish rice, salad and other stuff Sassy made.  Not too bad. :)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on October 26, 2008, 09:08:13 PM
Yeah Glenn, I think Sassy's kind of right about the beard.... It's kind of a wonder that the birds aren't trying to perch there and make a nest.   ;D  Looks about like my dad's beard when he doesn't trim it. 

Sounds like y'all had a good time. 

Dinner tonight here was a bowl of yogurt.  I hit the store afterwards finally, reluctantly, and spent about $80 on four puny bags of groceries.... >:(  Did get the first cranberries I've seen in the store so far this year... shipped in from Wisconsin of all places... DH and the kids love cranberry salad.  Got lamb on sale for $3.98 for a one pound package... I'll try to sneak it in to stew or chili and see if DH notices he's been duped.  (Kind of a Folger's switch... he swears he can taste "goat" or "sheep" taste in mutton or lamb or goat meat... I wanna see if he really can.)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on October 26, 2008, 09:27:24 PM
That's tricky - you are fortunate he doesn't read the forum and know what you are up to.

The beard - I am the only person I know who could grow a garden just by adding seeds and water after work on a dusty day with the Bobcat.... [idea]  Maybe drool would work for irrigation hmm

Yeah ... OK ... I cut it off.  Down to about an inch and a half long anyway - that should be good for a year.  Didn't want to make muldoon think I was crazy. [crz]

...and yes ...we had a great time.  muldoon is a great guy.  I sent him home with a bag of hops that I had growing on my RV garage planter.  He thinks they are good enough to make beer with.  It was a real pleasure getting to spend some time with him on his work break weekend. :)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on October 27, 2008, 11:05:23 AM
Oh, he does read it, but only the owner-builder projects and stuff like that, stuff he deems "practical".   ;)

Tonight is pork loin roast, a salad from the garden, and some cranberry-tangerine salad.

I'm actually just joshing you about the beard... it gives you that rugged, mountain man look (at least that's what my dad says about his own. [crz]
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on October 27, 2008, 04:23:56 PM
that pork roast is starting to smell mighty tasty... put a lot of garlic and onions with it.  I said salad from the garden without thinking.  It is more like salad from the knock off earth box.  Either way, it works... we are supposed to get a freeze tonight.  I can get in the tomato on the front porch, but the knock off earth box out back is enormous and still loaded with a sprawling green "tomato tree".   I can save the greens fairly easily by just throwing something over them for the night, but not sure if the tomatoes will make it.  We might just pick all the ones we've got left and have them fried later in the week or something. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on October 27, 2008, 09:01:04 PM
Now you're making me hungry, Homey..me and my beard... ::)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Whitlock on October 27, 2008, 09:14:33 PM
She is making me hungrey also ???
If she keeps making posts like that all of us meat eaters are going to gain weight [hungry]
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on October 27, 2008, 09:32:19 PM
We'll have to plan another barbecue... [bbq]
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Whitlock on October 27, 2008, 09:41:01 PM
Glenn why can't you filp a buger like that ::)

Right now all I can think of is the smell of pork roast with onions and garlic and the taste homegrow tomatos with noting but salt on them.
Thats it I'm going to the kitchen [hungry]
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on October 27, 2008, 09:56:58 PM
If I tried that it would end up in the dirt, but I do know how to light the barbecue... ::)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on October 28, 2008, 08:51:31 AM
Tonight it is pot roast for supper.  I put the leftovers from last night in lunches for DH.  It was absolutely delicious.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Whitlock on October 29, 2008, 12:08:27 AM
The wife just took a homemade wild blackberry cobbler out of the oven [hungry] [hungry] [hungry]

See ya tomorrow,W
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on October 29, 2008, 12:15:08 AM
Ummm ---that is not nice, W [crz]
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on November 02, 2008, 08:33:08 PM
I don't know about you but we are having breaded fried Zucchini Squash and fried green tomatoes. 

(https://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d184/glennkangiser/dinnertomatoes11-2.jpg)

[hungry]  Some of my favorites.  Pass the Cimetadine please. [crz]
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on November 02, 2008, 08:40:11 PM
DH kept mentioning that "some fried green tomatoes & zucchini squash sure would be good" so I finally made some.  I dipped them in egg & then flour - Glenn just likes the flour, I've always used a mixture of flour & cornmeal.  Fried them in organic coconut oil.  They did turn out pretty tasty   :)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: muldoon on November 02, 2008, 08:54:39 PM
that looks really good.  when I do a fish fry I use flour/corn meal with some salt/pepper mixed for dry and an egg and half a beer for the wet.  for extra crispy the routine is dry mix -> wet mix -> dry mix -> grease.  yum.

Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: muldoon on November 02, 2008, 09:11:02 PM
I have used the grill all weekend.  Today was a homespun version of a philly cheese steak. 

This afternoon I took some very juicy peaches, cut them in halfs. sprinkled each side with cinnamon sugar and put them on the fire for about 10 minutes each side.  came out absolutely awesome, like peach cobbler goodness right off the grate in no time.   

Then took three ribeyes, some onions and bell peppers,  grilled them up with the steak coming in about medium rarish.  I blackened the peppers, then blanched them in cold water and peeled off the blackened burnt part.  The big yellow onions were just started to camelize.  Sliced everything up really thin and put them on the stove in a skillet with a splash of olive oil and about half a raspberry wheat beer.  They simmered about 45 minutes or so. 

Placed in a wheat hoagy bun and topped with provolone cheese that melted up all ewwy gewwy good. 

While not a true official philly cheesesteak, it worked for us. 


(http://www.loopy.org/pictures/galleries/.pig-tacos/_thumbs/700x500-dscf2756.jpg)

(http://www.loopy.org/pictures/galleries/.pig-tacos/_thumbs/700x500-dscf2758.jpg)

(http://www.loopy.org/pictures/galleries/.pig-tacos/_thumbs/700x500-dscf2759.jpg)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Redoverfarm on November 02, 2008, 09:15:39 PM
You all do that on purpose I think.  Right at my bedtime. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on November 02, 2008, 09:39:58 PM
Yummmm...  that looks right tasty, Muldoon!  We should have had you cook while you were here... ha - glad you made it home safely - bet your family is happy to have you home  :) 

Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on November 02, 2008, 09:47:26 PM
I actually thought it would be nice to have you doing the barbecue here, muldoon, but figured with all of the traveling and being away from home you would be burned out and needed a break - so mine had to do.  At least you got to see my ceremonial lighting of the barbecue.

Your dinner looks great. :) 

Poor John. [crz]
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on November 06, 2008, 04:40:01 PM
It does look good.  Our pantry and freezer are getting sparse again, except for dried beans, etc.  Got some fish in the  freezer, so I guess we can do grilled fish, maybe some rice, and I guess either a salad from the container garden or some frozen mixed veggies (thawed and heated of course! ;) )  Spent all day on the stupid phone and computer trying to work out a deal with the prospective buyers on the house.
Big kids and I will end up doing lessons till their bedtime at this rate!
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on November 07, 2008, 09:22:04 PM
Not really for dinner...  but I made some green tomato jam today...  I couldn't find HG's recipe, so looked on the internet - all of them called for jello - raspberry in particular.  I had to use black cherry because the store was out of raspberry...  tastes pretty good.   Another way to use green tomatoes.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on November 11, 2008, 08:20:07 AM
Tonight it's going to be chicken stew.  Haven't decided if I'm going to put wild rice in it, or egg noodles (which I'd have to make because I don't have any on hand.)   I let the chicken cook overnight so that it is falling off the bones, so now I've got to get in there and debone it all so it'll be ready to throw together later.  It smells good already... kind of like when you put the turkey in the oven and wake up on Thanksgiving morning smelling it and can't wait to dig in. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on November 15, 2008, 02:40:24 PM
Now enjoying Sassy's beef stew for breakfast, Ice cream for desert.

I bought 6 ----1.75 quart boxes on the way home -- unknow to me Sassy bought 6 boxes earlier and I had 2 left.  We now have 14 boxes and about 6 flavors.  I'm working on it. :)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on November 15, 2008, 11:36:30 PM
 ??? You sure that's gonna be enough ice cream, Glenn?

We had pancakes for supper last night.  I didn't want to fix much, and buttermilk pancakes sounded good, so that's what I made.  Maple syrup and butter of course.  And lots of milk.


Tonight we ate with my grandma and mom... take out pizza. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on November 16, 2008, 12:37:39 AM
Pecan Praline... [hungry]
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on November 17, 2008, 02:10:52 PM
Spaghetti squash 'sketti' tonight, and some grilled pork chops with cranberry relish, and salad from the planter.

My little girls made a mean broccoli cheese soup for lunch.  I stood by and coached them, but they did all the work and it turned out great.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on November 18, 2008, 12:45:14 PM
Beans and cornbread for supper tonight... it's violin lesson night, so we have to do something that can be ready when we get back.  They're going on the stove now and starting to smell good already...wish I had a little bacon or salt pork to throw in.  Tuesday nights are half-price burger night at Sonic, so every once in a while we grab those on the way home, but until we're in a new house, we're trying not to spend any money unnecessarily.  Even when it is only $5 to get burgers for all. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Redoverfarm on November 18, 2008, 01:27:53 PM
Quote from: Homegrown Tomatoes on November 18, 2008, 12:45:14 PM
Beans and cornbread for supper tonight... it's violin lesson night, so we have to do something that can be ready when we get back.  

Hows the lessons going HT. Is there any thing that you are able to recongnize yet.  Need to talk to that girl and change over to fiddle. ;D
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on November 18, 2008, 09:05:37 PM
Well, that's already her intent.  I could see the disdain in her teacher's eyes when she called it a fiddle and announced that she wants to play bluegrass.  The teacher is good, but a little hoity-toity about her "violin".   ;D  I can recognize the first few bars of "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star", and I think she'll do just fine once she starts really playing.  Mostly they've just worked on technical aspects like position, tempo, etc.  So far so good.  When she uses the bow, it actually sounds surprisingly good, and she looks like she was meant to play fiddle. 

Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on November 19, 2008, 10:19:49 AM
The beans and cornbread last night were great.  This morning DD#1 gets up and wanted leftovers for breakfast.  Although it was a big pot of beans, there weren't any leftovers to give her.  What five-year-old asks for beans for breakfast?  I think tonight I'm going to do oven round steaks with mushroom gravy and a salad, and maybe some taters... the potatoes are starting to sprout. 

Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on November 19, 2008, 02:42:07 PM
I just picked a bunch of broccoli from the garden - think I will make broccoli soup  [hungry] That sounded good, HG, when you said you showed your daughters how to make it...

Picked a bunch more cherry tomatoes, have lots of Cherokee purple & some Brandywine tomatoes, but they're still green - guess we'll have a lot more fried green tomatoes...  also picked a few peppers.  Right now the weather is 72 degrees - beautiful outside...  I weeded & watered everything - still got a bit more work to do, but need to finish my new cabinets DH made...  I've put 3 coats of verathane on them, need to lightly sand & put one more coat on the counter area...  need to let it dry good enough so I can clear all my counters off (all the junk I had in the other smaller shelves are on my counters & I don't have any room to cook...

Lots of celery, beets, parsnips, lettuce, broccoli, cabbage, squash, carrots, onions, swiss chard, fennel, roses & calendulas growing!
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on November 20, 2008, 01:36:51 PM
wish I'd had better luck growing broccoli...I'd tried it in WI only to have  the earwigs destroy it when it got about 6-8" high.  A friend of ours from the town we lived in in OK before started hers in February and ended up with nearly a deep freeze full one year.  She worked PT at the post office and would bring in a basket for folks to help themselves. 
Quote from: Sassy on November 19, 2008, 02:42:07 PM
I just picked a bunch of broccoli from the garden - think I will make broccoli soup  [hungry] That sounded good, HG, when you said you showed your daughters how to make it...
They did everything except dice the onions; I just watched them and told them roughly how to do it.  It turned out great.  At 4 and 5, my big girls are better cooks than a lot of grownups I know.  My oldest can taste something and tell you pretty much what is in it; one time we were eating at a Korean restaurant, and she starts in, "Hmmm... I taste ginger, soy sauce, rice vinegar, garlic, red chilies, and a little hint of ginseng."  It cracked me up because she nailed it.  I can remember when I was a kid, my mom and grandma always treated me like I was in the way in the kitchen, and then by the time I was seven, mom expected me to have supper ready when she got home from work.  How is a kid supposed to learn to cook if they never get to help??  I plan to have a couple of nights a week where they prepare dinner by the time they are 9-10 years old!!  One of the best things you can teach kids, in my opinion, is independence and basic living skills.  My oldest is excited because after her birthday next month, she gets to learn how to do laundry!
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on November 20, 2008, 01:49:19 PM
That's great HG!  I taught my boys to cook when they were young & now they are great cooks... 

The brocolli soup turned out good - I put onions, yogurt & lots of cheese in(and salt & pepper). 

I was cooking dinner for my family when I was 10-11 - I liked to cook - was baking when I was 8 or 9 - usually cookies or cakes...  my older brother loved chocolate chip cookie dough - he'd eat half of it if I wasn't watching him close enough  d*  used to like to iron - must have started ironing pillow cases & handkerchiefs when I was 6...  hate to iron now  [yuk]
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on November 20, 2008, 10:25:20 PM
That sounds good.... I'm assuming you were using plain yogurt?  I never thought of doing that. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Whitlock on November 28, 2008, 02:07:12 AM
How about some well aged steak for your plate :)




http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2725/prehistoric-its-whats-for-dinner
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on November 28, 2008, 11:53:31 AM
Yum - think we have a bit of that in one of our freezers. [hungry]
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on December 07, 2008, 10:41:24 PM
Hey, Mother Earth News had a recipe from a book called something like _Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day_.  You mix up one batch of dough (about five or ten minutes worth of work) and then stick it in the fridge and take it out as you need it for up to two weeks or more.  Ours has only lasted about a week(not because it's gone bad, but because we keep eating it and baking more), but by now it has a really good sourdough taste.  The outside is nice and crusty, and the inside is that good, chewy bread that goes great with stew or chili.  I don't have a baking stone, so I lowered the temperature of the oven from 450 to 425 degrees and used my cast iron skillets or griddle and it works just fine and doesn't burn.  I am thinking about seeing if I can find the book on ebay or amazon cheaper (TMEN was asking nearly $30 for it.)  Anyway, we have been having bread with just about everything lately.  It's even easier than the peasant bread I posted before on here.  This week, I'm planning to try the whole wheat sandwich bread recipe from the same book and see how it goes.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on December 10, 2008, 03:33:02 PM
For supper tonight, Chang-chorim (kind of a Korean pot roast, only saltier.)  Lunch was really good though.  The girls and I had fried apples 'n' onions and homemade bread.  It was really tasty.

Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Jochen on December 10, 2008, 03:59:10 PM
Quote from: Homegrown Tomatoes on December 07, 2008, 10:41:24 PM
I don't have a baking stone, so I lowered the temperature of the oven from 450 to 425 degrees....

I know, I know English is not my native language.   ??? But what is a baking stone? I never heard that before. And that recipe sounds interesting. Can I find it online or is it only in their book?

Jochen
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: ScottA on December 10, 2008, 04:40:14 PM
I'm making chili.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: SkagitDrifter on December 10, 2008, 05:28:41 PM
Duck tonight.
It's what I do when I'm not working on my cabin project.
Bon Apetite!
Tom


(https://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r158/Skagitdrifter/DSC04137.jpg)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: muldoon on December 10, 2008, 07:12:06 PM
Quote from: ScottA on December 10, 2008, 04:40:14 PM
I'm making chili.

+1
Me too, I used my same chili recipe I posted a few months back
http://countryplans.com/smf/index.php?topic=5080.0

I just finished the simmer and have started the first hour cook.  About another hour and a half to go. 

sure smells good. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on December 13, 2008, 12:44:58 AM
Quote from: Jochen on December 10, 2008, 03:59:10 PM
Quote from: Homegrown Tomatoes on December 07, 2008, 10:41:24 PM
I don't have a baking stone, so I lowered the temperature of the oven from 450 to 425 degrees....

I know, I know English is not my native language.   ??? But what is a baking stone? I never heard that before. And that recipe sounds interesting. Can I find it online or is it only in their book?

Jochen
Jochen, here is a link to a baking stone... I think a picture is worth 1000 words when someone is trying to describe something to me.
http://www.target.com/gp/search/178-3073094-6016120?field-keywords=baking%20stone&afid=google&CPNG=Kitchen&LNM=baking_stone&LID=4026713&ref=tgt_adv_XSGT0752
I had one that was given to me as a wedding present, and used it quite a bit before accidentally dropping it and busting it to pieces.   It works nicely for making homemade pizzas, etc.  However, the recipe worked very well with a cast iron griddle in the oven as well. 

I was going to post a link to the article if I could find it online, but could only find a link to the book.  If you bake it at 450 as the recipe calls for (at least in my oven) the outside of the loaf has the texture and crispiness of a saltine cracker, but almost requires a cross-cut saw to slice.  If you lower the temp 10-25 degrees, it comes out crusty, but not as something that will break a tooth.  It has a good sourdough flavor by the end of the first week, and even better the second.  I've made a small loaf of the white bread almost every day since finding the recipe.  Tried the whole wheat sandwich loaf today and wasn't as impressed, but that could be because I didn't grind my flour fine enough.  Perhaps if I'd bought whole wheat flour, it would've turned out better.  Anyway, I can post the recipe for the white bread, and you can experiment:


Boule (makes 4 1-pound loaves)

3 c. warm water
1.5 T. yeast
1.5 T. coarse Kosher or sea salt
6.5 c. flour, unsifted, unbleached, all-purpose
a little cornmeal

Mix yeast, salt and water in a very large bowl or lidded container. Don't worry about getting it all to dissolve.  Add flour and stir until well mixed (you won't have to knead the dough... it just takes a few minutes).  Cover loosely.  Allow the mixture to rise at room temperature until it begins to collapse or flatten on top (approx. 2 hours).  You can use the dough any time after this point, but  it is easier to work with if it has been refrigerated for  a few hours.  Refrigerate the dough, covered (but not airtight) until needed.

On baking day, sprinkle cornmeal on a wood cutting board and sprinkle the surface of the dough with cornmeal or flour.  Use a serrated knife to cut off a grapefruit-sized chunk of the dough and gently stretch the sides of it down underneath (don't knead it, just shape it into a ball) and let it rest, uncovered, on the cutting board for about 40 minutes.  Twenty minutes before baking, preheat oven to 450 degrees with a baking stone (or cast iron pan, skillet, whatever) on middle rack and an empty boiler tray for holding water on another shelf.  Dust the top of the loaf with flour (I use cornmeal for this too).  Use a serrated knife to slash a pattern 1/4 inch deep into the top of the loaf to help it have room to expand during baking.  Slide loaf carefully onto the hot pan in the oven and quickly pour a cup of hot water into the empty boiler try to steam and shut the oven door to trap the steam.  Bake for 20-30 minutes until the crust is beginning to brown and is crisp and you can no longer wait for the bread to come out of the oven.    It will slice easier after it cools.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on December 13, 2008, 02:07:53 PM
 [hungry]  That sounds good, Homegrown!  I need to find my big bag of yeast I put in the freezer a couple years ago - it should be ok, don't you think?
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on December 13, 2008, 02:19:20 PM
Last night I made broccoli cheese soup (fresh broccoli out of the garden) & cut up some Cherokee Purple tomatoes (also from the garden) & avocado (our avocado tree in the valley didn't produce any avocados this past year); broiled some buttered whole wheat French bread (from Costco) - it all tasted pretty good!
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on December 13, 2008, 05:34:24 PM
What's for dinner? I'm not sure as I'm not cooking it. Club party & dance tonight. Free food, that's all that matters.   ;)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on December 13, 2008, 09:19:39 PM
Quote from: Sassy on December 13, 2008, 02:19:20 PM
Last night I made broccoli cheese soup (fresh broccoli out of the garden) & cut up some Cherokee Purple tomatoes (also from the garden) & avocado (our avocado tree in the valley didn't produce any avocados this past year); broiled some buttered whole wheat French bread (from Costco) - it all tasted pretty good!

...and there is nothing like that fresh broccoli soup --- it is great.... and then afterward a nice walk outside in the fresh air is nice too. [crz]
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on December 15, 2008, 11:56:45 AM
 ;D  Too much info, Glenn! 

I think we're having homemade chicken stew tonight.  It is frigid!!!  I went out this morning to thaw the dogs' water and within half an hour it was frozen solid again.  Right now, I have a couple of bricks in the oven and plan to wrap them in old towels and put out there in the dog house for them to snuggle up to.  The actual temp is not going to reach 32 today, but the windchill is around 0 degrees after it being 71 degrees yesterday afternoon.  Kind of a shock to your system!  We'll have some of the homemade bread to go with it. 

I felt so sorry for the dogs this morning that after I thawed their water, I came back in and fixed them a skillet of gravy to put over their food and warm it up for them.  Ornery is going in the dog house when he is not out barking at the neighbor's dog, but Grover is acting as a draft stopper and sleeping against the crack under the back door!
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on December 15, 2008, 01:41:24 PM
Decided on campfire chicken stew tonight as it just sounded really good.  I usually fix it in a dutch oven on a campfire, but in this case a stock pot on the stove will have to do.  Am roasting the chicken now and will pick the meat off the bones when it is done cooking and then start the stew to be finished when i get back from taking mom to the doc today.  Besides the usual carrots, potatoes and celery, we also usually put corn, jalapenos, tomatoes, bell peppers or whatever else we can scrounge up to throw in.  Also usually add a lot of cumin and red chilies and then add some chopped cilantro just before we finish it off. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on December 21, 2008, 12:10:37 AM
Greek!  A Greek buffet! It's an annual Christmas thing we get invited to by some real Greeks.

Mousaka (layers of ground minced lamb meat, eggplant and tomato baked in oven), Gyros, Souvlaki (lamb and chicken, marinated then grilled on a skewer - served on Pita bread), Dolmades (grapevine leaves stuffed with rice and lamb), plus some others I don't remember the names of. The ones I named are my favorites so I can't forget their names.  :D  Baklava, and some other pastries and cookies.

Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Jens on December 21, 2008, 09:59:12 PM
Not sure where your peasant bread recipe is Homegrown, and forgive me for not wanting to read 60 pages of thread right now, but I'm wondering if it is what I call Bible bread.  I make a quick flat bread, takes 10-15 minutes from scratch to plate.  Flour, salt, oil, and water.  Basil is nice too.  I would tell you the measurements, but there aren't any!  Take flour, add salt, oil and water until only slightly sticky.  Cut into chunks and roll, press, or squeeze to thin round shape with your fingers and thumb.  Then you take it and toss it on the cast iron on stove top.  Easy and quick.  I'm glad to hear that the MEN recipe is good, I have been wanting to try it for weeks now.  My wife just started working, so we have lost our bread maker, as she is now getting paid to bake. 


We had spaghetti tonight.  I made soup for the first time the other night...minestrone.  Wasn't too bad, if I do say so myself.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Redoverfarm on December 21, 2008, 11:13:50 PM
Jens maybe this will help

http://countryplans.com/smf/index.php?topic=3439.msg52967#msg52967

Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Jens on December 22, 2008, 11:22:05 AM
Thanks Red.  I forgot to say that honey may be used in the flatbread as well.  Makes it nice and sweet.  The next time I make some, I will try to remember to record a recipe.  Gonna try the MEN artisian today
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Redoverfarm on December 22, 2008, 05:05:37 PM
Jens how to you find time to cook.  I barely have time to eat.  ;D
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on December 22, 2008, 05:14:37 PM
Noodles, fried with broccoli, carrots, onions, snap peas, last night.

Tonight, will be chicken fajitas with peppers and onions, salsa, sour cream and flour tortillas
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Jens on December 22, 2008, 07:21:06 PM
Right now I don't have much choice.  Wife is working as a baker, from 5am till 2 or 3 most days, I have the kids, homeschooling, cooking, cleaning, still trying to find time to work on the house and projects for clients, and Christmas presents.  It's quite tough.  Can't do much outside of the house until wife gets home from work, then with church group, helping out our friend who is getting divorced with his two girls...IT IS VERY HARD!   :)  Feel like I am going fairly crazy lately trying to do it all. 

just did our Christmas shopping, got it all done in about 3 hours.  No time to cook, so I am glad I made enough minestrone to have leftovers.  Thats supper tonight.

Don...gotta love that mexican food!  Do you make your tortillas?  So good when homemade!
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on December 22, 2008, 08:56:09 PM
Quote from: Jens on December 22, 2008, 07:21:06 PM
Do you make your tortillas? 

No, we buy them from one of two locally owned tortilla factories. No lard, no trans fats. Frozen chilis as well.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sonoran on December 22, 2008, 09:08:19 PM
I made pizza.   ;D
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on December 23, 2008, 12:30:15 AM
I overcooked a standing rib roast in the wood stove last night but didn't kill it-- left overs tonight --
Sassy made a big meal - sweet potato -also roasted in the wood stove, tamale, fruit salad- I'm stuffed.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on December 23, 2008, 10:27:44 PM
We had a special treat. Standing Rib Roast beef, with potatoes and parsnips roasted alongside the roast, and Yorkshire Pudding.   :)

assorted Christmas cookies later. (received as gifts)

Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on December 25, 2008, 03:39:12 PM
Roast Turkey! ... ready in 2 hours or so.

Mashed potatoes, probably green beans, maybe carrots  ???, gravy, pumpkin pie.


Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Drew on December 25, 2008, 11:31:39 PM
M&Ms and NyQuil.   [toilet]
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on December 26, 2008, 12:26:09 AM
The city, Drew... it is making you sick.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Drew on December 26, 2008, 11:26:26 AM
Close, Glenn (Glenn Close?).  I've been sick two days in the last three years.  This last one came when I went to a kick-off meeting for a new contract.  The project sponsor had a cold.  She also said that they decided they would do the work themselves and wouldn't need me after all.  These things happen, I understand that.  But a phone call would have been just fine. :)

I'm better today, though a little numb around the edges from the dope and sleep.  I'm going to go to a lunch meeting for a January contract and see about some drip line and tree guards on the way home.  It's almost time to plant the trees!   ;D
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on December 26, 2008, 01:26:42 PM
Glenn Close?  hmm

I haven't tried to get in touch with my feminine side lately [waiting]

(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f2/Glenn_Close.jpg/170px-Glenn_Close.jpg)

Gotta admit, she looks a lot like me in the days when I had hair if you take off the beard. heh

...take the beard off me... not her...  d*
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on December 27, 2008, 07:42:45 PM
Last night was DD's birthday party and we had sausage, bacon, fried apples 'n' onions, waffles, fruit salad, etc.  Was going to do biscuits too, but ran out of steam when we got the call from the realtor about the pipes being frozen in our house in WI.  Good news is that even after our gang plus an additional dozen or more people ate their fill, we didn't have to cook breakfast this morning, nor will we tomorrow.  DD loves breakfast for supper... one of her favorite meals (that and beans, but we had them about three or four times in the past few weeks and frankly, I was a little tired of them.)

Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Dog on December 28, 2008, 11:21:49 PM
 ;DOk Glenn and Drew...that's was interesting how you brought Glenn Close into all that...
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on December 29, 2008, 12:16:45 AM
Close, but she kept me at arms length... [crz]
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on December 29, 2008, 12:49:40 PM
Yup, it is interesting how that Glenn can tie in about any two subjects under the sun....   ;D  He has mastered the art!
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on December 30, 2008, 04:50:30 PM
I was planning on making chili, but it is about 70 degrees out and gorgeous, and it just doesn't sound as good as it would if it were cold.  So, I'm thinking we should eat out tonight!  (OK, so really that's just to kill time until the house is sold in Wisconsin, and we should probably not spend the money to eat out, but it does sound really nice.)   [waiting] [waiting]
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on December 31, 2008, 04:41:51 PM
Celebratory chili tonight because the house is finally done (you know, celebration food should be...um... explosive.)  Oh and cornbread, of course.  Then we begin to eat up the stash of food in the house so that we don't have to move any of it... not that there is really that much stashed because we don't have much room to store it. 

Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on December 31, 2008, 05:00:16 PM
I'd do the chili with you Homey, butt no benefit.... Sassy is working... [crz]

...and Whitlock and Flutterby invited me over for homemade pizza so I can't pass that one  up. :)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on December 31, 2008, 05:04:46 PM
Quote from: Homegrown Tomatoes on December 31, 2008, 04:41:51 PM
Celebratory chili tonight because the house is finally done (you know, celebration food should be...um... explosive.)  Oh and cornbread, of course.  Then we begin to eat up the stash of food in the house so that we don't have to move any of it... not that there is really that much stashed because we don't have much room to store it. 



Homey -- thinking about this a little bit... hmm

I think you ought to lighten up a bit on the chili... how about just toxic fumes.... you ever try to clean up after explosive? [crz] 

I don't even want to think about it.... [waiting]
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Dog on January 01, 2009, 01:27:29 AM
 :) LOL!
HAPPY NEW YEAR GUYS!
I had Kale and Barley. Very delicious! 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on January 03, 2009, 11:07:15 PM
Dark chocolate with almonds. :o  Ok, so I had a burger for dessert.  Felt like a rebel today.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on January 04, 2009, 12:59:20 AM
Now you are making me want to eat Ice Cream.  I cooked sweet potatoes in foil in the fireplace, covered them with butter and salt,  then made a quesadilla with cheese and artichoke and jalapeno dip along with some Trader Joe Salt and Pepper potato chips. [hungry]
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on January 04, 2009, 01:44:02 AM
Omelet: eggs, diced onions, tomatoes, green peas, grated sharp cheddar and parmesan, pepper, salt. With WW toast.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on January 04, 2009, 01:48:28 AM
hmm -- World War toast... very patriotic, Don.  May I suggest Freedom Fries to go with that ?... rofl
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on January 04, 2009, 01:53:51 AM
WW = Whole Wheat   :o    with Strawberry jam, marshmallows and blueberry jelly      ;D


But that reminds me, maybe we'll have chipped beef on toast one day soon... "$hit on a shingle"
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on January 04, 2009, 02:04:09 AM
Yup sounds good - my dad had that in the Navy so we used to get it at home.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on January 04, 2009, 02:15:13 AM
You can also make a poor substitute by warming thin sliced Spam in canned mushroom soup.



I used to really like that.  [crz]   Maybe I should try it again. Maybe not.  :-\
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on January 04, 2009, 02:36:53 AM
Sounds OK :)

We also like scrambled eggs with sauteed onions and bacon (cooked before and scrambled in the eggs)  over toast and smothered in white sauce. [hungry] 

Haven't had it in a coons age...  [waiting]
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on January 04, 2009, 02:43:47 AM
Oh Yes!!!

There's always tomorrow though.

And let the coon live to see another day.  :D
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: muldoon on January 04, 2009, 08:20:37 PM
I had a leisurely day, did some grilling.

(http://www.loopy.org/pictures/galleries/Dixon%20Ranch/January%202009/_thumbs/640x480-dscf3316.jpg)


fired up some venison backstrap steaks, smoked over combination of pecan and mesquite. dry rubbed with a garlic/paprika/salt/pepper/cayenne ish dry rub. I didnt realize how hungry I was until I just laid in the hammock drinking beer and nibbling and then all of a sudden - the meat was gone.


(http://www.loopy.org/pictures/galleries/Dixon%20Ranch/January%202009/_thumbs/640x480-dscf3326.jpg)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on January 04, 2009, 11:17:11 PM
That had to be good, muldoon.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: considerations on January 05, 2009, 01:00:51 AM
Jumbalaya!  Wooee!  Kind of a creole paella. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on January 05, 2009, 01:05:56 AM
I like jambalaya!


Turkey Pie here. Frozen left over meat from C'mas. Added some peas, diced carrots and potato, chopped onion and left over gravy.   :)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on January 05, 2009, 01:11:03 AM
Woops - I forgot to eat dinner --- better see if I have any ice cream.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on January 05, 2009, 12:02:28 PM
Spam AND mushroom gravy???  Sounds like enough salt for two weeks to me!  Last night DH and I had Korean bowl ramen with spam chopped up in it.  Got the junk food craving out of my system, and I went directly to the grocery store afterward to get real food.  (The kids had eaten leftover pizza.)  My dad always sends us home with groceries when we visit, and even though we don't buy spam ourselves, we have it every now and then because he sends it with us.   We're in the trying to clean out the pantry and fridge mode now, in case we actually end up with a contract on the place we want and have to move here pretty soon.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on January 05, 2009, 12:45:49 PM
Quote from: Homegrown Tomatoes on January 05, 2009, 12:02:28 PM
Spam AND mushroom gravy??? 

I believe the last time I ate that was a good 25 years ago; maybe 30.   :D
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on January 06, 2009, 08:24:46 PM
tonight was bul-go-gi (Korean bbq beef) and rice and slaw made with broccoli, cilantro and nuts with sesame dressing.  Mighty tasty.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Jens on January 08, 2009, 11:37:52 AM
Just started a pot of baked beans...Boston style, not the pork 'n beans they serve here in Tennessee, saying they are baked beans! 

Now I gotta find that mother earth news bread recipe, and get it going. 

Backwoods Home magazine has a great article this month about eating well on a lean budget.  Pretty basic stuff, but that is what a lot of people need, to be shocked back to the basics. 

Read The Makers Diet, and/or The Revolution Will Not Be Microwaved, to be shocked back to food reality!  I didn't even read them, my wife did, but they shocked me through the information osmosis that is marriage.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on January 08, 2009, 12:49:18 PM
Quote from: Jens on January 08, 2009, 11:37:52 AM
Read The Makers Diet, and/or The Revolution Will Not Be Microwaved, to be shocked back to food reality!  I didn't even read them, my wife did, but they shocked me through the information osmosis that is marriage.
;D  Jens, you sound like my husband... he gets a lot of that information osmosis, too. 

Supper tonight will be chicken, maybe bbq, maybe hot/sweet/sour sauce with apricots... haven't decided for sure yet.  And some cucumber kimchee, and some sort of salad or slaw.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Jens on January 09, 2009, 09:30:19 AM
Are you or the husband Korean?  One of my best friends is Korean, I could never stand Kimchee, but I would always let his mom cook Duk Man Doo Gook.  Very tasty soup! 

Beans turned out alright, didn't have enough molasses though, or brown sugar, just not quite sweet enough.  Oh well, still better than what they sell around here, and much cheaper too!
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Jens on January 09, 2009, 01:46:36 PM
I've done it!!!  I think that I just made the worst meal ever eaten by man.  Soggy white rice, with tomatoes.  Was going to serve beans and rice, but we had beans for breakfast, so I thought I would mix it up.  I am now going to have to just hope that the wife can fix it, and turn it into something else, or there goes another $2.50 in the compost.

Hopefully dinner will be something a darn site better. 

On the bright side, the kids didn't complain about there being tomatoes in it, of course, I did have to threaten them before hand heh
They are driving me nuts today!  I am too a little bit. [frus]

Not trying to drift the thread, but thank you for reading!
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: fishing_guy on January 11, 2009, 02:14:11 AM
Even though I finally got back to work after a 7 month layoff, eating out just didn't sound right...

So I stopped by my favorite meat market and picked up 6 seasoned pork chops and a quart of Italian Pasta Salad.   I picked up some asparagus at the grocery and headed home to grill out for my wife and our best friends.

My son-in-law called me in-between and needed me to fill in for boot hockey, so I did that for a couple of hours and then fired up the grill with charcoal and Pecan wood.  Asparagus went in the steam of the rice cooker which was making Minnesota wild rice.

About an hour smoking in the Pecan wood smoke, and then about 5 minutes over a hot fire to finish them off.

All agreed they were about the best chops we ever had.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on January 11, 2009, 03:14:23 AM
Spanakopita! Greek Spinach pie. Filo pastry made with real butter; spinach and feta cheese. Yummy good.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on January 14, 2009, 04:37:31 PM
That sounds good, Don.  Who made it?

Quote from: Jens on January 09, 2009, 09:30:19 AM
Are you or the husband Korean?  One of my best friends is Korean, I could never stand Kimchee, but I would always let his mom cook Duk Man Doo Gook.  Very tasty soup! 

Beans turned out alright, didn't have enough molasses though, or brown sugar, just not quite sweet enough.  Oh well, still better than what they sell around here, and much cheaper too!

Jens, my husband is Korean.  Well, actually he is American now, but he was born and raised in Korea.  We met when he came to the US for graduate school and ended up in the first ESL class I ever taught.  Have you ever tried any kimchee other than the standard pechu kimchee (napa cabbage kimchee)?  A lot of people who don't like the regular kimchee find that they like some of the other types... cucumber kimchee is usually the favorite.  I like dong-chim-ee a lot too.  And mu sangchae.  It seems like people either really love or hate Korean food, though.  Not too many people are neutral on it.  It's funny that you mention Duk Man doo guk. I used to love it, but we spent a month in Korea during the first trimester of my second pregnancy, and my father-in-law made some for me because he thought that it was a "healthy" food for a pregnant woman.  It smelled so good, and I sat down and took two bites and then spent the rest of the morning sick as a dog.  It was the only time I ever really had morning sickness with any of the girls, and to this day I associate that soup with feeling sick.  I don't think I've eaten it since then. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: lonelytree on January 14, 2009, 05:32:27 PM
Quote from: Homegrown Tomatoes on January 06, 2009, 08:24:46 PM
tonight was bul-go-gi (Korean bbq beef) and rice and slaw made with broccoli, cilantro and nuts with sesame dressing.  Mighty tasty.


I love bulgogi!!! With sticky rice, grilled veggies and cheap beer. Best food that I had in Korea.

I have never tried the spam and mushroom soup thing. Truthfully, it kind of scares me. I usually slice spam thin and (over) season it. Then grill or fry it.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on January 14, 2009, 06:15:05 PM
Quote from: Homegrown Tomatoes on January 14, 2009, 04:37:31 PM
That sounds good, Don.  Who made it?

Moi! Filo dough is available in the frozen foods section, usually near dessert items. .
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: sparks on January 15, 2009, 01:48:00 AM
Local grown steaks, taters, lima beans.



Going for a fudge bar shortly.........yummm


sparks
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Redoverfarm on January 15, 2009, 01:46:58 PM
Homemade chili (hot), french bread & butter.  A meal in itself.  As for the temp of the chili I personally like mine hot but the rest of the family does not.  So I keep a bottle of Mother Puckers around to spice mine up.  The boy is just getting into the temperature change.  Dashes "Texas Pete" on about anything now.  As for the chili it has to have a little cheddar cheese sprinkled on top.  The wife likes a little sour cream to top her chili off.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on January 15, 2009, 01:49:55 PM
Split green pea soup; homemade with a ham bone in it and of course some ham.  :)

Homemade rye bread (bread machine, square loaf); tastes the same as traditional baked to me.

Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Redoverfarm on January 15, 2009, 02:10:26 PM
Yeah Don I would have loved to have had some homemade bread or rolls with the chili but a working mom only has so much time for supper.  Even then we don't get finished until after 7:00PM.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on January 15, 2009, 05:02:34 PM
Yeah John; that's why ours is coming out of a timer operated machine. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on January 15, 2009, 05:53:40 PM
smoked sausage with cranberry sauce, salad, a couple of kimchees, and some leftover coleslaw,etc., and whatever else we can scrape out of the fridge and throw on the table.  I was hoping to get some more of the bread dough in the fridge yesterday, but never got around to getting it done.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on January 15, 2009, 05:54:36 PM
Oh, and spinach dip with veggie sticks... yum-yum.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Dog on January 17, 2009, 02:08:44 AM
No meat. Vegetarian here...My favorite in the winter...Mashed Potatoes and Broccoli tonight.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on January 17, 2009, 02:28:26 AM
Omnivore here.  :D

Grilled skinless, boneless chicken breast, lightly steamed broccoli, mashed potatoes. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on January 17, 2009, 12:25:12 PM
We went out for Korean food last night.  Had been thinking how good a casserole of steaming hot wu-gu-ji-tang would taste all day (Korean veggie soup, usually poor folks' comfort food in Korea).  Got there and they were all out of it, so had to have dolsot bi-bim-bab instead, which is a hot pot of rice with a little bit of beef and a lot of veggies, fried egg, and hot pepper sauce.  Even though it is not what I really wanted, it tasted really good.  I love how the rice on the bottom of the hot pot sticks and almost carmelizes... it is tough and chewy and has a sesame/hot pepper flavor, my favorite part, so you have to eat the whole bowl to get to it. [hungry]  DH got pork bul-go-gi, which tasted good, but I don't like the way restaurants make bul-go-gi with only meat, no veggies.  When people make it at home, they usually put a lot of veggies in it too, to make it stretch more.  However, most Korean restaurants, especially in the states, are under the false assumption that somehow their American clientele can't handle "real" Korean food, and that we only eat meat.  So, they make it entirely with meat.  And then Koreans come to their restaurants and DON'T eat bul-go-gi, but instead go for what is considered cheap street vendor food in Korea because it is closer to the real thing.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: tesa on January 19, 2009, 09:28:50 PM
pan fried pork chops, white rice with homemade gravy, and fresh veggies

with a tall gass of iced tea

tesa
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on January 19, 2009, 09:32:09 PM
Corned beef. Pan fried cabbage with onions and baby carrots. Beer.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: considerations on January 19, 2009, 11:25:14 PM
I like whole wheat bread, but the prices in the grocery are getting borderline ridiculous.

I love this recipe - no kneading and it's bomb proof.  I can substitute whole wheat for regular flour.  So far i've worked up to 2 of the 6-1/2 cups without turning the finished product into a brick.  You can pull the usual substitutions for the equipment they talk about (see notes in parantheses).

The other part I love is doing a full batch, and then pulling enough out of the fridge to make a fresh loaf when I'm ready for it....up to 2 weeks.  I've tried freezing it in loaf portions, but I'm still perfecting the technique.

I throw in things like sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, garlic and rosemary.  I haven't tried raisins, brown sugar, and cinnamon yet, but this is the most basic no muss no fuss way to make my own cost effective designer bread.   I can hardly wait to try it with the wood stove, and in the dutch oven this summer.  Nice chewy crust and fluffy texture.

THE MASTER RECIPE: BOULE (ARTISAN FREE-FORM LOAF)
MAKES FOUR 1-POUND LOAVES
3 cups lukewarm water (about 100 degrees)
1 1/2 tablespoons granulated yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt or other coarse salt (if you put salted seeds in also, you may want to back down on the amount of salt)
6 1/2 cups unsifted, unbleached, all-purpose white flour. (So far, up to 2 cups of whole wheat still makes a fluffy loaf)

Cornmeal or parchment for pizza peel ( I don't bother with the parchment or the pizza peel, cornmeal on the back side of the cutting board works just fine on it's own.

Preparing the dough:

• In a 5-quart bowl or a resealable, lidded, plastic food container, (or just a big bowl and a clean kitchen towel) add yeast and salt to lukewarm water. Don't worry about getting it all to dissolve.

• Add in all the flour at once. (You don't have to sift the flour)

Mix with a wooden spoon (you can use very wet hands to help if needed).

Don't knead the dough; just mix until it is uniformly moist without dry patches.

• Cover with a lid that fits well, but is not airtight. Allow to rise at room temperature until it begins to collapse, about 2 hours. (You can let it go up to 5 hours.)

The dough is ready to use at this point, but will be easier to shape if it is refrigerated at least 3 hours first.

On baking day:
• Prepare a pizza peel by sprinkling it liberally with cornmeal or line it with parchment. (I just use the cutting board)

Sprinkle the surface of your refrigerated dough with flour. Pull up and cut off a 1 pound (grapefruit-size) piece of dough. Hold the mass of dough in your hands and add a little more flour as needed so it won't stick to your hands. Gently stretch the surface of the dough around to the bottom on all four sides, rotating the ball a quarter-turn as you go. (Most of the dusting flour will fall off.) The bottom of the loaf may appear to be a collection of bunched ends, but it will flatten and adhere during resting and baking. Handle the dough as little as possible.

Place the shaped ball on the cornmeal-covered pizza peel. Allow the loaf to rest on the peel for about 40 minutes, uncovered. Depending on the age of the dough, you may not see much rise (more will occur during baking).

20 minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 450 degrees, with a baking stone (upside down baking pan) placed on the middle rack. Place an empty broiler tray for holding water on any other shelf that won't interfere with the rising bread.

Dust the top of the loaf liberally with flour. Slash a ¼-inch-deep cross, scallop or tic-tac-toe pattern into the top. Slide the loaf off the pizza peel and onto the preheated baking stone.

Pour about 1 cup of hot water from the tap into the broiler tray and close the oven door to trap the steam. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the crust is nicely browned and firm to the touch. (Tap it, it will sound hollow)

Allow to cool completely, preferably on a wire rack.

Store the remaining dough in the refrigerator in your lidded (not airtight) container. Cut off and shape more loaves as you need them anytime over the next 14 days.

The flavor and texture will improve after even one day's storage.  Baking stones are great but hardly necessary. 

Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: tesa on January 21, 2009, 08:08:39 AM
oh, is that from mother earth news??

i tried that myself

great idea, keeping the dough in the fridge

it was my first real success with homemade bread

i've been encouraging all my friends to give it a try

tesa
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: n74tg on January 21, 2009, 08:46:28 AM
What's a pizza peel?
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on January 21, 2009, 01:09:55 PM
A pizza peel is the flat, handled thin board that you see pizza places using to slide the pizza into the oven. (You don't bake ON it, but use it to slide the dough off without messing up the shape.)  I don't have one, but use a wooden cutting board sprinkled in cornmeal (per earlier posts with variations on the same recipe... it is a good recipe, by the way.)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on January 22, 2009, 12:06:23 AM
Oh --- I thought it was some exotic pizza recipe....

I guess I made a Pizza Peel out of a board then -- I just didn't know what it was. d*
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: considerations on January 22, 2009, 08:36:00 AM
Yeah just ignore the piazza peel stuff.  It came from the Seattle Post Intelligencer, which is famous for translating simple recipes into yuppie-speak. 

But, brought down to real living terminology its a simple and therefore great way to make excellent and cost effective bread.  ;D
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on January 22, 2009, 01:50:33 PM
Yeah, when I first read the recipe in Mother Earth News, I had to look up pizza peels on google to figure out what they were talking about... I thought, "Now, why couldn't they just say a thin flat board with a handle?" because that would leave no doubt in anybody's mind. d*  Oh, and when I googled on it, it brought up a bunch of yuppie-style kitchen specialty stores that sell them.  All that said, though, it is a very easy and good-tasting bread.  As I posted earlier, if I actually turn my oven to 450 degrees, as the recipe calls for, the texture steps over the line from "crusty" to something more like "hardtack", so I had to turn my oven down closer to 425.  Oh, and i cook the bread on a cast iron griddle or skillet instead of a baking stone, and it comes out just fine. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: tesa on January 22, 2009, 07:13:23 PM
next time, i think i'll turn my oven down a bit too, i think that might help

and great minds do think alike

i used my cast iron too!!

tesa
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on January 22, 2009, 11:39:08 PM
I might add, I don't think our oven temp is right on.  The outside of the blasted thing gets hot enough to burn you, but the inside always does weird stuff to our food (charred outside, squishy middle, etc., and it is as uneven as a microwave.)  Dang landlords. 

Tonight was baked acorn squash stuffed with pineapple, brown sugar, cinnamon, butter, and a little bacon.  We also had a vast assortment of little leftovers that needed to be eaten up.  Oh, and some corn on the cob.  So, it was a totally starched-out meal, and I'm thinking I need to go test DH's blood sugar because he crashed on the couch immediately after supper and I still can't get him up to go to bed.  He mumbles that "he will" go to bed in a minute and then goes right back to sleep. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on January 23, 2009, 12:44:28 AM
I like the convection feature our oven has. Seems to even things out, shortens time or allows a lower temperature setting.


Baked marinated (teriyaki) salmon. Steamed rice and green beans tonight.

Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on January 23, 2009, 01:12:05 AM
One bowl of Potato Pearls, two bowls of Pecan Praline ice cream.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on January 23, 2009, 01:22:16 PM
Potato pearls? ??? [noidea'

Tonight, it is going to be stew.  It got cooler overnight (yesterday was in the mid 70s and gorgeous) so stew should taste pretty good tonight.  I put  a couple of pieces of beef shank in to simmer a little while ago.  I'm low on just about everything, but don't want to go to the grocery store either... don't want to stock up and then have to move it all in a few weeks.  Anyway, I had a little ginger root left, so I sliced it up with the beef.  The only fresh veggies I have left are some Korean radish (sort of like diakon, but more like a turnip in diameter) and some green onions.  I think I have some dried seaweed, and then I may have some dried squash, and a few potatoes that oughtta be used for seed potatoes.  There may be an onion around here somewhere, too, so it'll be whatever-I-can-find-stew.  There is leftover cornbread from last night to go with it.  Well, that's if the kids don't find the cornbread between now and then... they had some of it with molasses and milk for breakfast this morning. 

Need to mix up another bunch of that bread dough today... it is supposed to be cool for several days, so a good time to do a little baking.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: considerations on January 23, 2009, 01:25:16 PM
Buffalo rib steak, smashed taters & fresh spinach from the cold (heated) frame.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on January 23, 2009, 01:46:22 PM
London Broil, probably mashed potatoes, salad
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on January 23, 2009, 05:51:16 PM
Potato Pearls

http://www.baf.com/pages/17

(http://www.baf.com/UserFiles/Image/EXCEL060wPotatoesSM.jpg)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on January 24, 2009, 09:12:02 PM
Chicken potstickers. A little rice.


No, we didn't make the potstickers ourselves.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Redoverfarm on January 24, 2009, 11:00:38 PM
Quote from: MountainDon on January 24, 2009, 09:12:02 PM
Chicken potstickers. A little rice.


No, we didn't make the potstickers ourselves.

???
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on January 24, 2009, 11:17:26 PM
(http://www.ling-ling.com/home/images/12.jpg)

Ling Ling® Potstickers:
delicate pasta shells filled with a blend of the highest quality meats, freshest vegetables and special seasonings. For almost 20 years, Ling Ling Potstickers have been available at supermarkets and club stores across America and Canada. Flavors: Chicken & Vegetable, Pork & Vegetable

http://www.ling-ling.com/home.html (http://www.ling-ling.com/home.html)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on January 24, 2009, 11:37:28 PM
Fried salt pork, gravy, steamed broccoli (hey had to balance out the fried salt pork and gravy with something), and cornbread.  I made the gravy really bland, too since the meat was salty enough to salt everything else.  I feel fatter already.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Redoverfarm on January 24, 2009, 11:37:43 PM
Never tried them Don. Look a little like perogie's.  Will have to give them a try when I get to a market that has them . Not here I guarantee you.  Too late to eat now it 11:30 bed time(past).
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on January 26, 2009, 08:31:32 PM
Fried catfish, homemade bread (this time I used roughly 1/3 freshly ground WW flour, and it turned out way better than the white bread version), smashed skin-on taters, salsa and chips, brownies with walnuts... yep, I know, terrible meal for us, but did taste pretty good.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on January 26, 2009, 09:32:56 PM
We had a great dinner over at Whitlock's & Flutterby's house last night - baked salmon filets, rice medley, brownies with walnuts (served hot with whipped cream - ummm, yummy  [hungry] &  freshly salad that I picked right before going over there (lettuce, carrots, celery, broccoli, & cherokee purple tomato sprinkled with grated romano cheese).  I hadn't had salmon for a long time & it really tasted good.

Tonite we are having lasagna (Costco of course  ::) can't really make it any better or cheaper than they make it); broiled French bread & another fresh salad - I found some little cauliflowers & also picked some "miner's lettuce" that grows wild around here.  Made some "cowboy" cookies - I kind of change the recipe a bit - use organic coconut oil, wholewheat flour, brown sugar, eggs, oatmeal bran, organic oatmeal, coconut, ground up almonds from our farm(couldn't find the walnuts), ground fresh cranberries (I'd frozen them) & a high fiber organic flax cereal I get from Trader Joe's (shhh, don't tell Glenn that there is anything healthy in the cookies  ;D )  Anyway, we're about to eat now.  DH had to work down in the valley today... 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on January 26, 2009, 09:45:51 PM
MtnDon, I've had Lingling potstickers - they're really good!
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on January 26, 2009, 11:05:28 PM
Yes they are!!  :)

Fresh bakery whole wheat bread, baked salmon (again... we love it) and a salad tonight.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on January 26, 2009, 11:39:57 PM
Forgot, we had bakery fresh whole wheat French bread with the salmon & French with tonite's meal (the specialty breads from Costco's bakery...)  hmmm, seems like we get a lot of stuff from there.... 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on January 27, 2009, 09:15:19 AM
Well, it is COLD here today and we're in the midst of an ice storm today, so I think we'll have some warm comfort food tonight.  Maybe goulash and homemade bread....I need to bake something just to help warm the house up.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on January 28, 2009, 02:54:54 PM
Leftovers tonight.  I'm tired of cooking... actually I'm just tired.  We've all had a cold and been up a lot at nights with kids.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on January 28, 2009, 03:55:08 PM
Making split pea & ham soup on the wood stove today.  Yesterday I made up a batch of the Artisan Free Form Bread that considerations posted a ways back.  It turned out pretty good (only cooked one loaf - the rest of the dough is in the fridge), I'm going to bake another loaf tonight.  (still have 1/2 loaf from last night's) 

HG, can you post your recipe again?  Or let me know where it was posted.  Thanks.  Hope you & your family are feeling better real soon. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on January 28, 2009, 11:36:41 PM
You mean the peasant bread or the refrigerator one?  If it is the refrigerator one, it is basically the same as the one Considerations posted, only I didn't copy it verbatim and I put my two cents in on what I did differently since I don't own a pizza peel or a baking stone... and since my oven in the rent house is a piece of junk.  The one Considerations posted is actually a much better representative of the original recipe; I was just too lazy to retype it all.  FWIW, I fiddled with the recipe a little more this week and replaced 2.5 cups of all purpose flour with 2.5 cups of freshly ground whole wheat and the bread came out way better than before.  So, when I baked the last of it today, I mixed up the new batch with 4 cups regular flour, 2.5 cups freshly ground rye, and I added dill and flax.  Wanted to add some caraway, but was out of it.  Will post the results if I bake any of it tomorrow.  My last loaf of the part whole wheat/part white flour bread that I baked today was even better than the first ones.  I haven't been washing the dough container between batches, just scraping down the sides, so now it has a really nice sourdough taste.  Bought some goat's milk cheese tonight and am looking forward to trying it with the dilly-rye.  I like having the sourdough taste without the maintainence of a starter... I used to keep a gallon jar of sourdough starter and it would occasionally come alive and get wild. More than once I had those "I love Lucy" moments where I came into the kitchen and found the sourdough taking over everything, so it is nice to have the flavor without the hassle.   ::)  Besides, when the weather would get warm, I would slow down on baking, and then I'd have more than I'd know what to do with... have to call a baking day in the middle of the week just to use some up.

Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: muldoon on February 03, 2009, 02:02:53 AM
had to show off some pics from a superbowl experiment, smokin a fattie. 

mule deer breakfast sausage we made up in the fall with sage and garlic.  added cream cheese and jalapenos inside, then rolled up and wrapped in bacon.  Left it on smoke (pecan and hickory) for 3 1/2 hours and obliterated it in 20 minutes. Dear Lord Baby Jesus-- It was goooooood!!!

(https://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r7/Bografan/IMG_0444.jpg)

(https://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r7/Bografan/IMG_0445.jpg)

(https://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r7/Bografan/IMG_0446.jpg)

(https://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r7/Bografan/IMG_0452.jpg)

Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on February 03, 2009, 02:14:00 AM
Dang - that makes me hungry.  Hey muldoon, a new micro-brewery opened here by the fairgrounds.  I'll drink one for ya. :)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on February 03, 2009, 01:29:12 PM
Darn, Muldoon, that looks awfully good!  We are kind of eating light these days.  For one, we're trying to clear out the pantry and fridge before moving at the end of the month, and for two, the stupid garbage disposal in our rent house died and won't allow it or the dishwasher to drain, thus flooding the kitchen, so I'm having to wash dishes for five by hand for three meals a day, so whenever possible, I'm limiting it to one-pan meals, and even then wishing I had some paper plates (yes, I'm a wuss...I love my dishwasher.)   Tonight it will be pork roast with whatever veggies can cook with it! 

Anyway, just spent the morning packing.  I wish we could move tomorrow.  I have about filled half of the guest room with boxes, and already the house is starting to look pretty empty.  That's a good sign.  The house we offered on is about 1400 sq. ft., so it is good to know that there really is room enough for us there.  Our stuff has expanded to fill this 2000+ sq. ft. house, but it is because it is far less organized than we were in our 1400 sq. ft. house in WI.  Glenn, did Sassy ever say which of the bread recipes she meant? 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on February 03, 2009, 03:00:58 PM
Not sure on the bread but she will be here tonight so she can check it - she made one already.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on February 03, 2009, 11:03:58 PM
Muldoon, you sure make some interesting & yummy looking food!  I was working during the superbowl - wasn't paying attention anyway...  one of the health techs had his radio on.  I thought it was going to be a slow day on Sunday because of the bowl - and also it was really busy on Saturday, but noooo, we were hopping all day!

HG, I think it was the recipe that you refrigerated all night.  I had copied the recipe to the front of my computer but since that one stopped working, I don't have it anymore.  I made the recipe considerations posted - the artisan bread.  It turned out much better the next day when I baked another loaf - seemed like the sitting overnight made the bread texture better.  That recipe was soooo easy - just wish I could put more whole wheat in it...  I used to make homemade bread & would add oatmeal, bran, raisins dates, walnuts, cinnamon, sunflower seeds - I was always experimenting.   Just don't feel like kneading the bread...  too much work. 

BTW, HG, why doesn't the landlord fix anything there?  I'm sure you're paying plenty of rent!  Well, I don't have a disposal or dishwasher at either place...  actually there is bot at the house in the valley but the dishwasher quit working & Glenn told me I didn't need one...  & we've never been able to use the disposal really due to the grease trap of something - don't know why, for sure.   
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on February 04, 2009, 11:19:54 AM
Sassy, the bread recipes that Considerations and I posted are the same, from the same source, only I just was too lazy to type it verbatim.  Also, I've experimented with it and it has been good.  I subbed about 1/3 of the flour with fresh ground WW flour, and that turned out far better htan the original bread.  Then I tried it with rye, dill, and flax... would've been better with caraway seed, but I was out, but all in all not bad.  Considerations posted a much more accurate version of the recipe than I did.  Oh, and I had to lower the oven temp to 425 or it was the texture of hardtack, but that is probably just this lousy oven.

Oh, and as for the landlords, no, they don't fix a dang thing.  This is the most rotten lease and management company I've ever seen... they are far worse than the slumlords for the old apartments I lived in in college.  Shower's been leaking into the master bedroom closet since the third month we lived here, and they have yet to even come look at it even though we have complained IN WRITING at least 4 times.  Then there's the dangerous falling cabinets in the kitchen, the dead disposal that renders half the sink useless, and the dishwasher that floods the floor when someone accidentally uses that side of the sink.   There is the scary wiring in the master closet that causes the light to blow out once a week or more... we finally gave up and just keep a flashlight in there so we can see our clothes.  Oh, and the mouse and  dangerous spider infestation.  NOPE, won't miss this place one bit.  Oh, and did I mention that they are going to raise the rent March 1st???  Oh, and the heating bill alone last month was nearly $300, and yet we have to wear additional sweaters and/or coats in the house all the time because it is so cold, and this has been a really mild winter so far.  Only 24 more days!!!
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on February 04, 2009, 11:41:40 PM
Thanks, HG - your recipes sound like mine - I rarely ever go by the official recipe - the bread is good & soooo easy...  thanks, considerations for posting it again & the directions are very easy to follow.

Can't believe how terrible that rental is!  And supposedly it's one of the nicer houses?  When we 1st rented out my house I had before we got married, Glenn put in a new stove, dishwasher & garbage disposal.  Something went wrong with the dishwasher within the 1st couple months & we had to replace it.  Whenever something needs to be fixed, if the renters know how to do it, they just send the bill along with the rent (minus what it cost to get fixed), ahem, that is, when they actually pay the rent...  they're good for awhile & then don't pay for awhile - then we end up having the husband put a new roof on a house (he's a roofing contractor) or paint a house or whatever - pretty irritating, though, because he'll keep promising to send the rent & then doesn't - they're nice people & keep the place real nice & don't bug us much, but not real consistent with paying... 

I sure hope you get your place before the end of the month.  It's been a long time...

Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on February 05, 2009, 08:30:36 AM
You and me both!  The son of the lady that lives there is afraid he can't get her out by the end of the month, but his realtor is kind of pushing for him to because she knows we need a place to move to.  I suggested that maybe she could store some of her stuff in the garage until they could pick it all up so that we would have a place to move to, but not sure that would work either because he's going to have to make several trips back and forth, and he lives a couple of hours away.  As for me, I'd be so glad just to have a place that is really ours.  Our lease here is the most restrictive lease I've ever seen (we are basically not supposed to touch anything) and it is expensive.  I am sure this house was an expensive house when it was built, but it was built on the cheap and has not been maintained worth a flip.  Yesterday I was packing stuff, and I opened up the bottom cabinet of the built-in bookshelf next to the fireplace, and there was a mouse's nest in amongst my photo albums. >:(  As I've said before, there is a mouse super-highway in at the threshold of the backdoor, but it's been a month or so since we caught one, so I had hoped we were getting rid of them, but I guess they are just getting smarter.  Yesterday I packed most of the "homeschool room" (we think it is supposed to be the "formal" dining room, but it is too nice of a sunny spot only to use it for formal occasions, so it has been our school room and sewing room, etc.)  Also packed most of the living room.  Haven't ever unpacked many clothes since we've been living here, though I did pack up the maternity clothes when I was done with them... have been rotating the same four long-sleeve shirts and the same 4 t-shirts ever since we moved.    Also, one long sleeve dress and one sleeveless, ha ha. 

  Now begins the month where the "what's for dinner?" becomes a challenge of using up everything in fridge and freezer and pantry. Tonight will be leftover pork roast, potatoes, broccoli.

 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on February 07, 2009, 05:40:10 PM
Grilled boneless chicken breasts, marinated in an oil & balsamic vinegar marinade. Twice baked potatoes; potao mixed with sour cream, sharp cheddar, some finely minced green onion and paprika. Tossed salad with snow peas and tomatoes. Beer and /or Pinot Grigio wine. 4 guests. Followed by a decadent double chocolate layer cake with darl chocolate icing and french vanilla ice cream.

:) :) :) :)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on February 09, 2009, 12:20:22 AM
Grilled chops marinated in spicy-sweet mustard, corn on the cob, sliced Asian pear.  Simple and satisfying.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on February 09, 2009, 11:46:17 PM
Tonight was samgyetang (Korean style chicken stew with ginseng, bellflower root, sweet rice, garlic, chesnuts, and usually jujubes and green onions.)  YUM!
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on February 12, 2009, 04:12:56 PM
Still trying to eat up stuff before moving.  Tonight I'm making grilled tilapia with lime and cilantro and red chilies... my kids LOVE it.  We'll have some grain (I don't know yet if it will be wheat, rice, barley, or millet) to go with it, and some sort of coleslaw. 

Tomorrow is my birthday, so I may bake myself a spice cake and make cream cheese icing, if for no other reason than to use the stuff up.  We have a little ham left, so we'll have it, some steamed broccoli, and if there is leftover slaw, some of that.

Valentine's Day will not be anything fancy.  Most likely some sort of egg casserole and whatever veggies we can scrape up.  Larder will definitely be getting low by then.

By Sunday, we'll have to get into some of the canned stuff to put a meal together... maybe salmon patties and rice, and canned corn?
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Terry on February 13, 2009, 09:43:27 AM
HG, HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Hope you have a great day.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on February 13, 2009, 09:54:28 AM
 c*  DH made me a whole pot of coffee, so it looks to be a good one!  Thanks!  (Was up literally all night with two of my kids and just flat unable to sleep for part of the night wishing that we could hurry up and move... finally went to sleep in the recliner with a heavy 4yo in my lap around 3 o'clock this morning and woke up a few hours later with my legs aching and so stiff it was hard to put the recliner down and lay her down on the couch... she is getting awfully heavy to stand up with from such a low chair!  Then my sister called at 7 o'clock to wish me a happy birthday.)  I plan to spend the day packing kitchen stuff I don't HAVE to have between now and the end of the month.  Ready to git 'er done! ;)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on February 14, 2009, 12:13:46 AM
1 1/4" Rib Eye Steaks barbecued in the old 1920 Round Oak wood stove over a nice bed of glowing oak coals. 

Almost too hot but, boy howdy, them there's good victuals. [hungry]

(https://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d184/glennkangiser/bbq.jpg)

Sassy made a couple of nice bowls of Potato Pearls - mashed potatoes slathered in real butter to go with the steaks.  I even saved a little in my beard for breakfast.... [waiting]
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on February 16, 2009, 10:12:41 AM
Came home on Friday from DD's make-up violin lesson (cancelled Tuesday due to tornadoes) only to be surprised by a birthday party waiting at my house.  So, we had pizza and salad and birthday cake.   :)  And of course, butter pecan icecream. 

Then, on Saturday, we were worn smooth out and trying to get stuff packed, so we ended up eating leftover pizza.  Last night, we made a trip down to my Grandma's house to see my cousin's new baby.  She's about seven weeks old and weighs about what Sylvia did when she was born!  Anyway, we all had to go see the tiny one, and Grandma made roast, carrots and taters, and she fixed some green beans and rolls.  Simple and tasty, even if she kind of burned the roast.

So, needless to say, we still have way too much stuff in the fridge for a week before moving.  Tonight is polish sausage and salad.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on February 16, 2009, 11:35:19 AM
Sounds good, Homey.  Instant mashed potatoes and nuked steak for me.  Chocolate on the Ice Cream. [waiting]
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on February 19, 2009, 05:57:18 AM
Last night was takeout from the Chinese place.  It isn't bad.  They don't use MSG and they're pretty cheap.  We had beef with snowpeas, and tomato pepper steak and an order of sesame chicken for the kids and egg drop soup.  Their sesame chicken is getting better, and it had a lot of broccoli in it for the first time ever (it actually LOOKED like the picture in the menu).  We still have some food on hand, but we don't have to get rid of absolutely everything before we move, and we're down to an amount we can move in an ice chest now.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Dog on February 19, 2009, 08:20:18 PM
Morningstar Griller with homemade three bean soup mixed with kale. Simple and yummy.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on February 19, 2009, 10:32:15 PM
Grilled wild Alaskan Salmon, baked white sweet potato, fried Chinese cabbage, carrots and onion.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on February 20, 2009, 09:28:39 AM
ooh Don, I think I'm coming to your house for dinner.  Last night we had canned chicken noodle soup and saltines and we were all too sick to care.  Oh, and lemon-lime gatorade.  Feeling better this morning after  a few saltines, the breakfast of champions.  Must be feeling better if I'm ready to think about real food again!
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on February 20, 2009, 10:52:40 AM
Quote from: Homegrown Tomatoes on February 20, 2009, 09:28:39 AM
ooh Don, I think I'm coming to your house for dinner. 

Well, let's see.... you'd have about a 20% chance of hitting the salmon, 10% chance of the baked white sweet potato and something like 7% chance of hitting the cabbage on any given night...   ;D
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on February 21, 2009, 03:06:53 PM
The artisan free form bread dough is rising, the chicken is in the pot cooking on the wood stove, the cauliflower, brocolli, onion, carrots & Swiss chard has been harvested  :) so it's just a matter of everything stewing & cooking...

Glenn & Sonoran are working here in Mariposa - they'll be in for lunch in a little bit - I told them they were getting fried egg sandwiches & salad...

Now, I need to bake a dessert...  hmmm, what will it be  ???  I'll have to think about that  [waiting]
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on February 23, 2009, 07:03:07 PM
Supper tonight: it is canned soup with a can of corn and a can of chicken added, plus celery, pepper, and oregano.  I am so mad that we packed the whole kitchen up thinking we were moving tomorrow.  Now we have only one pan out, and hardly anything to eat.  When I told the realtor about the screw-up from the bank, I can't even begin to repeat the string of expletives that came out of her mouth...kind of like some kind of volcano erupting.   :(  I'm going to go sulk and eat my soup.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: considerations on February 23, 2009, 08:03:47 PM
Alphabet chicken soup.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: apaknad on February 23, 2009, 11:27:29 PM
my dear homey,

  i know this is very frustrating for you but i want you to think of this....how does your situation compare to if your child or spouse was seriously sick. there are people in the world that would thank God to eat what you are eating tonight. you will get there...keep praying. you are a very strong lady, you will get through this. i think you are suffering from your family being sick with the flu. it's understandable. hang in there.
  dan
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on February 24, 2009, 12:25:16 AM
We're all unbelievably tired is all.  Most of us are feeling better by now.  I think I went something like 72 hours without sleep during the height of it.  My middle daughter was on antibiotics already for a bacterial infection, and then she got the flu stuff on top of that, and then we found out today, just as she was about to finish up the antibiotics that didn't do her much good,  that she is allergic to penicillin, so she was miserable again because she was a solid rash from head to toe and whining about everything, and so it was another trip to the doctor between spending a total of 3-5 hours on phone and computer just trying to straighten out the mess from the lenders being illiterate and sending the wrong numbers to the title company, and having to resend everything to DH's company for their part of the closing costs, etc.  The worst of it was just that they made us liars to our kids.  We'd told them we were moving tomorrow after being assured that closing WOULD BE on time.  Less than 24 hours until the closing was supposed to take place, we had to double our DP on a moment's notice, which we could do, but it threw all the numbers off and everything has to be redone.  The property management company is breathing down our necks to get out, and they keep wanting to bring people in and show them the house when we're trying to pack and/or homeschool, or when we're all sick as dogs.  They want us out by Friday at 5PM so they can do the walk-through during business hours.  If we can't get out by then, we have to pay pro-rated rent for the first two days of March until they can get over to do the walk-through, which stinks.  We WILL be out before then if I can help it.  The dinner wasn't bad... it was just that it was the third "instant" meal of the day, and though we don't usually eat "rich" (most of the time breakfast is as simple as cornmeal mush or oats) we do usually eat real food, and going from stuff that's good for you to junk food isn't as easy as you would imagine.  When the kids eat much processed food, it is almost like you can see their horns poking out through their hair... my oldest, my OLDEST!!, wrote on the wall today!!!!  In a rented house.  She is six.  She hasn't done something like that since she was two!!!  For the life of me, I can't imagine what possessed her to take a black ball-point pen and draw a cute little star on the stupid stark white walls!!!!  She won't even let chalk dust get on the carpet for Pete's sake!  Thankfully, I was able to scrub it off with a magic eraser, but I was ready to tie her up! 

Now that all that whining is out, there is a little good news.  The owner said it is OK if we move a bit of our stuff on over to the house so that we won't have so much to do last minute.  I am taking the houseplants and cleaning stuff over in the morning and will probably make another trip after DH gets home tomorrow.  It'll probably be Sonic hamburgers or ramen noodles or something for supper tomorrow. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on February 24, 2009, 12:31:13 AM
It has to get better, Homey. :)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on February 24, 2009, 12:34:15 AM
Yes it does.  I packed all the ballpoint pens and sharpie markers. ;D
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: considerations on February 25, 2009, 09:15:43 AM
Too bad you can't pack the kids.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Redoverfarm on March 08, 2009, 07:05:24 PM
This evening it was a little traditional.  Farm raised pork tenderloin roast, great northern beans seasoned with cured ham, pontiac small potatoes boiled and seasoned with butter, whole kernel corn and corn bread. I will hold off on the homemade chocolate cake and vanilla ice cream til later this evening. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on March 08, 2009, 08:13:25 PM
Sounds good, Red.  We had leftovers... 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Redoverfarm on March 08, 2009, 08:24:52 PM
Nothing wrong with that.  Sometimes they are better than the first time.  Example is Linguini and clam sauce. It gives the noodle a chance to absorb the broth.  In fact left over's is usually my luch I take on the mountain.  I will have to re-think that for tomarrow since I will probably not be making a fire so heating something up will be out of the question.  Maybe cold pizza.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on March 08, 2009, 09:36:42 PM
Olive Garden on a gift card.  ;D
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on March 08, 2009, 11:18:11 PM
Tonight was a salad of romaine, turnips, carrots, parsley, celery, green onions, summer sausage, boiled eggs, and cheese.    Wasn't all that well thought-out.  We were busy this afternoon and other things took precedence over getting dinner on time, or even figuring out what it was going to be, for that matter.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Jens on March 09, 2009, 09:16:54 PM
hot dogs over an open fire...burn pile, that is.  Then I cam inside and made mozzarella from cream top milk that was starting to smell a bit off, still ok, just a bit off :)  We will use it for pizza tomorrow.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on March 12, 2009, 04:44:11 PM
Tonight chang chorim (Korean style potroast).  If we truly had it Korean style, it would be so salty you could only eat a tiny bit, but I tend to decrease the salt and soy sauce in most Korean recipes.  It is served with green peppers and boiled eggs that  are also cooked in the salty mixture so that they take on a nice brownish color and the beefy taste.  My kids are wanting rice and some myeolchi (fried dried anchovies) to go with. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: tanya on March 13, 2009, 09:36:31 PM
French toast. With store bought jam, not that good but it does make me focus on getting my berry plants together this year!!! 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Redoverfarm on March 13, 2009, 09:55:05 PM
Yes I just got a new container of Blackberry freezer jam out yesterday.  I just can't figure if it's better on toast or ice cream.  Makes a good milkshake as well. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sonoran on March 13, 2009, 09:59:10 PM
(https://i617.photobucket.com/albums/tt251/sonoran86/100_1268.jpg)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Redoverfarm on March 13, 2009, 10:00:32 PM
I would know whether to eat it or call NASA.  Don't keep us in suspense.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: John_C on March 13, 2009, 10:28:11 PM
Sonoran

Is that a recipe from the Area 51 cookbook ?
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sonoran on March 13, 2009, 11:39:35 PM
John,

I found it on Allrecipes.com

They call it Amish White Bread.  I can tell you the recipe if you like!
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on March 16, 2009, 10:24:30 PM
We had Whitlock & Flutterby over for dinner last night - I fixed corned beef, cabbage,  boiled potatoes & sour dough French bread & for dessert made a banana nut cake - pretty good.  Hadn't had corned beef & cabbage for a long time.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on March 16, 2009, 11:34:05 PM
Quote from: Sassy on March 16, 2009, 10:24:30 PM
Hadn't had corned beef & cabbage for a long time.

Maybe a year?   ???   ;D

Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on March 17, 2009, 12:25:16 AM
We sure had it last night.  Got that tuba fine tuned again. [scared]
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on March 17, 2009, 02:10:53 AM
Quote from: MountainDon on March 16, 2009, 11:34:05 PM
Quote from: Sassy on March 16, 2009, 10:24:30 PM
Hadn't had corned beef & cabbage for a long time.

Maybe a year?   ???   ;D


That's about right  ;D
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on March 20, 2009, 08:57:09 AM
Last night we had sandwiches from Subway... not bad.  DH picked them up en route home from work because kids and I didn't finish homeschool until somewhere around 4:45, and I was smooth wore out.  Between trying to get settled, fighting allergies that are awful this year, getting the garden in, and wrangling three young kids, I just didn't have it in me to cook last night!  But the good news is that I did, in fact, get into the countryplans site on my new computer this morning, so I am making progress. Now if I can just figure out how to download pics to this computer ???
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on March 27, 2009, 10:30:32 PM
Oven steaks with mushroom gravy (homemade), baked potatoes, a really good salad with vidalia onion dressing, and homemade buttermilk biscuits.  Yum-yum.  There was some leftover cheesecake, but who could handle cheesecake after the rest of that?
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on April 08, 2009, 11:27:51 AM
Dinner and breakfast.  Fried potatoes with bacon and ramps along with some scrambled eggs for breakfast. 

Ramps in California made possible by a good friend in the far south east. :)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on April 09, 2009, 01:25:08 PM
Yes, those ramps were good!  I couldn't eat them right after I fixed them as I had a medical test to be done the next day & I couldn't eat any fat...   :(  Since I fried bacon with the ramps & potatoes...   >:(  But got to eat them yesterday - yummy  [hungry]  I cooked the green stalks with the main part of the ramp - like green onions...  Yes, thank you our friend from back East!  I'll be cooking some more today. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: tesa on April 09, 2009, 07:05:21 PM
red beans and rice with pecan smoked sausage, jalapeno cornbread, and a big glass of iced tea

tia won't eat it, so i made her pasta with garlic and ragu sauce

she's such a pickey eater

funny, we went to joes crab shack a few weeks ago, and ordered calamari, she actually tasted it,
and liked it, in fact she ate quite a bit

then the next day, i mentioned to her what calamari was, and that i was so proud of her, trying
new things

she said "yuck! i'll never eat that again"

but i said "hey, you liked it, you said it was good"

she said "yes, it was good, but i'm never eating it again!"

strange kid

she gets that from her fathers side

tesa
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on April 10, 2009, 04:02:40 PM
 rofl  kids are so funny about food...  if they don't know where it's from they'll eat it & like it...

We're having burritos - hamburger fried with RAMPS, garlic & a little chili powder; refried beans (Mormon beans as Glenn would call them - they're the dried beans that the LDS church supplies for long term storage - Glenn calls the "Tang" powdered drink "Mormon juice" & the potato pearls "Mormon" potatoes...  Whitlock & Flutterby have told him he is going to turn into a Mormon  heh

I also have some tamales - so we are definitely having Mexican Mormon food today...  ::)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: tesa on April 12, 2009, 09:17:28 AM
mexican mormon, thats funny

when i cook curry, its hard to get traditional naan, so we usually use tortillas

talk about blending cutlures, (indian/mexican) curry wrapped in a tortilla

tesa
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on April 12, 2009, 02:13:41 PM
We're going over to my sister & bro in law's for dinner this afternoon.  There's usually a big crowd & lots of good food!   [hungry]   :)

Happy Resurrection Day!  He is risen!
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Redoverfarm on April 12, 2009, 02:45:36 PM
I am probably not alone. STUFFED.  Traditional Easter dinner. Turkey, MP&G, Cole slaw, rolls, deviled eggs, potato salad, and choice of Key lime pie or coconut cake for dessert.  I've got LO for lunch tomarrow if I am hungry by then.  ;D
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on April 13, 2009, 07:42:33 AM
We had regular family get-together fare for lunch, only everyone ate up all of Aunt Verna's fried pies the night before, so we didn't have any dessert, but for supper last night, I'd made Korean style curry in the crock pot (Korean curry sounds almost as funny as the Mexican Mormon food).  Oh, and of course, rice. 

Tonight I'm making flipped bird and some kind of bread and a salad.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on April 17, 2009, 03:37:12 PM
Tonight it is honey baked ham, peas, carrots, and of course the whole wheat pound cake with strawberries. [hungry]
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on April 17, 2009, 11:10:37 PM
Scratch the peas... we were out of them so it was broccoli instead.  The ham was really tasty, though.  DH really liked the whole wheat pound cake made with honey instead of sugar.  I was a little surprised because it wasn't quite as sweet or rich as a regular pound cake, though every bit as good, and probably at least a little better for you. 

Will be really glad when we start getting a bit more out of the garden.  Need to go hunt for morels... the previous owner said that they found some last year out west of the barn, so I should get out and look around for them.  There are a lot of wild blackberries and possum grapes, etc., and I bet if we look toward the northern boundary, there should be some persimmons somewhere. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on April 18, 2009, 12:05:17 AM
I didn't eat the asparagus when Sassy was gone, so tonight, my punishment was to eat 4 day old asparagus from the refrigerator....

I am helpless to get the right food after she leaves.... d*
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on April 18, 2009, 01:10:20 AM
Turkey chili. Three kinds of beans, turkey, onion, tomatoes, chili powder, red chilis, green chilis, and corn. Slow cooker cooked. With potatoes and salad.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on April 18, 2009, 02:04:47 AM
That's not Chili, Don.  That's gunpowder... [crz]
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on April 18, 2009, 11:05:10 AM
Quote from: glenn kangiser on April 18, 2009, 12:05:17 AM
I didn't eat the asparagus when Sassy was gone, so tonight, my punishment was to eat 4 day old asparagus from the refrigerator....

I am helpless to get the right food after she leaves.... d*

I leave him a note telling him what food is in the refrigerators (even which refrigerator  d*)  There was Swiss steak, Swiss chard, (he's Swiss  ::) ) asparagus, strawberries cut up, ready to eat, even Starbucks frappacinos in the bottle (I splurged).  Instead he makes Mormon potatoes & Marie Callendar chicken pot pies!  Drinks instant coffee because he said he didn't have time to make regular coffee...  I throw out so much food everytime I get back from the valley  [slap]  This was asparagus I'd just picked out of the garden & steamed...  he didn't really have to eat it  [waiting]

What's a wife to do?   [noidea' [frus]
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on April 18, 2009, 12:31:03 PM
Save your time and effort and leave him to his own devices?  ???   He seems to do that anyhow.   ;D ;D   
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on April 19, 2009, 01:24:29 AM
I can't help it.... I'm _____________________ (insert correct excuse.... )

leftover challenged... 

I'm Lithuanian...

I'm a man....

Scared of unknown things in bowls in the refrigerator...


[waiting]
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on April 19, 2009, 01:28:59 AM
Quote from: MountainDon on April 18, 2009, 12:31:03 PM
Save your time and effort and leave him to his own devices?  ???   He seems to do that anyhow.   ;D ;D   

You are sooooo right, Don  d*
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on April 19, 2009, 01:30:03 AM
Now you went and got me in trouble, Don.... :(
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on April 19, 2009, 11:12:48 AM
You were already in trouble Glenn,  ;D ;D
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on April 19, 2009, 02:48:14 PM
Rotisserie chicken soup.

One of the local grocers had a special on rotisserie chickens. For some reason I thought one would make a good soup. In the works at present, we'll see later.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on April 19, 2009, 07:03:05 PM
Sounds good, Don.  When we have baked chicken, I always make soup of the leftovers and it turns out really good.   
I think we may have something super simple tonight...something like egg drop soup or something.  Not feeling too great this afternoon... like I'm about to come down with something hard, even though I am not coughing or anything at the moment.  Just kind of puny and want to go to sleep even though there are still a few hours of daylight left.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Flutterby on April 20, 2009, 11:07:41 PM
Grilled apple-chicken sausages, mashed tatoes, and fried asparagus in beer-batter!!! It was YUM-E!  [hungry] No leftover asparagus in this house...  ;D
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on April 21, 2009, 12:13:27 PM
Fried asparagus?  Never tried it fried, but how can you go wrong?  I bet it was good.  (Fried pickles, peaches and tomatoes, yes, but never occurred to me to fry asparagus.)

I don't know what to cook for supper tonight.  Nothing tastes good, so thus my usual desire to cook is kind of waning.  We have some leftover ham and maybe a salad.  We need to eat up the rest of the spinach before it bolts.  Some of it is already going to seed.  DD is hollering for devilled eggs.  She likes them with green onions, pickles, and bacon.  It's weird... she didn't like them for a long time and suddenly she just can't get enough of them. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MushCreek on May 25, 2009, 07:27:32 AM
What's everybody cooking for the Memorial Day weekend? Grillin', I hope. Saturday was shish kabobs and tabuleh. Last night was ribs and onion pie. Tonight is plain ol' cheeseburgers. I take two thin patties, put a big chunk of cheese inside, seal it up, and grille. Then more cheese on top. BTW- the onion pie was the best I ever had. It was also the first.... nice sweet Vidalia onions- yum!
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on May 25, 2009, 01:33:17 PM
hmmm, onion pie...  you'll have to post a recipe - sounds interesting...  Glenn is working out of town today so won't get home 'til late.

Hope everyone has a special Memorial Day - thanks to all the veterans...  very sobering, when you think of all the wars, all the wounded & dead...  wish the politicians would go to war & see what it's all about - maybe there wouldn't be so many...
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on May 25, 2009, 03:15:25 PM
Lunch was just sandwiches and half a watermelon... we all look like we swallowed whole watermelons. :P  But it was a really good, juicy and sweet one.

Supper is going to be grilled tilapia with cilantro and lime, corn on the cob, and tabouleh.   Have to have something light as we've eaten way too much junk lately.  Oh, but Braums has an icecream that is hard to find right now, but has to be one of the best flavors ever.  It is white chocolate raspberry cheesecake, and it also has chunks of dark chocolate in it.  It is some seriously good stuff!
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MushCreek on May 25, 2009, 04:29:06 PM
I almost forgot- I made a terzetto this weekend, too. Shortbread crust, a layer of cashew butter fudge, and a layer of semisweet chocolate. I sprinkled a teeny bit of sea salt on top to temper the sweetness. Should be illegal  d*
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on May 28, 2009, 11:24:58 PM
Tonight was our favorite Mexican restaurant, since we had to go to the city for something else anyway.  Boy, I've missed their salsa since we've moved out of town.
Last night, we had ham, cheese, and egg casserole, raw veggies, and johnny cakes made with blue cornmeal and doused with sorghum. [hungry]  My daughter got up this morning and reheated the johnny cakes and had them again for breakfast. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on May 29, 2009, 11:35:37 PM
Stir-fry chicken with snowpeas and onions from the garden.  Watermelon for dessert.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on June 02, 2009, 12:45:31 PM
Grilled turkey drumsticks, salad, and watermelon tonight!
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Redoverfarm on June 09, 2009, 06:20:15 PM
A quiet dinner at home.  Grilled rib eye steaks, steamed shrimp, baked potato, tossed salad and White Zinfandel wine.  The children are away this week ( 1 @ 4H camp & 1@ grand ma's).  Might even get to enjoy the hot tub after the sun sets.  Boy it's quiet here now.  Somehow I like the noise.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: muldoon on June 09, 2009, 07:03:41 PM
Quote from: Redoverfarm on June 09, 2009, 06:20:15 PM
A quiet dinner at home.  Grilled rib eye steaks, steamed shrimp, baked potato, tossed salad and White Zinfandel wine.  The children are away this week ( 1 @ 4H camp & 1@ grand ma's).  Might even get to enjoy the hot tub after the sun sets.  Boy it's quiet here now.  Somehow I like the noise.

now that sounds fine. 

do you have a process or procedure you routinely follow for steaks?   what do you use to rub/marinade ?
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Redoverfarm on June 09, 2009, 07:10:34 PM
No Muldoon I usually just sprinkle "meat tenderizer" on them when I grill.  Of course they usually don't stay on that long (rare).  They even stay on the plate a shorter time period. ;D
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on June 21, 2009, 10:17:57 PM
Too hot to eat.  Supper was cold shrimp and cocktail sauce followed by a scoop of Braum's white chocolate raspberry cheesecake icecream.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on June 21, 2009, 11:44:54 PM
Mormon Potatoes (Potato Pearls- 2 minutes - I can handle it ) with butter and salt.  Now you made me eat ice cream, Homey.  It will be mint and chocolate chip ( prep time - 30 seconds). :)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on June 22, 2009, 08:46:12 AM
Power of suggestion is mighty strong, ain't it, Glenn?
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on June 24, 2009, 12:55:32 AM
There you did it again --- more Ice Cream... [waiting]
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on June 24, 2009, 10:12:11 AM
Sent DH by Braum's to pick up milk, and he got another bucket of raspberry white chocolate cheesecake... I think he's got a new favorite.  Didn't think he'd ever like anything more than butter pecan.  For me, it is a tie.  I love both, but think butter pecan tastes better in winter, and the other is better in summer.  I also LOVE the cappucino chunky chocolate, but can't eat it in the evening or I'll be up all night from the caffeine.  I feel sorry for all of you who don't live in the states with Braum's.  Beats Bluebell or any other brand hands down.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Don_P on June 24, 2009, 03:40:28 PM
Blueberries are starting to come in so weve been suffering through bowls of blueberry sorbet trying to clean out last years from the freezer, its tough but ya gotta do what ya gotta do. I spent lunch yesterday in the black heart cherry tree where I was working, filled me and the lunchbox, got about 3 gallons and you couldn't even tell I'd been up there, it was loaded. I went for the record at one point, got 37 in my hands before slowing down to go for the box. She's been working on a pie today  :).
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on June 24, 2009, 04:20:47 PM
sounds really rough Don.   ;D  I only got a handful of blackberries today, but that was in part because it was just to hot to stay out there any longer.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on July 04, 2009, 04:39:42 PM
Sassy is working today so I had to cook for myself. [waiting]

Yesterday Sassy reminded me to stop for some of the great corn they had at the store - 3 for .99 - not cheap but boy was it good. (Monsanto?) [noidea'

I found the Italian sausage that was on sale after I asked (and a nice Angus chuck roast). d*

I should not shop or cook when I'm hungry, but I was so hungry, my big guts were eating my little guts... [scared]

I started a nice medium sized oak fire in the barbecue and threw on some Italian sausage and the well marbled chuck roast with Montreal steak seasoning and an ear of corn still in the husk.

A few slices of the roast (it was more like a very thick steak) and a bit of ketchup to go with the sausage... about 3 quarts of raspberry ice tea with a splash of apple cider vinegar (makes a drink similar to an old time acid) and I'm stuffed like a roasted pig with an apple in it's mouth.

As Dennis the Menace used to say, Grub was fine and I'm full as a tick.  :)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Redoverfarm on July 04, 2009, 05:15:13 PM
Glenn you go to extremes when you cook for a single.  I usually just find something that I can pop in the microwave.  Not that I am too lazy to cook but I hate to wash dishes.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Whitlock on July 04, 2009, 05:55:11 PM
Quote from: glenn kangiser on July 04, 2009, 04:39:42 PM
Sassy is working today so I had to cook for myself. [waiting]

Yesterday Sassy reminded me to stop for some of the great corn they had at the store - 3 for .99 - not cheap but boy was it good. (Monsanto?) [noidea'

I found the Italian sausage that was on sale after I asked (and a nice Angus chuck roast). d*

I should not shop or cook when I'm hungry, but I was so hungry, my big guts were eating my little guts... [scared]

I started a nice medium sized oak fire in the barbecue and threw on some Italian sausage and the well marbled chuck roast with Montreal steak seasoning and an ear of corn still in the husk.

A few slices of the roast (it was more like a very thick steak) and a bit of ketchup to go with the sausage... about 3 quarts of raspberry ice tea with a splash of apple cider vinegar (makes a drink similar to an old time acid) and I'm stuffed like a roasted pig with an apple in it's mouth.

As Dennis the Menace used to say, Grub was fine and I'm full as a tick.  :)


I was going to invite you over for dinner and seeing how you made this post at 1:40 I still will. You went all out for lunch didn't you [hungry] [hungry] [hungry] [hungry] [hungry] [hungry] [hungry] [hungry] [hungry] [hungry] [hungry]

Oh ya and we have A/C
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: ScottA on July 04, 2009, 06:33:42 PM
Sirloin steak, baked beans and potato salad. Doesn't get any better than that.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Whitlock on July 04, 2009, 07:22:48 PM
All my sweet potatos that I put up have sprouted are they still good to eat?????
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: PEG688 on July 04, 2009, 07:55:01 PM
Quote from: Whitlock on July 04, 2009, 07:22:48 PM


All my sweet potatos that I put up have sprouted are they still good to eat?????



  I consulted with my wife she says as long as they are not soft they'll be fine. If they are soft they are almost rotten.

G/L Happy eating PEG  :)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Whitlock on July 04, 2009, 08:09:34 PM
Thanks Peg 8)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on July 05, 2009, 02:16:37 AM
Whitlock felt sorry for me, so invited me over for dinner --- or maybe Flutterby did, but at any rate I got to eat chicken and baked beans and sweet potato fries. 

I furnished desert - Ice Cream per their request.  Couldn't sucker them into the mediocre peanut butter and chocolate.  W said that was just wrong.  It is right if it is good but this was only fair.... so I took Butter Pecan, which was good. Flutterby made it into sundaes for us. :)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Curtis on July 19, 2009, 01:00:02 AM
I made up a 14oz Buffalo steak with a salad.

Simple and good.

Local grocer meat counter had buffalo for $6/lb or something, and it was always really good in the past, this time was no exception! Good stuff.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Drew on July 20, 2009, 12:34:45 PM
Dan makes this granola with homemade yogurt so good you could open a bed and breakfast on the strength of it alone. 

She taught me how to make the granola.  Once I get the yogurt I'm quitting my day job...
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on July 23, 2009, 02:11:37 AM
Last night's dinner was chicken baked with all the stuff coming out of the garden and a big skilled of cornbread laced with zucchini (hey, I've got to use it somewhere!)  It was pretty yummy, but what's more remarkable was that it was cool enough in Oklahoma today to use the oven!
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on August 08, 2009, 08:27:28 PM
A pork, rice and green chili casserole.

1/2 lb. ground pork
1/2 cup coarse cut onion
1/2 cup coarse cut celery
1/2 cup coarse cut tomato
1 cup El Pinto green chili sauce. (El Pinto sauce is very chunky like a good salsa, not watery or filled with flour or cornstarch)
1/2 cup uncooked rice
1 cup chicken stock
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: muldoon on August 14, 2009, 08:46:37 PM
no picture of the meal. 

but I smoked a pork shoulder from a pig that I shot last weekend.  small roaster, 3 pounds.  on the smoke at 2ish when I got home, off around 8ish.  added some jalapeno sausage and mac-n-cheese to round it out.  wifes out hollerin with the girls tonight, just me and the kids.  it was good. 

Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Redoverfarm on August 14, 2009, 08:59:26 PM
Sounds good Muldoon. I can't ever remember having wild pig before.  About everything else though.  Is it similar to domestic pork or does it have that little "twang" to it.

As for us it was Veggie night.  Kids at Grandmothers and over stay to make hay the next day.  So the DW and myself had crookneck squash and fresh corn on the cob. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: muldoon on September 06, 2009, 04:14:55 PM
hey red, sorry I wasn't ignoring you - I just have not been back to this thread since the last posting. 

The wild hog I take is quite lean, with commercial pork being significantly fattier than what I hunt.  It also does not have any twang to it at all, but I tend to be selective in what I shoot.  The larger hogs (200+ pounds) get raunchy in my opinion and tend to stink.  They stink alive and they stink dead, I dont eat them as I wont eat something that stinks.  Hell, that 400 pound sow I did last fall the coyotes wouldnt even touch it.  But the 50-80 pounders - sweet sweet good ness.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: muldoon on September 06, 2009, 04:17:54 PM
spare ribs cut down to st. louis style cut.  smoked for 6.5 hours.  awesome. 

(http://www.loopy.org/pictures/galleries/.pig-tacos/_thumbs/640x480-dscf4775.jpg)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: rick91351 on September 06, 2009, 05:49:04 PM
Muldoon - I'm about to save your life.  Get those cooled down... wrap them in foil and in a cooler and next day them to me. They will undoubtedly raise your triglycerides and stuff like that to an unsafe level.  But for you Muldoon I will sacrifice myself - I will eat them for you.  I then will e-mail you a description of how good they were.  Yes indeed all this to lower your triglycerides and stuff like that down to a safe level.  Hey we got to watch out for each other man!

rlr     
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on September 07, 2009, 01:03:56 AM
 rofl
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: muldoon on September 07, 2009, 01:10:15 AM
thanks for thinking about me rick, I appreciate the sacrifice your willing to make. 
I think I'm going to risk it for now tho, still 'preciate the offer. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on October 15, 2009, 12:14:19 AM
Those look great - especially since Sassy hasn't returned from work and I'm cooking for myself. :(
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on October 21, 2009, 07:46:27 PM
So, whatcha cooking, Glenn?  Kids made dinner tonight.  They boiled hotdogs, served them on whole wheat bread with ample mustard.  To make it "healthy" they sliced up some celery sticks to go with it, and poured us all a glass of milk.  Personally, I think the tuna sandwiches they made on homemade buns here a while back were better, but the hotdogs weren't bad... they were Hebrew National, so better than the cheapy ones.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on October 21, 2009, 08:48:22 PM
I love Nathan's hot dogs! We don't have them very often tho'.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on October 21, 2009, 10:18:47 PM
My standard emergency cook for myself meal is instant mashed potatoes.  3 minutes. :)

Tonight I had left over stir fry with our garden vegetables.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Windpower on October 21, 2009, 11:38:46 PM



I made a batch of this tonight

Now we have to age it till saturday to take it out to the chilli cook out at the airport

This is the best chilli ever

Brisket is best (I'll bet elk is outstanding too)

only use a tablespoon of the Chipotles in Adobo sauce -- this stuff is seriously HOT

you can copy it from here

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Ding-Dong-Eight-Alarm-Chili-108488

Bill Cosby;s Ding Dong 8-alarm Chilli

yield: Makes 8 (BIG) servings

active time: 1 3/4 hr

total time: 6 1/2 hr (plus 1 to 2 days for flavors to develop) 3 days is better

'80S THE COSBY SHOW
In the well-appointed Huxtable kitchen ("The Drum Major" first aired on February 4, 1988), Cliff explains to his family...

more › Ingredients

2 oz dried ancho chiles (4 large), stemmed and seeded
6 large garlic cloves, 3 of them finely chopped
1 tablespoon salt, or to taste
1 1/2 tablespoons ground cumin
1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder (not pure chile)
4 lb well-marbled beef brisket or boneless chuck, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2- to 2-inch pieces
3 to 4 tablespoons vegetable oil (I use olive oil)
1 (28- to 32-oz) can whole tomatoes in juice
1/4 cup   1 Tablespoon canned chipotle chiles in adobo (this stuff is dangerous but it adds a wonderful flavor)
1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
1 1/2 lb white onions, chopped (4 cups)
1 tablespoon dried oregano (preferably Mexican), crumbled
1 to 4 fresh serrano or other small green chiles, finely chopped, including seeds (1 is fine for most tastes; 4 is the eight-alarm version)
1 (12-oz) bottle beer (not dark)
2 cups water
2 1/2 cups cooked pinto beans (optional; 30 oz), rinsed if canned


Accompaniments: cubed avocado; chopped white onion; shredded Cheddar; chopped fresh cilantro; sour cream
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on October 22, 2009, 10:22:11 AM
he he, those peppers in the adobo sauce are pretty warm.  I made some grilled pumpkin glazed with a maple-chipotle sauce one time and it was like slowly consuming a fire.... they were really good, but the heat just built up until my mouth was on fire.
The chili sounds good... my dad always makes chili with round steak.  He makes really good chili. 

The hotdogs are a very rare thing in our house.  In fact, my middle daughter had never even had a hotdog until she was about four years old, and she didn't know what they were the first time she tried them.  But they were pretty good.  A while back, on a night the girls were in charge of doing supper, they made homemade wheat buns to put tuna salad on, and they were so darn good.  Tuna salad is one of those things that I've never thought really made me feel very full, but DH and I were both so stuffed we needed to be rolled away from the table after that meal.  The buns made all the difference. They were delicious.  Yes, I let my five and six year old handle sharp knives and cook in the oven, with oversight, of course.  I'm working up to having them cook one night a week.  Then when they're older, maybe we can give each of them their own night. 

  The chili sounds so good, and the weather has cooled off quite drastically in the last few days, maybe I can find something to make some chili with for supper tonight... I think I have both some pork and beef in the freezer.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Windpower on October 23, 2009, 01:06:18 AM
The anchos add a lot to this chilli -- a very rich and smokey --(with hints of prunes according to my dw) flavor

after about an hour simmering the top of the chilli gets these growing very dark, almost black, pools of flavor condensing on the top


OMG this is hard to wait to age this stuff 2 more days

maybe a brief trip to see if it is 'ok'

you know just a little taste ......

later

Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on October 28, 2009, 04:46:02 PM
tonight:  pot of beans, pan of buttermilk cornbread, and squash pie.  I know.... probably not great for the blood sugar, but will taste really good.  Never made a pie of butternut squash before, but it smells really good, and as good as those squash are, I'm sure it is bound to taste good.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on October 29, 2009, 09:55:55 AM
Oh my gosh, that pie was soooooo good!!!  I think I'm making some for Thanksgiving this year.  It was better than a pumpkin pie.  I sweetened it with a couple of tablespoons of blackstrap molasses, and that's all it needed.  A little cinnamon and nutmeg, couple of eggs, a cup of cream, bit of salt.  It was so simple that I was amazed at how good it turned out. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on October 29, 2009, 11:12:27 PM
Sounds great.  We have some pumpkins we grew.  I'm pretty sure Sassy will enjoy making pies out of them.  Maybe a Butternut or two also.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Redoverfarm on November 03, 2009, 08:42:14 PM
Pretty neat recipe site for crockpot cooking.


http://www.50plusfriends.com/cookbook/crockpot/index-5b.html
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on November 05, 2009, 11:21:25 AM
Thanks for posting, Red.
Last night we had homemade chicken noodle soup.  To accompany it, we had salad with onions and peppers from the garden (can't believe we're still eating from the garden) and homemade garlic potato bread dipped in balsamic vinegar and olive oil.  The kids ate 3/4 of the loaf of bread by themselves... I don't know how they weren't bursting at the seams. 

I may use a crockpot recipe for tonight because I have to make a run to the city, so otherwise dinner would be take-out or frozen pizza or something fast. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on November 05, 2009, 12:19:44 PM
Sounds good, HG!  Are you using the artisan bread recipe?  Now that it's getting cooler I've started doing a little more baking...  biscuits, rhubarb pie (didn't have strawberries so put in a few apples with the rhubarb - tasted really good). 

We still have tomatoes, some melons, zucchini & other types of squash, lots of carrots, beets, celery, broccoli, onions, peppers & probably some other stuff I can't remember...  our property has the ideal climate for year round growing.  Need to shred the zucchini today & put in freezer, gotta go back to the valley later today for work... 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on November 05, 2009, 04:39:45 PM
Yep.   I finally broke down and bought the book on sale from Amazon.  Now I'm wanting to bake it all right now... it all sounds so good.  So this week it is the roasted garlic potato bread.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on November 05, 2009, 05:00:19 PM
I'll have to check that book out...   :)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on November 06, 2009, 04:38:06 PM
There's one I'm really wanting to try that is an apricot pastry that looks like sunny-side up eggs... I think the kids would get a kick out of it, plus, how could you go wrong with apricots?
 
But, that said, I think I need to lay off the bread a bit... tested my blood sugar today and it was a little higher than I thought it should have been, although not in the diabetic range yet, either....

Got some steak waiting to go on the grill tonight, butternut squash, and salad.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on November 07, 2009, 09:57:10 AM
Sassy made some good Apple Rhubarb pie a bit ago.  Last piece is in the fridge.  I guess I'll get to eat that.  She's working and I have to cook for myself -- she didn't leave me anything because I didn't eat all of my leftovers last time. 

I had instant re-fried beans and dried out biscuits with butter on them last night. :(
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Redoverfarm on November 07, 2009, 07:41:17 PM
Don't forget to "nuke" it and throw a dipper of ice cream on top. ;)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on November 07, 2009, 09:43:32 PM
I nuked it and put whipped cream and butter all over it. Yum. [hungry]

Tonight I started a fire in the fireplace in the great room and barbecued a steak and made some instant mashed potatoes, so dinner is steak and potatoes.   [burp]

I had to reward myself for getting the fireplace hooked up. heh
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on November 10, 2009, 05:22:50 PM
Ate at Jimmy's Egg for lunch and am still stuffed.  Any suggestions for dinner?  I'm not even really hungry, but I'm sure hubby and kids will be.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on November 10, 2009, 10:37:18 PM
I'm too late to help. :(

I could have said instant mashed potatoes or something like that... [waiting]
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on November 11, 2009, 10:34:43 AM
We had canned chicken soup + some noodles+ celery + extra chicken + lots of pepper + oregano... the final product didn't taste a whole lot like canned soup. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: muldoon on November 12, 2009, 09:06:00 PM
rotissery chicken with garlic, butter and basil + french bread with butter, italian seasoning + shredded mozz + 4 cheese macaroni & cheese.  served with iced green tea. 

Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on November 14, 2009, 04:21:17 PM
Sounds good except needs a salad to go with!  :)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on November 14, 2009, 09:37:40 PM
Tri-tip barbecued over oak, Bush's Beans, Broiled buttered sourdough bread, macaroni salad, brownies.  Not bad. :)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Redoverfarm on November 14, 2009, 10:39:02 PM
No ice cream? [waiting]
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on November 14, 2009, 11:07:42 PM
I'm getting it now.  Thanks.... :)

...actually I was a bit bloated earlier... [burp]
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on November 18, 2009, 08:21:29 PM
Baked chicken, tabouleh, turnip greens, and wheat blueberry muffins.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: muldoon on November 25, 2009, 09:15:01 PM
chicken legs, rubbed in jalapeno salt and chili pequin seasoning.  grilled over mesquite hearts.

(http://www.loopy.org/pictures/galleries/Dixon%20Ranch/November%202009/_thumbs/640x480-DSCF5443.JPG)

(http://www.loopy.org/pictures/galleries/Dixon%20Ranch/November%202009/_thumbs/640x480-DSCF5333.JPG)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on November 25, 2009, 11:07:53 PM
Looks good!
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MushCreek on November 26, 2009, 08:43:15 AM
Tonight, we're having the traditional......Chicken and Andouille Sausage Gumbo! Why traditional? Because the family travels on Thanksgiving Day, so we do the real traditional feed tomorrow. The gumbo pot will be hot when they walk through the door, along with rice, salad, and lots of crusty home made bread to dunk in da gumbo.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: muldoon on November 26, 2009, 11:41:37 AM
Quote from: MushCreek on November 26, 2009, 08:43:15 AM
Tonight, we're having the traditional......Chicken and Andouille Sausage Gumbo! Why traditional? Because the family travels on Thanksgiving Day, so we do the real traditional feed tomorrow. The gumbo pot will be hot when they walk through the door, along with rice, salad, and lots of crusty home made bread to dunk in da gumbo.

sounds good, can you post the recipe sometime? 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Jens on December 19, 2009, 04:12:02 PM
First, risengrød, a Danish rice and milk pudding.  Then roasted turkey balls, and whatever sides our friends bring.  Then, latkes, sufganiyot, fried oreos, fried PB&J sandwiches, and whatever else we decide to throw in the fryer.  Add copious quantities of wine, tea, and some chocolate Chanukkah lollipops. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: muldoon on January 03, 2010, 01:24:53 AM
I have been playing with this recipe all fall, and have made it 5 times in the last few months.  I even took some deer meat to Colorado to make it for my inlaws; made it again for new years day at my aunts house.  It's gotten great feedback and reviews.  I think it's worthy of being called a damn good chili recipe.

big batch - but it can be halved easily enough.

4 lbs ground deer meat - this was ground 80% verison, 20% pork.  the deer was from thanksgiving weekend. 
3 tomatoes
2 green bell peppers
2 green poblano peppers
2 serranos
3 jalapenoes
2 bunches of spring onions/scallion onions
2 big yellow onions
2 big red bell peppers
1 15 ounce can goya black beans
1 14 oz can del monte diced tomatoes
3 8ounce cans hunts tomatoe sauce
paprika
garlic powder
ground cumin
cayenne pepper
dried chopped onion
chili powder
mustard seeds
kosher salt

(http://www.loopy.org/pictures/galleries/.misc/_thumbs/700x500-dscf6248.jpg)

veggies all washed and prepped.  these are going on the grill. 

(http://www.loopy.org/pictures/galleries/.misc/_thumbs/700x500-dscf6249.jpg)

grilled the peppers and tomatoes and spring onions until blackened.  turn every now and then, cook them over fire until they are slightly blistered and blackened.

(http://www.loopy.org/pictures/galleries/.misc/_thumbs/700x500-dscf6250.jpg)

at the same time inside, heat up a big pan and toss in some olive oil. 
cut the yellow onions up and begin cooking them in the pan, once they start to soften up a bit and are getting carmlelized add the meat.  brown the meat and the onions together. 

(http://www.loopy.org/pictures/galleries/.misc/_thumbs/700x500-dscf6253.jpg)

back at the grill, once the peppers are done and nicely blistered and black, submerge them in ice water, blanching them to stop the cooking.  under the sink run cold water and was them off.  the black part can easily be peeled right off the peppers and disacrded.  Whats left is is a very sweet and roasted flavored pepper.  the black part is bitter - thats why you remove it.  Once you peel off the blackened bits, sliced and chop them into chunks about nickle size.   Once the meat is all browned, add the shopped peppers in. 

(http://www.loopy.org/pictures/galleries/.misc/_thumbs/700x500-dscf6251.jpg)

after about 5 minutes, it should look like this:
(http://www.loopy.org/pictures/galleries/.misc/_thumbs/700x500-dscf6255.jpg)
---
once the liquid from the peppers has filled the pot up a bit -like above picture -
add:
1 can diced tomatoes
3 cans tomatoe sauce
3/4's a bottle of beer.  lucky you gets the rest. 
mix it up well and let it sit for about 10 minutes.

now add:
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 tablespoon choppoed onion flakes
1 teaspoon cayenne
3 tablespoon ground cumin
1.5 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
simmer 1 hour.

add can of black beans (optional). 
simmer 1 more hour. 

--
serve with chopped onions, shredded sharp cheddar cheese, frito scoops, cold beer. 
(the chili is not that spicy, as we have small kids we "spice up" our bowls, this is done with some extra spicy hot sauce added just into the final bowl and mixed in.)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on January 08, 2010, 08:25:59 PM
That looks delicious, Muldoon.

We had omelettes for supper... having to use the eggs immediately the last few days because by the time I get them in the house they're half frozen.  And broccoli slaw with sesame dressing.  :)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: OlJarhead on January 10, 2010, 06:29:23 PM
(https://i998.photobucket.com/albums/af102/emcvay/Rye2010006.jpg)
Not sure what's for dinner but I just pulled two loaves of Rye bread out of the oven (first time I had a good rise with Rye -- always seem to struggle with it -- though I let it rise a little too long so it caved a little, but it's risen enough to know it will be soft and fluffy!  The Best!) and am about to stick two loaves Honey Whole Wheat into the oven :)  So ya, fresh bread is on the menu tonight!

I've been making bread for over 20 years now and only in the last few years have I really begun to get decent at it.  I used to use bread making machines but after I wore out 3 or 4 I switched to a big Kitchen Aid mixer and won't ever go back!  I also mill my own flour which makes a HUGE difference :)

So ya, fresh home made bread made with home milled flour :)  That's for dinner!
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on January 10, 2010, 06:37:35 PM
Yummmm!  Can I come over for dinner?   ;D
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: OlJarhead on January 10, 2010, 07:03:45 PM
Quote from: Sassy on January 10, 2010, 06:37:35 PM
Yummmm!  Can I come over for dinner?   ;D

haha long drive!  Though if you make it in 30 minutes you can have some hot Whole Wheat too :)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MushCreek on January 10, 2010, 07:25:04 PM
While we're on the subject of bread, here's a 'little' 4-1/2 lb loaf of French Country Bread I made. My favorite recipe, it's a mild sourdough that's great when you're having a crowd over. We had 15 last night, and there's still some left!(https://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k18/flgargoyle/IMGP5297.jpg)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: OlJarhead on January 10, 2010, 08:14:20 PM
Quote from: MushCreek on January 10, 2010, 07:25:04 PM
While we're on the subject of bread, here's a 'little' 4-1/2 lb loaf of French Country Bread I made. My favorite recipe, it's a mild sourdough that's great when you're having a crowd over. We had 15 last night, and there's still some left!(https://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k18/flgargoyle/IMGP5297.jpg)

Very nice!  My Dad likes to make sourdough and while I love the bread I haven't made that leap yet...he left a culture for me but then I forgot it and well, it died :(  So perhaps in the near future I'll try again.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on January 13, 2010, 01:03:55 PM
Yum!  All the bread looks so good.  Your loaves all look pretty enough to be on the front of a cookbook.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: OlJarhead on January 14, 2010, 12:52:30 PM
Thanks! :)

I wouldn't mind making some kind of Tomatoe bread (do i sound crazy) with tomatoe powder made from garden grown :)  Add some spices and some cheese...hmmm..

My wife LOVED the Rye which was a surprise :)  Simplest recipe I've ever made, flour (rye and home milled whole wheat), molasses, salt, yeast, oil and water...that's it.  Turned out very nicely :)

I also make a flax bread which I need to try a recipe change on (currently made with white and wheat) to all whole wheat and would like to add flax to my rye and pump recipes.

Funny thing is, I enjoy making bread for some crazy reason -- always have.  It's a mystery to me for the most part -- the gluten window test still baffles me.  But somehow I fake it.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MushCreek on January 14, 2010, 02:58:23 PM
I love making bread, too. Somehow, it's therapeutic for me. That French bread isn't a real sourdough. You make a starter with whole wheat flour, water, sugar, powdered milk, and dried yeast. It ferments for a day, then you add more flour and water. The third day, you add salt and make your dough. The 3 days gives it a lot of flavor without being too tangy. Makes incredible toast!
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: OlJarhead on January 14, 2010, 05:20:04 PM
Quote from: MushCreek on January 14, 2010, 02:58:23 PM
I love making bread, too. Somehow, it's therapeutic for me. That French bread isn't a real sourdough. You make a starter with whole wheat flour, water, sugar, powdered milk, and dried yeast. It ferments for a day, then you add more flour and water. The third day, you add salt and make your dough. The 3 days gives it a lot of flavor without being too tangy. Makes incredible toast!

Might have to give it a try sometime -- my problem is that I'm pretty spontanious and having to wait 3 days would kill me! hahaha  I'd probably already be changing course and driving to the cabin having forgotten the dough and returning to a much more 'pungent' odor! haha
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: fishing_guy on January 22, 2010, 03:01:22 PM
As the temp is above freezing for the first time in months, I fired up the smoker today.  Cherry is the wood of choice.

As I hate to waste space, I am smoking several pieces of "bargain" meat:

1- 26 1/2 lb turkey bought around thanksgiving at 0.39 / lb.
2- 22 lbs of pork loin bought today at 0.99 / lb.  3 separate loins.  One has Gates hot rub, one has Gates mild rub and one with no rub as my honey doesn't like hot rubs.

They'll be done about 10 pm tonight and we'll freeze what we don't chow down this weekend.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Redoverfarm on January 23, 2010, 10:35:57 PM
Tonight was the bi-monthly supper for friends and family.  It was "breakfast for dinner" night.

Buckwheat cakes and fresh maple syrup
Country ham , bacon and sausage
Sausage gravey and biscuits
Homemade Sour Dough bread
Scrambled eggs
Fried potatoes
Gingerbread pancakes
Coffee, tea or milk

Then for about 2hrs of Old Tyme music by the kids to top the evening off.  

Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Redoverfarm on January 26, 2010, 05:37:25 PM
Well it was for Dinner last night and I took some for my lunch today. Half & Half chilli.  Half beef and half venison.  A little French bread and it's a warm lunch thanks to the Wood Cookstove.

(https://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd161/redoverfarm/scenes/country%20plans/100_3710-1.jpg)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Redoverfarm on January 30, 2010, 04:12:34 PM
Out to eat tonight.  The community is having a benefit spaghetti supper for a friend that has had two heart surgeries in the last year.  There will also be music provided by the "Bing Brother" which is a local based  ( Nationally know) Bluegrass/Old time band.  It not a fancy italian resturant but we are neither.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on February 05, 2010, 03:28:56 PM
Feeling completely uninspired by cooking these days... back on the 'gestational diabetes' diet, which takes out whole food groups.  Cleaned out the freezer the other day so that now we only have a few squash and sweet potatoes left from the garden last year.  Tonight I'm thinking about making a spaghetti squash casserole and using lots of cheese in hopes that it will balance out the starch from the squash and won't make my sugar go crazy.  That'll be the last of the spaghetti squash.  We ate the last of the roosters we butchered last summer just the day before yesterday.  I cut it up and baked it with celery, onions, garlic, tomatoes, mushrooms, oregano, basil, and rosemary and tabasco.  It was pretty good and didn't even need any salt (I'm sure the canned tomatoes probably had some salt in them.)  Thought about buying more chicken when I went to the store, but after eating homegrown ones all winter, it just wasn't an appetizing thought, so I guess we'll wait until we have more that are butchering size.  So far I don't have to be as strict as I did with the last pregnancy, so I told  my husband we need to eat up all the squash and sweet potatoes before they start really messing with my blood sugar. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: StinkerBell on February 06, 2010, 05:46:17 PM
HGT <HUG> I hated having gestational diabetes.

To night am  baking (in the oven as I type this) speghetti squash. I will fry via a skillet  some ground round with garlic, salt & pepper to taste. Then I will through in the baked squash stur up then serve. I am considering adding some diced tomatoes to the skillet.

Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Redoverfarm on February 06, 2010, 06:06:28 PM
Nothing real heavy tonight.  I hate days that you can't get out and burn off calories and work up an appetite.  This morning for Brunch I made French Toast.  This evening will be Potato Soup and Salad.  The kids will get grilled cheese in addition.  They have burned off the toast as they have been playing outside, sleigh riding , plowing and enjoying the outside.  Youth is wonderful.   I almost forgot.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on February 08, 2010, 01:17:40 AM
Grilled garlic parmesan beef, grilled marinated beef brisket, grilled turkey wrapped with bacon, grilled brown sugar glazed ham, grilled glazed pineapple, grilled pork loin, grilled beef tenderloin, grilled beef sirloin tips wrapped with bacon, grilled veggies (bell pepper, onion, squash, zucchini), marinated mushrooms, spiced roasted potatoes, cheesy mashed potatoes, fried banana, excellent bread, assorted salad.....

http://www.tucanos.com/    A night out at Tucanos Brazilian Grill   :D



Frank, if you've not been there you must give them a try. My only gripe is that's down on Central and 2nd in ABQ. The meats are brought to the table on skewers. The meat waiter carves off what you want. Everything else is at what must be the best "salad bar" we've been to anywheres. No limits on the amounts either.

Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on February 08, 2010, 05:17:05 AM
Wow, now that's a feast! [hungry] [hungry] [hungry]
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on February 08, 2010, 03:25:32 PM
Yum, Don, that sounds really good.... makes me think of a place we went to in Korea one time that had a huge salad bar, and then they had a meat bar too.  You tell them what all you want and they come cook it at your table, and there is no limit to how much you eat.  They just charge a per-person fee, which was pretty reasonable...
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on February 10, 2010, 01:42:36 AM
You reminded me of the family run Chinese Food in Sunnyvale, Homey....well.... not actually you.... ::)

... your comment did... [waiting]

It was great  and didn't make my stomach all growl-y... NO MSG.. :)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on February 12, 2010, 11:24:01 AM
There is a place on the south side of OKC kind of like that... they have everything from Chinese food to Vietnamese noodle soup to Mongolian BBQ.  I go for the Mongolian BBQ. My kids call it the "Golden Pal" (I think the name is Golden Palace) and Lyon calls it the "Golden Cow."
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on February 12, 2010, 01:04:45 PM
Dinner tonight?  Valentine's surprise.  Mom got us tickets to her church's Valentine's Banquet for supper tonight. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on February 24, 2010, 12:04:45 PM
Tax return came in today.  I think that means I don't have to cook tonight!
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on February 24, 2010, 10:41:24 PM
Hmm, Homey... that would mean I don't get to eat tonight if it was mine.

I am eating left over roast beef and Potatoes courtesy of Sassy.  She always leaves me quite a bit of food so I don't die before she returns from work for the week.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on February 24, 2010, 11:09:59 PM
Last year I screwed up and got a refund from the state. The norm is for us to owe the feds and the state both when it comes to filing time. That's why I'm never in a hurry to get it done.

Dinner was part leftovers for me too; London broil with a newly baked white sweet potato and some assorted salad stuff.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on February 25, 2010, 12:57:32 PM
Sounds good, Don.  We ended up at IHOP.  We were going to eat something a little nicer, but after looking at myself in the mirror with dog hair stuck all over my shirt (I'd just gotten back from taking the pup to the vet) and one look at the kids in their ratty sweatpants and stringy hair,  decided that IHOP was about as classy as we could go.  It was a good thing we did go there, as it turned out, because we ran into old friends from college that we haven't seen in at least ten years, and found out they live right down the road from us.  Breakfast for supper always tastes really good, but I was miserably full afterwards.  :)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on February 26, 2010, 12:01:40 AM
Many times I prefer supper fro breakfast too.  Frozen nuked Costco Burgers for breakfast... mmmm good, and I don't think they have the pink stuff either.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on February 26, 2010, 01:43:34 AM
Glenn, that sounds like me... when I was a kid, mom used to just shake her head at me warming up  a bowl of beans or leftover pizza or whatever for breakfast.

We had quiche tonight for supper.  Considering I'd never made quiche before, i thought it was pretty tasty.  Used up the last of the summer squash from the freezer in it. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: OlJarhead on March 04, 2010, 09:15:47 PM
(https://i998.photobucket.com/albums/af102/emcvay/Salmon_2010001.jpg)
Smoked salmon appetizer followed by smoked turkey, rice and gravy :)

The turkey was done Thanksgiving (we do two and freeze the left overs) but the salmon was done today :)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on March 05, 2010, 01:31:42 AM
That looks yummy...  [hungry]
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: StinkerBell on March 06, 2010, 06:40:17 PM
That salmon looks yuumy.

It's a td passed 5:30 here and I have no idea what's for dinner.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on March 06, 2010, 09:41:43 PM
I just picked cauliflower from the garden from about a six year or so old plant - it keeps making heads every year.  Sassy is fixing it and salmon and last night when I got home she had rib eye steaks barbecuing in the wood stove over a nice hot oak fire along with garden corn frozen from last summer, beans and broiled bread.  [hungry]
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on March 06, 2010, 09:53:01 PM
I made a lemon cream pie & a chocolate/walnut/coconut pie today, too - was gone for quite a few days in the valley working so had to do some cooking  c*
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Redoverfarm on March 06, 2010, 11:13:05 PM
Sounds really good Sassy.  Well at least he will not starve when you go back to work.   Maybe not the healthiest food but we know Glenn and how he eats when you are in the valley. ;D  What is it with salmon.  We had it also this evening ( probably not as fresh as yours), baked potato and garden salad.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on March 06, 2010, 11:42:48 PM
She doesn't want me getting too skinny --- you know - after a week away she wants those love handles to be there.... [waiting]
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: muldoon on March 13, 2010, 08:06:50 PM
I started a brisket this afternoon, one of my favorites to cook.  Its a half brisket actually, about 8 pounds, but it has the point and the flat.  I cut a deep slit in the meat to add some stuffing.  stuffing a brisket?  you bet.   In a big pot I made a roux, oil/water/cajun seasoning, in the blender I mixed up a big yellow onion and three bell peppers, tossed in some slap ya momma hot spices and a touch of cayenne.  Then packed the brisket cavity with it. 

The brisket was rubbed in a mostly traditional texas rub, onion powder, garlic power, lots of paprika, salt & pepper,  some cayenne, a little crown royal and olive oil served as the dry rub "glue".   


(http://www.loopy.org/pictures/galleries/.misc/_thumbs/700x500-dscf6604.jpg)

(http://www.loopy.org/pictures/galleries/.misc/_thumbs/700x500-dscf6603.jpg)
pay no attention to the bottles behind the meat, thats just peach margarita making goings on... 

On the pit at 225, over oak. 
(http://www.loopy.org/pictures/galleries/.misc/_thumbs/700x500-dscf6610.jpg)

(http://www.loopy.org/pictures/galleries/.misc/_thumbs/700x500-dscf6611.jpg)


after about 4-5 hours I'll be wrapping it in alum foil, to let it finish overnight. 
With some luck this will be done around 9-10am tomorrow morning. 

I'll post back when its done. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: muldoon on March 14, 2010, 06:19:49 PM
twas good.  paired with bbq beans and slaw. 

(http://www.loopy.org/pictures/galleries/.misc/_thumbs/700x500-dscf6646.jpg)

(http://www.loopy.org/pictures/galleries/.misc/_thumbs/700x500-dscf6647.jpg)

(http://www.loopy.org/pictures/galleries/.misc/_thumbs/700x500-dscf6648.jpg)

(http://www.loopy.org/pictures/galleries/.misc/_thumbs/700x500-dscf6649.jpg)

(http://www.loopy.org/pictures/galleries/.misc/_thumbs/700x500-dscf6652.jpg)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on March 14, 2010, 08:29:56 PM
 [hungry] [hungry]  that looks yummy!
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on March 15, 2010, 09:27:45 PM
Looks really good Muldoon!  We had kitchen sink stew (ie. everything but the kitchen sink in it.)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: NM_Shooter on March 23, 2010, 07:32:21 PM
Elk mignon, garlic mashed potatoes, green beans!
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on March 23, 2010, 11:19:58 PM
In-n-out Burger with extra grilled onions - fries and lemonade and a chocolate shake.......I am pretty sure they do not use pink slime...... [bbq]
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on March 24, 2010, 04:08:13 PM
You just don't want to think about the ugly truth, Glenn.   ;D

I think I'm making some chipolte sausage, scrambled eggs, and whole wheat waffles for supper. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: gandalfthegrey on March 24, 2010, 04:49:43 PM
Quote from: glenn kangiser on March 23, 2010, 11:19:58 PM
In-n-out Burger with extra grilled onions - fries and lemonade and a chocolate shake.......I am pretty sure they do not use pink slime...... [bbq]


Only burger I eat. Double Double With onions)  Those not in California are out of luck.  California only company.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on March 24, 2010, 05:17:37 PM
Quote from: gandalfthegrey on March 24, 2010, 04:49:43 PM
Those not in California are out of luck.  California only company.

No longer true. They can be found in Las Vegas and Reno, NV, Phoenix and Tucson, AZ plus Salt Lake City and Washington City, UT. Maybe other places too. I've heard that NM may have one this year.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on March 24, 2010, 10:11:54 PM
Really, Homey-- I think they are OK -- they make their own meat so the pink slime monster cannot taint the beef.... [waiting]

[hungry]


http://www.in-n-out.com/freshness.asp

It was Costco food today - working in Fremont today - Sunnyvale tonight and the next couple days ..... [ouch]
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on March 24, 2010, 11:20:00 PM
Glenn, do they graze their cows out back?   ;)   Seriously, though, who doesn't love a good burger?  I'll be glad when we get perimeter fencing up around our place.... cows are next on the large livestock list.  I grew up eating grass fed beef that we raised and really miss it sometimes.... we used to eat beef patties for breakfast instead of sausage like a lot of folks.  My grandma used to make round steak with mushroom gravy that was really good, too.  I wasn't a gravy fan, but I loved the steak, and it was tender because she'd cook it long and slow. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on March 25, 2010, 08:36:30 PM
Hmm - don't know where they get the cows, Homey, but I didn't read anything about their running the ground up bones, hide, spinal cord, eyeballs and brains through a centrifuge to get more product to put in their burgers.  [yuk]

I like a big ol' chunk of ground beef with onions or even dehydrated onions and smothered in ketchup once in a while.   [hungry]

I agree - it's always good for breakfast, and I prefer it to most sausage.  :)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Redoverfarm on March 25, 2010, 09:02:18 PM
Glenn once you get the cattle ranch operating  d* then you can start with a few pigs.  Sausage will never taste the same after you raise your own.  Best thing about them is they will eat anything.  That is without shoes.  ;D   [waiting]
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on March 25, 2010, 11:18:39 PM
Wait a minute there, John.  [waiting]

The Forest Service here tried to burn a guy out of his home... sent two guys with gasoline and broke in to set his house ablaze, but he was there with a shot gun, shot and fed them to the pigs. 

I don't think they ate the shoes though, I think you are right about that. 

That was true -don't think I am too far off on the details.  He won in court.

Speaking of my cattle - I'm supposed to get the little escape artist soon.  I have to finish his corral. [ouch]
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on April 06, 2010, 04:24:13 PM
I'm in the mood for something rich... say a cold roast goose stuffed with hummingbirds or something.
Title: Best there is
Post by: OlJarhead on April 07, 2010, 10:15:06 AM
My bro raised cows every year (two of them).  He'd give one to the butcher and the butcher would hang them both and butcher them as part of the deal (the butcher helped with cost of the cows too etc).

When I would go over to have steak he'd purposely put out butter knives on the table.  We didn't need them for the stake, a fork would do :D

Man home grown/raised food is SOOO much better.  I've yet to have a better steak/roast/milk etc then I've gotten from someones personal efforts.  

Mom's Crab Apple Butter was so damn good I planted a Crab Apple Tree two years ago :)  It's blossoming.  We're gardening (over 500 sq/ft of garden) and who knows, maybe someday will get chickens, goats and cows for the cabin and just move in :D
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: ScottA on April 07, 2010, 11:49:59 AM
Good plan.  :)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on April 12, 2010, 11:30:23 PM
Tonight's dinner was salmon patties, fried okra, and salad.  Didn't check my blood sugar afterward because I really didn't want to know!!  My thinking is that this baby can't be getting too big from the gestational diabetes because I'm still wearing regular jeans, which NEVER happened at 7 months with the other three.  Sassy, I want your opinion.... if I'm out of range 1/3 of the time, the doc wants to put me on metformin to help lower my blood sugar.  Well, I'm probably out of range about 1/3 of the time at one hour after eating (she wants me under 120 at one hour.)  However, the numbers are never higher than 135-ish at an hour, and by an hour and fifteen minutes, I'm back in range.  I don't want to take medicine while pregnant unneccesarily.  What do you think?  Should I leave close enough alone, or do you think it has to be back in range right on the dot?
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on April 17, 2010, 09:38:48 AM
Sassy is working this week.

Our renter had to stop taking medications to get well - the prescribed medicines were what were causing all of his new problems after his original problem of unknown cause.  They put him on something like 17 medications because he passed out one time and they could find no cause.  The medicines brought him to near death in my opinion. 

He ran out of money - could no longer afford the medicine, quit and got well.

Dinner - Last night it was Broccoli with cheese sauce with pork chops and gravy, Modelo Dark and a bit of Port.  At my son and wife's in Pasadena.

What I am waiting for is today - we are going to her families in lower LA and she is making all sorts of crepes.  Yum. [hungry]
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on April 20, 2010, 12:04:13 AM
Yum is right... that sounds great.  I'm about to decide that the glucose monitor is the problem... took readings at fasting the other morning and it came back 146 the first time.  I about keeled over.  So I took it again, 84.  Every time it was WAY different (I took it enough times that the tips of all my fingers were getting pretty sore.)  Tonight was shrimp and cocktail sauce.... and then I ate a bunch of artichokes.  Not exactly a well-planned meal, but also not likely to make my blood sugar go nuts.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on April 21, 2010, 08:41:18 PM
Food Quiz:   ;D

Regular readers are aware that my mandible reconstruction has left me temporarily unable to chew food. What to these meals that I've ate since Friday have in common.

1. macaroni and cheese, green chili sauce

2. spaghetti, meat balls and marinara sauce

3. potato, leek and bacon soup, cream of

4. chili; ground beef and three beans

5. roast chicken, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy and green peas

6. cheese tortellini with marinara sauce

7. meat loaf, potatoes, carrots, gravy


.........



.........
correct answer in next post

Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on April 21, 2010, 08:42:46 PM
All of them can be passed through a blender and the result tastes okay, just doesn't look all that great

:( :(
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on April 22, 2010, 06:41:28 AM
Don, I feel for you and hope you'll be able to chew on your favorites soon.  I had a friend who once decided to lose weight on a "liquid" diet.  Problem was, they were putting the same ol' garbage in the blender and drinking it through a straw (burgers, fries, and coke puree, anyone? d*)  They just couldn't understand why they didn't lose weight on the diet, lol.  How long before you can start back with some more real food?
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on April 22, 2010, 09:31:46 AM
another week or two.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on April 22, 2010, 01:25:30 PM
That's what I keep telling myself on the gestational diabetes diet, too... only it is nine more weeks... if I can make it nine more weeks on green veggies and protein, I'll be OK.  For some reason, it is harder this time... in part because my kids keep eating up all the nuts and sunflower seeds that make the whole thing doable. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on April 22, 2010, 11:13:57 PM
Hope you're feeling better, MtnDon!  Haven't been on the net much lately. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: OkieJohn2 on April 23, 2010, 01:23:29 PM
Say MtnDon, I consider myself a foodie, I have worked food service most of my life, with time out from time to time to do other jobs. I still consider the best meal I ever had was when I had heart bypass surgery at Integris Baptist in OKC, the worst part was being intubated and the day they removed the tube they had me down for the liquid meal.   Boy was it ever great, the entree was some incredible, home made mushroom-beef soup with side of a fresh fruit blended compote.  Everyone always bashes hospital food but Baptist has it together, all the meals were great.
On a side note, as a foodie, how come the Travel channel has the only good food shows, Food Network is awful in my opinion.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on April 23, 2010, 08:35:41 PM
Baptist does have good food.  My sister had her kids there and the food was pretty good. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on April 29, 2010, 10:22:28 PM
On the road again..... Dinner....

Mozzarella cheese sticks, teriyaki jerky, cinnamon crisps, chocolate milk,  lemonade... I feel like ralphing.....[yuk]

We don't feel like going out for a meal after we get to the motel so it's what ever we find at the FoodMax on the way to the room.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on May 10, 2010, 11:02:34 AM
Ug, that makes me sick just to read it Glenn!
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on May 11, 2010, 08:08:00 AM
I had worse on that trip, Homey.... [waiting]

Try a Philly Cheese steak  sandwich from under a heat lamp at a Shell food mart.  

It was dough wrapped around cheese steak paste that had soaked through half way on the bread.  

Kinda like someone had already had it in their mouth.......and didn't like it so they put it back for me......

The meat, peppers and cheese had all been conveniently ground into a paste so they could squeeze it into the dough from a tube, I think.... at least that is all I can figure out..... [scared]

Then they baked it all together into some kind of a paste filled bun that looked pretty good on the outside......

Now... where did ralph go? .... [noidea'
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on May 11, 2010, 09:54:08 AM
I think those are best consumed while sitting on the 'john' so you don't have to run around looking for one  after.....
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on May 11, 2010, 07:58:17 PM
I fed my family cheesecake for supper since I can't have any and we had some from Mother's Day sitting there tempting me every time I opened the fridge... I had a salad. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on May 11, 2010, 09:30:08 PM
Quote from: MountainDon on May 11, 2010, 09:54:08 AM
I think those are best consumed while sitting on the 'john' so you don't have to run around looking for one  after.....

[rofl2]

Good idea.  [idea]

gottogo

Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on May 14, 2010, 02:33:21 PM
I'm getting to the point in this pregnancy that I'm hating food.  Lunch was a few bites of cucumbers with some plain (oh, so plain) yogurt, and a handful of nuts.  Breakfast was a handful of nuts.  Supper will most likely be some kind of meat (maybe chicken?) with green veggies.  I might be generous and make some potatoes or rice for the family, even though I can't partake.  Four more weeks until he can be born  with no worries that he's too early.... d*  It is dreary and cool today.   What I'd give for a cup of coffee!!
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: kenhill on May 14, 2010, 03:28:22 PM
Number 2 son graduated from High School and number 1 son is home from Colorado for a semester break.  Celebrating graduation with a potlock.  BBQ Brisket and chicken, good friends, neighbors, and classmates.  Some Alaskan Amber for the over 21 crowd.  Slight breeze and 43 degrees.

Proud of what my 2 boys and what they have accomplished.  Developing into wonderful young men.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on May 15, 2010, 12:54:15 AM
Always great to see the kids make progress, Ken.  Enjoy the celebration. :)


Quote from: Homegrown Tomatoes on May 14, 2010, 02:33:21 PM
I'm getting to the point in this pregnancy that I'm hating food.  Lunch was a few bites of cucumbers with some plain (oh, so plain) yogurt, and a handful of nuts.  Breakfast was a handful of nuts.  Supper will most likely be some kind of meat (maybe chicken?) with green veggies.  I might be generous and make some potatoes or rice for the family, even though I can't partake.  Four more weeks until he can be born  with no worries that he's too early.... d*  It is dreary and cool today.   What I'd give for a cup of coffee!!

I'll have one for you in the morning, Homey.... ummm .... a cup of coffee that is... [waiting]
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on May 15, 2010, 09:50:18 PM
Potato soup, home made. Russet potatoes, a little bacon, celery, chicken stock (from home roasted chicken) and rice milk. Yeah we, can both eat all that stuff. It was good, would have been better with cheddar cheese and or sour cream, but.......  Oh, corn tortillas and refried beans as a side. Cucumber slices.


Tomorrow, MTL at the cabin, chicken thighs in a trial rice molk sauce seasoned with paprika and rice noodles. Broccoli, steamed.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Redoverfarm on May 16, 2010, 06:47:52 AM
Nice to see you are getting to some "regular" food.  ;D
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on May 16, 2010, 08:34:00 PM
Looks like artichokes and barbecued beef sandwiches for dinner for me tonight.  I'll cook all 5 tonight then we will have them ready with little trouble.  Boiling them with salt, a few tablespoons of vinegar per an old recipe and added a bit of olive oil per a newer one.   [hungry]


(https://i778.photobucket.com/albums/yy62/the_troglodyte/gardenartichokes1.jpg)



I like to dip the leaves and heart slices in Miracle Whip.

Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on May 20, 2010, 11:46:24 PM
Yum, Glenn, those look so good!  I got seed to grow artichokes this year, but didn't get around to trying them. d*  Guess I'll have to make do with ones out of jars for now.  I crave them like nobody's business when I'm pregnant....
We had a good supper tonight... Peanutty chicken, broccoli slaw with nuts and homemade sesame dressing, and long green beans.  It hit the spot, and my blood sugar was good afterwards, so that is a good thing.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on May 23, 2010, 11:43:44 AM
Yup Homey, they were good. :)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on May 24, 2010, 04:38:46 PM
Yesterday we had leftovers from my daughter's second birthday party yesterday afternoon... smoked turkey, green beans, mashed potatoes (i only had a taste), salad, etc.  Tonight, it'll probably be some reconfiguration of said leftovers.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Native_NM on June 08, 2010, 07:46:52 PM
Leftover green chile elk stew.  Those of you from NM might be familiar with it.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on June 08, 2010, 11:59:20 PM
OK - so I'm on the road and have this bad habit of ferreting out the good food places in the area.  A great mom and pop Chinese food place across the street that feeds you enough in one meal for two nights so I had the second half tonight. Salt and Pepper fish , vegetable fried rice and Broccoli Beef ... but I wanted dessert so checked out the deli across the street form the motel.

Funny writing on the wall... Farsi...  It turned out to be Iranian and I met Shirin, the owner.  

I had to ask her about the different foods because they were all different.  The Iranian people, in my experience, are some of the nicest I have ever met.  We talked about different teas for our middle east and Asian guests as well as another type for guests from India.  We discussed desserts which of course brought us to the Ice Cream freezer.

She explained a couple types they had and said the 12 ounce container could be eaten half tonight and half tomorrow night - (fridge in the motel)..... She doesn't know how I eat Ice Cream.  

It was like I ate a bouquet of roses.  It was like a very rich vanilla with rose water in it... She said it has rose water.. I said "What?"  Rose water.. and she showed me the bottle... Yup - it was roses alright.  It left the essence of roses lingering long after swallowing the last bite.

A very interesting flavor, and of course... I ate the whole thing... [hungry].... along with a handful of Persian Almond Pastries.

Tired of regular street food, it looks like we will eat a couple meals at her deli tomorrow. It is right across the street from our motel and the jobsite.   Maybe I'll take a pix.

(https://i778.photobucket.com/albums/yy62/the_troglodyte/IranianIcecream.jpg)

Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on June 10, 2010, 11:47:12 AM
The icecream sounds very interesting Glenn.  I found some Turkish Delight a while back and the girls asked to try it after reading The Chronicles of Narnia  (OK, so we were all dying to know what it tasted like!)  They were all lemon and rose flavored.  My husband said he felt like he'd been eating flowers afterward (and he kinda smelled like it too, lol.)  Even though I can't have the sugar, I had to sample just a tad.   They were really good.  The consensus was that everyone liked the rose ones best.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on June 11, 2010, 12:41:52 AM
Hey Homey, tonight is my last night here in Sunnyvale this week, so I had Shirin pick out some good things from her country to take home for Sassy to enjoy.  While they are from Iran, Turkish Delights was one of the things she chose and apparently they like them in Iran too.  I also got some Asian and Middle Eastern Teas for our foreign guests.  Nearly all of them want tea rather than coffee.

So I had been welding galvanized metal much of the day today, and thought I had not breathed that much but walking across the street from the motel to Shirin's Deli, I got massive chills and locking muscles from the zinc fumes.  I went in and  asked Shirin if she sold milk as I had chills from the galvanized welding and milk would stop it.  

I could hardly believe what she did next.  She said, no but I will go get you some.  She reached into her till and grabbed a few bucks, left her store and was out the door before I knew what happened.  In about 5 minutes she returned from wherever she went to get it.  She got me a tall glass and within about 20 minutes the chills went away.

I told her I wanted dinner but not too much as I was not real hungry with the welding and all,  and I would like something with beef .  She said she had lamb or Fillet Mignon.  Hmm .... I said the Fillet would be great.  She treats all of her customers like they were family as far as I can see.

It's fun to listen to their colorful conversations in Farsi while eating.  They get rather animated when speaking.  ::)

So all of this is leading up to......

.... what's for dinner?

1/2 gallon of milk, Special Delivery, Fillet Mignon and Salad with a middle eastern Vinegar and Oil dressing. :)

(https://i778.photobucket.com/albums/yy62/the_troglodyte/filetandsalad.jpg)


Thanks for the special service, Shirin.  


(https://i778.photobucket.com/albums/yy62/the_troglodyte/shirin.jpg)

Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on June 15, 2010, 08:12:41 AM
Yum!  That looks absolutely delicious!!  Sounds like a neat place to eat.  Made me think of a little mom and pop Mexican place we stopped a while back.  It shared a building with a gas station and a Uhaul rental place.  When they asked the girls what they wanted to drink, Cori asked them what they had... the lady took the girls next door to the coolers at the gas station and had them pick out a pop.  They came back with cream soda and a chocolate soldier.  The guy who ran the gas station was Pakistani, and the folks with the restaurant were Mexican, but they had some kind of a deal worked out between them where he provided the drinks for their restaurant (other than stuff like iced tea.) 
Still trying to figure out what caused my sugar to be high last night.... We had grilled chops, salad, pickled beets, and celery sticks.  My bet is on the two little slices of pickled beets I had.  I had some Sunday, and my sugar was fine afterward, though.  Maybe it was the combination of that and the milk I drank with it?  Be glad when this little one gets here and I don't have to be so cotton-pickin' careful.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on June 15, 2010, 05:00:44 PM
It was great... maybe one more chance to try something else there in a week or so when I finish the last of the job.

Beets could be a likely suspect.  Some of them are pretty sugary.

Having kids... you make me tired just thinking about it and I was not the one who did all of the work... you can bet on that... [waiting]
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on June 20, 2010, 09:23:40 AM
I am so sick of food.... nothing sounds good these days, and it is too hot to eat anyway.  :(  Last  night, supper consisted of three radishes and a slice of lunch meat.  My blood sugar was still a little out of range. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on June 20, 2010, 09:46:17 AM
Poor baby... :(

:)

Last night Sassy made fried catfish and I made me some Mormon Potatoes (Instant mashed potatoes -Potato Pearls) with butter.  It was good.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on June 20, 2010, 07:42:55 PM
Fried catfish sounds heavenly!  When I was a kid, pretty much every Friday all summer we had fried catfish (sometimes in the fall or winter, too, but it was more likely in summer.)  For the past three or four weeks I've been dying to go fishing but at the same time I'm so big and hot and miserable I know I wouldn't last long enough to catch much. 

Maybe after the baby gets here we can go, and maybe by then the flood waters will have gone down a bit at the local lakes.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on July 08, 2010, 10:48:27 PM
Back in Sunnyvale working across the street from the Persian food again, Sooooo.......



(https://i778.photobucket.com/albums/yy62/the_troglodyte/cornishchickenbones.jpg)


Last night it was a Cornish Hen Kabob dinner with Saffron Rice and a Salad.  I have been drinking a lemonade  or orangeade with real juice to go along with it usually.  Tonight it was a Chicken Kabob sandwich and lunch today was a Lamb Kabob and Beef Kabob with rice, lavosh bread and assorted good stuff special for me... :)

I usually get to visit with the whole family and many of their regular Persian customers.  Always an interesting experience.

I wonder if I will lose any weight from working so hard.... [waiting]
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on July 10, 2010, 11:59:55 PM
After eating all of this Iranian food, I wanted to let Sassy try it too, so I brought a whole bunch of goodies home from the deli.

Iranian Basmati Rice and Iranian Saffron, the worlds most expensive spice.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saffron

Fortunately just a pinch of it goes a long way.  

Amir (Shirin's son) instructed me in the preparation of the saffron for the saffron rice - crush a pinch of the threads (stigmas) in a folded paper with a spoon and steep the resulting powder in a bit of hot water for about 20 minutes.  That is mixed with some of the rice and put over the top of the white  rice.

So what I am saying is, I cooked dinner.  Not a very common happening around here.

We had 3 young eggplants in the garden and I read that they were less bitter if eaten small.  I hadn't planned on planting them but they looked so nice at the feed store that I thought I would try them out.

We looked on the net and agreed that the Fried Eggplant- Southern Style sounded great.  It really was if I do say so myself. [ouch]

So here it is .... Fried Eggplant Southern Style and Saffron Rice cooked by a troglodyte.

(https://i778.photobucket.com/albums/yy62/the_troglodyte/eggplantandsaffronrice.jpg)

The eggplant was very mild with no bitter taste at all.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on July 15, 2010, 08:55:30 AM
looks great, Glenn!!  I like fried eggplant.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on July 16, 2010, 10:00:42 AM
Checked the garden when I got home last night, Homey.  More on the way.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on July 24, 2010, 05:20:24 PM
Found out I am addicted to Saffron Rice.... Sassy's gone to work - .... had to cook it myself.... [waiting]
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on September 08, 2010, 12:02:47 AM
Hmmm ... funny .... 2 more bowls of fresh Saffron Rice tonight.  Ice Cream earlier in the day.  Cooking for myself again..... [ouch]

Oh ... btw... tried out some new saffron from a place in SF.  Seems decent and is imported direct from Iran.  I noticed that the California Basmati rice does not elongate.. to me that does not make it real but maybe it has the nutty flavor.

I like to eat it with butter, Real Salt (from Utah with genuine rocks in it)  and sugar.  Tastes a bit like kettle corn... yum.

Breakfast is the same, except I add quite a bit of ground cinnamon to it also.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: OlJarhead on September 16, 2010, 11:13:36 AM
(https://i998.photobucket.com/albums/af102/emcvay/DarkRye_2010.jpg)
Last nights dinner :)

OK we added Rib Eye Steak and Bush Beans (the green verity out of our garden that day) to augment our bread :)

Home milled wheat with store bought (yuck) rye flour, molasses, sorghum, water, salt and yeast (pretty much) makes this rather hearty and awesome Dark Rye bread :)

First time attempting the 'round loaf' and realized I didn't have the room to do two side by side (or so I thought) so just made one 3lb loaf...next time I'll try two side by side and see how it works out.

Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on September 17, 2010, 12:44:32 PM
that looks good.  My girls made homemade rye the other day that was really tasty. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on September 18, 2010, 12:46:14 PM
Looks great.

Tomorrow I am going to a barbecue put on for me by a co-worker at the foundry my son works at.  Isa is from El Salvador and I hear he puts on a mean feed.  He wanted me to come by his house for a barbecue last time I was down and true to his word he's doing it.

Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: OlJarhead on September 18, 2010, 02:23:45 PM
Today's lunch (ok it's not dinner but I was bored)....

Atomic Ramen with Hot Sausage and Cheese :)

For those who like spicey food this is a favorite lunch of mine....

1 packet of Picante Ramen (Chicken or Beef)
1 meat (chicken or beef to match preferred but sometimes I toss in sausage)
1 healthy dose of homegrown, dried and ground Nuclear Cayenne (Cayenne grown next to Habenaro's) with a little ground Habenaro mixed in
2 slices of your favorite cheese (I don't usually eat processed cheeses but will admit they are creamier when melted)

Cook everything but the cheese as per ramen then top with cheese...

Mmmmmmm
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Redoverfarm on September 18, 2010, 08:58:03 PM
Quote from: glenn kangiser on September 18, 2010, 12:46:14 PM
Looks great.

Tomorrow I am going to a barbecue put on for me by a co-worker at the foundry my son works at.  Isa is from El Salvador and I hear he puts on a mean feed.  He wanted me to come by his house for a barbecue last time I was down and true to his word he's doing it.



Behave yourself. ;D
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on September 19, 2010, 01:28:17 AM
I am, John.  :)

I was the oldest headbanger at the concert I think and am eagerly looking forward to making a glutton of myself tomorrow. [ouch]

[bbq]
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on September 21, 2010, 08:36:54 PM
Tonight:  Meatballs, peas, corn on the cob, and homemade rye breadsticks.  Washed down with a cold glass of milk.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on September 21, 2010, 11:28:16 PM
Sounds good, Homey. [hungry]

The barbecue was great Sunday.  Lots of seasoned thinly sliced barbecued beef, chicken and chorizo.  Erin (the one with the pink hair - sons GF) made mango salsa, Mary - Isa's wife made avocado and roasted chili as well as another kind of salsa, chips, fresh hand made corn tortillas and I of course made Saffron Rice - brought the fixin's  with me.... So a fun and bloated time was had by all.

A few Corona's and some had a bit of tequila to wash it all down.  I did one beer and some water - too old... [ouch]

Lots of munchkins running around to keep us entertained. :)

(https://i778.photobucket.com/albums/yy62/the_troglodyte/Isabbq.jpg)

When you go to a Latino's barbecue they do not want you to ever leave.  We are planning to get most of them to Mariposa and Yosemite soon.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on September 24, 2010, 09:55:11 AM
Last night the family got to eat chicken stew, carrot salad, and a green salad.  I went to ladies' Bible study where dinner was provided and had some kind of smothered chicken breast, corn, mashed potatoes, and broccoli salad.  Some kind of really rich, sweet dessert that tasted a little like chocolate pudding.  Then came home and had a small bowl of Braum's white chocolate raspberry cheesecake icecream.   :P  Glutton!!
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on October 05, 2010, 10:03:05 AM
Tuesday is our kids' night to cook supper.  Tonight, they're making beans and cornbread and pumpkin pie... piecrust from a 6 and 7 year old may be interesting, but I'm keeping an open mind.   d*
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on October 05, 2010, 10:26:50 AM
OK--- so while you are taking pix of the chickens, possibly you could get a pix of this event too hmm
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on October 05, 2010, 11:07:10 PM
doggone it Glenn, I didn't read your reply until tonight.  Didn't take pics of them cooking, but did get a baby chick picture or two.  One of them pulled more than her weight on the cooking tonight, and the other one kept goofing off.  The cornbread, while way sweeter and more "cakey" than I've ever made it was pretty good.  The beans tasted a bit tough still, even after the soaking.  They didn't get to do the pie because a goat got out (twice) and the ensuing goat rodeo took a while.  The pumpkin is thawed out, though and waiting for us to do it tomorrow.  The only thing I did for them was put stuff in and out of the oven.  I'm hoping to work myself out of a job by the time they're ttens.   ::)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: muldoon on October 05, 2010, 11:17:17 PM
sounds like fun.  especially the goat roundup.  take pictures of that, give us too much of that. 

For our house, we did grilled boneless chicken thighs, crawfish cajun sausage, grilled spring onions & asparagus.  everything had a touch of garlic and some fresh red pepper - the veggies also had a touch of butter.  served with a nice home-brewed otktoberfest marzen munich style beer.  (iced tea for the kiddos). 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on October 05, 2010, 11:41:01 PM
I like sweet cornbread....and pix.

muldoon, your stuff sounds great.  [hungry]
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on October 10, 2010, 11:35:28 PM
Crab cakes, cornbread and salad & blue cheese dressing.

(https://i139.photobucket.com/albums/q305/djmbucket/oddsnends01/P1030706.jpg)

Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on October 11, 2010, 05:34:03 PM
Looks good.  We're having fried chicken, corn on the cob, and homemade bread stuffed with spinach and cream cheese.  The bread is experimental... we'll see if it turns out good.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: muldoon on October 11, 2010, 05:42:23 PM
sure sounds good HG.  if it works out, can you share your spinach cream cheese bread recipe? 

tonight were looking at a homespun rotisserie style chicken, toasted warm flour tortillas, pico de gayo, beans and rice.  homemade spicy green sauce from fire roasted poblano, serrano peppers and tomatillos.  kids like sour cream on the tacos, I cant stand the stuff. 

Looks like the end of the homemade octoberfest keg is in sight, tonights Monday night football is sure to do it in.  I need to get the kettle back in action.   d*
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on October 12, 2010, 02:33:25 PM
Muldoon, it needs some tweaking.  The outer layer was delicious, but the middle was too moist, almost like  stuffing or spoonbread, but made with bread dough rather than cornmeal.  It tasted good, and my hubby ate half the loaf at one sitting, but I stopped after one slice because I didn't care much for the soggy middle.  Will post after I improve upon it.

The cinnamon raisin bread I baked at the same time was good though!
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on October 22, 2010, 09:30:56 PM
So far for me tonight-

A bowl of half Lemonhead and half Chocolate Chip/cherry Ice Cream...

Maybe I'll have another. :)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on October 24, 2010, 01:05:16 AM
We threw chicken, rotel, cabbage, celery, and carrots in the crock pot, added some broth, garlic, salt and pepper and rosemary, and served it over rice.  I don't know what it was, but it tasted good. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on October 24, 2010, 09:06:12 AM
Kind of a Chicken Basketball dish, eh?, Homey? [noidea'
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on October 24, 2010, 08:55:58 PM
Dinner and desert?

We had a lot of large Zucchinis from the garden so I wanted to see what I could do with them besides bread and fry.  Came up with this from the net.....

(https://i778.photobucket.com/albums/yy62/the_troglodyte/mockapplecrisp.jpg)

Mock Apple Crisp

Looks pretty good and could have fooled me if I didn't make it... first thing I have baked in years I think....

(https://i778.photobucket.com/albums/yy62/the_troglodyte/mockapplecrispwithicecream.jpg)

Tastes pretty good too. [hungry]

Found it here.

http://www.ehow.com/how_4446895_up-all-those-extra-zucchinis.html



Read more: How to use up all those extra zucchinis. | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_4446895_up-all-those-extra-zucchinis.html#ixzz13KdUcQfR

Note that the 1 1/2 butter is 1 1/2 cups, not cubes.

I used up two about a foot long and 3 to 4 inches dia.  Cut in half lengthwise, scooped out the seeds, peeled and cut to make them look like apple slices about 1/2 inch thick.

The recipe from above link:

"Mock Apple Crisp"

# "Mock Apple"
8 cups of zucchini seeded and chopped (about 1/2 inch pieces)
2/3 cup lemon juice
1 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg

"Crust"
4 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 butter
1 tsp. cinnamon

1.

In large saucepan cook and stir zucchini and lemon juice on med/low heat for 15-20 minutes. Next, add 1 cup sugar, 1 tsp. cinnamon, 1/2 tsp. nutmeg. Simmer for 1 minute. Remove from heat and set aside.

2.

"Crust"
Combine flour,cinnamon, and sugar. Cut in cold butter until mixture resembles crumbs. Stir 1/2 cup of this crumb mixture into the zucchini mixture.
Press 1/2 of the remaining flour mixture into a greased 13'x 9'x 2' baking pan. Pour zucchini mixture over top then top with remaining crumb mixture.

3.

Bake at 375 degrees for 35-40 minutes.

It is equally good warm or cool, but the best way is with vanilla ice cream. Hope you enjoy!!


Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on October 25, 2010, 03:31:58 PM
looks really good! 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Redoverfarm on October 25, 2010, 08:40:09 PM
Venison roast slow cooked in the crockpot, mashed potatos, corn and broccoli casserole.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on October 25, 2010, 10:22:40 PM
Quote from: Homegrown Tomatoes on October 25, 2010, 03:31:58 PM
looks really good!  

It was great per the recipe as is, but next time I want to add a couple packets of spiced apple cider mix.  Second day now and the (fake) apples did not get mushy - must be from the lemon juice.  I made Sassy eat some of it too and she lived.

John, that sounds great too.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: apiratelooksat40 on October 26, 2010, 08:05:55 AM
It won't be until this weekend - when my brother and I head to camp to do more site clearing, but it's getting just cold enough in the evenings up there to break out the dutch oven and get a batch of Ballymaloe Lamb Stew going....low and slow...while we clear trees and pull stumps.  If we have a good weekend, I'll try posting some pics (of both!).  Either that or Pulled Pork in the smoker.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on October 26, 2010, 11:41:55 PM
Sounds good - looking forward to the pix.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on November 05, 2010, 09:09:36 AM
We were supposed to have had two guests for supper last night... ended up with many extras... and we all squeezed around the table and kitchen bar and managed to fit.  I think there were 12-13, but never got a real accurate count.  I found out about thirty minutes before hand that more than two were coming.  Thank God the house was already pretty much cleaned by the time I found out that it "might" be more than two!  I threw two pans of chicken in the oven covered in diced tomatoes, garlic, rosemary, and oregano and sprinkled with cheese and a bit of olive oil.  Then I started pulling corn out of the freezer that I put up during the summer.  We ended up with the chicken, corn on the cob, long green beans, sliced tomatoes and homemade biscuits.  And I was only a few minutes late getting it all on the table because we had to wait on the biscuits to get done.  Whew.  It was good even though thrown together...  I make good biscuits.  I wish they were better for you, because I could eat them every day.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Redoverfarm on November 05, 2010, 09:41:17 AM
HT biscuits has been a chore for me.  You will have to give out the recipe and directions.  Maybe it's just a guy thing. ;D
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on November 07, 2010, 05:05:10 PM
my buttermilk biscuits:
Tastes even better with real buttermilk, but the dry variety sold in the baking aisle in the store will work too.

2 c. all purpose unbleached flour
3/4 t. salt
3 t. aluminum free baking powder, give or take
1/2 t. baking soda
1/3 c. butter (much easier if the butter is at room temp.)
3/4 c. buttermilk

Before you start, turn the oven on to 425* to warm up and set the butter out so it can soften.  Mix the dry ingredients and then cut in the butter with a fork or a pastry cutter until it looks like coarse cornmeal.  Add the buttermilk and stir until it forms a ball of dough.  Coat it in flour and either roll or pat out until it is 3/4-1" thick.  Cut out biscuits and bake in a cast iron skillet until the tops are light brown.  Take two and butter 'em while they're hot.  Sometimes I use some whole wheat flour, sometimes just plain flour.  After you've made them a few times, it just takes a minute or two to make them (minus the baking time).  If you use something besides a cast iron skillet to bake them, you might raise the temp a few degrees.  Usually takes between 10-13 minutes to bake them.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on November 08, 2010, 12:54:14 PM
Quote from: glenn kangiser on October 24, 2010, 08:55:58 PM
Dinner and desert?

We had a lot of large Zucchinis from the garden so I wanted to see what I could do with them besides bread and fry.  Came up with this from the net.....

(https://i778.photobucket.com/albums/yy62/the_troglodyte/mockapplecrisp.jpg)

Mock Apple Crisp

Looks pretty good and could have fooled me if I didn't make it... first thing I have baked in years I think....

(https://i778.photobucket.com/albums/yy62/the_troglodyte/mockapplecrispwithicecream.jpg)


Tastes pretty good too. [hungry]

Found it here.

http://www.ehow.com/how_4446895_up-all-those-extra-zucchinis.html



Read more: How to use up all those extra zucchinis. | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_4446895_up-all-those-extra-zucchinis.html#ixzz13KdUcQfR

Note that the 1 1/2 butter is 1 1/2 cups, not cubes.

I used up two about a foot long and 3 to 4 inches dia.  Cut in half lengthwise, scooped out the seeds, peeled and cut to make them look like apple slices about 1/2 inch thick.

The recipe from above link:

"Mock Apple Crisp"

# "Mock Apple"
8 cups of zucchini seeded and chopped (about 1/2 inch pieces)
2/3 cup lemon juice
1 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg

"Crust"
4 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 butter
1 tsp. cinnamon

1.

In large saucepan cook and stir zucchini and lemon juice on med/low heat for 15-20 minutes. Next, add 1 cup sugar, 1 tsp. cinnamon, 1/2 tsp. nutmeg. Simmer for 1 minute. Remove from heat and set aside.

2.

"Crust"
Combine flour,cinnamon, and sugar. Cut in cold butter until mixture resembles crumbs. Stir 1/2 cup of this crumb mixture into the zucchini mixture.
Press 1/2 of the remaining flour mixture into a greased 13'x 9'x 2' baking pan. Pour zucchini mixture over top then top with remaining crumb mixture.

3.

Bake at 375 degrees for 35-40 minutes.

It is equally good warm or cool, but the best way is with vanilla ice cream. Hope you enjoy!!


Yesterday, Glenn made his mock apple pie for the dinner after church.  There were several ladies in the kitchen getting all the food set out.  They cut Glenn's pie & tried some of it - and were all raving about, wondering who had made the delicious apple crisp!  Anyway, someone told them that Glenn had baked it & it was zucchini - they all said in unison "no way!"  It was so funny!  BTW, there wasn't any left over  :(  everyone wanted the recipe... 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: bayview on November 08, 2010, 02:03:52 PM

"Mock Apple Pie" . . .    Thanks for the recipe!

/.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on November 09, 2010, 08:57:30 AM
Tonight it is my girls' night to cook supper, as it is every Tuesday.  I have the stuff for them to make guacamole again, but then I'm also thinking maybe I'll teach them to make chicken enchiladas.  They LOVE Mexican food, so they'd probably be happy to do it.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on November 09, 2010, 10:24:32 AM
We love green chili chicken enchiladas.

We found some rice based tortillas to help with avoiding wheat and gluten. We don't like them for burritos but with Hatch medium green chili sauce they made a good enchilada.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on November 09, 2010, 11:43:14 AM
Quote from: bayview on November 08, 2010, 02:03:52 PM

"Mock Apple Pie" . . .    Thanks for the recipe!

/.

Made a couple more since.

I now add 2 packets of Hot Spiced Apple Cider mix to the cooking lemon juice and Zucchini.  Even harder to tell it's not apples.

Also allow the top to brown a little even if it takes another 10 to 20 minutes - depends on the oven.

You can also up the zucchini to as much as 12 cups or so - add a bit more lemon juice.  I used about a cup of lemon juice today.

I also add extra cinnamon and nutmeg.

Experiment - adjust to suit you - then enjoy it... [hungry]

Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on November 09, 2010, 07:03:10 PM
Well, Don, we didn't use tortillas either tonight!  Turns out the ones I just bought and stored in the fridge, which don't "expire" for another week, were moldy all along one edge.  So, seeing as we had the filling all ready to go and were just in want of tortillas, I rushed and made a stack of blue corn crepes instead.  The crepes were different sizes and not perfect circles because our stove isn't quite level, so instead of wrapping stuff up in them, we layered them like a lasagna.  It should be interesting. ??? :o  If nothing else, the kids make good guacamole at least. 

Glenn, I am really wishing I had some squash to try your recipe with.... it looks great. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on November 09, 2010, 07:45:16 PM
Homey, you're welcome to come over & get some  :)

Your talking about tortillas & stuff to put in them made me think of something I make out of spinach or Swiss chard.

I steam the spinach or chard, add some green onions & cilantro & then melt pepper jack cheese in it & mix it together - then I brown the flour tortillas & put the mixture in them - yummy, for some reason, I just love them - they always seem to hit the spot & it's easy to fix.  Besides, you're getting your vegetables.

BTW, I got up this morning & Glenn surprised me with a mock apple crisp right out of the oven!   Yummm, it was good - had some for breakfast!  I'd been saying, "I sure wish we'd had some of that apple (zucchini) crisp left over" - all I'd had was a little bite of it at the dinner at church.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on November 09, 2010, 09:09:40 PM
It was GOOOOOD.  They planned to make flan, too, but ran out of time because of making crepes, so, we improvised!  A dozen eggs, some sugar, cream, pinch of salt, cinnamon, and vanilla into a small lidded casserole, and all that into a stock pot with 4" of water up the sides of the casserole, lid on, heat on, and voila!  steamed egg custard that wasn't beautiful to look at, but tasted pretty darn good.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on November 11, 2010, 09:08:58 PM
Homey, yesterday I picked about 40 lbs of zucchini.  Big ones - had to use the wheelbarrow to bring them in from the garden.  I'd be glad to share. :)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Windpower on November 14, 2010, 03:27:14 PM
I am not sure if I have posted this one before

but today is chili day

I added some of the poblanos (anchos) from our garden this year

so far it smells wonderful


Ding Dong Eight-Alarm Chili
Gourmet  | September 2003

recipe reviews (53) photo my notes find out more user rating
88% would make it again


yield: Makes 8 servings

active time: 1 3/4 hr

total time: 6 1/2 hr (plus 1 to 2 days for flavors to develop)

'80S THE COSBY SHOW
In the well-appointed Huxtable kitchen ("The Drum Major" first aired on February 4, 1988), Cliff explains to his family...

more ›

Ingredients
2 oz dried ancho chiles (4 large), stemmed and seeded
6 large garlic cloves, 3 of them finely chopped
1 tablespoon salt, or to taste
1 1/2 tablespoons ground cumin
1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder (not pure chile)
4 lb well-marbled beef brisket or boneless chuck, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2- to 2-inch pieces
3 to 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 (28- to 32-oz) can whole tomatoes in juice
1/4 cup canned chipotle chiles in adobo
1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
1 1/2 lb white onions, chopped (4 cups)
1 tablespoon dried oregano (preferably Mexican), crumbled
1 to 4 fresh serrano or other small green chiles, finely chopped, including seeds (1 is fine for most tastes; 4 is the eight-alarm version)
1 (12-oz) bottle beer (not dark)
2 cups water
2 1/2 cups cooked pinto beans (optional; 30 oz), rinsed if canned


Accompaniments: cubed avocado; chopped white onion; shredded Cheddar; chopped fresh cilantro; sour cream
print a shopping list for this recipe


PreparationSoak ancho chiles in hot water to cover until softened, about 30 minutes. Drain well.

While chiles soak, mince 1 whole garlic clove and mash to a paste with 1/2 tablespoon salt, 1/2 tablespoon cumin, and 1/2 tablespoon chili powder. Pat beef dry and toss with spice mixture in a large bowl until coated.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a wide 6- to 7-quart heavy pot over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then brown beef in 3 or 4 batches, without crowding, turning occasionally, about 5 minutes per batch (lower heat as needed; spice mixture burns easily). Transfer beef as browned to another bowl. (Do not clean pot.)

Purée anchos in a blender along with tomatoes (including juice), chipotles in adobo, cilantro, remaining 2 whole garlic cloves, and remaining 1/2 tablespoon salt until smooth.

Add enough oil to fat in pot to total 3 tablespoons, then cook onions and chopped garlic over moderate heat, stirring and scraping up brown bits from beef, until softened, 8 to 10 minutes. Add oregano, remaining tablespoon cumin, and remaining tablespoon chili powder and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Add chile purée and 1 chopped serrano and simmer, stirring, 5 minutes. Stir in beer, water, and beef along with any juices accumulated in bowl and gently simmer, partially covered, stirring occasionally and checking often to make sure chili is not scorching, 2 hours.

Taste sauce, then add more serrano if desired and continue to simmer, partially covered, until beef is very tender and sauce is slightly thickened, 1 to 2 hours more. (If chili becomes very thick before meat is tender, thin with water as needed.)

Coarsely shred meat (still in pot) with 2 forks and cool chili completely, uncovered, then chill, covered, 1 to 2 days to allow flavors to develop.

Reheat over low heat, partially covered, stirring occasionally, until hot, about 30 minutes. Add beans (if using) and simmer, stirring, 5 minutes


Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Ding-Dong-Eight-Alarm-Chili-108488#ixzz15I0qfhiE
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on November 16, 2010, 10:25:12 PM
Korean curry and rice here tonight... tasted good.  Ate too much.  :)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: muldoon on November 18, 2010, 08:28:32 PM
I am quoting somthing from about a year ago.  I have continued to fine tune my chili recipe.  Have made it 4 times this fall. 
Funny enough, I won the chili contest at work with it 2 weeks ago.  Out of 9, they thought it was the best.  Good enough I am making it again tonight by request for tomorrows "Thanksgiving potluck" at work.  I am just revisiting the post to bring it up with the changes I think make it a tough better than before. 

Biggest changes:
1) drop the beans.  No beans.
2) no need for as many dried spices, more fresh peppers. 
3) dont add the tomatoe sauce and such in, let the meat simmer in the season for 20-30 minutes first. 
4) add some venison sausage, this year I have been using the cheese & jalepeno venison sausage I made the Monday after opening weekend.  It is 75 venison/25 pork, cheddar+garden jalapenos. 

Quote from: muldoon on January 03, 2010, 01:24:53 AM
I have been playing with this recipe all fall, and have made it 5 times in the last few months.  I even took some deer meat to Colorado to make it for my inlaws; made it again for new years day at my aunts house.  It's gotten great feedback and reviews.  I think it's worthy of being called a damn good chili recipe.

big batch - but it can be halved easily enough.

4 lbs ground deer meat - this was ground 80% verison, 20% pork.  the deer was from thanksgiving weekend. 
3 tomatoes
2 green bell peppers
2 green poblano peppers
2 serranos
3 jalapenoes
2 bunches of spring onions/scallion onions
2 big yellow onions
2 big red bell peppers
1 15 ounce can goya black beans  -- nope.  dont need these. 
Quote
1 14 oz can del monte diced tomatoes
3 8ounce cans hunts tomatoe sauce
paprika
garlic powder  -- nope, put some smashed garlic in with the meat and onions at step one. 
Quote
ground cumin
cayenne pepper
chili powder
dried chopped onion

-- nope.  these are just weak.  add 2 or 3 habaneros to the pepper compliment.  or just some more serranoes if you want it slightly milder.  As for dried onion, what was I thinking? 
Quote
mustard seeds
kosher salt

(http://www.loopy.org/pictures/galleries/.misc/_thumbs/700x500-dscf6248.jpg)

veggies all washed and prepped.  these are going on the grill. 

(http://www.loopy.org/pictures/galleries/.misc/_thumbs/700x500-dscf6249.jpg)

grilled the peppers and tomatoes and spring onions until blackened.  turn every now and then, cook them over fire until they are slightly blistered and blackened.

(http://www.loopy.org/pictures/galleries/.misc/_thumbs/700x500-dscf6250.jpg)

at the same time inside, heat up a big pan and toss in some olive oil. 
cut the yellow onions up and begin cooking them in the pan, once they start to soften up a bit and are getting carmlelized add the meat.  brown the meat and the onions together. 

(http://www.loopy.org/pictures/galleries/.misc/_thumbs/700x500-dscf6253.jpg)

back at the grill, once the peppers are done and nicely blistered and black, submerge them in ice water, blanching them to stop the cooking.  under the sink run cold water and was them off.  the black part can easily be peeled right off the peppers and disacrded.  Whats left is is a very sweet and roasted flavored pepper.  the black part is bitter - thats why you remove it.  Once you peel off the blackened bits, sliced and chop them into chunks about nickle size.   Once the meat is all browned, add the shopped peppers in. 

(http://www.loopy.org/pictures/galleries/.misc/_thumbs/700x500-dscf6251.jpg)

after about 5 minutes, it should look like this:
(http://www.loopy.org/pictures/galleries/.misc/_thumbs/700x500-dscf6255.jpg)
---
DUMP the spices in here.  dont let it dry out.  add a beer or so if needed.  Let it simmer for about 20 minutes for that meat to really soak in the spices. 

3 tablespoon ground cumin
1.5 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon mustard seeds

This is also when I add the sausage.  It's been grilled outside, then sliced thin, then cut in half, so each "chunk" is about 3/8" cubed or so. 

Quote

once the liquid from the peppers has filled the pot up a bit -like above picture -
add:
1 can diced tomatoes
3 cans tomatoe sauce
3/4's a bottle of beer.  lucky you gets the rest. 
mix it up well and let it sit for about 10 minutes.

simmer 3 hours.



--
serve with chopped onions, shredded sharp cheddar cheese, frito scoops, cold beer. 
(the chili is not that spicy, as we have small kids we "spice up" our bowls, this is done with some extra spicy hot sauce added just into the final bowl and mixed in.)


Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: OlJarhead on November 25, 2010, 03:49:16 PM
On the menu today :)

Dinner Rolls made from home milled flour (Honey Whole Wheat recipe)
Smoked Turkey (mesquite)
Smoked Ham
Roast Turkey (that's right, we do two!)
Riced (or mashed not sure yet) potatoes
Turkey Gravy
Southern Cornbread Dressing (mom's recipe that came across the country in a wagon I hear)
Cranberry Jelly
Olives (black)
Green Bean Casserole
Pumpkin Pie

And I'm probably forgetting a few!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone :)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on November 26, 2010, 01:30:15 AM
Sassy is working so her church friends invited me over..... all of the above I think and more plus a full platter of desert - I mean just for me - taking a small sample of most of the desserts... I'm over stuffed - then they sent me a plate and a container of food to take home... something to be thankful for right there.... :)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MushCreek on November 26, 2010, 08:15:52 AM
I did a full Thanksgiving dinner yesterday single-handed, since the wife had to work. I do the turkey on the smoker, with a drip pan underneath. The smoky drippings then go into gravy! I made pies from scratch, and a huge loaf of country french bread. It comes out almost as big as the turkey. To top it off, we were entertaining my son's girlfriend's family for the first time, so the pressure was on. Luckily, I didn't screw anything up. I guess if you do something enough times, you kinda get the tune in your head.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: OlJarhead on November 26, 2010, 11:04:20 AM
Quote from: MushCreek on November 26, 2010, 08:15:52 AM
I did a full Thanksgiving dinner yesterday single-handed, since the wife had to work. I do the turkey on the smoker, with a drip pan underneath. The smoky drippings then go into gravy! I made pies from scratch, and a huge loaf of country french bread. It comes out almost as big as the turkey. To top it off, we were entertaining my son's girlfriend's family for the first time, so the pressure was on. Luckily, I didn't screw anything up. I guess if you do something enough times, you kinda get the tune in your head.

Good show!

I never use the drippings from the smoker but I use a 'wet' pan in my Weber Bullet (the pan is full of water which helps keep the temp just right and provide moisture). so I might not want to.

Anyway,  [cool] on the going it alone and doing it the hard way!  I LOVE to cook for Thanksgiving that way :)  TO me it's the only way!
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Shawn B on November 26, 2010, 01:23:56 PM
Made some fried pumpkin the other morning. Cut the pumpkin in approx 1/2 thick  long strips. Put them in a egg/milk wash and then into a hot cast iron skillet of oil (I like coconut oil). cooked approx 7-10 minutes a side, or until very tinder. Just before lifting spoon on a mixture of brown sugar and cinnamon. Serve with maple syrup and fresh fruit/berries, apply more brown sugar and/or cinnamon as needed. Coffee, hot apple cider to wash it down  :) :)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on November 26, 2010, 02:40:33 PM
Yum....sounds good [hungry]
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on November 27, 2010, 12:22:43 AM
I made whole wheat sweet potato rolls, but since the sweet potatoes were still baking, I substituted some pumpkin we grew.  They were really good but I forgot the salt... good thing I had salted butter.  Cranberry-orance sauce, roast turkey, corn on the cob, baked whole sweet potatoes with cinnamon and butter, broccoli/cauliflower salad, coleslaw, homemade down to grinding the wheat for the crust apple and pumpkin pies (pumpkin pies were made with our chickens' eggs, pumpkin we grew, and honey from our bees.... hopefully next year we can add to that list milk from our goats... we ground the wheat, but didn't grow it.)  Girls also made an extra pumpkin pie and took it to our neighbor.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Shawn B on December 17, 2010, 09:10:16 PM
Pinto beans, onions, ham, cornbread..
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on December 20, 2010, 10:18:49 PM
Winter is a great time for barbecuing any day of the week.  We always have a nice bunch of Oak coals going in the old 1920 Round Oak wood stove.  It is our everyday heater and keeps the place nice and toasty all winter long.

We have a barbecue basket that works great after the wood is burned down.  Tonight on the way home I stopped and got some well marbled Black Angus chuck steaks.  The chuck steaks they carry here are our favorite of all cuts....nice and juicy and cut like warm butter.  I rubbed them down on both sides with Montreal Steak seasoning then sizzled them to a crisp for a few minutes on each side...... yummy....  [hungry]

(https://i778.photobucket.com/albums/yy62/the_troglodyte/roundoaksteaks.jpg)

I mixed up some Mormon Potatoes and Sassy made a salad with fresh red and green leaf lettuce from our garden... last night we had fresh broccoli, cauliflower and Swiss chard.

Grub was fine and I'm full as a tick.... [waiting]
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: sparks on December 29, 2010, 11:00:04 PM
Every year at Christmas I try to buy something for the household....an new flatscreen or some other sort of the latest piece of uneccessary crap.

Well, this year I got a quarter beef .....the freezer is full......190 lbs of it!!!  ($452...did I get burnt??)


However, the wife thawed out this chunk of meat...sirloin roast I believe....and cooked it in the crock pot for around 8 hours.  With tators, onions, and some green stuff.

Best beef I've had in decades!!!!

The guy at the meat locker said it came from a small farm here in NW IL.

Gonna have it again for breakfast in the am.  :)      With toast. :D


sparks
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Redoverfarm on December 29, 2010, 11:37:24 PM
Beef is no different than any other product which is priced regionally.  Maybe for you in that area was a pretty good deal.  Around here it usually sells processed for $1.80 -$2.00 a pound.  In essence the standing weight would have been about 1300 # which would sell for around $.75 to $.85 a pound.  Then the rail weight would have been 760 #.  The butchering and processsing fee then makes up the difference.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: HoustonDave on December 29, 2010, 11:43:48 PM
Hand-made Peruvian tamales.  Corn meal filled with chicken, olive, hardboiled egg, aji (kinda like jalapeno) and various other yummy goodness.  We bought 20 from a local vendor and put the bulk in the freezer for later joy!
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Redoverfarm on January 04, 2011, 07:34:17 PM
Calling all Chef's.  I bought my wife a whole potato french fry cutter last year.  I have tried several variations to make them fry more solidly.  The heat is a fry daddy that is suppose to cook at 400 Deg.  I have tried drying them, bathing in ice water and semi-baking all to no avail.  What's the secret.  At Fairs and Festivals they are served all the time and are crisper than those that I have tried to make.  I remember that french fries (before frozen varities) were hand cut and fried in a skillet.  If you have any secrets that you would like to share feel free.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: muldoon on January 04, 2011, 08:03:15 PM
red, you need an oil with a high temp burning point because you need the oil really really hot.  peanut oil is my favorite for fish fry time, let your fry daddy heat up for a full 15 minutes before dropping your taters in the grease.  enjoy.  (drying them is good because water/oil just splashes hot grease).  I have no idea what ice water does as you described it. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on January 19, 2011, 11:35:34 PM
Red, I fry home fries in a cast iron skillet over medium/high heat, usually in a little bit of peanut oil or butter.  I let them turn golden brown before turning them.  They end up crispy and tasty.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on January 19, 2011, 11:43:22 PM
We had pork chops, English peas, stir fried veggies, homemade rye bread, and peaches for dinner.  Every year, we designate January as the month we clean out the pantry/freezer before going grocery shopping again.  So far, I haven't been shopping since about two weeks before Christmas, but I'm really ready for some fresh veggies so I'll be really glad when we get to the bottom of our stash.  I've planned meals out of what we have left and got as far as the second week of February without running out of food, but I think I'm going to be bored silly with it by then.  There are lots of beans and cornmeal, but I'm running out of salt here shortly.  There isn't much left in the way of meat, but we're swimming in fish (dried, canned, frozen.)  Bored with it or not, we're determined to stick it out until the pantry is empty.  My kids are loving the variety in pancakes, though... blue corn crepes, buckwheat pancakes, oat pancakes, even rye and millet. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on January 22, 2011, 10:59:57 PM
We are working on eating ours down a bit, Homey, but Sassy keeps replenishing it when she comes back from the valley.

Tonight, Sassy made Berrocks, or Beerocks or what ever name you want to call them.  I picked a couple of fresh heads of cabbage today, so we pigged out.  [hungry]

(https://i778.photobucket.com/albums/yy62/the_troglodyte/berrocks.jpg)

Used up a few loaves of frozen dough from the freezer for that one too. :)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Redoverfarm on January 26, 2011, 06:46:09 PM
Tonight it was flowered and fried deer steak, fried potatoes and fried apples.   [hungry]  I guess that is enough artery clogging food for one week. ;)  I would have taken a picture but by the time I thought about it there was nothing left. ;D
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: rick91351 on January 26, 2011, 09:02:34 PM
Wow John thanks! That really tripped the memory lane.  When I was a kid my mom loved to cook just that on cold stormy winter evenings for supper!  And I guess we loved to eat that as well.  [hungry]  She would also include baking powder biscuits with strawberry jam on the table and a lot of good old butter.  My mom passed away at 85, my dad is still alive and 95.  So I doubt it is going to kill you.  I nor my wife have taken a deer in the last several years.  But thinking about that at times sure makes me want to dust off the old 270 in the fall.  This year I will be retired by fall hopefully and gainfully unemployed.  We should have enough time then to do so and enjoy it with out being rushed and hurried, one of the reasons we sort of hung it up.  (Work came calling way to often!)  Thanks for triggering the memory bone.              
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on January 30, 2011, 09:30:30 PM
Tonight was kimchi fried rice, bulgogi, and about half a dozen Korean side dishes made up out of the stores in the pantry/freezer again.... included two kinds of dried radish pickles, fried dried anchovies, dried shrimp, kimchi, bellflower root, seaweed, etc.  Still will be really glad to get some fresh veggies, but we're STILL eating out of the pantry.  Guess the Korean food is for Lunar New Year, since it falls this week?
b
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: muldoon on February 05, 2011, 03:42:33 PM
What is anyone else doing for superbowl? 

I am starting with two briskets.  Outside marinate with my normal homeade recipe rub.  I then food processed some onions, garlic, bell peppers, and stuffed into cavities inside the brisket. 

(http://www.loopy.org/pictures/galleries/.misc/_thumbs/640x480-dscf6604.jpg)

then a nice fresh wild pig leg?  This came from a 75 pound sow, shot in December.  This ham was rubbed with a mix of olive oil, whisky, spice rub.  then wrapped (barded actually) in a weave of thick cut bacon. 

(http://www.loopy.org/pictures/galleries/.superbowl2011/_thumbs/640x480-hogleg.jpg)

(http://www.loopy.org/pictures/galleries/.superbowl2011/_thumbs/640x480-baconweave.jpg)

and here it is ready for the smoker later this evening. 

(http://www.loopy.org/pictures/galleries/.superbowl2011/_thumbs/640x480-ready.jpg)

--
Those are my contributions to the party, aside there is sposed to be a few drunk chickens, a couple racks of ribs, a fatty, and a bunch of new york strip steaks.  Last I heard the planned head count for our party is 32 people. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on February 05, 2011, 06:50:33 PM
Gee, you're fancy!  Those look like they will be really good [hungry]   That's a pretty big party!
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: considerations on February 06, 2011, 03:27:52 PM
Nummy!  [hungry]
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on February 08, 2011, 10:02:19 AM
Very fancy... we consider it a "fancy" dinner if we all have matching plates.

Last night, we had homemade rye, baked salmon, corn on the cob, and salad.  It hit the spot.  Tonight, Mexi-chicken.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: muldoon on February 10, 2011, 10:18:47 PM
The same chili from http://countryplans.com/smf/index.php?topic=3439.msg125804#msg125804 
competed in a "real" chili competition today and took 2nd place non-traditional.  $250 prize money.  whoo-hoo! 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on February 10, 2011, 10:43:14 PM
Congrats!  I'll have to use some of those good spices & follow your recipe one of these days!  I like the blackened on steak.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on February 12, 2011, 10:59:01 AM
That's great, muldoon.  Well deserved from the look of the great stuff you post here.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on March 18, 2011, 09:08:58 AM
Congrats, Muldoon!

Tomorrow we're having a big crowd here: my cousin and his family of six, a friend, a friend's kid who is working to earn money for a missions trip, and possibly another family of four, plus my Mom and whoever else decides to just drop in (a very common thing around here.)  So, I've got two big pans of lasagna to pop in the oven, a huge salad, and will be making homemade caraway rye.  For breakfast and/or dessert, homemade apricot pastries.  Not sure who is showing up for breakfast and who won't be here until later, but might as well be prepared... sure it will all get eaten throughout the course of the day.  Rented an industrial size wood chipper and plan to make the best use of my eight hours with it possible.... tired of sitting in a kindling box with wildfires going on everywhere and some idiot setting fires every other day!  (I think by suppertime, I might be willing to order a massive order of steak tacos from our tiny local Mexican caterer....)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on March 18, 2011, 01:04:14 PM
That sounds good, HG!  Can we come over too? 

Sorry to hear about the fires...  we had someone setting fires in 2008 - inconceivable how someone could do that  >:(

Those steak tacos sound good too  :)  Guess you will have worked up a mighty appetite after shredding for 8 hrs  c*  I need to weed eat around here again - with all the rain, the grass & weeds have all grown up again.

We're having a bunch of international students from Univ S. Cal (USC) possibly 40-50 that will be visiting our little church/resource center this weekend (arrive tonite).  Anyway, I have to work this weekend so Glenn will have to make the breakfasts.  We have lots of organic potatoes his mom brought down from the Klamath Falls area in Oregon on their way down to visit.  So fried potatoes w/red onions, eggs from our chickens & SPAM the healthy mystery meat  rofl  Easier & faster than bacon.  If we have some Muslim students then he'll fry some hamburger patties instead.

I have a big pizza in the freezer from Costco & he'll make saffron basmati rice to take to the pot luck (pot blessing?) after church on Sunday.  It's always a busy weekend.  He usually takes several students up to Yosemite where the group sitesees & hikes up a trail to the top of one of the waterfalls.  He can still make it up there but I can't hardly hike anymore so don't go most of the time.  I used to go camping & hiking up there several times a summer when I was younger...  it's so beautiful.  When the weather gets warmer I'll go up too.  It was forecasted to snow all week & only 35 degrees on Sunday - brrrr. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: apiratelooksat40 on March 18, 2011, 03:25:16 PM
This weekend's going to be a belated St. Patrick's Day dinner with the extended family.  I have a whole brisket and whole eye of the round corning in the fridge.  We'll do the whole thing in the turkey fryer with all the Veg, and my wife's Irish Soda Bread recipe reconstructed from her mother's "across the pond".  Sunday is going to be Corned Beef Hash & Eggs Benedict (home made English Muffins) with my first attempt at Rashers on the side.   c*
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: StinkerBell on March 25, 2011, 02:27:29 PM
I am making Chicken Waldorf Salad.
I started yesterday and sliced up some chicken breast. I must admit chicken breast seem to be getting bigger then chickens themself. I decided the chickens must have been from california....

I sliced up 2 1/2 pounds of chicken and let it marinate over night in the fridge. It marinated in olive oil, ginger, garlic and lemon juice.

This afternoon I poached/boiled the meat and let cool. I then dressed the meat with Mayo, salt & Pepper, granny smith apple pieces, celery, red grapes and a splash of fresh lemon juice. I might or might not add wal nuts or cashews.

I had a little for lunch and it was yummy. Looking forward to dinner tonight.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on March 25, 2011, 04:14:15 PM
Sounds good!  I remember the 1st time I made Waldorf salad...   heh heh  I put the apples, walnuts, lettuce, sweet dressing and anchovies!!!   :o  Someone had told me the recipe & somehow, I'd heard  anchovies - I didn't think it sounded good but thought, "oh well, I guess it's supposed to be in there..."  you should have seen the faces of those that ate it!   [rofl2] rofl d*
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on March 27, 2011, 11:42:15 PM
Oh Sassy!  That's hilarious!!  Sounds almost like something someone would do on purpose as a practical joke.  :) 

Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on March 27, 2011, 11:43:05 PM
And Stink, are you saying happy roosters live in California? d*
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on March 28, 2011, 12:26:39 PM
We had a huge potluck yesterday after church for the students.  Too many things to name!  Homegrown, got my 1st taste of kimchi - it was delicious!  I was warned that it would be hot - but I like hot & spicy - didn't seem hot to me but Glenn tried it too & he started  sweating & drinking water   heh rofl
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Redoverfarm on March 29, 2011, 03:40:27 PM
 [hungry]

(https://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd161/redoverfarm/hightop/farm/100_4340-1.jpg)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on March 29, 2011, 04:24:24 PM
 [hungry] [hungry]  So when's dinner?
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: muldoon on March 29, 2011, 05:23:53 PM
nice pork! 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: muldoon on April 01, 2011, 05:58:08 PM
(http://loopy.org/pictures/galleries/.misc/_thumbs/640x480-2011-02-06_09.59.00.jpg)

brisket halves
(http://loopy.org/pictures/galleries/.misc/_thumbs/640x480-2011-02-05_23.12.04.jpg)

(http://loopy.org/pictures/galleries/.misc/_thumbs/640x480-2011-02-06_09.58.12.jpg)

wild ham
(http://loopy.org/pictures/galleries/.misc/_thumbs/640x480-2011-02-06_09.58.01.jpg)

bacon bomb and drunk chickens
(http://loopy.org/pictures/galleries/.misc/_thumbs/640x480-2011-02-06_10.21.15.jpg)

(http://loopy.org/pictures/galleries/.misc/_thumbs/640x480-2011-02-06_15.09.31.jpg)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Redoverfarm on April 01, 2011, 06:35:10 PM
Looks like you are expecting Dinner guest.  Quite a spread.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on April 11, 2011, 05:02:43 PM
tonight, stew.... cool front blew through and it is back under 80 degrees. :)
Title: Re: What's for dinner? (From Pigs to Pies)
Post by: Redoverfarm on April 17, 2011, 07:04:33 PM
Yesterday was the annual Girl Scouts Mother/Daughter Bake Off.  Emily made a Peanut Butter Pie.
Guess What?  1st Place in the pie catagory.  I am sure glad she made two which left one at home for Dad. ;)

(https://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd161/redoverfarm/scenes/country%20plans/100_4368-1.jpg)

She was tickled that she also got a trophy.

(https://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd161/redoverfarm/scenes/country%20plans/100_4369-1.jpg)

Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on April 21, 2011, 11:18:07 PM
Congrats to Emily!  That pie looks pretty delicious!
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: muldoon on May 09, 2011, 05:14:43 PM
pork chops, slathered in homeade "mellon-ginger-hatch-pepper" jam then dusted with black pepper, brown sugar, garlic-salt, paprika. finglerling potatoes, sliced up and put in a oven pan with olive oil and a season salt recipe. chops slow cooked over oak fire (ie 220 temp) until 150 internal temp, taters cooked in oven at 400 for 40 minutes. leafy green salad with frsh cherry tomatoes and the entire meal paired with cold cold sierra nevada pale ale beer.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on August 27, 2011, 12:44:34 PM
Muldoon, that sounds delicious! 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Gary O on August 27, 2011, 04:20:01 PM
Boy, you guys have some mighty purty lookin' food.
Seems I can taste the pictures......

Had fresh baked blackberry muffins and coffee this morn
Lunch snack after chores was sumpm (can't remember) and blackberry cobbler
Tonight we'll be havin' sumpm and homemade blackberry ice cream
We always seem to have a lot of 'sumpm' most times when fruit and berries are on
BTW, blackberries are on....well, actually now they're off and in the freezer
Jam's in the pantry
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on September 05, 2011, 11:42:57 AM
Good ol' Oregon Blackberries.

I have heard from more than one person that my great uncle is responsible for bringing the blackberries to the PNW that have taken over most of the region.  That would have been in around 1900 to 1910 or so I think.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Gary O on September 06, 2011, 09:00:16 PM
Well, shoot, Glenn, I'd like to shake his hand with my bloody grip, and show him my body scars from reaching for the elusive mother lode over an unknown ravine......now to ferret out the pioneer that blessed this land with scotch broom...I'd like to just shake him.

Did have other stuff
(https://i1125.photobucket.com/albums/l588/Garyo424/LaborDayGrillins.jpg)
Nuthin fancy, simply a little ol' grill with hot spots and a bit over used
Nuthin as spectacular as what I've seen from you pros, just my blackened chikin BBQ Cajun style.....shirt tail heritage
I like 'em lots, and folks seem to make 'em disappear faster than my tiny grill can go
Laisser le bon temps rouler
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on September 06, 2011, 11:21:27 PM
Tillamook Cemetery I believe, Gary.... [waiting]

What ... you never climbed out onto a board on top of the briar patch then fell off? [noidea'

I think I may build a smoker from a dead water tank one of these days - have 2 of them.  I like smoked or kippered fish.  YUM.  [hungry]
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Gary O on September 07, 2011, 09:32:53 PM
"What ... you never climbed out onto a board on top of the briar patch then fell off?"

No, but watched it done.
Actually, about 10 yrs old watched my buddy Bart (big boy, 6' 230 lbs in 4th grade, held back a couple yrs) swing off his rope over a ravine in his back yard. Looked good 'til he was at the point of swing back, only he wasn't attached to the rope, well not all of it.
It's kinda amazing how long a 230 lb fella can look suspended, actually rise a bit, then drop, still body huggin' the tiny piece of rope.
It was kinda weird, cause he did a slow motion involuntary back flip propelled by his momentum. Glimpsed his face on the turn, eyes unfixed, mouth wide open, but nothin'  comin' out.
Last I saw before he disappeared into the berries was the little knot at the end of the rope still tightly clinched between his ankles.
The vines were his salvation and demise.

He wasn't dumb, but stuttered his way thru grade school.
We all used to do strange things with BB guns. One game was bend over and take a hit. Well, it was my turn with the pump, and managed to press the lever a bit past usual, and it was Bart's turn to bend. Thing is, all our bib overalls remained loose. Bart's got tight...r-e-a-l tight.
He chased me thru the woods, up the hill, thru the barn, and almost to the house....stuttering obscenities about my ancestors all the way.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on September 08, 2011, 01:18:52 AM
rofl
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on September 19, 2011, 10:57:44 PM
Spinach enchiladas; white corn enchiladas with fresh spinach, pico de gallo and corn in a creamy white cheddar, green chile sauce with black beans and arroz verde. A bit different, but very fine.

No, not my own cooking. We went to the Range Cafe in Bernalillo.  (http://rangecafe.com/)

Karen had the Quesadillas;   artichoke hearts, roasted red bell pepper, fresh tomato, green chile strips and white cheddar cheese grilled on a flour tortilla with sour cream and guacamole.

Darn good stuff!!




We'd never dined at the Bernalillo Range Cafe, there are 2 other locations. Something struck me as funny. Bernalillo is in many ways a typical old New Mexico town. The Range cafe is located in a 100+ year old building on the main drag. Just down the street a short ways is Silva's Saloon.  The sidewalk is at street level with the store fronts right there on one side and the roadway right there on the other. Most of the buildings have a step up into them. In front of Silva's the sidewalk rises to the exact height of the Silva's door threshold. No step for the inebriated to have to deal with. Plus there is a healthy size welded steel guardrail all along the rasied section of ramped sidewalk. No chance of the same falling directly into the street.

Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: OlJarhead on October 02, 2011, 06:50:18 PM
Home made Killian's Irish Red Beer Beef Stew with fresh new potatoes from the garden.

Ya, it's awsome :)

Going to have some French Bread with it too...holy mackerel it's good stuff!
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on October 19, 2011, 09:54:00 PM
Tonight was good!  Glad the weather is finally cooling off so we feel like cooking again!  It was smoked ham, corn on the cob, cabbage, homemade rye bread, and dessert was a homemade honey peach pie.  [hungry]  We're all full as ticks.  Oh, and we added a scoop of Braum's Egg Nog icecream to the hot pie and it  was really good.  I was kinda stingy with the honey in the pie, but the icecream more than made up for it.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on October 19, 2011, 10:46:07 PM
Lazy. Dinner out at El Pinto, a very nice restaurant in ABQ. Chicken Adovada (chicken breast marinated in red chili sauce, then grilled) with calabacitas, pinto beans and rice. Mmmmm Good!

Dinner on one of the patios; had a heater going.

http://www.elpinto.com/
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Gary O on October 25, 2011, 09:01:41 AM
corn shuckin'

anybody try this?

http://youtu.be/YnBF6bv4Oe4
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on October 25, 2011, 07:42:04 PM
Pretty neat... wonder if it would really work.... unfortunately, fresh corn is out of season here, and we don't have a microwave.   ???

Supper tonight was western omelettes.  I took the kids to a cafe a few towns over for dinner this morning, and they were asking $8.75 for a western omelette.  I thought it was ridiculous, so I ordered something relatively "cheap" and decided to make them for dinner tonight at home.  What is that, something like 400% profit??  Needless to say, we won't be going back there again.  Their coffee had gone up to $1.30 a cup!!!  Guess they must be trying to make out like bandits with the tourists who drive route 66? 
There is a huge piece of some kind of insanely rich chocolatey cheesecake left over from my best friend's wedding on Sunday.  As soon as the kids are all soundly sleeping, DH and I intend to eat it all up ourselves like a couple of selfish pigs. :D
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on October 26, 2011, 01:11:13 PM
Someone sent me that video, GaryO - you could probably steam them & do the same thing, though haven't tried it either way...

HG, good for you, the kids wouldn't appreciate such a rich, chocolaty piece of cheesecake  ::)  That coffee is CHEAP compared to what we have to pay in California...  I never order it, just for that reason...  $1.99 is probably the cheapest I've seen it in a restaurant.

Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on October 28, 2011, 07:08:11 PM
Seriously??  Where are these rich folk who pay two bucks for a cup of coffee??  I was choking at the $1.30!  And it wasn't even very good coffee.... it was the kind where you have to add a ton of sugar and cream to make it even drinkable.   :P  The local cafe here where we live has it for under a buck, and that is even with every male over age 59 coming back in twenty times a day for refills.  And it is GOOD coffee... really good. 

I made a pie for dinner the other night to use up the rest of the pie crust I made a few days earlier, and didn't have quite enough cherries, so I filled it in with some canned drained apricots.  It was sooo good.  I think I might make cherry pies with apricots from now on.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Gary O on October 28, 2011, 08:18:08 PM
 Yeah, Homegrown, the coffee cup to pot price ratio ain't there, but I do know eateries across the board are feelin' the pinch.
Guess we'll all have to start invitin' people over to the house more.......
Boy oh boy, can you talk pie.
There is nuthin' an I mean nuthin' like homemade pie.
My gramma could put together dough and fruit like none other.
Rhubarb her expertise.
She called it 'pie plant'.
My bride musta hung with her enough, cause she carries the pie torch now.
Restaurant pie?
Can't.
I've been to the mount.
You don't happen to have them big pillowy upper arms that pie makin' grammas have do ya?
My wife's gettin' em.
Those are pie makin' arms .
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: rick91351 on October 28, 2011, 08:46:13 PM
We have a patch of rhubarb in a aspen grove that is over 100 yrs old.  When Dad now 96 was a small boy they summered in that grove in wall tents, because the house would get so hot.  Grandma would tell him "Go over and see if the pie plant is ready."  He says he would just go a trotting over there with visions of soon to be rhubarb pie.  We still harvest rhubarb from that patch once in a while. [hungry]     
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on October 30, 2011, 11:22:26 PM
Yeah, Gary, I have those pie making arms, lol.  Unfortunately I'm pillowy everywhere else too, but you know what they say about never trusting a skinny cook.  If anyone wants my pie crust recipe, I'd be happy to share as it is a no fail recipe,  uses whole wheat, and no Crisco involved, and it tastes absolutely delicious.  My kids love to make a whole wheat honey pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving and Christmas, and it is wonderful (I do the crusts for them because they don't have the upper body strength to roll out the dough yet.) 

Tonight was potluck at church after the singing.  I made a huge pot of stew.  Our road is so washed out that the crockpot sloshed all over the place, so my truck will be smelling like cumin and oregano for weeks to come (and garlic and onions....)  Someone brought some deer chili that was really really good, too.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on October 31, 2011, 12:29:15 AM
HG, I'd like your pie crust recipe.  I've made one that includes an egg & vinegar in it - no fail.  I used to use Crisco but now have used butter or organic coconut oil.  That seemed to work out pretty good - used whole wheat the last time I made it but it didn't turn out as good.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: rick91351 on October 31, 2011, 12:46:10 AM
I have been wondering with the huge cross section of people that use this forum would a recipe thread work?  After a while I am sure we could even published cook book to help John fund this project.  Like one of those church cook book companies................ 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on October 31, 2011, 09:37:44 AM
To see if there is interest in a recipe sharing topic I would suggest someone start a new topic in the "off topic" board. Share a recipe with us. Name it something so it's obvious a place to share recipes... hey there's a topic name "A Place To Share recipes"  ;D   I can make it sticky and if it becomes popular it can stay sticky.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Gary O on October 31, 2011, 09:53:30 PM
 OK, my bride has a few recipes (LIKE SEVERAL THOUSAND!), but I just have a handful of secret ones, so I won't be posting in the new thread much.
However, I have a few choice ones from my bachin' days that saved my bacon (beer money) more than a few times.
...and I s'pose all you ladies with pie makin' arms know this already.
Syrup
One cup water, one cup sugar, one tsp Maplene.
Bring water to low boil, back down the temp, add sugar and Maplene. If you boil it, it will crystalize later on.
20 cents for ½ qt of syrup.
Mrs Butterworth, keep yer apron on.

Pancakes (for single guys), one word; Krusteaz.
Water, stir, presto.
Thing is, I burn everything, so my creations fall under the term 'blackened'.
Hey, my blackened pancakes are fabulous with a bit of strawberry jam....and charcoal is good for ya right?
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Sassy on November 02, 2011, 04:59:20 PM
Charcoal?  Doesn't that filter out all the bad stuff?  I can recall putting bottles of that stuff down nasogastric tubes I've inserted into my patients when they've OD'd  :o  IIRC, it quickly comes out the other end  :D

I'm one of those people who likes my toast very toasty, my popcorn well-popped, marshmallows blackened & hotdogs crispy...  seems to lend a special flavor to it all  [hungry]
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: muldoon on November 02, 2011, 06:43:34 PM
slow grilled chicken breast, marinated in sea-salt, fresh black pepper, fresh garlic, mustard.  slow cook at 300ish for about an hour.  sliced thin and put over a leafy salad with romaine, spinach and finely diced purple onions and some strawberries.  paired with iced black tea. 

a nice dinner before the kids violin lessons. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Rob_O on November 05, 2011, 11:04:52 PM
Chicken with BBQ sauce on the grill, with a side of mac and cheese.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on November 07, 2011, 01:23:29 AM
Homegrown chicken, baked with a spice packet for soon-dubu-chigae soup base sprinkled on it (spicy Korean soup base).  Just trying to use up the soup base, which had been in the cabinet for a while..... it was really good.  We called it "Earthquake Chicken".... along with a salad and skin on smashed potatoes.

Kids thought that the earthquake chicken was too hot, so I made some honey mustard chicken for them.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: muldoon on November 14, 2011, 07:03:14 PM
Took this doe yesterday morning, tonight's dinner includes thin sliced peppered backstrap slow cooked over mesquite smoke and asparagus dusted with garlic salt and butter.

(http://www.loopy.org/pictures/galleries/Dixon%20Ranch/November%202011/_thumbs/640x480-DSCN0653.JPG)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: muldoon on November 28, 2011, 06:53:26 PM
smoked wild pig ham sourced from the "took my son hunting" thread ... 

I did something different this time, I dry rubbed and put on oak/mesquite at noon, but at 2:30pm, I put the roast in alum foil and doused with a jellied "cherry" jam and a touch of water.  At 3:30 I checked temp and removed it from the foil and back on the grate.  I pulled it at 4:15 when internal temp was at 165. 

The sweet and spicy and smokey notes make for some nice din-din. 

(http://www.loopy.org/pictures/galleries/Dixon%20Ranch/November%202011/_thumbs/640x480-shawn-pig-cook-1.jpg)

(http://www.loopy.org/pictures/galleries/Dixon%20Ranch/November%202011/_thumbs/640x480-shawn-pig-cook-2.jpg)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Redoverfarm on November 28, 2011, 07:40:23 PM
 [cool]  Sounds good.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Redoverfarm on January 09, 2012, 09:33:04 AM
OK I am not a cook by any means but thought I would share a product that my wife got the other day.  No it's not one of those TV products.  It is a potato chip cooker that works in the microwave.  The directions states that the chips will cook in 2 minutes but like all foods that depends on the particular microwave.  We tried it last night and believe it or not it did work.  Took a little longer than 2 minutes.  Some were cooked in 4 and others in 6 minutes.

The biggest problem was cutting the potato to a thin slice.  I guess you could add what ever seasoning you desired.  No it probably would work you to death trying to make a large quanity but for a small amount it was great.  I think it is made out of the some of the new silicone wear.  They have two that can be stacked or used seperately.  Here is the company which does make some quality cookware.
 
http://www.pamperedchef.com/ordering/prod_details.tpc?prodId=35216&words=potato chip
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on January 10, 2012, 09:21:28 PM
We had homegrown chicken, deboned and baked with the last of the tomatoes, onions, and peppers, plus some olives, topped with cheese.  Then had some steamed veggies and a side of Braum's icecream.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: carroll on January 11, 2012, 12:43:55 AM
I went over for a friend's birthday dinner -- cheese fondue with "kirsch" (sp?) It's very alcoholic -- smells kind of like everclear to me!  (My Southern roots are showing here . . . .)

One bit of kirsch-loaded bread soaked in fondue cheese, and I could understand how people could get drunk at a fondue party!  I didn't like the taste, so stuck with just the bread dipped in the cheese fondue.

Nice people -- her husband's an excellent carpenter/handyman/general genius at figuring out how to do things (the man figured out how to make homemade arch supports out of flip-flops!) -- so of course I asked him all kinds of questions about the feasibility of the near-Taos house!  I'm still thinking about getting it . . . .

Here's to fondue!

:)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: muldoon on January 12, 2012, 12:41:35 AM
simple burgers over a wood fired grill, 50% ground deer, 50% lean beef.  I made some potatoes in the oven drizzled with olive oil, garlic salt and fresh rosemary from the garden.  I cut up lettuce, tomatoes and red onions but on my plate I just skipped the bread and had the meat and potatoes and the weak salad with a very spicy hot sauce on the side. 

homegrown - I had a bad experience with a homegrown chicken when I was young.  yours sounded good tho. 

carrol - you had everclear and cheese for dinner?   (not that theres anything wrong with that ... )
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: carroll on January 12, 2012, 01:12:14 AM
Hey, Muldoon,

They had the 'everclear-but-not-really" kirsch -- I just had the little crunchy bread dipped in fondue cheese!  (Tried one, and that was enough for me!)  (Turns out that it's not just a simple matter of melting cheese when you make fondue -- there's other stuff you have to do, too!   I'm glad I asked, because I had always thought I could just melt cheese in my cute little 'never-been-used' fondue pot!) 

I really wonder how people come up with stuff (I gather the kirsch before dipping in cheese is a common practice in Switzerland) -- "Hey, guy, let's not drink the liquor, let's dunk the bread in it, then put dip that in cheese to get us drunk by EATING OUR ALCOHOL!  What won't they think up next (although that practice has been around for a long time . . . .)

I've had some everclear before (many, many moons ago) -- and I didn't like that stuff either, hee, hee!  Whereas a really sweet peach wine, or gevertztrammener to me is delicious . .. .

Hmmmm -- might have to go get a glass (had not-chili beans tonight (forgot the chile powder when I made the beans) -- put cinnnamon, cumin, cocoa powder, and a bunch of other stuff in them (garlic, onions, carrots, etc.)

I LOVE the taste of cinnamon and a touch of cocoa powder in them -- with cheddar cheese of course!  Now that I write it, the dish sounds weird, but a lot of my friends like it too -- well, they either like it, or they were really hungry when they were over here!  Of course, I have one friend who hated it  . . . .
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: muldoon on January 12, 2012, 01:30:45 AM
I like the idea of cinnamon and cocoa in beans, I need to try it.  I am not so sure about carrots, mostly because I am not a fan of mushy carrots.  It seems like any time I make beans they seem to simmer and simmer and usually come back the next day as leftovers so I think I'll skip the carrots.  I'm going to try your spice ideas the next time I make beans tho. 

I like the fruit wines and reislings too, I like to make them too. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: carroll on January 12, 2012, 02:12:52 AM
That's great, Muldoon!  I put carrots in to add some veggie vitamins, but they kind of can't really be tasted, once you've got all the spices in there -- their consistency turns into about that of the beans . . . .

I think I read somewhere (but am not sure of this) that if you add tomatoes to your beans, they won't soften much because of the acid.  It was either that, or if you had hard water . . . .  Rats, can't think of it, now.

I always soak mine overnight, throw out the water, rinse them, and then cook the hell out of 'em -- sometimes I bother to sautee my onions and minced garlic, sometimes I just add everything together, and let them cook.  Supposedly it only takes about an hour, but I've never managed to have soft beans in that time frame!

I also add tomatoes, green chiles, anything else I have hanging around -- sometimes I make brown rice, to put with some of the beans.  What I really like is that you can make a whole huge pot of beans, kind of season them some (pepper, cumin, thyme, basil, anything else that 'feels' right to you) -- and then you can make vastly different meals from them, depending on what you season them with when you warm them back up!

I'm kind of stuck on the cinnamon and cocoa powder right now -- previous incarnations have included curry (really strange, but kind of good -- I'm not that big of a curry fan);  chili powder (which makes it actually CHILI!;  loads of tomatoes, then mix it in salads;  different kinds of beans --
cold, of course!

When I had fondue last night, they also served green beans with a little olive oil and vinegar on them -- really superb!  (They don't overcook the beans, so they were just right!)  Good for you, too!

:)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Homegrown Tomatoes on February 23, 2012, 08:48:35 AM
So... Muldoon, what was your bad experience with the homegrown chicken?  The butchering process itself or an old chicken that was too tough to chew or what?  Our kids had a scarring experience with butchering this year, lol.  We had some city friends come over to help butcher because they wanted to learn how.  The guys were outside doing the killing and gutting, and us girls were inside finishing cleaning, cutting, and putting it in the freezer.  Every few minutes, one of the husbands would show up at the back door with another carcass for us to finish.  They would just stuff the giblets back into the bird for us to deal with, and my friend brought one chicken in and plopped it into a clear plastic bucket on the counter.... only the "elbows" of the wings caught on the edge of the bucket and it looked like it was sitting on a recliner, and the giblets dropped out the bottom into the bucket.  All six of the kids (theirs and ours) were sitting at the table eating lunch and just grossed out because they thought that the skinned, dead chicken had pooped in the bucket, lol.  The look on their faces was pretty priceless.  However, they got over it.  Our kids won't hardly eat store chicken anymore, and they can usually tell the difference from the first bite, if they don't notice the different smell when it is cooking.  Unfortunately, we are out of homegrown until we butcher again this year!  I went to a Whole Foods store in the city here a while back.... free range chicken like ours sells for $3.49 a POUND.  I figure we are getting a heck of a deal even with the butchering work figured in.  Our chickens don't eat much store feed... just kitchen scraps and the bugs and weeds they get for themselves, with a little supplemental feed when they need it.  Plus, they are clearing the woods where it is really hard for us to... the area around their coop is starting to look almost parklike.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: muldoon on March 13, 2012, 07:09:12 PM
I guess I totally missed your post homegrown girl. 

My bad experience was when I was in 6th grade or so.  We had chickens, and were rather, shall we say, poor.  My mom my sister and I decided we were going to eat one of the chickens for dinner, and our neighbor proceded to tell us what I needed to do.  I was told to grab them by the neck and swing them him around to break his neck. 

This chicken was the oldest chicken we had.  He had a bad foot that was deformed and we "elected" him to go as the weakest worst of the bunch.  So I did what I was asked to do, only it didnt work.  I swung him around probably 15 times and this poor old bird just groaned and croaked.  It was horrible.  I finally used a hatchet.  Then the feathers.  That was horrible in it's own right.  Finally we ate that bowl of chicken and dumplings - all three of us, no one said a word.  It was the toughest worst chicken anyone had ever eaten, it was a terrible day followed by a terrible supper.  We didn't speak, and we didn't eat homegrown chickens after that. 

I dont mind cleaning animals, deer, pigs, quail, ducks, even rattlesnake or squirrel or rabbit every now and then.  I'll clean fish all day long.  But thanks but no thanks on the yard bird. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Redoverfarm on March 25, 2012, 05:49:53 PM
Yes it is that time of the year.  Thanks to ChuckinVa for dropping me off a bag.  Unusually I should be digging for him but I was busy and he made a special trip with his dad to dig them.

Ramps, Fried Potato's, fried eggs SSU, biscuits and sausage gravy.  Now who could resist or ask for anything more.

[hungry]
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: muldoon on April 08, 2012, 09:20:33 PM
(http://www.loopy.org/pictures/galleries/Easter%202012/_thumbs/640x480-DSCF1891.JPG)

beer battered fish fry.  +hushpuppies + tater tots + home made tartar sauce. 

// had the family over for easter dinner and a kiddos egghunt. 
// best day I can remember in a while.  had a blast. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Redoverfarm on April 17, 2012, 08:20:31 PM
Deer Roast, fried potatos w/ ramps, whole kernel corn, homemade sauerkraut and biscuits [hungry]. 

Tomarrow is in the planning stage but the main course will be fresh Rainbow trout, fried potato's w/ramps .  I don't think it is against the law to have fried poitato's two days straight especially when ramps are involved.   ;)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: OlJarhead on May 31, 2012, 07:48:43 PM
(https://i998.photobucket.com/albums/af102/emcvay/RoastedPineappleHabanero.jpg)
Sweet & Sour meets Insanely Hot

And man-o-man-o-man was it tasty!  WOW!

My wife found some Roasted Pineapple and Habanero Sauce and dumped a full jar of it on some meatballs (from Costco) and let me tell you what!  That was some awesome tasty meal!

BUT, it's not for the faint of heart or palate!  The heat is enough to scare off most and I'm just talking about the scent! hahahahaa  Put a bite in your mouth and HANG ON for the ride!  But oh Lord how it was tasty....maybe I ought to go get a bit more.....back in a few ;)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: CjAl on June 22, 2012, 04:35:49 PM
on the road in WI today and was feeling a bit homesick so i am doing some crock pot cooking trucker style.  whip up some cajun rice and beans. used some lima beans, chicken stock, cut up saugage, onion, jalopeno, garlic, cajun seasoning and rice. hardest part is smelling it cooking all day.

(https://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u258/CjAl1/2012-06-22163021.jpg)


i just threw the rice in. it will soak up the rest of the stock.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Pine Cone on September 29, 2012, 10:48:20 PM
(https://i753.photobucket.com/albums/xx172/Pine_Cone/A_Bigger_Coho.jpg)
(https://i753.photobucket.com/albums/xx172/Pine_Cone/CohoCookiesheet.jpg)
Coho Salmon are finally here! 

Not the best fillet job, but I hope to have more practice before the end of the season.
(https://i753.photobucket.com/albums/xx172/Pine_Cone/cohoForDinner.jpg)

With some luck, I will be able to catch more and  smoke some.  Nothing better than eating smoked salmon you caught and prepared!
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Gary O on October 05, 2012, 10:35:08 AM
Awww, yeah. Silvers are g-o-o-o-o-o-d eatin'
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: OlJarhead on December 05, 2012, 07:06:33 PM
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/curry-pumpkin-soup/detail.aspx
Making that with Speckled Hound and serving with chops and mashed root veggies :)

Hoping it turns out!
[edit -- it was amazing!]
(https://i998.photobucket.com/albums/af102/emcvay/100_2800.jpg)
Curried Pumpkin Soup -- simply amazing!
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: OlJarhead on December 24, 2012, 01:00:19 AM
Tonight we tried a pork butt roast in the crockpot with Cherry Pomegranate Habanero Sauce over rice.  It was quite good but we believe it would be better using the sauce after the roast has cooked a while with some seasoning (I just dumped all the sauce in with the roast and cooked it for 4 hours and then served over rice)...still, was quite good and not hot at all.

However, I must admit that what got me thinking about posting was my sandwich!  I know it's bad to eat this late and I don't normally but perhaps because I walked 7 miles today (I've been doing 4-5 1/2 miles almost daily for the last few weeks and just pushed it up to 7 today) I just needed something extra and, well, I'd made some nice French Sandwich loaves for my wife and daughter (and Christmas and whatever) today and you know that desire that you sometimes get, or at least I do, for a SOFT white bread sandwich?  I mean not the El Cheapo stuff you buy in the store but the real Deli or Bakery soft country loaf type bread?  Well anyway I slathered on some mayo (we're almost out of store bought and then going all home made because we like it better) and put a piece of cheddar and some ham on it and bit into it....and oh the heavenly flavor and texture!!!!

Oh lord I better not make too much of this stuff!  It's simply amazing and I'd gain a thousand pounds if I ate it every day! lol... d*

So ya, the stuff is simply the best.  No pictures for you, sorry, but take my word for it, I've done cracked the code as my Dad would say.  This bread is the best!
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: OlJarhead on December 24, 2012, 08:40:58 PM
(https://i998.photobucket.com/albums/af102/emcvay/100_2912.jpg)
ok I had to share ;)  This is what's left of the two loaves I made yesterday :)  my wife and daughter had a part in that!

(https://i998.photobucket.com/albums/af102/emcvay/100_2944.jpg)
So I made more ;)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Redoverfarm on December 24, 2012, 09:13:48 PM
Traditional or as it seems for the last couple of Christmas eve dinners.  T-Bone steak, garlic and buttered sauteed shrimp, baked potato, toss salad and white Zinfandel.  Superb meal with the family.  Got to love this time of the year.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: OlJarhead on December 26, 2012, 09:26:37 PM
Sounds good!

For us it can change but this year it was a nice big (8lbs) New York Rib Roast slow roasted and served with mashed potatoes, home canned Blue Lake Bush beans, cooked carrots (with brown sugar), beef gravy the way my wife makes it (too good), and my newest Dinner roll creation (more or less a french bread sweetened up and cooked with the roast still in the oven -- makes it soooo good)...can't remember what else there was but it was awesome :)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: OlJarhead on January 26, 2013, 08:26:55 PM
Any bread makers here?
(https://i998.photobucket.com/albums/af102/emcvay/Done.jpg)
For dinner tonight I made this mildly sour Artisan bread.

(https://i998.photobucket.com/albums/af102/emcvay/IMG_0841.jpg)
It's a simple no-knead bread that uses a small amount of whole wheat (home milled) to make the flour more like per-industrial flours.

(https://i998.photobucket.com/albums/af102/emcvay/MildSour.jpg)
This gives the bread a darker crumb and heartier flavor then a standard white sourdough.

(https://i998.photobucket.com/albums/af102/emcvay/Mildlysour.jpg)
And the bread is as awesome as it looks! :D

The recipe is pretty much fool proof, involves NO Kneading and produces a loaf that anyone who loves sourdough/artisan breads with a hard crust and soft crumb will absolutely love!
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Pine Cone on January 30, 2013, 12:46:06 AM
I'm using a similar recipe, but making baguettes, or pizza or flatbread or pitas.  Mix it, don't kneed it, let it rise a couple of hours, put it in the fridge, take out a bit and bake it.  Better than you can buy at a supermarket or even  my local bakery!

(https://i753.photobucket.com/albums/xx172/Pine_Cone/bagette_zpsf0d8ae80.jpg)

What I like best is that I can make it when I need it, less chance to have it spoil or dry out before I finish a loaf.  Based on recipe by these folks ... http://www.artisanbreadinfive.com/ (http://www.artisanbreadinfive.com/) from the book they wrote.  I am now back to baking 2-4 times a week!  Helps heat the house an smells wonderful!
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: OlJarhead on January 30, 2013, 01:08:33 AM
Cool!  Mine you leave out overnight so it makes a nice sourdough but I'll have to check out yours and try it too!
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Pine Cone on January 30, 2013, 10:27:20 PM
(https://i753.photobucket.com/albums/xx172/Pine_Cone/BreadDough_zps946aa93a.jpg)

The basic recipe is very simple
3 cups lukewarm water
1 1/2 tablespoons yeast
1 1/2 tablespoons Kosher salt
6 1/2 cups of all purpose flour (unsifted)
Mix, don't kneed, let rise for a couple of hours, refrigerate, use about 1/4 of the original mix for each loaf.  Take it out of the fridge, shape it and let it sit 20 minutes to an hour, then bake at 450 degrees F for 25 minutes, have a pan of water in the oven when you bake it for a nicer crust.  Less time for pizza, pitas or foccaia, more time for a loaf pan or larger loaves.

I mix it and store it in the same container (shown above) which is NOT airtight.  Use within a week.  OK for pizza, normal loaf pan, pitas, etc. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Pine Cone on January 30, 2013, 11:38:39 PM
(https://i753.photobucket.com/albums/xx172/Pine_Cone/pizza_zps7627d4e0.jpg)

Looks like pizza tonight!
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: OlJarhead on January 31, 2013, 10:06:49 AM
Very nice!  Thanks
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: OlJarhead on May 14, 2013, 06:57:18 PM
(https://i998.photobucket.com/albums/af102/emcvay/IMG_0242640x386_zps3066e527.jpg) (https://s998.photobucket.com/user/emcvay/media/IMG_0242640x386_zps3066e527.jpg.html)
We decided to try a Sourdough Starter Pizza Dough recently and it was awesome!

(https://i998.photobucket.com/albums/af102/emcvay/IMG_0243580x640_zpscf13fe40.jpg) (https://s998.photobucket.com/user/emcvay/media/IMG_0243580x640_zpscf13fe40.jpg.html)
Ham and Pepperoni with Sourdough -- ya I'm having a hard time losing weight! (but I am down to 240!)

(https://i998.photobucket.com/albums/af102/emcvay/IMG_0278640x558_zps58be0fbc.jpg) (https://s998.photobucket.com/user/emcvay/media/IMG_0278640x558_zps58be0fbc.jpg.html)
For dining pleasure tonight :)

(https://i998.photobucket.com/albums/af102/emcvay/IMG_0279640x554_zps2742a83f.jpg) (https://s998.photobucket.com/user/emcvay/media/IMG_0279640x554_zps2742a83f.jpg.html)
Sourdough made in a Dutch Oven -- the very best way to make it!

(https://i998.photobucket.com/albums/af102/emcvay/IMG_0281640x547_zpsc72e789c.jpg) (https://s998.photobucket.com/user/emcvay/media/IMG_0281640x547_zpsc72e789c.jpg.html)
Hungry yet? :D
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Pine Cone on May 25, 2013, 09:21:47 PM
Homemade Pizza, made the dough, grew the basil and green onions...
(https://i753.photobucket.com/albums/xx172/Pine_Cone/PizzaMay_zpsa155759d.jpg) (https://s753.photobucket.com/user/Pine_Cone/media/PizzaMay_zpsa155759d.jpg.html)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Pine Cone on June 13, 2013, 01:20:03 AM
(https://i753.photobucket.com/albums/xx172/Pine_Cone/ArtisanBread_01_zps9298d16b.jpg) (https://s753.photobucket.com/user/Pine_Cone/media/ArtisanBread_01_zps9298d16b.jpg.html)

(https://i753.photobucket.com/albums/xx172/Pine_Cone/ArtisanBread_02_zpsc021843e.jpg) (https://s753.photobucket.com/user/Pine_Cone/media/ArtisanBread_02_zpsc021843e.jpg.html)

Another variant of no-kneed bread, cooked in a Dutch oven. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: OlJarhead on June 13, 2013, 03:58:18 PM
Very nice!  I love Dutch Oven bread! :D
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Gary O on February 11, 2014, 09:09:48 PM
Dinner?

I'm a breakfast guy.....so.....sorry, but;

Y'ever go to an all-you-can-eat Smorgasbord for breakfast and, knowing yer gonna OD on bacon, you get a smidgen of toast and jam, then just go ahead and swap the huge platter of bacon with yer plate and go back to yer table to gorge and swill coffee until they set out a new platter?




Me neither.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: rick91351 on February 12, 2014, 12:16:10 AM
Quote from: Gary O on February 11, 2014, 09:09:48 PM
Dinner?

I'm a breakfast guy.....so.....sorry, but;

Y'ever go to an all-you-can-eat Smorgasbord for breakfast and, knowing yer gonna OD on bacon, you get a smidgen of toast and jam, then just go ahead and swap the huge platter of bacon with yer plate and go back to yer table to gorge and swill coffee until they set out a new platter?




Me neither.

Did one on a cruise one time c*  I got addicted to these little smoked fish....... [waiting]  OMG  I do not even like fish.  It is like a once a year thing with me.  But these little smoked fish were so good.  I sat close to the chow line so when they put a other tub of them on the steam table ....... some times you had to shove an old couple out of the way......  [hungry]  OMG and for breakfast. 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Gary O on February 12, 2014, 07:04:08 AM
Sounds like the ocean version of Golden Corral
We get the ads
Only, the closest one is over 100 miles away from where we are.

We have 'Home Town Buffet'
Where hairless geriatrics shuffle around the steam tables, foraging for something their dentures can handle.
They're big on mashed potatoes and gravy.....and cake and ice cream.
I think they 'accidently' dool on the their favorites as a hoary form of dibs.
Saw one ol' guy mouth a steak...then put it back (shudder).
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: muldoon on June 25, 2014, 05:06:00 PM
I am eating quite a bit of red meat lately, caveman diet.  I love it.  Here are some recent plates. 

(http://www.loopy.org/pictures/galleries/.misc/_thumbs/640x480-steak1.jpg)

(http://www.loopy.org/pictures/galleries/.misc/_thumbs/640x480-steak2.jpg)

(http://www.loopy.org/pictures/galleries/.misc/_thumbs/640x480-steak3.jpg)

(http://www.loopy.org/pictures/galleries/.misc/_thumbs/640x480-steak4.jpg)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Pine Cone on July 31, 2014, 11:00:16 PM
It has been a good summer for catching crab from my kayak

(https://i753.photobucket.com/albums/xx172/Pine_Cone/Crab_for_Dinner_zps1854c34a.jpg) (https://s753.photobucket.com/user/Pine_Cone/media/Crab_for_Dinner_zps1854c34a.jpg.html)

My new kayak, a WS Tarpon 160, an excellent fishing kayak, long enough to make me feel much safer in the ocean
(https://i753.photobucket.com/albums/xx172/Pine_Cone/WS_Tarpon_160_zpse5d1bdd9.jpg) (https://s753.photobucket.com/user/Pine_Cone/media/WS_Tarpon_160_zpse5d1bdd9.jpg.html)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Redoverfarm on August 09, 2014, 01:50:36 PM
Well not actually tonight but this fall it will be mighty good.  My mother and I started making sauerkraut today.  Among other things she is a master of Kraut.  For years she would always use a stone crock until several years ago she started using a plastic 5 gallon bucket.  No difference in the taste.  Anyway I picked up about 12 head of cabbage from a friend who has a fruit market.  Couldn't believe how nice the heads were.  Some weighed upward of 8 pounds.  Normally it would take about 10 heads per turn.  But these were supper tight which according to Mom makes the best kraut.    Well we ended up making almost two turns.  I estimated that we have about 8 gallons which will ferment for 14-16 days and should yield about 60 pints.

First bucket after pounding and salt added.

(https://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd161/redoverfarm/scenes/country%20plans/100_5055-1_zps3df78294.jpg) (https://s220.photobucket.com/user/redoverfarm/media/scenes/country%20plans/100_5055-1_zps3df78294.jpg.html)

Kraut covered with clean cabbage leaves.

(https://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd161/redoverfarm/scenes/country%20plans/100_5058-1_zpsfcd88d3f.jpg) (https://s220.photobucket.com/user/redoverfarm/media/scenes/country%20plans/100_5058-1_zpsfcd88d3f.jpg.html)

Placement of a dinner plate to apply uniform pressure.

(https://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd161/redoverfarm/scenes/country%20plans/100_5056-1_zps34b0393e.jpg) (https://s220.photobucket.com/user/redoverfarm/media/scenes/country%20plans/100_5056-1_zps34b0393e.jpg.html)

Water jug for weight to force the liquid to the top.

(https://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd161/redoverfarm/scenes/country%20plans/100_5059-1_zps95dec774.jpg) (https://s220.photobucket.com/user/redoverfarm/media/scenes/country%20plans/100_5059-1_zps95dec774.jpg.html)

Finally covering with a sheet/cloth to keep clean and avoid the attack of flies and other insects.

(https://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd161/redoverfarm/scenes/country%20plans/100_5060-1_zps0543304a.jpg) (https://s220.photobucket.com/user/redoverfarm/media/scenes/country%20plans/100_5060-1_zps0543304a.jpg.html)


Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: rick91351 on August 09, 2014, 02:09:01 PM
John very interested in this.  Or this type of preserving.  Please excuse my lack of experience.  What is a turn?  Does your mother recommend any books or publications for this.  Does it ferment better this time of the year rather latter like early fall.  How do you know when it is finished.  When you put it up do you just do a regular old boiling water bath?
     
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Redoverfarm on August 09, 2014, 03:29:08 PM
Quote from: rick91351 on August 09, 2014, 02:09:01 PM
John very interested in this.  Or this type of preserving.  Please excuse my lack of experience.  What is a turn?  Does your mother recommend any books or publications for this.  Does it ferment better this time of the year rather latter like early fall.  How do you know when it is finished.  When you put it up do you just do a regular old boiling water bath?
     

Rick "turn" is just an expression which refers to canning process of one variety at one time or everything that is processed will be canned at once.  Books I don't think she has ever used any.  Most of which she does is just what she has learned or been passed down for her life of 81 years.  It does ferment better in certain conditions.  Cool dry locations are the best and it is usually done when the cabbage is ready.  Seems that everything comes due about the same time so it's a busy time of the year for those who can.  Corn, tomatoes, beans and the like.  There are a few steps I left out to just give an overview but if you are interested I can send you something from start to finish.  She has gotten modern in her later years with using a salad master to cut the kraut rather then the conventional kraut cutter tray.  And of course the bucket is a lot lighter and does the same job.  Every 3-4 days she would skim off the top water which rises and bubbles.  In about 14 days she would taste test it to see if it has the sour taste associated with kraut.  If not leave it a couple  more days and retaste it.  Then just can it up as you stated in canning jars.  She usually like to layer it in 2 head lifts meaning that you add two headed of sliced cabbage and 3-4 Tbs of salt.  Mix thoroughly and tamp it down in the bucket.  It serves several purposes.  Removes air space, tenderizes, and makes room for additional kraut.  Then repeat with another two head lift layer the same as the first.  Generally depending on the size head will dictate how many heads it takes to fill the bucket.  Do not fill over about 4/5 of the bucket allowing room for the liquid to rise without running over.

I talked her into trying something and I will let you know how it turns out.  She doesn't use the "heart of the cabbage" but generally discards it.  I actually like it but not 12 heads worth.  So she is going to try to can it like dill pickles and see how that turns out.  When we slice it we do so down to the heart area.   
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on August 09, 2014, 03:39:17 PM
MMmmm.  I haven't seen home made kraut for decades.  :)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: rick91351 on August 09, 2014, 10:06:28 PM
Yeppers you moms sound like mine.  You would ask her how she did something and it was like well you just do it...... [waiting]

Spicing a dish or making her rolls or____ she had no recipes really she did it....  Amazing!!!
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Pine Cone on August 11, 2014, 10:15:08 PM
Kraut is on my list this year.  Just finished a related project, home made pickles, done the old fashioned way in a crock filled with brine, cukes, spices, a couple of grape leaves and about a weeks worth of time.  Never made them this way before (without vinegar) but they are fabulous.  Made them in our walk-in basement to keep the temperatures constant and reasonable (about 70 degrees).  The mixture fermented on its own like it is supposed to.  We will be playing with the spices, but they are very good. 

(https://i753.photobucket.com/albums/xx172/Pine_Cone/Pickles_01_zps07353914.jpg) (https://s753.photobucket.com/user/Pine_Cone/media/Pickles_01_zps07353914.jpg.html)

Good thing it worked because we are about to have a large number of pickling cucumbers coming out of the garden.  So far we have frozen peas & raspberries, and canned beans, and pickled some beets.  Today my wife made the first batch of blackberry jam! 
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Pine Cone on August 13, 2014, 10:49:30 PM
Cukes are really starting to produce, so I started 2 more batches of lactobacillus brine pickles tonight, one with all the cukes picked today, another with a mix of cukes picked over the last week or so.  You're supposed to do them as fresh as possible, so this is partly a test of using the less-fresh cukes that have been sitting in our refridgerator's crisper.  I'll post some pix after a few days when the fermentation should be going strong.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Pine Cone on August 21, 2014, 10:59:50 PM
One more attempt to promote pickles!  A natural source of probiotics, easy to make, tasty!   [cool]

Pick some pickling cucumbers, a few grape leaves, get 5.5 oz (1/2 cup) pickling salt, a few cloves of garlic, spices, and a gallon of water without clorine in it.
(https://i753.photobucket.com/albums/xx172/Pine_Cone/Making%20Pickles/01-Ingredients_zps9c4417c6.jpg) (https://s753.photobucket.com/user/Pine_Cone/media/Making%20Pickles/01-Ingredients_zps9c4417c6.jpg.html)

Mix the salt and water until dissolved
(https://i753.photobucket.com/albums/xx172/Pine_Cone/Making%20Pickles/02-DissolveSalt_zps16ec37d8.jpg) (https://s753.photobucket.com/user/Pine_Cone/media/Making%20Pickles/02-DissolveSalt_zps16ec37d8.jpg.html)

Mix up some spices... I use pickling spice, some dill seed and dill weed, fresh dill if available, garlic gets added later
(https://i753.photobucket.com/albums/xx172/Pine_Cone/Making%20Pickles/03-MixSpices_zpse511cd2c.jpg) (https://s753.photobucket.com/user/Pine_Cone/media/Making%20Pickles/03-MixSpices_zpse511cd2c.jpg.html)

Put spices and grape leaves in the bottom of your container.  Grape leaves add tanin which keeps the pickles crisp.
(https://i753.photobucket.com/albums/xx172/Pine_Cone/Making%20Pickles/04-AddGrapeLeaves_zps98fb0748.jpg) (https://s753.photobucket.com/user/Pine_Cone/media/Making%20Pickles/04-AddGrapeLeaves_zps98fb0748.jpg.html)

Add fresh cucumbers that have had the ends trimmed.  Pickling cukes work best, smaller is often better.  I added some crushed garlic as well.
(https://i753.photobucket.com/albums/xx172/Pine_Cone/Making%20Pickles/05-AddCukes_zpsc8dbb3ed.jpg) (https://s753.photobucket.com/user/Pine_Cone/media/Making%20Pickles/05-AddCukes_zpsc8dbb3ed.jpg.html)

Cover with the brine solution
(https://i753.photobucket.com/albums/xx172/Pine_Cone/Making%20Pickles/06-CoverCukesWithBrine_zps50c48786.jpg) (https://s753.photobucket.com/user/Pine_Cone/media/Making%20Pickles/06-CoverCukesWithBrine_zps50c48786.jpg.html)

Weight the cukes down with some plates to keep them submerged.
(https://i753.photobucket.com/albums/xx172/Pine_Cone/Making%20Pickles/07-WeightWithPlates_zps689e1d34.jpg) (https://s753.photobucket.com/user/Pine_Cone/media/Making%20Pickles/07-WeightWithPlates_zps689e1d34.jpg.html)

(https://i753.photobucket.com/albums/xx172/Pine_Cone/Making%20Pickles/08-SideViewWithWeights_zpsf7690e83.jpg) (https://s753.photobucket.com/user/Pine_Cone/media/Making%20Pickles/08-SideViewWithWeights_zpsf7690e83.jpg.html)

Put where temperatures are fairly constant around 68 to 70 degrees.  Wait a few days, skim surface daily from days 3 through 7.  Fermentation should start by day 3 leaving small patches of bubbles on the surface.  Fermentation should slow or stop by day 7 to 10.
(https://i753.photobucket.com/albums/xx172/Pine_Cone/Making%20Pickles/09-EightDaysLater_zpscbe654b4.jpg) (https://s753.photobucket.com/user/Pine_Cone/media/Making%20Pickles/09-EightDaysLater_zpscbe654b4.jpg.html)

Taste after 7 to 8 days.  Once they taste right put pickles in refridgerator.  They should keep a couple of months if you keep them submerged in brine.  You can re-bottle if you want.
(https://i753.photobucket.com/albums/xx172/Pine_Cone/Making%20Pickles/10-Pickles_zpsea52f8f6.jpg) (https://s753.photobucket.com/user/Pine_Cone/media/Making%20Pickles/10-Pickles_zpsea52f8f6.jpg.html)

Eat pickles on a frequent basis.  Make more as more cucumbers ripen... :)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Redoverfarm on September 09, 2014, 11:26:53 AM
The fruits of our labor.  48 pints of kraut from 12 heads of cabbage.  Took a little longer to work than expected.  The temperature has a good bit to do with how fast it makes.  Originally for the 1st two weeks it was in mom's cellar.  A little too cool so it was moved to her sunroom.  All in all it took about 26 days to get the right level of sourness.  Taste testing every other day to monitor it.  Now on the shelf until supper time during the winter.  Oh yeah we did have a mess last night with kielbasa and mashed potatoes.   [hungry]

(https://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd161/redoverfarm/scenes/country%20plans/100_5070-1_zps24d43671.jpg) (https://s220.photobucket.com/user/redoverfarm/media/scenes/country%20plans/100_5070-1_zps24d43671.jpg.html)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Gary O on July 24, 2015, 06:49:29 AM
The PB and J

12 Midnight
hungry
Franz Old fashioned white bread
Imperial margarine (or real butter)
Adam's Old Fashioned chunky; peanuts, salt
Smucker's strawberry jam

Thick
Slathered
Gits on yer fingers and face
Milk....outa the jug

Another, the works

2:10AM
wake to horrendous surging cramps

2:23AM
begrudging trudge to the hopper
forcing stubborn, hesitant twin rabbit pellets
(I'll be back)

2:57AM
Happy to have made it
Noise ridden convulsing spitting salad shooter
the one thousand sheet wipe

knowing this will happen has never stopped me


When the little woman is out;
Adam's and jam (any) on crackers
Over the sink
Or
Adam's on chips (any)
Or
Adam's on Adam's

Big spoon



I could live on peanut butter

I have lived on peanut butter

But

My palate is more refined now, more mature

I require milk

(akshly, a plain open faced PB and bread followed by a swig of cola is purty durn good too)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: MountainDon on March 24, 2016, 06:19:02 PM
Well, we did something different a few weeks ago. We made an experimental quart of sauerkraut. A single quart right in the mason jar. Chopped some cabbage, kneaded in some salt and then some caraway seeds. I packed it in a quart jar placed a cabbage leaf on top. Then I used an 8 oz jar full of water as a weight. Covered loosely and left it on the counter in a corner of the cool laundry room. It bubbled gently and after nearly a week we sampled it. After 10 days it was pretty darn good. By the time we pronounced it good though 25% was gone.  :o   Very easy.  Have to do more....  no photos though.

Quote from: Redoverfarm on September 09, 2014, 11:26:53 AM
The fruits of our labor.  48 pints of kraut from 12 heads of cabbage.  Took a little longer to work than expected.  The temperature has a good bit to do with how fast it makes.  Originally for the 1st two weeks it was in mom's cellar.  A little too cool so it was moved to her sunroom.  All in all it took about 26 days to get the right level of sourness.  Taste testing every other day to monitor it.  Now on the shelf until supper time during the winter.  Oh yeah we did have a mess last night with kielbasa and mashed potatoes.   [hungry]

(https://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd161/redoverfarm/scenes/country%20plans/100_5070-1_zps24d43671.jpg) (https://s220.photobucket.com/user/redoverfarm/media/scenes/country%20plans/100_5070-1_zps24d43671.jpg.html)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Adam Roby on March 24, 2016, 06:31:02 PM
Ha!  I never saw this thread before... and I thought I read everything up until now, guess not.
I will have to go through this and try some of these things out...

In the spirit of sharing, I made my first home-made bread this week.  It came out fantastic!

(https://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/a429/adamrobillard/Bread_zps2imnwcrd.jpg) (https://s1034.photobucket.com/user/adamrobillard/media/Bread_zps2imnwcrd.jpg.html)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Redoverfarm on March 24, 2016, 07:10:07 PM
Glad it turned out Don.  Around 14 days is a normal run but like I said Temperature has a lot to do with it.  Made another run this past summer and with it in the warmer room it matured in 16 days.  But then again that was 5 gallons worth.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Redoverfarm on April 05, 2016, 02:26:30 PM
Freshly dug Ramps with fried potatoes courtesy of my son yesterday before he went back to school and Country Ham courtesy of my daughters 4H project.  Doesn't get much better.

The expression on her face is partly due to it weighing nearly 30#.

(https://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd161/redoverfarm/scenes/country%20plans/IMG_4031_zpsyqzyzyfv.jpg) (https://s220.photobucket.com/user/redoverfarm/media/scenes/country%20plans/IMG_4031_zpsyqzyzyfv.jpg.html)

(https://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd161/redoverfarm/scenes/country%20plans/IMG_4002_zpslcv4atsv.jpg) (https://s220.photobucket.com/user/redoverfarm/media/scenes/country%20plans/IMG_4002_zpslcv4atsv.jpg.html)
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: glenn kangiser on April 05, 2016, 09:49:51 PM
Looks great, John.  I still remember the aroma... [hungry]
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: sparks on May 13, 2016, 11:03:00 PM
  The wife put a small roast in the crock pot this morning.....

Then called me early afternoon to say it should be done, but hadn't put anything else in with it....

Soooo....... I peeled taters, threw in carrots, corn, lima beans, and a bit of onions......

I think it might have needed a little cabbage........

But after a couple of hours, tasted great over a few slices of toast........

Hope she likes it.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: matt01 on December 22, 2016, 10:46:56 PM
Hey, I am planning to have Pizza for dinner tonight.
Title: Re: What's for dinner?
Post by: Don_P on December 23, 2016, 07:31:12 AM
I was looking around last night for pioneer ovens that kids can build. This looked neat, hoping to make camp pizza this summer.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPQVFQmwZMU