What's for Dinner ~ Friday Feb 24th

[Lucinda]

No clue here yet. It will depend on what looks good in the store later!

What's for dinner where you are?

[Phentex]

1. Whatever looks good at Trader Joe's...

heading over there today and planning to stock up on freezer stuff. It's also raccoon night so they're on their own.

I have a Groupon for a restaurant that I need to use so I may talk a friend into going with me. But more than likely I'll be to tired.

[Lucinda]

7. We've been sitting on a gift card for a local restaurant since last Christmas...seems like

we never feel like going on the days that the traffic is light.

[Phentex]

15. I'll whisper this and hope no one reads it...

My mother-in-law gave us a gift card to Olive Garden. We never used it. I cannot remember how old it was.

Recently, my SIL decided to have everyone meet at OG for MIL's birthday. I couldn't go but my husband and son went and I gave them the gift card to use! So essentially my MIL paid for her own birthday lunch!

[Lucinda]

34. Perfect!

better than it going to waste. And don't tell anyone, but I like Olive Garden. It's just not usually on our list of choices on the rare day that we do go out for dinner.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

2. Well, I defrosted and cleaned out all 3 fridges and freezers this week...

and I found a 3lb pork roast that's been deep frozen for over a year. It looks good through the plastic wrap, so it's thawing.
I think if I braise it, cook it till it falls apart, dump in some bbq sauce, it'll be okay for sandwiches. I saved the potato water from last night, so pork will be served on fresh, soft, potato rolls... heaven
maybe fried okra and raw veggies on the side..

[yellerpup]

4. That all sounds really good.

I do love my thistles! Also, you can never go wrong with bbq pork. Happy eating!

[Lucinda]

6. Sounds perfect with potato rolls!

Nice score from the freezer!

[yellerpup]

3. I'm not cooking tonight.

I have a meeting in NYC and when I return, we are going out! Yay!

[Lucinda]

5. Safe travels!

[yellerpup]

8. Meeting is at 4PM.

In the Village. I have to leave here at 2:07 to make it on time. It only takes 40 minutes to get there, but due to train schedules, I still have to leave early. I'm excited to meet the director with whom I'll be working on "Broken Heart Land." Staged reading will be the last week in April (if everything goes right). Cross your fingers for me!

[Lucinda]

10. Definitely.

I love staged readings. All the fun of character exploration with less hassle.

[livetohike]

9. Leftover manicotti, a medley of cauliflower, broccoli, and brussel sprouts and a tossed

salad.

[Aerows]

11. I love these threads :)

We're having chicken picatta, carrots/greenbeans and baked potato.

I'd like a recipe for those with gout, beyond Apple cider vinegar. If anyone has an idea how to help my aging father with his gout, I'd be grateful.

[Lucinda]

12. I have been using concentrated tart cherry for joint pain and it's supposed to be great for gout

My local grocer sells this one, refrigerated, in the produce section.
http://www.brownwoodacres.com/

You can google tart cherry and gout and get lots of info about why it's beneficial.

the benefit of the concentrate is that you get the equavilent of 70-100 cherries in one serving. I usually just add mine to a little water.

[Aerows]

13. Thank you so much, Lucinda

I appreciate it.

[Lucinda]

16. You are very welcome. I would definitely discuss it with his doctors too

Cherry is natural, but you do want to make sure the compounds wont interfere with any meds.
It has been such a great help to me with my joint pain. I hope he gets some relief. Let me know if you try it and get results?

[Aerows]

19. He's taking medication from his doctor

and actively seeing him. I'm just trying to help diet-wise since he's my Dad, and I love him.

[Lucinda]

22. Sorry... I wasn't clear. I assumed he was under a doctors care and

I just thought it was good to mention the diet addition of the cherries to his doctor since they are in a concentrated form.

An example of a problem that could occur would be a heart patient consuming foods that are natural blood thinners which can interfere with medications etc. I've learned to be pretty proactive. Some doctors never ask what we are eating and can miss potential conflicts.

[Aerows]

20. Oh, and by the way, I ordered it for him

I love my Dad. He's getting treatment from the doctor, but he's stubborn as hell. I'm doing everything I can for him and so is my mother. He's so damn hard headed, but I think he'll take this when it comes in the mail. He needs to do so, and he needs to shut up and use apple cider vinegar. He's SO stubborn, and my mother and me, his daughter, love the hell out of him.

We're trying to get him well.

[Lucinda]

23. I use Apple Cider too. I really like Braggs.

He needs to keep it refrigerated, and it can be added to any cold drink he likes, or he can just take a spoonful. It's just cherry, no addition stuff so it is really tasty. If he likes cherry he may actually look forward to it.

[cbayer]

14. Ham and bean soup

One of my fondest memories is having white bean soup in the Capitol building commissary in Washington. I am going to make something similar.


http://www.soupsong.com/rsenate.html

[Lucinda]

17. It was a favorite of my mothers...and Bill loves white beans too, so we do a variation often.

We use kielbassa instead of ham, and add rice, so it cooks into a gloopy amazing tasting mess.

[cbayer]

18. Hadn't thought of putting rice in it, but that sounds good.

I am going to add more veggies, including spinach.

[Lucinda]

24. Spinach would be great in it!

And now I want some. lol

[grasswire]

27. Oh I've done that too...

...in the Senate dining room years ago. I don't know if you can still do that. We also took the underground train that goes between the buildings but THAT was closed post 9/11. That's good bean soup!

[cbayer]

29. Exactly! And the underground train was really cool and advanced in those days.

It was stupendously good bean soup. I think they still serve it, but I haven't been there for awhile.

[Nay]

21. An easy French recipe--pork tenderloin cooked in milk, with garlic and nutmeg. Never made it this

way, so I'm interested to see how it comes out. Oh, and as a side dish, the Central American favorite, calabacitas (steamed squash and corn with butter and cheese added).

[Lucinda]

25. I'd love to hear how it turns out.

I am on a big nutmeg kick lately, and haven't tried it in many savory dishes.

[Jazzgirl]

26. Lasagna I froze last month.

It was vacuum frozen so will taste fresh. Also an arugula salad with homemade balsamic vinegar dressing and garlic bread. Yum!

[Lucinda]

33. That sounds really good!

I have a vacuum sealer, and we never think to use it.

[Jazzgirl]

35. I vacuum freeze everything.

I had an older one my Mom had given me. It sat in ,u garage for two years. A friend of mine had one and were freezing stuff one day and I was surprised. They love using it. I took it out and have used it for a year and decided to upgrade to the newer model. I wouldn't freeze without it. It really makes a huge difference. In fact it's almost like marinating your food while it's frozen. I think the vacuuming pulls the flavor through the food.

[grasswire]

28. chicken and biscuits

Creamed chicken with pearl onions, peas, carrots, celery, parsley. With hot biscuits. Fruit salad on the side.

It was a beautiful morning here, but some colder wetter weather is coming for the weekend. The daffodils are about ten inches high, but none have opened up yet. Some camellias are blooming. I've seen no blossoms on any trees, but Thursday there was a flash mob of robins in the yard -- so many and so fat! I love robins.

[Texasgal]

30. Today is my birthday

my husband is cooking me crab cakes and sauteed' brussell sprouts with garlic and butter. Wine, and more wine and a homemade cheesecake from my co-worker!

[eridani]

31. Borgracs Gulyas

2 tablespoons butter (or lard or margarine)
2 small or one large onion, chopped.
3 tablespoons sweet Hungarian paprika (Hungarian really makes a difference here)
2 cloves finely chopped garlic
1-2 lbs stew or kabob meat
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground pepper
2-4 cups beef or chicken stock (water can be substituted-total volumn ~4 cups)
3 small or 2 medium boiling potatoes, cubed (1 to 1 ½ inch)
1 lb tomatoes, peeled, seeded, diced (or one 28 oz can diced tomatoes—15 oz would probably do in a pinch)
2 medium sized green peppers, deseeded, deribbed and chopped
1 teaspoon marjoram

Heat the butter in a 5 qt heavy Dutch oven or saucepan, add onions and garlic. Cook until lightly colored. Add paprika and coat the onions. Add beef and brown it, then caraway seeds. Add stock, salt and pepper.

Bring to a boil and partially cover the pan and simmer gently for 45 min hour. Add tomatoes, peppers, potatoes and marjoram, and cook over medium heat partially for another hour until potatoes are done. Remove the lid for the last 30 min to let the sauce thicken.

1/2 hour to go! Got some very nice local grass-fed stew meat for this.

[Lugnut]

32. Tuna salad sandwiches.

I looked for croissants at the grocery store today but they didn't have any. I had to settle for plain old toasted bread for the sandwiches. They were good anyway.