What Did We Eat Today?

[ALenore]

I'm making chicken satay with an almond butter dipping sauce tonight, along with couscous and spinach.  

[Bastet]

Leftover Chinese because, again, with the just home from the hospital thing.

 

(My mom is not doing nearly as well as she was last year when she had the other knee done, but she was a medical marvel then; this time around is not cause for concern, it's just what normally happens.  She'll be released tomorrow, and in time this will all be a faded memory and she'll finally have two fully-functioning knees for the first time in many, many years.)

 

I'll be a cooking fiend by next week -- when she first gets home, she doesn't have much of an appetite (because she's not doing much), so my dad (who is not much of a cook) can pull together things for them to eat.  After that, it's me making up a bunch of stuff to take to them that he can just heat and serve.  So, I may have interesting things to report ... or I may say "Made huge casserole and took half to my parents and kept half here; will eat it daily for a week."

[Mittengirl]

Popcorn. Made from scratch, not that microwave crap. And craft-brewed root beer.

Edited April 9, 2015 by Mittengirl

[harrie]

Celebrated Rex Manning Day yesterday, so had pizza and cupcakes.  Yum!   Making up for it a little (nutritionally) tonight with a Salad Nicoise type of thing - tuna, olives, green beans, some big white beans from the WF appy bar and a garlicky-anchovy dressing.

[amitville]

Popcorn. Made from scratch, not that microwave crap. And craft-brewed root beer.

May i have the recipe for craft-brewed root beer it sounds so good.  Thank you

Edited April 9, 2015 by amitville

[Mittengirl]

I didn't make the root beer, I bought a growler full at a local brew pub. I wish I could make root beer, most of the store-bought stuff is just sickly sweet with no real flavor. I like IBC the best of the grocery store varieties.

[Betweenyouandme]

A the talk made me crave sesame chicken. Was planning on walking to PF Chang's. Got pick up at Pei Wei instead. Sesame chicken with noodle. Two wontons. Vegetable spring roll.

Fortune cookie: Appreciate what you have been given

:)

[mansonlamps]

Rotisserie ribs from Fresh Market along with cole slaw and broccoli. Only thing for me to do is steam the broccoli, love the Fresh Market rotisserie section.

[DeLurker]

Went ahead and made ham fried rice with some of my Easter leftovers yesterday.  Turned out pretty good - I just used less soy sauce than normal to offset the saltiness from the ham.

 

Since I've been feeding my house Easter leftovers all week in various forms, I think I need something different tonight.  Not sure what yet.

[Vixenstud]

Since I ate big last night (made a homemade pot of red gravy with onions/peppers and hot italian sausage over spaghetti), gonna have a smidge of spinach and a grilled cheese sammy.

[Betweenyouandme]

More sesame chicken abd noodle. Slice of chocolate peanut butter pie

Chicken salad on wheat for lunch with a salad with strawberries and walnuts. An olive. Some pickles. Chips.

[ALenore]

I'm making fish tacos tonight.  I cut tilapia into strips, dip in seasoned flour and fry in canola oil, then put in tortillas with grilled red pepper, salsa, shredded cabbage, avocado and top with sour cream.  

[Quof]

I took a huge batch of meatballs out of the freezer (Barefoot Contessa recipe), now I have no idea what to do with them.  Spaghetti and sauce from a jar seems like such a cop out.

[Betweenyouandme]

I took a huge batch of meatballs out of the freezer (Barefoot Contessa recipe), now I have no idea what to do with them. Spaghetti and sauce from a jar seems like such a cop out.

http://www.buzzfeed.com/rachelysanders/exciting-meatballs

[Bastet]

Last night's dinner was macaroni & cheese.  From a box.  With the little packet of neon orange chemicals.  And I loved every bite.

 

Tonight, I'm going to roast chicken (I just stuff the cavity with lemon, garlic, rosemary and thyme, then put some herbs under the skin of the breast, season the whole thing and shove it in the oven).  Roasted cauliflower and broccoli, plus my usual mixed greens salad.  No starchy side, since I think that mac & cheese took care of about a week's worth.

 

Tomorrow I'll pretty much spend the whole day at my parents' house cooking up a storm for them.  I was supposed to do that today, and then spend tomorrow doing absolutely nothing, but my cat decided to wake up with half her face swollen like a balloon, so - change of plans.  (The fluid they drained out contained nothing abnormal other than bacterial cells, so it seems to just be a bacterial infection, possibly from an insect bite; if that's the case, the antibiotic will take care of it.  And the swelling has already gone down enough her eye is starting to open, so - yay.  Fingers crossed this takes care of it.)

Edited April 11, 2015 by Bastet

[Quof]

I ended up making the Albondigas stew from the meatball site.  Pretty good, but not quite authentic because I had already made the meatballs from a different recipe. I needed to punch up the broth. 

[Betweenyouandme]

Great, I'm glad it was/might be helpful :)

I'm just ordering in a vegetable pizza today. I went to church early and not feeling leaving my house again. It's cloudy here and feeling down.

Oh! And I'll heat up some of the black bean salad DeLurker had told me about!

Edited April 12, 2015 by Betweenyouandme

[Quof]

If it makes you feel better, there is still 2 feet of snow on my lawn.....

[Betweenyouandme]

If it makes you feel better, there is still 2 feet of snow on my lawn.....

Yikes. Yes, it's summer here comparatively. I'm just ready for sun...and having my anxiety go away long enough to go enjoy it rather than staying inside with the shades down.

[harrie]

Last night we were going to have clam pizza, but our fish guy had two gorgeous lobsters that he had unofficially set aside for us.  We took them, and they were wonderful - large, hard-shell, and very yummy.  It's good to make friends with your fish and farm people!

 

Tonight is hot dogs (all beef, no nitrates or other preservatives) on the grill.  There are still snow banks around, but it's sunny and in the '60s -- finally!  (The bad news ...  pollen count is already high.)

Edited April 12, 2015 by harrie

[purplemouth]

I picked up some spinach, mushroom, and gruyere ravioli at Aldi last week that I made today. Tossed it in some olive oil, garlic, and parmesan- it was delicious. $3.29 and I'll get two meals out of it...can't beat that!

[ALenore]

Last night I made one of my easy stand-by recipies, ziti with gorgonzola, grape tomatoes and spinach.  Takes about half an hour to make.  Tonight, since it's finally nice weather, I'm going to make grilled pizza and in addition to the usual mozzarella, tomatoes and basil, I'm adding grilled ham, grilled pineapple, and then sprinkle with some diced jalepenos.  It's called  a Hawaiin pizza, although  I Googled it,  and it was actually invented in Canada.  

[Bastet]

After spending the afternoon at my parents' house yesterday, cooking up a nice variety of food that can be portioned out over the next several days, I came home and ate popcorn for dinner.  What a doof.

[Betweenyouandme]

After spending the afternoon at my parents' house yesterday, cooking up a nice variety of food that can be portioned out over the next several days, I came home and ate popcorn for dinner. What a doof.

More for later!

[Bastet]

I left all the food I made at their house rather than making extra to bring home (which is fine; half of what I made them is stuff I don't like).  I just used up all my cooking energy there, and when it came time to make my own dinner, putting some oil and popcorn kernels in a pot was about all the effort I wanted to put forth. 

 

I think I'm going to do salmon tonight; I have a nice filet I can take out of the freezer when I get home. 

[mansonlamps]

After spending the afternoon at my parents' house yesterday, cooking up a nice variety of food that can be portioned out over the next several days, I came home and ate popcorn for dinner.  What a doof.

Ha, I had popcorn for dinner last night too. Hope to do better tonight but it's getting late and dinner time is approaching, so who knows?

[DeLurker]

The plan was to have leftover spaghetti from yesterday, but when I was putting away the leftovers I noticed that I had barely enough pasta left for a modest lunch.  No biggie - easy enough to make more pasta, right?

 

And then I went to put away the sauce which was a lot less than I expected and not enough for another meal.  But at least I know my son enjoyed his dinner last night.

 

So I have to come up with a new dinner plan for tonight - probably breakfast for dinner.

[sunshinelover]

Working late tonight so it'll probably be Subway on my lunch break.  Excited for tomorrow though...Trader Joe's has a delicious Thai red curry sauce.   I cook up chicken strips and bell peppers, then add the bottle of sauce and a can of coconut milk.  I think this time I'll also add some peas.  Serve it with white rice...mmm.

[ALenore]

I made maple glazed salmon, wheat berry salad and broccoli with garlic and crushed red pepper, one of my (and my husband's) favorite meals.  

[Quof]

Have we had a nuclear event?  Some biological warfare so that all the chickens are now being hatched without bones?   I went to three different grocery stores today and could not find chicken breasts WITH bones.  What is the obsession with boneless, skinless chicken breasts? I see people buying huge quantities when they are on sale.  What are people using them for?  I need the bone, and the skin, so the chicken isn't dry. If necessary, I'll remove them myself and save a couple of bucks per pound. 

[Bastet]

I had the same problem trying to buy steaks the other day.  I was in a hurry, and thought I'd just go to the supermarket so I could get everything I needed in one place.  After about 30 seconds in the meat section, I wished I'd just taken the time to go to my usual butcher.  Boneless ribeye?  Why?!  I finally found one T-bone and two rib-eye steaks, plus a package of pork chops.

 

But I do buy boneless, skinless chicken breasts to chop up and add to pasta or salad for quick weeknight meals.   

 

Speaking of chicken, chicken thighs - with skin and bone - on the grill tonight.  I make a dry rub with whatever sounds good to me at the time, then baste with barbecue sauce at the end.  I have some mustard greens that need to be cooked, so that will be one side, and I haven't decided what else yet.

[ALenore]

It was a beautiful, warm day yesterday so I grilled some burgers.  Today it's going to be about 20 degrees cooler, so I making roast chicken, creamed onion casserole, and sautéed brussels sprouts.  

 

Have we had a nuclear event?  Some biological warfare so that all the chickens are now being hatched without bones?

 

I've noticed that too. I do buy a fair amount of the boneless chicken breasts because they're on sale so often.  I use them for chicken enchiladas, chicken pot pie, chicken stroganoff, etc.   My chicken complaint is that it's hard to buy a reasonably size whole chicken.   The one I wound up buying is 8 pounds, but I really would have preferred one half that size. (Most of the recipes I have call for a 3 1/2 to 4 pound chicken).  I will be able to use the leftover chicken, probably in sandwiches and to make chicken soup, but I actually would have rather bought two 4 pound chickens and cooked them separately.  

[Bastet]

Yeah, the grocery store chickens are ridiculously large.  The ones I get at the farmers market are still right around 3-1/2 pounds, but at the store the smallest I can ever find is over five pounds. 

[harrie]

Tonight I'm roasting a chicken too -- an 8-pounder I got from a local farmer.  She charges $3/lb, but the max she'll charge for a chicken is $18; we're regulars, so I think she tends to give us larger birds if she has them. She still makes delicious birds, no matter what the size.  And yay for leftovers!  Sides are roasted beets (same farmer) and potatoes (the tail end of last year's crop).

[PRgal]

We are ordering in Thai tonight.  Earlier in the week, I went to a spring menu preview at an Italian place in town.  Only it wasn't much of a preview.  The restaurant was over-packed, no chef explained any of the new dishes nor were the dishes passed around the guests (there was no room to do so, anyway).  Horrible experience, despite good food.  And it was as if they were trying too hard to be "cool," inviting many bloggers who don't even really write about food.  I've never had an experience like that.  Compare THAT to a wine auction (for the Canadian Opera Company) I went to the following night.  Food was passed and there were food stations (one for pasta and another charcuterie).  

[ALenore]

I made quiche tonight, still using up Easter ham.  Salad on the side with mixed greens and apples.  

[EllieH]

Breakfast for dinner -- scrambled eggs and toast, with some fruit on the side.

[Betweenyouandme]

Eggplant Parmesean

[Bastet]

I'm getting ready to make spinach, artichoke, and cheese dip, and eat that with tortilla chips.  Dinner of champions here tonight, folks. 

 

My parents, on the other hand, will be dining on the stuffed peppers I made them on my way home.  I made them old school - stuffed with a ground beef mixture, rice, and tomato sauce, three things I'd never put in my own stuffed peppers - so I didn't bring any home with me. 

[DeLurker]

I'll gladly eat dinner with you and my Dad would love to eat dinner with your parents,  He loves loves loves stuffed peppers.  I love love love spinach-artichoke dip.

[ALenore]

My parents, on the other hand, will be dining on the stuffed peppers I made them on my way home.  I made them old school - stuffed with a ground beef mixture, rice, and tomato sauce, three things I'd never put in my own stuffed peppers

 

My mom used to make these stuffed peppers all the time and I hated them.   (I don't really like green peppers at all either).  Spinach, artichoke and cheese dip I'm alright with.  

[Mountainair]

We had fried rice and egg rolls tonight.

So, soon we will be trying for baby #3 which means my 2006 Honda Accord will no longer cut it as the family vehicle. The two mini vans I've had my eye on cost a pretty penny and we are a one income household that hasn't had a car payment in four years. Money is tight already but we make do.

I've started line drying our clothes since the weather is nice. Yesterday I spent $200.00 on groceries and have spent 40 hours on my feet between today and yesterday making two months worth of freezer meals, including lunches. Theoretically, this should save me $700.00 per month! Realistically, $400.00 per month. I've made met loafs, chilis, pastas, BBQ's, burritos, etc. the smaller the car loan, dr bills, etc the better!

[Betweenyouandme]

Good luck and well wishes with the baby Mountainair! (As well as finances)

[ALenore]

I've been making pretty quick meals the past few days, gnocchi with broccoli and pine nuts (I used frozen gnocchi).  Yesterday I made a "Vietnamese Style" pork salad, which I've never made before but will definitely make again. It's got brown rice noodle, which you boil for just a couple of minutes, then mix with sliced red onion, shreded carrots, spinach, and an Asian type dressing.   Then you cut up pork tenderloin, marinate briefly in more of the Asian dressing, and stir fry.  The pork goes on top of the salad. 

Tonight I'm doing southern style shrimp and grits.  

[Betweenyouandme]

Strawberries

Kale salad with pine nuts, sunflower seeds, cranberries, and white cheddar

Harissa chicken breast....bone in! :)

Annnnnd...organic mint chocolate fudge ice cream from Brooklyn.

[DeLurker]

The strawberries I have had in the last week have been incredible. My nephew and I almost munched a whole pound while fixing the fruit and veggie plate to go with dinner.

[Betweenyouandme]

The strawberries really were great. Not too sweet or mushy but not sour whatsoever. Still crunchy enough.

[Quof]

I'm working at home today, while I have some bathroom renovations done (They just broke some tiles, Grrrr), so I took my Easter turkey carcass out of the freezer and am making stock. The smell is helping with the stress.

[DeLurker]

Turkey bone soup is always my favorite part of any holiday.

[EllieH]

Pho last night, crawfish boil tonight!