The What's For Dinner Tonight Chat

[shadowicewolf]

 I am simply in awe of your ability to have those around and not eat them. You've had that box for what? a few weeks?

Something like that.

[GF Lover]

  Swooningating!

 

 

Now that is excellent word usage   I wish I could say I'll be on the next plane but ... I would love to visit Italy in this life time.  In the meantime I will live vicariously through YOU !!!

 

Colleen

[GF Lover]

Question.  I have a lemon, how do I get lemon zest from it?

[IrishHeart]

Question.  I have a lemon, how do I get lemon zest from it?

 

You need a zester, sweetie. Or you can use a very, very fine cheese grater, but you risk hitting the white pith. (that tastes yucky) You really are expanding your kitchen gadgets.

I am so proud of you (omygosh, I am tearing up now)

 

http://www.surlatable.com/product/PRO-622035/Microplane+Soft+Handle+Zester+Graters

[Adalaide]

Not that I should, but I'm feeling crappy and want comfort food so I made some mac & cheese. I never mastered making less than a whole casserole dish of it so I'll probably freeze a good amount of it. I just wanted some tonight. I also pulled out a pack of the pulled pork from the freezer and we had some sandwiches. I'll finish the night with some hot chocolate, because chocolate. I'm probably going to make a double batch so I have some for the morning that I can just heat up in the microwave. 

[GF Lover]

You need a zester, sweetie. Or you can use a very, very fine cheese grater, but you risk hitting the white pith. (that tastes yucky) You really are expanding your kitchen gadgets.

I am so proud of you (omygosh, I am tearing up now)

 

http://www.surlatable.com/product/PRO-622035/Microplane+Soft+Handle+Zester+Graters

 

Ok.  One zester on the list.  I don't have a grater either so one grater on the list.  I thought I always just had bad "cooking genes" but I guess I just never had enough gadgets

 

Colleen

[IrishHeart]

Ok.  One zester on the list.  I don't have a grater either so one grater on the list.  I thought I always just had bad "cooking genes" but I guess I just never had enough gadgets

 

Colleen

 

A master builder needs good tools, right?

You don't need to go too crazy buying things, but the essentials really do make cooking and baking so much more fun.

As you know, I am living out of boxes right now until our house is ready, and that our household is in a PODS container,

but you can bet I had 2 boxes filled with my kitchen "stuff" in the car with me. I made sure they were with me from Day 1.

 

Mama don't go anywhere without her kitchen stuff.

[JustCricket]

I have gotten such a kick out of the last few comments. XD XD XD

 

Dinner? Tonight? Same as last night I guess. 

 

Three kids.

Single mom. 

Celiac or gluten intolerant.

Self-employed private tutor who isn't getting paid enough, as it is.

 

:-/ 

 

One of my students asked me if the kids would have dinner ready for me when I got home. I laughed. I made BBQ chicken the other night, in between appointments. I was lucky that way. lol. Aluminum in pan. Chicken in pan. BBQ sauce. Oven. Oven turned on. lol. Run out the door, yelling, "Someone make rice!!! I'll be home in little more than an hour!!!" Come home, saw plates with BBQ chicken leftovers and nothing else. "Where's the rice? Nobody made rice????" DS says, "I did." No one ate the rice. heh. 

Last night, we left too early for dinner, and I felt sick after lunch. I bought the kids Chick-fil-a. 

I leave early again tonight. BBQ chicken still sounds good. lol. Seriously, I have no idea what to make. :-/ Maybe I'll bake some chicken before the kids get home and throw it on some greens in my mock Chick-fil-A Grilled Market salad. I got honey roasted nuts and golden raisins and dried cranberries. Throw some frozen blueberries on there. I wonder how it would taste...

[Adalaide]

I've been so good planning meals. For something like 3 or 4 weeks now I've had stuff written on my whiteboard calender. But I managed to not have anything down after last night.  I suppose since I need to go to the store this afternoon, which includes Costco that maybe we'll end up with a rotisserie chicken. If not, I'll probably just pop open a jar of George and make some sides to go with it. It feels really awkward to have had "plans" sort of for dinner for a few weeks and to wake up one day and find nothing written on my board to tell me what to cook. At least I know that whatever else I have, there is leftover mac & cheese. 

[kareng]

I'm not cooking for T Day.  I'll just serve these:

 

http://shop.saltandstraw.com/products/chocolate-lovers-gift-pack

[Adalaide]

I'm not cooking for T Day.  I'll just serve these:

 

http://shop.saltandstraw.com/products/chocolate-lovers-gift-pack

 

What time should I be there?

[GF Lover]

Karen, that sounds like the perfect plan

 

I made 4 mini pizzas, 1 to eat now and 3 to freeze.  I'm a happy girl    Root beer floats for dessert.

 

Colleen

[IrishHeart]

I'm not cooking for T Day.  I'll just serve these:

 

http://shop.saltandstraw.com/products/chocolate-lovers-gift-pack

 

OMG! are you freakin kidding me? those are awesome. 

 

I've got my spoon ready. Hit me! YUM!

 

Okay, Bday week started Monday.

Tonight is PIZZA night whoohoo!

 

Tomorrow, I will enjoy mussels Josephine, grilled Chilean Sea bass with mango salsa, jasmine rice and asparagus.

Dessert will be Creme Brulee, but I am not making it. Bonefish Grill is. (and YES! they are okay!)

 

Saturday is Prime Rib...champagne and whatever else I can conjure up. Life is very good.

[Adalaide]

Birthday creme brulee? One of the few things I would take over a red velvet cake. Sounds divine, enjoy!

[BelleVie]

Boyfriend and I just had Thai mussels over rice: 

 

3 lbs fresh mussels

2 tbs olive or coconut oil

1/2 c. chopped green onions

5 cloves minced garlic

1 can of prego/similar pasta sauce

1 tbs minced ginger

juice of 1/2 lime

1/2 tsp cayenne

lemon grass stalk, cut in 3 inch long strips

1.5 cups of coconut milk

1 tbs braggs or liquid aminos

1/4 c. chopped cilantro

 

1. Scrub mussels under running water and remove beards (This part always makes me chuckle. I imagine crotchety old mussel men grumbling about something or other.)

 

2. In large stockpot, melt oil on medium heat. Add green onions and garlic and cook for three minutes.

 

3. Add tomato sauce, ginger, lime juice, cayenne, lemongrass, and coconut milk and brags and bring to a boil. 

 

4. Once the broth is boiling, add the mussels and stir well. Lower the heat to medium low and cook for roughly six to ten minutes until all mussels are open. 

 

Serve over rice. Yum. 

[GF Lover]

grumbling mussel men

 

Breakfast:  Banana muffins

Lunch:  more Banana muffins

Dinner:  rest of the Banana muffins

 

What?  They are seriously good !

 

I ran out of vanilla on this batch so I subbed in a snack pack of vanilla pudding.  OH YEA

 

Colleen

[JustCricket]

I think I shall be making chili, tonight. I'm missing some ingredients, but that will be easily remedied.

[notme]

I think I shall be making chili, tonight. I'm missing some ingredients, but that will be easily remedied.

ME TOO!  it's kind of a crappy, cloudy, blah day here today.  husband is still in the woods, hunting the elusive bambi, so he will probably like something warm-ish    expecting the first of the onslaught of family tonight - here we go!  it's a daughter and a grandson, sights for sore eyes    sister and her hubs are tomorrow.  they are trickling in lolz

[Adalaide]

ME TOO!  it's kind of a crappy, cloudy, blah day here today.  husband is still in the woods, hunting the elusive bambi, so he will probably like something warm-ish    expecting the first of the onslaught of family tonight - here we go!  it's a daughter and a grandson, sights for sore eyes    sister and her hubs are tomorrow.  they are trickling in lolz

 

Bambi? Or Bambi's mom? Either way sounds delicious! I still haven't caught on to when hunting season is in Utah, it's just really early here. I do know it starts the Monday after Thanksgiving in PA. I'm not sure if it's an official or unofficial state holiday, but I do know the first day of deer pretty much everything shuts down because ain't no one showing up to work or school anyhow. It has certainly taken some getting used to not having Thanksgiving weekend be a 5 day holiday here in Utah.

[love2travel]

Last night Mom and I went to an Agatha Christie dinner theatre. I called the caterer in advance re the meal. It was all ironed out but I am sure the buffet meal got switched with cattle class airplane food. You cannot fathom how tasteless it was! And people at our table were actually ENJOYING it! They had to be lying. The woman next to me turned to me and asked, "Don't you just love this beef?" I pretended I didn't hear her. Mom covered for me.

The meal was roast beef (dry, thick slices), mashed potatoes (completely unseasoned), frozen peas and carrots, Asian salad and Caesar salad I could not have and cake mix cake. It was really, really not good. The tickets wers not cheap, either. I tried not to let it bother me but I am used to cooking stupendous meals and this was hard.

Not only that but there were Agatha Christie trivia sheets on the table to which I knew all the answers in seconds. You know what irked me? The answer key had the WRONG ANSWER to one of the questions. No one at our table had even read an AC book. How sad. So, I tracked down someone to change the answer. I could finally relax and enjoy the theatre production.

Am I the only one who feels the need to educate people? I am such a big AC fan. I also enjoy great food. I could not bear it when people were talking about the "good" food! I felt like making an announcement informing people the food was extremely bland and NOT good and going on to explain how to season properly. This absolutely drove me crazy!!!

[IrishHeart]

 

I ran out of vanilla on this batch so I subbed in a snack pack of vanilla pudding.  OH YEA

 

 

 

You're welcome, but seriously, I have never, ever heard of subbing in a pack of vanilla pudding for vanilla. I am surprised it did not throw off the ratio of wet to dry ingredients and collapse them, so Good job! See, you can cook! And seriously, time to step away from the muffins, babes.

 

I think I shall be making chili, tonight. I'm missing some ingredients, but that will be easily remedied.

 

Now see! There's always a sub, (but just don't use pencils, rubber bands, tea cups, that sort of thing. Makes for icky chili.)

 

ME TOO!  it's kind of a crappy, cloudy, blah day here today.  husband is still in the woods, hunting the elusive bambi, so he will probably like something warm-ish    

ack! bambi killer bambi killer oMyGawd...run, bambi run for your life!!

 

Bambi? Or Bambi's mom? Either way sounds delicious! 

 et tu, addy???   sigh

 

 I am used to cooking stupendous meals and this was hard.

Not only that but there were Agatha Christie trivia sheets on the table to which I knew all the answers in seconds. You know what irked me? The answer key had the WRONG ANSWER to one of the questions. No one at our table had even read an AC book. 

Am I the only one who feels the need to educate people? 

 

 

No.

 

However.....

 

 sorry, but I am laughing my ample ass off here. I love you, babes, but surely 

 you knew this was not going to be gourmet fare. xx hehe

 

Bet your Mum found it fun.

[GF Lover]

Love2.  I think you should do a cooking show or write articles and cookbooks.  You have great skills and knowledge that would surely benefit any novice or chef.

 

Irish.  It didn't throw it off enough to collapse them.  I was supper happy about that too.  It's because hubs likes the bread and muffins so much that I keep a ready supply   Oh, and I put on my comfy jeans this afternoon and they were TIGHT   not that you had anything to do with that    

 

Colleen

[IrishHeart]

  Oh, and I put on my comfy jeans this afternoon and they were TIGHT   not that you had anything to do with that    

 

 

I warned you, my love. I warned you. Muffins  = muffin tops.   believe me, I know....

[notme]

Bambi? Or Bambi's mom? Either way sounds delicious! I still haven't caught on to when hunting season is in Utah, it's just really early here. I do know it starts the Monday after Thanksgiving in PA. I'm not sure if it's an official or unofficial state holiday, but I do know the first day of deer pretty much everything shuts down because ain't no one showing up to work or school anyhow. It has certainly taken some getting used to not having Thanksgiving weekend be a 5 day holiday here in Utah.

either sex - it's the last day of black powder - rifle starts here tomorrow - hubss is taking the 10 yr old grandson for his field test   the kid already has his own rifle.  so does his uncle, our son, who never showed any interest at all.  the grandkid, however, could eat breathe sleep & dream hunting.  maybe it skips a generation?  

 

ack! bambi killer bambi killer oMyGawd...run, bambi run for your life!!

 

 et tu, addy???   sigh

 

too late, irish -bambi can't outrun a bullet.  he just txtd me and told me to make a hole in the freezer, he's dropping one off at the butcher.  as much as i don't want to kill anything (except people, sometimes!!), there is a certain pride being married to a hunter  

[IrishHeart]

 there is a certain pride being married to a hunter  

 

can't see it, sorry. I fed them in my backyard for years. (deer, not hunters and would NEVER allow them to hunt on my property even though they tried it anyway. I had a gun, too. And they did not get past me. )

 

They have soulful eyes.  They are not armed.(again, I mean the deer lol)...but, hey. to each his own.  I don't judge.

and before you all yell at me and say "but you eat beef!" ya, I get that. I wish I did not need to.

if I could be healthy and happy as a vegan, I would do it.

 

But I never looked at one, killed it and ate it. I'd have a hard time with it.

 

Meh, that's just me.   what do I know? I am going to eat gelato now...LOL