The All-New What's For Dinner Thread!!(recipe index in OP)

[TigerKat]

Fingers crossed for Kyle. Congrats to you and your DH as well. Good parents don't get enough credit nowdays.


I went on my work trip to Anaheim, and got just a little time in the parks. I mostly walked a lot (the timing was off, so I was always in the park when it was super crowded) but I did lots of good eating. It was a good thing the convention center was about a 20 minute walk from the hotel.

I ate at Napa Rose the first night, with a friend I had met on a disney cruise thread. There are around 9 of us that have kept up on that thread over the last couple of years. (Our cruise was actually in 2006) It was wonderful to see her.

Thanks so much!!! Sounds like you had a great time. I haven't been to DL since I was a very young girl, I'd give anything to plan a trip there.

Sorry for your loss.

Kathy, Lori, Mrs K, Am I suffering from Chutney blindness or what? Can I get that at Winn Dixie or WalMart?

Sorry, I can't help, I've never bought it either.

Leslie is doing ok. She can put a little weight on her foot today, so she went to school. I did find out that her regular teacher was gone, so it was a substitute, and she just didn't follow procedure.

I'm keeping her in my prayers.

 

[Rogue26]

Wow! I think the last time I turned on the computer you guys were on page27-28. I didn't relize I had been so busy. I don't know what I'll do in a couple of weeks when I start working full time. I don't even have anything to contribute, I'm going to my parents tonight for dinner. I didn't have to cook really last night either, a rotisserie chicken from the store, some carrots, and bread with garlic rosemary oil to dip in. Now I have to go catch up with the house work, have a good rest of the day everyone.

 

[OKWMom]

Just a quick check in, and I'm not sure what I'm serving for dinner tonight. Maybe those pork chops I was thinking of last night.

Warning - Mom vent ahead! For all of our new members, about a year ago we polled all the members to find out who had room in their freezer for an aggravating husband. Well ladies, I need to know if anyone has room in their freezer for a relatively small 12 year old boy. I think we are going to just have to kill him if he doesn't kill us first. His attitude has been on a steep down hill run and his grades have followed. He is on the edge of not passing this grade and doesn't seem to care.

Last night was the last straw. He was upset with Kenny when he picked him up from his mother's house. P asked Kenny what we were having for dinner and when Kenny told him I was making pizza, he said he wanted Burger King instead. Kenny refused to pick up take out since I was cooking dinner, so when they arrived at the house, P took off running towards the back yard. K thought he was just mad and needed some space to work it out, but P's sister, A, told Kenny that P had told her he was planning on running away.

K spent most of the evening looking for him and calling for him and couldn't find him anywhere. He finally found him last night after 9 p.m.

This is not his first outburst either. K told him last night if he ever pulls a stunt like that again he will not waste one drop of gas looking for him and will just call the police instead.

Anyone want a 12 year old? He could be quite an asset to any home. He is good at cleaning out the fridge and has all the answers.

 

[TigerKat]

Gretchen - for you & Kenny. At first I was going to say this is just a phase they go through at this age, but I'm afraid I'm a bit more concerned because his grades have gotten much worse. Kyle's attitude started to develop at about that age but it never got much worse than just attitude. Is there something going on with the mother that could be causing P to be acting out??

 

[nucpharm29]

Wendie--sending thoughts and hugs your way! Unfortunately, the room in my freezer is being saved for a 4 year old drama queen at the moment

Sheryl--yes the Major Grey's is a mango chutney. I found it in my regular grocery store, along with the mustard/ketchup/marinade stuffs. There is also a great indian mango chutney that I've bought from places with a larger ethnic food section (Whole Foods, fresh Market) Can't remember the name, but do know it came in a squarish jar with a purple label and lid. The indian one was much spicier than the Major Grey's. But both are very tasty!

Tonight is manicotti. I've already got it prepared and in the fridge. I am taking an evening class at the gym tonight, so DH is in charge of "cooking" dinner. Meaning if he can read my instructions and push the correct buttons on the oven, we'll be eating tonight!

 

[HERSEY]

Gretchen You can send P over here either Alex will set him straight or Alex's dad is a sheriff deputy and marine. He can be pretty scarey.
I hope you discover what is going on with him. I agree someone or something is bugging him. Is he being bothered a school by someone?

I have to scour the frig for dinner I have no idea what I'm cooking?

 

[shovan]

Wendie--sending thoughts and hugs your way! Unfortunately, the room in my freezer is being saved for a 4 year old drama queen at the moment

Sheryl--yes the Major Grey's is a mango chutney. I found it in my regular grocery store, along with the mustard/ketchup/marinade stuffs. There is also a great indian mango chutney that I've bought from places with a larger ethnic food section (Whole Foods, fresh Market) Can't remember the name, but do know it came in a squarish jar with a purple label and lid. The indian one was much spicier than the Major Grey's. But both are very tasty!

Tonight is manicotti. I've already got it prepared and in the fridge. I am taking an evening class at the gym tonight, so DH is in charge of "cooking" dinner. Meaning if he can read my instructions and push the correct buttons on the oven, we'll be eating tonight!

Thanks Stephanie! I'll look for it in my regular market, if not I'm sure I'll find it at WF's.

 

[bigmerle1966]

Yep, I've made a few of Rachel's that the flavors just didn't work. I think the training & experience of the "real" chefs makes quite a difference. I heard they didn't even renew Emeril's contract because they wanted to head in this new (non-chef) direction. Don't know if that's true or not, but I'm just not thrilled with the new cooks or shows, so far. I mean I've made Emeril's recipes & while some may be complicated & difficult, they always right.

I miss the Pro's too. As much as these people are entertaining for a while they do not always come up with recipes that are "doable" in my home. I miss Sara Moulton and my all time heroine Julia!

From what the article said PBS has been picking up some of the cast off Chef's like Sara, Mario and Ming Tsai.

Anyone want a 12 year old? He could be quite an asset to any home. He is good at cleaning out the fridge and has all the answers.

Oh my! Could just be puberty, my BF's son can go over the top like that too. She and her DH were away from Sunday until today. Her middle DS, B 12yo, stayed with her parents for the week and her MIL stayed with the other two K&J. Today when he came home she was sitting in the LR talking to the older one, K, when B came in. He immediately started fighting with his older brother. K has said nothing and when my friend told him to stop he immediately said "K started it"

She is HSing B because he was having problems in school and was in danger of flunking. B went through a rough patch at 8-9 yo and now is starting again, just like K at the same ages.

 

[TigerKat]

Is the DIS running slow for anyone else???????

 

[shovan]

Gretchen, That behaviour sounds like puberty to me. Maybe with something else bothering him too. Hugs for you & Kenny! The teen years (yep starting at 12) were quite challenging with our DD too. Some kids are easy, & some take a lot more work.

 

[Nancyg56]

Gretchen- my oldest son started acting out when he was 12. He was having trouble in school, there was some bullying going on. His grades plummeted and he was not a fun kid to be around. As Kathy said, maybe there is something changed with his Mom or something bothering him at school. Boys turning into total Neanderthals when they are going through puberty is normal, I would just watch because of the grades. Keep us posted.

Merle- I heard that the chefs were going over to PBS also.

Marisa cooked "naked" chicken on the grill for us. Kady would not touch it once she got a little pepper on her tongue. Buddy was in Heaven. I heated up the rest of the leftover sides to go with it and made a garden salad. I am determined not to toss out so much food. It is way too expensive to buy and then not eat.

 

[HERSEY]

We ended up with Chinese takeout. We have not had takeout for a while. It felt good to let someone else cook for a change.

It looks like it's going to storm soon. SInce my maple leaves are still too little I have to rely on the weather service.

Kathy yes the Dis is a little slow. I was thinking it was because I have dail-up. Yes I know ancient stuff but I'm cheap.

 

[TigerKat]

Kathy yes the Dis is a little slow. I was thinking it was because I have dail-up. Yes I know ancient stuff but I'm cheap.

Thanks Janice.

 

[OKWMom]

Gretchen - for you & Kenny. At first I was going to say this is just a phase they go through at this age, but I'm afraid I'm a bit more concerned because his grades have gotten much worse. Kyle's attitude started to develop at about that age but it never got much worse than just attitude. Is there something going on with the mother that could be causing P to be acting out??

Gretchen You can send P over here either Alex will set him straight or Alex's dad is a sheriff deputy and marine. He can be pretty scarey.
I hope you discover what is going on with him. I agree someone or something is bugging him. Is he being bothered a school by someone?

Wendie--sending thoughts and hugs your way! Unfortunately, the room in my freezer is being saved for a 4 year old drama queen at the moment

Oh my! Could just be puberty, my BF's son can go over the top like that too. She and her DH were away from Sunday until today. Her middle DS, B 12yo, stayed with her parents for the week and her MIL stayed with the other two K&J. Today when he came home she was sitting in the LR talking to the older one, K, when B came in. He immediately started fighting with his older brother. K has said nothing and when my friend told him to stop he immediately said "K started it"

She is HSing B because he was having problems in school and was in danger of flunking. B went through a rough patch at 8-9 yo and now is starting again, just like K at the same ages.

Gretchen, That behaviour sounds like puberty to me. Maybe with something else bothering him too. Hugs for you & Kenny! The teen years (yep starting at 12) were quite challenging with our DD too. Some kids are easy, & some take a lot more work.

Gretchen- my oldest son started acting out when he was 12. He was having trouble in school, there was some bullying going on. His grades plummeted and he was not a fun kid to be around. As Kathy said, maybe there is something changed with his Mom or something bothering him at school. Boys turning into total Neanderthals when they are going through puberty is normal, I would just watch because of the grades. Keep us posted.

Thanks to all of you for the support. It's hard to tell what is going on with P, because he was a horrible communicator before puberty and he is steadily getting worse. He has a hard time logically processing information, so trying to get the heart of the matter with him is an exercise in patience.

It could be anything really. He had a bully problem at school, but to the best of our knowledge, the school worked it out. We have asked him repeatedly if it has stopped and he told us yes. His teachers say that he is just not paying attention and doesn't even turn it all of his classwork on time, and he isn't doing all of his homework. They all say he is polite in class, but it's like he isn't really there. That may be puberty, I think.

Honestly though, the grades don't concern me as much as the behavior change. It may or may not be something going on at his mother's house, and we certainly will never know. Both kids are very protective of their mother and won't tell us if anything is wrong. He went from last summer saying he didn't want to see his mother any more to telling us he wants to live with her. And honestly, if she were worth a hoot as a mother, we'd be glad to let him be her problem.

But we can't do that. She has afternoon visitation with both kids and she couldn't care less if they do their homework or not. She turns them loose in the neighborhood and when Kenny goes to pick them up in the evening, she has no idea where they are. When Kenny told her P may fail and have to repeat 6th grade, she shrugged her shoulders and said "that's your problem". She doesn't give them their medicines when they are sick. But basically, and the primary reason P wants to live with her, is that she has no rules at her house. They can eat potato chips for dinner, stay up as late as they want, and don't have to bathe unless they feel like it. In the summer, when she gets them for a week at a time, the kids have literally gone the whole week without brushing their teeth. How can we send him to that?

Anyway, thanks for allowing me to vent. I really appreciate it.


Stephanie, I hope your husband is good at following directions and dinner got fixed ok. With minimal kitchen damage.

Nancy, tell Buddy I'm so glad he FINALLY got some naked chicken for dinner.

I fixed Kenny some pork chops with gravy and rice tonight. And I threw in some carrots and garden peas, not that anybody really wanted those.

ETA: Kathy, yes the Dis is slow for me too. And Janice, I'm pretty cheap too, but we have cable internet connection, mainly since we were able to bundle it with the phone and get free long distance.

 

[Aimeedyan]

Dinner tonight was REALLY yummy. And I even screwed up the recipe!

OH - and I still haven't told DH what he was eating; He loved the meal and must have thought it was chicken!

Thai Noodle Salad with Sautéed Tofu

This colorful salad is a zesty one-dish meal. Leftovers are great chilled or at room temperature. Draining tofu under a weight expels moisture, making the sautéed tofu crisp. For a pronounced nutty flavor, use roasted peanut oil.

Ingredients

TOFU:
3/4 pound firm water-packed tofu, drained
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce (such as Lee Kum Kee)
1 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons grated peeled fresh ginger (I left out)
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper (I only had ground on hand)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon peanut oil (I didn't have any, I just used EVOO)

NOODLES:
3/4 pound uncooked rice vermicelli (I screwed up and got regular wheat vermicelli instead...)

DRESSING:
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
3 tablespoons chili garlic sauce (such as Lee Kum Kee)
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons peanut oil (used EVOO instead)
1 tablespoon Thai fish sauce (such as Three Crabs) (I left out, didn't have)
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons grated peeled fresh ginger (left out)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper (left out since it was already pretty spicy)

REMAINING INGREDIENTS:
2 cups thinly sliced romaine lettuce (I used cabbage, due to a review I read on cooking light, and I chopped it)
1 cup shredded carrot
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 teaspoon salt

Preparation
1. To prepare tofu, cut tofu into 3/4-inch-thick slices. Arrange tofu slices in a single layer on several layers of paper towels. Top with several more layers of paper towels; top with a cast-iron skillet or other heavy pan. Let stand 30 minutes. Remove tofu from paper towels; cut into 3/4-inch cubes. Combine tofu, 2 tablespoons juice, and next 6 ingredients (through garlic) in a zip-top plastic bag. Seal and marinate at room temperature 2 hours, turning bag occasionally. (mine only got to marinade about an hour)

2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil to pan, swirling to coat; heat 30 seconds. Remove tofu from bag; discard marinade. Add tofu to pan; sauté 5 minutes or until crisp, carefully turning to brown all sides. Remove from heat.

3. To prepare noodles, while tofu marinates, place vermicelli in a large bowl. Cover with boiling water. Let stand 20 minutes or until tender. Drain and rinse under cold water; drain well. Set noodles aside. (obviously did it different)

4. To prepare dressing, combine 1/4 cup juice and next 8 ingredients (through 1/4 teaspoon red pepper), stirring with a whisk.

5. Combine vermicelli, lettuce, and remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Add dressing; toss well to combine. Top with tofu.

Yield
6 servings (serving size: about 2 cups)

Nutritional Information
CALORIES 336(26% from fat); FAT 9.8g (sat 1.5g,mono 5g,poly 2.8g); PROTEIN 10.3g; CHOLESTEROL 0.0mg; CALCIUM 132mg; SODIUM 794mg; FIBER 2.4g; IRON 2.5mg; CARBOHYDRATE 57.2g
Lorrie Hulston , Cooking Light, APRIL 2008

 

[FormrCastMbr]

Hi Guys!

Gretchen, I just wanted to give you a hug... I guess puberty is something I have to look forward to although Andrew can get fresh at times now. Hang in there and stay strong. Vent any time. Thats what friends are for...

Kat, haven't noticed yet about being slow.


I know I must have missed alot...

 

[TigerKat]

Kat, haven't noticed yet about being slow.

It's faster now than what it was this afternoon. I've been noticing slower times more often on a daily basis.

 

[HERSEY]

It is quite a bit faster than an hour ago.

Ok peeps signing off to get lost with Lost.

Lauren Alex gets a little sharp tongued at times until the Mom thumb comes down on him 13 is a tough age not a little kid not an adult.

 

[bigmerle1966]

Is the DIS running slow for anyone else???????

It's been slow for me off and on for a couple days now.

So dinner turned out pretty good except I forgot the asparagus. So I made a little creamed spinach, was very yummy.

Lemon Lime Chicken

1 lb chicken strips
flour to coat
Lemon pepper seasoning
Lime pepper seasoning
Cooking spray

Spray a baking pan with cooking spray. Rinse and pat chicken dry. Sprinkle with seasonings, coat in flour and place in baking pan. Spray chicken lightly with cooking spray. Bake at 400F for 15-20 turning occasionally.

1 C chicken broth
1/2 C lemon juice
1/4 C lime juice
1 T cornstarch
1 T water

Mix the broth and juices in a pan, place on medium high heat. Mix the cornstarch and water. Once the broth and juice starts to heat up slowly pour in the cornstarch/water mix, stirring constantly until thickened.

Place the chicken on your choice of rice or cous cous, top with the lemon lime sauce.

 

[liamandcaili]

I am off now to install much needed child proof locks to Luke-a-tize my home!

Thanks for your brats instructions. I don't know what kind you use, but there is a great German store in Walpole (Shaller and Weber) that sells fresh bratwurst (you have to ask for it) and it is the best I've had. They have weird hours, so call ahead. They also sell awesome rye bread.

I hope child locks have improved since my children were young. Liam figured them all out within hours. We had better luck securing cabinets with string.

The radiologist at the hospital can't figure out the x-rays the clinic took. He thinks there is a fracture though. At this point, we've still got her splinted, and tomorrow we'll take her for more thorough x-rays at the hospital and go from there.

I hope she is okay. I am glad there was an explanation for why you weren't notified initially.

Anyone want a 12 year old? He could be quite an asset to any home. He is good at cleaning out the fridge and has all the answers.

Funny how I keep getting offers for 3 year-olds or 12 year-olds. My brother is 28 and my parents keep hoping he will run away from home. Seriously though, I am sorry P is giving you a difficult time. I don't really have any advice, since my two aren't that age yet, but I do know that it is more important for you and Kenny to be good parents than to be P's good friends.

Greg and I socialized with our neighbors much longer than expected (I made a pitcher of sangria, and my neighbor ended up mixing up two more...we're all so bad!) so I ditched the fish taco idea and just fried up the cod I bought.