The What's for Dinner Thread - August 2014 (recipe index in OP)

[EJ4Disney]

Good morning Ladies,

I hope you all had a very nice Memorial Weekend. We did, it truly was not at all how we planned it, but it was nice. Our Vacation Bible School started today and will run through Friday. There are over 100+ 3 year olds through 5th grade. To say it was loud would be an understatement - OH.MY.Goodness!! What an organized hot mess. Oh the fun we had. We had plenty helpers and the director was VERY organized so it worked like clock work. Doug and I went to Kearney last night and got Lilly. Her and Liam went together and then she is at Elizabeth's until I get off of work at 4. They were so excited to see each other. And the weather is a beautiful - high 70 to low 80's and NO humidity. Perfect!! It's going to be a fun week!!

PIO ~ Sorry your Kitty was sick, but am glad he is home and on the mend. I am loving your pictures. What an eye you have my friend.

Brandi ~ Oh.my.goodness. What an awesome thing for you and David to do. My Dad is buried at a Military cemetery - Ft. McPherson. We went and placed flowers and I always get goose bumps when I go through the gates.

Nan ~ I had to chuckle at the though of Buddy when his dinosaur died, but I also felt a bit sorry for him. LOL Ok I have to ask - the wedding is in 6 weeks and Jack and Jill is in 3 - What or who is Jack and Jill. Did I miss something?

Alison ~ Goodness sakes lady you are so busy. You make us all sound like slackers. I hope you had a good time with Mom and Dad.

Pooh ~ Our schools also got out last Thursday. And our pools opened on Saturday. Ethan has already been 3 times and informed me on the way home from VBS (he was a helper) that he was going today. Oh to me a kid again.

Kimmar ~ just beautiful. You have to be so pleased!!!

WFDT ~ Grilled hot dogs, potato salad and butterscotch pie.

Make it a great day.

 

[franandaj]

Hi ladies!

I'll try and jump back in....

PIO - I'm glad that your kitty is feeling better, we are going to try and eliminate foods with corn in them for our cats, but we have to cycle through all the food we currently have in the house.

Nancy - I'm sorry that your pasta didn't work out. Good luck on the wedding plans! I know that's always a hectic time!

Brandi - I'm always so proud of you two for being so patriotic on Memorial Day. It makes me feel like a slacker.

Ellen - I'm glad that you had a full weekend with such nice weather!

Pooh - I'm not surprised that when the kid has a choice they go for McDonald's!

Kimmar - your house looks great!

My parents arrived on Thursday and we were sort of go-go-going up until yesterday. We had a big fancy dinner Friday night (which was so much fun!), and Saturday we were recovering. We saw Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and made a simple dinner at home. Fran got sick overnight and stayed home from our trip out to Disneyland/DCA. We rode the new Guardians ride, plus 5 others before we threw in the towel and had a burger at the Uva Bar. My Dad got Calamari while Mom and I enjoyed the Lamb Burger. Yesterday was a lazy day at home and I caught up on the DIS. Last night we went out for German food.

My parents left this morning and now we're back to our normal routine. Tonight is band so we'll be eating something in the car on the way there. And then it will be back to cleaning out the old apartment. Only 30 days left until the paid in full date, so we gotta get it done!

 

[PrincessInOz]

the wedding itself is "travel" themed

That sounds lovely! Hope things go smoothly and stay "on track".

we placed flags at Arlington National Cemetery

You and David are amazing to do this every year!

100+ 3 year olds through 5th grade

That's a LOT of younglings!

the weather is a beautiful - high 70 to low 80's and NO humidity. Perfect!!

You're making me envious. It's cold here.

My parents arrived on Thursday

Sounds like you had an awesome time at the park.
Hope Fran is feeling better. Tell her I said hi!

 

[dgbg100106]

Hi ladies!

I'll try and jump back in....

PIO - I'm glad that your kitty is feeling better, we are going to try and eliminate foods with corn in them for our cats, but we have to cycle through all the food we currently have in the house.

Nancy - I'm sorry that your pasta didn't work out. Good luck on the wedding plans! I know that's always a hectic time!

Brandi - I'm always so proud of you two for being so patriotic on Memorial Day. It makes me feel like a slacker.

Ellen - I'm glad that you had a full weekend with such nice weather!

Pooh - I'm not surprised that when the kid has a choice they go for McDonald's!

Kimmar - your house looks great!

My parents arrived on Thursday and we were sort of go-go-going up until yesterday. We had a big fancy dinner Friday night (which was so much fun!), and Saturday we were recovering. We saw Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and made a simple dinner at home. Fran got sick overnight and stayed home from our trip out to Disneyland/DCA. We rode the new Guardians ride, plus 5 others before we threw in the towel and had a burger at the Uva Bar. My Dad got Calamari while Mom and I enjoyed the Lamb Burger. Yesterday was a lazy day at home and I caught up on the DIS. Last night we went out for German food.

My parents left this morning and now we're back to our normal routine. Tonight is band so we'll be eating something in the car on the way there. And then it will be back to cleaning out the old apartment. Only 30 days left until the paid in full date, so we gotta get it done!

I don't know how you both do it, I think I would sleep for days!

 

[dgbg100106]

Good morning Ladies,

I hope you all had a very nice Memorial Weekend. We did, it truly was not at all how we planned it, but it was nice. Our Vacation Bible School started today and will run through Friday. There are over 100+ 3 year olds through 5th grade. To say it was loud would be an understatement - OH.MY.Goodness!! What an organized hot mess. Oh the fun we had. We had plenty helpers and the director was VERY organized so it worked like clock work. Doug and I went to Kearney last night and got Lilly. Her and Liam went together and then she is at Elizabeth's until I get off of work at 4. They were so excited to see each other. And the weather is a beautiful - high 70 to low 80's and NO humidity. Perfect!! It's going to be a fun week!!

Make it a great day.

Ok this makes me tired too... that many kids sounds like fun but exhausting also.

 

[dgbg100106]

Work is crazy! There is an impossible deadline to meet for 2 weeks. I'm doing the best I can but there is no way I'm going to get everything done in 2 weeks. So, rather than stress about it, I'm just going with the flow. But I did work late till 7 pm today. I don't want that to be the pattern of behaviour for the next 2 weeks!

Have a great day all.

I think I would be stressed about it, I don't know if I could go with the flow. BUT I can't stand to work late. I have been known to work after I get home, but I hate to work late too, I don't want someone to expect that from me in the future.

 

[bigsis1970]

Hi Ladies, just dropping by to say Hi - this post has been here a long time, I still see some familiar peeps and also some new ones.. That's Great!
Sounds like everyone had a nice Holiday weekend.. My long weekend fun included making my ADR's for my Thanksgiving trip got up at 5:45am both on Sat and Monday!! I got everything I wanted except LTT on Thanksgiving, this is going to be a tough one but it's my hubs 35th bday and he requested it, so fingers crossed that in the next 170ish days I find something (it's also our arrival day - in MCO at 1:15 is all goes well - so we the earliest I would dare to book is 4:30pm even that I think is cutting it close..
Nice to see you all .. Hope the rest of your week is great! Michelle

 

[Nancyg56]

Hi Ladies, just dropping by to say Hi - this post has been here a long time, I still see some familiar peeps and also some new ones.. That's Great!
Sounds like everyone had a nice Holiday weekend.. My long weekend fun included making my ADR's for my Thanksgiving trip got up at 5:45am both on Sat and Monday!! I got everything I wanted except LTT on Thanksgiving, this is going to be a tough one but it's my hubs 35th bday and he requested it, so fingers crossed that in the next 170ish days I find something (it's also our arrival day - in MCO at 1:15 is all goes well - so we the earliest I would dare to book is 4:30pm even that I think is cutting it close..
Nice to see you all .. Hope the rest of your week is great! Michelle

Hi Michelle! I am Nancy.


Im jealous!!! It's been a long time since I was booking for a Thanksgiving trip. Enjoy the planning!

 

[PrincessInOz]

I think I would be stressed about it, I don't know if I could go with the flow. BUT I can't stand to work late. I have been known to work after I get home, but I hate to work late too, I don't want someone to expect that from me in the future.

Me too. But this deadline is simply impossible to make.

We knew that going in.....but there was nothing we could do.

 

[PrincessInOz]

Hi Ladies, just dropping by to say Hi - this post has been here a long time, I still see some familiar peeps and also some new ones.. That's Great!
Sounds like everyone had a nice Holiday weekend.. My long weekend fun included making my ADR's for my Thanksgiving trip got up at 5:45am both on Sat and Monday!! I got everything I wanted except LTT on Thanksgiving, this is going to be a tough one but it's my hubs 35th bday and he requested it, so fingers crossed that in the next 170ish days I find something (it's also our arrival day - in MCO at 1:15 is all goes well - so we the earliest I would dare to book is 4:30pm even that I think is cutting it close..
Nice to see you all .. Hope the rest of your week is great! Michelle

Hi Michelle. Everyone just calls me PiO on the Dis. Nice to meet you.


Sounds like a great trip planned.

 

[franandaj]

Hi everyone!

Hanging in there! We had a sort of slow day Wednesday. I did some laundry, caught up online, and took care of some banking/bookkeeping stuff and then we went for a mega shop. We spent like $300, I was going to say that half of that was in 2 liter bottles and cans, but since the bottles were $1 each and the sodas were only $3 per six pack. I did buy all the fixins to make a HUGE pot of spaghetti sauce, and made it yesterday morning.

We went to see Pirates of the Caribbean yesterday and came home to find the power off. At the movie, Fran ordered popcorn. When she had popcorn on Saturday she ended up getting sick. She has diverticulitis and isn't supposed to eat it, but she was being obstinate. The power came back after an hour, and of course she felt sick and didn't want to eat. So I made myself some spaghetti and had that with the sauce I'd made.

Tonight we'll have crescent dogs, Mac and cheese, and Cole slaw, which was supposed to be last night's dinner.

Hi Ladies, just dropping by to say Hi - this post has been here a long time, I still see some familiar peeps and also some new ones.. That's Great!
Sounds like everyone had a nice Holiday weekend.. My long weekend fun included making my ADR's for my Thanksgiving trip got up at 5:45am both on Sat and Monday!! I got everything I wanted except LTT on Thanksgiving, this is going to be a tough one but it's my hubs 35th bday and he requested it, so fingers crossed that in the next 170ish days I find something (it's also our arrival day - in MCO at 1:15 is all goes well - so we the earliest I would dare to book is 4:30pm even that I think is cutting it close..
Nice to see you all .. Hope the rest of your week is great! Michelle

Hi Michelle,
Sounds like a great trip. I'm envious as I have nothing planned until August 2018.

Welcome to the bunch!

 

[bigsis1970]

Thanks for the welcome - I will start posting in earnest next week.. I only have computer access at work so I am a Mon-Fri poster but I look forward to some new (and old) friends and meal ideas..

a few fun facts about me ... I work for an insurance company (almost 18 yrs) My hubs works for the food service company in my office building (he's a chef) My hubs and I will celebrate our 9 yr anniversary while on our Thanksgiving Disney trip (my Hubs will be turning 35 on that trip as well) I robbed the cradle my hubs is 12 yrs younger than me - or as I like to remind him that i'll retire 12 yrs before him HAAAA.. I have a almost 24yr old DD and almost 21 DS .. DD lives with her BF and pooch Sophie while DS still lives at home (well at my house one week and his dads the next week - been doing that for about 12 yrs) My hubs and I have a very cute Kitty named Hunny who is our baby - she's going to be 7 around Thanksgiving. Hubs family had a influx of babies in 2016 - cousin #1 is in the processing of foster to adopt a cutie pie (got him at 6 mo he's now 18mo) cousin #2 had preemie twins boys Jan 2016 who are now 18 mo. and hubs sister had a princess late sept 2016 who is now 8 mo. so we have 4 real babies to snuggle and buy lots of Disney stuff for and we also have the furbabies .. I love to scrapbook (paper not digital) all my Disney trips - I am currently on book 4 of our last trip (Food & Wine 2014) so I think I'll finish up just in time to take more pics and start some new albums.

Hope everyone has a fantastic weekend! Michelle

 

[Nancyg56]

MIchelle- Welcome aboard! It sounds like you have a lot going on in your family and that is awesome!! My DH cousin married a lovely woman who was older than he was and it is a wonderful marriage! I think tha tmany times when we have "nontraditional" relationships we think we are alone. Nope!

I do hope that we can share some recipes. I am in a rut and even though my Sweetie says he will eat anything....he will not! LOL!

Tonight we are having a grilled steak, green salad and haricots verts.

I am in a snit lately.I am wicked busy at work, and I like that, but now Bud is in full on tobacco season, and it really is not going smoothly. Right now I am drowning my sorrows in a glass of wine while Bud and Dan pick up plants. I was grilled up an down but a temp while I was at work today, and I am peevish. I do not negotiate the rate I pay, dont care to answer questions about "where is your greenhouse?", and since I made it clear from the getgo you are setting.....if you "know all there is to know about tobacco" you know what that means. Your job if you choose to accept is is to park your carcass on a setter and put plants in the fingers. And then set skips...which if you really know what you tell me you know...there will be very few of. I am trying to be supportive, but I have already decided if this goes badly this weekend we are going to get the heck out of Dodge.

I am not sure what will happen, but I do know that since this is one of Kady's SAE's again this year, he will follow thorough for a bit, but I am truly not looking forward to anything else but him and Kady...and Daniel.... on the farm.

 

[PrincessInOz]

Nancy - I wish I could help. But the best I can do is be here to listen and hope that things work out for you.

 

[PrincessInOz]

I do hope that we can share some recipes. I am in a rut and even though my Sweetie says he will eat anything....he will not! LOL!

I'm starting to get a bit more interested about cooking again. So, I'm hoping to be a bit more consistent on the cooking front. Tonight was a start!



WFDT?
I felt like having comfort food for dinner tonight. So, I went with the old mac and cheese favourite. But because I've been in a rut with cooking, I thought I'd just add a little twist to the dish.

Normally I would cook the pasta and make a cheese sauce. When the two components were done, I'd just mix them together and serve it up. Occassionally, I would add peas and bacon to the dish; but it's usually a one-pot meal.

It was only a little change....but today, after I mixed it up, I popped it in a baking dish, sprinkled some more cheese and then sprinkled a little paprika over the lot and baked it for about 15 minutes. I dotted the top with a bit of butter as well.

The extra butter and that little dash of paprika made all the difference in the world for me!

I think I might just pull out some old favourites and add one extra ingredient and see how it goes.



Have a great weekend all.

 

[kimmar067]

Nancy ~
Nice barn....

 

[kimmar067]

I am in a snit lately.I am wicked busy at work, and I like that, but now Bud is in full on tobacco season, and it really is not going smoothly. Right now I am drowning my sorrows in a glass of wine while Bud and Dan pick up plants. I was grilled up an down but a temp while I was at work today, and I am peevish. I do not negotiate the rate I pay, dont care to answer questions about "where is your greenhouse?", and since I made it clear from the getgo you are setting.....if you "know all there is to know about tobacco" you know what that means. Your job if you choose to accept is is to park your carcass on a setter and put plants in the fingers. And then set skips...which if you really know what you tell me you know...there will be very few of. I am trying to be supportive, but I have already decided if this goes badly this weekend we are going to get the heck out of Dodge...

.....I don't understand all of this, but you mentioned 'WINE', so you're speaking my language....

 

[Nancyg56]

.....I don't understand all of this, but you mentioned 'WINE', so you're speaking my language....

LOL! I was complaining that a temp worker was trying to negotiate a 40 hour week and more mone, and did that by grilling me about the business. 2 glasses of wine later, and I was mellow.

Turns out the guy had just gotten fired. The farmer he worked for ended up with two planting beds filled with weeds, and no tobacco. I honestly have no idea how he could blame an employee for that, but I figure there is more to the story. WOrk may be short for these guys, our area got hit with hail and some farms were wiped out. Its too late to get enough plants to reset.

The first setting went really well though, and Buddy liked the guys, as did Daniel. I think we will see if they can help me with my planting beds, and that will give them a few more days. IN the meantime Buddy is going to try to get new poles and put them to work in the shed. Our shed is set up for shade tobacco, and Buddy has been changing the poles around little by little He will have them finish until it is time to hoe.

We have a few more acres to set, so that is next weekend.

DInner has been pretty good lately. I have been grilling so we have had steak chicken and burgers on teh grill.

Today it is overcast and kind of yucky, so I have a spiral ham that I glazed, mashed potaotes and gravy, candied carrots, haricot verts, pineapple stuffing, cole slaw, and rye bread and butter. My neighbors are joining us, and Jeannie usually makes dessert. If not and anyone wants a sweet I have ice cream.

I also have the ingredients for pineapple upside down cake martinis. YUM!

Nola and Rylee love ice cream and they were here last weekend. I gave them chocolate chip ice cream and made a sundae. They informed me that they "love" chocolate chip, but did I know they also liek cookies and cream?????? So my freezer is now filled with Bud's favorite chocolate chip, and cookies and cream. I also bought some slush puppie frozen things. I knwo Nola likes them because I paid a fortune at the movies, and that is better than the reaction Rylee gave me with the popsicles I thought she would like. No. LOL!

 

[kimmar067]

LOL! I was complaining that a temp worker was trying to negotiate a 40 hour week and more mone, and did that by grilling me about the business. 2 glasses of wine later, and I was mellow....

....figured as much....

...I also have the ingredients for pineapple upside down cake martinis. YUM!

....now THAT sounds intriguing....

 

[PrincessInOz]

The farmer he worked for ended up with two planting beds filled with weeds, and no tobacco. I honestly have no idea how he could blame an employee for that, but I figure there is more to the story.

I'm guessing that he weeded the tobacco out.

I also have the ingredients for pineapple upside down cake martinis. YUM!

Ooh! That does sound good. Recipe, please?