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

[EJ4Disney]

Morning girlies,

Brandi ~ I have never ever heard of your treatment. Sounds very interesting. I just hope it helps!! You don't need to worry and be in pain on vacation. You and David SO deserve this time away and I know you both really need it. I can't wait to hear how this will help. Bless your heart

Hi everyone else.

Ok first off I need to apologize. I guess I was just excited, didn't mean to tell you about our new hot tub twice. I was reading back, hoping I didn't miss anything and realized I had already told you about it. Sorry! Blame it on CRS.

I have a love/hate relationship with my phone and technology in general. I told the young whippersnapper that helped me yesterday that I know just enough to get me in trouble. He didn't ever crack a smile. Little poop!!

But my phone is back to normal. I was so scared that I had done something to it, or that Ethan had. He had asked me if he could get a new game and I asked him if he went anywhere else. He said he hadn't. So out to Verizon I went as soon as I got off of work. So back up a bit - When I got to work on Tuesday my email had been compromised and I had to provide a new password (I HATE when that happens - remember ICRS) so I did and then every time I checked my email on my phone it asked for a password but would not accept my new one, so I deleted it and re downloaded it. Well long story short. When my email was compromised it triggered my phone as a threat. So he had to go in and redo something. All I know is once he did that everything was back to normal. I was so relieved that it really wasn't something I did.

The weather is really dicey today. If it doesn't rain Doug is golfing. I am going to Kearney to squeeze my babies. If it's raining Doug will come with me. So dinner is a bit up in the air. Who knows what we will have - I know we won't starve though.

Make it a great day!

 

[PrincessInOz]

Ellen - YAY for payday! Sooo glad that your phone is working as normal again. I work with technology as part of my job...but I'm really a luddite at heart! If anything goes wrong at home, I call for my IT tech as well......DH! Did you enjoy the visit with the family?

Brandi - I hope the PT is going well for you. That electric pulse does not sound fun to me. On the plus side...not long now till your roadtrip!


Sorry I haven't been on for a while. What with work and normal life, I've also crammed in visits to the tulip farm and a country drive to see the yellow canola fields. Spring is well and truly here now.

 

[franandaj]

I haven't been around here much, sorry ladies! We are at my parents house for the weekend. One more day here and we've been cooking up a storm as usual. Nothing fancy but lots of good food. Friday was a bacon wrapped pork tenderloin, evidently from Costco. We served it with baked beans and sauteed spinach.

Last night we grilled a whole chicken on the charcoal grill. My mom picked up fresh corn and green beans at the farmers market. Tonight we're going out for seafood.

The real wrench in the weekend is that Fran arranged for usbto purchase a Disney collection while we are up here. It's about 60 boxes of stuff collected over 50 or so years. There's some great stuff, and we'll make some money reselling it, but we have hundreds of our own boxes of stuff to sell! Plus getting it home will be a challenge . Already we know we need to leave about 15 boxes here and come back to get them in the first week in November. At least we get another visit with my parents.

So for now I'm just going to relax before we start going through boxes aagin this morning.

Sorry you had phone problems Ellen. That's the worst. I only know enough to do damage so I hate when that happens!

 

[PrincessInOz]

Chicken Fajitas


Its been so long since I've taken these pictures that I don't even remember the recipe!


I pan-fried a bunch of bell peppers and onions with some mexican spice mix with cumin, chili and paprika. The mushroom was for DH.








The chicken tenderloins had been marinated with cumin, chili, paprika, garlic, lime juice, oregano and salt for at least an hour before cooking on medium heat for about 3 - 4 minutes each side.









I just used some wraps from the supermarket to make the 'fajitas'.







We enjoyed dinner that night!

 

[PrincessInOz]

Zucchini Spaghetti with easy Salsa Verde





It's not easy being green.....and no carb! So, zucchini spaghetti is becoming a regular feature in my household and is becoming a firm favourite for DH and myself. We just cook it with different sauces.

There is about 4 small/medium sized zucchinis in this picture. All I do is use a potato peeler to slice the zucchini and then julienne the slices with a knife. You could use other gadgets....but I don't need to run out to get anything else in my kitchen this way. I stop slicing the zucchini when I get to the seed core.







My other ingredients for this dinner included broccoli. But that was because I needed to use up the broccoli in the fridge. Cut to bite sized pieces.








For the easy Salsa Verde, I used basil, dill and flat leaf parsley.







Chop the herbs until you get a fine mince, transfer to a dish and add a splash of vinegar and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and leave to develop for at least an hour. You can add garlic to the dish if you want.








Add some olive oil to a large pan and fry the broccoli with a little garlic for 2 - 3 minutes. Add a little water to allow the broccoli to steam a little. I may have added a teaspoon of vegetable stock at this stage. Then add the zucchini and cook until the zucchini begins to wilt. Turn off the heat and add the salsa verde to the pan. Stir to mix through and serve!







This was a GREAT meal!

 

[EJ4Disney]

Happy Monday all,

PIO ~ Your meals like wonderful. And I am loving your pictures of the tulip farm, even if they weren't all out. I can't imagine how beautiful that has to be in real life. Just breathtaking!!

Alison ~ Yea, on the new collection. Will you sell most if it on Ebay? Your visit with your parents was great. I think you and Fran needed a change of scenery. How is she feeling? And you Lady, work so hard, how are you? Glad you both were able to get away for a bit.

I swear I posted on Friday, but this morning I don't see it. I told you all about my weekend. Oh well it must be in cyber space.

Doug's nephew got married on Saturday. We all weren't real happy as it was on a home game day. Who does that - especially in Nebraska and this next week is an away game. Here in NE we take our football VERY seriously and the crowd really showed it. I think Jared and Melinda were a bit sad, but they knew this coming in. Also I am going to put this out there and I want your opinion. They got married on Saturday and are both back to work today. No honeymoon - NOTHING!! They have lived together for almost a year so I guess they really didn't "need" a honeymoon - but really. Am I just old enough to think this is kind of sad. "Oh what did you do this weekend?" "We got married." It was a beautiful day and I am glad they made it legal. Ok I will shut up now - I guess I am just a bit old and confused.

It is hot hot hot out today. Was 75 at 6am and it is to get to upper 90s. I am so ready for some fall weather. I am so tired of the heat.

WFDT ~ Tamales (I had a little lady in the Hispanic service gift me with a dozen yesterday) fresh salsa and sopa. YUM, I can't wait!!

Make it a great day!

 

[franandaj]

PIO - Both your meals looks good. I do have to say that seconb looks a little too healthy for me, but someday I'll have to try the zucchini pasta. Maybe with bolognaise sauce or Alfredo.

Ellen - That does seem a little weird not to take a honeymoon for a couple that young. Maybe they have one planned for later when they have more money. Fran and I didn't take a Honeymoon, but we had been together for 12 years. She was out of the hospital less than a month after a three week bout with pneumonia and she didn't have the strength. Also we had taken many dream trips, including a 10 day trip to WDW and US/IOA four months earlier. We didn't even know marriage would be a possibility when we were on that trip.

We came home only a week later to find out marriage for us became legal. We were going to wait, but then a week later on a business trip to Texas she was hospitalized with pneumonia (not he same as the previous mention). Sitting in that hospital with her, I realized we needed to get married if we finally had the chance. We started planning once we got home, and a month later was when Fran was back in the hospital. But we went on with the wedding regardless how weak she felt.

For us the right to marry was more important than the need for a honeymoon, but I think our situation was unique. I think couples deserve a nice vacation if they haven't had many before. Us? We had a decade of spectacular trips under our belt so it wasn't important.

As far as marrying on game day? Well I can't speak to that. I wouldn't know if a game were happening the day of much less planning it in advance. It would never have occurred to me that someone would rather go some kind game than my wedding.

Who knows WFD today? We have about 30 boxes safely repacked and loaded in he car. There is still plenty of room for the cooler and suitcases. Plus we can probably get a few more boxes in. We have to go through a few more boxes before its time to go. Depending on when we get home we might have hot dogs for dinner. It also might be drive through or take out/deoivery. We'll see, but a change of scenery has been nice, but I can't wait o see my kitties tonight!

 

[PrincessInOz]

Ellen - Congrats to Doug's nephew! DH and I had a honeymoon after we got married; and that's the expected norm way back when. But a lot of people these days don't rush off on their honeymoon immediately after they get married. It all depends on where the want to go, when the best time is to go, prices of airfares etc. Friends of mine got married and didn't go on their honeymoon for at least 6 months. They just didn't feel the need for it when they had been living together for a while and they preferred to save towards buying a house.

Alison - Hope you got home safely with all the boxes and your stuff. Bet the kitties were pleased to see you too. And zucchini pasta is delicious with bolognaise sauce!


WFDT? It is Tuesday night and baked potatoes were definitely on the menu. But DH also had some leftover vegie soup from his lunch today...and I felt like having the soup instead of the spud. I have a bit of a sore throat and am just feeling sorry for myself. I think I might just get into bed early tonight.

Have a great day all.

 

[EJ4Disney]

Morning everyone,

Alison ~ I totally agree with you - being "able" to get married surely outweighed "when" to get married. And as far as the game - I know you are right about that also. I was really excited for them. But everyone did give them a bit of a hard time, with tongue in cheek.
I saw your pictures on FB while you were stuck in traffic last night. Bless you - when did you finally get home?

PIO ~ Feel better soon. Hopefully you were able to get to bed early and are feeling better this morning.

We are to be in upper 90s again today. Our normal temp. should be around 75-79. The only good thing is - the corn and soybeans are really drying out. Harvest just might be before Christmas this year. All I know is I am tired of this heat. I am so ready for fall and cooler weather, soup, and bon fires. I love fall!!

WFDT ~ Taco salads with all the fixins and sweet tea.

Make it a great day!!

 

[franandaj]

I know I said it elsewhere, but I hope you feel better today PIO!

Ellen I hope your weather gets better. Our weather is crazy. It rained from around 11PM until about 9AM. Roads are flooded everywhere. Long Beach got .91 inches and LA got over 2 inches. The rain has passed, but the roads will be awful today. We better leave early for band.

Last night we got home at about 9PM. We picked up some Mexican food on the way. Enchiladas, taquitos, and Fran had a taco. The kitties were happy to see us. The thing about that traffic was that it was a 2 lane highway with on and off ramps only every 20-30 miles, so when you're stuck you're stuck. We had our book on CD so that kept us amused.

I gained 5 lbs at my parents and I was already a few pounds up, so I need to step up my game! Probably chili from Wendy's for dinner.

 

[EJ4Disney]

Happy Hump day!

Alison ~ Don't worry too much about the weight gain. Probably most of it is just water weight. Up your water for a few days and I bet it will be gone real fast!

PIO ~ Hopefully your are feeling better

Brandi ~ Are you packed yet? When do you leave?

I was at the Y last night and when I left it was pouring. On the way home there were branches and leaves and trees down all over town. I had no idea we had bad weather. I was shocked. The sun was shining with blue skies when I went in an hour earlier. As I got home I realized that we had lost part of our tree in our front yard. We call it "Elizabeth's" tree as she brought this tiny twig (about 5") home and wanted to plant it. There was no way this thing would ever live as the cats loved to chew on it. But eventually it did and 21 years later was gorgeous. It was probably 50'+ high and totally shaded the front of the house. We lost half of it, but Doug really thinks the rest will be ok. I sure hope so. I just cried when I saw it. I know it's just a tree but oh the memories it represents. We also lost one of your trees here at the church. The City crew was in the parking lot this morning cleaning it up. I suppose this tree was at least 50+ years old and so pretty. They are predicting that we had 60+ straight line winds. It was pretty western for awhile and I missed it all.

WFDT ~ Lasagna, green salad and garlic toast.

Make it a great day!

 

[franandaj]

Alison ~ Don't worry too much about the weight gain. Probably most of it is just water weight. Up your water for a few days and I bet it will be gone real fast!

I don't think so. I thought the first five pounds were water weight and my friendly visitor. I'd hoped that when I got home from my parents that I would be back where I was before I went up the five pounds. I don't think the chocolate lava cake we made at my parents helped much.

As I got home I realized that we had lost part of our tree in our front yard.

I saw this on FB, so sorry about your tree!

WFDT ~ Lasagna, green salad and garlic toast.

We're having the same thing without the garlic toast!

 

[PrincessInOz]

I know I said it elsewhere, but I hope you feel better today PIO!

An early night seems to have fixed it! Thank you.

I gained 5 lbs at my parents and I was already a few pounds up

Sorry to read this. I guess it's back on that band wagon. You can do it!

As I got home I realized that we had lost part of our tree in our front yard.

Sorry about your tree. Hope the rest of it is okay!



WFDT? I have no idea. It's Thursday and dinner normally ends up being a rush as DS has a music class to go to. Lately, we've been eating at the local Japanese place. I'll bet it's the same tonight.

 

[EJ4Disney]

Good morning everyone!

Alison ~ Well here is the way I look at weight gain and calories. Was the chocolate lava cake good? If it was then the calories were worth every bite. Life happens and there are going to be ups and downs. Sometimes I want a cookie or a piece of pizza, if it's good than I eat the whole thing. I took a bite of a cupcake the other day and realized it really wasn't worth the calories so I threw it away. You can do this sweetie!!

PIO ~ Glad you are feeling better!! Eating out and Japanese sounds really good!! Enjoy

Doug and I are really sore this morning. We hauled 4, FULL to the brim, pickup loads last night. But it's gone and I feel so much better. I hated to see it all over the yard. I know it's silly and just a tree. It still is beautiful, just a bit lopsided now. I will be anxious to hear what the Tree Doctor says today. We found there was a bad spot and that is the part that fell. Hopefully the rest of the tree is good. We shall see.

I am headed to Kearney tonight. Doug is golfing and Stephanie needs to run. Her and Matthew are running the Market to Market on October 3. This is a 72 mile run from the Hay Market in Omaha to the Hay Market in Lincoln. There are 6 on their team and they do it in a relay fashion. Each one running 5 +/- miles at a time. Last year she was 7 months pregnant with Harper, so this year should be better. I think they are crazy, but they both love it and are looking forward to it. I love it cuz I get to snuggle with my girls.

WFDT ~ I don't know yet as Stephanie hasn't said. But I know it will be great as I don't have to cook it. YEA!!

Make it a great day!

 

[EJ4Disney]

Happy Friday everyone,

Brandi ~ I saw that vacation has started. I pray that you have a wonderful time. Safe travels my friends.

I walked in to a hot mess last night. Oh My!! Stephanie's regular day care provider is home with a new baby for 6 weeks. We have 3 weeks left, but I may be in jail before it's over. So please start saving for my bail money. Stephanie's friend (I say that very sarcastically) is without a job and is watching the girls. She is perfect with Harper - she can put her on the floor and she is good. But Lilly is 3 and a very active 3 year old. To make a long - very long - story short. I don't know who is the 3 year old and who is the 30 year old. I made Stephanie promise me (and Elizabeth - oh my Aunt Libby is furious) that she will not be watching Lilly ANYMORE. So between all of us we are having to pick up the slack. It is only for 3 weeks and we will make the best of it. But let me tell you this - our darling, sweet, peaceful little Lilly is not herself. She is a very angry little girl right now. I am leaving work early and going to get her and bringing her home for the weekend. We have to do something!! I have Liam tomorrow and they play so good together. We will have a great time. Please say a prayer for us all. I would really appreciate it!!

WFDT ~ Homemade Mac and Cheese and hot dogs. Lilly's favorite!

Make it a great day!

 

[PrincessInOz]

Happy Sunday!


I've been out and about lately, so today is a day home. I need to get into my garden and weed. I never seem to plant anything any more....just weed. *sigh*


Ellen - That friend does not sound like she's a good babysitter at all!!!! I'll keep saving. But knowing you....I expect that the bail money will go towards my travel fund eventually. Sorry that Lilly hasn't been getting good care lately and that you're having to pick up the slack. But at least you know she's getting GREAT care...and that's the important thing.


WFDT? I'm still thinking about breakfast. Dinner will just have to take care of itself when the time comes.

 

[franandaj]

This is a soup and sandwich kind of weekend. A couple weeks ago my Kraft Food and Family magazine came. It had been a long time since I had time to sit down and read one of those, and it had so many good things in it that I wanted to make. You all saw the Mac and Cheese stuffed meatloaf, which looked better than it tasted, but I'm glad I tried it.

A couple weeks ago I made bacon and mushroom Risotto which was awesome, definite repeat. I had been waiting to make a Broccoli and Potato Creamy soup, which I made last night. I made four servings and we had that with French Dip sandwiches.

Tonight we are having the rest of that soup with Club sandwiches that I have been planning for weeks since I cooked my last turkey. When I sliced it a froze the leftovers, I specifically made thin sandwich slices and labeled the baggie. It reads "Turkey Slices for Club Sandwiches". So that's dinner tonight!

 

[PrincessInOz]

Good morning.

WFD last night? I ended up eating a salad of lettuce, mushrooms and raspberries.


It's Monday morning again and I'm having a Dis morning.
I might stir out of doors later to get some burgers for dinner. I discovered that the organic beef place that I buy stuff from at the Market has opened up a shop closer to me. So, I'm going to get those burger patties that DS and I really like.

 

[PrincessInOz]

Just checking in again. Dinner will be burgers. That butcher is great! There weren't any burgers in the display cabinet when I went but he obligingly made/rolled some up for me. Whilst I was there, I also took the opportunity to buy some marrow bones and he suggested that I get some neck bones as well so that there would be extra flavour in the soup.
I've got a nice pot of broth on the boil right now. It'll be great to have some stock available....just in case.

 

[EJ4Disney]

Happy Monday!!

PIO ~ I am so happy to say that Lilly was SO much her old self this weekend. I went on Friday and picked her up. She cried and threw a major fit leaving her Momma. But we got her in her car seat and I was on my way. She calmed right down and we never had another "fit" the entire weekend. We and she had a great weekend. Liam and her played ALL day Saturday. By yesterday afternoon she was talking about Harper and about her Momma and Daddy. Doug and I both remarked that it was time to go home. Elizabeth is going to watch her on Mondays and Fridays - all day and I will have her on Tues. and Thursday afternoons. This is going to be for only the next 3 weeks - Thank Goodness.
Glad your butcher is so good. There is nothing better than homemade stock!

Alison ~ I have loved your dinner pictures that have looked so good. I loved the French dips. We haven't had those in awhile, I need to get those in the rotation.
Only 1 turkey left - girlfriend, you need to stock up.
You are getting so close to vacation. Are you getting excited? I am so excited for you!!

I have a hair appointment right after work, than I need to get home and get some chores done. My kitchen floor is a mess. Liam brought Play Doh on Saturday and him and Lilly had a ball. But oh my goodness what a mess. I know Elizabeth planned it that way. Plus I need to run the vacuum and clean the mud room. I spent the whole weekend playing and now I have to get things done.

WFDT ~ Pork Chops and dressing (it's in the crockpot) with fresh green beans and peach cobbler.

Make it a great day!