What's for Dinner?

[Morrigoon]

Ooh snap!

[alphabassettgrrl]

Stuffed green peppers here. Very yummy but hard to figure out how to eat the silly things. Settled for cutting the pepper with a knife.

[Not Afraid]

Congregation Ale House.

[Morrigoon]

Italian sub from Togo's

[Betty]

Tonight will be homemade pizza with a sourdough crust. My sourdough starter has been lots of fun to experiment with but this is the first pizza crust so... But it's pizza so even if it's a bit wonky it's probably still good.

[cirquelover]

That sounds yummy! Gary wants me to get a starter going but I've never done it before. Is it difficult to keep alive and does it taste good?

[lashbear]

No and Yes. (http://www.exploratorium.edu/cooking/bread/recipe-sourdough.html)

[Betty]

It's easy to keep alive - just have to add more flour water mixture every few days. It's good - but not anywhere near as good as a san francisco sourdough is.

The pizza dough tasted great - but it did not firm up the way it should have and the crust was fairly floppy even though it was browned on the bottom.

The thing about sourdough is that everyone's is a different consistantsy. Some people like theirs more like oatmeal and some like theirs much more on the liquidy side - so it's hard to tell exactly how much regular flour to add until you're actually in the recipe. You have to do it by knowing what bread dough is supposed to look/feel like and adding more flour or liquid.

The pizza dough recipes just use the starter for flavor and not for levening power - or at least the one I tried. It also had yeast in it. Anyway, it'll probably take a few batches to figure it out - just like it did with the bread.

If you have a WinCo near you, they have a great bulk section with all sorts of flours you can play around with pretty inexpensively. I bought some semolina to add to the next batch which is supposed to make it more chewy. We'll see.

Try the sourdough starter using the pineapple juice method you can find online. I couldn't get one going the traditional way and I think using yeast is cheating.

[Betty]

Use a glass jar with a lid that can be left a little loose and make sure to put a little plate under it. You don't want it to ooze out on the shelf in your cupboard should it overflow.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Gazpacho, my mom's unbeatable recipe, and grilled chicken with a fresh basil/mint dressing. Summer eats at its best.

[lashbear]

Summer ?? Brrr!! It's a Sloppy Joe for me tonight !


...no jokes about Chernabog, either. OK?

[Betty]

Want to share that soup recipe GD?

Last night we had pizza at home. It was going to be anohter sourdough crust but my sourdough starter looked funny so I dumped it. It should have been in the fridge instead of the cupboard. Oh well. I can always start another one. (use the pineapple juice method if you're interested.) I used a regular recipe but threw in some semolina flour too which is supposed to make it chewier and add some flavor.

Pizza had pepperoni with red peppers and onions.

[JWBear]

Summer ?? Brrr!! It's a Sloppy Joe for me tonight !


...no jokes about Chernabog, either. OK?

We need to have a temperature exchange. Send us some of your cold and we'll send you some of our heat.


(ETA: That last part sounded kinda dirty...)

[Betty]

What IS for dinner? I don't know. Taco salad maybe. or Grilled chicken. or ??? it's too hot to think about.

[lashbear]

we'll send you some of our heat.

(ETA: That last part sounded kinda dirty...)
I've seen your kind of heat ! Send it! Send it! :evil:

[cirquelover]

I made hamburgers with grilled onions and smoked gouda. The sides are easy leftover salads from the 4th. I had the potato salad and italian pasta salad. The boy may go for macaroni salad but neither of us eat the honey dijon pasta salad.

[lashbear]

Tonight: Leftover Pea & Chicken Soup

Oh, about the soup. Owing to a sad and unfortunate Freezer Accident, involving poor eyesight and inadequate labelling, the Ham Bone I was going to use for the Pea & Ham Soup turned out to be Chicken Wings.

Thus, Pea & Chicken Soup was born.

It's not bad. I put some smoked paprika in it to give it that almost-bacony flavour. No Bacon Stock Cubes - I react too much to the Hydrolysed veggie protein in them.

[Betty]

Lash - that's funny! Last year, a few days before Thanksgiving, we arrived home to find a wrapped frozen turkey with a lovely note from our landlord.

I was really surprised when I went to make it, unwrapped it and discovered it was a ham. The note didn't say it was a turkey - I just assumed it was because of thanksgiving.

[katiesue]

Caramelized Brussel sprouts, gazpacho and corn on the cob.

[Morrigoon]

Super Pretzel and Powerade

[lashbear]

Should I ask what a Super Pretzel is ?

Betty: Did you stuff the ham? :D

[Betty]

It's a big pretzel.

And Lash - lol.

[JWBear]

Homemade Chicken Cacciatore, Tossed Green Salad, Parmesan-Asiago Rosemary Rolls, Creme Brulee in Chocolate Shells

[Kevy Baby]

A spicy donkey dick

[lashbear]

Tonight - Sweet Potato Soup

[Betty]

A spicy donkey dick

Sounds right up your alley. ;)



I've got leftovers from two nights. I'm wondering what would happen if I combined them, threw salsa on top and casseroled it. It's an odd combo of some 50/50 chicken manicotti (half has alfredo sauce and half spaghetti sauce) with a little leftover filling I made into meatballs and then last night we had homemade boston baked beans. So, what would happen if I chop up the pasta/meatballs, mix it with the beans and a little salsa and.... crush up some tortilla chips on top and bake it?

It's either mad genius or we can always have canned soup. We'll see if I get brave enough to play The Mad Scientist with Leftovers Game.

[Morrigoon]

I think there's a touch of mad genius there. Let us know how it goes

[3894]

Shish kabob
Corn on the cob

[Stan4dSteph]

Shish kabob
Corn on the cobYeah, fresh corn season! I had some the other night. I love when it's so sweet you don't even need butter.

[Snowflake]

Yeah, fresh corn season! I had some the other night. I love when it's so sweet you don't even need butter.

Had fresh corn for lunch on Sunday with my new favorite compound butter, butter, garlic and sriracha sauce. OMG, it was a marriage made in heaven. I'm craving it now.

Alternately, fresh corn with chimichurri sauce and butter. delish!

[Morrigoon]

Butter, garlic... and sriracha? I'd never have thought of that!

[Snowflake]

Butter, garlic... and sriracha? I'd never have thought of that!

Seriously goonie, it's totally addicting. On corn, it's like crack.

[Morrigoon]

When I'm back to being able to eat garlic, I'll totally have to try it

[JWBear]

When I'm back to being able to eat garlic, I'll totally have to try it

What? You're a vampire now?

[Morrigoon]

The vampire inside me doesn't like garlic in my blood, apparently.

(Every time I eat garlic, I end up regretting it)

[Morrigoon]

Tonight's dinner was pretty decent. Cooked up some seasoned chicken breast in a pan, stir fry veggies, and topped it all with TJ's Orange Sauce, all over white rice.

Not exactly the breaded-and-fried orange chicken we're used to, but a nice dish in its own right.

[Betty]

We had meatloaf, smooshed potatoes (baked potatoes smooshed up with some butter, salt and pepper with a little milk - so like mashed potatoes but a lot chunkier, sort of), roasted carrots with a little too much pepper on them (although I thought they were delicious) and some crescent rolls. I never buy the crescent rolls but was going to try out some hamburger pie recipe I saw online. After reading over the recipe again though I decided to make something else with them.

[Prudence]

We have no kitchen stuff unpacked yet, so today's food was delivery pizza.

[lashbear]

Just simple fare tonight...

Butter Chicken and...

Caramelised White Chocolate With Sea Salt.

[Betty]

Just simple fare tonight...

Butter Chicken and...

Caramelised White Chocolate With Sea Salt.

Oh I think more of an explanation than that! Do tell! What exactly is Caramelised White Chocolate With Sea Salt? And butter chicken for that matter. :cheers:

[cirquelover]

I was going to make teriyaki chicken for dinner but when I went out to grab the chicken it was gone. Then my brain kicked in and thought " Hmm, maybe that awful smell has something to do with the missing chicken!". Sadly I was right. Never let the teenager help put away groceries! The garage smells like something died.....and it was my dinner!

I guess we'll have fresh pineapple, rice and han bao for dinner tonight :(

[Morrigoon]

Betty: Butter chicken you can get ready-made in the deli section at Trader Joe's. It's quite good, check it out!

[lashbear]

Caramelised White chocolate (http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2009/06/caramelized-white-chocolate/)

Butter Chicken (http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/6475/butter+chicken)

I can recommend both !! :snap:

[alphabassettgrrl]

Dinner tonight is chicken sausages, with stir-fried veggies. :)

[Morrigoon]

Mac and cheese. Because we be po'.

[€uroMeinke]

Bucket of Popcorn

[Betty]

Caramelised White chocolate (http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2009/06/caramelized-white-chocolate/)

Butter Chicken (http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/6475/butter+chicken)

I can recommend both !! :snap:

Wow! Both those sound great. Did the put the carmelized white chocolate on something? Or just stick in a spoon and go for it? :D

[lashbear]

Wow! Both those sound great. Did the put the carmelized white chocolate on something? Or just stick in a spoon and go for it? :D

We had aspirations, but in the end we couldn't resist just spooning it out of the container. :blush:

That said - this stuff would be DYNAMITE spread over Scottish shortbread. NOM NOM NOM.

[alphabassettgrrl]

My first visit to Canter's deli tonight. Had the cheese steak.
Yum!

[JWBear]

(Since this concerns something that was intended to be part of dinner, I'm posting it here...)

I inadvertently discovered an interesting new frozen treat tonight. I made Jello and put it in the freezer to speed up the congealing. I was only going to leave it in there for less than an hour. Well.... I forgot it until just now. After 6 hours it has turned into a big bowl of an interesting rubbery icee like stuff.

Surprisingly, it's quite tasty!

(And yes, I know about Jello Pops. But those are different.)

[Betty]

Huh - we'll have to give that a try. Sounds refreshing on a day like today with 104 degree temps. Should I put it in a bowl or use popcicle molds?

[JWBear]

I wouldn't unless you're going to eat it right away. It got rather nasty when it thawed out.

[Betty]

We've been playing around with popcicles all summer... I'm always looking for something new to try.

[katiesue]

Chicken Enchiladas - they're in the oven now. Hope they're good cause they were kind of a hassle to make. But I've got 3 small pans of them in the freezer now.

[cirquelover]

We've been playing around with popcicles all summer... I'm always looking for something new to try.

We have fun mixing whatever fresh fruit we have and making popsicles. To jazz it up sometimes we add yogurt, some flavors are better than others.

[Betty]

I had leftover fruit salad we made into popcicles. (cantalope, honeydew, pinapple, grapes) My son wouldn't touch the fruit salad but when I liquified it in the food processor and froze it, he couldn't get enough. I thought they were just so-so but he ate the entire tray of them himself.

Tonight is not-lasagne using rigatoni and mixin' it all up and baking it, with salad and some bread machine bread that should be done about 10 minutes before dinner.

[alphabassettgrrl]

We're exciting tonight: frozen pizza.

I know. I know.

[Morrigoon]

Pizza Hut. When I was headed home I was in no way ready to eat, and hubby asked me to bring something in, so I figured something reheatable would be a good idea. It was.

[lashbear]

Bacon & Eggs for Dinner !!!! Neener, Neener !!

[cirquelover]

We had hash, it must have been a breakfast kind of night!

[Snowflake]

Last night was a veggie frittata. Tonight is clean out the fridge veggie stew

[lashbear]

Stoat is away for the next few nights.... so it's Singapore Chilli Crab tonight ! :p

[Moonliner]

A Priest a Jew and an Atheist.

OK, that's more of a "who came" than a "what's for" but it made for an interesting night.

[alphabassettgrrl]

Tri-tip, fried mushrooms, and caprese salad.

[Prudence]

It's a thunderstormy day, so salad, soup, and maybe some nachos.

[Betty]

Ooh... thunderstorms. I'm jealous!

Tonight is burgers. I guess.

[Moonliner]

It's a thunderstormy day, so salad, soup, and maybe some nachos.

Wow that's so weird, we are having thunder storms as well.

[lashbear]

A Priest a Jew and an Atheist.

...For some reason, I pictured them walking into a bar....

[Morrigoon]

Which is silly when you think about it, because if the first one were to walk into a bar, the other two would notice and duck.

[Prudence]

Wow that's so weird, we are having thunder storms as well.

What are the chances?!?

Tonight was TJ's orange chicken.

[Moonliner]

What are the chances?!?

Tonight was TJ's orange chicken.

Chinese for us as well. This is so freaky.

[Betty]

Carnitas!

[alphabassettgrrl]

Pizza!

[lashbear]

Steamed Char Siu Bao and Mixed berries with Yoghurt.

[€uroMeinke]

Jackalope!

[Morrigoon]

It was beef brisket, roasted corn, and bruschetta.

[Betty]

FYI - the carnitas! The bomb-diggety! And plenty for leftovers tonight too.

[Kevy Baby]

Crap

[Moonliner]

Sometimes it's not what but where. Dinner today was at a crappy little Friday's knock off restaurant over looking the building where they are currently filming The Avengers. We saw a crowd running away scene being filmed. No super heros to be seen.

Headliner was quite jazzed to see it all.

[Morrigoon]

Potato wedges. Yep, that's it.

[Betty]

tonight will be roasted chicken, potatoes and carrots. I'll roast 2 chickens and use the other one for something tomorrow night.

[Snowflake]

Tonight will be salad with squash blossoms and quesadilla with chopped carnitas, home made salsa.

[Prudence]

Tonight is a market meal - some small potatoes I'm told are like Yukon Golds (only better) halved and fried up with onions, garlic, and sweet peppers, some Amish eggs with the same onions, garlic, and peppers, with basil on top, and some chicken and apple sausages.

[JWBear]

Something at Park Pantry.

[Moonliner]

Tonight is a market meal - some small potatoes I'm told are like Yukon Golds (only better) halved and fried up with onions, garlic, and sweet peppers, some Amish eggs with the same onions, garlic, and peppers, with basil on top, and some chicken and apple sausages.

In planning your furure meals, do keep in mind that the last time (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Effects_of_Hurricane_Isabel_in_Maryland_and_Washin gton,_D.C.)we had a little wind blow through town we lost power for a week.

[Morrigoon]

Tonight wasn't exactly dinner fail, but I wouldn't call it a triumph either. It was oven-baked chicken breast with nothing more than seasoned salt and poultry seasoning on it, and rice cooked in chicken broth.

The rice was nice, but would have liked it better with yet more flavor... perhaps if I'd sauteed it first in butter, onion and bouillon before pouring in the broth would have punched it up a bit.

The chicken was... plain. It was fine, just... plain. Can't wait till I get my tolerance for garlic back.

Decided to set half of it aside for a later pasta dish (something involving cream sauce and pork product, I've no doubt)

[Snowflake]

In planning your furure meals, do keep in mind that the last time (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Effects_of_Hurricane_Isabel_in_Maryland_and_Washin gton,_D.C.)we had a little wind blow through town we lost power for a week.

I remember this and also a tornado. Give me an earthquake anyday.

Rule #1 - the merest hint of any inclement weather, the grocery store will have a run on bread, milk, frozen pizza and beer. People will stock up as if there would be no access to food for weeks. Then, 9 times out of 10, barely a dusting.

[lashbear]

The chicken was... plain. It was fine, just... plain. Can't wait till I get my tolerance for garlic back.

Do what the Hare Krishnas do and use Asafetida/Hing powder. All the garlicky taste you love with none of the Allium problems.

[Snowflake]

The rice was nice, but would have liked it better with yet more flavor... perhaps if I'd sauteed it first in butter, onion and bouillon before pouring in the broth would have punched it up a bit.

The chicken was... plain. It was fine, just... plain. Can't wait till I get my tolerance for garlic back.

Decided to set half of it aside for a later pasta dish (something involving cream sauce and pork product, I've no doubt)

A good solution goonie for more flavor, add loads of fresh herbage. You might also want to try a hint of garlic powder for the flavor rather than fresh garlic?

[Prudence]

Do what the Hare Krishnas do and use Asafetida/Hing powder. All the garlicky taste you love with none of the Allium problems.

You've got to be careful with storing that stuff, though. Our plastic container of "ass" has its very own glass jar to protect everything else.

[Betty]

Leftover roasted chicken made into sandwiches. yum.

[lashbear]

Tonight is special celebratory Stoat dinner of eye fillet steaks and asparagus served with tarragon hollandaise accompanied by sauteed mushrooms, carrot batons, and new potatoes in parsley butter.

[daffy duck voice] D'rool, D'rool [/daffy duck voice]

[Betty]

Sounds delish Lash. Is your tarragon hollandaise sauce a bearnaise sauce?

[Gn2Dlnd]

Sounds delish Lash. Is your tarragon hollandaise sauce a bearnaise sauce?

ftfy ;)

[lashbear]

Actually, it's a Stoatnaise sauce (his own secret recipe) :D

[Gn2Dlnd]

ewwww

[Moonliner]

Venison. Again.

[Betty]

Probably bbq pork sandwiches with cole slaw using the left over pork from last night's carnitas. BBQ sauce covers all other flavors for the most part.

I make cole slaw - even though I'm the only one that likes it. It is a MUST to have on the sandwich. Hot meat that's shredded and the cold, crunchy, creamy slaw go great together.

Oh but wait - I don't have rolls. If I make that, I'll have to go to the store and I didn't want to do that today. Damn.

Maybe breakfast casserole then. Damn... Or I could throw some stuff in the bread machine and make dough for fresh rolls. That might be good. I could even try to make onion rolls!

[Kevy Baby]

Venison. Again.At least you haven't resorted to eating the kids yet.

[Morrigoon]

Was supposed to be boneless pork chops with au gratin potatoes, but when we pulled out the package, turned out we'd had it a few days longer than either of us remembered... so both it and the chicken bought at the same time had to be tossed.

We had mac and cheese with sandwich meat. :(

[Betty]

So I ended up making pepperoni pizza and bbq pork pizza with tomato onions and cilantro. Both were great.

Then, for some unknown reason, my daughter put the leftovers all squished up in small sandwich bags instead of wrapping them in foil or saran wrap.

I was making coffee this morning and getting water out of the inside door for the coffee pot. I stared at this 2 bags full of something... what is that I thought. It looks good - like cilantro and stuff - but what. (it was 4:30 this morning before coffee so I was a little cloudy.) Then I realized it was the leftover pizza all squished up and forced into bags - with about 1/2 of a medium to small sized pizza in each bag.

Teenagers. Sometimes they do the oddest things.

[Gn2Dlnd]

I was making coffee this morning and getting water out of the inside door for the coffee pot. I stared at this 2 bags full of something... what is that I thought. It looks good - like cilantro and stuff - but what. (it was 4:30 this morning before coffee so I was a little cloudy.) Then I realized it was the leftover pizza all squished up and forced into bags - with about 1/2 of a medium to small sized pizza in each bag.

Teenagers. Sometimes they do the oddest things.


Take the squishy leftovers, spread 'em out in a greased baking dish, add more tomato sauce and cheese, and call it pizza casserole. Garnish with more cilantro.

Serve it to the offending teen, while you enjoy something edible. Add tonight's leftovers to tomorrow night's pizza casserole. And so on.

Passive/aggressive. I haz it. :evil:

[Betty]

I like it Gn2Dlnd. The other teenager will probably want me to make it again though. lol.

[Morrigoon]

I should probably point out that you're lucky the teenager at least thought to cover it, instead of putting it in the fridge on an open plate to harden ;)

[Snowflake]

Composed salad of steamed veggies and some kind of creamy/yogurt dressing.

[Betty]

Teenagers came home and ate squished pizza, cold, from the bags. I guess they like pizza that much.

I'm making these hamburger buns (http://smittenkitchen.com/2009/07/light-brioche-burger-buns/)to go with the bbq pork, coleslaw and boston baked beans (which have been in the crock pot all day.)

[Morrigoon]

Making my family's spaghetti recipe tonight. :)

[lashbear]

Cram of Mushroom Soup !!

[Gn2Dlnd]

Where'd you cram it?

[JWBear]

Don't ask questions you might not want to hear the answer to.

[lashbear]

LOL - In the Kitchen.

...I think rather than edit, I'll leave my NAism intact for Prosterity.

[Morrigoon]

Leftover spaghetti! The sauce that's always better the 2nd night...

[Kevy Baby]

A case-uh-dee-yuh

[lashbear]

Fray Bentos Steak & Kidney Pie... because you can never have too many kidneys.

[Morrigoon]

Orange chicken and jasmine rice, followed by blueberry-lemon clafoutis

[Kevy Baby]

House Fried Rice from Pick Up Stix. Yum

[lashbear]

Chicken Noodle soup tonight.

[Morrigoon]

Apparently dinner was the above, plus HALF the clafoutis (not half a serving, half of the entire dish), plus a plate of spaghetti, plus a few pieces of toffee, plus anything else I can get down my gullet in the next hour or so...

[Kevy Baby]

Apparently dinner was the above, plus HALF the clafoutis (not half a serving, half of the entire dish), plus a plate of spaghetti, plus a few pieces of toffee, plus anything else I can get down my gullet in the next hour or so...Sheesh: you pregnant or somethin'?

[Betty]

Morigoon - is that homemade spaghetti sauce? Have you previously posted the recipe? (I'll search for it.) If not - what do you put in yours?

[Morrigoon]

Betty: I don't think I've ever posted it. It's not strictly Italian in nature (in fact, my sister-in-law informs me that my brother has given it the rather ignominious title of "white trash spaghetti"). But it's been the "family" recipe for decades, my dad having acquired it from his landlady when he was going to college in Hawaii in the 60's.

I'll pull it back out at some point here and post it for you if you like. Say what you will, it's tasty stuff :)

[Betty]

Please do. I end up buying jarred sauce but it's just meh. It works on pizza because I don't have to use too much - but I don't even make spaghetti anymore because of the jarred sauce. Everything is better homemade... and I need to try out some sauces and get a good one. I've made some great meatballs - why not sauce too.

[Morrigoon]

Lamb Family Spaghetti Recipe

Ingredients:
1 package Lawry’s Spaghetti Sauce Mix (for less spicy, use ½)
1 can Hunt’s Manwich Sauce
1 6-oz can tomato paste
1 jar marinated mushrooms (optional)
1 medium onion
1 ¾ lbs ground beef
1 cube (3 T) butter
¼ tsp ground pepper

Into a deep saucepan, put Lawry’s sauce mix, pepper, butter, 6-oz can of tomato paste, plus 3 canfuls of water. (Note, instead of paste and water, you can sub in Italian style diced tomatoes). Finely chop the onion (and mushrooms, if using), and add to the pot.
Place on very low heat, just enough to simmer, for approx ½ hour
While sauce is simmering, brown ground beef and crumble finely.
When done, drain all grease off. When sauce has boiled down, add meat and Manwich sauce.
Utilizing same low heat, simmer again for about ½ hour and serve over cooked spaghetti.

[Morrigoon]

By the way, it has a reputation for being best on the 2nd day

[Betty]

That's great! My husband loves that lawry's spaghetti sauce mix... which I find is meh. This will be a fun addition to try out. Thanks for posting.

[lashbear]

Ah yes... Hunts Manwich (http://www.obesitypanacea.com/2010/01/hunts-manwich-sloppy-joe-sauce-full.html). (Sorry, had to look it up)

[€uroMeinke]

Hobo Omlettes

[Betty]

Just made this last night - got the recipe from the latest issue of cooks illustrated.

(paraphrased)

Grilled Potatoes

Chop about 3 tablespoons of garlic and a tablespoon of fresh rosemary. Add to 4 or so tablespoons of Extra virgin olive oil with some salt and put in a small pan over medium heat. When just sizzling, about 3 minutes, turn down to medium low for another 3 or so minutes until garlic is just blonde. Do not brown.

Remove from heat and strain solids from liquids. Put one tablespoon oil and one tablespoon solids into small dish and hold on side.

Brush potatoes with 1 T garlic oil, sprinkle with salt and microwave for 4 minutes. Turn over and zap for another 4 minutes. Should be just getting tender.

Brush with remaining garlic oil and put over medium hot grill for 3-4 minutes and turn for another 3-4 until grill marks appear. Move to cool side of grill and cook until cooked through, another 4-6 minutes or so.

Remove from skewers and toss in large bowl with reserved olive oil and solids mixture. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately.

They were excellent with grilled garlic lemon chicken also from the same issue of Cooks Illustrated. How I love that magazine!


18 baby red potatoes about 1 1/2" in diameter - cut in half. If bigger, cut into quarters or eighths.

Skewer on wooden skewers so the flat sides all line up.

I came to the thread in a search for butter chicken and saw this post of mine. I have no memory of ever making this. Weird!

[cirquelover]

I had to get creative last night, as there wasn't much in the fridge. We took biscuits and flattened them out, added a little tomato sauce for Zach and put on leftover ham, bacon and cheese. I cut up chicken, bacon and cheese with a little bbq sauce for my little pizzas.
The kid groaned when I was making them but he wouldn't stop eating them once they were done! It was cheap and easy but I'm sure it wasn't very good for us. It did taste ok though.

[Snowflake]

It's hot, we're having our long overdue heatwave. Caesar salad will be on the menu and some icy drink. Just bought a vitamix, sure beats the old kitchen aid blender to make frappaccinos (and what have you).

4 bottles of fuzzy water in the fridge should hold me tonight.

[Prudence]

Lentil-smoked kielbasa soup and spinach provolone bread. Yup.

[Kevy Baby]

As a special treat for myself (ourselves) for the work hell I have been through recently, and only because I just got a nice bonus on Friday, Susan and I had dinner at a favorite spot in the Gaslamp District (Lou & Mickey's (http://louandmickeys.com/)). My dinner started with a Ceaser saled and Susan had the clam chowder - both of which we shared. Dinner for me was a Filet with blue cheese on top + King Crab Legs (shelled) with a side of Mac & Cheese. I washed it all down with an Arrogant Bastard Ale.

Not exactly a healthy dinner, but damn it was good.

[Betty]

Roasted chicken (actually roasting 2 since it's just as easy and makes great leftovers) with tators and carrots roasting in the same pan. Some sort of sweet potato thingy I'm trying out from a box that will probably suck but I couldn't resist, and sourdough rolls.

It's cooking right now and is going to be delicious. You should be jealous. ;P

[Prudence]

Bacon toasted cheese sandwiches. And a green salad, 'cause we're watching what we eat.

[Kevy Baby]

I watched that Double Double as I was eating it for lunch :)

[Betty]

Last night it was tacos - which were "acceptable". I tried a new method for salsa though. I generally through the veggies into a screamin hot pan or under the broiler and char them up a bit.

I found an interesting recipe for tomato soup (http://smittenkitchen.com/2011/09/roasted-tomato-soup-with-broiled-cheddar/)that cuts them in half first and chars more of the inside - so I tried that. (because it's been too warm for soup but that seems to be changing.)

It didn't taste much different at all.

I still want to try the soup though.

[Morrigoon]

Got a little experimental tonight.

Went to the market hoping for one of those packaged dinners ready-for-the-crock-pot, which for some reason my market had none of today. So no problem, chicken was on sale, figured I'd just make a stew from scratch. Picked up chicken breasts and potatoes, figured I had the veggies in the freezer to finish it off.

Well... I didn't have the bag of veg I was counting on (aka "stew vegetables", or even a bag of carrots, which would have been nice). So I had to go with what I did have, which was an 8-vegetable medley, some of which I wouldn't ordinarily have chosen to add to a slow-cooker meal, but hey, it's what I had. Tossed in a can of corn as well.

Dredged 2 chicken breasts in flour and seasonings and pan-fried them for about 10-20 minutes to get a nice brown crust on the surface. Threw that on top of the veggies in the crock pot with a can of chicken breath, the water from the corn (didn't have any more chicken broth!), and enough extra water to cover. Cut up 3 smallish potatoes and tossed those in as well.

4 hours later...

Removed the chicken breasts from the pot, deboned, and shredded to bite-size bits. Reused the oil from the chicken pan-fry and 2 Tbsp of flour to make roux. Spooned that in. Made Bisquick dumplings, tossed those on top for 20 minutes and added some seasoning to the stew because it needed "something". Nothing fancy, a little salt & pepper, maybe some poultry seasoning.

That's it.

Didn't shatter the culinary world with it, but made some solid tasty comfort food that wasn't a fail, so I'm pleased :) (Stews have not historically been my strong point)

[Betty]

You have be intrigued with your can of chicken breath. :)

[Morrigoon]

ROFL... didn't see that typo! Hahah... yes, only the most exotic ingredients in MY stew!

[Betty]

Last night it was pork tinga tostadas. I decided that I no longer like them or anything chipotle because of the weird smoky flavor.

I love bbq including food that's been smoked. I do not like fake smoke flavoring that's in so many things like bbq chips, smoked lunch meats, etc.

I think it might stem from a childhood trauma when my mom had a bottle of liquid smoke in the fridge that fell out and broke. That stuff is so potent you could taste it in the air for days. Yuck.

.....

Anyhoo... what to make for tonight? Maybe homemade pizza. I wish I had a good pizza sauce recipe. I usually use some progresso spaghetti sauce but it's not really that good. I bought a bottle of progresso pizza sauce that is new but probably just as okay. I want a sauce like Round Table Pizza has.

[cirquelover]

Trader Joes has a pizza sauce that the kid and I like.

[Morrigoon]

Garlic shells. And a late-night snack of whole grain toast with melted cheddar on top.

[Betty]

Two nights ago I made:

Spicy sausage and parmesean raviolis (homemade dough and everything) with a browned butter sage sauce. Idea and sauce from Alton Brown. I didn't want to have to make 1/4 of his meatloaf mixture to fill it though so I winged it. I still used his crouton idea though. I made about half of what I could because it was time consuming and I wasn't sure how well they'd turn out.

They turned out great! Really really good actually. So good, I made the rest of them yesterday and froze them for dinner later in the week.

And they were actually pretty damn cheap to make too and could be filled with all sorts of interesting things. I will definitely try them again.

Tonight though? Hrrrmmmm. Maybe taco salad.

[Morrigoon]

Pork roast in gravy (can't take credit for the roast, this was a Tyson frozen entree)
with egg noodles in butter, salt, and a dash of garlic powder

Was surprisingly good for such an easy dinner. Will do again. Next time will remember to make a veggie side dish.

[alphabassettgrrl]

Chicken with bacon, mushrooms, and a cream sauce. With broccoli on the side and stuffing. Kind of a mishmash, but I spent enough energy on the chicken thing that I wanted to keep the rest simple.

[Morrigoon]

Wow, that sounds delicious!

[Snowflake]

Tonight will be a cold noodle salad with peanut sauce.

[alphabassettgrrl]

I heavily modified this:

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/bacon-mushroom-chicken/detail.aspx

I kept the ingredients, but modified the cooking. Used boneless chicken, broiled it with a slice of bacon on top; cooked more bacon in a pan, added the bacon grease from the broiled bacon, cooked the mushrooms, then added cream and cornstarch. Would have added garlic but I don't have any at the moment. Used a bit of dried garlic, but it's not the same.

Would probably be great with some plain noodles or spaghetti maybe.

[Betty]

Tonight we shall dine on homemade garlic/potato/leek soup with bacond sprinkles, garlic "croutons" and chives - and a roast beef and havarti panini.

Nice soup and sandwich combo. I think I've been waiting for soup - first day it rains and I had to make some. (I made it all in one day although recipe refers to making it ahead.)

Soup recipe from cooks illustrated:

MAKE-AHEAD GARLIC-POTATO SOUP

Published March 1, 2008. From Cook's Illustrated.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
Choosing the right potato was the first step in developing our make-ahead garlic-potato soup recipe; we liked peeled russets for the way they broke down and thickened the broth, but we found that adding Red Bliss potatoes was necessary to ramp up the potato flavor. The key to garlic balance in our potato soup recipe proved to be not quantity but cooking technique. We needed two methods, combining sautéed minced garlic with whole poached garlic heads. (less)

SERVES 6 AS A MAIN COURSE
A garnish is essential to add crunch and flavor to this soup. We like garlic chips, but crisp bacon bits, fried leeks, and garlic croutons (see Serve With suggestions) are good options, too. A potato masher can be used instead of an immersion blender to mash some of the potatoes right in the pot, though the consistency will not be as creamy. If leeks are not available, substitute an equal amount of yellow onion. The test kitchen prefers the soup made with chicken broth, but vegetable broth can be substituted.
INGREDIENTS
Soup Base
3tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium leek , white and light green parts halved lengthwise, washed, and chopped small (about 1 cup)
3medium cloves garlic , minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)
2heads garlic , rinsed, papery skins removed and top third of heads cut off and discarded
6cups low-sodium chicken broth (see note)
2 bay leaves
Table salt
1 1/2pounds russet potatoes , peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 4 1/2 cups)
1pound Red Bliss potatoes (unpeeled), cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 3 cups)
For Reheating Soup
1cup low-sodium chicken broth (see note)
1/2cup heavy cream
1 1/2teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves
Ground black pepper
1/4cup minced fresh chives
Garlic Chips
3tablespoons olive oil
6medium cloves garlic , sliced thin lengthwise
Table salt
INSTRUCTIONS
1. TO MAKE SOUP BASE: Melt butter in Dutch oven over medium heat. When foaming subsides, add leeks and cook until soft (do not brown), 5 to 8 minutes. Stir in minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add garlic heads, 6 cups broth, bay leaves, and 3/4 teaspoon salt; partially cover pot and bring to simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and simmer until garlic is very tender when pierced with tip of knife, 30 to 40 minutes. Add potatoes, partially cover pot, and bring mixture to simmer over medium-high heat. Take pot off heat and let rest 10 minutes. Separate soup into 2 storage containers and freeze up to 1 month.
2. TO REHEAT AND SERVE: Run hot water over surface of storage containers to help release frozen blocks of soup. Add soup and 1 cup broth to large Dutch oven set over medium-high heat. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until soup is hot and potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Discard bay leaves. Remove garlic heads; using tongs or paper towels, squeeze garlic heads at root end until cloves slip out of their skins. Using fork, mash garlic to smooth paste in bowl.
3. Stir cream, thyme, and half of mashed garlic into soup; heat soup until hot, about 2 minutes. Taste soup; add remaining garlic paste if desired. Using immersion blender, process soup until creamy, with some potato chunks remaining. Alternatively, transfer 1 1/2 cups potatoes and 1 cup broth to blender or food processor and process until smooth. (Process more potatoes for thicker consistency.) Return puree to pot and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper and serve, sprinkling each portion with chives and garlic chips.
For Garlic Chips
Heat oil and garlic in 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Cook, turning frequently, until light golden brown, about 3 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer garlic to plate lined with paper towels; discard oil. Sprinkle lightly with salt.

[Prudence]

Homemade butternut squash risotto, bacon, and homemade red velvet cupcakes.

[Betty]

I made this last night: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/bucatini-with-bacon-sauce-and-meatballs-recipe/index.html

I think I've decided that I'm just not going to make spaghetti anymore. I'm disappointed every time. The meatballs were really good though.

I also made bruchetta with it and THAT was the best part of it. My husband tells me, as he's devouring it, he shouldn't like this... he doesn't like tomatoes and it looks like it's all tomatoes... and I'm thinking - I KNOW! And then even my 13 year old son is saying he's going to try it and I'm thinking DAMN! I should have bought more basil and cut up more tomatoes.

It's roma tomatoes cut in half and deseeded. I just use my fingers. Dice them up small. Then cut up a bunch of basil. I bought I "bunch" from Winco and stacked up the leaves, cutting them into strips and then once or twice the other way. I added a minced/squished clove of garlic and big splash of olive oil, a small splash of balsamic vinegar and some crunchy sea salt. It didn't look quite right so I put in another splash of olive oil and ta-da. In fact, I'm totally craving it again right now.

I need to skip the spaghetti sauce and use this as a topping for chicken or something instead. It's like italian salsa! (well - it looks sort of like salsa.)

[lashbear]

We've been brainwashed by Britain. Tonight is Bangers & Mash. Pork Chipolatas, no less. :D

[Moonliner]

I love a recipe who's first ingredient is one pound of butter.

http://i688.photobucket.com/albums/vv243/stevesphotobook/android/2011-11-23132423.jpg


And yes Pru, this one is for tomorrow!

[Kevy Baby]

I love a recipe who's only ingredient is one pound of butter.

[Moonliner]

I love a recipe who's only ingredient is one pound of butter and bacon.

Fixed that for you.

[JWBear]

Would that be a pound each, or a pound total?

[Prudence]

Butter!

[Morrigoon]

Moonie: are you making Paula Deen's English Peas (http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/english-peas-recipe/index.html)?

(If there's anybody left on this board that hasn't already seen the comment section for that recipe... you simply must!)

[Moonliner]

Moonie: are you making Paula Deen's English Peas (http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/english-peas-recipe/index.html)?

(If there's anybody left on this board that hasn't already seen the comment section for that recipe... you simply must!)

Scrabble My Way. (Extra cashews no wheat chex)

[lashbear]

Pea and Ham Soup made with a huge Ham Bone I bought from the supermarket (they were on special)

[Moonliner]

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

A great start to the day here at Casa De Moonie. We have about a dozen people coming for dinner and I woke up to no hot water in the house.

*sigh*

Fortunately this is just the type of thing that happens in my life on a regular basis. We once did Easter dinner with no power (and that's when we had an electric stove).

The show will go on, the guests should not notice a thing (unless one of them happens to read this....)

[Prudence]

(unless one of them happens to read this....)

Reads what?

[Gn2Dlnd]

Scrabble My Way. (Extra cashews no wheat chex)

Why no wheat?

Inquiring minds...

[Gn2Dlnd]

Heading to mom's house in Riverside, then dad's in Moreno Valley. Double turkey, what does it MEAN????

[Moonliner]

Why no wheat?

Inquiring minds...

Cuz wheat checks are icky.

[Prudence]

A casserole containing a lot of cheese and also some broccoli is in the oven!

[Kevy Baby]

A casserole containing a lot of cheese and also some broccoli is in the oven!Why broccoli?

[Prudence]

Why broccoli?

Color contrast.

[Gn2Dlnd]

You like turkey? Maybe turkey like you (http://www.news10.net/news/article/157957/2/MUST-WATCH-How-to-outrun-a-turkey-)!

[lashbear]

Hehehehe - too funny !! "Maybe he'll bite me"

[Gn2Dlnd]

Mmmm, Thanksgiving leftovers. (Turkey, stuffing, broccoli/rice/cheese casserole all mushed together in a bowl and microwaved. Topped with cranberry sauce)

[lashbear]

A bit carby there, Parmageddon Jim...

(still, I should talk)

[Not Afraid]

Theo was bitten by a Turkey at the OC Fair.

[Ghoulish Delight]

He got his revenge.

[Prudence]

I made the best sweet potato casserole ever tonight. It was one of the most delicious things I've ever eaten.

[lashbear]

Trifle !!!! Made with home-made vanilla custard. Yummy !

[Morrigoon]

Pru: recipe?

Tonight: tacos gringos.

[Gn2Dlnd]

A bit carby there, Parmageddon Jim...



I know, right? But it's Thanksgiving, allowances must be made. Lately I'm watching calories more closely than carbs, and staying mostly wheat free, the stuffing was made with wheat free bread. Seems wheat has been the source of a lot of the problems I've associated with carbs, e.g., itchy eyes, congestion, rosacea, etc. That said, carbs in general aren't a great calorie bargain, so I keep them low compared to what most people eat.

Tonight, for dinner, I had a lovely grilled prawn salad with a lemon vinaigrette from a new (to me) chain called Tender Greens. I will go back.

[Prudence]

Pru: recipe?



It was slightly made up based on two different recipes, and the amounts were all approximate because I was too lazy to measure.

Some sweet potatoes, peeled, sliced. In pot, cover with water, bring to boil, boil 15 minutes, drain, mash.

With hand mixer, mash up potatoes in a bowl
Add about 1/4 cup evaporated milk, 1/4 cup orange juice, 1/4-ish tsp each nutmeg and cinnamon, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/2 salt, 3 Tbl melted butter. blend.

Pour into 9X9 baking dish, top with marshmallows, bake about 30 mins at 350.

[Gn2Dlnd]

Tonight, turducken! At Ralph Brennan's! If anyone wants to join, call, text, or tweet. :)

[lashbear]

Jim, keep your Turducken! I'm going to Call into Dingo Brennan's with Susie Ann Krellingshaw for a Text-book Aussie SparrPidgeGull (so fresh the Sparrow is still Tweeting) :p



(...Either that, or I'm staying at home to make Chicken & Corn soup)

[lashbear]

Tonight.... Sausage Vindaloo !! (don't ask...)

[Betty]

Last night I used the leftover ground beef/jack cheese/homemade refried bean burritos as flour enchiladas or maybe wet burritos. It was great because I used leftovers and it required very little prep or clean up. I just put them in a pan, sauced and cheesed them and baked them. I need to do that again. And making the beans in a crock pot did a great job.

Tonight is going to mini burgers with roasted potatoes and salad. The mini burgers are just tiny burgers broiled - but I put them on these great dinner rolls that I used at Thanksgiving. They are frozen and surprisingly good. And for some reason, my husband, who generally complains if I make hamburgers for dinner, loves them.

I'll probably throw in a sweet potato to roast too.

[lashbear]

I'll have the crock pot refried bean recipe if you wouldn't mind obliging !! LOVES me some refried beans.

[Morrigoon]

Seasoned potato wedges, covered in cheese and bacon, with a side of turkey kielbasa :)

[Snowflake]

Quinoa is my new favorite food!

Tonight will be quinoa salad (with herbs, bell pepper, lemon, olive oil, garlic, etc.), chicken apple sausage and steamed green veg.

[Betty]

I'll have the crock pot refried bean recipe if you wouldn't mind obliging !! LOVES me some refried beans.

I never remember to soak the beans the day before I make them. I'm not sure if that's supposed to make them cook faster or make them less gassy so keep that in mind.

I buy pinto beans from the bulk section of winco and use about 2 scoops - which is probably 2 1/2 - 3 cups. Pick through the beans and put them in a crock pot with several inches of water to cover - maybe 4"? I'm not big on measuring stuff if you haven't already noticed. Don't add salt... not yet. I cut a medium brown onion in half, peeled it and threw that in and a few twists of pepper from the grinder.

And... I then added a big spoonful of lard. This was the first time I've done that - saw some recipe online where they added it when the beans were cooking. Seems like I'd seen it before were the beans were "fried" in it and smooshed - but I'd not done that before either. Anyway, it was probably about 2 tablespoons worth. I've added bacon grease from 2 or 3 pieces of bacon before and even added the bacon too - but I prefer the lard. That sounds terrible I know. It seemed to make the beans fluffy instead of pasty.

I let it cook on high for several hours - maybe 5? - until the beans were done and creamy inside. I then strained out the beans and whirled them in the food processor adding enough of the bean liquid to make it loose. Add salt to taste - it's a lot of beans so keep that in mind. You didn't add any salt to begin with so they are fairly bland until seasoned. I've tried adding other seasoning like cumin but it doesn't taste like refried beans are supposed to taste.

Great reheated - and if you put it on a plate under the broiler with a little sprinkle of jack cheese, like you'd get at a mexican restaurant? It sort of fluffs up somehow and get that little edge to it. I don't know what the lard does - but it does something to the texture that you don't get without it. Bacon grease might do the same but the smokiness isn't the right flavor. I've tried chicken stock to loosen them up too but it's too chicken-y instead of bean-y.

I read something about cooking with lard being the new hip thing and it's not as unhealthy as they long thought it was. I have no idea how true or not that is... but the beans are really good.

[Betty]

Quinoa is my new favorite food!

Tonight will be quinoa salad (with herbs, bell pepper, lemon, olive oil, garlic, etc.), chicken apple sausage and steamed green veg.

Really. I may have to give it a try. I'm not sure I've ever had it.

[lashbear]

I'll have to try that now. Good thing the supermarket still sells lard.

[3894]

Rrrrroasted butternut squash and local fromage bleu served over cheesy grits. Irresistibly adorable organic baby greens on the side.

[Kevy Baby]

Apparently, we are going to Sutter's Mill Restaurant in Simi tonight. Part II of "Christmas with Family."

[Moonliner]

Apparently, we are going to Sutter's Mill Restaurant in Simi tonight. Part II of "Christmas with Family."

At least the bar looks well stocked. That's always an important feature at any family gathering.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/public/Qj-cppUx-T6RXsxSaeCnFhPZJyN9PHCx02ngMgt6_hPPyg7A3gIaf5DULs8 UUp6ueAOMJJVu-0onw2keoF8ak7DfDkK-k6Fa6JERoSpb

[CoasterMatt]

Apparently, we are going to Sutter's Mill Restaurant in Simi tonight. Part II of "Christmas with Family."
Have fun!

[Moonliner]

And try the bacon wrapped shrimp! Yummy!

[Morrigoon]

There's a Sutter's Mill in Simi? I only knew of the Van Nuys one...

[Kevy Baby]

There's a Sutter's Mill in Simi? I only knew of the Van Nuys one...The original was in Mission Hills (well, THE original restaurant was in Sylmar, but that was before my time). To the best of my knowledge, there was never a Sutter's Mill in in Van Nuys; see their history here (http://sutters4dining.com/history.htm).

[Morrigoon]

Could be. I was a kid, didn't pay proper attention to where we drove.

[Betty]

We got some meat from Omaha Steaks - having the steaks tonight. Mmm Mmm Mmm. I'm also making some potatoes - I forget what they are called. You slice them almost all the way through into "not" slices down each potato. Then salt and pepper and drizzle with some melted butter. May also add a slice or three of garlic and some rosemary in the slices. And and and... I'm going to try and make roasted beets which I remember my grandma making as a kid and really liking. And salad. boring salad.

[Betty]

The beets were horrid! OMG - sooo bad. I washed and peeled them before cooking - however they tasted very "earthy" (aka: like dirt)

blech.

The steak was really good.

Oh - and the potatoes also sucked because my husband had to work late - leading to the potatoes sitting on the stove waiting for nearly an hour. The texture was hard/dense.

But like I said - the steak was good.

[Alex]

I'm also making some potatoes - I forget what they are called. You slice them almost all the way through into "not" slices down each potato.

Hasselback potatoes (http://101things.wordpress.com/2008/11/18/hasselback-potatoes/)

[Betty]

Those are they.

[lashbear]

Homemade Carrot & Ginger soup tonight .... I'm being good ! :D

[Betty]

Last night I transformed leftover carnitas meat into bbq pork sandwiches with homemade bbq sauce. (I really prefer bbq sauce without that liquid smoke junk - ever since my Mom dropped a bottle and it broke in the fridge/kitchen. It really makes your stomach turn when you can't get away from the smell for days.)

Also - coleslaw because the two go hand in hand.

[blueerica]

Ooohh!! I finally get to post in this thread again!! Soon!! (And not have it consist of any type of cafeteria special!)

[Snowflake]

Ooohh!! I finally get to post in this thread again!! Soon!! (And not have it consist of any type of cafeteria special!)

Yay! Because of you I've become addicted to quinoa!

Post some more!

Tonight, kale and white bean soup for dins. It's a tad chilly up here (NOT compared to UT or WA)

[alphabassettgrrl]

Tilapia and homemade mashed potatoes. And a can of mandarin oranges. Because they're cute and yummy. Should have done a vegetable, but that's ok. Tomorrow night will feature asparagus fried in bacon grease.

[katiesue]

Chicken Avacado soup - delish.

[Morrigoon]

baguette, brie and apple slices

[cirquelover]

The teen and I cleaned out the fridge, so it was a bizarre assortment for dinner!

Somehow he fell in love with Pizza Hut pasta so it looks like tomorrow will be their Tuscan Tuesday special. I can't complain though because for $6 it will feed us both and it's an easy cleanup.

[RStar]

Last night I transformed leftover carnitas meat into bbq pork sandwiches with homemade bbq sauce. (I really prefer bbq sauce without that liquid smoke junk - ever since my Mom dropped a bottle and it broke in the fridge/kitchen. It really makes your stomach turn when you can't get away from the smell for days.)

Also - coleslaw because the two go hand in hand.

I know what you mean. At work a glass gallon bottle of peppermint oil fell off a shelf and broke durring the Northridge eartquake. We had to wear scuba gear to try to be able to stay in the room to get it cleaned up. Scuba gear isn't meant to be used outside of water, and the fumes still got through. We could only stay in there for 10 minutes before we couldn't breath. Then we'd go outside for 30 minutes, and go back and do it again. Ever since then I've never been able to eat peppermint. I'd love to try a DL handmade candy cane at Christmas, but it would just make me sick.

[katiesue]

44 Clove Garlic Soup (http://smittenkitchen.com/2006/08/a-44-clove-ticket-to-a-happier-place/). Quite tasty but a bit of work involved.

[alphabassettgrrl]

Shrimp in lemon and butter, fried rice with bacon and mushrooms, green beans fried in bacon. I'm pretty proud of myself- I've cooked a lot lately, all from scratch.

[Betty]

That sounds yummy Alphabassettgrrl. I quite enjoy cooking from scratch. If I'm realistic, I know that sometimes I make dinners that don't quite turn out. But for the most part, cooking from scratch gets better results.

Somethings though are just easier when I'm using them as an ingredient. I made chicken manicotti 50/50 night before last. I fill uncooked (or cook them first, whatever) manicotti noodles with chicken goo. Chicken goo is uncooked chicken breast in the food processor with garlic salt, mozzerella and some spinach, an egg and a little milk and some pepper. I pipe that into the noodles and put them in a 9x13 pan that I've coated with some spaghetti sauce on one side and alfredo sauce on the other. ( both jarred sauces - I like prego traditional and bertoli alfredo). Then I add a little bit of water to the sauces - about 2 tablespoons - and pour the sauces over the filled pasta. (white on white, red on red). top with a little more mozzerella.

Cover in foil and bake at 325 for about 50-60 minutes until even the middle of the pan is all bubbly. Remove foil and let finish for another 5-10 minutes until the top of the cheese is a little toasty.

*Feel free to add other things to the filling but chop it really small or throw it in with the chicken to get chopped up. use another egg if it seems too loose as that will help when it cooks.

**Use any leftover chicken goo as meatballs or a strip of chicken goo along the edge. I always end up with a tad bit too much and hate to waste it.

***I've also made this with cooked manicotti and chicken, putting it all together and then baking it for less time. The cooked manicotti is a pain to work with though as it rips and is hot - or you cool it down and it's sticky. The pasta doesn't absorb the flavors as it cooks either - but it's faster.

[alphabassettgrrl]

I've generally hated cooking, but I sure like eating, and cooking is a fairly certain method of making sure I get food I like. And I've had some inspiration a few times, which makes it more fun.

Chicken manicotti- have to make a note of that. Sounds delicious!

[lashbear]

I made chicken manicotti

Hmm, what is this pasta Manicotti???

Oh... you mean Cannelloni !

Cannelloni is often erroneously referred to as manicotti (Italian: sleeves) (English pronunciation: /ˌmænɨˈkɒtiː/), which is actually a filled Italian dinner crepe, as opposed to pre-rolled pasta.[1] While manicotti and cannelloni are sometimes used interchangeably in preparing non-traditional versions of some dishes, in traditional Italian cooking cannelloni are made with pasta and manicotti with a specialized crepe pan, and the two have particular uses. Although both terms are plural nouns in Italian, the English term is often construed as singular, particularly when used as the name of the dish.

I have to try Chicken Goo now !

[Betty]

Lash - I'm going by what the box of pasta says. There's no way I'm making crepes for it. lol. I always thought cannelloni were those rolled up fried things filled with cream.

We generally call it "50/50" though so I guess it doesn't matter as long as the shape is right. Although - I've made this in those really big shells you can stuff too.

Edited to add: This (http://www.barillaus.com/Products/17/manicotti.aspx)is what I usually buy. Now I'm curious as to why they don't call it cannelloni.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Lash - I'm going by what the box of pasta says. There's no way I'm making crepes for it. lol. I always thought cannelloni were those rolled up fried things filled with cream.
Cannoli

[Ghoulish Delight]

Meanwhile, searching around, there is no straight answer for the difference between manicotti and cannelloni. Wikipedia says that canneloni are rolled noodles while manicotti are rolled crepes, yet there's not separate page for manicotti (it redirects to canneloni) imlying that they are the same thing.

Other sources online say manicotti are pre-rolled packaged tubes while cannelloni are fresh pasta sheets rolled into tube shapes.

Still others say they are identical except manicotti are rolled on a bias while cannelloni are rolled as straight cylinders.

In other words, call 'em whatever the hell you want.

[Betty]

Cannoli

Aha! I was close.

[Betty]

I've used a package of egg roll wrappers for some pasta thing before - ravioli maybe? I wonder how they work rolled with filling.

I've got a fancy Italian pasta roller with a fettuccine cutting blade I got from a church rummage sale for $5 (such a bargain! I don't think it was ever even used.) But it's a lot of work to use by myself and the pets have to be locked up or they interfere.

[cirquelover]

Aren't pets helpful, at least they think they are!

[Kevy Baby]

In other words, call 'em whatever the hell you want.Okay, I'll call 'em Bob

[lashbear]

One thing I do note is the lovely scalloped shape of the shell - the Canneloni tubes we get here are straight-sided. Maybe that's the difference.

http://www.pastaetc.nl/images/Barilla-Cannelloni-n88.jpg

[alphabassettgrrl]

Canneloni/manicotti- I thought one had meat and the otehr had only cheese (or a mixture).

Cannoli are the dessert ones. Maybe?

[CoasterMatt]

Domino's Pizza - Wisconsin 6 cheese - mozzarella, feta, provolone, Cheddar, Parmesan and Asiago cheeses.

[Ghoulish Delight]

[COLOR="Purple"]Canneloni/manicotti- I thought one had meat and the otehr had only cheese (or a mixture).
No, the names refer to the pasta/wrapping, not the filling. "Cannelloni" is Italian for "large reeds", "manicotti" means "sleeves". So both refer to a tube-shaped wrapping of some sort. Whether they are simply different words for the same thing or actually distinct items appears to be a matter of speculation. And if they are different things, exactly what each is is also not very well defined. Possibly because the term "manicotti" is of American origin rather than Italian so it doesn't have the same historical linguistic accuracy of tradition. as most pasta names.

[alphabassettgrrl]

Ah, gotcha.

[katiesue]

Braised Brisket with Burbon-Peach glaze (http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Braised-Brisket-with-Bourbon-Peach-Glaze-388709). It's really easy and really good. Just takes a lot of time. Plus I get to use my LeCruset :)

[Betty]

That sounds great katiesue. I've not made brisket before. That looks like a good one to start with.

[cirquelover]

That sounds delicious! In the reviews someone smoked it, that sounds like something we would try.

Tonight we had radiator with Alfredo, chicken strips, sourdough garlic bread and papaya, not bad for a quickly thrown together dinner after Robotics.

[lashbear]

Does the Bourbon go in the brisket or the chef? :D

I'm doing my rainbow fried rice tonight to cheer Stoat up.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Pasta and cream sauce with lemon, fresh dill, and salmon.

[lashbear]

Kung Pao Chicken !!

[Moonliner]

Pancakes!

[Kevy Baby]

Pancakes!What did you originally say about Lisa?

[Morrigoon]

Pancakes!

Sounds like a good idea

[cirquelover]

I like breakfast for dinner. Although I prefer waffles with strawberry jam and whipped cream!

[Moonliner]

Not This. (http://gizmodo.com/5892010/taco-bell-doritos-locos-taco-lightning-review-love-and-vomit) Not today, not ever.

http://media.cleveland.com/business_impact/photo/taco-bell-doritos-tacos-9d2068fc3490fbb7.jpg

Taco Bell's new taco with a Dorito chip for a shell

[alphabassettgrrl]

I love Doritos. I love tacos.

But not together. Sorry.

[Not Afraid]

I think it sounds delicious!

[Gn2Dlnd]

I think I want this.

[Ghoulish Delight]

If it weren't a Taco Bell taco I'd be all over it.

[cirquelover]

I had a fresh waffle cone at the ice cream parlor, it was $1.75, then went to the reopening of my fav Chinese place. It was delicious.

I think the ice cream parlor will have a big following. They even put a dab of whipped cream and a cherry on the cone! The milkshakes were in an old fashioned tall glass and were only $2.25. It is such a cute and quaint little old fashioned looking place, I love it!

[Betty]

Taco Bell has told me over and over it doesn't agree with me and always make a quick exit, if you know what I mean. I'd try the dorito taco shell thing though once, if I was at Taco Bell for some reason and was going to eat there. (I'm not really seeing a time when that's going to happen but you know what I'm getting at.)

[JWBear]

Meatloaf!

[Gn2Dlnd]

Little Nell!

[lashbear]

Kung Pao Chicken !!

[Kevy Baby]

A bowl of ice cream. That was dinner tonight.

[cirquelover]

I had a wonderful shnitzel(sp) and a dessert
Platter. I brought home two carry outs full of dessert! I'm set for dessert for the next few days.

[CoasterMatt]

Rose cooked spaghetti for us- we tried out Bongiovi brand sauce, and it was surprisingly good.