Sorry to say, but this site has been so depressing for a few days. I thought I'd ask an average, everyday question....to make us all feel a little more normal today.
I made Eggplant Lasagna, and my BIL and SIL are coming for dinner. They leave for Cali tomorrow to see their beautiful grand daughter.
Sorry, sometimes we just need some REGULAR conversation.......or at least THIS caregiver does.
Never heard of the Scottish porridge thing but I am interested in food traditions and know that many of them are cross-cultural. All grandma’s leftovers went into the ‘slop’ bowl for the animals so there was absolutely no waste whatsoever, even when the picky grandkids were around. As I get older I spend more time thinking about these things!
Re porridge/oatmeal, Samuel Johnson wrote that oats were "a grain which in England is generally given to horses, but in Scotland supports the people".
Unfortunately, I am allergic to oats as well.
I know the gluten and dairy allergy stuff pretty well, though when I moved down here last October I spent hours online checking out foods for dairy and gluten content in the grocery stores here. Dairy free or vegan does not mean it's not contaminated with dairy, as I found out after a few nasty allergy hits. Many foods are contaminated.
The fodmaps issue is new but not that hard to figure out. There is still a lot of good food to eat! But I have had to say good bye to apples and asparagus for now anyway. D@rn it!!!
It's fine now, but if I ever need to go into an ALF or a NH is may be a nightmare.
R (sig other) is from a farming background and he has the same "waste nothing" practice. His mum and dad raised 5 boys on a dairy farm so they always had plenty of milk, and cream. They picked wild berries, and even wild horseradish I just heard - so strong you couldn't eat it. His mum was a good cook (what mother isn't to her children?) and baked pies, made perogies etc. I don't because it's too high carb and calorie wise and baking with wheat flour sets off my allergies. I did bake back in the day when the kids were small and before I knew what my allergies were. R watches his sugars and carbs in general as do I, though he is as lean as he always was. I wish!!!
Times change and with it eating habits. So many people eat/order out fairly often. I can't cotton on to that. We grew up with cooking from scratch and a meal out once or twice a year for a special occasions. I enjoy cooking from scratch and trying new things, but a break once in a while is very welcome.
With my Norwegian background I will eat fish any time of day - sardines for breakfast anyone? lol
As we get older I think memories are more and more important and enjoyable. They are for me anyway.
My favorite picnic includes sardines, cucumber, sweet onions red, orange, yellow and green peppers and (I know you can not partake) rosemary and olive oil triscuits and habanero cheese. Paint me happy when I am in nature looking forward to lunch :-) watermelon for desert just finishes everything nicely.
Tonight, tuna casserole with tuna my BIL caught and canned. Absolutely ruined me for anything from the grocery store.
Also Brussels sprouts, baby mushrooms and a touch of sherry baked right in.
Lots of time to cook today because it rained last night and the slope to the redwood trees is slippery. Slippery slope + mini-chainsaw = NOT a good combination.
cwillie, I’m with you on the sardines.
The only problem with having the very best of any fresh food, it runs out :-( then we have to wait for more or settle.
Gluten free chocolate chip cookies that he also made for me
I am definitely going to get some of that everything bagel or copycat some and try that on black rice with green onion. That use never hit my radar until your yummy dinner description. Thanx! :-)
Takes longer to cook, I'm telling you because I could not find black rice with instructions for cooking and I learned through trial and error. Use the 2to1 ratio and it turns out delish. Plus, it's a super nutritious grain, win-win. Oh, great in cold salads too.
Pot roast last night - beef (eye of round) potatoes, carrots, onions, bell peppers, diced tomatoes and seasonings. It was pronounced excellent.
I haven't used a slow cooker in ages and now am wondering why. Must look up some recipes; Does anyone have some faves they want to share? R wants pea soup with a ham bone. That's a fave of mine too. The slow cooker works well for that.
I am going to try her BBQ chicken this weekend, it sounds great and looks easypeasy.
I will redeem myself on Monday - making lunch for a crowd:
Maple Mustard Pork Tenderloin Sliders with caramelized onions,
Terra Chips, tri-color bell pepper strips, assorted pickled veggies, dried blueberry goat cheese spread with Cosmic crisp apples and fig, pumpkin seed crackers.
Someone else is bringing dessert.
Anyone have a fav slider roll that isn’t Kings Hawaiian?
That means it’s almost slow cooker season! ITRR, I will check out that website too after I go through last winter’s recipes. There were some really good ones and some that were just “meh”.
BTW, the 2 worst meals I’ve ever made have been in the slow cooker. The first one was the first time I had in-laws over; some rolled flank steak thing - SO EMBARRASSING. The second was just hubby and me thank goodness, but we dubbed it ‘crock ‘o slop’ and dumped the whole thing.
nacy - lots of parties. Enjoy!!!
Last night was pan fried salmon again, this time with a veggie stir fry - bok coy, bell peppers, onions, garlic, ginger, soy sauce and a little sesame oil. R and I cooked together which we should do more often. He did the veggies I did the fish.
Tonight will be roast pork tenderloin. Not sure yet what else. Maybe roasted carrots, brussels sprouts and apple sauce.
I used to love cooking with DH but that doesn’t work so well anymore.
SIL is coming for lunch today so dinner for us will be whatever I can pull together.
Nacy, your creamsicle salad sounds like something my mom used to make. Is it molded? Does it have marshmallows? Jello? Mandarin oranges? I’m getting church potluck vibes! Good memories!
ITRR, best crockpot recipe I’ve made is Turkey Mole’ soup. Ground turkey, green bell peppers, a deep, flavorful mole’ broth. Swoon.
I have trouble with any salad that isn't mainly green though I know they are popular. Ambrosia, for example, to me is more like a dessert. I want veggies in my salads, with nuts, and seeds, and other such things, even a little fruit like cranberries or strawberries, but I like the main part to be green leafy veggies. Strawberry and spinach salad is great.
Turkey Mole’ soup sounds awesome. I made a Mole' Chili once. It was good. I may try to make the 20 min version of mole' sauce and make the soup.
We tried washing, preparing, storing, cooking some, the two of us working at it.
Left about 8 cooked carrots out on a covered plate accidentally, and went to bed tired. Dumped those this morning.
I think these carrots were meant to be fed to horses.
So, not planning any large batch cooking for the rest of this year.
It would be an insult to give them away.
Don't know why this has become so hard.
If all else fails, carrots make fine compost especially if you chop them up a little first. After you do that, join us on the Gardening as Therapy discussion!
I have no idea what to make for dinner tonight; I’ve been too busy this week feeding visitors to do a meal plan and pick up groceries. OH WAIT! My dear SIL brought a half dozen fresh eggs when she came for lunch yesterday and I have leftover spinach leaves and bell pepper slices and bacon in the freezer. Breakfast for dinner!