The What's For Dinner Tonight Chat

[notme]

second daughter and her 2 boys are in for the week (ok, she dropped the kids here so she and her buddy can go to fandomfest (or something like that) going to meet the guy from the walking dead.  (i hate to sound creepy, but i saw a photo of him and he looks a little like my husband/ her dad/ eeew)  lolz - anyways, i got the boys - when they lived here, i was like "GOSH, TINA!  JUST EAT A QUESADILLA!  GOSH!!"  but i sure miss them now that they live 9 hrs away 

 

in-laws coming today - they must be fed On Schedule!  

 

burgers and dogs (maybe with vension chili, like texas wieners <not like NEW YORK WIENER LOLOLZ can you believe that guy's name is actually wiener hahahahaaa)

zucchini lasagne (yes.  again.)

baked beans

 

they are bringing down their 'old' mower because something is 'wrong' with it and they had to get a new one.  after they unload it, my f.i.l. can remove the stick in the fuel line..................  viola!  it's a New Mower Day MIRACLE!!!  

[GottaSki]

Hi Dee Ho...well that is a bit cheerier than I am....have had a flare from hell this week...thought I was glutened...but can't pinpoint that and haven't had a flare like this since the 7 month jobbie last year.  Gluten usually just gets me for three days....so the mystery of me continues....Hormone Cream, Antihistamines and Magical Bath along with a few other "remedies" and I am outta bed and was able to have son drive me about to take care of s$#& this morning...still a bit wobbly so headed to my comfy chair to rest a bit.

 

Have no idea what is in the frig or cupboards...will check that out for my next adventure later in the day.

 

Soooo sorry to hear about the Kitty MW...HUGS to you and the peanuts -- sounds like you are doing all the right things to help them thru this.

 

Addie...sad about headaches...but glad you found a bit of oomf from the docs...hang in there

[AlwaysLearning]

Beer Chicken (I've done this poaching method with just water and it is still quite tasty. White wine works too)

This makes a juicy, evenly cooked chicken with lots of flavor, and enough gravy to serve over rice. (I normally serve with a separate side vegetable.)

Ingredients:
• Boneless chicken (I prefer thighs and get the organic/free range)
• Black olives (1 can sliced up)
• Bell mushrooms (2 cups sliced up)
(I've done green or red bell peppers in the past though they aren't my favorite. Onions can work though they can get bitter. Experiment with your faves.)
• Garlic clove (optional - can do dried garlic or skip)
• Gluten free beer - one bottle 
• Favorite dried spices (I do basil, thyme, tarragon, oregano, and marjorum, salt)
• Olive oil or butter
• Thickening agent for the gravy/sauce (I use potato starch)
• Rice (I normally do white basmati)

In a large pan, brown the chicken lightly in olive oil or butter. One minute on each side should be enough. Add the bottle of beer and some water. You could do just beer, or if you drink some of the beer while cutting up your olives/musrooms, use more water. You don't need to cover the chicken in liquid completely so depending on the thickness of the chicken pieces, may need more or less liquid. 3/4 coverage will do and expect the liquid to cook down.

Add in your cut up veggies/mushrooms. Put the lid on. Turn on the rice to cook (follow directions on rice package).

10 minutes later add your spices stir a bit and cook for another minute or two. Check your rice and turn off if done (or burn it like I normally do).

Use a slotted spoon to remove the chicken and veggies from the pan, leaving behind the liquids. (If you want lots of gravy/sauce, you can add more water or butter/oil, but it is too late to add more beer because the alcohol won't have time to cook off). While simmering liquids, add your thickening agent a little at a time while stirring to avoid clumps. I really like potato starch because it thickens but doesn't need to actually cook so it is "done" as soon as you have gotten to your desired thickness. Salt to taste.

Serve the chicken and veggies over rice with your gravy/sauce.

I like to poach this way because it cooks up really quickly, the steaming aspect cooking the meat from the top as well as the liquid from the bottom, and the temperatures in my pot never get so high to cause carcinogenic elements to form in the meat that you find in most high-heat cooking methods. As long as there is liquid in the pan, it will stay a consistent ideal temperature. And the meat is and stays really juicy even after reheating leftovers.

From start to finish should only take you about 1/2 hour though most of that depends on how long it takes to cut up your veggies.

[kareng]

Beer Chicken (I've done this poaching method with just water and it is still quite tasty. White wine works too)

This makes a juicy, evenly cooked chicken with lots of flavor, and enough gravy to serve over rice. (I normally serve with a separate side vegetable.)

Ingredients:

• Boneless chicken (I prefer thighs and get the organic/free range)

• Black olives (1 can sliced up)

• Bell mushrooms (2 cups sliced up)

(I've done green or red bell peppers in the past though they aren't my favorite. Onions can work though they can get bitter. Experiment with your faves.)

• Garlic clove (optional - can do dried garlic or skip)

• Gluten free beer - one bottle 

• Favorite dried spices (I do basil, thyme, tarragon, oregano, and marjorum, salt)

• Olive oil or butter

• Thickening agent for the gravy/sauce (I use potato starch)

• Rice (I normally do white basmati)

In a large pan, brown the chicken lightly in olive oil or butter. One minute on each side should be enough. Add the bottle of beer and some water. You could do just beer, or if you drink some of the beer while cutting up your olives/musrooms, use more water. You don't need to cover the chicken in liquid completely so depending on the thickness of the chicken pieces, may need more or less liquid. 3/4 coverage will do and expect the liquid to cook down.

Add in your cut up veggies/mushrooms. Put the lid on. Turn on the rice to cook (follow directions on rice package).

10 minutes later add your spices stir a bit and cook for another minute or two. Check your rice and turn off if done (or burn it like I normally do).

Use a slotted spoon to remove the chicken and veggies from the pan, leaving behind the liquids. (If you want lots of gravy/sauce, you can add more water or butter/oil, but it is too late to add more beer because the alcohol won't have time to cook off). While simmering liquids, add your thickening agent a little at a time while stirring to avoid clumps. I really like potato starch because it thickens but doesn't need to actually cook so it is "done" as soon as you have gotten to your desired thickness. Salt to taste.

Serve the chicken and veggies over rice with your gravy/sauce.

I like to poach this way because it cooks up really quickly, the steaming aspect cooking the meat from the top as well as the liquid from the bottom, and the temperatures in my pot never get so high to cause carcinogenic elements to form in the meat that you find in most high-heat cooking methods. As long as there is liquid in the pan, it will stay a consistent ideal temperature. And the meat is and stays really juicy even after reheating leftovers.

From start to finish should only take you about 1/2 hour though most of that depends on how long it takes to cut up your veggies.

This sounds great! What beer do you use?

[notme]

Sad day in the Mindwarp household. My old cat died this morning, just went out of the back door and she was lying there peacefully like she was asleep. Kids are very sad, it is our first pet to die. We are making pictures and play doh models and printing some photos, and when we get her ashes will bury them under our little apple tree.

She was a lovely cat, rescued about 10 years ago and she brightened our lives daily. I will miss her sleeping on my head

i'm so sorry, mw, i completely missed this when i was reading    at least she went peacefully.  we have another hemingway cat hanging around the house outside - this is the 2nd one - i was wondering if a 6-toed cat is lucky or creepy...

 

that chicken sounds deeelicious, alwayslearning  and half an hour sounds pretty good, too, for in a hurry nights!

 

congrats, ih, oh what fun lolz - i was so nerve-wracked when we sold our first house, inspections and whatnot, but maybe everything will go smooth    i hope!  

[notme]

We are simply having the David Chang (Momofuku) recipe for spicy and gingery noodles with roasted miso-black sesame carrots. Mayhap we will throw some nectarines on the grill and toss together a sublime lime lavender glaze.

mmmmmm - i googlied this and my husband would love this - i wonder how it would be with some shrimp or seared scallops...

 

sublime lime lavender is my new favorite color flavor  

[GottaSki]

 

they are bringing down their 'old' mower because something is 'wrong' with it and they had to get a new one.  after they unload it, my f.i.l. can remove the stick in the fuel line..................  viola!  it's a New Mower Day MIRACLE!!!  

 

   

[IrishHeart]

i'm so sorry, mw, i completely missed this when i was reading    at least she went peacefully.  we have another hemingway cat hanging around the house outside - this is the 2nd one - i was wondering if a 6-toed cat is lucky or creepy...

 

that chicken sounds deeelicious, alwayslearning  and half an hour sounds pretty good, too, for in a hurry nights!

 

congrats, ih, oh what fun lolz - i was so nerve-wracked when we sold our first house, inspections and whatnot, but maybe everything will go smooth    i hope!  

 

6- toed cats are "special"!!   I saw them at Hemingway's house in Key West and would have loved to smuggle one out. They are so laid-back. (could be all that in-breeding, hmmmm  ) lol

 

 

Dinner was "encore" stuffed peppers and a salad. Easy. We were gone all day (up at Saratoga Race track) and I knew after a long day and if I had a glass of wine (or 2) at the track I would not want to be fussing with cooking. Whomever invented the microwave, God bless....

and I did not own one until 1997 when I married the hubs.

 

I even won a few races. (that hardly ever happens)

[notme]

 

   

 

right?  now we have 3 (THREE) riding mowers, the yard is the size of a matchbook (or, the amount of yard he has to mow excluding the pool and garden areas)  but i DO have an acre down at the riverside.  where i can make a track to race lawnmowers.......  

[come dance with me]

Lentil patties and roast veg.

[GottaSki]

right?  now we have 3 (THREE) riding mowers, the yard is the size of a matchbook (or, the amount of yard he has to mow excluding the pool and garden areas)  but i DO have an acre down at the riverside.  where i can make a track to race lawnmowers.......  

 

I'll take the fastest please 

[notme]

I'll take the fastest please 

after me!  lolz!    go fast, turn left!

[GottaSki]

after me!  lolz!    go fast, turn left!

 

I think we should take turns and leave the slower machines for others to enjoy

 

Edited to add...don't forget to bank the turns!!!!

[love2travel]

mmmmmm - i googlied this and my husband would love this - i wonder how it would be with some shrimp or seared scallops...

 

sublime lime lavender is my new favorite color flavor  

It is very, very good with shrimp and would work well with scallops. Sometimes you just have to have a big ol' bowl of really flavourful noodles.

"Color flavor" - love it!

[IrishHeart]

I'll take the fastest please 

 

You should see ole IH handle one of them there mowers!!..1 acre (the other 6 are wooded), the deck is set on 1. I like it that way. the speed is 4.Takes me a scant 1.5 hours. The hubs says I trim it too close. I say,"look, buddy, the lines are straight, I leave no long sections and I go back over the mulched parts. I am the best lawn-mower there is.". He can't argue that. LOL 

 

2 lawn mowers? add....Corvette parts,  2 snow blowers, 2 rototillers, (still can't get over the 18 hammers)... shall I go on? Men, Tools. Things to tinker with. "maybe we'll need it someday", blah blah blah...It's adorable. Until you have to move it all.  

 

It's raining. No mowing today. dang!   

 

Making turkey burgers, potato salad, corn on the cob. I will eat corn every day while it is in season. The local farm has the best and we might as well take advantage of it while we can.. 

Happy Sunday, all! 

[Adalaide]

I may be the hoarder in our house. But what if... But what about... But when... And pretty soon our closet under the stairs is full of crap that I don't even know we own. I actually have committed to cleaning out that closet and have two boxes of stuff that I haven't opened since I moved in when we got married. Pretty sure if I haven't missed it in over 5 years, I won't ever. I'm still going to go through it though... just in case you know. The books though? Those we keep. Period. There is no arguing or debating, they're books. They stay. Even if I own enough to open a rural library.

 

Lawnmowing is not my thing. I used to have to mow my dad's "lawn" which mean the actual lawn, the area across the creek, and the area back by the sheds. Probably round about an acre or so, none of it level, or smooth... all with a push mower. Some so steep I needed a weed whacker. I couldn't feel my arms by the time I was done because of the stupid vibrating mower. Plus some of it was right next to the electric fence, I learned real fast that covered in sweat you can make electricity jump pretty far just be being close to the fence. Not my idea of a good time. I have sworn to my husband if we ever own property with a lawn, I'll rip it right the hell up before I'll mow it. I can not figure out what on earth would posses someone to prefer grass to pretty much anything edible.

[IrishHeart]

Books stay. Books are like family members.

 

If I had my way, my front "lawn"--which is huge.... would be seeded with wild flowers...... just a big ole meadow of flowers swaying in the breeze.

 

Okay, someone talk me out of making these right now--SKI gave me the recipe and Sylvia says "they are to die for"....:but I need to lose weight, not gain it (although the people who saw me last week for the first time since I was sick and skinny said I look "Great!" " healthy" (which in my brain means, PLUMP)

 

http://rita-may-recipes.blogspot.com/2012/03/lemoniesthe-new-brownie.html

[kareng]

Books stay. Books are like family members.

 

If I had my way, my front "lawn"--which is huge.... would be seeded with wild flowers...... just a big ole meadow of flowers swaying in the breeze.

 

Okay, someone talk me out of making these right now--SKI gave me the recipe and Sylvia says "they are to die for"....:but I need to lose weight, not gain it (although the people who saw me last week for the first time since I was sick and skinny said I look "Great!" " healthy" (which in my brain means, PLUMP)

 

http://rita-may-recipes.blogspot.com/2012/03/lemoniesthe-new-brownie.html

They were pretty good. I made extra " icing" with lots of lemon. I poked holes in the top of the pan of " Lemonies". And poured it on. We always need more lemon

[GottaSki]

Books stay. Books are like family members.

 

If I had my way, my front "lawn"--which is huge.... would be seeded with wild flowers...... just a big ole meadow of flowers swaying in the breeze.

 

Okay, someone talk me out of making these right now--SKI gave me the recipe and Sylvia says "they are to die for"....:but I need to lose weight, not gain it (although the people who saw me last week for the first time since I was sick and skinny said I look "Great!" " healthy" (which in my brain means, PLUMP)

 

http://rita-may-recipes.blogspot.com/2012/03/lemoniesthe-new-brownie.html

 

Make 'em - enjoy - you are healthy and that doesn't mean plump.

 

I think I'll make a batch too...Mom loves lemon and the rest of the family is more than a bit fond of these now.

 

I am on a spiralizer roll....on a very limited diet trying to gain strength back....finally used the small blade I use for Znoodles on Sweet Potato...fried them up in Coconut Oil, Salt and Pepper -- they were very, very close to homemade hashbrowns....first yum I've had in a bit so I am a happy camper.

 

Dinner is BBQ Country Ribs...was going to try make EZ Baked Beans in the crockpot rather than oven...but Hubs left pintos soaking before he left for his Sunday ride so I guess he'll be making his beans....hmmm...perhaps I'll switch to Chicken for Tacos instead....so ya I'm a bit undecided -- ok...Taco night it is with spanish rice and hubs beans.  For me Chicken, Znoodles and Broccoli.  Tomorrow I'll attempt CrockPot Beans with the Ribs -- thanks for helping me sort that out

 

Did get a batch of Beef Jerky marinating and a few chores done...now feet back up for a bit until Lemonies get made a little later.  Watching a marathon of "Orange is the New Black" -- Netflix Series that is keeping me quite entertained...if you like Weeds...I think you'll enjoy it.

[GottaSki]

They were pretty good. I made extra " icing" with lots of lemon. I poked holes in the top of the pan of " Lemonies". And poured it on. We always need more lemon

 

I've been doing the hole pokey thing since Karen mentioned...am told it improved an already good thing...gets the sugary lemon into the cake part...great idea.

[IrishHeart]

okay, but neither of you two talked me out of it..... You just talked me into it.... and yes, I will  poke the holes.  we always need more lemon....and more icing....

 

thanks, you " partners in crime"...... thanks for the bottom of my fat arse.

[Adalaide]

Books stay. Books are like family members.

 

If I had my way, my front "lawn"--which is huge.... would be seeded with wild flowers...... just a big ole meadow of flowers swaying in the breeze.

 

Okay, someone talk me out of making these right now--SKI gave me the recipe and Sylvia says "they are to die for"....:but I need to lose weight, not gain it (although the people who saw me last week for the first time since I was sick and skinny said I look "Great!" " healthy" (which in my brain means, PLUMP)

 

http://rita-may-recipes.blogspot.com/2012/03/lemoniesthe-new-brownie.html

 

Those do look really good. I sometimes tend to avoid clicking links when I know it will only lead to baking. It seems I have now gotten myself in a mess because I'm pretty sure my husband would love these. The don't really have much lemon at all, so I doubt they'd set me off and I think I may just have to make some myself. Plus I need to make some mint brownies because my mint is looking like hedges instead of garden plants again. Such a burdened life.

 

I took the easy way out on dinner tonight. Veggies and roast all together in the crock pot. Its smelling pretty amazing and I have to find the strength to resist eating until he gets home... in FIVE HOURS!

[IrishHeart]

Ads,

I've got mint out the ying yang here (chocolate and pineapple and Elaine has offered me all the orange I can cut off her plant er, tree she's got going)

and besides making alcoholic bevs with them, what can I do with them?.....the plants are HUGE!

so, please......help me lol

 

and yes, the LEMONIES are baking.....  it's raining and I can't go outside and play, so....

[Adalaide]

I'm desperate. I don't know what to do. We don't drink, and even if we did we would have to be some hardcore alcoholics to use up all this mint. So, my solution? I'm going to the store this week to buy some vodka so make my own mint extract and mint oil. Yes, you use vodka for both. What else can I do? I feed a little every day to my bunny. I going to make brownies with it. I made fudge with it. You can make mint tea. You can make fruit salads and stuff with it but omg there is a limit to how much of this stuff a person can eat! I was not prepared for what monsters these things would turn into in pots.

[IrishHeart]

I'm desperate. I don't know what to do. We don't drink, and even if we did we would have to be some hardcore alcoholics to use up all this mint. So, my solution? I'm going to the store this week to buy some vodka so make my own mint extract and mint oil. Yes, you use vodka for both. What else can I do? I feed a little every day to my bunny. I going to make brownies with it. I made fudge with it. You can make mint tea. You can make fruit salads and stuff with it but omg there is a limit to how much of this stuff a person can eat! I was not prepared for what monsters these things would turn into in pots.

 

It's the attack of the mint plants !!!..... arrgh!!!!  LOL

 

holy crap, girl ....we could be making a fortune (if mint plants were a huge commodity)

 

I have used the various mint leaves for all the things you listed....so, geez louise ...what else can we do? LOL 

 

I may just start cutting off big ole limbs of it and giving it to the local farmers to give to peeps when they buy their vegs.