The What's For Dinner Tonight Chat

[love2travel]

Wouldn't we all!

 

Last night we had chicken cheddar bacon ranch quesadillas and horchata. We have some leftover chicken so my husband wants the same tonight. I finally found Breton crackers (after emailing the company in desperation begging them for information) and they told me what local stores have ordered them. I can not describe in words what heavenly bliss it is to have crackers with the taste and texture of crackers. The month and a half it has been since the Expo looking for these things has been a living hell. So whatever else I have for dinner, I will have crackers. A very unhealthy sized serving of them to be sure.

Do you not just LOVE those crackers? They are THE best gluten-free crackers in the world I'm sure. I can't stand how great the thingers are! Wowzers. I kinda sorta made a batch of marinated feta with sundried tomatoes et. al. to go with the crackers but they are incredible on their own, too.

[Adalaide]

Tonight is chili. Quick, easy, practically no clean up since it's all in one pan and serves out of one dish. It'll make an easy microwave lunch for tomorrow too to get me through until dinner. I am so positively thrilled to be able to have at least some beans again. This is really going to make winter a lot more appealing.

[LauraTX]

I am pre cooking some stuff for tomorrow so its microwaved leftovers until tomorrow, then Turkey and all the good sides.  All gluten-free.  

[ItchyAbby]

Dinner tonight:

Slow cooked Beef Shanks with carrots, parsnips and leeks (Beau Monde spices)

SuperSimpleSalad

I was going to try making some popovers or Pão de Queijo (Vegano since I am not eating cheese yet) but after baking pies and prepping biscuits all afternoon, I'm gonna pass. Besides, tomorrow will be a baked good fest!

 

Now I just gots to keep my mitts off the pies until tomorrow...

 

Happy Thanksgiving eve, everyone!

[Adalaide]

Doing the Thanksgiving thing today. I got a boneless turkey roast because I really don't want to cook a whole turkey for 2 people. I have a bag of Rudi's stuffing and a can of cranberry sauce, the kind that looks like a can when you eventually get it out. Can't help it, I grew up with it and love the stuff. I'm sure I'll make mashed potatoes to put gravy on and that's about it. Need to get dinner in me, get cleaned up and pass out early. The mall opens at 6, and if I want sleep tonight there will be no goofing off.

 

Happy Thanksgiving!

[GF Lover]

Thanksgiving Dinner Preparation Injury Report:

 

Sliced finger cutting up apples for pie.

Scraped knuckles from zesting.

Puncture on palm cutting sweet potatoes. 

Lost part of fingernail dicing parsley.

Steam burn from green beans.

 

All in all a pretty successful prep.  Of course I had a lot of support from Irish!!!

 

Bring on the FOOD.

Colleen

[IrishHeart]

LMAO

meh!  what's a stray fingernail chip in the stuffing amongst family and friends??!

If you don't cut, burn or bruise something while creating, you ain't a pro. You should see my friend Babs' arms (professional chef/caterer) Yikes....totally scarred from burns. I only have 2.
I do have a finger with permanent nerve damage from a horrible knife cut one St. Pat's Day. Left middle.
Happened when I tangled with a corned beef package...don't ask what stoopit thing I did to get that.
You know my history with sharp objects (LUCY!! and Hush up Arleneeeeee!)  

If you don't splatter the kitchen somehow, you're not trying hard enough! I always hit my boobs with some flying food stuff. lol

Yeah, I own a dozen aprons. Never put them on. I just hang a dish towel off my waistband.

Seriously, just for a second...

 

COLLEEN.... I am so, so proud of you for being brave and taking the plunge.

I told you...anyone who can read can cook and conquer the fear of possibly messing it up.

Some of my best messes were huge hits: TIRAMISU for example.

Looked like hell, but 4 people ate a tray of it that was meant for 12.

 

 

Also, kudos to ItchyABBster,Laura and all the newbs who have adapted and moved forward. You guys should be proud, too.

Happy Thanksgiving dear Dinner peep Pals --love you guys bunches--and a special shout out to our 

SKILISA. 

Sending loving healing vibes every day. xxx

[LauraTX]

Thanks, Irish  That gave me a big smile first thing this morning as I have my chebe rolls in the oven!  *drool*  And GFlover, your injury list sounds like every day in my kitchen, I am such a huge klutz!  LOL

 

Today:  Turkey, ham, crock pot dressing, giblet gravy, fruit salad, mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, green bean casserole, chebe cheesy rolls, pecan pie, and pumpkin pie.  I will have 9 people here so hopefully that is just enough food.  All gluten-free!  I honestly wish I could pass a plate of food through the computer to each of you, I am so thankful for all of you guys on this forum and all the information we are able to pass around to keep each other healthy.  

[Adalaide]

You guys are making me look like such a slacker. It's true though, I just don't have my heart in Thanksgiving this year. Christmas though will be cookies, pies, and more food than I can shake a peppermint chocolate covered pretzel stick at. I can only get so excited about cooking for two people every so often.

 

Glad everyone is keeping their fingers attached today. Hopefully the worst any of us need is a bandaid or cold running water.

[Adalaide]

I think I'm probably having the same thing everyone else is having today. And it doesn't get to be a dirty word today. Leftovers. I made Rudi's stuffing, just the bag stuff, but with a recipe with onions and celery and such... only it had apples. I kept thinking while I was making it how weird it was, but I made it anyway and it was awesome. It isn't weird and if I didn't put them in myself I wouldn't guess there are apples in it. The bag said something about being 12 servings too... clearly they have no clue wth they're talking about. My husband doesn't like stuffing, which is just as well because I'd probably stab him in the neck with a fork if he tried to touch it.

 

I'm so tired omg! I fell asleep last night at like 8:30 but was so excited about going to the mall that I woke up at 1:15 and couldn't get back to sleep. But, I got what I wanted from the mall and all I have to do is stay awake until he gets home, shove leftovers at him and fall into bed. Oh... and somehow find a way to motivate myself onto that stupid elliptical that's staring at me over the top of my monitor. Judging me.

[Marilyn R]

I was sick of you know what, had it for lunch with the homemade cranberry sauce I made and forgot to serve yesterday.  We had breakfast for dinner.  Fried taters, eggs and venison chili.

[Adalaide]

We'll clean out the last of our leftovers tonight. Ugh... back to cooking tomorrow. Being out of stuffing is also mildly heartbreaking. I guess I have to go back to eating normal food tomorrow. I suppose I'll probably survive, but I'm definitely getting the crockpot out this week because I'm feeling lazy.

[Adalaide]

Today to go with our first real snowfall (everything before didn't count because it couldn't be measured in inches) the crockpot is out. Nothing fancy, just a beef roast with veggies, but a perfect meal for the first snow of the winter. We'll probably have cocoa tonight too, as has been our habit more often than not lately. Although I am out of marshmallows so I may need to trek out in this muck to buy some. Maybe a walk to the store 5 blocks away. I do so love a good walk in the snow, I miss it in the woods but anywhere is fine really as long as it's still snowing. Beats driving in it!

 

It's getting cold and snowy and all I managed all weekend and yesterday was to get my husband's and my presents to ourselves, and my present for him. I still have kids and other people to worry about... and I don't even have Christmas cards yet. Or my list of people to mail them to! I did manage to put up the tree we bought 5 years ago on clearance and never took out of the box though. So I suppose that's progress. One of these years I'll manage Christmas in something other than panic mode. Maybe I'll master it by the time I'm 60 or 70.

[GF Lover]

I am so done with food !  My left overs have left overs and more left overs in the freezer.  I will finish off the apple pie tonight then explode.  I think I will do a food strike for awhile.  Everybody fends for themselves.  I'm going to bed as soon as I finish the pie.

 

Nite Nite.

 

Colleen

[love2travel]

Thai shrimp fried rice

Vegetable stir fry

[LauraTX]

Colleen I know how you feel.  I, too, am tired of heavy food.  Like you look at something that is delicious but all you can think is "Ugh!"  LOL...

Last night I forgot to thaw out meat so I made grilled ham and cheese sandwiches on Udis white bread with american singles and ham lunchmeat.  My gluten eater husband will eat grilled sandwiches on gluten-free bread, woohoo!  You really can't tell the difference at that point.

Tonight I am making grilled pork chops with veggies and rice.  My george foreman grill is my favorite thing in my kitchen.  Unless there is chocolate in there, but it doesn't last long

Tomorrow I am going to make something with chicken I bought but I am not sure what.  Something with zucchini, too, because I have some.  Any ideas?

[Adalaide]

We have about a foot of snow in the back yard. A FOOT!!! I don't live in the mountains, I live in the valley. In the 8(ish) years I've been here there has never been that much snow in a single day. I'm sure it's a skiers paradise, but other than my trek for marshmallows for my hot chocolate yesterday I'm going to keep myself cozied up and toasty in the house thank you very much. (Multiple boxes of Breton crackers may have somehow also ended up in my shopping bags. Not sure how that happened. )

 

Tonight I think we'll make roast beef sandwiches with the leftover beef. I'll make a sauce or something to go with it. I'll simply heat up the leftover veggies for me but I suppose I'll have to either make garlic potatoes or crispy wedges for my husband. Trying to get something resembling a vegetable in him is truly an exercise in patience. And as usual we'll finish our night with either hot cocoa or an herbal tea.

 

Also, I never get creative with zucchini. I can't help myself, but I love love love it two ways. Sliced, breaded and fried crispy, or grated and made into zucchini cakes which also happen to be fried. It may not exactly be the world's healthiest veggie option but both are amazingly delicious and worth the effort. There is also an Italian thing my ex-MIL used to make that is to die for that I don't know the name of. It has zuchini and squash and tomatoes (maybe other stuff, idk) and it's a little soupy and we always ate it with buttered bread. I suppose now I would just make flatbread for it, and if I knew what it was called I would recommend it but I honestly have no clue. Maybe someone else will have a clue what I'm talking about.

[IrishHeart]

Laura, I usually make a quick ratatouille with zucchini, but you could just make Zu-noodles.

 

I have a craving for veal parmesan and I have not made sauce for ages, laying off tomatoes for a while so

I can stop feeling like crap, so that's what's happening today. Fingers crossed they like me again.

 

I found this pasta at Whole Foods and I'll give it a whirl. (hey look, there's a $1.00 coupon).

 

http://www.delallo.com/landing/delallo-italian-gluten-free-pasta

 

Since there's a foot of snow out there, cooking seems like a good idea.

 

I'm just kidding. It's 80 out there for pete's sake. (just testing to see if anyone is really paying any attention)

 

BTW, the last incarnation of the ThX turkey was a grilled brie, sliced apple, turkey,  and sage stuffing sammy. 

 

Yeah, that was awesome.... with awesome sauce. 

 

[notme]

CRACKERS THAT TASTE LIKE CRACKERS?!?!?!!  surely this is a myth.........

 

laura - i would make chicken lasagne and use slices (thin, lengthwise) of zucchini as the lasagne noodles - yummmmz - i miss my garden!

 

tonight - i am still trying to revamp my freezer, so i had some sausage & mushroom cream sauce for pasta in there.  i has some shrimp and frozen green beans.  the end lolz

[ItchyAbby]

So dinner tonight will be a as-yet-unnamed soupy thing: homemade chicken broth, coconut milk, kuri pumpkin, tons of ginger, cilantro, leafy greens and tiny pork meatballs. It's tasty and easy.

 

But that's totally not why I'm here. I am here to tell you that I had the most intense craving for...biscotti? And not just any old biscotti but the traditionally flavored almond-anise-orange zest type. Have. To. Have. Them. NOW. Only I did not have anise so I ran out to Penzeys to get some, but on the way I realized that I should check my mom's first and sure enough she had anise seed! Thanks, mum! Back home, whipped up a batch and OMG the house smells heavenly! Only now I have to wait an hour before slicing and re-baking. GAH! Is there no end to this torture?!? ImpatientAbby is not pleased.

 

(I used this recipe and tweaked it: http://www.elanaspantry.com/lemon-almond-biscotti/ Subbing in orange zest for lemon and adding in 2 tsp anise seeds)

[Adalaide]

I love Delallo pasta. I got something like 3 or 4 bags of it in all my goodies for the Expo and it didn't last long.

 

Patience isn't a virtue. That's just something people say to get you to shut the heck up while you wait through something tortuous and awful. (like for biscotti)

 

Ok, so... crackers. These aren't just crackers that taste like crackers. They are crackers that will change the way you view the world. If people can do crackers right, what other magical doors can be opened for us? Everyone needs to try them.

[ItchyAbby]

hehehe! I like how you roll, Addy! (Or should I say, ImpatientAbby appreciates your comradery)

 

I like DeLallo pasta too. I am also a fan of Jovial's gluten-free pastas, especially their tagliatelle, but they are not easy to find.

 

What are these magical crackers that everyone is speaking of? I will have to scroll back to find the source!

[Adalaide]

Breton crackers! They make two gluten free flavors now. They are true crackers, with the texture and flavor of... crackers! When I didn't grab all of the crackers on the shelf yesterday my husband said he was surprised. I was like I could get more and turned around. He grabbed me arm.

[ItchyAbby]

Oh! I know that brand. I'll have to see if my store carries their gluten-free ones...

Thanks!

[Adalaide]

FYI on the crackers. If you can't find them, use the contact page on their website and they'll let you know what stores in your area have ordered them. That's what I had to resort to.

 

Apparently I positively insane tonight. The high today was 13 and it's 5 now. Tonight is the local celiac group's cookie party and I'm totally going. A little cold weather isn't keeping me away from more cookies than I can eat. And if I get sick, it'll be from eating too much!

 

When I get home I'll throw together a quickie dinner of chicken quesadillas and hot chocolate. At least my husband is working late so he won't mind the late dinner.