What's for dinner tonight??? (wine, restaurant, health, tuna)

[case44]

Tonight, it was Marie Callender's chicken and broccoli fettucine Alfredo.

But tomorrow, it's mom's for our annual Christmas dinner.

[7G9C4J2]

And soup here, too: leftover navy bean soup with ham from a few nights ago. It always gets better after maturing for a few days in the fridge, and this batch was no exception. It will age no more, I fear, or at least not in the fridge. My co-workers may wish to spend tomorrow somewhere besides my office.

I'm going to make up the gingerbread cake for Thursday's dessert trifle tonight, as I learned the hard way the last time I made it that trying to do the whole thing in a single night is not a good idea. It's mighty yummy stuff, but you can tell that the guy who developed it has a whole legion of minions to do all his food prep and clean up after him. Spouse made up the lemon curd for the trifle today, and if I have energy, I'll make up the blackberry syrup tonight as well. That's questionable, though, because I also need to clean the kitchen and the bathroom, and while that won't take terribly long, I also don't have terribly much energy at this point.

Oh, gotta remember to take the pan of lasagna out of the deep freeze tonight to start thawing for tomorrow's supper. The son will be back from college, the daughter and her sig-other will be over for supper, so we'll pop that pan of lasagna into the oven and they'll all be happy.

I was chatting on the phone with the son last night, letting him know when his dad is likely to arrive to pick him up tomorrow, and he asked casually what supper plans were for Friday and Saturday nights. Well, we'll all be visiting daughter and sig-other for supper Saturday, but Friday is still open as far as I know. His response: "Good, I'm bringing home a tenderloin to fix for you and Dad, I'll plan to do that on Friday night." I nearly fell off my chair. He may spend more time boozing and cruising sorority girls than he does on homework, but SOMETHING we did must have sunk in at some point.

On to gingerbread and house-cleaning... g'night, all, and happy feasting!

[southdown]

Originally Posted by MidwesternBookWorm

On to gingerbread and house-cleaning... g'night, all, and happy feasting!

Hope you find some energy from those beans MWBW!!

Tonight was a pasta carbonara with smoked salmon instead of pancetta, plus lots of baby spinach wilted in too. Christmas seems to have started already...

Good night all

[axinom07]

Dear Cynwldcat: Here are some very well tried and true family recipes that are my 2 biggest favorites. I hope you'll love them as much as I do! I also enclosed one of my own.

Monica's Super Strombolli's (me)
cooking time approx: 30 min.

1 can Pillsbury pizza dough
1 pack Italian Sweet Sausage links (usually 5 links per pack) If serving several people cook entire pack but if just 1-2 people 3-4 links usually will suffice) Slice into 1/4 inch thick pieces.
1-2 sweet bell peppers ( I prefer red, yellow or orange as they are sweeter)
wash, deseed and slice into thin strips
1 small onion sliced into thin strips
1 large bag shredded mozzeralla cheese
1/2 tsp. crushed garlic
tin foil
large baking pan
spray oil

First fry peppers and onion in small amount of oil with the crushed garlic till semicrisp, remove and set on a papertowel till drained well. Set aside.
Then fry sausage pieces till cooked thru, set on a papertowel till drained well.
Now cover the pan with the tin foil, spray with a little oil. Spread the pizza dough till it is rectangular in shape (like a dollar bill). Spread a good thick layer of the mozzeralla cheese, then a layer of the sausage pieces, topped with the pepper and onion mix and if you are a cheese lover you can top it off with more cheese. Now down the long sides you are going to pull one side up over the inside mix and do the same with the other side. Then pinch along the whole top seam to seal together. Now on each short end roll closed and also pinch together. ( imagine making a sleeping bag out of a blanket and you are the sausage!) Cook according to the instructions on the pizza dough can or till dough is nicely browned.

This is a quick and relativly easy recipie that is a very filling meal!!



***Please Note that Anytime Cornstarch is Required the Constistency Should be Similar to that of Ketchup!!!***

Lorraine's Phenomenal Peppersteak (Mom)

1 lb. skirt steak sliced thin (like for stirfry)
1-2 bell peppers ( I don't use the green as they are bitter, but use what you prefer, wash, remove seeds and slice in thin strips.
2-3 tbs cornstarch
3/4 tbs crushed garlic
small amount of your preferred cooking oil
white rice
Make marinade about 30 min to 1 hour prior to eating & allow meat to soak.
1 tbs. sugar, 1 tsp powdered ginger, 1 beef bouillon cube/granules - make 1 cup broth, 1 tbs crushed garlic, 3/4 cup soy sauce.
In a glass bowl first mix 1 tbs cornstarch with just enough cold water to to make a thin paste, then add soy sauce, sugar and ginger & mix well. Add the meat strips and allow to marinate for at least 30 min but no longer than an hour. Stir once or twice.
Start your white rice when you begin to cook the meat. Make as much rice as you'll need.
In a large frying pan, heat a few tbs of oil till good and hot. Add the crushed garlic and peppers then cook till semi-crisp. Remove to a papertowel covered dish and drain. Now add meat to the pan and cook till browned. Add peppers, 3/4 cup of beef broth and simmer for about 10 minutes.
Now mix 2 tbs. cornstarch with just enough cold water to make a paste. Add slowly to the meat while mixing well and gravy will thicken.
Serve over a bed of white rice and enjoy!!!

Pete's Pineapple Pork Ribs (Dad)

5 lbs pork ribs sliced between each rib AND cut into 2 inch bitesized pieces (Ask your butcher or meat dept. to do this for you...trust me on this one!)
You may also substitute pork chops sliced into small bitesized pieces
2 cans of pineapple chunks
1 bottle Karo dark corn syrup
1 can "Sweet Mixed Pickles"
large frying pan or dutch oven

Sear the ribs till nice and brown & crispy. Add entire contents of both cans of pineapple. Bring to a boil then turn down to low. Now add the entire jar of pickles with the juice, bring to a boil then turn back to low. ( As you get accustomed to the recipie you can adjust the amount of pineapple to pickle ratio to taste. ie: less pineapple more pickle or vice a versa, or just less pickles..you get the idea). Now add the whole bottle of Karo dark corn syrup. Cover and simmer for 1 hour. About 1/2 way thru cooking time you can start your white rice to cooking so it will be ready at the same time.
Towards the end mix 2-3 tbs. of corn starch in a seperate dish with cold water till it's a thin paste, add slowly to the pot. Gravy will thicken. (you might not need that much corn starch, but since these recipes have all been done by "eye" for generations this was the best we could do on approximating measurments. Once you get used to it you'll see how much you need and cut back accordingly)
Serve over a bed of white rice and enjoy!!!

I'd love the input of anyone who gives any of these a try!! Thanks and as we say in Italian.... Buono Appetito!! (enjoy your meal)

[Grannysroost]

I've only so far gone back a couple pages to do a quickie catch-up, gosh this thread moves fast....I worked, and we have had 6+ inches of snow the last couple days,...figures as the man-guy is gone for a month now...shoveled the end of one of the driveways after the plow went by, was dark by then so the rest will wait until tomorrow, or the next day, or the next day....soup must be the food of the day, as I forgot I put my burger, veggie soup on the porch (penne noodles in it)...is a frozen block of blop...slowly heating on the stove and couldn't get it out with a hammer I don't think...but is actually starting to smell pretty good...Kiddo and I will work on that, maybe a salad...still cleaning the frig out...Hope all are resting up and had an enjoyable night

[crazyworld]

Originally Posted by LaceyEx

Oh pea soup-get my bowl ready please!!!!

Night all and many Christmas hugs to you all for making this a great place that our Cyn had in mind when she started this and look what she made-a food family.

The chicken cacciatore has stirred Mr. L's problems-so have to make tomorrow easier on his Crohn's-we're still learning.

Roh Roh Lacey..............back to the drawing board. Good Luck with that.

Cyn hope you are on the mend and getting stronger.

It is 9:50 PM here and I just took the last calzone out of the oven. I am soooo tired of cooking today but it will all be worth it.
Tomorrow is Olive Garden's Sausage Zuppa veggies for Xmas and BowTies with gorgonzola and other goodies for Xmas Eve.

Have a good ight all...time for clean up and then bed.

To our new people welome to one of the best threads on City-Data.

[7G9C4J2]

Oof. Gingerbread cake is done, dishes washed, kitchen cleaned, and I'm a tired camper. I had forgotten just how much of a PITA that recipe really is to put together. It's absolutely delicious, and it is stunning to look at, but it is a royal pain to prepare.

It's probably a sign of my advanced age and general curmudgeonly attitude, but I find myself getting profoundly irritated by recipes that are written by people who clearly have gigantic kitchens furnished with every conceivable gadget, enough counter space to serve as the flight deck of a good-sized aircraft carrier, and hordes of minions to do all the prep work. I am not a rookie baker, nor do I have a poorly furnished kitchen, and I am here to tell you that the claim of "20 minutes of active prep work" at the top of this particular recipe is just about as plausible as claiming that it's possible to achieve cold fusion in a glass of tap water.

Ah, well. The first part is done, and I do NOT have to stay up another hour and a half doing the rest of the steps tonight. Which is a mighty good thing, as I'll need my sleep to prepare for yet another round of snow tomorrow.

[Huckleberry3911948]

quesadillas salad n turkey wings.

[Jaxson]

Started to say good evening but it is after 1am so good MORNING foodies! Man this day just flew by while we were out delivering goodie trays. Old man winter didn't help by sending us another round of ice it is so slick out couldn't drive over 20mph on the highway if that but once we were out I wanted to get them all done. Tub drain and toilet unfroze so didn't have to worry about being here to dip water out of the tub. We are in now until Santa comes then will take the neighbor lady a plate of food. The ice has turned to rain and we are at 36° now. I don't think we are going to have a white Christmas.

Lacey I know what you mean about venturing out once we get grown up.

techienomad I don't think I could ever get on a tamales over load! Most likely because we can't get homemade ones around here.

HG euchre did you say euchre??? When I moved to FL in the 80's very few people had ever heard of that. Love euchre and spades.

vp startle the stove? Too funny.

gentlearts how can somebody with "gentle" in their name have a sinister side???

Have the Sears repair guy coming in the morning to look at my stove~~have had problems with it since we bought. I can't believe they are sending their guys out on Christmas Eve. We grabbed a sandwich while we were out and were gone about 7 hours. When we got home we had 6 messages of places or people we took goodie trays to. I am telling ya that gave me more joy than the delivering did to know folks enjoy your labor of love.

Hope all of you stay safe, warm (or cool in southern parts), healthy and just enjoy the season! Oh we stopped at a Christmas tree display that was in sync with a radio station that was absolutely magnificent on the way home. Lasted about 20 minutes it was icy raining but it was still beautiful and a lot of work went into it. We really, really enjoyed it can you tell?

[LaceyEx]

Good Christmas Eve morning all and welcome Axinom and thank for you sharing some great recipes.

MWBW-all that work on that trifle-but'll be worth it.

Jaxson-how special and how lucky those folks were.

Crazy-I smell all that out here!!!!

Making my "gravy" and meatballs today for baked ziti tomorrow.

Tonight something simple like hot roast beef sandwiches, mashed for Mr. L.

For anyone travelling-please stay safe.