DECEMBER.. DINNER MEALS

I did !!! I love fruit with pork . Chicken too .I like mashed potato with it but it's not on my food list!!

Bless you Jimmy, I will remember you in my will.

Bugster2 wrote:Bless you Jimmy, I will remember you in my will.

He needs to go to the ER.

Sorry about your uncle Jimmy. Does not sound good at all. I will be surprised if he comes home.

Jimmy Keep us posted..

Does not sound good. Sorry.

At least you were available to help him, Jimmy. Just thinking about what a mess it could be if he was still at his house out in BFE Jersey by himself. I'll pray the docs can discover and reverse the problem. Would probably be good if he went to rehab for 24-hour care so Tina (and you) don't wear yourselves out caring for him. Caretakers need respite and to take care of themselves.

He should be in Nursing care anyway..

At least (I hope) they are keeping him hydrated, fed in the vein, not by mouth, medicated if he needs it, and transfused. Keep us posted. I feel like Gabe is part of the family.

Trying to decide on supper. For some reason, an old recipe I made, found in a Cuisine at Home magazine, came to mind. French Onion Burgers. Seasoned burger patties served on a bed of cheesy (mozzarella/parmesan) toasts and all covered/soaked in French Onion soup/sauce.

He doesn't have to eat the toasts if he doesn't want to ~ but I'm bettin' he will.

I just got home from food shopping and I saw a lamb shank..Bought it...


BTW.. It is still stinking hot here.

We've cooled off...a lot. The 'winter' winds are blowing, don't have much wind in the summer. Yesterday we had misty rain off and on. Today it's just overcast. Not a very pretty day.

But still SO much better than freezing temps, frigid gusts and snow......

just sayin'

One of us said he could have eaten more....but didn't want to over-do. So, there will be a reheated second meal in the near future. It was really good ~ a combination of salisbury steak and French Onion Soup.

I bought some black garlic today. I want to compare it to what I am making myself because what you get from a company is cooked in a different way. Food purists say that what you make at home isn't nearly as good as what you can buy. I don't know if my garlic is going to turn out because I can't seem to get the heat low enough. I can keep the heat constant at 140 using my bread proofer but I had a panic attack last night thinking the garlic odor would permeate the walls and so every time I wanted to proof some dough, the garlic would flavor it. Can you imagine cinnamon garlic bread? So I tried my slow cooker on warm: too hot. I am trying another pot that actually has a thermostat so maybe I can crank it low enough to do the job. I won't know for a month how things will turn out. I do have a thermometer in the pot to tell me how hot it is getting.
I don't think I have to cook dinner tonight. Roomie and DH went to a food fest. I declined because frankly, when you can't eat, food things are a bore. It isn't a lot of fun watching other people stuff their faces.

Why not put the garlic in a glass 'lock-lock' container (air tight) inside the proofer?

Then the temperature would stay constant and the garlic smell, etc. would be contained.

Just a suggestion......better than tryin' with a CrockPot where the temp isn't constant.

I remember dcarch on the old Cooking.com forum made his own black garlic. His was the first I ever saw or heard of.

Lamb Shanks with Oranges & Olives
Stinco di Agnello con Aranci e Olive from Mario Batali's Molto Italiano

4 large meaty lamb shanks, rinsed & patted dry  ( 2) not 4..
salt and pepper for seasoning the shanks
6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 red onions (I used one large one), cut into 1/4" dice
12 cloves of garlic, peeled (I smashed mine)
1 navel orange, cut into 8 wedges
2 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary  (dry)
1/2 cup  olives
1 cup dry white wine (I used Pinot Grigio from Friuli)
1 cup basic tomato sauce (you can use a can of San Marzano tomatoes)
1 cup chicken stock
zest of one orange

Preheat oven to 375.

Season shanks with salt and pepper. In a large Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over high heat until smoking. Reduce the heat and sear the lamb shanks, turning occasionally until dark golden brown. About 15-18 minutes. Remove and transfer to a plate and set aside.




Add the diced onions, garlic and orange wedges to the pot and cook until the garlic is soft, about 8 minutes on medium heat.




Add the rosemary, olives, wine, tomato sauce & stock and bring to a boil.




Replace the lamb shanks in the pot and return to a boil. Cover tightly, place in the oven and cook for 1 1/2 hours until meat is fork tender.




Allow the shanks to rest for 10 minutes in the sauce, then transfer them to plates and sprinkle with orange zest  over polenta..

Wish I liked lamb....never had it as a kid because my dad hated the smell of it.  We lived right across the road from a sheep farm so we had constant 'sheep smells' when the wind came from the west.  Dad hated it.  I have a feeling his mother made mutton from really old sheep and that was why he said to never ever cook it in the house.

Dane likes it - especially those little rib chops that they serve on the bone....lamb lollipops.

But I gotta say, Barb, your lamb shanks look DElicious! Every once in a while I see fresh pork shanks. Think I'll keep that recipe in mind and try it with the pork.

Awsome job!

think it is american lamb.New zealand lamb has a odd smell.I love lamb..grilled leg of lamb so good. Just wish it was not so expensive..

Thanks.. It was easy to make and cheap as all get out $6..lol


Both girls right under my feet while I was cooking and then when it was done.. I know I can give them the marrow but not the bone..IDK..I give them marrow bones raw and frozen ,not often tho..