March, 2016 ~ Dinners we made!

Going to make chicken boneless thighs to night..

The kids didn't mention anything about the rutabagas but thought the cabbage was better than usual.

I looked up rutabaga because I thought it was a variety of turnip but it says it is a hybrid mix of turnips and cabbage. I think they taste like turnips but better. I also like celery root and parsnips. Both have a sweetness to them, I think. I don't remember ever having yucca.

I have never mashed rutabagas. I will try to remember to do that next time and leave out the potatoes. I did leave out the potatoes this year because I forgot to take them out of the oven until it was too late.

I made another pasta recipe out of the Cooking Light magazine I picked up.  It's called Bucatini Puttanesca but I adjusted for what I had in my pantry and our tastes..... It was deemed 'a keeper' by both of us, especially with the addition of a chicken breast I sliced in half into cutlets, seasoned, seared and sliced thin to add to the top of our pasta.  It's interesting that the recipes call for cooking the pasta in the pan and the pasta starch, along with chicken stock, creates a nice 'saucy' consistency.  I don't think I'll be cooking much pasta the old way of boiling in a big pot of salted water and draining.  It has so much more flavor when it cooks in the pot with all the other flavoring ingredients.....in this case, dry oregano & red pepper flakes, tomatoes, calmata olives, capers, parsley & basil.

Fetuccini Puttanesca w/Chicken:

That looks wonderful.Looks like Fettuccine ..I have to go to cost plus to get Bucatini. lol..

Shrimp tacos tonight. I wish there was an easy way to fry taco shells.

Beer braised chicken thighs,saffron orzo.onion,red pepper,olives,capers,

Barbara101 wrote:That looks wonderful.Looks like Fettuccine ..I have to go to cost plus to get Bucatini. lol..

Yes, it IS fettuccini....that's one of the adjustments I made to the recipe. LOL

Barbara101 wrote:

Beer braised chicken thighs,saffron orzo.onion,red pepper,olives,capers,

That is beautiful! Looks like we had matching flavor profiles tonight with the olives & capers. Love that salty, briney bite!

Bugster2 wrote:Shrimp tacos tonight. I wish there was an easy way to fry taco shells.

I hate the mess of deep frying....I'd rather get store bought and just warm them up in the toaster oven.

lol neighbor just brought me strawberry shortcake..

bethk wrote:

Bugster2 wrote:Shrimp tacos tonight. I wish there was an easy way to fry taco shells.

I hate the mess of deep frying....I'd rather get store bought and just warm them up in the toaster oven.

I don't fry either.I will use flour tortilla or microwave corn ones with damp towels,

Joe and Katie like greasy taco shells. I tried a dryer shell once and a riot almost broke out.

I saw a recipe for a sandwich called a cheese Frenchie that is around the Midwest. I gave it a try but didn't care for it. It was a cheese sandwich, battered, rolled in corn flake crumbs and deep fried. you use ketchup as a dip. Meh.

Let them make them !!!!!!

Supper tonight was a slice of pizza for me. For Tina, I made her fresh mashed potatoes and gravy. After she and I ate those little wieners wrapped in the pastry crust. We get them frozen and just throw them in the toaster oven. Hebrew National makes them.

OOops !!! I forgot...

 "Happy St. Patty's Day Everyone!"

The best thing about a corned beef dinner is ruben sandwiches with leftovers the next day.

Commercial corned beef is (I think) red because it is cured with potassium nitrate (salt peter) I make mine at home and don't use it. I use Morton's Tender Quick and regular salt instead.

NormM wrote:Commercial corned beef is (I think) red because it is cured with potassium nitrate (salt peter)  I make mine at home and don't use it.  I use Morton's Tender Quick and regular salt instead.

OK, so that's the culprit huh? Good ole Salt Peter.

They used to mix that in with the sugar when I was in the Navy. They say, it kept things calm.
I could swear Tina started putting it in My Sugar last 15 years! LOL

When I was a kid.... we went to the local drug store to buy a jar of Potassium Nitrate to make rocket fuel and black powder. We asked the druggist, ..."We need a jar of
Salt Peter!" .... he said, "What do you need it for?".... I said, "We need it for our horse!" hahahaha.... He said,"does your mother know you need it?" ....I thought quick ( and stupid ), and said,"Yeah, Mom said the horse was sick and was jumping around like crazy lately!" He laughed his butt off, but he sold it to us.

Then, to another drug store, to buy a can of powdered sulphur. He said, "What you gonna use it for?".... I said," To keep the snakes out of the yard!"
He sold it to us with no problem.

I knew enough, because I excelled in Biology and Chemistry in school.
Not to put any feathers in my hat, but I was embarrassed to ole heck when I got 100% on my final exams in Biology and Chemistry in high school.
The boys gave me the ( brown noser ) signal with the fist over the nose!
You know what I mean?; i'm sure!.... hahahhaha
The kids teased me to no end! It was more shameful than if I had scored a 69 and failed the test!

You are lucky Jimmy, I didn't excel at anything in school.
I am making homemade hummus. I soaked my beans overnight and put them on the stove this morning. The whole house smells of garlic. My DH is going to have fits when he gets up and will open all of the windows in the house.

Lol I make hummus all the time . Open a can of chickpeas , rinse, dump in food processor . Add garlic and olive oil . Done .

I used a fancy recipe from Serious Eats which was taken from an Israeli cookbook. Failure. Totally and completely. No mistakes on my part but it just didn't work out. It has a soupy consistency and tastes like $hit. Down the drain it goes. It didn't even look like what was pictured.

Manicotti.(sp) not that you can tell lol..Took slice and took the pan next door..

Barbara101 wrote:


Manicotti.(sp) not that you can tell lol..Took slice and took the pan next door..

Yummy looking. Darn it, I have to move next door too!

Yummy looking. Darn it, I have to move next door too!

lol you would survive in this heat. Not happy living here but I can afford my house.Next electric bill won't be $54. tho lol..Air on,fans on..