Hello June! What's cooking today?

bethk wrote:Imelda hasn't visited since the first of March.  I don't know if she is with her mother and family.  I know she was planning to visit but usually doesn't stay this long.

Michelle usually stops by once in a while and she's missing as well.

Stephen (Jetfan) stopped by to leave a recipe for a bread he made but I missed him......didn't see his post for a few days.

Hello everyone.    Brian is getting chemo treatments for his prostate cancer (not something they usually do but it's because other treatments have ceased working) but scans this week showed the radiation has totally eliminated the cancer in his lung. The good thing is the type of chemo the prostate doctor is using is also used on lung cancer patients so that won't hurt at all. Brian is thin already so it's really important he try to eat as much as he can. He is supplementing food with 3 or 4 cans of Boost a day; most types are 250 calories a can but some are just over over 350 calories a can, too, if you can find them. He put on 4 lbs. since his first dose of chemo on 5/17 which is huge so we hope to keep it up. Next dose is 6/13. So far, just one bad nausea day and a day recovering from that, along with weakness, fatigue and occasional dizziness when changing positions. Not wonderful but very far from terrible so far.

I wondered about Imelda's family after the recent volcanic eruptions in Indonesia -- hope all is well but know she'll check in as soon as she can.

It was fun seeing the message from Jetfan. It's nice to hear how he's doing. The bread sounded super, too!

It's good to hear from you, Michelle. Glad the treatment is helping Brian ~ you two are in my prayers! Oh, but how I wish there was a way to morph MY body fat to those in need! I mean, I'd be there in a flash if it was possible. (And I'm not just saying that because I'd be more than happy to shed about 50 pounds to a deserving individual! LOL)

How are you feeling? I really wish we were closer so we could at least stop by once in a while to help out or at least give you guys a laugh or two. I'd even make stuff with CHEESE just to help you keep the weight on ~ oh the sacrifices I'd offer!!! (I wouldn't EAT it, mind you, but I'd be sure you and Brian had all you'd like.) And I would definitely make and SHARE a big old bowl of potato salad with you, we could argue about what to put in it and how to make it ~ Miracle Whip vs: Mayo ~ LOL

The computer we got is a Dell Inspiron 3670. Please don't ask me anything about it. All I know is it's a shiny black box that can sit either upright or flat and it doesn't tie up and give us error messages every 5 minutes. I'm so 'NON-Techy'. I picked it out because the nice young man told me it would work just fine for our purposes, would be faster than a similarly priced other brand and HE reminded me of our grandson, Joshua......that's why, OK? It was on sale for $600 and by the time we got done with all the other stuff the sales kid and Lyn said we should get the receipt totaled up to $1,150....But if I had gone with the Apple that I thought I wanted (and Dane didn't want at all) it would have probably ended up at twice that amount. But what the heck, it's only money. Next week I'm going to call and have the Geek Squad person stop by to finish the set-up. I look at the instructions and it's like trying to read Greek. Lyn said she'd come back and try to help some more but she's much more familiar with the Apples and isn't at all comfortable with the Dell PC. So, since I bought the service I may as well use it!

bethk wrote:and suddenly she APPEARS!

Glad you stopped in to say hello, Michelle!

Laughed, Beth! I think of you guys often but time just seems to get past me these days. Brian does so much around the house that I'm not used to doing as much as I'm doing while he's not 100 percent. I 'm just plowing ahead and dealing with stuff as it arises, which of course is all you can do.

Enjoyed reading everyone's messages and hearing what's up while here.

I almost forgot to take pictures. I fired up the smoker and did some pulled pork and ribs.  They both turned out very well.  I also made a fruit salad.  Charlie is grilling some hamburgers and we are expecting some people over any minute.

Supper turned out pretty darn good. The chicken got skewered with onion petals between the pieces, as did the zucchini on other skewers. I find the onion makes it easier to slide the food off without it sticking or breaking apart since it only cooks about 'tender crisp' and holds up when I push the food off on to a plate or bowl.

Dane replanted some more Blue Lake Green Beans in the patio pots and all the plants are up and leafed out. He said the old plants that weren't producing needed to be pulled out. So he plucked all the little tiny baby beans off and put them on a paper towel on the counter this afternoon. I think he just wanted to show me how many beans we MIGHT have gotten. I surprised him by carefully trimming off the stems and cooking them in some salted water ~ we ended up with about 3 mouthfuls each! LOL But, man, they were SO TASTY! There's just nothing like fresh vegetables straight from the garden (even if your garden is a big patio pot).

The chicken had just enough sticky glaze to stick to the foil I cooked it on. I have those grill mats but when the meat has the sticky stuff on it I still prefer non-stick foil. It doesn't have to be washed and I usually do something with the dirty foil like wrap it around the sharp ends of the bamboo skewers so they don't poke through the trash can liner!

As soon as I get my photo files downloaded I'll post everything just so you all know you haven't missed anything! (I know, nothing you haven't seen before.....but it amuses ME!)

NormM wrote:I almost forgot to take pictures. I fired up the smoker and did some pulled pork and ribs.  They both turned out very well.  I also made a fruit salad.  Charlie is grilling some hamburgers and we are expecting some people over any minute.

Norm, that PORK looks so 'falling-apart-and-moist'.....Even though I'm not a huge fan of smoked meats I'm pretty sure I could tear into that on a soft bun.....maybe if you had some of the leftover milk bread rolls??? Oh, man, my mouth is watering just thinking about that!

It's good when there's something for Ms. Tina that she can eat and enjoy and not upset her stomach. And YOU, Mr. Lucky! Steak and shrimp on the grill that you DIDNT HAVE TO TEND TO! It's like you're The King of the house and all you had to do was sit down and adjust your crown. Hahahaha

bethk wrote:It's good when there's something for Ms. Tina that she can eat and enjoy and not upset her stomach. And YOU, Mr. Lucky! Steak and shrimp on the grill that you DIDNT HAVE TO TEND TO!  It's like you're The King of the house and all you had to do was sit down and adjust your crown. Hahahaha

Yep! It's great being a Sous chef. Prep and sit down and just wait for DD to cook.

Jimmy, I am still reading--jut not replying, because I am not cooking.
The move is completed. I have been sick since I moved.

I think the antibiotics triggered a flare of my collangeous colitis. I have been dealing with that for a month.

I am ok.. My doctor wants me to have a ton of testing.. Why do they do that? order so many, instead of one at a time, waiting for the results, before moving on??? maddening!!

Sleeping a ton.. no energy..

But I am ok...

My kitty, Geoffrey absolutely loves this new tiny apartment! He has blossomed so much. Each day, he seems to love it more and more..and tries new things. We are having conversations, now.

Stoned kitty!



Watching TV... Geoffrey loves watching TV


While Playing

Oh no!!!  I thought I posted an message, but it disapperaed and my computer froze!! ridiculous!

anyway,
I am still here, reading.. not posting because I am not cooking.

The move is done; getting more and more accustomed to this place. The issue is: I have been sick since I moved. First, asthma/bronchitis, then the antibiotics triggered my collangeous colitis. That triggered a urinary tract infection.. now it is periodic low grad fevers.. Doctor is going all out, ordering testing.. Why? Why nont just do one at a time, after seen result of each? Drives me insane!

I am ok.. have a good day, and then a bad one.. just getting old!!

Geoffrey, my kitty, loves it here! The teeny tiny apartment is wonderful for him. He is blossoming so much! We are having conversations, now.

He is so much happier here!

stoned kitty:




Watching TV. Geoffrey loves watching TV!



Playing

Hot here today - about 95. Fireworks are illegal in the county but someone set off a show last night at 11pm. We could see it from our house. Must have been a graduation party or wedding. The dogs were not too happy.
I am going to throw a steak on the grill tonight. We will have a wedge salad to go with it. Last night I made a frozen gin & tonic for Joe. It was pretty tasty.

We have finally had a drop in temperature ~ been in the 90's for a couple weeks or longer. But a storm blew through this afternoon and now it's a (wet) comfortable 82°. I just walked out to check the rain gauge and see we had a little over an inch of rain in about an hour. When it rains it really pours down but then it blows through and it's over. The skies look pretty clear to the south right now although it's still overcast from the west where the storms come from.

I told Dane he needed to dust the bean crop ~ all three pots of beans ~ because something is eating the leaves. He, as usual, didn't think I knew what I was talking about. But when he walked out to investigate he found, as usual, I was CORRECT.....LOL. So he gave the plants a shot of vegetable dust and that should take care of things for now.

We knew it was going to storm today so I didn't plan to use the grill. Nothing I hate more than wanting something grilled and know I'd have to stand with an umbrella.

I thawed out a container of marinara and roasted a spaghetti squash. I made a chopped salad to go with it and toasted some of the bakery rolls. I always figure if I'm eating a 'non-carb' spaghetti then I should be able to eat some bread because I really like it. The salad had just about all the vegetables I had in the refrigerator. I was going to cut some grape tomatoes but they were well past prime ~ so they got tossed.

cookingirl wrote:Oh no!!!  I thought I posted an message, but it disapperaed and my computer froze!! ridiculous!

anyway,
I am still here, reading.. not posting because I am not cooking.

The move is done; getting more and more accustomed to this place. The issue is: I have been sick since I moved. First, asthma/bronchitis, then the antibiotics triggered my collangeous colitis. That triggered a urinary tract infection.. now it is periodic low grad fevers.. Doctor is going all out, ordering testing.. Why? Why nont just do one at a time, after seen result of each? Drives me insane!

I am ok.. have a good day, and then a bad one.. just getting old!!

Geoffrey, my kitty, loves it here! The teeny tiny apartment is wonderful for him. He is blossoming so much! We are having conversations, now.

He is so much happier here!

stoned kitty:
[url=https://servimg.com/view/18948041/26]

You can get in trouble for letting an 'underage' kitty get stoned on catnip! Don't let those pics get sent off to the Kitty Police! LOL

He looks like he's really settling in. Some cats take longer than others. My daughter adopted an older cat and it took her 2 years to really get comfortable with the family ~ she still isn't happy when company comes but at least she doesn't stay sheltered in the middle of the king bed (on the floor) where no one can reach her. Now she just sits on the stairway with a scowl on her face until she figures you aren't going to try to touch her. Cats are so different from dogs. Dogs usually get use to a new place within a week and then they greet everyone with a smile.

The weather is nice and cool here past few days. 100% chance of rain tomorrow. It's a pleasant 67º here now.
We had pancakes and syrup for supper today. ( Tina's wish ).

I was gone on a short road trip with my sister for the weekend. I had the most amazing lamb shank in a Greek restaurant in Kingston (Ontario) I love, love, love lamb, have only cooked chops so far. The sauce was soooo good. Very finely chopped celery, red peppers, I assume onions and garlic. I think I need to get a Greek cookbook. I know there's lots of recipes online, I like to have a book in hand.

Any recommendations for a Greek cookbook, or even online recipes will be welcome.

My 'go-to' bun, whether slider (preferred) or regular hamburger and/or hot dog buns are the Brioche egg buns. Not sweet and still really rich and egg-y.

I had a dental appointment this afternoon. I still carry my childhood anxiety of dentists with me. I've had nightmares 3 times in the last 3 nights about the appointment. I have no problems with my teeth but the nightmares were from the dentist attempting to pull a tooth to the staff having to call EMT's because I passed out in the exam chair...…..crazy! And all that ended up happening was the dental tech did a cleaning/polishing and the dentist said, "it all looks good. See you in 6 months."

Since I wasn't sure how the exam would go I planned on a 'soft' meal. Creamed ham on noodles (on toast for Mr. Amazing....his preference) and steamed asparagus. It's all at the ready so just waiting for the supper hour to arrive.

bethk wrote:My 'go-to' bun, whether slider (preferred) or regular hamburger and/or hot dog buns are the Brioche egg buns.  Not sweet and still really rich and egg-y.

I had a dental appointment this afternoon.  I still carry my childhood anxiety of dentists with me.  I've had nightmares 3 times in the last 3 nights about the appointment.  I have no problems with my teeth but the nightmares were from the dentist attempting to pull a tooth to the staff having to call EMT's because I passed out in the exam chair...…..crazy!  And all that ended up happening was the dental tech did a cleaning/polishing and the dentist said, "it all looks good.  See you in 6 months."

Since I wasn't sure how the exam would go I planned on a 'soft' meal.  Creamed ham on noodles (on toast for Mr. Amazing....his preference) and steamed asparagus.  It's all at the ready so just waiting for the supper hour to arrive.

Hope you're feeling better Beth. That is some nightmare. I have nightmares of the ceiling in the cath lab for the heart with the catheter.
The worst part, is the aching back from the hard operating table.
I told the surgeon to give Mike Lidell a call, ( the my pillow guy ) to get a mattress topper for the crude bed.

Thanks, Jimmy.....I'm fine. Irritated at myself for such foolishness. But I have to say, the supper (an old time family favorite I don't fix often because of the calorie count) was just what the doctor ordered. Dane ended up having seconds and that means there are no leftovers ~ win/win as far as I'm concerned!

But I can empathize with you about laying in the hospital. For the price they charge you should get the royal treatment and be completely comfortable. Dane has no desire to make a return trip to the ER any time in the rest of his life! He was miserable after his accident, not so much from his injuries but how uncomfortable he was there. All he wanted was to get home and crawl into our bed, pull the covers over his head and sleep for 3 days. LOL

Pegged out at 100 today. I went in the pool. The temp was 84 but I like it warmer.

When it comes to dentists, it is sheer terror for me. I can't eat because I get so upset I start throwing up. I now take tranqs when I go. I still feel upset but things are better. I really need to get $hit faced with two pills before I can stop shaking in the chair.

Tonight was sandwiches. it was too hot to cook.

Charlie have been at an Italian restaurant a few times that has a really good mussels in wine dish. I tried a recipe for mussels and wine and it was not the same but there were no leftovers.

105 today. I went for the mail and I felt like I was in an oven.

Lasagna tonight, but I am not sure I can eat it. I tried a drop of some new bacon cheddar ranch sauce and it gave me the worst stomach ache. I wish they would force companies to list the spices that are used in their products. There are people like me that can't tolerate certain spices and sometimes it isn't obvious that a product contains one of the irritants.

WOO HOO!!! Lyn and I did a road trip to Orlando today specially to go to Costco to look for the rib cap steaks. We decided to get off the highway and went to a town called Clermont for lunch. This is one of our favorite things to do.....stop where we've never been and then do a Google search for restaurants near us. We chose The Crooked Spoon Gastropub. It was excellent! I had a fried green tomato BLT with the addition of a fried egg. Came with pub chips....yum! Lyn chose a huge burger, cooked to a perfect medium topped with a blueberry compote and Brie cheese, also with the chips. She fell in love with the first bite.it certainly sounded like an interesting combination, even to me and I wouldn't have ordered it but I can appreciate the combination as something unique.

After our lunch we headed to Costco. They had ONE package of rib cap steaks, hidden under the prime rib steaks (that looked amazing as well. I was surprised to find the price/pound was only $20....and at about 2.5 pounds the four steaks came to around &50. The steaks look big enough that we can split the two big ones for a meal and end up getting 3 meals from the package. That's really not bad considering the prime beef. I did wrap them to put in the freezer as we're planning to go to Don Shula's Steakhouse with Lyn & Bill on Saturday. I'd rather save these for a "special ' meal.