March, 2021 ~ What's workin' in the kitchen?

Working on some leftover steak for dinner.

Going for my second Covid vaccine tomorrow. I hope it doesn't make me sick. I already feel crappy.

We went to Costco this morning during senior hours. It is so nice at that time. There are people but it isn't jammed. Got some See's gift cards, paper towels and a box of cookies. I don't think much of their cookies. One kind has a raspberry center that is good.

UNCLE JIMMY wrote:A can of smoked herring for me, and a can of mackerel for Tina.
A Kaiser roll, and coleslaw. Tina only ate a little, and gave the rest to me.  

So, what you're saying is you had 'surf & surf' for supper!




LOL

Charlie asked if we could invite his cousin and his family when I told him I was  going to smoke a pork shoulder today.  The pork smoked for about 10 hours. I made corn relish, salad and cross cut potatoes roasted with butter, herbs and parm. cheese.

That's quite a spread, Norm! I bet you didn't have a whole lot to put away later.....

True. A lot of the it was gone. My uncle used to say: If there is an empty bowl left on the table, somebody didn't get enough.

I always consider it a compliment to see an empty container of something I made......

and I'm always happy to NOT have leftovers! LOL

On our way to Orlando yesterday, Lyn & I stopped at a roadside vegetable stand.  They had locally grown fruits & vegetables.  She wanted some local minneola tangelos and then saw the beautiful tomatoes and just had to include a basket of those.  

I had some tangelos in my refrigerator so I passed but I did snag just one of her tomatoes.

I'm really hoping it's flavorful and tasting like a real tomato.  I just took three of the woven bacon slabs out of the freezer to use for BLT's tonight.

I was thinking (first thing this morning, of course....) what I could make to go with BLT's.....and I thought a nice serving of potato salad would be just right.  I hard cooked 3 eggs and cubed up one really big yellow Florida potato (not as yellow as a yukon, but tasty just the same).  I chopped a couple stalks of celery ~ because I like a lot of celery in my salads.  My dressing is a combination of Hellmann's, Miracle Whip, sour cream, a dash of hot sauce & vinegar sugar syrup, a sprinkle of celery salt and some chopped chives & parsley from my patio pots.

I ended up with almost a quart container of potato salad, now chilling out in the refrigerator.  I'm thinking, although not needed, a fresh bag of potato chips might be just the thing for the crowning off of a 'taste-of-summer' meal.....

Supper came off just as I wished ~ the tomato slices were OK, but not remarkable......but better tasting than what I've picked up at the grocery store.

I made a smoked turkey thigh on top of some sauerkraut, and a big pan of roasted potatoes, salad of lettuce, pepper, tomato, parsley and feta cheese. For me and my Wednesday night couple here in the building. YUMM! Leftovers of the kraut, meat and potatoes for tomorrow. .

Does anyone go to the trouble of making their own pasta?

I do sometimes but it is mostly egg noodles.

Bugster2 wrote:Does anyone go to the trouble of making their own pasta?

Don't like pasta enough to make my own. Hubby didn't like any pasta, so it rarely made it to our table. 50 years of cooking for a meat and potato guy left a lasting impression on me. LOL

If we make ravioli or pierogi, then Tina may roll some out.

I wish I had a source for fresh lasagna noodles.

Speaking of lasagna.. Tina is on the way to pick up lasagna
for her, and lobster ravioli for me.
Cannoli for dessert.

Lunch after his golf scrambles.....no cooking.

We had grilled hamburgers, hot dogs and a few large shrimp for dinner tonight.

We had hamburgers too but Joe seasoned mine with S&P and now I have a roaring stomach ache. Dosing myself with Pepto and milk.

Leftovers of last night's smoked turkey thigh, sauerkraut and potatoes. Turkey and kraut were good, potatoes soggy. LOL

Does anyone know how to prep and cook one of those already corned beef they sell for St. Paddy's. Do you rinse the meat first and not use the corning liquid?

Bought another Thermapen today. They had a 40% off special on some of their thermometers. It is risky but if all it has is a bad box or a scratch, that's ok just as long as it works. I broke one of my pens by dropping it so I could use a second. My other pen is not great so I need a backup.

Bugster2 wrote:Does anyone know how to prep and cook one of those already corned beef they sell for St. Paddy's. Do you rinse the meat first and not use the corning liquid?

The packaged corned beef brisket is what I usually make for the holiday. I try to get a flat but will take what I get.

I DO use the package liquid, a carrot, onion & celery stalk and the little seasoning pack. I cover with water and let it simmer until tender ~ usually 4 hours or so, depending upon size.

When it's tender I remove the brisket to a clean pot and strain the cooking liquid over it to remove the seeds, etc. Then I cool the pot in a sink of ice water and, when cooled put it into the refrigerator overnight. The next day I take it out of the refrigerator and remove all the jelled fat to discard. I use part of the jelled cooking liquid to cook my potatoes, carrots, onion & cabbage. I take the cold brisket out of the pot and scrape off the jellied cooking liquid that sticks (it's messy but I usually just wipe it off with gloved hands ~ don't like the feel) and I slice the meat with an electric knife into thin slices. Then into a casserole, topped with the jellied cooking liquid again and reheated in the oven until hot.

I was thinking about getting one for sandwiches. What is best for that? Point or flat?

Bugster2 wrote:I was thinking about getting one for sandwiches. What is best for that? Point or flat?

Flat has less fat. Point has more and is, somewhat, more moist. It's all personal choice.


(I prefer the flat as it usually slices better ~ JMO)

Lazy dinner again tonight. Chicken thighs and fingerling potatoes in the oven, will make some broccoli to go with it.  

But, I haven't been lazy all day.  Took all my spices out of the cupboard, found that I had doubles of some, And I bought a label maker the other day, so I have made labels for all of them  scrubbed the outside of all the jars, and have organized them into areas in my cupboards sort of  according to how often I used them. I know, it's COVID boredom! LOL

Getting organized for next month when I get my new kitchen.

I did have a nice couple of hours. Son called "It's a nice day, come for a driveway beer." Now you see, a driveway beer is when it's nice enough to sit outside. Garage beer is when it's nice, but a little chilly, so we stay in the garage with the door open. A picnic table beer is when the sun is shining in the backyard and it's t-shirt time. The ultimate is when it's shorts and t-shirt time, and he opens the BARSH! He has a garden shed which is converted to a bar in the summer, ergo a BARSH! I'll send a picture of the Barsh to Beth. We've been in lockdown here for a long time.

I am so blessed and happy that my son wants me to come and sit and have a talk and a beer with him.