February, 2023 ~ Let's get cooking!

OUCH! I bought a "new to me" car a few weeks ago. I have been very careful to never use a hand held device while driving. However, what really confuses me is the fact that we're not to use a hand held, but we can do all this stuff that shows up on my screen in the dashboard. It's just as distracting as holding a handheld.

That sounds delish. I surely can't get any nice peaches here now!

From Lore:


"Dinner Tonight. Meatloaf, roasted crinkle cut potatoes (love that little crinkle cutter blade) carrots and green beans."

My sister and I used to go to a local Turtle Jack's restaurant where they served a grilled salmon with a similar salsa, but it was mango. I'll try your recipe for the peach, using mango soon. Right now, even getting a decent mango here is very chancy. But, I imagine pretty well any sweet fruit would do. Papayas are pretty good and not so terribly expensive.

I just came back from a quick grocery store drive. It's nasty out now. Apparently we are in for the blending of a Colorado Low, an Arctic Vortex, and some other system coming at us. YEAY WINTER! Well, we've been very lucky here. Even when Buffalo was closed down the border closed at Christmas, locally we basically had nothing. Plows didn't even have to come out!

OH, YUMM! Smelts were the first fresh fish that I ever ate. We came from Germany in late April, and I think someone on the farm took my dad smelt fishing basically a few days later. There's a local spot where the smelt were plentiful. Cut off the heads, gut them if possible, and then just dredge them in flour with lots of black pepper. I was 11, and learned to do that.

But, I have a different question today. I was at Costco the other day, and found a bag of frozen seafood. Shrimp, scallops, mussels, calamari. And, my tastebuds got set to make a seafood paella. All the recipes I have found are of course for at least 6 people. That's OK, I can adjust. All the recipes also seem to have chorizo in it. I really don't like that, and the paella I had in Spain definitely did not have chorizo. There was rabbit, and that's ok, love rabbit. I need hints/help in spicing the rice and sauce. Any ideas?

Thanks, I won't be using any sausage, as the paella in Spain (Marbella)did not have any in it. I will use only seafood. If I were having company, I'd add rabbit, but it will just be seafood today.

https://ediblemarinandwinecountry.ediblecommunities.com/recipes/gerards-paella-beat-bobby-flay

This is a good recipe for Paella and it has no sausage in it at all.

NormM wrote:https://ediblemarinandwinecountry.ediblecommunities.com/recipes/gerards-paella-beat-bobby-flay

This is a good recipe for Paella and it has no sausage in it at all.

Thanks, That looks really good. Of course, changing it up (or down) for a much smaller serving is the biggest problem. Will keep it in mind, though.

Busy afternoon shift at thrift store today, and I forgot to plan for anything for dinner................. So, cheese, crackers, a bit of Liverwurst and some really nice sliced AHI tuna that I found at Costco a while ago. It comes in a pack of 6 small, sliced individual packages, just great for a snack. Tomorrow maybe I'll cook!

[size=18]Supper was chili that I made ...... No beans! DD wouldn't eat it if it had beans.
She loves all beans, but not in chili. Go figure.

OH NO!  Chili and no beans??? Say it isn't so!  My hubby also didn't like beans, and they are definitely one of my absolute favourite foods.  So, he actually learned to "tolerate" beans in chili. I may have told this story before, 'cause it's actually cute. So forgive me if I bore you. I was born in Germany in 1944 when there were bombs flying, and basically not much food around. HOWEVER, my mom had BEANS, so she boiled them, mushed them up, and I was fed beans as an infant. Is it any wonder I love beans???? Haven't met a bean yet that I didn't like! LOL

I had some chicken legs that were calling my name, some peppers, mushrooms and onions joined that chorus, so I ended up making chicken cacciatore.  More veggies than I would normally have, but Sooooo good. And no wasted veggies.

Weather's not bad today, we've been spared the massive apocalyptic  winter storm they've been predicting, so I think I'm going to play tourist.  Living so close to one of the natural Wonders of the World, Niagara Falls, I do try to take advantage of it.  The Niagara Parks Commission has a fabulous greenhouse which now will have its spring/Easter display.  The only problem with going there (I always have a season pass) is that I get all this inspiration of things I'd love to plant, and I'm on the 12th floor with no balcony.  Not much growing going on here.  Stay tuned for pictures later.  

There is also a fabulous meat and vegetable market that I like to go to not far away, maybe I'll get inspiration for something for supper.

No picture of last night's dinner.

bethk wrote:I had a peach left on the countertop from the ones I purchased to make the peach scones ~ and they were pricey......So I decided to use one of my peach scones for a brunch Peach & Strawberry Shortcake!

OMG ~ SO GOOD!

Every once in a while you really need to splurge and treat yourself ~ That's my story and I'm stickin' to it!

That looks really good. And, absolutely, gotta treat yourself.

My playing tourist was a dud. Well, not completely, the meat/veggie market was great. I bought some nice pork ribs, a fresh whole rainbow trout, colbassa, some salami, vegetables, a mango, some nectarines, grapes, bananas, heirloom tomatoes, the biggest bunch of parsley I've ever seen, so now to decide................. ribs or the trout for dinner???

The tourist part being a dud? got to the parking lot for the flowershow complex. the parking meters use only credit cards. And you have to punch in your license plate number to be on the ticket. I got a new car. Don't know the plate # yet, so I had to go back to the car for that. So, I took a picture of it. Went back to the car, tried to use my VISA "Card not recognized". So, I said to myself "self, you're gonna take a chance on getting a parking ticket". Walked to the entrance of the place. It was closed. No note on the door, nothing at the parking lot entrance as to why. OK, my second choice of touristy things was going to be the local Butterfly conservatory. Been there many times, it's beautiful and so relaxing. So, I drove there. Almost. a couple of miles before that place, traffic jam. THere was a serious accident. Several police cars, fire truck an ambulance and traffic being re-routed..

So, that was my exciting trip. Having a nice Gin & Tonic now before unpacking all my groceries.