April, 2024 ~ the month of fools?

From Lore:


"Dinner Tonight. Small salad, and then some leftover chili which wasn’t worth photographing! Lol"

Charlie gave me the link for the recipe. https://www.maangchi.com/recipe/tteokguk He likes a lot of them from there. He liked this one too but preferred I omit the fish sauce. I looked up "soup soy sauce" and found it is a Korean soy sauce that is lighter and saltier. I am lucky that Charlie knows about Korean food and can tell me stuff I didn't know and that there is a good Korean grocery store almost near here.

When I went to the Korean market yesterday for the rice cake soup, I also picked up some fresh kimchis and marinated beef bulgogi. They have really good marinated meats. I converted my smoker fire box to a grill for the meat. It always tastes best over charcoal.

Road Construction! Is there anything worse when you're in the construction lane? Hubby and I did a road trip in Nova Scotia, and "did the Cabot Trail". By the locals and many others called the most magnificent drive in the world. It goes around the outside of Cape Breton. about 300 kilometers. Worst drive of my life. One side is the ocean, the other, TREES! Yes, there were side roads to go to little villages etc., all I wanted to do was get off that island. How many times can you say "Oh look at the pretty sight" All I could see was the backside of dust covered vehicles, and the flag waving construction crews controlling traffic. NEVER going there again! Sorry, Nova Scotia!

Dinner was Pappardelle with Creamy Chicken Sauce.  The recipe called for 7 chicken thighs but I used 4 and made up the difference in volume with mushroom caps cut to be roughly the same size as the chicken pieces.

My dinner? a few nuts, a few pieces of cheese, a stale slice of something with apple in it, and a banana. I went to our tapas party in the building. I was late, there were a few things left (cheese and the thing with apple in it) So, I had some wine, came to my condo and had a banana. Tomorrow is another day. I am tired from a 4 hour shift at my volunteer job. gonna put on my jammies now.!

No cooking again for me today! But, I ate very well anyway. Friend in the building has had a family thing in our party room (room and kitchen available for residents/owners) So, she brought me dinner! two types of chicken, one piece a bone in piece of breast, some amazing jerk chicken; then, a vegetable lasagna which I have kept for tomorrow. THen two types of rice, one quite spicy which I love, the other a bit bland, so I combined them, ate half and left the rest to go with the veggie lasagna tomorrow. Oh, there were also yummy potatoes, I ate half and the rest will be with the lasagna tomorrow. I love my condo neighbours/friends! No pictures, sorry, just imagine all the goodness!

Tonight I made miso glazed chicken thighs with Japanese eggplant and brown rice. The chicken was real good but don’t think I’d make the eggplant again

Still don’t know why it keeps turning my photos….nit making me happy

Lucky you! You are sooooo nice to Jim, to help him eat out! I don't have such a needy neighbour! LOL

I used the smoker today. I smoked the beans as well as the ribs.

Nothing much for supper. Trying to save money this month and next month, so I am committed to eating the food from the dining room--blech!  I mean, I pay $230 a month for it, and most of it is not appealing to me, or cooked to my satisfaction. I am not fussy, but.....  

Tonight was deli board: roast beef, turkey, cheese, seafood salad, lettuce (why shredded??), one slice of tomato. On your choice of breads: marbled rye, bulky, white, wheat. Potato or Pasta Salad, potato chips.

I got roast beef, cheese, on rye with lettuce, tomato, small scoop of potato salad-- BLAH

Why is it, that I always get a 'funky' taste from the stuff in here?? Either the deli stuff is old, or in the freezer/refrigerator too long; or the refrigerator/freezer needs a good wash down-- including all the refrigeration... OR is it because it is all Kosher??  and low quality Kosher. That is what happens when you live in a Jewish HUD Senior Housing Facility... nothing against Kosher. I have eaten many Kosher things, but these suppliers are not good-- lower quality.

I can say that; because I am on the Food Committee. It has been tough, but we have slowly begun better options and some changes to the menu...

Next week is Passover; feeling and knowing that the food will be not my 'style'. I was not raised Kosher.
I fear I will be relegated to: salads and/or chicken breast (yuck), sweet potato, or My Minestrone which in in my freezer.. perhaps even my frozen chicken soup--- all depending on how warm it is outside.

On the other hand, I MAY be going out to supper for one meal... not sure about that... I will have to wait and see...

I assume that you live in a retirement home? It's tough to cook for so many people, quite a few are probably on restricted and BLAH diets. Sorry! I made some stuffed peppers for myself, I've made better because the stuffing ended up kind of soupy. But, it was tasty. No picture.

Cookin Lore wrote:I assume that you live in a retirement home?  It's tough to cook  for so many people, quite a few are probably on restricted and BLAH diets.   Sorry!   I made some stuffed peppers for myself, I've made better because the stuffing ended up kind of soupy.  But, it was tasty.  No picture.

Yeah, I live in Senior Housing. It is supposed to be Independent living; but with the state of things, it has become more and more 'dependent' living.

There is a mandatory food plan, which most of the people hate. The only ones who really want or need it are the ones who are really elderly and cannot physically cook.

There is no way to get off this meal plan. It is an extra expense; especially if you make your own meals. The rent is based on income.

Yes, it is hard to find meals, but the quality and variety is just not there. If I could, I would get off the meal plan in a heartbeat. It is a pain to cook; but, it would be so much better for me. This month and next month, I will have to eat a good portion of my suppers from the dining room, due to finances. At least they have a take-out option. I fear I will mostly be living on chicken and salad--blah..

What makes it harder is that the food is Kosher-ish.
They have a non-kosher kitchen, but still are not allowed to use pork or any pork products... sigh...

From what I understand, kosher food can be quite good, if prepared properly. The sad part is that the non-jewish people outnumber the jewish.. Not being racist, just stating a fact.

I know that I would also find it challenging if meals were cooked like yours. I have an uncle, and an ex-brother-in-law who live in a similar complex. But, they can opt out of the meal plan. Uncle feels the meals are OK, sometimes not enough in volume, but he says that he then has a snack.. EX BIL just complains and my niece, his daughter ends up cooking for him. Problem is that she lives 70 miles away, so she cooks at home, freezes, and then brings him food. It's tough. Uncle is 91, BIL 85

THe condo building I live in has a lot of seniors who also don't cook much any more, and I see a lot of deliveries coming in. So far, I still love to cook for myself.

I was shocked at tonights supper for me! They offered a chicken caesar salad! I love chicken caesar salad! I got a large one, as a meal. I really enjoyed it. The hot meal options did not look appetizing; manicotti, with garlic spinach and roasted potatoes. The manicotti sauce was loose-- watery. The spinach looked over cooked. The roasted potatoes looked over cooked. That is the problem with them. It seems the oven overcooks things on the top. I think it needs either calibration, or a new one.

And they seem to keep the food in the oven for too long. Weird..

Is the kitchen staff properly trained? We had a meeting of our social committee yesterday, and one person was bemoaning the fact that she had nothing prepared for dinner. So, I said that I was making stuffed peppers, and would she like a couple. She said, that would be great for her hubby, but no thanks for her, she doesn't like cooked peppers.. I said fine. So, when they were done, I went down the hall (she's my neighbour) with one on a plate. She looked at it and said "That looks and smells great, and I bet the stuffing is really good." So I said, you sure you don't want one, I have more. Then she asked if I would be upset if she only ate the stuffing. I mean how would I even know she didn't eat the pepper???? So, I gave her one. I saw her today. She loved it, and ate the whole pepper also. The pepper was not mushy! She is particular! Now, if she would have mentioned that she didn't like mushy peppers, I would have told her that I precook the filling, put it in a pepper, add cheese on top, and just bake until I can poke the fork easily in the pepper before it becomes mushy!