October, 2019 ~ What's cooking today?

bethk wrote:Nothing sounded good, except for a dish of basmati rice.  So I did a beef & broccoli and ate mostly rice.

Well, it sounded good AND looked good, too!

Beth wrote:Thank goodness all is well with Brian! When did he start having problems with his knee? It's a good thing you have such a fantastic meal planned to enjoy and celebrate with. Your menu sounds like a lot of work for you ~ don't over-do it, Ms. 'I-can-do-it-all' ~ but I hope you both enjoy the steaks.

He just woke up Tuesday, Beth, and it was HUGE. He hadn't knocked it against anything or fallen in the days before either. I tease Brian all the time about having the lowest threshold of pain known to man so if he'd cracked it against something, he would've definitely mentioned it. What was scary is that he couldn't move that leg, his right one, the "good" leg, at all! He couldn't cross his legs and when he tried to slide out of bed to get to the bathroom, he started to fall. I was under his backside pushing up as best I could and yelling for him to grab the footboard of the bed to pull himself back up (our bed is wrought iron -- did i tell you that already? Who knows? It sounded familiar when I typed it!) which he finally managed to do. I thought I would have to call the Fire Dept. to get him up if we couldn't do it. I was an idiot for going into such a panic but these days I just assume EVERYTHING is cancer or chemo-related. I should've just thought: "Knee looks like a grapefruit is on top of it, he can't walk or move his leg so call an ambulance to take him to the hospital where he's getting chemo so they can approve of everything if necessary" -- but I just panicked and thought OMG am I going to have to put him in a nursing home? Just panic and nothing else. Unlike me TOTALLY but my world is changing so I guess I am too!

And you were right. We both decided the meal I planned was too much. We ditched the Brussels sprouts and the mushrooms didn't look as fresh as I prefer so they got pitched. We just had stuffed tomatoes, garlic bread and those wonderful BEST I EVER HAD IN MY LIFE steaks!



Steaks before cooking...

Here are the tomatoes before baking. I cut them in half and then pile on the stuffing, which is minced shallots and garlic sauteed in butter, seasoned with salt, pepper, oregano and Italian Seasoning, seasoned breadcrumbs and grated Pecorino Romano. And some red pepper flakes, too, though I can't use too many right now as B's mouth is sore from chemo and ultra sensitive. Once I put the slice of lemon and basil leaves on top, I drizzled them with a little Sauvignon Blanc I had in the fridge...

No picture of the garlic bread but it was good, too!

Here's a picture of the cooked steak and the stuffed tomato once baked. We like our steaks charred on the outside and medium rare on the inside (I cook Brian's just a tad more than mine) and they came out perfect. While the steaks rested, I used some sliced garlic, a dash of Pinot Noir and some Irish butter to deglaze the cast iron pan so that's the sauce you see on top of the steak.

Hope everything works out with Brian.  Glad you enjoyed the steaks.  They are really something special.

UNCLE JIMMY wrote:DD made baked shells with ricotta and mozzarella cheese..... RAGU jarred sauce ( old world style )

She also made apple crisp.... ( I call it apple betty ) I don't know where that originated??
I get rolled back eye balls when I say it though! ....

Laughed as I just made Apple Crisp a little over a week ago. Brian will peel the apples. That was the first dish the teacher had us make in Home Ec in high school (they called it CFL for Christian Family Living -- Catholic school, you know) and I still use the same recipe! The crisp is never as crisp as I remember it but it tastes delicious. I put a bit more grated lemon peel in it than I normally use just because I didn't want to throw it away, so it came out with a pronounced lemony taste which Brian didn't mind - he said he preferred it in fact. I laughed and told him one group got extra credit for making a lemon sauce to serve with it back then so I knew the lemon flavor wouldn't hurt it.

You'd laugh as I started cooking very early in life to help my mom until she came home from work but most of the girls in school had never cooked. Some of them were quite wealthy and their moms didn't cook either -- "the cook" made all the meals. (They had a cook?! I got used to hearing how wealthy kids lived and it was a world away from how things were at our house!) The nun made biscuits in class one day and then gave us the recipe and told us homework was to make a biscuit for the next class. We always made biscuits at home using Bisquick which I used for homework, too. I cracked up as many of my friends thought Sister Marion would be able to tell that I used Bisquick instead of making them from scratch! I had to explain to them that Bisquick simply contained all of the same ingredients that the recipe did but most of them just couldn't compute that! Many of their biscuits looked kind of flat which is WHY I used the Bisquick as I knew they'd come out nice and high and pretty, which mine did. My biscuit got an A+ ; whether or not my friends ever made biscuits again I don't know but if they did, I guarantee they'd have used Bisquick!!!

Bugster2 wrote:Norm, an Aerogarden is a hydroponic gardening system that I use to grow fresh herbs year round.

I would've thought you could grow herbs all year outdoors in California! We can grow them outdoors all year though many of them, e.g., cilantro, dill and parsley, grow best in cooler weather. But we can string them along into early summer if you take care and don't expose them to the blistering afternoon sun.

Can't you have herbs in pots in your backyard, Debbie?

NormM wrote:Charlie brought home a bread maker from a garage sale once. I used it once and it worked just fine but I prefer making it where I can watch how the dough acts when I add stuff and can tell when there is a good dough.  I hear that some people use a bread machine to mix the ingredients, then take it out and bake it in the oven but I never tried it for the same reasons I just mentioned.  It went back into another yard sale not much later.  I think we actually made a little profit on the re-resale.

That's cause you're really a true break maker, Norm -- you know what you're looking at and what you're feeling probably, too.

I've used the bread machine a few times to make the dough and then baked it in the oven. I've also used the dough to make round loaves in the oven, which Brian always seems to like. But I've really gotten a lot of use out of letting my bread machine do the whole job; I STILL use it today and would use it more often if we could eat a lot more bread without gaining weight. I stuck with the bread machine a lot longer than most people did I think. The loaf we use it for most often is for Orange Cranberry Bread -- it's a pretty bread that makes FANTASTIC toast as it has a wonderful crumb. It's a good loaf to make for a gift for someone, too. It even looks pretty if I bake it in the bread machine! You'd laugh as I can no longer hear the noise the breadmaker makes from across the room so I now just set the timer to remind me I have to add the cranberries (or whatever you might be adding to the dough).

I just copied a recipe the other day for some kind of loaf that I figured I'd use the machine to make the dough and then bake it in the oven. I'm such a sieve brain lately that I just had to open Word up to see what recipe that was that I copied -- it was one for a Kalamata Olive Bread. I had a hankering for olive bread once I saw Beth's olive bread and I still have a decent amount of Kalamata olives in the fridge that I picked up at the grocer's olive bar. I'm going to add some feta to it as well. I figured it will be a pretty bread so I think I'm going to bake it in the oven. I'm sure the smell alone will drive Brian wild....

NormM wrote:Hope everything works out with Brian.  Glad you enjoyed the steaks.  They are really something special.

Thanks, Norm.

And yes, the steaks were everything you guys said they were -- neither of us was disappointed and we both thought they were well worth the money. We got 4 for $72 plus tax, and each steak was about .85 lb. Best steak I've ever had which surprised us both as the ones we get locally with their special seasoning are delicious. But they can't touch these -- Can't wait to get into the other two that I froze!

Uncle Jimmy wrote:Oh we are so happy for Brian and you! We pray to keep you and Brian in the Lord's hands, and so he can heal and relieve you of your earthly pain..
Remember..... the Father / the Son, / and the holy spirit is always with you, if you can remember him in your thoughts. Even as a quick saying that you love Him.
Enjoy your meal tomorrow, and thank sweet loving Jesus for the bounty.

Thanks for the prayers, Jimmy. He even LOOKS better since he came home from the hospital. Might be the transfusion they gave him late Friday afternoon. His cheeks were all pink when I got there! It's so wonderful having him back home -- we can't stop grinning today just like yesterday!

Keep those prayers coming, please!

Tina always sings..... "There's nothing like Homemade Bread, and Home Churned Butter!"

One day, she got a butt worm for baking bread, and started baking Batter Bread recipes.
OMG......at the end of that 5th last Loaf of bread ( boring by now ), I didn't want to see
any more bread. NOT Tina though......there she was, baking another 5 loaves of her batter bread... 'A G A I N' .....

Crybaby wrote:

Bugster2 wrote:Norm, an Aerogarden is a hydroponic gardening system that I use to grow fresh herbs year round.

I would've thought you could grow herbs all year outdoors in California! We can grow them outdoors all year though many of them, e.g., cilantro, dill and parsley, grow best in cooler weather. But we can string them along into early summer if you take care and don't expose them to the blistering afternoon sun.

Can't you have herbs in pots in your backyard, Debbie?

Yes, I can grow herbs and I do have some now: oregano, rosemary, thyme, catnip, and some parsley and basil that have seen better days. I use the Aerogarden for basil and cilantro and parsley in the winter. They have short lives and die within a couple of weeks in cold weather, so, that is why I have the Aerogarden. I have grown cherry tomatoes and lettuce but the lettuce is too soft for my taste but the cherry tomatoes do ok.

Beth, your dinner looks like mine. It was called Mongolian beef and I had ramen noodles instead of rice. Joe ate all of it.

Crybaby wrote:Here's a picture of the cooked steak and the stuffed tomato once baked. We like our steaks charred on the outside and medium rare on the inside (I cook Brian's just a tad more than mine) and they came out perfect. While the steaks rested, I used some sliced garlic, a dash of Pinot Noir and some Irish butter to deglaze the cast iron pan so that's the sauce you see on top of the steak.

OK, so I don't usually 'repeat' a pic but I was so happy you and Brian enjoyed the Prime Rib Cap Steaks and you actually posted a pic......YEA for YOU!!!

They really are perfect for 'special occasion' meals but we were just as happy to have a 'give-them-a-try' meal ~ so good. And your side of broiled tomatoes looked like the perfect accompaniment to add to the meal but not leave you too full to really appreciate all the steak-y flavor.

Did I mention the first time I ever heard of the 'cut' was on a Food Network show where Bobby Flay was raving about a restaurant that serves the steak? I'm not usually a huge fan but his description and the highlighting of the cut was so interesting to me.

AND THEN NORM SAID HE FOUND THEM AT COSTCO! ! !

That shocked me to no end ~ who would have thought to even check at a retailer like Costco for prime meat? It's so great we're able to share information.

You done good, Michelle~and here's hoping Brian gets to feeling better and better so you can post more pics of your kitchen adventures (hint ~ hint......).

How did you get it so charred??? Love char!

Things are getting crazy out here in CA. Remember that fire last year that wiped out the town of Paradise, CA? Well, PG&E is saying that they are going to shut off power for up to a week because there are the Santa Ana winds that will be coming in this week. October is always a fire month for CA. They are telling people just to shelter in place. Nice of them. That will play hell with the people trying to get to work and think of all of the businesses that will have to shut down because they might lose power. It will be financially catastrophic. Grocery stores, restaurants, fast food. SCE is also threatening to shut off power if the winds get bad. That will affect us down here.
To add insult to injury gas prices have gone through the roof. Some places are charging as much as $5.69/gal. Average is $4.25 around here.

I think I might grill some tri tip steaks tonight.

I started shopping for meat at Costco when I found out that they were the only store within 30 miles that sold whole briskets (for smoking) and then that they were the only store anywhere that sold prime cuts for about half the price that the other place sold choice cuts.  I was also incredulous that they had ribeye cap steaks. I wondered how long I had over looked them being there.

Where I used to live, the electric company changed ownership and they announced that they were going to stop trimming trees away from the power lines.  They said it was the land owners responsibility.  Previous utility companies had always and forever trimmed trees whether land owners wanted them cut back so much or not.  Of course they thought they would save money but  a few years later when wind and ice combined to cause a massive power outage that lasted for days, and most of the tree limb damage was in rural areas, they had to trim them and then they asked for-and got- a large rate increase to pay for it.  I was really mad about that.  Of course the rate increase was permanent.

I usually pay around 247.00 to 334.00 for a month of electric.
Last month was abnormally high at ( and I fell off my seat ) $884.00
Come to find out, Ambit Energy ( the generator of my power ) said I didn't re-apply for cheaper rates! Bull S. ...... Come to find out there is a class action lawsuit including PA, NY, NJ. customers. I and other customers never got a notice about re-applying.
I wound up paying 16 cents a KW Hour, when other suppliers were only charging 8 cents per KWH. I can't find the class action suit. I will have to research it.

I have a rib eye to (hopefully) cook on the charcoal grill tonight.  It's suppose to rain off & on during the day and evening so I'm hoping I get enough of a break that I can cook outside for about 8 minutes.

I had a package of crimini mushrooms and thought I'd cook them to serve with the steak.  Then, for some reason, I looked into the pantry and saw a pack of French's Fried Onions........GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE !!!!

So, I cleaned the mushrooms ~ I always rinse them and rub the debris off under running water and then let them drain on paper towels.  I don't care how much they say the growing medium is sterilized, I don't want it in my dish!

I pulled the stems off and trimmed them and sliced up.  I browned the stems in a small skillet with butter and a couple sprigs of fresh thyme.  Mushrooms & thyme just 'go' together for me.  A little s&p, too.  I let them cook down to get the flavor in the butter and then added some half & half and let that simmer really low.  I wanted to get all the mushroom flavor I could into the reducing cream.  The mushroom caps got sliced and browned in another skillet with some of the same thyme, only chopped this time so it'll stay in the dish.  

The simmered stems got strained and pressed through a fine sieve and the remaining mushroom cream sauce got poured over the browned sliced mushrooms:  my very own cream of mushroom.



The mushroom cream will get layered with blanched green beans and some of the onions.  Not a 'low-calorie' dish, but so much better than the canned Campbell's stuff.

If I really wanted to go all out, I could have made my own fried shallots ~ like the ones Imelda uses as garnish on so many of her dishes.  (I sure do miss her dropping in to post her pics.....sigh.....)  It took me FOREVER to figure out how to make them.  You have to start sliced shallots in cold oil and then bring them up to frying temperature and remove them before they are browned.....it's a 'learning curve' to be sure (which I can attest to with many batches of blackened shallots!).  But the canned French's Onion Rings are such a treat and are perfect in and on top of a green bean casserole, I figured, why not?  LOL

By the way, when I discussed making the crispy fried shallots with Imelda one time she told me the secret to always having them on hand ~ she buys them in a jar from the market. When I went to the Oriental Market in Orlando I found them on the shelf! It's a huge amount for just a bit of $$...... (she's so clever!)

For any of you who do still cook with the Campbell's Creamed Soups, one of my neighbors told me about a pork chop dish she's been making that she loves.

She browns either thin or thick pork chops and puts them in a casserole dish and adds some sliced onion. She mixes one can of Cream of Mushroom soup (she uses the one with garlic), 3 Tbsp. of ketchup and 2 Tbsp. of Worchestershire Sauce and pours that over the pork. The dish gets covered and baked at 350° for 1 - 1/2 to 2 hours, depending upon the thickness of the chops. She swears it's the best pork chop dish she's made in years.

I've not made it but thought I'd toss it out there as an idea.

UNCLE JIMMY wrote:I usually pay around 247.00 to 334.00 for a month of electric.
Last month was abnormally high at ( and I fell off my seat ) $884.00
Come to find out, Ambit Energy ( the generator of my power ) said I didn't re-apply for cheaper rates! Bull S. ......   Come to find out there is a class action lawsuit including PA, NY, NJ. customers. I and other customers never got a notice about re-applying.
I wound up paying 16 cents a KW Hour, when other suppliers were only charging 8 cents per KWH. I can't find the class action suit. I will have to research it.

That sounds terrible Jimmy. We are fortunate and have paid-for solar. Our entire bill for the year was $600. Water is a bit steep - about $100/ month. I am the only one who bathes around here so I don't know why we pay so much. Trash is pricey too. Double what it was.

I still use canned cream soups Beth for certain things. I use it for my mother's pot roast gravy and I make a good broccoli cheddar soup. I do use Campbell's beef broth.

bethk wrote:I have a rib eye to (hopefully) cook on the charcoal grill tonight.  It's suppose to rain off & on during the day and evening so I'm hoping I get enough of a break that I can cook outside for about 8 minutes.

I had a package of crimini mushrooms and thought I'd cook them to serve with the steak.  Then, for some reason, I looked into the pantry and saw a pack of French's Fried Onions........GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE !!!!

So, I cleaned the mushrooms ~ I always rinse them and rub the debris off under running water and then let them drain on paper towels.  I don't care how much they say the growing medium is sterilized, I don't want it in my dish!

I pulled the stems off and trimmed them and sliced up.  I browned the stems in a small skillet with butter and a couple sprigs of fresh thyme.  Mushrooms & thyme just 'go' together for me.  A little s&p, too.  I let them cook down to get the flavor in the butter and then added some half & half and let that simmer really low.  I wanted to get all the mushroom flavor I could into the reducing cream.  The mushroom caps got sliced and browned in another skillet with some of the same thyme, only chopped this time so it'll stay in the dish.  

The simmered stems got strained and pressed through a fine sieve and the remaining mushroom cream sauce got poured over the browned sliced mushrooms:  my very own cream of mushroom.



The mushroom cream will get layered with blanched green beans and some of the onions.  Not a 'low-calorie' dish, but so much better than the canned Campbell's stuff.

If I really wanted to go all out, I could have made my own fried shallots ~ like the ones Imelda uses as garnish on so many of her dishes.  (I sure do miss her dropping in to post her pics.....sigh.....)  It took me FOREVER to figure out how to make them.  You have to start sliced shallots in cold oil and then bring them up to frying temperature and remove them before they are browned.....it's a 'learning curve' to be sure (which I can attest to with many batches of blackened shallots!).  But the canned French's Onion Rings are such a treat and are perfect in and on top of a green bean casserole, I figured, why not?  LOL

By the way, when I discussed making the crispy fried shallots with Imelda one time she told me the secret to always having them on hand ~ she buys them in a jar from the market.  When I went to the Oriental Market in Orlando I found them on the shelf!  It's a huge amount for just a bit of $$......  (she's so clever!)

We use the Brown soup mushroom for Susan's meatballs. Beef with onions....floured and fried to brown, then in a casserole pan covered with the soup and only 1/2 can of water to dilute it. Throw in the oven uncovered, and bake for 45 min. to an hour at 350F.

I would imagine the pork chops or cutlets would be great. Even ground pork with diced onions.

Crybaby - I just saw that Rao's has come out with two new soups. One is chicken & gnocci and the other is chicken noodle.

Tonight we were able to do the rib eye on the charcoal grill. Dane was reading the directions on the bag of Royal Oak Hardwood Charcoal and it said to use 'Tumbleweeds' as a fire starter. He asked me, "Any ideas as to what Tumbleweeds are?" I ended up looking it up on the Royal Oak website and there was a link to Wal Mart for 'Royal Oak Tumbleweeds'......compressed hardwood shavings. You learn something new every day. He uses a chimney but no longer puts newspaper under to start it. Now he just has his blow torch to really give the bottom a good start and it lights up nice and even. He loves playing with fire! LOL

So, along with the grilled steak I make a bake sweet potato and the green bean casserole. Not to shabby for a Monday evening!



Here's a link to the Tumbleweeds if anyone is interested.......((Norm.......))

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Royal-Oak-All-Natural-Fire-Starters-Bl/563467385

Tumbleweeds. that is a new one to me. When I read the post I was thinking "Where are they going to find tumbleweeds in Florida"? I thought you were going to have to chase them down. We have tumbleweeds everywhere.

Yeah, YOUR tumbleweeds are the only ones we knew of. Thank goodness for the computer search to figure out what they were talking about.