TUESDAY: What's Cookin'? 7/31/18

[cooktocook]

Good morning one and all--wishing each of you a beautiful day!

Starting us off on this last day of July--National Raspberry Cake Day, Cotton Candy Day, and Jump for Jelly Beans Day.

Lori

[cooktocook]

Morning coffee is made so now I'll sit, sip, and type.

Need to run a few errands this morning.  First stop will be the tax collector office to pick up tags for boat and trailer, as well as a new plate for my car (yea--it doesn't take much to make me happy).  My current plate has had no paint left on it for several years now, just gun metal gray and IMO, looks pretty tacky--not sure if it was a bad batch of paint that year or what (it's not the sun as all the vehicles are in it day in and out and none of them lost paint).  I will also be stopping by Nothing Bundt Cakes for a BOGO offer on their little Bundtlet cakes (if you have a store near you, check them out--super moist little bites in 9 different flavors).  Will also be headed over to WalMart to get some cleaning supplies, and maybe Target and Bealls to look for some new slacks for school.  Although the tax-free holiday is this coming Friday-Sunday, I'd rather shop now before the big crowd and avoid that mess in the stores.

Rained off and on all day yesterday and throughout the night.  Some coastal sprinkles this morning, but the afternoon is suppose bring the heavier rains once again. 

Tammy, yes, I enjoyed having company, however, since they never let on that they were coming down to Florida, seeing them standing on the porch was a huge surprise.  We were home, not doing/going any where, so they/we were lucky, however, I must admit, even a days notice that they'd like to spend time with us would have been better, at least on my part.  However, they are easy going people and not the least bit fancy, so all went well and we had a lovely time together.

The roasted veggies over pasta last night was a hit with DH and tonight we'll have the chicken stew that I made yesterday.  I've been working on emptying my large freezer for the longest time--it is getting there, but still there is more to use up. Finally, however, I think this coming weekend I'll be able to place what it left inside into several coolers and defrost the big beast.

Well, time to stop rattling on and get moving here.  Have a great day friends.

Lori 

[marjo]

Have not been up too long. I put pillow over head and rolled over to Red trying to wake me up. I stayed up later than usual last night and felt good to stay where I was. He survived was looking out the window. Don't know what the day will bring so will decide after I have breakfast. Nothing planned for the day so will see.

Marlene

[cfniervt]

Good morning friends.
I am caught up on my sleep I think. Leaving tomorrow for the Hermit Island camping trip in Maine. No electricity. Very primitive camping but I like it! So I will not talk to you all for about 5 days. Looking forward to some lobstah! Clams and such!

My experience at the shelter and working with a lot of older people in that situation was "exciting" to say the least! LOL Let's see, a fight broke out over where some towels were hanging, lots of "F" bomb so I took the towels and washed them, then a lady fell and had to go to the hospital(broken tailbone) then a women came and ate a bunch of the candy that the Red Cross had out and she went into a diabetic issue! Had to go to the hospital, this all before 9pm! by midnight a third had gone to the hospital and the tailbone break came back so had to get her into a hospital bed they set up, that was "fun" got her settled just in time for the diabetic to return at 2 am, got her settled but with an "accident" I cleaned up. Then this guy came in with huge anxiety and wanted to vent so we let him. Several more things happened with pee and depends! LOL By 4 am I was so ready for my relief person that as soon as she walked in I left! LOL Oh I would do it again but be better prepared. This was such a unprepared thing that the staffing and volunteer recruitment had not really happened it was just a few people like me and 2 Red Cross ladies (they were a blast to work with, laughed all night) But out of this I discussed with 2 town leaders the need for a crisis response team for our town, So we are "taking the bull by the horns" and trying to see about getting it together for the next emergency and not always think the Red Cross will "do everything" WE do not have any closer than an hour away. So hoping something good will come out of this.

Chris (glad she could get an HC once during the night!)

[cfniervt]

Marlene- I think that is cute that you pulled the pillow over your head and let Red know what was what! LOL Poor Kitty! Pet him on the head for me!

Lori- Glad you did have a good visit with your friends. I love anything raspberry! Not a fa of Jelly Beans or Cotton Candy so you can have my share today! LOL

Tammy- I saw the pic of your Kalaches (sp?) on FB and they did look yummy!

Betsy- I hope the fires are contained out your way soon!
Talk at you all later. Chris

[nancycooksnj]

Good morning friends.

Lori, We don't have a tax free day here but we don't pay sales tax on clothes. Another thing that we weren't used to while we were away was pumping our own gas.

Holy cow Chris! what a night for you!

Hugs and kisses to my buddy Red!

Not sure what I'm cooking. I was going to make tacos and chicken enchiladas but I don't have any enchiladas left in the freezer and I don't feel like making them.

Oh two more things we did while we were away was The Haunted Jail tour which IMO wasn't scary. And, we saw a baseball game with the Charleston River Dogs. Bill Murray owns the team.

Today seems like a perfect day for the pool. I think I've only been there 2x's this month due to my foot and then we were away for vacation.

Enjoy your day.

Nancy

[redsoxmom]

Good morning. 

I am about to take dd to school.  After that her sister has three appts.  The first one is for the orthodontist. He made her a new retainer to take to college but it doesn't fit right. Next stop is the dr. for a meningitis shot round 2 for college and tb test.  This afternoon she has an eye appt.  Yup, we are getting her ready to head to college....

Lori, I love raspberry anything.  I have such a terrible sweet tooth.  

For the shower I am making three kinds of sliders, beans, pasta salad and a green salad.  I am making a dessert tray.  So far I have made chocolate chip cookies and the dough is in the fridge. I am making lemon bars, chocolate caramel brownies. I think Pioneer Woman makes them and calls them "Knock you naked" bars.  I use my mom's recipe from about 30 years ago.  Also making raspberry bars and more cookies.  My bff is making a cake, salads, dips, and a veggie tray.  Bless her heart, but all you have to do is mention we are throwing a party and she goes way overboard. I have the same issue with food.  Make way too much but you never know....

Lori, my mom seems to just shop at Publix these days.  She is really getting bad with her mind but I am not able to get much help from her DR. and my mom refuses to see it or help me help her.  It's not good. 

I have to run and get dd to school.

Have a great day. 

Betsy

[cfniervt]

Nancy- I enjoyed reading about your vacation! Thanks for sharing.

[annrms]

Afternoon, friends! Muggies are here again! C'est la vie!!
Tonight we are having my recipe submission to TOH in the Pan with a Plan contest. I named it Mexican Fiesta Salsa Chicken. It has chicken thighs, nectarines, sweet potatoes, salsa, and brown rice along with some chili-lime seasoning.
Chris - Wow! That was some experience you had. It was kind of you to step up to the plate and help. Have fun on your camping trip. I looked up where you are going...interesting!!!
Betsy - Wow! The shower menu is extensive and good sounding!!! Sorry to read about your mom not accepting help.
Nancy - We don't pay sales tax on food and clothes, but since we live so close to NH where there is no sales tax, we do most of our everyday shopping there.
Marlene - Duchess sleeps upstairs with my mom, but she comes barreling down the stairs as soon as I open the door. She stays for about an hour before she bugs me to go upstairs and fill her bowl!!
Hope everyone has a great evening! Waving!

[tamaralynn]

Good Afternoon Ladies!

We had quite the rain move through this morning. We even had a flash flood alert for the area. We are the highest point in the county and our rv sits on top of a small rise, so I wasn't worried about us. I slept in, took my time waking up and getting ready. DH came home for lunch, then I dropped off the kolaches at the coffee shop. I also went to the store and bought some groceries to do my baking with during the coming week. There is an event for the bridge players on the 8th and she wants everyone to get a free dessert, so I need to have plenty of fresh stuff there. I will be making hospitality pie, key lime squares, granola no bake balls, tiramisu, and some chocolate cinnamon loaves.

Betsy, the menu sounds wonderful.

Lori, I have not heard of raspberry cake. I don't love everything raspberry-some I like but some I don't. Glad your visitors were some that you enjoyed having. I agree, even a days notice would have been polite.  My friends gave me 3 of the mini bundt cakes for my birthday about 2 years ago-they were delicious!

Chris, enjoy your trip! Glad you survived the "learning experience".

Supper tonight will be a grilled sirloin steak which will have an orange glaze basted on it. I rubbed the steak with evoo, and some spices. The glaze has orange marmalade, soy sauce and A-1 steak sauce. Hope it is good. We will also have noodles romanoff. I posted on the TOH Corner over on facebook, about really missing the old Betty Crocker noodles romanoff mix. Someone posted a copy cat recipe that I will try. I think for supper tomorrow we will have breakfast food. After talking about biscuits and gravy, I am starting to crave it. I bought some small sausages for Dh to have with his.

I dropped off some books that I loaned to Rhonda and she returned to me, to the library over at the main club house. While there I saw a stack of magazines. There were several All Recipes, so I brought those home to look over. Also Helen gave me her copy of Simple and Delicious so I have looks of yummy reading to do this afternoon!

[tasty]

Just popping in quickly while I wait for the veggies cooking on the stove top.

Supper tonight will be l/o roast pork that I froze last month, with potatoes straight from the garden, carrots and apple sauce.  I picked a large cabbage this afternoon and got the outside biggest leaves ready to make cabbage rolls tomorrow.  The meat for them has defrosted yet.  I cooked the rest of the cabbage along with some cauliflower and mixed that with mashed potatoes so I can make individual bubble and squeak cakes!

Earlier this morning I made a batch of Raspberry Jalapeno jam for the FOT and then a batch of Pear Raspberry Jam (TOH recipe), also for the FOT.

Seems my whole day has been spent in the kitchen and I am ready to sit and relax for a while.

Nancy, so glad you enjoyed you vacation.  Charleston is such a lovely  city  :)  and we spent some time in Myrtle Beach this spring on our way home from Hilton Head.

Chris, enjoy your camping trip.

Food sounds good for the shower Betsy.  Hope DDIL is keeping well.

What is a hospitality pie Tammy?  You're doing a lot of baking these days.

We have rain in the forecast everyday this week but today so far has been lovely.

Well done on getting the freezer empty enough to defrost it Lori.  I inventoried my second one the other day but didn't defrost it.  I was surprised tho how much we have gone thru from it recently - yeah!!

I'm sure you found something to keep yourself out of mischief today Marlene.

Your new chicken recipe sounds good Ann.  Good luck with it.

Time to get back to the kitchen for a few minutes.

[tamaralynn]

Hospitality Pie is a recipe that I found many years ago. That is the name it was given so I call it the same, but I have since seen other recipes for the same dessert with other names.

HOSPITALITY PIE
2 prepared graham pie shells
1 stick butter
8 oz cream cheese, softened
2 c. coconut
1 c. pecans, chopped
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
16 oz Cool Whip
1 jar caramel ice cream topping
Toast coconut and pecans in butter. Let cool. Mix cream cheese with sweetened condensed milk and the Cool Whip. Divide nut mixture in half. Place one half of nut mixture into the cream cheese mixture. Place the other half evening on bottom of the crusts. Spread with cream cheese mixture. Top each with remaining nut mixture. Top with caramel. Freeze overnight, covered. Can be frozen for up to 4 weeks.

[tasty]

Thanks Tammy.  I found the name intriguing!

[emr]

DH fixed chicken sandwiches for dinner and they were good. We are watching a series on Netflix called Secret City so we watched while we ate tonight.

It's been a rainy, stormy afternoon and looks like tomorrow and Thursday may be the same way.

Lori, I have never made raspberry cake but years ago a coworker had one made for her mother's birthday party and she brought some of the leftovers to work. It was delicious! I've never seen it anywhere else, though.

[cooktocook]

Good evening friends.

I had some luck finding some tan colored slacks this afternoon.  They also came in black, however, the store did not have any in an average size, only petite.  The saleslady suggested I check with one of the other stores in the area, which I did.  They are holding me the last pair so I will run and get them tomorrow morning.

While out running my errands, I stopped and picked up several bottles of teak wood oil.  With my brothers death last June and the new carpet/flooring throughout the house, I just never got around to the job.  The pieces are now showing that they are a bit dry so hopefully tomorrow I can begin the oiling. 

MIL has been quite lately, until today.  She called me to tell us that her DGD that lives down here in the Orlando area is getting married and she wanted to know if the guy was going to be able to support her/them?  Like I'm suppose to know that??!!  I told her I have no idea, I don't know the guy, and didn't even know she was getting married.  I suggested she ask her DGD herself and that's when she got mad and hung the phone up on me.  LOL--MIL is too much some days.

Ann, I sent you a PM.

Not as much rain as yesterday.  We had dark skies all day keeping our temperature at only 90* for the high, and without that blazing sun it felt so much cooler.

Thanks Tammy for sharing the pie recipe--it sounds so rich and delicious.

Going to go and try to finish a book this evening before I jump into bed.  Have a relaxing evening friends.

Lori