Tuesday - what's cooking August 14th

[Tasty]

Good morning everyone ☂

Woke up this morning to a cool house and rain!!  It was forecast and if the forecast is to be believed it could rain for most of the day.  It's not super heavy, but steady, the kind that can soak into the ground.

No idea what is cooking here today but we have vegetables from the garden and we need to eat them (otherwise why grow them?) .  We picked almost 3 lbs of green beans last night so will take them to share with the canning group this morning.

The days are really getting shorter.  I notice it especially in the mornings as I tend to wake up "with the sun" and that was about 5, now it's closer to 6 and this morning because it's raining and gray, it was about 6.15.  I always think of August as being a summer month but it almost seems more like the start of fall.

Time to get moving here, have a terrific Tuesday 🙂

[annrms]

Morning, Tasty and all to follow. It's foggy, humid here with on and off downpours. I know what you mean, Tasty...I'm up before the sun and have noticed that it stays darker longer.
Didn't get on yesterday; went out to lunch with the retirees, and when we settle in, it becomes a regular gab fest! Just had a salad, and it wasn't the best...greens were beginning to brown. Hmmm!
Had chicken tarragon from the freezer. Working super hard to eat from the freezer for quite a while. Took the last of DH's venison meatballs out and will have those tonight with sauce and more of the garlic spaghetti.
Hope to get to Aldi on the way home from the senior center along with a quick stop at the local to get a few things that mom needs.
Will check in later and chat; on my way out the door! Waving!

[marjo]

I am up and dressed and have country style ribs in crock pot. Will go get my hair cut and few groceries and come home and make another dish for Chuck. Want to get some zucchini and make a dish with yellow squash as Chuck gave me two the other day. He was here before I got up checking traps and left me some tomatoes.

Red has been outside and back in and asleep again. He was in the house all day yesterday as I did not let him out when they were here painting my machine shed. He didn't mind when he woke up he went to new place and to sleep. He is showing his age like most of us!!

Better go get my pills in me and be on my way in a little bit to town. Seems strange to look out and see this big white machine shed again. Looks nice and they did the gas barrel silver too.

Marlene

[cooktocook]

Thanks for starting us off today Tasty.  If it has to rain, those slow, all day rains that have a chance to soak in are the best.  I wish I could say August is the start of Fall here.  Oh how nice cooler temperatures would be in August, but with the beginning of school this week, like clock work the temperatures have jumped from into the mid-90's.  I don't expect to see any noticeable cooler temperatures until maybe November.  How nice of you to be able to share your green beans with your canning group today--have a good time.

Ann, enjoy your time at the senior center this morning.  DH would sure lick his lips with your venison meatballs.  He just found a recipe from the Great Lakes Energy Cooperative for a recipe called Up North Venison Stew that he hopes to make if he gets the opportunity to go deer hunting this Fall.  Since I do not care for venison, he tries to eat his share while hunting with his relatives.

I got up an hour earlier than I wanted to this morning due to my app dinging to alert me of a teaching position.  By the time I rolled over and put my glasses on, the job was no longer available.  I was wide awake at that point, so I got up and did a load of whites, took a two hour bike ride, ran the sweeper, and showered.  I have a pile of recipes I still need to go through and file, so that is my plans today.

We have had another 2 dolphins wash up on our beach (along with tons of fish, crabs, eels, and turtles).  Our governor has declared a state of emergency over the red time and $$$ is coming to many counties to help along with more scientists and researchers.  I have never seen the red tide situation this bad for this length of time. 

Today is National Creamsicile Day.  Dinner will be the chili mac I made yesterday and a salad.  Waving to all!

Lori

Edit--Hi Marlene--have a good time in town this morning.

 

[redsoxmom]

Good morning.

It's cloudy here this morning but it won't last.  I am jealous of your rain, Tasty. 

The plumber finished up around 7 last night.  11 hour job.  We were only without water for about 3 hours but it was right at dinner time so I ordered from a local Italian restaurant we like.  I am happy that plumbing disaster is over. 

Tonight I am making eggplant for ddil if she comes over.  My dd and ddil had been talking about going to the Padre game tonight.  Not sure if that is still on.  If they stay home it's eggplant. 

Lori, that is terrible about the Red Tide.  I hope it gets resolved soon. 


Waving to all. Have a great day. 


Betsy 

[nybirder]

Good morning, all. Same weather here--steady, light rain that is soaking in and a bit cooler. Unfortunately, the temps are supposed to go up along with the humidity for the rest of the week. I just hope this damp, hot weather doesn't continue into September--very uncomfortable for the kids and teachers starting school in September. I can remember a time when the humidity was so high at school that there was condensation running down the tiles lining the downstairs hall wall. Ugh!

I posted a comment on the chow mein thread before reading your discussion from yesterday. I was thinking about using fresh or frozen Chinese veggies, too, as an attempt to control the salt content. I'll have to see what's available at the store.

I can remember the canned chow mein with the crispy noodles in a separate can as my mother's quick meal solution when I was in high school. It was the only Chinese food we ever had. When TV cooks first started coming on TV back in the very early days of the Today show, my Mom began to get bolder. The names she wrote down for the recipes were sometimes pretty creative--no internet to check things. One was a recipe using a whole duck for what she called Moo Goo Duck. Now, for my mother this was wildly different from her usual cooking but it was delicious. I still have the recipe. It's really labor intensive, though, since you have to totally skin the duck and cut it up. But all the fat came off with the skin. The duck was browned and simmered in a sauce with stock, soy sauce, sherry, and water chestnuts and served over rice. It was really, really good but I'm not in the mood to skin a duck! LOL! She served it to my older brother once and he said it looked like she was serving a skinned pigeon--not an adventurous eater, for sure. Television certainly made a difference in how my mother cooked--mostly for the good!

It's been raining overnight into today so I guess I'll stay put in the house and try to get something accomplished. I've been feeling a bit lazy the last few days--humidity and I don't get along well. At least the rain is holding down the pollen--it's ragweed season. I have been wishing for rain so I shouldn't complain. But it looks as though we'll be getting some pretty much the whole week--with warm, muggy temperatures. Ugh!

Have a good day, all.

Birdy

[cooktocook]

Elza and Helen, I just quickly ran over to Publix this morning and want to ask you if your Publix store(s) in your area offer valet parking?

At the front counter area, I heard the manager and asst. manager discussing it.  Seems they already offer it some place in the Tampa area at one of the stores.  I must have looked at them with a really strange face because they looked back at me and the one said, "it's coming."  Imagine pulling up to the store and having someone else park the car?  Not something I would have expected to see at a grocery store.  Anyway, when I could wrap my head around what they just told me, all I could say was "when?"  I was told they couldn't tell me any more because things were not finalized, but it was going over well with the customers, and it was just a matter of time when that all Publix stores will offer this service.

Betsy, glad the plumbing is all done.  Hope you can fix the eggplant tonight.

Birdy, you made me LOL with your brothers reaction to the Moo Goo Duck--your poor mother! 

Lori

[nybirder]

Yes--Mom put on a good face about it but it was the last time she fixed it for him. I noticed that he ate it and enjoyed it. He had a quirky sense of humor and half the time you couldn't be sure if he was serious. And it really was the best recipe she made--I used to ask for it for my birthday. I could have kicked him--but he was bigger than me! LOL!

In my town, it's really rare for me to park farther than 5 cars away from the doors at my market unless it's Walmart. I think it would be many a moon before anyone started offering valet parking here. I do see that the shopping service for Walmart and now Hannafords seems to be getting plenty of use. I've been trying to convince my friend to use it--with her walking difficulties it would be nice to be able to order online and just drive up and have them load the car for her.

Sandy--is the heavy rain missing you? I was shocked to see what is happening in the Finger Lakes with flash flooding. I saw on the noon news that the Governor was in Seneca County this morning checking the damage. It's so strange how the damaging rain this year seems to be isolated to regions. Hopefully, you are far enough west for it to miss you. The rain is heading in the strangest direction, too. Pretty much east to west--not what I'm used to seeing--and moving so slow.

While I think of it--a pet peeve of mine. They put things on shelves too high for those of us who are height challenged, especially if the items in the front are already gone. I helped out a woman the other day who was even shorter than me. I had to stand on the empty bottom shelf to reach in. I personally have had to ask for help. In order to get someone to help from the store, you have to go to the front to find someone if there isn't anyone in the aisles. They probably won't do this, but it would be nice to have one of those stable one-step stools available in each aisle. I'm sure it's a liability issue but it would be so helpful. Stepping off of soapbox now. 

Birdy

[tamaralynn]

Good Afternoon !

DH finished lunch and is back to work. We had leftovers. Supper tonight will be some salmon patties, but I am not sure what else. We both love mac and cheese with any kind of fish, but his doctor said to lay off the pasta, and potatoes and rice. Also cut way back on beef. He will hate that since beef is his favorite. He has never been a big fan of most chicken dishes.

Today is in the mid 90's with only a 10% chance for rain. This is the forecast for the entire week.

I had a nice but uneventful trip to Houston. After my hair cut, I met my BFF at a new tea room in the town where we used to live.  It is a pretty place and the food was good. I had the sampler of finger sandwiches which came with a side of broccoli salad. Debbie had the Grown Up Grilled Cheese.

I did not shop anywhere else in that area, I did stop at a large Kroger about 45 minutes from our home. I did not buy a lot, just refilled basic cooking items mostly.

I just took the French Caramel Pecan Bars out of the oven. Sure smells good in here. They have to cool before they are cut, then I will take them to the coffee shop. While there I will see what else we may need. I made one tiny change but I will make a note over on the thread where I posted the recipe.

So sorry about the red tide problem. A lot of sad things in the world these days.

I don't think this little town would ever have valet parking, but I was surprised to see the Walmart does have online shopping with a pick up area near the front door.

Betsy, I know you are happy to have the plumbing all repaired.

Waving to all. Have a very nice day friends.

[nancycooksnj]

Hello friends.

Betsy, I had to laugh about the eggplant making your daughter-in-law go into labor. When my friend across the street was pregnant with her son, I gave have her some eggplant parm. I didn't know that people believed it induced labor. I just gave her some because I knew she liked it and she liked my eggplant in particular. Well guess what? the next day she had the baby lol.

Lori, So sad that the Red Tide is still happening  :'( .

Tasty, I notice that the days are getting shorter too.

I am anti chow mein  (puke) . My mother seldom bought it (thank you God) but it was inedible for me. I still get nauseous thinking about it and wonder why mom would want to torture her kids lol.

Tammy, The tea room sounds nice. 

Youngest DD slept at a friends house last night. She is exhausted today. However, both girls and I did go the mall. I found 4 nice tops for me. Youngest DD found some things and oldest dd found a few items. Shopping for sneakers will be on the list for tomorrow.

Marlene, I just love Red! Still have that photo of him that you sent me a while back. My friend was in Maine yesterday when one of her cat's casts came off his leg. Her brother lives with them but doesn't know his way around N.J. She asked if I could take him to the vet to get his cast put back on so I did. He recently had something removed from his paw so he has stitches too. He's a sweet boy, part Siamese so he has stunning blue eyes. 

Ravioli, meatballs and garlic bread for dinner tonight.

Enjoy your evening.

Nancy

[Tasty]

Finally made a choice about our meal tonight and took a couple of smallish pork chops out to defrost.  We'll have them cooked in the oven with some chicken broth, hopefully keeping them nice and tender and finished with a creamy mushroom sauce, potatoes and green beans from the garden.

 😊

[helen]

Got my hair cut today - halleluiah! What a mess it was. Also spent the afternoon at the car dealership after I noticed a back tire was low. I had already had it patched once so was concerned the patch didn't work. Luckily, they squeezed me in to fix the tire and for an oil change that was due. Took most of the afternoon but I'm glad that's done. I was so hungry after that I did a Wendy's stop, so that was my lunch/dinner. I'll have a nectarine in awhile for dessert. They've been so good lately. My Publix does not have valet service yet but it would help during season. Very hard to find a spot. I wonder if it'll be free? Probably at least a tip, I think. I haven't even read my email yet let alone play some solitaire. Sounds like a good idea. Sweet dreams.

[emr]

Lori, no, we don't have valet parking at our Publix! I've never heard of that at a grocery store! The only place I've ever used valet parking was when DFIL was in the hospital in Charleston and it was free for visitors.

DH had lasagna with green beans and garlic bread for dinner and it sure was good. I do get spoiled during the summers. He has his first faculty meeting tomorrow and classes begin next week, so I better get on the ball!