Monday, January 28, 2008

Another rainy day

I'm really getting tired of rain. I know we need it but does it all have to come at once?

I didn't cook for the last two days as my back was giving me pure hell. Pain pills spoil my appetite.

Today I was better and got through my dental X-rays. Will go back next week for the exam and see if anything needs to be done.

Tonight I made Yakisoba for dinner. Tasted really good for a change. It would have been better if I had had Chuka Soba but I didn't so I used spaghetti which was OK. Texture was just a bit off.

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Brownie Project

Yesterday Joy said she would like some Brownies so I made a pan of them. I made them with Bakers Unsweetened Chocolate using the recipe on the package.
They were OK but seemed to lack depth of flavor. The recipe doesn't call for any salt and they could have used some. My project is to make Brownies now and then, maybe once a month, until I find my preferred recipe. Doesn't mean it would suit everybody but I want one that suits my taste. Everybody has their own idea of the perfect brownie.

Tonight I'm going to make pork chops and have some roasted root vegetables. We'll see if the root vegetables are better than the ones I made a few days ago.
I'm using carrot, turnip, parsnip, fennel, potato, onion, and garlic. Might add some red pepper, too, if I have any left.
The last batch I made was way too much and took up a whole oven rack. I think that's what made it scorch on the bottom.

A drizzly day. What Mom called Oregon mist. Missed Oragon and hit California.

Saturday, January 12, 2008

She who remembers

While I was making something to eat, (can't call it dinner) my mind started to wandering about things in my childhood thus the title for the day.

I remember living on the ranch when I was about three. Mom had disappeared into the outhouse up on the hill. She was gone for a long time and I started wondering why she didn't come back. When I went out the door the rooster attacked me. I still remember the peck marks on my chest. Is it any wonder that I have no compunction about killing chickens?
I remember the holes in the ground after the big fire that came through and burned out the stumps. Our milk cow got trapped in a hole and they couldn't get her out so Dad felt he had to shoot her. I think the buried her in the hole. All I really remember is that they wouldn't let me watch and I felt very scared.

I don't remember moving to the Ranger Station but those are my next memories. Dad said I pushed my little sister down the stairs but I don't remember doing that although I do remember playing with my dollies and pretending that one of them was her and I was trying to poison her by feeding the dolly things that weren't good for one to eat all at the same time.
She almost managed to poison herself by putting gasoline in our toy cups and drinking it.

More later.

MY daughter had to work tonight so my dinner was a loaded baked potato and the leftover rum form Christmas mixed with Juicy Juice. Don't ask.

Sunday, January 6, 2008

Dreary Sunday

It's another dreary day here but the rain has stopped for now. We had a wild thunderstorm for a while yesterday afternoon. Poor, little Lily had a hard time of it as it was right overhead and she was terrified. I had to sit and hold and rock her although it didn't help much. As soon as the thunder stopped she settled right down. I think she was yapped out.

I made a pork loin roast for our dinner last night. Laid it on a mire poix, bay leaf and rosemary. Sprinkled it with garlic powder, salt, and pepper. I made baked Oriental sweet potatoes and buttered green beans for vegetable and wine poached pears with ice cream for dessert. Sunday dinner on Saturday.
Garlic powder only because we had used up all the fresh garlic in the house. 5 heads in two weeks is a lot of garlic even for us.

This is the first time that I have had Oriental sweet potatoes. They have red skin and pale yellow green flesh. Not as sweet as the yams that I ususally get but very tasty. They taste a bit like chestnuts to me. I hope I can continue to get them. I bought them to cook with rice in the Japanese manner but didn't get to do that so I just baked 'em.

Friday, January 4, 2008

A wild and stormy day here.

The wind woke me at about 1:00 AM. I kept trying to sleep but it was just too noisy with the wind chimes ringing. Usually they lull me to sleep but not today.
When I let the dogs about about 3:30 it had just started to rain and hasn't stopped since although it isn't a hard rain.
After I made myself some pancakes and eggs I took a pain pill and then went and took a nap in my recliner. Nothing like storms to get the back to aching.

Tonight I made a saute of shrimp, red, yellow, and green peppers; red onion and mushrooms., seasoned it with basil and French Sea Salt. It was really good. We had broccoli with Kewpie mayo and steamed rice.
Now to try to post the picture.

Thursday, January 3, 2008

Shopping Day!

Well, today was the first time I have done a real shopping trip since before Christmas. We used the last of our CSA vegetables yesterday when I cooked the Brussels Sprouts. Organic vegetables are amazingly better. Next box won't be ready until next week so I bought green beans, crimini mushrooms and spinach, and also frozen peas and a package of pearl onions. That way I can mix them or not as I choose. I still have some carrots and zucchini from the store so we should be good till delivery day.

I bought a lamb shoulder that was already sliced. I don't know why they call that thing a roast because it makes a nasty excuse for a roast that gets protein clots between the slices when I cooked. I figured this one out when I was very, very young.
I will save out the best of the chops and cut the rest into stew. I haven't made a lamb stew in ages.

I also bought Orange Roughy, wild shrimp, lean ground beef, a pork loin roast, and a tri-tip roast. No farm raised fish. If I can't get wild, I do without. That's more than enough for over a weeks worth of protein.

If one bought more than $50 in groceries they were elegible for 10 lbs. of potatoes free. Maybe I could have taken 3 bags of potatoes. There were other things that I could have had free but I don't need bottled water or canned ham patties so I passed on them.

After buying all that stuff, I'm afraid that we're going to have beef and spinach ravioli with low-fat Alfredo sauce and garlic sauteed zucchini for tonight's dinner. Would love to have tomato-mushroom sauce but Joy is having am IC flare and can't have anything with tomatoes right now.

Tuesday, January 1, 2008

Well, here it is a New Year. Of course like so many others I have resolved to try to heat more healthfully and excercise more. That means getting my butt going and getting myself to the gym. I've already planned a healthy menu for the rest of the week.

Tonight we're having Spaghetti with clam sauce and steamed garlic spinach. Simple but low in calories and fat and one of our favorites.

Last night I cooked Orange Roughy, broccoli, and oven fries. Lovely fish at a reasonable price.

Joy feels terrible because her IC is out of remission and she's having bladder spasms again. It doesn't look good. I hope she can get out of it but she will probably have to go back to Stanford for another procedure.
Makes it hard to plan meals because of all the things she can't eat.