HungryChris

For reasons that still escape me, I left my giant tongs in the picture and did not even see them until it was too late. I, like you, will just have to live with it! Last night we had Appleton Farms ham from Aldi. This ham is a true bargain, I believe. Every time I cook it, it amazes me. I will be getting rye bread and Swiss cheese tomorrow for the ham sandwiches that are destined to follow. HC

@kayb, I still have not tried that recipe you were kind enough to provide. I have an aversion to the Velveeta concept, but have to travel a bit to be able to buy a block of American cheese. Trust me, I will get there. HC

I had almost no green tomatoes left at the end of this season, but my friend, Vinny, at Lake View Farms hooked me up today. Bacon, lettuce and fried green tomatoes on snowflake rolls. HC

Yesterday was dismantle the garden day. I took down the fence, raked up and discarded all the tomato debris, rototilled and brought out the first of three cold frames. The second one needs to be painted and the third one needs to be assembled from the materials I have secured and stored in the garage. Today is a gloomy, rainy day, but warm enough to heat the house with just the heat pump. The pepper plants were given a reprieve from the frost and will foster on for a bit. The arugula, lettuce Swiss chard and kale seem fine so far. I am off to buy winter rye seed. HC

Ground beef tacos with pico de gallo, fresh salsa and shredded cabbage. Deb was quick to point out the missing sour cream, which I corrected just about as quickly. HC

Mortadella, fontina cheese, roasted red peppers and marinated zucchini ribbons on no knead bread with homemade lime acqua frizzante. HC

Pappardelle with sausage and peppers (the last the garden had to offer). HC

I have similar scratches in mine, but have reached the same conclusion. HC

DHL just delivered mine. The package looks as though it had circumnavigated the globe several times. I didn't even have to bother opening it, but the pan was there. HC

The green mile. I am afraid the garden is scheduled for execution by frost tonight. I harvested what I could. I still have lettuce, Swiss chard, arugula, kale and radishes, that I think will survive, but don't hold much hope for the pepper plants. HC

The last of my latest batch of oysters. These local oysters are beauties and fresh as can be. At 75 cents each, I'll be back for more tomorrow. I would have gone today, but I am stuck here, waiting for a firewood delivery. HC

No sign of mine either. HC

Korean BBQ wings with a bunch of sides. HC

Steak night at HC's. These were on sale at $4.99 pp so, it had to happen. HC

Chef salad today with a garlic laden homemade vinaigrette dressing and homemade lime acqua frizzante. HC

Inspired by a recent trip to Italy, where we both enjoyed creamy pasta with pears, I chose to try my hand at it tonight. Here is my first effort, papparadelle pasta, with a gorgonzola sauce, with cooked pears from our tree and toasted walnuts. HC

I was so taken by the freshness, size and price (75 cents each) of the local (Noank, CT) oysters I bought for dinner yesterday, that I made another trip to my go-to fish market this morning. They had gotten a fresh delivery and I was able to choose from an excellent collection buried in the ice today. These were bigger and fresher still! Noank Blue Points and Dogs and Boats makes the sun shine, in spite of this cold and rainy day. I even got out the ice shaver and put them on a bed of the stuff. HC

Local oysters of decent size were 75 cent each this week. Char-grilled oysters quickly went on the menu tonight. Leftover potato salad, roasted beet salad, with crumbled blue cheese and hot bread for dippage came along for the ride. HC

Home fries with onion, pan sautéed slices of corned pork tongue, blistered shishito peppers and a copious amount of fresh salsa. HC

I like a cocktail sauce that has some heat to it, but from the horseradish, rather than added hot sauce, so finding the horseradish with the needed heat is the trick. In my area, I have come to rely on Kelchner's, paying close attention to the use by date. I start with about 4 heaping TBS of that, followed by the juice of half a lemon, a dash of Lea & Perrins Worcestershire and about half a cup of Heinz Chili Sauce, if I have it, and ketchup, if I don't. HC Many years ago, I loved skiing and bought a camp trailer that I kept up in Vermont for that purpose. I would go up there after work on Sunday nights in the winter and ski all day on Monday, my only day off. On days when the weather was bad or it was too icy to ski I would drive around to places of local interest and one of them was the Grandville Bowl Mill. I loved their wooden bowls, but was not able to do more than just admire them. Some years later, in a bit better shape financially, I made a trip up there and happened to hear about the "cull shed, out back". It was something the locals all knew about, but they did not readily explain about it to the tourists. I was out there in a heartbeat and opened the garage style door. Inside was another whole shop of seconds, some with almost imperceptible flaws, at deep discounts. I left there with several wooden bowls and made a few trips back in the years to come. I am sure that is too much information, but there it is. I break them out and proudly use them at any excuse. HC

Caesar salad and shrimp cocktail always wins Deb's approval, and got mine as well, last night. Cocktail sauce made from decently hot horseradish, U-15 gulf shrimp, steamed for 4 minutes and plunged into ice water produced some shrimp that squeaked when you bit into them. That is when I know I have done it right! HC

Mine is supposed to arrive on Tuesday as well and I am quite a bit farther down the alphabet at S. HC

I happened upon some good looking haddock yesterday and could not resist. Beet greens, potato salad and broiled haddock made the table last night. HC

Toasted English muffin with pan fried corned pork tongue, melted cheese and a fried egg with some comfort food home fries with onion......and yes, a diet orange soda. I just want to go clamming, but hurricane Michael has pretty much insured that the beds will remain closed for another few weeks. I feel like a shut-in. HC

I started off making chicken salad for Deb's lunch, but quickly changed direction, thinking that I could make soup, use up all the leftovers and put a check in the dinner box as well. Tonight I used the Red Lobster Rosemary Garlic Parmesan biscuit mix, which we both loved! HC