suzilightning

since v.d. is on a tuesday this year -and one of my days off from my real job - john and i are going out to lunch near where he works. one brisket wrap from Hot Rod's BBQ in Wharton coming up, please. for dinner i am planning prosciutto wrapped u 10 shrimp, pan seared duck breasts and - depending on the weather - either a vegetable risotto or a salad to plate the sliced breasts on. there is a bottle of DVX sparkling wine to be chilled and john can have some new chocolate truffles for dessert. then on to some of tommy's "indoor activities" hitmanoo - the chocolate covered strawberries and the champagne is fine ...

russell- so sorry you didn't have a good new year celebration. next year maybe you should come to new jersey - we can provide a pull out and a jacuzzi : http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=80522 our lunch at work was really good. i decided to make two kinds of hot and sour soup - one traditionally with tofu, pork and a beef stock then another with a shrimp stock and shrimp - both with egg, bean sprouts, bamboo shoots, water chestnuts and plenty of rice wine vinegar and hot oil. the almond cookies were good and danquing made a fried roll of black bean paste - interesting but ....

I havent been there, but I can tell you that from the menus they post on their website, it looks like very straightforward chinese american and not at all interesting. Is this another place with a "secret menu" like Hunan Cottage? ← yes

tuesday night was a winter squash soup - onion, garlic, carrot, bay leaf, butternut squash, oven roasted cherry tomatoes and stock and- the last 5 minutes - baby spinach then served with a splash of sherry vinegar. foccacia on the side - john said this one was a keeper

i can sometimes find reasonably priced andouille at the Shoprite in Wharton. if not i pop up the street to Sussex Meat Packing http://www.sussexmeat.com/index.htm and they usually have fresh andouille.

good luck all. just like learning to eat healthily or drink moderately - my two bug-a-boos- it is a daily choice. my mom quit 4 days before going into the hospital and 13 days before she died of cancer. i wonder if the weight gain is because things taste so good you want more? i wonder why if the flavors and smells are more intense why less wouldn't be more? looking forward to your butts though

mid- march johnnybird and i will be up in the holyoke/ springfield area. lunch saturday will be at the conference but we are free both friday and saturday nights. any suggestions? anyone want to get together?

oh, pep - your sam is a stitch and your mom is so lucky(please note i am only 1 year older than she is!! ) the crab looks divine and the signed bottle of pol roger <SWOON > how can i get one of those - though preferably a cuvee sir winston churchill - my favoirte premium champers

at work Danquing Liu and I are making the following: Hot and Sour soup Tea smoked chicken Buddah's feast Ribs with some sort of a hoisin glaze Homemade almond cookies

Ridiculous is an understatement suzi, whatever you do don't go to the mall on a weekend, especially over by Target, 40 million people and it's just going to get worse BTW I've now left Target and am a Team Lead at Dick's Sporting Goods right next door. On a food aspect try Panera Bread next to Petsmart absolutely awesome if not just a little overpriced. ←

well, quiznos is now open and i swung by Fat Burger after doing errands and just before the gym. had the fat burger with bacon, cheese, pickle and onion and a vanilla shake. pretty good - EXCEPT- for the cheese which seems to be american processed good shake. don't think it was worth almost $9.00 and the traffic around the mall is starting to get totally ridiculous.

cold northwest winds- snow flurries- juncos and nuthatches feeding in the front yard and a red fox running across our neighbors's yard banana cake for john's sweet snacks and foccacia for his savory dinner will be double cut pork chops with a glaze of pears and sage honey, red cabbage, spaetzle, red swiss chard with garlic. some smoky cuban black bean soup for dinner on friday and to take to a friend

wow - i have kitchen envy, darcie!!!! how about a red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting? maybe a cream cheese tart with some fresh fruit? maybe you can garnish with bacon candy? recipe here:http://www.wchstv.com/gmarecipes/pigcandy.shtml

yum.....walleye. they look sooooo good, susan.

leftover steamed broccoli with chicken saltimbucco.... but i WANTED a chili cheese dog - and fries.

here's one johnnybird and i like, especially the wine truffles: http://www.jemanuel.com/items/stores/1/index.aspx

oh..... i think there are some dill pickle lay's potato chips downstairs

had broccoli and leftover chicken saltimbucco... i WANTED a quarter pound chili cheese dog... with fries.

but it is too early for corndogs up here(nw nj) - that is state fair food and usually the wrong time of the month

why not? toast dope(johnnybird pm'd me that he is using the word dope to mean good) is whatever tastes good to you. john has made it with both refined white sugar and raw. i like the dope made with raw sugar better for baking and making streusels; john likes the white sugar on toast because it kinda melts a bit like the crust of a brulee when he pops it into the microwave to heat up at work.

gee, fifi - if the nephew practices(d) criminal or as a pd he would know dope . if any consolation johnnybird's dad is an attorney - and we give him bathches of this stuff prominantly labeled...

Please, what is toast dope? I remember reading about it on here awhile back, but I couldn't find the thread... ← here you go basilgirl, susan in fl's homage to the dope: http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=36283&hl=dope p.s. love your sig line - got a plaque with that saying for my 10th anniversary at work n.b. and here i thought you were going to ask about my portugese sweet bread!

we are supposed to get some freezing rain so it was clean out the fridge day and a vegetable soup. froze 1 and 2 cup containers of the turkey stock i made and then used the rest. carrots, carmelized onions, garlic, thyme, a bay leaf, reconstituted mushrooms, wild rice, salt and pepper..... will have it for dinner(with some to freeze for our lunches and mother-in-law #1) with some cheddar biscuits. and there is a piece of sweet potato pie left.........

we've been having up and down weather - and an ice storm supposed to turn to rain later today. took the stock i made sunday and after freezing a bit, made a vegetable soup for dinner. will make some cheddar biscuits to go with the soup and have a set of portugese sweet bread risisng to bake off tomorrow morning so john can have some warm bread for breakfast topped with toast dope...

Wow! Thanks for the warning. I guess a roadtrip to Newburgh is in order, though. Dana ←