BeeZee

Last time I made them, I cut in half, tossed with oil, S+P, parmesan and roasted. Very good.

Hoisin glazed salmon, haricot vert, wild rice with sauteed red bell pepper and some diced fresh orange added before serving.

These apples had a non-standard sign/shelf label, likely from the supplier since it appeared to have more of a “logo” look. I hadn’t seen the price first time I purchased, I think they were $3.99/lb when I looked on Friday. Not sure I liked them enough to pay the premium on a regular basis, but fine for a bit of variety.

Regarding applesauce, I found that if using store bought, I prefer to mix half unsweetened/half sweetened. However, I do prefer sour cream, if I have to choose one over the other.

I don’t fry. Mom’s latkes will be missed, she makes them with shredded potatoes so they get awesome crispy edges. In fact, when she makes them in advance for transport to our dinner, I put them single layer on sheet pans to reheat and get even crispier. I may try to make oven baked version.

I had a piece of the gingerbread this morning, it is moist, a bit sweeter than I'd like for breakfast (Whole Foods gingerbread is good), but perfectly snackable. Sliced, wrapped, froze the rest.

Currently in the pantry I have some wild rice (not rice), farro (nice chew), quinoa (good vegetarian protein source), kasha/buckwheat groats (not in love with them, likely to give up and toss), barley (love the texture). Couscous I have in both traditional small grain (white and whole wheat) and large "Israeli" style. The larger grain is good for salads. I tend to use grains more than rice because with a husband who is diabetic, having white rice, for him, is like eating straight sugar.

Trader Joe's run this afternoon, the line to get in (one in/one out) moved quickly. I found everything on my list, including some Holiday indulgences like Gingerbread Cream Liquor (it's probably going to be horribly sweet, but for the price, I'll put it in coffee or something). Vegan gingerbread (nice loaf, going to slice/wrap and freeze), single serving size marzipan stollen (99 cents) - tasty, Fuyu persimmons (bought 2, have never had them), and of note: the gift box with the maple syrups is back...they have not advertised this and it was pretty hidden when I did find it, for $9.99 it's a steal, grab one if you can find it.

Used some LGD mixed with additional vinegar as a simple salad dressing (romaine, cherry tomatoes, avocado cubes), it was a nice counterpoint to the creamy avocado. The mint flavor seems more noticeable cold vs when I used it to dress warm vegetables.

Similarly, when you make something time and labor intensive, and someone says “next time you make this maybe you could change X, Y, and Z” (ie, completely different flavor profile).

The lesser clean up this year was a pleasure. Once I carved half of the turkey breast and plated it, we decided to leave the dressing and twice baked potatoes on the counter and do “buffet style”. Also left the gravy in the small saucepan it was made in. I realized how much of the clean up was due to both the baking pans and the serving dishes! To cap off our minimal dish meal, pint of ice cream was shared on the couch, one spoon, passed back and forth.😋 Don’t tell my mother.

I am going to use this hack, I have a box of cornbread stuffing mix in the pantry (DH request) and will add some plain cornbread to it, since the sodium level made me not want to use it.

“Melts in your mouth”. Blech. The only thing that should describe is ice cream.

All I prepared today are the toasted bread cubes for the dressing. Worked a half day, ran to the market for a few items, wound up making risotto for dinner and lost interest in further cooking. The 2 of us are having bone in turkey breast, dressing with caramelized onions and kale (new recipe), roasted or pan browned brussels, twice baked potatoes, gravy, cranberry from the can. Ice cream for dessert. I am cooking enough for 8 people, I think...leftovers are welcome.

Grill pan tuna, butternut squash risotto, snow peas. The risotto recipe called for a little bit of miso in the roasted squash puree, which added a nice savory flavor.

Absolutely remember Baked Alaska...when I was experimenting with cooking as a kid, my Mother let me make one for dessert when she had some friends over. So much fun!

Brunch? Mid/late morning wheat bagel with provolone melted on top.

I have a blender that sits in a cabinet, for once a year smoothies. I've had it a long time but I don't feel like I can get rid of it. I didn't purchase, but was re-homed, a nice little espresso machine (Sicilian BIL rejected it) which I've NEVER used.

@JoNorvelleWalker, I agree about the food processor. I hand chopped the garlic and shallot, used the machine for the herbs. Had to fish out some larger leaves of parsley that didn’t get minced.

Baked chicken tenders with panko/ET bagel seasoning, barley (just cooked in chicken broth), and sauteed escarole with some LGD dressing drizzled over.

I have one of those small Cuisinart ice cream makers that requires you to freeze the insert prior to use. I haven’t used it in years (don’t really have freezer space to leave that insert in there all the time), and have found that making treats in pop form works better for my husband (portion control).

Made a half batch of LGD, since I had just the right amt of parsley in the house that needed to be used up. Substituted anchovy paste for the fillets, because I had it. Marinating.

Had a leftover baked yam in the freezer, defrosted in micro, cut in half, and put in the toaster oven to give it some texture. A little dab of apricot preserves mashed into the flesh. I think I may experiment with this, plus some white miso, to add some savory notes.

@btbyrd, gorgeous plate (and the food’s nice, too). Simple breakfast for me, Greek yogurt and grapes.

Question for those who have made LGD...do you think I could use fish sauce in lieu of the anchovies?