robirdstx

A couple of recent dinners: Grilled Chicken Thighs with Bar-B-Que Sauce and Green Beans Parmesan Crusted Chicken Breast and Broccoli with Garlic Sauce

Fresh ground pepper. And for my DH, only Lee & Perrins brand worcestershire sauce will do.

My gf and I were finally able to go out for lunch yesterday as she had had knee replacement surgery earlier this month and is now feeling well enough to make short trips. In celebration we went back to Tookie's as that is one of her very favorite places and she was craving her usual, their #99 Burger. I had had their chili cheeseburger before and really liked the chili, so this time I had Tookie's Chili Bowl - a bowl of chili (no beans) topped with chopped onion and shredded cheddar cheese. It also comes with a side of fritos, but I had them bring a side of avocado instead as I'm trying to reduce my carb intake. But, I had to have some of their onion rings. I only ate three and brought the rest home for my DH. These rings are so worth the extra carbs! (Anna, I thought of you when I ordered them! )

I put up my first batch of preserved meyer lemons today. The fruit is from the tree I purchased last March when I was doing my eG foodblog. I followed Paula Wolfert's 30 day recipe, with one exception. My lemons were so big (almost tennis ball size) they wouldn't fit into the mouth of the jar, so I cut all the way through to the bottom of the fruit and quartered them. I've never tasted preserved lemons before, so am trying to be patient while I wait for them to be ready.

Thanks, percyn. What spices do you use in your Indian version? I think I would like that. Sometimes, I have the egg with pico de gallo. Usually tumeric, cumin, garlic, ginger and some onion. Some add cilantro leaves and ground coriander seeds as well. Thank you, percyn. I will give it a try soon as I already have all of the spices on hand.

Thank you, djyee100. Glad to be back. Dinner tonight used up the last of the turkey thigh meat from Christmas dinner in the form of turkey, onion and pickled jalapeno enchiladas with a sour cream/salsa verde sauce, and topped with lots of jack cheese. Sorry no photo, but DH pronounced it good.

Great looking spread, Norm. It was just the two of us for Christmas dinner this year, so I roasted a couple of turkey thighs instead of a whole bird, but we still had our traditional sides.

Merry Christmas all! I have three new cookbooks - Avec Eric, Robb Walsh's Tex-Mex Cookbook, and Lisa Fain's Homesick Texan. PS And a fondue set from my in-laws.

Christmas Eve Breakfast Brunch Baked Eggs - Jack Cheese, Mushrooms, Onion, Roasted Red Bell Peppers, Cooked Ham, Eggs, Milk, Flour, Chives, and Parsley

Here's what I'm trying; we will see how well it worked after the new year begins! 1. Weight Diary - weigh myself each morning and write it down. 2. Exercise self control - only eat when hungry and then eat protein rather than carb. 3. Use memory to enjoy - don’t have to eat it to enjoy it again. 4. Wear the jeans I want to feel comfortable in as a reminder not to overeat. Down a couple of pounds in the last two weeks, so good so far.

Sorry to have been mia in this thread for so long. So many awesome looking meals here this fall! Dinner last night, started with a thick layer of marinara in a baking dish which was topped with crispy breaded chicken breasts (I used panko and fried the chicken in olive oil); then the chicken was topped with a lot of grated parmesan and mozzarella and was baked in a 400F oven. Baked just until the cheese melted and browned a bit, about 20 minutes.

Thanks, percyn. What spices do you use in your Indian version? I think I would like that. Sometimes, I have the egg with pico de gallo.

Sunny Side Up Egg with Trader Joe's Roasted Red Pepper and Artichoke Tapenade

I've made three volumes of my own family cookbooks using the Living Cookbook program here.

My GF and I got together early on Tuesday morning to run some errands that took us, all the way across Houston, to the Spring area. On the return trip we stopped at the Omni Westside on the Katy Freeway to have a late lunch in their "Cafe on the Lake". I ordered from the appetizer menu and had the Red Pepper Shrimp. It was really, really good. Nicely spiced with just the right amount of heat! And my gf had the Jumbo Lump Crab Salad with an Herbed Aioli, which came with a salad of field greens. While I enjoyed a glass of chardonnay, my friend had a Creme Brulee. After our meal, we got some "fish food" from the Registration Desk and fed some of the koy that reside in the "lakes" in the hotel's lobby. The hotel is involved with koy rescue and has about two hundred koy living in their indoor ponds. Three of the koy used to belong to my gf. When her pond was having major, ongoing problems, several years ago, the hotel sent out a van with the right equipment to transport the fish to their site.

Correction: Should have said less fat, as in fewer calories. Still using full fat foods.

I'm also following this conversation with interest. I've recently gone on a lower carb (and lower fat) eating plan; trying to lower my cholestrol and triglycerides. Thinly sliced zucchini also works well in lasagna.

Speaking of Calamari! My GF and I finally got together to celebrate her 65th birthday this month at Birra Poretti's in Friendswood. We started with the above Seafood Sampler, which was accompanied by a Bellini for her and a glass of Chardonnay for me. Then things got a little squirrely. She ordered the Veal Piccata with Pasta and I ordered their Canicotti (one cheese manicotti and one veal canneloni). When our food was brought out, I pointed out that my GF's plate had the mashed potatoes instead of the pasta, but our waiter said he was aware that he had placed the order incorrectly and asked her what kind of pasta she would like. She asked for the Tortellini. So we took photos of our plates. Shoulda been Veal but we didn't realize until the bill arrived that it was really their Chicken Picatta. It was obvious when we later looked at the photo. GF said her head told her it was veal and it was good, so she was happy. LOL This was my plate. Our waiter did not hear my order clearly and put the order for Manicotti, instead of the Canicotti. I didn't realize the error until after he had returned to the kitchen for my GF's pasta. We were able to snag another waiter and asked him to ask our waiter to come to our table, but in the meantime the manager came to our table and asked how everything was and he was able to get my veal canneloni fired. Here is my GF's pasta. The cream sauce was very good. And a few minutes later, the manager brought my canneloni, commenting "And here is your second pasta course." A short time later, our waiter came to the table and apoligized for his error with my order. And finally, I ordered one of their pizzas to go for dinner with my DH tonight. The pizza was perfect! But I forgot to take a photo. All in all, we had a great time and very good food. And we will definitely go back again.

Make that Booze, beer, bread & baloney.

Hi Randi, Enjoying your blog! I'm currently reading another of Davidson's culinary mysteries - a friend gave me a whole box full of her books. I haven't tried any of the recipes yet, but my friend has and she said they worked well.

Gulf Shrimp with Mushrooms and Baby Spinach over Pasta with a Lemon Butter Sauce

Leftovers! Grilled chicken, zucchini, onion and pickled jalapenos.

Hi Jaymes. My method is very much like yours except that I keep my inventory on a computer generated spreadsheet that hangs on the side of the fridge. I also use the spreadsheet to see what I need to add to my grocery list and print out an updated version after I shop.

Last week my GF and I were again in Houston's Galleria area and stopped for lunch at the Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen on Westheimer. The Pappadeaux location nearest us, in Seabrook, was destroyed by Hurricane Ike three years ago and has not yet reopened. So, having been deprived of my Pappadeaux fix for so long, I ordered my favorite - their Crawfish Combination (crawfish etouffee and fried crawfish tails with dirty rice) - So Good! My GF had their Lobster & Shrimp Salad (chilled Maine lobster, gulf coast shrimp, avocado, mango & cashews on a bed of crisp greens with a creamy citrus dressing). She said it was delicious!

I think so and hope so, too.