dumpling

Throw it in a big disposal aluminum roasting pan, pour some chicken stock over it to moisten it a bit, spice as will match your Moroccan theme and bake until heated through.

In Emerson there is Cafe Terrana which has nice coffee and dessserts, fairly reasonable. Chairs are not comfortable but atmosphere is pleasant and relaxed. Has regular Italian food too. Gelato. In Oradell, there's Cool Beans which is a coffee house where there is often music. Expensive desserts and coffee. But some very nice teas and drinks. Atmosphere is very relaxed if you're into chairs-out-of-your-garage chic. Is comfortable place to hang and lounge on a sofa if the place is not overrun by kids.

Monday A melange: Pizza of Mache, Goat Cheese and Gambas Al Ajillo(Garlic Shrimp with red pepper flakes) baked on a Sun Dried Tomato Lavash Grilled Australian Rib Eye with JJ's Rub Leftover Allu Gobi Asparagus in butter and lemon Combining Leftovers Vegetable Fried Rice(sounds like we had similar things, Kristin)

Sunday Chicken Gyoza Tandoori Chicken Pad Thai Allu Gobi(Potato and Cauliflower Dry Curry) Key Lime Pie with whipped cream

Friday In morning, made beignets and fritatta for my uncle who was visiting. Dinner was crab cake po' boys, rice pilaf, creamed spinach and some sweet carrots and broccoli.

Wednesday Turkey Lasagna Garlic Bread assorted melange of leftover vegetables Thursday Chicken shumai Chicken Vegetable Masala Wrap(in a sundried tomato lavash) Roast chicken cooked in jelly of wine and spice, mixed with onions, mushrooms, cilantro, garlic, spinach, kale, scallions and masala sauce. Then put in lavash wraps and baked with a little olive oil and garlic salt. Cut in half, plated and decorated with broccoli sprouts. Baked beans Strawberry Pie and ice cream

Tuesday Cheese Plate- Reblechon, Petites Basque and another more aged Basque cheese Sauteed Panko Scallops and Turkey Andouille over Arugula with a Shallot and Dijon Mustard Vinagrette Roast Cornish Game Hen Lentil Rice Pilaf Mashed Cauliflower with sour cream, cream cheese and scallions Sugar Snap Peas Shokolade Edelweiss

Friday Distance cooking- I prepped it then phoned it in and ate it when I got home now Jamaican Jerk Shrimp and Scallops Sweet Potato Salad in a Chili Lime Dressing Haricot Verts with butter, lemon and garlic Yellow Rice Key Lime Pie Tasty dinner. Nice pepper, Jason. Pcarpen, will you guys adopt me and feed me?

Thursday Grilled Flank Steak with Southwest Char Crust Steak marinated with vinegar, sugar, soy sauce and shallots for about five hours then drained and covered with the Char Crust. Marinade worked very well. Twice baked Potato Cups with Carmelized Shallots Baked potatoes in skins, then take out of skin, mashed with asiago, milk, little cream cheese, salt, pepper and cayenne, put back in and topped with carmelized shallots. Baked again. Brussels Sprouts in butter Apple Walnut Crisp Thumbs up from the family.

Tuesday Panko Crusted Chicken Cutlets with Shiitake Mushroom Sauce served on Rosemary Foccacia Bread Sauteed Shanghai Bok Choy Roasted Cauliflower Curry Biryani with peas, red peppers and raisins Cherry Almond Strudel

Friday Spring rolls(sauteed Swiss Chard, shallots, dried cranberry and chevre) Garlic Twists Cioppino(with Lobster Tails, Cod, Prawns, Chinese Scallops and clams) Sweet Potato Spoonbread Crispy Farfalle with toasted pine nuts, sundried tomato, garlic and asiago cheese Leftover cake Frozen store bought yogurt Good dinner.

Thursday Stuffed Clams Chicken parmigiana sandwiches on Cuban Bread with fresh basil French Cut green beans with cream of chicken soup sauce Honey Carrots

Ash Wednesday Vietnamese Spring Rolls(Shrimp and Vegetable) Crab Cake Po' Boys served on French Bread or Portugese Sweet Rolls with a mustard, mayo, caper sauce Sauteed Chopped Yu Choy Corn

Fat Tuesday In honor of the day, I relinquished my low carb approach for the moment and partook of it all. Quenelles of Wasabi Mashed Potatoes topped with a dab of wasabi covered with duck broth, a spinach leaf and a Thai basil leaf Grilled Australian Rib Eye that was marinated in wine, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper Brussels Sprouts in a butter sauce A variation of a Mexican Icebox Cake. Layers from bottom up: 1. Chocolate Graham cracker layer 2. a chocolate mousse layer 3. coconut flake 4. Dark cherries in a port glaze 5. More Chocolate mousse 6. Topped with some dark chocolate shavings Encircled by Ladyfingers which have been dipped on one side in the cherry port wine glaze. I let it chill in a springform pan then released it and tied a pink ribbon around it. The glaze had sunk into the bottom of the ladyfingers making for a nice look-about 3/4 ladyfinger and the quarter on the bottom formed like a glaze icing. So tying the ribbon around it made it three color layers around the outside. Came out nicely. Tasted great if not a little sweet for me after not really having had sugar for a while.

The second one

Monday Using leftovers Dinner: Madras Curry Chicken with Thai Basil, Cilantro and Five Color Swiss Chard Made the sauce with Madras Curry powder, duck broth, red wine, butter and a little cayenne pepper Casserole of spinach and baby bellas in a tomato spinach sauce topped with chevre and sundried tomatoes with some walnuts served on the side Leftover couscous, rice and harissa Some Garlic Twists from Trader Joe's

Wish you well with FIL, Robyn My dad has a rare disease that has forced him into a wheelchair too. He has always had a problem with constipation. My mother has congestive heart failure since 1991. I help take care of them. My dad takes Miralax and Dulcolax, Sunsweet prunes(that we order from the company). He is not fluid restricted however and drinks a lot. My mother doesn't restict her fluids but she also doesn't take a lot- 1 coffee, some milk on cereal, maybe some soup and an herb tea. She does however have two cups of Chinese medicinal tea for her congestive heart failure. Within this tea are various herbs such as cornsilk which operates as a diuretic. You might try some Chinese herbs if you have access to a Chinese doctor. Have kept my mother alive all this time when western doctors thought she was a goner. And pursuant to your thought that all people with eldery sick parents should go to medical school, I have been studying Chinese medicine and am a Qi Gong Healer and instructor. There are various herbs he could take that might be helpful. If the problem is a stagnation problem which is likely you may try acupuncture or acupressure. There are various points that you can hit that might help. He might also try some Qi Gong exercise that he can do from his wheelchair. I'm in process of developing a curriculum for the elderly to do some Qi Gong classes for seniors. Within that program I have adaptations for people in wheelchairs or who have limited mobility. These movements are wonderful for the whole body and particularly targeted to the internal organs. They've been used in various forms for hundreds of years in China and are very gentle. Let me know what you think and I can give you further info if you need it.

Haven't posted for several days; too many distractions. Wednesday Tofu with Ginger and Scallion Thursday Turkey Lasagna with a roast pepper tomato sauce Jo Mel's Mashed Cauliflower Pillsbury Grand Biscuits Marlene's Chocolate Babycakes Thanks guys! Tasty dinner! Friday Sauteed Panko Encrusted Chinese Scallops, Turkey Andouille and some crumbled bacon atop Mixed Baby Greens, all drizzled with a champagne vinegar, shallot and dijon mustard dressing(very pretty plated all together) Grilled Moroccan Charmoula Lamb Chops Couscous avec eggplant, onion and peas topped with strips of roasted peppers Roti Prata Blueberry Pie Saturday Roast Duck with orange sauce accompanied by Peking bread a la Peking Duck Baked Squash Fries with Cardomom, Cinnamon and butter Yu Choy and Five Color Swiss Chard sauteed with garlic and chicken stock Caribbean Rice Leftover blueberry pie

You have to try the Dungeness-a good meaty one, umm! China 46 probably has them and they sell some at the Chinese market in River Edge but I haven't bought them there. Chinatown would have some.

I like the Cary Grant pick-one of my personal faves My four- reflecting what, I'm not sure Thomas Jefferson-amazing mind and a heck of a cook(great with ice cream) Abraham Lincoln-bawdy story teller and great party guy Bruce Lee- philosophy and to get everyone going Michael Palin- he would love the others and I would love him. He could tell us stories of his trips What a dinner!

Thursday Roti Prata Tandoori Shrimp White Bean Masala Tofu and Eggplant in a tamarind based sauce

Wednesday Made lunch today, usually don't. Made a version of a Beliashi or Tatar Meat Pie with ground beef, onions, curry and red pepper. Formed the dough into heart shapes in honor of upcoming Valentine's Day. Baked instead of fried. Came out nice and flakey. Dinner Seafood "Long" Dumpling-formed into kind of a rectangle, thus the "long" Velvet Shrimp and Tofu with black mushroom, scallions, fresh bamboo and ginger in a chicken broth and chinese rice wine sauce, surrounded on plate by Shanghai Baby Bok Choy Honey Carrots Leftover Orzo and Asparagus Warm Pear Cake and Walnuts with a Lemon Custard Sauce Burnt myself a real good one on three fingers when I was laying the pear slices down in the hot caramel. Ow! But the lemon custard sauce was really MMMmmm. Good cake with it.

Right looking over the lake in town on the square is Hotel Metrople. Very reasonable when I went several years ago. Brass beds, beautiful views, marble bathrooms. Then it was about 130/night(US). Nice people, good restaurant.

Back in town- Monday Olive Oil and Garlic Ciabatta Stuffed Chicken with basil and cilantro in a vodka sauce Creamed spinach Leftover mashed potatoes Tuesday Cha Gio served with fish sauce, mint and lettuce Orzo and Asparagus with a chicken lemon sauce Whole Fried Red Snapper served topped with Sweet Chili Sauce and Vegetables(Carrots, scallions, mushrooms and pine nuts) Chocolate Chip Cookies

I just lost the whole post that I was writing on Amma. Arrgh! I'm going to throw myself on the sword!