Maison Rustique

Rather like Americans going to Mexico (any part) and being disappointed that the food isn't Tex Mex.

@Kerala, I see nothing terribly unhealthy about it! @weinoo I was hoping you'd ordered a veal chop because my eyes went right to the veal on the menu. I can't remember the last time I saw a menu with veal chops on it!

That would be truly revolutionary!

Now I'm craving a chili dog! I might finally be getting the hang of cooking for one. A loaf pan fits nicely in the toaster oven with supper for tonight and leftovers for another night. Penne with a little creamy white wine tomato cheese sauce topped with paradise locker (local purveyor) bacon, soffrito and more cheese.

@YvetteMT, I'd love to see photos of that wood stove!!

Try white vinegar. If that doesn't work, you may need to bleach it. I find that certain plastics are difficult to completely get mold spores out of. I go through this with my hummingbird feeders.

"It is unclear if the lasagna also contained tiny meatballs." Ummm...OK. If there is one thing I know, it is how to recognize a meatball when I see one.

Homegrown tomato from my sister and local bacon from my friend. I had myself a delicious BLT despite the abundance of Olive Garden carbs in the fridge and all the chicken legs in the freezer.

Good gravy Marie!

I love that!! As someone who has a very limited budget and health issues, I would love to get something like that. Instead of something that I need to find stuff to go with and cook from scratch.

OK, I will embarrass myself and tell you what I did. In another topic I posted about a friend gifting me a huge quantity of chicken drumsticks which I don't like. I portioned them up and stuck them in the freezer to deal with when weather cools down and I'm not in such pain. In the meanwhile, he brought me THREE MORE drumsticks that he had smoked. I tried to eat one of them night before last and I think I got about 4 bites before I tossed it in the trash. I may try making some sort of smoky broth with the other 2. Or not. They might end up being raccoon food. So last night I really wanted something more than tomato and cottage cheese and definitely did not want a chicken leg. I went online and ordered eggplant parmigiana from Olive Garden (just about 5 minutes away) with a bowl of their zuppa toscana and a second carry-out entree of 4 cheese ziti. So, last night I had half the eggplant and half the spaghetti that came with it. I still have half of that, the bowl of soup and the pasta entree. Enough to last me 3-4 more days and including tip, I think it was only around $25. I'm not that wild about Olive Garden, but I felt like I have not been eating enough and I need to do better, so there you have it. Didn't bother with photos--nothing spectacular to see, though I do like their eggplant. I still have a homegrown tomato from my sister and my friend is bringing me some local bacon that he just featured on a TV spot he does. Just keep your fingers crossed that he doesn't bring me more chicken legs!

@Ann_T, your freezer must be ginormous! Another hot weather/bad pain meal for me. Cottage cheese with a healthy glop of tzatziki (a delicious combo and went perfectly with tomato) and my sister and BIL's home grown tomato. Ate some potato chips with, but I was really wishing I had a nice hot, buttered biscuit. (Too hot to even think about turning on the oven.

I hadn't thought of mixing in with some white meat, but am sure I've got a breast or two in the freezer. And, yes, it will end up being very little leg meat, so I think I can make something palatable of it.

@blue_dolphin, they are just drumsticks. Greasy, with veins and tendons. Yick!

My very generous friend presented me yesterday with a family pack (around 15 in the package) of chicken legs. Ugh. I really do not like chicken legs, but I try not to look a gift horse in the mouth. How can I prepare these to trick myself into thinking they are nice white meat chicken?

They look like fun, but if I had them, they'd likely wind up sitting in a cupboard with the other gazillion small gadgets I've bought and never use. Since I'm down-sizing, I've been amazed at some of the stuff I've found stuffed away that I don't even remember buying.

You can order these that are made in KC and stock your freezer. They are quite good.

@Duvel, I would never make all that just for myself! I'm impressed that you did. I'd have been happy to just have the olives, cheese and cocktail. I have never had Raki, but after looking it up to see what it was, I'm dying to try it.

Yes, I have one. Local dairy, but they also have products from local poultry, meat, veggie and other producers. It is pricey but I treat myself about once a month now.

@Ann_T, I followed the directions given here by King Arthur Flour. I've got it in a Mason jar and storing in the pantry.

A friend brought me a little steak pie, veggies and a slice of chocolate cherry pie from a local Irish restaurant. I'll be eating heartily all week!

Took a huge step. I have had Hemingway, my starter from a dear friend who is longer with us, for a few years and have kept it going even though I haven't baked much the past few years with all the turmoil. I have a bit in the fridge on the off chance that the temp drops below 75 any time soon (ha ha) but I have dried much of it for longer term storage. I just don't see me baking much until I am through with house crap. I call it Hemingway because it was the son of my friend's starter that she grew from scratch. She called hers Kevin. Mine is Hemingway because Kevin's son also rises. Sleep well Hemingway! Sorry for huge photo!

My sister and a couple of friends have been on my case about not eating enough. I took the bull by the horns today. Before I left to visit my husband, I went online and ordered a bacon cheeseburger rare to pick up at 3. And since I had paid for it, I knew I would not change my mind because I wasn't hungry. So I came home and of course I wasn't hungry but made myself go get it. I took it all apart so the bun wouldn't get soggy. (I do not like burgers rare but ordered that way so it could stand up to reheating.) I heated half in the air fry of my toaster oven. The burger was OK, the fries were horrible. But my stomach is not happy.

Another extremely hot day and no appetite. Cottage cheese, tomato and sort of crispy pepperoni.

OMG! I hope this heat wave breaks soon. I need those olive crackers!! I take baggies of crackers in the car with me as my lunch on the days I visit my husband. My favorite is the Tamari Brown Rice Crackers, but I am out of those, too. I need to stock up.