Dinner 2017 (Part 6)

**Shelby** · July 3, 2017

I needed chicken done in the CSO last night. One of our favorite meals.

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kayb · July 3, 2017

I love chicken like that, too, @Shelby. Looks great.

**TdeV** · July 3, 2017

@Shelby, looks yummy. What is a CSO?

**Shelby** · July 3, 2017

8 minutes ago, TdeV said:

@Shelby, looks yummy. What is a CSO?

I'm sorry. I should have spelled it. It's my Cuisinart Steam Convection Oven. I love that thing to pieces. Dunno what I would do without it.

Anna N · July 3, 2017

@Shelby

Are those pickled zucchini?

**Shelby** · July 3, 2017

3 minutes ago, Anna N said:

@Shelby

Are those pickled zucchini?

Kind of.

I use my mandolin to make super thin slices and then I sprinkle each slice with salt and fresh lemon juice. Let it marinate at least 4 hours. Very fresh tasting. We love them. If I'm really going all out I roll them up like I did above and drizzle them with a little smoked olive oil and finish with some parsley or basil sprinkled on top. I was too lazy yesterday to do that lol..

sartoric · July 3, 2017

Cauliflower with mustard, snow peas poriyal, potatoes and spinach, urad dal with tomato, rice, paratha.

To go with; garlic chutney, lime pickle, mango chutney. The garlic chutney is the easiest thing to make and will become a regular I suspect. The dal was delicious, skinned black gram flavoured with fennel seeds.

That was dinner on Sunday night which apparently I wrote about but didn't post.

Last night we had a very simple meal while settling in a new four legged house guest. This is tandoori chicken rice using the breast of Saturdays roast, a few peanuts, onion slices, spices and lemon juice. Hit the spot !

Captain · July 3, 2017

Goulash which I thickened up to plate instead of a bowl. Served on Cauliflower puree.

robirdstx · July 3, 2017

Crispy Pork Carnitas on Corn Tortillas topped with Chopped Onion, Salsa Verde and Cilantro and served with Spicy Black Beans

Norm Matthews · July 4, 2017

I was in the mood for a Cobb style Salad but left out the avocado because my son has developed a great distaste for anything with it and I grilled chicken thighs instead of white meat.

**Shelby** · July 4, 2017

1 hour ago, Norm Matthews said:

I was in the mood for a Cobb style Salad but left out the avocado because my son has developed a great distaste for anything with it and I grilled chicken thighs instead of white meat.

Love the blueberries in there!

Mmmpomps · July 4, 2017

Instant Pot pulled pork, 1/2 can of beer, big splash of liquid smoke and salt, yummy coleslaw: The man's on bread and mine on romain leaves. I'm doing lazy keto:

JoNorvelleWalker · July 4, 2017

Dinner did not go at all as planned. My intended chicken thigh did not materialize. Yet I did not go hungry: mashed potato, peas, and chicken breast. M.R. more than made up for it.

I am not a militarist but I am somewhat of a history buff and I acknowledge Rochambeau and his Expedition Particuliere marched past my apartment complex.

**Shelby** · July 4, 2017

Hot dogs!! In honor of Nathan's Hot Dog eating contest today

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Edited July 4, 2017 by Shelby (log)

lindag · July 4, 2017

14 hours ago, Norm Matthews said:

I was in the mood for a Cobb style Salad but left out the avocado because my son has developed a great distaste for anything with it and I grilled chicken thighs instead of white meat.

Wow, that's really gorgeous!

Norm Matthews · July 4, 2017

Thank you @lindag and @Shelby

Edited July 4, 2017 by Norm Matthews (log)

TicTac · July 4, 2017

Shelby - are those cheese slices my eyes spy adorning your dog!?

Never tried nor heard of that combo! Though I have heard of chilli cheese dogs, so it makes sense...

**Shelby** · July 4, 2017

2 minutes ago, TicTac said:

Shelby - are those cheese slices my eyes spy adorning your dog!?

Never tried nor heard of that combo! Though I have heard of chilli cheese dogs, so it makes sense...

Yes We like cheese on our dogs. And, that is a little cup of venison chili on the side there--I didn't want my whole dog in chili so I just dunked when I felt like it...I also dunked my fries in there.

chileheadmike · July 4, 2017

Hardwood roasted pork loin with chimichuri. Served with German potato salad and barbecued beans.

FauxPas · July 5, 2017

3 hours ago, Shelby said:

Yes We like cheese on our dogs. And, that is a little cup of venison chili on the side there--I didn't want my whole dog in chili so I just dunked when I felt like it...I also dunked my fries in there.

I love cheese on my dogs! And I would have topped it with some of your pickled jalapenos too!

(Or have you finished those off?)

Thanks for the Crepes · July 5, 2017

I was wondering on Yelp between these three options: Train Station, Esmeralda Grill, and Himalayan Nepali Cuisine. They're all in walking distance, and it's the Fourth of July, and I was completely sick of being alone. Just before I'd made my decision on the restaurant, my evil brother calls. He hates me because I donated some furniture to his wife in 1999 when his kids were sleeping on the floor and did not have a dresser for their clothes. I am the enemy now, because I helped her a little bit when she was already completely bent on leaving him. She donated the furniture I gave her to her church when she took off for New Hampshire, which surprised all of us, but my brother cannot get over this. He has to keep hurting me for giving her this furniture. His children were sleeping on the floor!

So bro calls me at six PM. He came last week and took my husband's truck which has been sitting in my driveway since November 14, 2016, without telling me. This is the disrespect I am shown. I am just a free storage for this uninsured and uninsurable vehicle. It was purchased with a broken seatbelt, which means it will never pass NC inspection. My husband and brother go through the good ole boy network and get 'er done anyways. I don't know how to do that. So that truck sat out there for eight? months, before it disappeared one day. I called my husband, and he pretended to not know what was going on. I wanted to call the police, and he discouraged it. Of course, he let my brother take the truck. He is an in consummate liar. Always has been from the beginning in 1999. He lied about everything, and I do mean everything.

But you know what? We had a great Fourth anyway. My evil brother (who has denied me rides for many months to the nursing home in Raleigh, which is well out of my walking range) actually came and brought me to his house where he lives with a homeowner, who somehow puts up with him. It must be hard. We heard a story of bro putting a not quite out ciggie into the plastic trash can and having it burn up the side of the house, the door frame, having to call the fire department. Some people are much more charming than others. You or I would be out on our asses, but you do not know my evil bro.

The brother brought three people from the Pruitt Health nursing home to where he lives not too far from me. Two were in wheel

chairs, my husband and a ninety year old lady called Net. She was lovely, but quite deaf. You had to get right in her face to speak to her, but she was very, very nice and appreciative of the opportunity to get out of the nursing home she had been given. The other one was, of course, my husband, and he seems to have some nerve pain at times from his stroke, and that is sad for me. The third guest from Pruitt was called John. He was the only one not in a wheelchair. He had a walker, but claimed he did not need it at all and went on and on about his escapades in Memphis, TN in the early 70's when he went to college there and went down on Beale Street and the Orpheum Theater, like I did a few years later. He had an analog Nikon camera and a long lens. Everyone was taking photos.

My bro had a cd player set up on the deck, and when REO Speedwagon "Keep on Lovin' You" came on, I danced beside my husband's wheelchair and we sang it together. We used to rock karaoke together when we were younger and dance up a storm.

He seemed quite cogent and said he still loved me. This was the first time I've seen him in months, and I'm still wiping tears back at home now. Many pics were taken of this.

I have to say something about the sweet old dogs that were there before we get to the food that I know we are all anticipating. Bro has a 12 yo part lab with hip dysplasia and continence trouble, and his gracious and tolerant landlord has a less age-impacted 12 yo hound of beautiful white and brown with a little few black scattered spots. Both of these old dogs are sweethearts and taken often to the Pruitt Home. Everyone loves them.

Finally, on to food. Well it pretty much sucked. I was given 10 minutes notice to get ready, and took twice that, but no time to do anything myself about food or drink. There were frozen already cooked shrimp and bottled cocktail sauce. That was the best offering of the night, so we know we're going downhill from there. There was fresh pineapple on the app plate as well, but it had not been cut that day or even close. A couple strawberries, meh. I gave whatever horrible cheese was on the two crackers to each of the dogs. They appreciated them. Hoo boy, I did not.

So moving on to dinner in the dining room. Most of the guests from the nursing home wanted to eat outdoors on the deck, because they are cooped up in what one called "The Gulag". Net, the lady in the wheelchair, was marveling over seeing the moon before sunset and although, her hearing aid usually doesn't help much, she did hear a melodious bird song in the beautiful backyard we were sitting in and remarked on it. These nursing home folks don't get out much, and actually neither do I. The evil brother did manage to do a good thing. The landlord wanted to eat inside, though, so that is what happened.

The main meal was brats and sweet Italian sausage in cold buns that were supposed to be served with fried peppers and onions. I asked, when I was directed to serve plates where were the peppers and onions? Under the brats, says bro. Almost no one ate these. They were cold and terrible. No one ate very much, but they were polite and complimented the food. I'm not that polite, although I did say the potato salad was the best thing on the plate, because it was. There was a little bit of edible, good really, potato salad and some canned beans that weren't too bad. There was also a cucumber, onion, and bell pepper salad that there should have been nothing wrong with. Leave it to evil bro. Way, way, way too much dill. The dogs were very happy this evening.

Actually, so was I. It isn't always about the food. Tonight it was about seeing my husband for the first time in months. Tonight it was about singing "Keep On Loving You" with someone I had not seen in person for months.