2021 What's for dinner tonight?

[wvugurl26]

Tuesday night the chicken didn't thaw in time. And I was burnt out. DH picked up subs from a local pizza place.

Wednesday at lunch time I sliced the two chicken breasts in half, seasoned with Penzey's BBQ seasoning and some BBQ sauce and baked them. I used one in a copycat of Panera's BBQ chicken salad. It was delicious.

Wednesday night dinner was 2 of the chicken breasts, the rest of the corn and the other half of the package of green beans from Monday night.

Thursday night I'm making a taco skillet.

swirlsofflavor.com/one-pot-taco-beef-and-rice/

[countrygirl2]

I'm using things in the fridge up. Had ground round thawed for a day or two so made hubs chili.

A baked chicken was in there from a couple days ago so needed used, I poured canned mushroom soup over it for me. Hope it's not too old. It's just so so

Have some angel hair pasta with herbs and sauce I will whip up for DD. That will use up some stuff. Threw away some leftover fried potatoes. I made some mac and cheese but the cheese tasted soured so I pitched it. Wasn't a lot, thankfully, but I'm keeping items stored too long. Hubs would have probably eaten it, he has a cast iron stomach, but was afraid it could make DD sick.

I'm thinking of trying cottage pie or shepherd's pie, never made it before, but it sounds kind of good.
It's ground beef with some veggies, then topped with mashed potatoes, so sounds like of good to me.

I'm struggling with cooking for some time now. I'm tired of it but eating out has become so expensive we are reducing the number of times we do so.  

I really can see that inflation could have a big effect on this election cycle and that really worries me. Repubs are not going to make it better, but people get ideas.

[Iggy aka IG]

Oct 24, 2022 14:40:20 GMT -5 Iggy aka IG said:

[snip]

This week:

Tonight:  One sheet pan sausage and home-grown veggies
Tues:  Ground beef enchiladas w/ veggies
Wed:  Air fried chicken legs w/ veggies
Thurs:  Out w/ friends
Fri:  Caulipower pizza
Sat:  Finger food
Sun:  Smoked pork tenderloin w/ veggies

The ground beef wasn't thawed for Tuesday's enchiladas, so we grazed on leftovers Tuesday night.  DH cooked up the beef last night and made burritos for him and I put some on top of some Hatch chili chips and made a plate of nachos for me.  I'll make the chicken legs another time.

Happy weekend, everyone.

[CCL]

Oct 27, 2022 13:52:46 GMT -5 countrygirl2 said:

I'm using things in the fridge up. Had ground round thawed for a day or two so made hubs chili.

A baked chicken was in there from a couple days ago so needed used, I poured canned mushroom soup over it for me. Hope it's not too old. It's just so so

Have some angel hair pasta with herbs and sauce I will whip up for DD. That will use up some stuff. Threw away some leftover fried potatoes. I made some mac and cheese but the cheese tasted soured so I pitched it. Wasn't a lot, thankfully, but I'm keeping items stored too long. Hubs would have probably eaten it, he has a cast iron stomach, but was afraid it could make DD sick.

I'm thinking of trying cottage pie or shepherd's pie, never made it before, but it sounds kind of good.
It's ground beef with some veggies, then topped with mashed potatoes, so sounds like of good to me.

I'm struggling with cooking for some time now. I'm tired of it but eating out has become so expensive we are reducing the number of times we do so.  

I really can see that inflation could have a big effect on this election cycle and that really worries me. Repubs are not going to make it better, but people get ideas.

Pat do you ever use a Crockpot? That would be an easy way to cook up some hearty meals with very little effort.

[Iggy aka IG]

Oct 27, 2022 17:04:00 GMT -5 CCL said:

Oct 27, 2022 13:52:46 GMT -5 countrygirl2 said:

I'm using things in the fridge up. Had ground round thawed for a day or two so made hubs chili.

A baked chicken was in there from a couple days ago so needed used, I poured canned mushroom soup over it for me. Hope it's not too old. It's just so so

Have some angel hair pasta with herbs and sauce I will whip up for DD. That will use up some stuff. Threw away some leftover fried potatoes. I made some mac and cheese but the cheese tasted soured so I pitched it. Wasn't a lot, thankfully, but I'm keeping items stored too long. Hubs would have probably eaten it, he has a cast iron stomach, but was afraid it could make DD sick.

I'm thinking of trying cottage pie or shepherd's pie, never made it before, but it sounds kind of good.
It's ground beef with some veggies, then topped with mashed potatoes, so sounds like of good to me.

I'm struggling with cooking for some time now. I'm tired of it but eating out has become so expensive we are reducing the number of times we do so.  

I really can see that inflation could have a big effect on this election cycle and that really worries me. Repubs are not going to make it better, but people get ideas.

Pat do you ever use a Crockpot? That would be an easy way to cook up some hearty meals with very little effort.

 Also, not sure about the weather in your area, but now that it is cooling off outside, one sheet pan meals in the oven are easy and a way to warm up the house.

[daisylu]

Oct 27, 2022 17:20:46 GMT -5 Iggy aka IG said:

Oct 27, 2022 17:04:00 GMT -5 CCL said:

Pat do you ever use a Crockpot? That would be an easy way to cook up some hearty meals with very little effort.

 Also, not sure about the weather in your area, but now that it is cooling off outside, one sheet pan meals in the oven are easy and a way to warm up the house.

I think her bigger issue is that everyone in her house has different eating habits, and she tried to accommodate them all.

[CCL]

I was thinking with a Crockpot meal everyone doesn't need to eat at the same time so meals could be spread out. Hubby and I don't always want the same things. If I cook a roast, I might have a small piece of meat and carrots. He has more meat, potatoes and onions. Easier than cooking on the stove.

The sheet pan dinners might also be a good way to cook a variety of foods at once.

[countrygirl2]

I have a Ninja cooker and I use it a lot. Helps me get things that need cooked longer like ribs or roast done more quickly and I can just finish out in the oven.

No, I'm just tired of cooking, it hits me ever once in a while, but I usually get over it pretty quickly. This time it's not, hope I do soon.

Hubs liked the chili, ate the whole skillet of it and DD loved the pasta. I nibbled on the chicken, apples, a bit of chili, some chips, a small piece of ham. I'm happy with just grazing a lot of the time. Right now cooking in the Ninja steel cut oats for a few mornings.

[Iggy aka IG]

Oct 27, 2022 21:09:30 GMT -5 countrygirl2 said:

I have a Ninja cooker and I use it a lot. Helps me get things that need cooked longer like ribs or roast done more quickly and I can just finish out in the oven.

No, I'm just tired of cooking, it hits me ever once in a while, but I usually get over it pretty quickly. This time it's not, hope I do soon.

Hubs liked the chili, ate the whole skillet of it and DD loved the pasta. I nibbled on the chicken, apples, a bit of chili, some chips, a small piece of ham. I'm happy with just grazing a lot of the time. Right now cooking in the Ninja steel cut oats for a few mornings.

countrygirl2 I get that way sometimes, too.  And as posted a few pages back, I also get tired of the subsequent dirty dishes, pots, pans, etc.  Glad you like your Ninja.  I received one last Christmas and love its versatility.  

[chiver78]

Oct 28, 2022 12:13:35 GMT -5 Iggy aka IG said:

Oct 27, 2022 21:09:30 GMT -5 countrygirl2 said:

I have a Ninja cooker and I use it a lot. Helps me get things that need cooked longer like ribs or roast done more quickly and I can just finish out in the oven.

No, I'm just tired of cooking, it hits me ever once in a while, but I usually get over it pretty quickly. This time it's not, hope I do soon.

Hubs liked the chili, ate the whole skillet of it and DD loved the pasta. I nibbled on the chicken, apples, a bit of chili, some chips, a small piece of ham. I'm happy with just grazing a lot of the time. Right now cooking in the Ninja steel cut oats for a few mornings.

countrygirl2 I get that way sometimes, too.  And as posted a few pages back, I also get tired of the subsequent dirty dishes, pots, pans, etc.  Glad you like your Ninja.  I received one last Christmas and love its versatility.  

all of that, too. between cooking for myself and an entirely different stash for the pups, my dishwasher is running all the damn time.     that's a lot to do with why I started batch cooking for myself on Sundays. 

one thing I love, more so in the winter but still good anytime, is sheet pan dinners. I think someone else mentioned that already, too. line the pan with foil for easy cleanup. I'll roast diced potatoes and various veggies on the same sheet pan, 400 degrees and I'll just add things as needed for appropriate cook times (ex: 30min for potatoes vs 10-15 for broccoli). proteins get roasted on another sheet pan or glass dish. 

[chiver78]

well, my plan for the week went out the window when I started feeling like garbage earlier. once the super nasty sore throat kicked in, all bets were off. I still roasted the turkey tenderloins, a couple days later. it was seasoned with just rosemary, no garlic, as I wasn't sure how much I'd actually eat vs the pups. that was smart, they ate most of it. 

my meals this week have been what you'd give a kid after a tonsillectomy, b/c one tonsil was just that pissed off. like I said, it's been fun.      mashed potatoes, scrambled eggs, canned noodle soup, and last night I remembered there was a half pint of gelato in my freezer. best meal all week! 

if I feel up to running out for some milk, tonight I might get fancy and make some Kraft dinner. if not, another can of soup will be fine. 

[Iggy aka IG]

Oct 28, 2022 12:49:31 GMT -5 chiver78 said:

Oct 28, 2022 12:13:35 GMT -5 Iggy aka IG said:

countrygirl2 I get that way sometimes, too.  And as posted a few pages back, I also get tired of the subsequent dirty dishes, pots, pans, etc.  Glad you like your Ninja.  I received one last Christmas and love its versatility.  

all of that, too. between cooking for myself and an entirely different stash for the pups, my dishwasher is running all the damn time.     that's a lot to do with why I started batch cooking for myself on Sundays. 

one thing I love, more so in the winter but still good anytime, is sheet pan dinners. I think someone else mentioned that already, too. line the pan with foil for easy cleanup. I'll roast diced potatoes and various veggies on the same sheet pan, 400 degrees and I'll just add things as needed for appropriate cook times (ex: 30min for potatoes vs 10-15 for broccoli). proteins get roasted on another sheet pan or glass dish. 

Agreed.  Last month a neighbor gave us homegrown beets and carrots.  I very rarely work with beets but found this tasty gem Honey Roasted Beets & Carrots which I served with slow cooker locally raised ham and pinto beans from a few counties away.  The neighbor who grew the beets and carrots was so impressed with my social media post she prepared theirs the same way.  Since the cold weather hit, I made sheet pan salmon and asparagus, and have many other one sheet pan suppers planned.

[Iggy aka IG]

Happy Halloween, everyone!  Had a blast last night with neighborhood trick o' treaters a day early because tonight is a school night.  My house is the final stop each year and I provide food and drinks for everyone.  This year featured crescent wrapped little smokies mummies and cheesy pizza mummies, cream cheese and caramel dip with apple slices, banana ghosts, a 7-layer taco dip, various chips, two types of olives, and a cream cheese sour cream-based dip for raw veggies.  The kiddos devoured the fruit, and I served them OJ, 7-up and grenadine mocktails.  For adults I made vodka ginger beer mules for two of the moms and a cocktail shaker of butterscotch Irish cream shots which everyone found quite tasty.   

This week, barring any unforeseen changes:

Tonight:  Leftover pork tenderloin, the roasted beets and carrots recipe above, and leftover dip.
Taco Tues:  Cod tacos, veggies
Wed:  Air fryer chicken legs, veggies
Thurs:  One sheet pan beef and broccoli
Fri:  Takeout from?
Sat:  One pot cheesy taco skillet
Sun:  Grill/smoke something, veggies

[chiver78]

quiet week this week, still. minimal appetite/sore throat here, so I'm still eating like a sick little kid.

on Saturday, I picked up a package of chicken breast tenderloins to use over the week, except the use by date was today. yesterday, I cooked almost the whole package, unseasoned for the pups. I seasoned a few for myself at the end. I also picked up takeout Chinese yesterday, with leftovers for days, likely a bunch of lunches.

Mon - leftover pork fried rice w/bean sprouts, broiled asparagus
Tues - leftover chicken tender w/mashed and gravy, roasted broccoli
Wed - roasted broccoli and garlic bok choy over rice noodles
Thurs - ??   I haven't thought that far ahead yet... 
Fri - ?? 

[wvugurl26]

Monday night I made unstuffed bell peppers. Another good dish for leftovers to take to work for my lunch on Tuesday.

Tuesday night something out. Going into the office just drains me.

That's as far as I've got.

[countrygirl2]

Nothing tastes right or good to me. I made the ham salad, not the best ham for that. The really good ones are Smithfield and sometimes Fitch. But this one was a bit too salty and no matter what I seasoned it with, just blah to me.

So we had it, leftover potato salad, and cole slaw. I told hubs one more meal out of it and its getting pitches. He and DD thought it was ok.

I'm thinking bean soup the next night with the ham bone and corn bread.

[Opti]

Made the on sale Daiya deluxe mac and cheese. Was tired enough from the day and walking to the local grocery store I didn't even add some peas and onions. I ate more than I should have given the salt content but had some salad and making something else with more potassium than sodium.

[chiver78]

I nuked those leftovers for breakfast today around 11. I'm good at eating anything at any meal haha.

dinner was a HS throwback - I topped linguine with some shredded mozzarella, and nuked some jarred sauce. I learned a couple things - my salt threshold is a lot lower than it was pre-COVID when I was eating our somewhat regularly. and, I need to rebuild my freezer stash of stuff, bc jarred sauce is just not good.

[wvugurl26]

Wednesday night DH cooked. He grilled hot dogs and sautéed zucchini. We got a random streak of 70+ days in November so I'll take it.

[chiver78]

I'm apparently emptying my freezer again this week. 🤬 so glad I haven't actually stocked up on stuff yet.

tonight I boiled off a full bag of frozen spinach ravioli, and tossed it with the open jar of marinara sauce. leftovers are plentiful to pick from the rest of the week.

there's probably two lunches left from the Chinese takeout leftovers, and then I'll be hard core freezer diving again til I get this thing looked at.

[wvugurl26]

Pork carnitas is in the crock pot for dinner. I have 2 beef roasts left to work through from the older stuff. I'll use those once the temperature goes back down.

ETA: www.recipetineats.com/pork-carnitas-mexican-slow-cooker-pulled-pork/

It's been a minute since I made this. It was delicious.

[chiver78]

yum, wvu! I love that blog. I actually pre-ordered her book the other day, it's getting released in the US in Feb. 

dinner tonight is likely to be clearing the last leftovers out of the fridge. whatever, it's free.     

I need to cook a package of ground beef for the pups that's dated yesterday or today. as I still have shredded chicken from Wednesday, the ground beef/kale will go straight into the freezer. 

[wvugurl26]

Friday night grilled NY strip steaks and sweet potatoes. I tried a package of sweet potatoes that you cook in the microwave. I had to put them back in for a few minutes but not bad

[daisylu]

Venison roast in the crockpot, will be pulled for sandwiches. DH brought buns home from the gas station. Deer came from the freezer. Need to get at least 1 freezer empty this winter.

[chiver78]

I think tonight I'll finally cook the bok choy and rice noodles. there's also some broccoli crowns in the fridge that need using up. I can roast that and toss it in at the last second. 

[Artemis Windsong]

Pasta y fagioli, homemade.  Potato Salad.  A warm  bun with butter for dessert!

[chiver78]

I need to IP some chicken breast that has a sell by date of tomorrow. there's 5 huge ones in the package, I'm going to save one for myself and slice into cutlets. I haven't decided on just basic sauteeing or breading and frying, but I'll pair it with roasted broccoli and acorn squash that also need to be cooked. 

ETA: I ended up slicing the sauteed BSCB and cooking up a pan of chicken broccoli rice for the week. this works.  

[Artemis Windsong]

I froze two containers of pasta y fagioli for next week.  Thawing ground meat for maybe porcupine meatballs.  H. cooked the ground meat the last time I planned the meatballs.  The cooked ground used for nachos and burritos last a lot me meals than the meat balls.

Left over pizza for me.  Pasta y fagioli for H.

I also get tired of shopping for meals then cooking and dishes.  No dishwasher in the snowbird house.  I decided to keep dishes washed more frequently.

This week I have two appetizer gatherings so I get a break there. 

I get a break on cooking when we go to other resorts for tennis tournaments where food is offered.  So far I have been a little better about not overeating.  It's easy to graze the mini muffins, snack bread, cookies and brownies.  The main meal was sloppy joes and cole slaw. 

The one thing I overstepped by moving the muffins and snack bread back to the shade. Later they moved them back to the sun.  The coleslaw was in the sun when I first served myself but it was still very cold.  I don't know how the people coming behind me found the slaw.  I don't think the dressing was mayo.

Last year I was getting ready to take snack bread/muffins home.  A fellow player said you don't want those because they were in the sun.  I took his word for it.  

[busymom]

Since it's nasty-cold out, I made chicken & wild rice soup for dinner, and biscuits.  Comfort food is a necessity when the thermometer drops.

[Iggy aka IG]

What a quick weekend.....  This week:

DH smoked ribs for 6+ hours yesterday and finished them with a homemade BBQ sauce.  I air fried bacon wrapped little smokies and we had them as a side along with iceberg salads.

Tonight:  There is a beef roast in the slow cooker, and we'll have some with horseradish crema, air fried portobello mushrooms and an additional veggie.
Tues:  I'll add some spices to the aforementioned beef to turn them into beef taco salads
Wed:  One pot cheesy taco skillet topped with guac
Thurs:  Caulipower crust pizza topped with leftover taco skillet, air fried breaded shrimp
Fri:  Takeout from?
Sat:  Low carb Mexican skillet
Sun:  Grill/smoke something.  Perhaps Cornish game hen?