Ratatouille tonight - while we have lots and lots of cucumbers, the other vegetables are coming in strong too - so fresh eggplant, peppers, zucchini, yellow squash - and I'll see what else I find to throw in:-). Too bad cucumbers don't taste as good cooked - but I might just try adding one to give it a try.

Roast beef, Yorkshire pudding, mashed potatoes and peas, yummy

so I am making the ugly naked chicken, rice and some corn and I even made a dessert, Bumble Cobbler using up some of the fruit I had in the fridge.. YAY ME!

No idea what I'm making tonight!

Kathryn41, any leftover cucumbers you can't eat....think about taking them to your local... home for unwed mothers, food pantry, or soup kitchen.

You are welcome.



MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM. My favourite. But it wasn't Sunday yesterday! Was that your goodbye dinner?



Or open a stall at the Farmer's Market!

I used to love when my former co-workers would bring in the excess produce from their gardens. (And halloween ) I really miss those guys.

My husband loved the Vietnamese soup. I had been out running around for most of the day and didn't have time to prepare it like I normally would, so I did it in the pressure cooker. Turned out fabulous. So now I'm going to go on a pressure cooking binge.

I have some baby back ribs which have been sitting in a homemade rub for the last 24 hours. I'm going to smoke them with some hickory wood on the bbq, baste them with my homemade bbq sauce, and have potato skins and either a salad or some carrot and celery sticks with blue cheese dressing on the side. I think I'm leaning towards the veg and dip, though.

What is this vietnamese soup you speak of krikit?

So in honor of Canada Day we are having kraft dinner for lunch and I am drinking Canada Dry Gingerale - party animals that we are.

Actually gingerale has become my softdrink of choice now, seeing as I i'm not overly partial to the taste of the coke or pepsi here

not doing anything special because of Canada Day... I told hubby a few days ago that Canada day was coming up and he seemed very disinterested I think he might have even asked what it was ... ok we have been together for 6 years now you would think he would know what Canada day is already

no clue what dinner is going to be tonight, although as I sit here I am leaning towards sgetti... or maybe try a recipe I found for Hungarian goulash...

My last supper in Canada tonight, fly back tomorrow afternoon. Having BBQ steak, and beer! Raise a glass to the Vets and thank them for the freedom.

I'm going to the grocery store in a few and I am looking for something to have a wee celebration -- maybe some steak or sausages and strawberries for dessert

It's beef and broth with oyster sauce and chinese 5 spice and ginger and bamboo shoots and ohsomany yummy things.

oh, the bumble cobbler I made last night was yummy.. I just used apples and nectarines as that is what I had in the fridge.. but you basically can use any kind of fruit, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, pears, peaches etc... but I always like to include apple.. sort of ties it all together...

Bumble Cobbler

Fruit:
7 cups of mixed fruit (apples, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, peaches etc)
3/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup flour
1/3 cup water

combine all ingredients and mix well. Turn into a lightly greased 9 inch square pan.

Topping:
1 3/4 cup flour
2 tablespoons sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup margarine
1 cup milk

Mix first 4 ingredients. Cut in margarine until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Add milk all at once. Stir with fork until all ingredients are moistened. Drop spoonfuls of batter over fruit. bake at about 375 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until top is golden brown. Serve warm.

Looks delicious Marilyn!

That soup does sound good krikit.

So tonight for dinner we are trying something new - Smokey Bones - Mike has just gone to pick it up, I am having pulled pork, chicken, fries and corn. He is having smoked beef brisket, ribs and stuff.

So the person on the phone, when I was ordering, said, do you want some of our doughnuts, made right here, they are hot and we give you two things to dip them in and they are tossed in vanilla sugar.

I mean does that sound good or what.

Simple Hamburger Stronganoff, courtesy of http://allrecipes.com/My/RecipeBox/Default.aspx

INGREDIENTS

• 1 (16 ounce) package egg noodles
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 (.75 ounce) packet dry brown gravy mix
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
• 1 (6 ounce) can chopped mushrooms, with liquid
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 (8 ounce) container sour cream
• 2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream of mushroom soup

DIRECTIONS

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add egg noodles and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
2. In a skillet over medium heat, brown the ground beef until no pink shows; drain.
3. Mix brown gravy, cream cheese and mushrooms with hamburger until cream cheese has given the mixture a whitish look. Add milk, sour cream, and mushroom soup to cooked pasta. Blend hamburger mixture with pasta.

We haven't tried this one before but it looks soooo easy!

Left over ratatouille, sliced ham and sliced cucumbers. Cream Cheese cake bites for dessert:-)

We are having a Fourth of July party- so I didn't do much in terms of celebrating Canada Day. I did wear a Canada T Shirt though.

Tonight we had pita pizza's.

Marilyn...what's that green fruit in your Bumble?

We had vegetable orzo salad and curried chicken salad on chibata for supper last night. I need to look in my freezer to see what I'm going to make today!

I wondered that, too. Until I realized that it must be a kitchen cloth or oven mitt or something.

Well, I have to say that my smoked ribs were a humongous hit. *pats self on back* My husband said that they were the best ribs he had ever had. Mind you, it took me quite a few attempts to get to perfection.... which he said they were. I actually went to the store and bought a chicken, cut it in half, (put one half in the freezer) and smoked that too. It seemed a shame to waste all that lovely hickory smoke on just some ribs. Wow. What a great meal.

I made some spaghetti sauce while I was tending the fire. So tonight's meal will either be caesar salad with baked ravioli and an Italian cheese topping, or spaghetti. I'm thinking baked ravioli.... so far.

Trailmix.... can't wait to hear your verdict on the Smokey Bones. I know what mine is.

Tonight will be Sweedish Meatballs for the last meal before heading out for the long weekend on our trip. Then it'll be restraunt junky food for a few days, yeah...

When my mom came up in May- she bought Mel a new smoker. The one he had was starting to fall apart.

Mel did some smoking for my mom- he did a pork loin, some chicken breasts and sausage. I have to say even though I am usually not a huge fan of pork- smoked pork is my fave. And with some rye bread it makes awesome sandwiches.

I wish I knew how to make smoked meat like they do in Montreal though. Yum!!

That would be awesome. I tried to find a substitute for it when I first moved down here, but I was sorely disappointed. I did find some recipes to make it myself, though. Hmmm. Maybe it's time for some R&D.

I was like what the heck are you talking about then I realized you were referring to the green towel that was under the dish

What is R&D (insert question mark here) my keyboard or something is acting up and I cant enter puncutation - but anyway.

Ok, Smokey bones, I really liked it, the pulled pork was good, I only had 1 bite of the chicken as it was toooo much food. I like their fire roasted corn and the fries were ok, a tad cold as Mike got lost going there as the map directions were wrong.

He liked his ribs - but preferred the smoked brisket.

Maybe you need some of this from Schwartzs http://www.schwartzsdeli.com/index_eng.html:

R&D = Research & Development

It usually takes me a number of times to refine my recipes and process until I obtain the results I am looking for, so I call it R&D.

Your keyboard acting up reminded me of the time at work when the spacebar stopped working on my keyboard at work. SoIemailedthehelpdeskandsentthemalong-windedparagraphtodescribemyproblem. They got the message.

Oh and I take it you don't like Smokey Bones

You know all your talk of Mike's BBQ has made me want Mike's BBQ! Is he in a Mt Dora parking lot, I can't remember, have I already asked you that more than once?

How shall I put this without offending those who like Smokey Bones?

BLECH!!!! SPIT!!! GAH!!

*ahem*

No.... I can't say I really care for them.

Mike's BBQ is on Hwy 441. If you head west on SR 46, turn right at Mt Dora onto 441, past the flea market on the right and go up the hill, you'll see him on the left. Only Thur-Sat from 11:00am-8:00pm. You'll see a trailer and a huge smoker in front of a Haitian church.... that's him. If the trailer and the smoker's not there.... he's gone.

Well food is something I don't take personally....now if I was the chief cook and R&D person at smokey bones....nah

Mount Dora is 40 minutes from Lake Mary, that seems like a long trip - yeah, I know that is irrational

We had turkey meatloaf yesterday. I've not made it before and it was delicious! Herbed mashed potatoes and put back in the over with buttered cornflake crumbs overtop. Served with cooked corn, and some turkey gravy for Gene.

Tonight I suspect will be leftover night! Have to have that once a week!

Oh, that sounds yummy, Carla! Coincidentally, I am making meatloaf today! It's a recipe I've tried before, and we both loved it. Trade?

Turkey Meatloaf

Ingredients:
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup shredded carrots
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1-1/2 cups crushed saltines (about 45 crackers)
3/4 cup ketchup, divided
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
1 egg, lightly beaten
4 teaspoons ground mustard, divided
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon pepper
2-1/2 pounds lean ground turkey
2 tablespoons brown sugar

Directions:

In a large skillet, saute the onion, carrots and celery in oil until tender. In a large bowl, combine the onion mixture, cracker crumbs, 1/2 cup ketchup, parsley, egg, 2 teaspoons mustard, salt, garlic and pepper. Crumble turkey over mixture and mix well.

Shape into a loaf. Place in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dish. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 1 hour.

In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar and remaining ketchup and mustard until smooth. Spoon over meat loaf. Bake 10-20 minutes longer or until meat is no longer pink and a meat thermometer reads 160°; drain. Let stand for 10 minutes before slicing. Yield: 8 servings.


** I didn't make the sauce for on top. We had mashed potatoes and Gene likes gravy on those, so I just used a roasted turkey gravy from a jar I bought. I just baked my meatloaf uncovered for an hour. The meat wasn't pink. Let is stand though, or it crumbles when you cut it.

we had my own version of El Polo Loco chicken.. I marinated the chicken in a citrus marinade and then I would have grilled it but our BBQ is still out of gas so I just baked it in the oven... then I a stir fried the leftover rice and sgetti noodles I had and served that on the side and for dessert I made one of my hubby's favourites.. Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars...

tonight I am leaning towards pizza... made ham and pineapple.... oh darn I just remembered I don't have cheese...

Thanks Carla. That sounds good.


Low Carb Beefed-Up Meatloaf

2 lbs ground chuck or mix of ground chuck and ground pork
2 eggs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1/4 cup diced red onion
1/4 cup diced red peppers
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 cloves minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 pound prosciutto, or any type ham, thinly sliced
1/4 pound provolone cheese, sliced

Tomato Topping:

Leftover spaghetti sauce or....
1 8 oz can tomato sauce
1 6 oz can tomato paste
1/4 cup sugar or Splenda
2 teaspoons white vinegar or water

Preheat oven to 350.

In a small bowl, mix together the tomato topping ingredients; add few drops of water to thin to ketchup consistency. (I just use my leftover spaghetti sauce.) Set aside.

In a large bowl, mix together the beef, eggs, Parmesan, vegetables, herbs, and seasonings.

Working on a waxed paper lined sheet pan or counter, form meatloaf mix into a 10x8 inch flat rectangle. Place a layer of prosciutto or ham slices on top, followed by a layer of provolone slices. Roll up the stuffed meatloaf mix like a burrito and seal the edges all around by pinching the meat.

Place the roll, seam side down, into a 5x9 inch loaf pan. Spread a heavy coat of the tomato topping to completely cover the top of the meatloaf. Place in oven and bake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until the temperature on a meat thermometer registers 165f. (I just look to see if the meat has shrunk from the sides of the pan.) Drain fat and let rest at least 10 minutes before slicing.

No clue what's for dinner tonight...something easy though since we won't be here for supper tomorrow night. The less cooking done the better. I'm making a Spinach Quiche for lunch today...low calorie and if you like spinach, it's quite tasty!

1 box chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 16 oz carton cottage cheese
2 eggs
Parmesan cheese
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 9 in pie crust
Butter or Margarine

Combine spinach, eggs, and cottage cheese...mix well. Pour into pie crust and generously top with parmesan and dot with butter. Place in preheated 375 oven for 45 minutes or until golden brown on top. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving.

That sounds good, Karen. I'm going to give that a try.

We are out of food basically, don't even own any potatoes at this point.....so really have to go to the store

Can you ever really "own" a potato?

I'll be dining on Burger King fair this evening ON MY WAY TO CANADA!!!!!

Oh, that's just mean.

tee hee..

I'm not getting ANYTHING done at work today this is so much funner

I believe that everyone should start their hols during their last day at work. I think it's a given in the terms of employment.

Is this a philosophical question

making hamburgers and french fries tonight, i know the kids will say poutines mommy. I guess i should search the cupboards and see if i have any poutine gravy left.

we ended up having chili dogs tonight that hubby made... I was planning on making ham and pineapple pizza but maybe we will have that tomorrow..

We ended up going out for dinner to the International Buffet - ate way too much again!

Last night had barbeque spare ribs, corn on the cob and the never-ending cucumber and tomato salad. The zucchinis are producing monsters now and the cucumbers are tiering up in three layers one on top of each other. I think this cucumber plant has aspirations of world conquest and may succeed if the watermelon doesn't beat it to it.

mmmm, cucumber salad.. can you huck some cucumbers my way??

hehehehe THAT I can do! (If the vine doesn't beat me to it and grows that far first!!)

We had fish and chips yesterday from Long John Silver - funny name, but anyhoo - it was ok, didn't taste bad. So that was our lunch/dinner.

We went to Walmart for groceries, my first 'real' grocery shop at el Walmart. It was ok, pretty busy, prices seem quite good compared to Albertsons. But they didn't play Jann or Gordon Lightfoot like they do at Albertsons

Plus, it's way too warm in Walmart, as long as you are at the back of the store it's ok, as you move toward the front it gets too warm - but I guess their profits aren't high enough to warrant turning up the aircon.

we have been really bad with eating out this weekend.... only meals we have eaten at home are chilli dogs and pizza...

mmm for lunch today we had Mexican from the place down the street... I got a carniaas (pork) torta... basically a Mexican sandwich... it had the pork, tomato, lettuce and avocado and this Mexican bread stuff.. mmm was it good...

it kind of looks like this...

Yum, that looks good!

For us more stir-fry trying to use up vegetables, along with more cucumber and tomato salads - with feta cheese tonight.

tomorrow I get to use the ZUCCCHINI that time forgot! Actually, it is one I missed yesterday and today has turned into MONSTER ZUCCHINI! It is 18 inches long and 13 1/2 inches in diameter! I am going to make stuffed zucchini, bwahahahah!

Ohhh...I was sooo bad. I made lasagna for dinner. Wait. Let me clarify, I cooked lasagna for dinner. LOL. I sure didn't make it. By the time we got home it was too late to cook from scratch, so I cheated.

Now I feel like a big bloated cow. Carbs. Uggh. So good for sooo long and blew I it tonight. Oh well tomorrow is another day. (Guess a peanut butter cup won't hurt will it?) Heehee


Tomorrow, Lemon pepper tilapia and steamed veggies...