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Old Pa

High Rollers
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Everything posted by Old Pa

  1. What I am loving of, Peter, is fucking peace and quiet.
  2. Round #1 on the current snow event was the ten to twelve inches of powder that greeted us yesterday morning after snarling up the Holiday Exodus from town last night. But it snowblew well and only began to introduce the snow storage space problems by sheer volume. The plows did not get around until after noon, and our hill was proof to cars and two-wheel-drive trucks until then. Plenty of 4x4s to churn the snow so that the plow tailings in the drive mouth were heavy and hell if you let them freeze. I was out three times on my own surfaces and trying to help out neighbors with issues. Round #2 started last night when the temp got up to 33F and the snow started again. This morning dawned on five inches of "heart attack" snow with snow/sleet/freezing rain still coming. Snowblowing was essentially pumping, but I got the bulk of the overnight off before the wet precip could settle it more and the plows could get around. Glad I got the 8hp Toro with the overhead valve engine ten years ago. And I had to dig out a base for my extension ladder (and dig the ladder out of my shed) to brush off the DirecTV dish to regain reception for SWMBO. Now I'm watching the poor SOB across the road who did no snow removal yesterday and gets to do it all at once this morning with a runty snowblower. But he's a young guy and this experience should move him up the learning curve.
  3. At least you saved the best for last. Wonder what it would have been like the other way around? I, on the other hand, tried to talk SWMBO into specifying a timeframe and location for a warm vacation this winter but no no avail. She would rather wait until everybody's booked up.
  4. Just got done communing with the big snowblower in the drive. Yesterday was spent fruitfully swapping winter wheels and tires onto both vehicles and getting gas for both snowblowers. It's been snowing since yesterday morning, but the real factor is the wind - 20-30MPH out of the north/northwest. Brutal. I was sweating and freezing at the same time. Had three foot drifts in part of the drive and bare pavement elesewhere. Oh, joy; the plow just filled the drive's mouth.
  5. Yesterday project was the annual "turkey leave overs disposal big pot" (a/k/a stopping myself from munching on the leftover turkey) and this year's is white turkey chili. After rinsing, picking and soaking a pound of great northern benas and half a pound of garbonzoes overnight, they were cooked at simmer until al dente and then drained in a collander. Mixed up an appropriate batch of Emeril's Southwestern Essence sans salt and pepper, which I tend to add individually at different cooking stages. The SW Essence was spiked with dry chipotle, dried habernero, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg. Two big sweet yellow onions got sauteed with two seeded jallapenoes and one hot red pepper in my deep 5 qt sautee pan untile soft and then added minced garlic for a couple of minutes before introducing 3.75# of fresh ground turkey and the SW Essence with a good shot of worchestershire sauce and stirring until just browned beofre adding the 2# of chunk leftover white and dark meat turkey. You don't need to deglaze a nonstick skillet, but I did anyway with several ounces of vintage balsamic vinegar before transferring all to my twelve quart stock pot. Added three quarts of organic chicken stock, seven cans of Ro-Tel minced tomatoes and peppers undrained, two small cans of minced green peppers undrained, and a cup of fresh chopped cilantro stems to get about the right ratio and texture. Brought to a boil and simmered for half and hour before adding the cooked beans and garbonzoes and half a cup of fresh chopped cilantro leaf. After fifteen minutes, added a pint of heavy cream and it was pretty much ready to serve and garnish. The served plate: Garnish is a dollop of non-fat sour cream and some rough chopped cilantro leaf. Too short on time to make accompanying cornbread: next time (as there are eight quarts to freeze). Glass of cab on the side. SWMBO had two bowls. Spaniels scored some leftover turkey during prep, but no chili due to the Rose's food allergies. They had to be content doing the floor patrol.
  6. With daytime temperatures well below freezing, and snow flurries swirling beneath a leaden sky, the time seemed right to break out a winter favorite
  7. Had this idea for a fritata a couple of days ago. Finely divide some Tater Tot Hot Dish casserole and use it to substantiate an eggbeaters seasoned fritata. The fritata on stovetop before going into the oven to finish: The served plate with steamed dressed seasoned brocolli: It was a hit. Make sure you don't "quote" the pix, friends, there are the "sensitive" among us.
  8. Tater Tot Hotdish! This is, of course, a variety of shepard's pie, and in my latest iteration has browned ground chuck and lamb together with sauteed sliced mushroums, minced garlic, chopped onion, minced carrots, chopped tomatoes and Herbes de Provence, covered with a layer of healthy recipe cream of mushroom soup, and onion tater tots. For the last twenty minutes of bake time, shredded New York sharp cheddar and a dusting of smoked Spanish paprika were added. The served plated with steamed dressed broccoli and a glass of cab: A self-posed SWMBO demoes her favorite TTHD accompaniment: And the spaniels' (after a rugged afternoon of sniffing around the kitchen and floor-patroling) scored too.
  9. The minced garlic was not physically noticeable in the cooked meatloaf - just a light kiss. The chopped onions maintained reasonable texture, which was desired.
  10. With the onset of colder weather, yesterday was declared meatloaf day. Meatloaf is another big batch preparation for me, as it's actually better after the first time (which in the case of this meatloaf recipe is really saying something). Here, in my big mixing bowl, over twelve pounds of ground round, ground pork, ground turkey, ground lamb, bread crumbs, chopped white onion, minced garlic, lightly beaten egg, seasoning salt, fresh cracked black pepper, worchestershire sauce, lemon juice, sweet paprika, ground smoked chipotle pepper, oregano, rosemary, and Herbes de Provence get aquainted and await being well mixed by hand (literally; the only way). After being weighed into equal four pound portions, the meatloaf mix got shaped into three "young footballs" and put into a 350F oven for their two hour bake with tonights russet potatoes. The house smelled wonderfully. Glazed with barbeque sauce for the last twenty minutes, here are two of the finished meatloafs. I generally freeze them in individual halves, each half providing two future meals for SWMBO and I. The finished plate. Served with steamed dressed green beans with toasted almonds and a loaded baked potato with a glass of cab. Very well received. IMHO, other dinners may be as good, but none are better. Yes, the spaniels scored.
  11. Homemade Lentil soup with ham, crusty garlic bread, and a glass of cab.
  12. It was actually last Sunday afternoon, the second day of the 2009 Spaniel
  13. Sometimes it's hard to believe unemployment is over 10% when some of these guys are still working. I would have stiffed him.
  14. Sure you did. This morning's second breakfast was old fashioned oatmeal with blueberries and chopped almonds: That spoon is standing in only oats. Tonight was entre salad with homegrown gourmet lettuce, homegrown yellow cherry tomatoes, homegrown sweet green pepper, homegrown cucumber, shredded carrot and radish, foccacia parmesan croutons and red wine balsamic vinegarette. Marinated in EVOO, vintage balsamic, and worchestershire skinless boneless chicken breast seasoned with seasalt and fresh cracked black pepper, poultry herbs and smoked Spanish paprika sauteed in EVOO with garlic until carmelized. The meat: . Salad got et 'fore I thought to get you a picture. Glass of Chardonnay. Spaniels were delighted.
  15. Another evening without Adult Supervision. Music: Brad Mehldau, Mehldau/Metheny, Adam Rogers, Peter Bernstein, and David Parsons (). The served plate: Grilled lamb (sea salt, fresh cracked black pepper, oregano garlic powder) with mint sauce, baked stuffed potato (new season russet/sea salt/fresh cracked black pepper/butter/crumbled bacon/sour cream/homegrown chives), vegetable medley dressed with EVOO and seasoned with sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper. Glass of cab. Spaniels feasted on lamb and bones. Yum! Note: SWMBO will go for (and has developed a preference for) ground lamb in red pasta meat sauce, meatloaf, and various casseroles. But not grilled lamb or veal by itself. Baby animals, you know. (Too much Disney! )
  16. (It's a grilled piece of trimmed sirloin stacked up for visual effect.)
  17. Home alone. Hell of a day. With my neuro symptoms last night, SWMBO had her diagnostics manual out on the table when I got up; pinched nerve at C6 and orders to see my doc. After my quarterly haircut, doc got me in; two appointments on one shower and shave (Sweet!). X-Rays and exam confirms; 6 to 8 weeks if I'm good. When have I been good? Then on to arranging for a sitter at the nursing home for my 86-year-old dad with dementia. *sigh* Try to keep him from being so anxious. SWMBO is off to family things for the weekend, so it's me with the girls. Dinner: Yes, they got some. Now on to Frisbee, walk, and snuggles.
  18. Thanks. I think you're right about the Beaujolais and that's a marvelous idea. I've gotten into the Black Box family of vintage CA wines as they are pretty good and I usually need one glass and not a whole bottle. And that has kept me from other bottle only varietals, like Beaujolais, which are most tasty. Easy enough to fix.
  19. Maybe we should have a couple of beers first. You can get really great poultry sausage these days. Being from sausage cultures (Swede/German and Slovanian), it doesn't take much to sell a nice grilled sausage around here. Grilled to me is a lot more attractive than boiled, but that's just me.
  20. SWMBO's Regular Bohunk Sausage Supper: Grilled (turkey) Polska Kielbasa with hot horseradish, red cabbage with cloves, cinnamon, allspice, bay leaf, vintage balsamic and fresh homegrown chopped half green apple, german potato salad sauteed in EVOO with onion, crumbled bacon, garlic, Hungarian sweet paprika, chopped dill pickle, dry mustard, vintage balsamic, fresh steamed green beans dressed with EVOO, seasoning salt, fresh cracked black pepper, and baked sliced almonds. Glass of cab. Not so bad.
  21. Thanks Headphone Dreamer LD. You are too kind.
  22. If you say so, brother, if you say so. Me, I think you're projecting. This is a thread about what you are eating right now. What are you eating right now?
  23. I don't think I've said "sammy" for sandwich in my life and I've referred to delicious food as delish for three decades at least. You want to get into it about this? Maybe you need a life?
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