OMG, mkolmar! I hope that you are feeling better. You must have been scared to death....I would have been. I guess the positive side to your ordeal was to see some serious guy candy...looking never hurt anyone...that's what God gave us eyes for 
.
Besides your incident, mkolmar, I hope that everyone had a great week.
Dinner for me was in the mall....spicy tofu and fried rice.
No, I wasn't scared. It happened Tuesday night and I went to the ER today (Friday). The only reason I went is because DH was having issues with me not going and chewing me out about it. I've had a few concussions before so to me this was no big deal. To DH this was a huge deal so I went to shut him up. I swear sometimes I think our roles are reversed and I'm the guy and he's the girl in the relationship.
mkolmar, bless your little heart! I hope your head is feeling better. Your Italian breaded chicken and pasta sound delicious!
Lita, spicy tofu and fried rice sound so good. Was the tofu in a sauce? Shame on you, now, I have a hankering for Chinese food, and it is only 8 AM That is the one bad thing about this thread; everyone's food sound so yummy, and it makes my mouth hungry even when my tummy is full.
Last night was pumpkin soup with coconut chutney. The chutney didn't go as well with the soup as I would have liked. Tonight is really naughty potatoes (they are made with heavy cream...and cheese, just in case there isn't enough fat. 
) with pork loin in red wine gravy. I will definately have to exercise tonight! 
I love pumpkin soup, but hardly ever get to eat it.
Tonight was pinto beans, cornbread, bacon, salt pork, hot dogs, homemade mac and cheese and Mexican cornbread. Dessert was homemade chocolate pies and a Coldstone Creamery chocolate ice cream cake with oreos.
It was my neices b-day (13 yrs) a few days ago and my dad's (60th) b-day is tomorrow. So tonight was to celebrate.
Hope that everyone had a great day! The spicy tofu was in a sauce, mightydragon and it was very tasty. I am also a big fan of asian food...everything from the fried rice to sushi. Your pumpkin soup sounds delish and so does the pork tenderloin with the heavenly potatoes.
Hope that all is well with everyone...especially those who have been under the weather. I know it is not fun to be sick in the middle of the holiday season so eveyone has to get well so that they can enjoy the season.
Mmmmmmm, I love beans and cornbread. Come to think about it, as long as it doesn't live in the water, there aren't many things I don't like when it comes to food. 
How is your head, mkolmar?
The pork loin and potatoes totally hit the spot last night. In fact, I had them again for breakfast. I'm not really one to eat breakfast food for breakfast.
It is snowing again today. Woo hoo! I guess I will just have to bake or something.
Hope everyone has a great day. 
Hi Everyone!
Wow it sure has been a long time since i got to sit with you all at this table, is there still space for one more again??? lol
I am sorry for not getting here sooner or more often, things have just been so darn hectic and tough - sigh!
DH's business has finaly picked up this past month, we have had to drop insurance on cars and house contents as well as the medical - that is the scariest part - our state run hospitals are horrific, so i am praying hard for things to improve so we can afford a medical aid again -
I have been baking my butt off to help suppliment income and to afford the normal groceries and things - it stinks, they say the recession is over for us, but time will tell!!
At least i have much to be thankful for - GOD IS GOOD!!
We have survived and still have our home so we are truly greatful
I have missed you all so much, and have been dying to get here and chat, friends are what makes the hard times easier for us all!
I have tried to read all the posts since my last visit, but i started going squint - lol
To all those who lost loved ones - my deepest sympathies - and big hugs!
To all those struggling - God is good, and hang in there, keep the sunny side up - its hard i know, but it will change!!
Well lets see, dinner last night was bbq:
porter house steaks, sausage, corn on cob, coleslaw, asparagus and mayo, garlic cheesy bread - was my first day off in a long long time
I did my practical exams in october - lol
I passed the practical cake decorating with flying colours
but they failed me on the teaching part, so will have to do that again
I had to teach sugar moulding in 40 minutes, the day was horrible, with lots of rain etc.... so nothing would dry, and none of the students could complete a whole item!!
oh well, i will just do it again
My folks might be moving to live with my brother and his wife soon - whoo hoo - ok that sounds bad - lol but it has been 10 years they have been with us now, and my mom is quite interfearing, so it will be awesome to be just dh, son and me for a change!!
And the nice thing is is that we can then visit each other and appreciate each other more - i think
then i will be turning the garden cottage into my studio where i will do my cakes and start giving classes next year - that will help with the income a bit too!!
Ohara & mkolmar - thanks for allways being there -
Hope everyone i have missed out is doing well - and you guys are wonderful too
sorry so long
Hugs to all - missed everyone - you guys keep a person sane
Hi Janine, it is nice to meet you. Wow, it sounds like it has been a trying year for you. Hope it all works.
Last night we had pasties, the ultimate comfort food, IMO. Potatoes, carrots, and onions wrapped in pastry crust.
Tonight was pizza!!!! I made them at home, crust and all, with lots of veggies to top it off. I also made a couple of loaves of Challah. We had to test one, and DH gave it two thumbs up 
.
Well, it is bedtime now. Good night to you all.
Janine...so good to hear from you. You have been missed. Sorry to hear that the economy has hit your family also. I hope you can check in more often.((((HUGS))))
mkolmar I hope your head is better. How is the bathroom remodel coming? How far along on your Christmas baking and candy making are you?
mightydragon663 ....Colorado. That makes sense on you getting snow so early. I lived in Colorado for a year or so while I was in high school. We lived in Estes Park. Such a wonderful place.
Lita are you doing your shopping at the mall? or just having dinner there? You can have the tofu. My DH loves it....not so much for me.
Well, I have been missing for a while because I had to go out of the state last week. I got a phone call last Thursday in the morning that my dad was going to have emergency open heart surgery. My sister called to tell me. What a shock. My dad is in great shape. He's 73. He was having a weird pressure feeling on his chest and went to the doctor. They scheduled him for a stress test the next day....only he didn't want to worry us so no one knew. After the stress test they told him to come back the next day, Thursday, for either another test or possibly a procedure. When he arrived Thursday morning, they told him he had to go in for emergency open heart in 2 hours. 
We live 5 hours away. My sister called later and said that the surgery before him was taking longer than expected. We arrived right after he came out of surgery. He had a triple bypass. His main artery was 90%blocked in two different places. The doctor said that his heart is young and healthy except for the places they repaired. He had a really rough day on Saturday. On Sunday he was doing much better. Once he started doing better he just started to recover at amazing speed. He came home on Tuesday afternoon.
It was actually some great quality time spent with my dad. We don't get much time for just the two of us. My sister and both brothers had to work Monday so I spent the day with dad at the hospital. I am so thankful and blessed to still have him in my life. One more reminder of how blessed my life is.
Yesterday was pepper steak with gravy over rice, sweet corn, french bread and applesauce.
Wednesday was homemade vegetable soup. It has been so cold all I wanted was soup.
Tonight is going to be vegetable spaghetti and Italian bread.
I hope you are all well.
Its good to have you back, Ohara. I am sorry to hear about your father's emergency surgery but I am happy to hear that everything went well for him in the long run. God is good. Its good that you could make there to be there for him like I am sure he has been there for you.
I shop and work in the mall. I work at Williams-Sonoma. I had the spicy tofu on my dinner break one night.
All of your meals sound yummy...especially the peppered steak.
Tonight was beef stew (store bought because I was at work). Last night's dinner was spinach and feta stuffed chicken breast.
Y'all have a great night!
That must have been so frightening, ohara. I am very happy to hear that your dad is recovering and that you got to spend time with him. You all will be in my prayers.
Our first significant snow was on the last day of summer this year. That totally stunk! We got something like 11 inches. I like the snow, but on the last day of summer....not so much! 
I've been out to Estes, and it is very pretty. We were going to hike in Rocky Mountain National Park, but they won't let dogs in the park unless they stay in the car. 
The dogs voted all paws down on that idea, so we had to go somewhere else. 
Lita your stuffed chicken sounds so good.
Yesterday, one of my patients brought me some home-made tamales, so that is what I had for dinner last night. They were DE-licious! I really need to get someone to show me how to make them....on second thought, maybe I shouldn't. My hips probably don't need me to have that kind of knowledge.
Hope everyone has a fabulous day today!
Snow...on the last day of summer ...oh my! I like the snow, too, but that must have been a big suprise when you woke up in the morning
I have never had Tamales....I have to put them on my "to sample" list . You mentioned that one of your patients gave them to you. You must work in the medical field. That was once my stomping ground. Very hard work but also very spiritually fulfilling. I miss my patients. I enjoyed taking care of the whole family unit....from peds to the elderly. If the worker is in is in it for the right reasons, it is very noble work. Its funny because at the same time ...I have always thought if there was a way that medical professionals could be compensated more than celebrities without the cost going to the patient, they should.
Y'all have a great day!
Lita, I had a few choice explitives to say about the snow that day! I'll spare you the details though. 
I been a family physician for 14 years. Unfortunately, I don't love what I do. So, I am going to pastry school in January so I can work on getting into something that I do love.
LOL, mightydragon...the same words probably would have come out of my mouth if I woke up on the last day of summer to almost a foot of snow!
WOW...14 years as a family physician! I know that it's probably very rewarding but I've heard about all the paperwork and red tape with insurance companies that make your job difficult to do and make you spend less time with the patients. If you aren't loving it any more than I think that you are making the right decision. I used to tell my coworkers that when you lose the ability to empathize with your patients and view your work as a chore instead of a mission...its time to leave. Since you have a passion for baking and decorating...I'm sure you will excel Money isn't everything...you have to love what you do.
Dinner for me tonight was grilled salmon rolls and sweetened green tea. I love green tea with sushi
Y'all have a great night!
That is so true Lita. I want to wake up excited about the days challenges, not dreading them. What area of medicine were you in?
Today, I spent the day making candy: pralines, fudge and caramels. I still need to make some divinity and a few other naughty treats, but not tonight.
For dinner last night, I borrowed one of mkolmar's ideas...I made French toast from leftover challah and topped it with blueberries. Tonight, it was ham with rice and tomato gravy and stewed okra.
Good Night, sleep tight and don't let the bedbugs bite.
Hi Everyone
Mightly dragon - thank you, it is lovely to meet you too!, your food sounds soooo good - lol
Lita829 - Thank you, it is lovely to meet you too! so many new faces / names - lol your food sounds just as good too - yummy
Ohara - Thanks my friend, it is good to be back, and i hope to be eating at this table on a regular basis again - lol
I am so sorry to hear about your dad, what a shock that must have been!! I am so glad he is doing well and that you could be there for him!!
Yes we are blessed with having family !
My folks are having big doubts about moving to my brother!! Quite frankly i dont blame them - I told them that we are not forcing them to move, that they only need to go if they feel they want to do that!!
So i guess there goes my studio and class room - lol at least i can still dream!
They were also supposed to go to Cape Town with my brother and his wife for the 2 weeks of christmas, but now they arent going there either!! They are very dissapointed, they were to leave this saturday!
Oh well, i believe all things happen for a reason. And they turn out right - or the way they should
Ohara - big hugs and tons of prayers comming your way for you and your family!
Dinner last night was hot dogs , as i was baking my tush off for this mornings delivery.
Saturday night was bbq - yummy, porter house steaks, with sausage (boerewors). salads and grapes oh and dont forget - corn on the cob - lol
Hope all are well, and its good to be back.
Hugs!
Good to have you back at the table, Janine . Your BBQ sounds DELISH!! I love steak but I can't eat it too often because I have bad teeth (molars) but your's sound super yum! I agree with what you said that things happen for a reason and always turn out right or the way that they are supposed to. God has a plan and a purpose for everyone's life.
Ohara....I hope that things are going well for you and that your father is healing well. Hopefully, you can spend more QT (quality time) with him.
Mightydragon, your dinners sound fantastic. The French Toast made with Challah bread sounds super yummy! I love challah bread by itself so I could only imagine how tasty it would be as French toast. Oh...from our conversation before...I am an RN and practiced in Pediatrics (Cardiology and Med-Surg with an emphasis in renal) and adult (telemetry, Med-Surg and Psych). I miss it but I don't think I want to practice anymore. If I stay in healthcare may decide to teach in the future. The only thing is that I really love baking (that is my passion) so I'd love to do something with that, too.
Hello everyone!
Welcome back Janine, we missed you table sister. I'm hoping everything is getting better for you. You've been working your butt of for a while. I know it's very difficult also with all the other duties you have to take on on top of your own family duties.
Ohara- How is your father today? I'm so sorry that your family has had to go through this. It's been a difficult year for you all. I hope and pray that things get better.
Mightydragon--Where will you be going to pastry school? I admire that you are willing to change fields and do something that makes you happy.
Lita - I couldn't work at Williams-Sonoma, I'd have no paycheck to take home.
Kay, Kelleture, Sparklepop and everyone else ---Miss you and hope all is well.
Last night was cheese pizza and garlic cheese bread. Nothing fancy for us since I was to tired from running around all day to cook.
Janine, I cannot imagine having my parents live with me. As much as I love them, I'm pretty sure my mother and I would kill each other after a week. You are a much better person than I will ever be.
Your steak sounds delicious! I'm afraid that there is too much snow on the ground around here to even get to the BBQ. 
Ohara, how is your dad doing? You all continue to be in my prayers.
Mkolmar, I'll be going to Culinary School of the Rockies in Boulder, and I can hardly wait! I looked at the Art Institute and Cookstreet, but neither of those programs would allow me to continue working while attending classes. Unfortunately, not working really isn't an option right now.
Pizza sounds really good. It is pretty much my most favorite food ever.
Tonight was Indian...chicken Biryani. I've eaten it before but never tried making it. I had heard that it was a bit tricky to make, so I was really surprised that it turned out! It wasn't particularly tricky, just time consuming.
Janine...I feel your pain. I live with my mother..for financial reasons and because I don't want to live alone (I've had too much heartache to live alone). If I was married...there's no way in He!! that I'd let her live with me. She'd do everything in her power to sabotage my marriage. You see, my mother and I have a love-hate relationship which complicates things tremendously. I love her only because she gave me life and I hate her because I've come to realize the depth of what she and my family have done to me. People wonder why I am so driven and independent...it's because I have always had to be. My family is no better than a pack of wolves. She hates me because I don't think the way she and the rest of my psycho family does and she not only envies me but she wants to be me. My grandmother told me to watch my back with her when I was a teenager because she said that my mom was going to really hurt me one day because she was jealous....but it didn't register then. All I can say is that my grandmother was not only right but SHE underestimated the deviousness of her first born child. I personally think that there is something psychologically wrong with a woman who envies her own child...something she created. Mind you....my mother and I are two completely different women but I still came from her womb. You'd never know it from the way she has treated me throughout my life. Oh well...some kids are lucky and have sane, loving, attentive parents and then there's me. No need to break out the violins, though...it is what it is.
Great to have you back, mkolmar. Your pizza sounds awesome! Like mightydragon, pizza is one of my favorite foods....I can never get enough.
Mightydragon...your dish sound good, too. I am learning more about Indian cuisine and hope to try more dishes.
Dinner for me was Lean Cuisine pizza (I told y'all I couldn't get enough ). I've been putting in a lot of hours at work because of the Holiday season .
Y'all have a great night!
Good morning ladies. I have just a minute to pop in. One is off to school and the other two little ones have visit this morning so we have to get out of here....on this cold, rainy yuck morning.
I also LOVE pizza. Was just talking with my friend yesterday. I think I could eat pizza every day. I also like different kinds of pizza. I do have a favorite....but I'm not sure that I have met a pizza that I didn't like.
My dad is still improving. He has been staying at my sisters house. He is really wanting to go to his house. I will hear this morning what the plan is for where he will be. I miss him so much. I am thankful that we are going to make the trip back to Illinois the day after Christmas. At least that is the plan right now. I will only get to spend a couple of days...but that is better than nothing. Thank you all for your support and prayers. It means a lot.
mkolmar...your right....not been our best year to say the least. Thank you for always being there!
mightydragon....you are going to keep working while you go to pastry school? I am impressed. I can't wait to hear about your experiences in pasty school. When do you start?
janine... I am always so envious that you are grilling out and having corn on the cob...while we are having winter I wanted to grill out last night...just couldn't make myself do it in the dark. I will cook steaks on the grill for Christmas dinner. Really looking forward to that.
Lita....I forgot that you were working at the mall. That explains the mall food....sometimes I'm a little slow 
No violins here....it's ok to explain and even vent. We are all good listeners. Your past either defines you or it makes you stronger....sounds like you didn't let yours define who you are. Good for you.
Sparklepop would love to hear how things are down under! You are missed.
Kay I hope you are all well.
Kelleture how are things in you part of our world?
Dinner....
Sunday was taco salad
Monday was chicken and yellow rice, sweet peas, applesauce, and Italian bread
. Thank you, Ohara, for the kind words. I am happy to hear that your father is doing well and healing Well everyone must be busy... wonder why? Cookies to bake, presents to wrap, shopping to do, food to cook, laundry, work..... wow, I'm tired just thinking about it all!
I hope you are all well.
We are still dealing with colds and yuck. All three of the younger ones are sick. I am trying to be thankful....it's this week and not next! I know it's a stretch to be thankful for that, but I am.
Lita you vent whenever you need to.
My dad has had a few set backs. Nothing major...but I'm still worried about him. I am so glad that we are going over the day after Christmas. I just need to see him. I talk to him on the phone each day. He just sounds so lonely. even though he's at my sisters house. He misses his dog. She has taken him over to his house a couple of times to see the dog. One of her older boys is staying at my dad's house taking care of the dog.
Dinner....
Tuesday night was chili.
Wednesday was left over chili
Thursday we had pizza. We have a pizza chain here that sells their pizza in the grocery store at a discounted price. You just take them home and bake them. Well, they were marked down because their purchase date was for Friday. They were marked down to $3.99 each.
So....pizza it was. It was good to. Just not good for my diet
No ideas for today. I hope it comes to me early in the day.
I hope you all have a great day.
Like everyone else, I have been crazy busy! We leave for OK on Sunday to spend the week with my family, and I am really looking forward to seeing them all. Normally, I manage the holidays very well, but this year it seems like I am being pulled in every direction, and little, if any, of it is related to the holiday. Blech!!!!! I totally need some sister time!
I didn't do a lot of baking this year; I mostly worked on candies. I made caramal for the first time and probably for the first time ever, my first batch of divinity actually turned out. The second batch.....let's just say that it will make excellent ice cream topping.
Wed night we had squash soup and last night we had mushroom and rice soup. I have a thing about soup in the winter. There is something very comforting about it.
Ohara, I hope everyone gets well before Christmas!
Hey everyone! Hope that everyone is enjoying the Holiday Season . Sorry I have been MIA....I've been having some computer issues . I hope that all is well with my table mates. I'll keep you all in my prayers.
Work has been crazy but I like it when it is busy . If I don't get a chance to log on before Xmas (for those who celebrate it)...y'all have a marvelous holiday.
Chili...LOVE IT
Your candy sounds devine, mightydragon
Ho Ho Merry Merry
I've been having a great time with my family! We are headed to my Mom and Dad's to decorate gingerbread houses today.
Last night was dinner with the family at PF Changs then home to play games. We had so much fun!
Tonight we are having fondue and more games.
I wish the week wasn't going so fast, but like everything else, "This too shall pass". I wish it didn't have to pass so fast.
Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas!
Yvonne
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