Well, it is now 12-27 and I hope everyone had a great holiday!
We had a great time with my family, and we had planned to head back to CO on the 25th. Mother Nature, however, had very different plans, and Tulsa had its first ever recorded blizzard! 
So, we got out quite a bit later than planned and had to stay over in KS. Blech! 
The following day, the winds were CRAZY all across western KS ,and I-70 was closed for several hours. Nonetheless, I am glad we went.
Last night was vegetable stir fry with peanut sauce and soba noodles. (The veggies and the peanut sauce were leftover from Christmas Eve, so I didn't really have to work.
Tonight, I am trying a new recipe from "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" that my mom gave me for Christmas. I can't wait to try it.
I hope that everyone had a wonderful holiday (Xmas, Chanukah, or Kwaanza)! Your stir fry sounds super yum, mightydragon 
. Please let me know what you think of the recipes in "Mastering the Art of French Cooking"...I was considering getting it also. I am not experienced in cooking French cuisine (except quiches (if they are French 
)) but I'd like to learn.
Best wishes to all for a health, happy, and prosperous 2010
Hey Lita. So, I have made three recipes from it and let me just say.... the saute'ed chicken in cream sauce was one of the most delicious things I have ever eaten. 
It was like heaven at the dinner table. 
The roasted pork was a close second. I haven't had the scalloped potatoes with oninon and tomatoes yet, but they sure smelled good while they were cooking.
I absolutely love the book, and I highly recommend it; I also recommend "Julie and Julia" if you haven't seen it. 
Hope you had a nice Christmas.
Thanks for the well wishes and critique of the book and movie I think I'm gonna give the book and French cooking a try 
Tonight's dinner was baked tilapia, mixed veggies, and rice with navy beans and smoked turkey. I wasn't the cook tonight...dinner was compliments of mom. Even though she isn't a cooking enthusiast like all of us....she can burn (in a good way) when she wants to
HAPPY NEW YEAR to all of my table friends! I wish you all health and happiness and lots good food !
DH and I brought in the new year early--I'm sure it was New Year's somewhere in the world--with dinner at my favorite Indian restaurant...Samosa, dahl, vegetables korma, spinach with paneer, naan, kheer and chi. Sooooo good. There is something about Indian food that I find very relaxing and calming. Maybe its all the different spices.
Tonight, in theory, we are supposed to have black eyed peas for good luck. I don't much like black eyed peas. They have always tasted like dirt to me. Earthy, I think is the proper culinary term. Same difference though.
Happy New Year to you all!
I feel like the food we eat is so boring compared to you ladies. 
I can tell you I will be so glad when there isn't a sweet left in this house! Today I start to try and take off the holiday pounds!
Everyone is over the nasty cold we all had. I am hoping that we are going to be well for a while.
We went to Illinois to visit family last week. My dad is doing pretty well. He was excited that the doctor is finally allowing him to drive around town. No long distance driving. They told him not to leave town. Ha! That helped with his spirits. He also will be starting the cardiac exercise program soon, and he's looking forward to that. It is a 6 week class.
Last night I made cream of potato soup. We ate it while we watched the Rose Bowl. Yummy and hot. It snowed all afternoon yesterday, and is very cold here this morning.
Friends are coming over tonight. She is making chicken enchiladas. I am making a Mexican rice. I've never really made one, so a new recipe it will be! I also need to make a dessert! I am not happy about making or eating another sweet thing! Actually I don't mind making it at all...it's the fact that I know that I will eat some of it that I don't like!
I hope you are all well and warm.
Happy New Year to ALL . I hope that everyone had a great Holiday season.
I'm happy to hear that your fatheris healing well and that the rest of your family is feeling better, Ohara! Your cream of potato soup sounds yum! I've never made that type of soup but its on my "do try" list
Your Indian Dinner sounds also sounds yummy, mightydragon! I used to not like Indian food but I guess my taste buds have evolved. When my grandmother was alive, we had black-eyed peas faithfully every New Year's Day. We haven't had them much since her passing. I agree that they are an aquired taste. They have to be made right
Last nights dinner was linguini with a pancetta-bacon pasta sauce.
Y'all have a great day!
Don't go into shock now, yes it's me!!!! It's been a while I know but since I was last on this thread I got a part-time job and my little cake business has just gone through the roof 
. So I asked Santa for more hours in the day .
I was just having a look at the last page or 2 of this thread and felt so cool reading it, thought I'd stay a bit. It's so humid, hot and wet here. One minute the suns out, then it rains, then it gets really humid but at least we're getting much needed rain.
Our Christmas and New Year sounds pretty much like all of yours too much food, though everything is cold. Last night we had a BBQ steak, snags, BBQ onion, coleslaw, tossed salad and some funny potato things my DH found in the freezer section (don't think I'll send him shopping again yuck). We're all getting sick of ham, turkey and chicken but it's great to have leftovers.
Just wanted to say hi glad to see mkolmar and ohara are still floating about . Have to get stuck into cakes today 1 engagement and 1 wedding + cookies, how do I get myself into these things 
before I go back to work tomorrow.
Have a great New Year everyone
Ohara, I am so glad that you all are well again and that your dad is doing so well too. It sounds like the new year is getting off to a good start.
Like everyone else, I have OD'd on the sweets. I'm afraid that if I don't make another sweet thing for the rest of the year, there will still be enough around here to last until next Christmas. As long as it don't have to see it, it shouldn't be a problem. The whole "out of sight; out of mind" thing works pretty well for me. I have also buried most of it in the deep freeze. So if I want it, I am going to have to work for it.
My crazy schedule starts Monday and classes start on Thursday. YIKES! I'm beginning to wonder, "What was I thinking!!!!" I'm sure it will be fine, but I am getting a little nervous though.
Tonight, another Julia Childs' recipe..Coq Au Vin with fingerling potatoes and steamed spinach.
Do my eyes deceive me? Sparkle.....is that you? Good to see you girl, we missed you. Glad to hear all is well. You must be crazy busy!
Ohara- glad your family is feeling better.
Everyone's food sounds so good.
I was at a wedding today for someone I went to culinary school with who's also a CC member, Bigsisof3kids. Her cake was so beautiful (she made it herself. So happy for her. I didn't know anyone there other than the bridal party so I volunteered to serve food. (Didn't want to sit by myself ) I had to leave before they were able to cut the cake though, darn it.
I had lasagna, herb rolls, salad loaded with veggies and alfredo pasta with broccoli.
Have a great night everyone.
Nice to meet you, Sparklepop! Your BBQ din din sounds delish . You are making me wish for summer
Your French dinner sounds divine, Mightydragon.
Good to have you back Mkolmar! Lasagna is another one of my favs...its comforting like baked Mac and cheese. Your herb rolls also sound yummy.
Last night's dinner was more of an appetizer...spinach artichoke dip on baguettes.
You all have a great day!!
Note to self...Don't start making coq au vin at 3:30 in the afternoon...not if you want to eat before 10. 
Thank goodness there was plenty of leftover Indian.
Hi Sparklepop, it's nice to meet you. Your BBQ sound so yummy, but I have to ask, and please pardon my ignorance. What exactly is a snag?
mkolmar and lita, you guys all have such delicious sounding dinners.
Hope you all have a wonderful day.
Sparkle....it's SO good to hear from you. I will trade you the hot and humid for the cold and snow we have. It was -16 celsius this morning without the wind chill. I am happy for you that your cake business has taken off. I hope we get see more of you ! You have been missed.
Mightydragon I would love to eat your French food....just don't have the time or patience to make it. I can't wait to hear all about your classes. It's ok to ask Sparkle what different foods are....I have done it on MANY occasions.
Lita...Yum, I love that dip. Are you still working lots?
mkolmar I am happy that you got to attend Bigsisof3kids wedding. I hope at some point she will post a pic of the wedding cake. Nice of you to help out.
Dinner tonight was bacon, egg and cheese on english muffins. I had egg and english muffin. Trying to take off all the Christmas goodies!!!!
Hello everyone, it's been a LONG time...incase no one remembers me, I used to be (K2 a few months back)...
I hope I can catch up with everyone soon. I have a lot of back reading to do...
Today was homemade vegan pizza day... (my favorite)
Melissa, I've been thinking about calling you again...time has just slipped by so quickly.
Happy New Year to all my table friends... talk soon.
Well we are certainly going to have a dining experience tonight - my DD is going to cook - she asked if I'd help her as she wants to learn. Not sure how long this will last so I'm taking advantage of it. She loves seafood so we're doing spaghetti marinara I have a really simple recipe. Just to let you know she's 23 and the most she has ever cooked is tinned spaghetti and I taught her how to do scrambled eggs in the microwave - she couldn't get her head around doing it in a frying pan. So we'll see if we can make a Domestic Goddess out of her yet but I won't hold my breath.
mightydragon - nice to meet you too, hey your not ignorant the food between the US and Oz although very similar is often called different things I'm always asking questions about meals you guys have. Snags are sausages we quite often use the expression "a snag on the barbie" there you go bring that up in a conversation LOL.
Great to meet you Lita. Ohara, mkolmar it's a crazy life down here once I get the wedding cake and cookies off I'll feel so much better, then I get a little break, I hope. Oh and I don't think I want it that cold ohara we occasionally get to -1 in winter and thats cold enough for me.
kellertur - I remember you as K2 good to see you.
Well off to work have a great day everyone.
Hey everyone! Hope that everyone had a great day. Nice to meet you, Kellartur.... Pizza is one of my favorite foods
I am not that much of a happy camper today...just found out that I need a boat load of dental work. I am TERRIFIED of the dentist...particularly that novocaine needle. I've had some bad experiences but I know I have to have the work done so I guess I'll just have to bite the bullet (no pun intended). Otherwise I'll be gummin' my food .
My seasonal job at Williams-Sonoma most likely ended yesterday . Its the slow season and they don't have any extra hours to give. It was an awesome season...I worked with many permanent, returning and new workers and met some fun and interesting people. I look forward to 2010's Holiday Season (that is if I am still in this area).
Tonights din din was linguini with bacon-pancetta sauce. It was so good on Friday that I had to have a repeat .
Y'all have a great night!
kellertur great to hear form you! I hope all are well in your part of the world. I hope you stop in again soon. You have also been missed.
Sparkle....how did dinner go? Does she live home with you? Or just coming over for a cooking lesson. My daughter will call every once in a while to ask a question about how to cook something.
I will just have to enjoy your warm weather in spirit...since it's cold and snowing here.
Lita I'm sorry that your job is over. Glad that you met new people. That's always fun. Your pasta sounds wonderful. I'm with you on hating the dentist.
Tonight I made beef stew with cheddar cheese dumplings. I was hot and yummy on such a cold winter night!
Now we need Kay to check in....
Ok Ohara I guess I will post since almost all the old timers are now at the table.. LOL
I have been try to read and keep caught up.. It has been so crazy around here. A Christmas BLIZZARD and then more snow and more snow and now goin into Antartic I swear for the next couple of days. Along with blowin snow.. Oh man I really wish sparkle would send round trip ticket to us all so we can enjoy the warm..
Ok our Blizzard Christmas dinner was a roast with baked beans, mashed potatoes, gravy and Red Lobster knock off biscuits. It was only Mike, I and Brooke. And Jord was snowed in at Kirstie's and her Mom didn't have anything to make at there house since they were suppose to go to her G-Ma's out of town so couldn't go. They had BBQ chicken.. So when they made it back here I made Christmas dinner for them last Wed. I made a turkey, a small ham, Mashed potatoes, Gravy, Baked Beans, Orange fluff salad (for Jord) The biscuits and a Banana puddin pie .
And have been makin lots of meals with the leftovers.
And Mike gave me another scare Sat. night.. I was tellin him about conversation I had with his mom on the phone. On Dec 12th she called me wanting to know what heartburn felt like. And I am thinkin she is havin heart probs. So I tell her to make a doc appt. But she wanted to wait till after 1st of year cause of deductable. So in my conversation with her on Sat. I asked if she has made a appointment yet. She said not yet but that her arm has felt funny since that day. So I tell her she NEEDS to make appointment. Ok Mike walks in the room I tell him about my conversation with his mom and how I told her to go to doc. His reply well if this pain in my chest don't stop I am goin to DOC.. I AM LIKE WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY???? This was at 9 pm he said he had the pain most of the day. I told him to go to bedroom and get dressed we are goin to ER..
Well they hooked him up and monitered him and took blood and X-Ray. We were there for 2 hours. They came back and said blood work and Ekg didn't show anything and were cuttin him loose and gave him 4 baby asprins. And said to check with a doc and maybe have a stress test. They didn't think it was his heart but that everyone was different.. My boss had went to Er a few years ago and was sent home the same way. Went in to doc for stress test and had a heart attack doin the stress test.. So I am callin tomorrow to see when I can get him into doc.. He was off for 2 weeks over holidays and just went back to work last night.. So like I said has been crazy..
And since we were snowed in I had to play games with Brooke.. I don't know how many games of GO FISH we played..
So there is my Drama LOL and what we have eaten..
Hi Kellertur and Kaychristensen!
Ohara, I am just guessing, but I suspect that the patience it takes to raise and foster children by far and away exceeds any patience needed to fix a meal. I asure you, if I had children, there would be no cooking in my house. We would be eating a lot of sandwiches and cereal.
Lita, sorry to hear about your teeth. Dentist.......taking a beating.....they pretty much rank about the same on my scale of things I enjoy doing. Maybe they can give you a bunch of nitrous oxide or something.
I worked my new schedule for the first time yesterday 8-6. All I have to say is those classes better exceed my greatest expectations! That makes for a very long, long, long day. When I got home, DH had a fire going and we had roasted chicken with mushroom stuffing and carrot/onion mash. (No, DH didn't make dinner. That's my job and for good reason. )
Hope everyone has a a great day![/img]
Hey All...hope that everyone had a great day. I'm happy to hear that you are enjoying your classes, Mightydragon! I bet you are learning a lot. You are in pastry school, right? Its good that you are pursuing you passion. Your din din sounds delish!
On my end...I've started the ball rolling to have my kitchen licensed. I went to the Town Hall to turn in my application. I am so excited. This excitement balances the terror I feel about my dental work. I am not sure if I'll let them use nitrous oxide (I've never had it) so I am a little leary. I've had tons of dental work in the past..by quack dentists and I was able to take the novocaine injection...even thought I darn near had an anxiety attack each time .
Ohara...your beef stew with cheddar cheese dumplings sound awesome. I've never had cheddar cheese dumplings but I could imagine that they are quite tasty.
Tonights dinner was 40 Clove chicken over egg noodles. It was my first time trying it and I have to say that its an interesting dish. It was quite tasty.
Well tablemates....y'all have a great night
Oh yeah! The table is in full force. Love it.
It's getting late so I'm too lazy to comment how I normally would.
Tonight was Teriyaki pork tenderloin over sweet and sour stir - fry and for those wee ones with a refined pallet, spaghetti O's.
Last night was Italian breaded chicken, pan fried than baked to finish it off, multi-grain pasta with sauce and garlic toast.
Hope you all have a great night. I'm passing out cream puffs to put on everyone's dessert plate at the table tonight. Kristi--you have a vegan one.
Cream puff pillow dreams tonight everyone.
I'm with you mkolmar....I love having the table in full force!
Kay I was thinking about you over Christmas while I watched the nasty weather. I was pretty sure you were snowed in. Please keep us posted on Mike's health. Pretty scary stuff. Are things picking up at his job? I'm with you, Sparkle could send air plane tickets, I've always wanted to visit Australia. I know she would show us a warm and great time. And then we could ask for a snag on the barbie!
Lita....I had nitrous oxide for the first time at my last dentist appointment. I had to have a wisdom tooth pulled and a filling replaced. I am such a big baby...my husband uses it every time and he told me to try it. I did. My dentist told me I would just feel like I had had a couple of martini's. He came in after it had been running through the mask for a time and asked what I thought. I told him I had been drinking the wrong cocktail all these years...that if you felt like that after a couple of martini's I would start drinking those! It really did help. I always tough it through, but it really just helped with the anxiety.
Good luck on getting your home licensed. Let us know how it goes.
Mightydragon.....that is a long day. Will you work that every day....or will you have shorted days on school days. Your dinner sounds great. Never heard of carrot onion mash, but sounds good!
Last night dinner was spaghetti, sweet corn, cottage cheese and Italian bread. DH wanted a meat sauce...not meatballs. I made my meat sauce with ground chicken breast.
Late this afternoon two of the kids have appointments, routine stuff and I am trying to get into a medical clinic for me. So it will be crazy around here. No idea when or what we will eat. I really should come up with a plan.
I hope you all have a great day.
Well, I messed up the fireplace last night. 
I guess you can't turn up the heat past a certain point. It shuts everything off, including the pilot light. Now, it will probably be another 8 years before it works again. Why would you give a gas fireplace the ability to increase the heat beyond what it can handle? My oven can go to the highest setting without a problem. Why can't the fireplace. Hmmmm? I'm sure I will never know the answer to this question. I am really bummed though...
Classes start tomorrow!!!!!!!! Wooo Hoooo!!!!! They go from 5 PM to 10 PM Thurs and Fri, and 8-5 on Sat, and I don't have to work on those days!!! YEA!!
Lita, I am so happy to hear you are going forward with getting your home license. Good luck! I agree with Ohara, get the nitrous. You won't regret it.
Ohara, the onion/carrot mash was an invention of necessity. Okay, maybe not necessity. You know how you are supposed to put cut veggies underneath meat when you roast it? (I forget why.) Well, I can't just toss those veggies like I was taught. So I put them in the food processor and pureed them. This time it was onions and carrots.
Can I go to Australia with you and Kay? It is supposed to snow today and get really cold. (and I broke the fireplace )
mkolmar, thank you for the cream puff dreams. They were wonderful.
I remember a time when I would eat spaghetti O's. The teriyaki sounds much better though.
Kay, I do hope all is well with your DH. You all are in my prayers.
Well, I have to start working now. I hope everyone has an awesome day!
Hey ladies...hope that eveyone had an awesome day! I'm also happy that the table is so full...the more the merrier! Thanks for all the good wishes in my quest to become licensed . I am pretty excited . I think that I might try the nitrous oxide when I go to the dentis because I'm becoming big chicken in my old age
Mightydragon...Sorry to hear about your fireplace. I'd be a little bent out so shape, too if I had a fireplace and it stopped working. Hopefully, it will be up and running soon. Your carrot-onion masher sound very creative and yummy, too.
Australia sounds like a great idea....Wait for me!
You all have a great night!
OK guys down you come I'm sure we can accommodate you here. DH went for a swim this arvo I couldn't go cause I'm making horse cookies and a cake thank goodness for air conditioning, jealous????
Lita - dental work yuck, I'm not good at the dentist, last time I had major stuff done I had valium (prescribed) and had to get my DD to drive me and fell alseep in the dentist chair, more embarrassing I fell asleep and SNORED
ohara - my DD lives at home she's a uni can't afford to live elsewhere, but when I say live I mean she sometimes sleeps and eats here but gets her washing and ironing done here all the time!! The dinner worked quite well but I coached her all the way not sure how she'd go on her own. Cooking is definitely not her thing. As soon as my Lotto numbers come up I'll send those plane tickets
Kay - if there wasn't drama in your life I'd be really disappointed . Seriously though I hope Mike is OK. You wouldn't want a round trip ticketto Oz, once you were here you'd want to stay
mklomar - even though it was a virtual cream puff I still put on weight or maybe it was the other stuff I ate!
We had a chicken stir-fry with rice, nice and quick. Our next door neighbours are Chinese and their family have market gardens and they gave us some bok choy(?) yummo, will have to make usre I keep in good with them LOL. Have a good one
Sparklepop, snoring in the dentist chair...toooo funny.
Bless your daughter's little heart. Sounds like she will be eating a lot of Ramen noodles when she finally gets out on her own.
The fireplace is still broken! I started classes last night and I am absolutely, positively certain there has never been a bigger or more clutzy dork in the history of the school. Yes...I would like some cheese with my whine. It IS very interesting and I'm sure once I settle in, it will be fine.
I am so glad I spent the time filling up the freezer. There isn't going to be much time for cooking over the next 15 weeks. Last night, DH had rigatoni with Italian sausage and arugla and I had a pastie. Tonight, I get the rigatoni and DH will have posole'.
Sparklepop....your falling asleep in the dentist chair is funny I wish I COULD fall asleep in the dentists chair but that pesky DRILL would yank me out of my sweet dreams so fast that my head would spin. Just thinking about it gives me angina . About your daughter learning to cook...be patient with her. I'm sure she'll eventually take to it. Your stir-fry sounds yummo!
Mightydragon...I commend you for going back to school while having a family. I used to always say the same things to my classmates in Nursing school who had families. I'm sure it is challenging but I bet that you are going to excel.
MKolmar....I could really go for a cream puff right about now
Ohara and Kay...hope that all is well with you
Tonight's dinner was sauteed chicken breast and tossed salad with homemade balsamic vinegarette.
Ya'll have a great night.
Hello table friends!
It is really cold here and we have more snow than I would like! We added another 7-8" yesterday into today. We have about 15" on our deck. I know that some of you have more snow than that... I have shoveled and shoveled. Although while I'm out there I am by my self, which I do enjoy! My back will probably disagree with me tonight! HA! It is pretty. DD didn't have school today which worked out fine as she has some virus and doesn't feel well. The two year old also has it. It is some tummy thing. Just enough to not feel well and not eat well.
Dinner last night was beef stroganoff. It is one of DH's favorite. I had a make up dinner with ground chicken, noodles and peas. I am still trying to lose the Christmas weight. I would have loved to have eaten a huge plate full...but that wouldn't have been a good choice.
Tonight was a recipe that I got off line....it is called corny chicken. I was pretty good. First time making it. It is fairly low fat so I didn't have to make myself anything different. DH liked it to. That is always a good thing.
I hope you all are well and warm (or if your sparkle...cool). ((((HUGS))))
Quote by @%username% on %date%
%body%