Need inspiration, what ya cooking tonight

[NellBell]

Really good biscuits and gravy is my all time favorite Breakfast  with crumbled sausage of course and pepper. One of my best friends mother growing up made it sooo good I was hooked for life . 

[Thimble Hall]

I m not cooking much right now, still struggling to stay on my feet and I can't actually sit down so I am spending a lot of time laying on my side on my bed. I had boiled eggs and toast yesterday with a bowl of fresh strawberries with a little cream. I have some frozen spaghetti sauce, frozen chili and frozen clam chowder so I will not starve. I need to eat things that are very laxative bit so far have not found anything to do the job well.. time will go and it will heal but right now I am getting very fed up.

[KathieB]

29 minutes ago, Thimble Hall said:

it will heal but right now I am getting very fed up

I know what you mean. I'm a very impatient patient, too.  Here's a glass of prune juice for you.  

[havanaholly]

I have observed that my blood thinner seems to have a laxative effect.

[sparklepuppies]

Hey y'all, I'm actually cooking tonight. Second time this week actually, go me!

Tonight we're having roast, potatoes, and carrots, plus green beans, and collards (cooked in the instant pot).

I kept forgetting to put the roast in the crock pot, so I'm cooking it in the oven. Haven't done that in a few years. No idea why I didn't think to put it in the instant pot. Oh well, that left it open for collards, which I've been wanting to cook.

Jeannine, hope you start feeling better soon!

[havanaholly]

I love me some fresh collards!  I don't cook mine in a slow cooker, though, I have a deep skillet with a fitted lid.  I put in a bit of olive oil, an envelope of the Goya brand ham seasoning and the collards, cover them and turn the heat on low and let them cook down.  Actually it's how I cook almost all the greens (the hubs likes turnip greens best), except the delicate ones like spinach, mustard & kale.

[sparklepuppies]

I  had never cooked collards (or any greens) until I got the instant pot at Christmas. It's a pressure cooker, not a slow cooker. Makes it easy for non-cooking folks like me!

[rodentraiser]

When I was sick, I didn't feel like cooking either. I thought I might even lose some weight. Yeah, right. Even when I'm sick, I still eat like a horse. So I was eating fast food for a whole month (no cooking required). I finally broke down a couple nights ago and made some stuffed shells and cheesecake. Yesterday I made beans and franks in the crock pot. I'm slowly getting back into the groove.

Tonight I'm going to slice a steak into strips, salt and pepper it, then bake it on about 200° for maybe 30 to 45 minutes. Talk about nice and tender. For dessert, I'm thinking of going down to the movie theater and buying a big old bag of popcorn. With the bad butter on it. And then I wonder why I can't lose weight.

[Thimble Hall]

Kellly I am not sick, just in pain. I have eaten what seems like tons of prunes, about 20 at a time, plus naturel rock hard medicinal liquorice. I had rice and spareribs today and I made collards  with a bit of bacon fat. I guess I am preventing a total obstruction but it is still difficult..but it will get better. The reconstruction is what is preventing me sitting down but it has to heal. I am just becoming a bit miserable with the time.

I watched ET tonight to cheer me up and enjoyed the tears is brought.

 

Roll on the middle of June.

[havanaholly]

Jeannine, I'm a bit surprised the doctor didn't prescribe you some Colace.  Unsweetened applesauce always worked on me, good as prunes & a lot more palatable.  Or mashed sweet potatoes.

[Thimble Hall]

Holly the Colace looks OK, as it is just a softener but I won't take anything with a medicine it it. I seem to be "going" better, late yesterday and today but I feel I need to go 24 hours a day. I don't recognize the name of  the Colace but I will ring the pharmacist and ask, thank you.

I think I just need some patience. I want to do my house!! I am an awful patient. I have never been this idle for years. I did manage to do a bit of cross stitch laid down yesterday though so maybe the end is near

Today I am going to  try to make some Scotch eggs and grab a salad from the greenhouse. I haven't made any bread yet but I may chuck thre ingredients into my mixer today and have a go.

[havanaholly]

I took a couple of pieces of beef out of the freezer this AM to grill tonight.

[Thimble Hall]

Sitting is a tad better this pm, I made it half an hour on my recliner so I am waving my arms in delight, maybe I am round the corner.

I made the Scotch eggs as planned but this bad girl made homemade fries to go with.

I am feeling the urge to cook but wanting to do something totally different, my choices are becoming a bit blah. I can't think of a thing for tomorrow. I may make a soup..maybe.. or a stew..

[WyckedWood]

Jeannine I hope you’re feeling much better. 

I hadn’t seen my sister in a year, she had lost 70 pounds and looked amazing, in a size 6. Very motivating and inspirational, so we talked a lot about what she was eating and how she did it. Started my diet the day I got back from our vacation. More so than her weight loss even, I was so impressed with her energy levels. She’s 4 years older and energy wise 10 years younger. I would love to recover some energy. She wasn’t using any kind of pyramid scheme type diet shakes or magic pills. Just Atkins. Meals will be strictly low carb for foreseeable future. We’re going to Hawaii in February so that gives me a timeline to work toward. 

[Thimble Hall]

It is Canada Day, so I am cooking a goose, not a Canadian goose though lol

I had one in  my freezer and thought tis would be a good day to use it.,homegrown fresh  peas and carrots ,salads too and all the salad ingredients  from the greenhouse.

I haven't  decided a dessert yet but am thinking off something  with maple syrup. I might just make my own recipe called  Maple  Syrup  Sticky Buns To Die For..but a regular dessert too.

[KathieB]

Yum! I haven't had goose in a good long time. And your original recipe Maple Syrup Sticky Buns to Die For is making my mouth water. I we lived any closer to one another, I'd be knocking on your door right about meal time.  

[havanaholly]

I just finished reading Leslie Karst's Dying for a Taste (I'm a big fan of Diane Mott Davidson, so will read cooking mysteries at the drop of a spoon) and one of the recipes at the end sounded so good & simple, plus I had all the ingredients on hand, so I cooked the seared pork chops with apricot brandy sauce, and it scored major points with both the hubs & me!

[Thimble Hall]

Well, I am finally all better after my surgery except I still have a few dissolving stitches in a very discreet place and apparently they may take up to 4 months to finally go but I am Ok.

I had another set back 6 weeks after my surgery but nothing connected. I got some kind of tummy bug with the runs for 8 days, no vomiting so I could eat but I didn't drink enough so got very dehydrated, seeing things,head spinning, skin lost it's elasticity, erratic pulse, and I dropped 9 pounds ,all water of course, but  3 days on electrolytes and tons of fluids  got me up and over it thank goodness, and of course the weight came back on so hopefully I can now get down to my plan.

If the CT scan that is in the works is what they are expecting I will be having back surgery so I need to get more mobile. Also I have very low iron count which wasn't responding to oral iron as it made me vomit, so starting shortly I am having IV iron 3 times a week  in the hospital till the numbers are good then top ups if need be, this would be prior to the surgery. In the meantime I need to do something about my weight which will make things easier for me to recover my mobility..I am not sure yet which diet to choose but am starting by trying to eat 4 times a day which is not easy for me.For a start it means getting up earlier which is a good thing.

So should I go with the low carb Keto diet , not sure if I should, or go with a basic all round Weight Watchers.

Today, and for the next few days I am going to try the  low carb one and see how it goes. I am winging it so any help is appreciated. I did eat breakfast..uugh just a boiled egg and a cup of tea but I got it down., planning a piece of chicken with cauli and brussel sprouts for dinner. I will have to think of something for lunch and some late snack..oh it is hard. I do have some large shrimp which I could do with a small green salad.Celery sticks for a snack I guess.

Holly my okra is just starting to fruit. I only grew 2 plants, one is large and healthy the other looks like a weed, but the first one has about 4 nice ones on it. I was thinking of freezing them.

Sorry for the medical rambling but it fits with what I am tryng to do with my cooking.

Wish me luck folks, I could have a new lease on life if I can pull this off a bit.

 

[Mid-life madness]

Good for you Jeannine! If you have a day were you don't do well, start over the next day. Eventually it will become a habit. I wish you much success.

[Thimble Hall]

Thank you Carrie, that is excellent advice that hadn't occurred to me.. XX Jeannine

[havanaholly]

Okra freezes well, Jeannine.  I love it lightly breaded in cornmeal and fried, but can't eat it that way any more! so I either stew it with corn and tomatoes or put it in gumbo.

[Jules Beth]

It occurred to me recently that I hadn't had spaghetti and meatballs in a while, so tonight I'm thinking spaghetti with meatballs, marinara sauce and garlic bread. Just thinking about it is making me hungry!

[havanaholly]

Digging around in the freezer this AM I found another packet of pork chops, so I sliced up another batch of dried apricots and they are soaking in brandy.  I think tonight I'm going to have them with fettuccine and broccoli.

[Thimble Hall]

Holly that sound delicious mm mm .

I managed steamed green veggies and a small steak today. It is difficult to cook without the carbs .Scrambled eggs early on.  I still cannot get the three meals in, if I have brekkie I don't want the lunch but I am trying very hard. I should pass on the deep fried breaded Okra for a bit so I guess mine will have to go in the freezer for now. Shucks. maybe I will do a little of it and  put the carbs down to a moment of desperation.

Julie I love spaghetti, maybe I should just put the meat sauce   over zuchinni LOL

Any ideas for using left over meat without carbs, I would usually make it into shepherds pie but can't think of a topping other than potato.

[havanaholly]

7 hours ago, Thimble Hall said:

...Any ideas for using left over meat without carbs, I would usually make it into shepherds pie but can't think of a topping other than potato.

Soup or stew.  Pilaf with brown rice ("good" carb).  Jeannine, you marinate the sliced dried apricots in the brandy as long as you can stand it.  A "dry marinade" for the pork chops of one teaspoon each of ground black pepper,salt, cumin and ginger.  After you dust the chops with the dry mix and sear them to golden brown in veggie oil (I prefer olive oil for the flavor) brown a sliced onion (I like to use the sweet Vidalia onions, but don't know if they're available in Canada), add the drained apricots (save back the brandy) and stir until they begin to brown (the smell will drive you mad) and then add the brandy and some stock and cook for a couple of minutes more; add two to four tablespoonsful of butter and let it melt, then stir it in and pour it over your plated chops.