Sounds good, Dorph. Not only the food, but a walk around and seeing kids out on a soccer field. We're having a veritable heat wave ourselves. It's still four degrees below freezing, but compared to most of last week, I'll take it.

I started to make beef stroganoff last night. Got the beef and stock simmered, but took it off the burner and made ham salad instead because the rest of the evening was spent cleaning up the mess in the basement of a house I have in town. Burst pipes. I am marking off the dates on the march to Groundhog Day. Whether you believe the superstitions or not, to me it's the turning point of winter.

Sounds yum Michael and reminds me of many meals eaten at my maternal grandmother's home after church. Miss that happening.

Suzy, I did everything within my power to avoid burst pies, and managed to avoid it this cold snap. Still hubby dealt with burst pipes for work all week long. He's exhausted. It does seem to be at our breaking point for winter here, cherry blossoms and crocus aren't far off.

I'm still trying to decide on my sunday supper; either I'll have the tarragon chicken I suggested to g with roasted potatoes (but I don't think I will be hungry enough for that), chicken livers and mushrooms served up with scrambled eggs (a comfort dish from childhood, and actually, it's really tasty), or garlic shrimp served up with crusty bread. I may make the lemon custard dish ann t has shown every now and again on the cooking forum, but I am also considering coconut creme brulee. The lemon dish is about 120 calories per serving. I haven't figured out the coconut one yet. But I sure won't have chicken livers, eggs and dessert, that'd kill the diet for certain! I'm down 33 pound still, but no farther. I guess I should give up dessert, but I don't wanna!

I don't have a clue, since Katrina and I have been going to the diabetes classes I can't seem to get in the mood to cook.

Where do you get your shrimp, Michael?
The only shrimp I can find at my market are from CHINA
or some other foreign place, packaged in a block of ice
and I refuse to buy those.

At this time of year, I buy what's available. Usually from a local seafood shoppe that I wish for them to stay in business. I didn't ask from whence the shrimp came.

Well, since it was beautiful here today i was outside attacking the winter weeds in the garden for about three hours, so when DH suggested pork chops, potatoes fried in olive oil & apple sauce, I told him that sounded great.

Gyros at the local Greek restaurant. We split an order of onion rings. They use shoulder lamb for their gyros, really good.

I've a bowl of partially thawed boiled shrimp, cocktail sauce and saltines to nibble on. DS brought them over and stuck in freezer and I'm too lazy to reheat...plus it usually toughens them.

DIL brought fresh-picked turnip greens which had been protected from frost by covering the last few nights I suppose. Most will go in freezer after cooking later tonight but think I'll make some cornbread and eat one serving. Strange menu but I like snacking a bit of whatever's handy sometimes. josh

I sliced up a leftover bit of new york steak, added a spinach salad and a half an avocado. I found a rare treat at the Co-Op today, Star Fruit. I love it, sliced very thin on top of salad.

No dessert. I wish I had chocolate pudding. Ah well.

Leftovers!

Last night I made a dinner of with lots of little round ingredients... I braised a beef brisket with cranberries and pearl onions (verdict: meat and sauce were good but the cranberries were ridiculously over-tart... maybe try dried cherries next time?) I also picked up some blueberries on sale and made two cute little mini blueberry pies... as sides I served homemade spaetzle and green beans.

So leftovers weren't bad at all.

I think I'll make those baby pies more often. Our problem is that a whole dang pie is just too much for the two of us, so I usually skip dessert. If you cut your favorite recipe for a single crust in half, you'll have the perfect amount of crust for a mini pie tin with a lattice top. And about 1 cup and a half (or one of those little clam shells in the produce department) is just about the right amount of fruit...

Yum...

Here is a link that might be useful: A Meal To Die For