Pancakes....reinvented

Who ever thought up this idea....is a genious

Mini banana muffin pancakes

The best way to make pancakes.  Why didn't I ever think of this?  And the best part....the g'kids snacked on them most of the day.  Very good all day long.

By the end of the day there was only 1 left over for my daughter to try.

Next time ....maybe I'll add some bacon to the batter.  I still can't get over how good these were.  I lost track of how many the g'kids ate for breakfast.

Use a cookie scoop, don't overfill...and don't use convection setting until after top of muffins have set.  Or they come out ...leaning over.  Since my 24 mini muffin trays are all in storage I had to make do with a 12 muffin tray.  And I forgot to reset the oven for the second batch.  The second batch came out like cone-heads.  But still good.

I think the pancake grill will be retired after this...maybe for pork chops but not for pancakes.  Muffin pancakes are the future.  And these would be great for breakfast on the go.  I can just see it now.  One dixie cup with sausages and the other with pancake muffins on either side of the booster seats for our planned road trip wednesday.  No..maybe I will have to come up with a different container.  But def will make these wednesday morning so that we can get on the road sooner.  I know they will be a hit all day long.
...mini banana muffin pancakes
...mini choco chip banana muffin pancakes
...mini bacon banana muffin pancakes
...maybe mini sausage banana muffin pancakes....that might solve the container issue.  Hmmmm
...maybe with some leftover baked ham....I should buy one...for the road trip munchies.  Best part of the road trip is the munchies.  I usually have two coolers full.  We only have to make pit stops to stretch out the legs and do some running around (g'kids) ...chase a ball or fly a kite.  I can hardly wait.

I LOVE ROAD TRIPS WITH G'KIDS

664 kilometers----6 1/2 hours---depending on how many pit stops
...should we go the ferry?
...and which ferry, there are two possible ferries

Kootenay Lake Ferry

Arrow Lakes Ferry

...through the park?
...there are so many different park possibilities

Banff National Park

Emerald Lake/Yoho National park

Around Fairmont Hot springs

Slocan Lake

I've forgotten how beautiful the drive is.

Except for this part....I really Hate, HATE   HATE

It better not look anything like this.......


Maybe we will go one way...and come back a different loop.



Hopefully their parents will have this place all packed up by the time we return.  But I'm guessing....not likely
But one can always dream.....

Spring...almost

It was a beautiful spring day yesterday
....I even had the a/c on in the van.
....I made chicken fingers, rice a roni and green beans
....Then I spotted a 50% off sticker on a row of sponge cakes, and proceeded to search out some strawberries, and vanilla ice-cream.  What better way to celebrate first day of spring than
....Strawberry Shortcake for dessert.  It was wonderful - I ate two servings.

You can't really see the snow falling....but rest assured...it's there
So much for spring this morning.  Maybe it was that 2nd serving that brought on the bad vibes for a longer winter

this is what Edmontonians had to look forward to

Thank goodness This scene was just north of here

But I should get off...cause I'm planning on making this  Cauliflower & kale thing with rotisserie chicken.  It was this or cream of cauliflower soup, and this casserole thing seemed to win out.

Everybody have a nice start to spring.   It can only get better ....let's hope we all see a little more melting going on.


And this is my contribution to the red theme....



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Have you tried this stuff?

I made an interesting Mac & cheese thing couple weeks ago.  I sorta followed "dinner with julie"
I didn't make it in a skillet, and I added leftover chicken instead of bacon.  But it was still interesting....

Then on Friday I was making meatballs ...and didn't really want any spaghetti and was kinda tired of red sauce.  Whattomake....whattomake....?

I had a container of campbells white cream sauce in the pantry and just a couple days before I was reading a meals on wheels fundraising cookbook and noticed a recipe for swedish meatballs.

50+ meatballs
container cambells white sauce
container yoghurt
.....why not

I emptied the white sauce into a pot and then rummaged around in the fridge for something to add volume and spotted a medium container of plain greek yoghurt, so I added it.  Then spotted another container of veg stock ...about 1/3 of a container so in the pot that went.  Some nutmeg - then lea and perrins and finally the meatballs.  ( I gotta add here, that they were some of the best meatballs made to date --- me and the kids kept sampling them as soon as they came out of the oven)   I even added all the brown bits on the parchment paper the meatballs cooked on.

Served them with noodles
Found some pork jelly instead of logenberry

Yummmmm


So Yesterday I picked up 3 more containers of the stuff on sale $1.66 each (when you buy 3 otherwise $2.00 each)  So far I've only seen them at Superstore.  But they might be at others by now.

Yesterday it was "empty the fridge soup" --- or better known as Ina Gartens minestrone... you can find it here, or just google it.  I even used cannellini beans from scratch.  (though they still suck---can't get my taste buds around legumes or pulses or whatever they are officially called)

..cooked up 1/2 a pound of bacon, removed them to bowl after they were done.
..sauted 2 onions, 4 garlic and three celery stalks in the bacon fat and olive oil
..added 4 carrots,
..two containers veg stock
..couple shots of braggs and lea & perrins, and celery salt
..bay leaves
..2 baby zuc's, an almost empty bag of frozen french cut beans, scrunched up into smaller bits
..1/2 bag of pasta that I found in the pantry...small tubular, that I cooked seperate then added to the soup pot just before serving
..couple over ripe roma tomatoes
..and this stuff

rinsed it, spun it, then cut them up with scissors before adding to pot.
..Threw some leftover ham shank from sunday dinner and the bacon into the pot. (was worried the ham wouldn't be a good idea since it had a Dr. Pepper reduction and grainy mustard as a glace..but it was very good in the soup after all)
..found container of squash puree, added it to pot
..chopped up flat leaf parsley
..added a big glob of pesto
..added the cooked pasta
Served with loaf of french bread.  It's only going to get better for today.  But it was very good last night.  The  salad greens really made the soup.  I've never seen it before.  I actually was searching for some baby spinach at the supermarket, but spotted this package instead.  And I grabbed the last one....to the shagrin of two other women standing beside me that were both after the same thing.  Apparently it's very good in smoothies.  But I got the last one.  It will be added to the weekly grocery load for sure.  I really think it made the soup.  And my daughter (has smoothies every morning as she drives to work) added it to her daily breakfast smoothie.

I found a box of oven-ready cannelloni and I have plans to use the salad mix with beef/pork mixture and the campbells white sauce instead of tomato sauce.  Just for something different.

I was surfing around pinterest this morning with my coffee, and I spotted a pic of zuccini sticks in bread crumbs.  And promptly ran upstairs and made my own.  Who would have thought to make some...not me. I had everything so why not.  And while they were in the oven I cut up three potatoes with a mandoline and made some microwave chips to boot

the recipe I viewed ....not the way I do them.  I used flour, then egg wash, then seasoned panko.
Otherwise the panko just doesn't stick the way I like it.  Sloop zuccini around in the egg wash till coated.  Before adding them to the panko though.

Put a squirt of ceasar salad or ranch dressing, add some sour cream or yoghurt, stir to combine then stand up the sticks and the chips in the bowl.

Wow I must have eaten three baby zuc's and 3 lg potatoes just by myself....Didn't seem that much at the time.  But it was sure good ....for lunch...with white wine.

I've got the dropsies today
Everything I touch ends up on the floor ...and it's only 10:30 A.M.

1. Poached egg on toast - as I was about to put the fork in my mouth, the fork ended up on the floor, not before bouncing off my lap---the fork had a perfectly gooie, runny ---just the way I love it--- yolk, piece of toast and smear of HP sauce.  Bounced off my lap, hit a chair, did a fancy spin then hit the floor.  You would not imagine that a little piece of food could make such a mess. Smears, bits of egg, and hp sauce everywhere.  Now I'm going to have to change out of my formerly white sweater.

2.  Decided to look for some puff pastry in the freezer section of fridge and proceeded to send five loaded ice cube trays to the the floor. Not before bouncing all over the place.   What a mess.  Didn't find any puff pastry ...stuck everything back in the freezer after refilling ice cube trays.  Slammed the door shut.

3. Opened the fridge for some coffee creamer and dislodged a jar of strawberry jam.  It proceeded to bounce off the shelf onto another shelf then did a final bounce onto the ceramic tiled floor.  Sticky glass everywhere.  After cleaning up this mess I noticed more puddles of former ice cubes.  Cleaned that up also.

4.  Decided I needed something with my coffee...headed back in the kitchen, opened the fridge and pulled out some couple days old (wow this stuff just get better and better) skillet corn bread. If you want some goooood corn bread, try Martha's recipe.  Sliced a couple pieces off, buttered it and was about to leave when I noticed the freezer door ajar.  Opened it and a bag of peas poured out on me.  And bounced around.  3/4 of a bag of the f*cking things. It was probably me that just threw them in without making sure the bag was actually closed.    Cleaned it up.

5.  Had a piece of buttered cornbread hanging out of my mouth (my hands were full)....it broke off and fell butter side down on yet another puddle of melted ice cubes.  Cleaned this up.

6.  Swore and cursed like a ....well like me - grabbed my coffee and turned to leave the room with the remaining piece of corn bread and managed to splash out 1/2 of my cup of coffee alloverthef*cking kitchen.

I'm not looking forward to the rest of the day.....at all --- it's going to be an accident just waiting to happen.  I can just feel it.

It's not so much a dropsie day---more like a bouncy day

Reasons to be cheerful...

1.  I got the afternoon off....so I went to work.
It felt good to sort paperwork, slump over a keyboard for 5 hrs, fight with stupid quickbooks and reconcilation reports.....ooooh what joy

2.  I didn't have to make dinner.....when I got home after 7 - it was already prepared....yay. Not that I like edemane beans, but I suffered through them.  One always has to appreciate your daughters dinners.

3.  Spent the morning surfing around the net looking for vacation deals for mid April.  Too bad it wasn't for me.  But it was pleasant to leave home for a few minutes, if only in my mind.

C...is for

Wedding in Cancun.

Despite a resort that blew up a week before everyone was scheduled to arrive

Despite a weeks anxiety about cancelled reservations, and rebooking everyone at several different resorts, cancelled reservations weren't cancelled after all.

Despite my credit card being cancelled due to suspicious use the day after the resort blew up and a new card not being issued until we arrived in Mexico

Despite a huge cell phone bill a month after we returned because our phones got hacked. (never never leave your country without a cell plan in place for specific country your planning on going go) and finally getting all charges dropped.

Despite resort being almost empty of vacationers (most were rebooked at other resorts) and the guest to employee ration being something like 1 guest to 10 employees.  No lineups anywhere is always a good thing.

....The wedding went on

....A good time was had by all.

The Easter Bunny

I think we spotted the easter bunny on friday.

If you look real close....it's under the table.  It must have been there for about 15 minutes before the g'kids spotted it....and gave chase

It seems we have been doing a "meal plan" on mondays lately so here they are

turkey meatballs
lasagna rolls
Ribs - chez moi, with rice and green beans...but I've been adding some grated ginger lately to the recipe.
Cream of roasted cauliflower soup
....friday...undecided


Just a little note about the mac & cheese pancakes....how best to say it....might as well just come and say it..
....They sucked.  There...sorry, but there was nothing earth satteringly good about them that just plain buttermilk pancakes with a smooshed banana can't beat...hands down.  I was very dissapointed after the little bit of hype in the book and online from the original recipe holder.  next time when I have leftover mac & cheese I will add a can of tuna and onion and lemon and celery with celery salt and maybe some red pepper and shredded zuccini  some tangy italian dressing ....and make a salad over some romaine.  It's a waaaay better use of left over mac & cheese than these pancakes.

And on Saturday I made the texas chili that was also in the book "cook fight" and it too ....sucked.  Is it stew, or is it chili.  It ended up being neither.  I kept wanting to add beans, but I never did.  And the mext day the chili was even blander than it was the say before.  So far this book is 0-2 in the good/bad recipe ratio.  And On sunday afternoon I returned it to the library.  There are just better recipes out there.

Friday

It's already March 8th.  I swear we're spinning around the galaxy faster.  I can't believe how time has been flying.  Do we age faster if the earth starts spinning faster.....I don't think I like that much.  Or do we look younger as we age faster......hmmm

Sunday was a pork shoulder ...fancied up with cider vinegar, onions, garlic something else my daughter threw on top when I wasn't looking.  It was okay, but we had a late start cause of a cookie making session.  It would have tasted better at a lower temp longer in the oven.  But it was okay.

Monday I roasted up 5 bone-in chicken breast and 6 thighs.  I wanted some chicken leftovers.

Tuesday made chicken chow mein.  Was one of the best.  Everyone was hording it for lunch the next day.  I found some hidden away in the fridge.  And just this morning I loaded a lunch container that someone had used yesterday that had visible chow mein residue into the dishwasher.  So there must have been more hidden away than I thought.

Wednesday was pasta chicken bake ...something I discovered on-line.  But she called it
Skillet Mac'n Cheese.  I didn't bake it in a skillet, but had to add more to feed 6 plus leftovers for lunches. So instead of 1/2 of a 500g pasta I used 300 g pasta and shredded up a chicken breast instead of the bacon (but next time if I use something other than the bacon called for I will add some bacon drippings, cause it was a little bland) .  I added about two handfuls of spinach, cut up and a zuccini shredded and 1/2 cup of butternut squash puree.  Dumped it all into a casserole dish and served it with spicy hot sausages.  So it's probably a good thing the pasta wasn't very spicy cause the sausages sure were.  I also sauted up a container of sliced mushrooms to add on top of each serving.  Cause if there's one thing I learned after watching Juia/Julie or is it Julie/julia??  Whatever.....It's "DON'T CROWD THE MUSHROOMS".  I have followed that rule ever since.  And discovered the reason I hated mushrooms is because no one ever cooked them properly.  I never add mushrooms into a dish before it's cooked....But add them after they are sauted/browned and after everything is cooked. On top...or on the side.  Use two frying pans or do it in batches.  It's worth it

Thursday was muffin meatloaf.  I added the remaining container spinach cut up in a chiffonade a grated carrot and the remaining butternut squash puree about 1/2 cup. And served them over rice.  There were three left last night.  But I had the remainder of the chicken pasta for breakfast this morning cause they were gone. I didn't use any mushrooms and I used a whole egg instead of eggwhites.  I added the final dregs of lea and perrins (to my detriment, cause I didn't have any for my bloody ceasar later, but when there isn't any l&p, it's amazing how a shot of Bragg's works pretty darn good, as long as you also add some lemon juice) and use a silicon muffic tin.  They get nice and brown and much easier to remove from the pan. Saute up the zuccini and carrot and spinach before adding to the ground beef and I used half ground beef and half ground pork.



So tonight it's going to be ......
Mac & Cheese pancakes.
As soon as I saw this recipe from Cook Fight  cookbook.  I knew we had to try it.  I'm going to make mac & cheese for lunch for the g'kids just so there will be leftovers to make the pancakes.  There's some nice pork sausages in the freezer that will go nicely with the pancakes for dinner.



And saturday....well I really should go to work..  I can imagine the stack of paperwork and receipts everywhere.  Now that everything has been removed from the house and garage, I can finally go to work.  I can't believe I'm actually looking forward to it.  So sick of the moving mode i've been in lately.  I've got a bit of a breather before moving into the new place a week after Easter.  I'm thinking I'll take the g'kids for a visit to B.C. over easter weekend so the adults here can start to process all the stuff here into boxes.  That way maybe I won't have to do any of it.  Here's hoping.......

Reasons to be cheerful...

1.  Finally finished EVERYTHING ....did the final sweep up and dumpster toss.  Everythings in the storage locker and finally I can go to work on Saturdays instead of packing and packing and more packing.  Not to mention cleaning cleaning and more cleaning.  Big heavy sigh of relief. This has got to be the absolutely worst part of moving.  Ugggggh

2. Recently was introduced to my step daughters long lost son that she gave up for adoption (with my prompting) 26 yrs ago.  Have't actually physically met him, but he texted us and since my husband isn't technically savy with sending pic etc. I forwarded many pic's to him of his prospective new fan damily.
I remember years ago I went to a meeting of adult adoptees searching for birth families.  It was a room of very mostly angry people.  All they really wanted was to LOOK like someone.  I sent him many photo's of many people and I especially think he is identical to another family member, so he finally feels like he belongs to something.  I hope it brought him some sense of joy.  My stepdaughter lives in Toronto and this son actually lives here, same city as us.

3. I didn't have to load the dishwasher today after dinner.  Yay....I hate that chore.

Mine have been all stuffed, transported and stacked into storage

These are the leftovers for my daughter to start with

The other day my g'daughter was in her k'garten line-up --- she just casually mentioned the pile of boxes in the dining room.  All of a sudden the dozen or so other 5yr olds in the lineup were recounting the time they moved.  I just love listening into conversations of 5 yr olds.  The things that they talk about are eye opening.  

The date for the big move has been tentatively set for week after Easter.  I figured out just the other day, it's been going on 7 years since I did the moving thing.  That's the longest we stayed at one address.  Who Knew! That was surprising.  

No wonder I had so much to throw into the dumpster.  That's way to long to stay in one place.  

Even with all the weeding out of broken furniture, mixing parts to furniture, piles and piles and more piles of clothes....the storage locker is stuffed to the rafters.  Trouble is....the stuff closest to the door is mostly 5 feet of junk.  It's always the dregs that are stacked up at the door.  The "good stuff" is usually the first in---the last out.  It's all the stuff you really could use some of right now...but no one can actually get to it until all the crap is dealt with first.  I'm getting real sick of my limited supply of clothing that I packed in the one suitcase for both of us.  (even though my husband cheated and snagged some of his "can't live without" clothing everytime he was allowed to go into the storage unit while stuff was still accessible).  And I promised myself I would not buy anything new until after everything was unpacked.  It's been a hard promise to keep.  I think quitting smoking was easier than staying away from retail outlets.  But so far....so good. 

And there's going to be some "NEW RULES" afterwards...about all this potential new crap.  What I should have done was taken pictures of the 3x's I filled the dumpsters.  That would have been a good idea.  I still have to go clean out the dregs out of the garage from the old place.  But that's mostly destined for the dumpster as well.  

I'm planning on opting out of mail delivery as well.

I set up a new email for just snail mail substitutes.  I've kept old mail box for next month to monitor just what we actually receive in the mail.  It's been mostly junk and more junk for the last couple years.  

So....

-no home phone (cell phones only)

-no mail delivery 

Mail delivery is a dinosaur anyway.  

It's kinda comical when I tell those that need my mailing address ...that we don't have one...it's either email or nothing.  

Haven't had anyone refuse yet. Or say they can't comply.

we'll see........

my sister...the postmaster in a small community...said it can't be done....so I have to prove that yes it can be done.  She always criticizes me that I use "self check-outs" at the supermarket...that I'm somehow eliminating someone's job.  I really don't care.  It's all about my convenience....

And....some businesses are like ghost towns.  No longer necessary.  And cost too much money in subsidies to keep around.  If businesses need mail delivery they should be paying for it.  I wonder how much tax $$$ could be saved.  

Well I'm going to do my part.  

I'm sitting here in my pj's still - my coffee is getting cold.  My right wrist doesn't seem to be enjoying the double dose of aleve.  And neither are my three middle fingers on my left hand.

 That's sorta what's in my wrist....no one was more shocked than me when I actually saw the thing in an xray during a follow up visit with the surgeon.  I could not believe that thing was in my wrist.  That was ...about 7-8 yrs ago.. I can't exactly remember.  I thought the pic of mine was lost to a hard drive that fried, but when I upgraded my phone last year and waited for things to upgrade on my sim card.  That particular pic flashed by on the screen.  But I don't know what file it may or may not be in.  Someday I will have to look around the files on the phone.  So that's what's in my wrist...due to a stupid day at work when the supplier delivered the wrong chicken order.  And I didn't notice until it was too late to do anything but chop up 100 thighs from the leg.  I was expecting 100 thighs.  and I got 2 boxes of  50 thighs connected to legs.  And there was only about 1/2 hr  to seperate the two.  I took a cleaver and just let-'er rip.  That was a Tuesday as I recall.  On Wednesday I woke up with a sore wrist.  By thursday as we were heading out of town on holidays I noticed my wrist was giving me grief everytime I reached for my coffee while I was driving.  Hmmm.
We returned to town and me to work the following week ...and it was another tuesday....a week later....I was working again...and chicken was on the menu...and wouldn't you just f..... know it?  The order was screwed up again.  And again I didn't check the boxes unthawing until it was too late.  So the cleaver was put into service again.  But this time I had to get the nurse on shift to fill out an incident report, cause I couldn't even hold my hand up, let alone move fingers or hold a pen.  I managed to rip out tendons and bone was on bone.  The spider thingy sits at the base of my thumb, to connect it to the rest of the wrist.  Apparently it sits exactly on the pressure point for MIGRAINS.  So when ever i massage the left pressure point for headaches...it works eventually, but not so much the right one.  And surprise surprise....most of my migrains are on my left side so I used to massage the base of the thumb on the right hand to release my pressure and it usually worked, to releave some pain....but no so much anymore.  In fact migrains...and me...are very familiar.  And since the concussion its more a question of "when don't I have a headache" of one kind or another.  Anyway after the chicken incident and WCB etc....One kinda needs the use of a thumb on the right hand to cook for 100 3x's a day.
So much for cooking in a prof kitchen again...in longterm care.
That's when I returned to bookkeeping about a year and a half later.  After much physio and an addiction to T4's that lasted waaaay to long. But I can't really spend too much time with a keyboard...not 8 yrs a day anyway.  Not to mention that my golf game has never been the same.  The two years I didn't/couldn't play.  Then the six months (during golf season) wearing a brace...There was no joy left after having to accomadate the wrist. It's just never been the same on the golf course.  That was the hardest part of the whole thing.  I used to play 3x's a week at least.  Now it's one or twice a year...and how can anyone enjoy that.

So then...the other day I was pulling the garage door down as I was leaving the old place because the automatic door opener was not functioning...so manual it was.  But I grabbed the wrong thing...or else it rolled down to fast...but my fingers on the left hand were in the way.  And needless to say I thought I managed to cut of the fingers at the nail.  I was in such shock from the pain of the panels catching my fingers as the door rolled down.  I quickly rolled it back up and ...thank god there was no blood squirting anywhere.  The fingers apparently are very resiliant to crushing.  It's a good thing I suffer from a concusion since xmas (strange thing to actually say) because I just happen to always have a supple of xtra strength migrain med's in my purse.  I quickly downed two of them with some probably two day old coffee in the cup holder.  Because I had to drive 25 km with a buggered up hand, and as it would happen a buggered up wrist from over packing heaving things most of that day.  I didn't help that I was alone. So fingers on the lefts hand, wrist on the right hand.....
Have I mentioned HOW MUCH I HATE MOVING

Here's my "little hamburger helper"  ...Yes I did eventually go to the damn market.  And Stew meat was half the price of extra lean ground. (not that I ever buy extra lean....just usually lean does fine).  So the plan was to grind up half of it for dinner.
It was soooo lean that I had to add olive oil just to brown it right.  I should have weighed it before it was browned because there was no difference in volume after it was all browned...or so it seemed.
In order to clean the grinder thing I decided to grind up the garlic and onion at the end as well.

I added a good shot of balsamic and lea & perrins.  I should have added more garlic and maybe two onions through the grinder instead of just the one would have added more flavour....next time for sure

I added two different bottles of remainders of red wine probably about 1  1/2 cups to deglaze the pot.

I added these....didn't have any diced tomatoes.  All of them are in storage for some reason.  But this worked just fine.  Next time i would add more spices.

I shredded up a zucchini and added a large handful of cheddar cheese as well.  Next time I will use a more flavourful cheese maybe, or else use less ground beef and add cottage cheese that's been drained.  Then I added all the pasta.  The directions on the back of the pkg cooking time was 18 min.  Wow 18 min for pasta......and the recipe said to precook half of the time.  So I did.  But next time.....I will only precook pasta for about 7 min. It wasn't overcooked at 9, but will prob hold up a little better after the oven.

I also didn't have a 9 1/2 inch springform pan, only an 8 1/2 was available...the rest in storage.  So I lined a lasagna pan with parchment (for quicker clean-up, as for any other reason).  By the time I transfered everything over.  It was brimming full....to the top.  I was going to take some out into a smalled container but I just threw in sheet underneath in case of dripping.  But I didn't really have to cause it never boiled over.  maybe the bread crumbs on top prevented that...I don't know.  But it would have been a clean oven without the sheet.  I put it into a 350 oven and hit the speed bake button, (convection)  and just let it cook for about 3/4 of an hour or so.  I really can't remember.  I just let it brown nice.

My phone wasn't handy for a pic ...I suspect one of the g'kids was playing games on it.  So this rather ugly pic is all I have of the finished product.  This was what was left after the brown baggers left the house.  I tasted it for seasoning purposes.....It was lacking.  

Maybe if I had reduced the ground beef and added a crt of cottage cheese or used a sharper cheese, or added more garlic onions and spices definitly some hot sauce or chili paste.  I don't know why I didn't concider that pasta sucks up all the flavour....next time I will add more flavour. When I have my lunch i will prob add some HP sauce to my plate.
I could have added some chopped up spinach....I had a fresh container.  I could have added some butter nut squash puree, I had a handful of chopped squash in the fridge.  But I didn't.  Preferring to mayyyyybe do a recipe originally for a change.  But next time...

But all...in...all ...it was a new discovery and I will be replacing the pasta next time I venture into an italian market.

The reason I put the pasta into my basket in the first place ....I though I would try to make spaghetti O's from scratch ...still going to try that.

I was going to take the day off from the packing thing...but I left my reading glasses on the counter of the old place.  So I'm going to have to go back after all today.  Maybe I'll remember to spray the oven this time before I leave.

The long weekend is over and everyone made it home safe and sound.  Apparently there was a huge convoy of vehicles going to and from the same area.  Miles and miles of vehicles all following each other.  Thank goodness I had a house to pack up or otherwise I might have been in the massive line up as well.

Just before they got back into the city limits I sent a text to my daughter to buy a box of oatmeal before getting home, so that I could make the kids some b'fast without too much brain power being used.  Well they came in the door with luggage and grocery bags and the mentioned box of oatmeal.  But I don't know what else was in the grocery bags.....cause after taking a view of the fridge this morning to check out the possibilities for supper.  I found what was in there before the shopping.   Grrrrr

And I REFUSE to go to the market today.  F......that.

So this is what I have to work with

-1 zucchini
block of cheddar cheese
-10 eggs
3/4 of a pound of bacon
-some asapagus
- 1/2 box of tubetti pasta (that I bought for the minestrone last week)
-2 roma's

and I noticed this stuff, and figured maybe I'd give it a try for something.
We also have a carton of chicken broth, couple cans of tomato sauce, potatoes. head of cauliflower.  Everything but some meat.


Should I make a big pot of cream of cauliflower and bacon?
Should I make some casserole thing with baby like penne (some other thing I found while on the hunt in the italian market last week)?

Maybe a pasta salad?
or something with orzo?




This looks good....but I have no gorgonzola to crumble....but I do have some spinach and there might even be some dried cranberries somewhere....I remember buying some for cookies and not using them up

I probably have enough zucchini  to make zucchini pie, that's always a fav of everyone.  Maybe just add some bacon.

Then I googled "Anelli Siciliani"  ---that weird pasta that I've never seen before that I purchased last week.
and this is what I came up

...my goodness
doesn't this look interesting.
Baked Anelletti

I quickly pinterested it

Of coarse I will substitute zucchini for egg plant .....bleeeeck to egg plant
and no ground beef so bacon chunks will have to do.
...maybe I'll throw in some cauliflower puree....or butternut squash puree.....
...or maybe I will have to make a trip to the stupid market for some ground beef.

Though I haven't got a clue what "1 ½ tbsp tomato estratto" ...
tomato estratto....never heard of it

Well I guess the food content in this place isn't that dire after all, except for the lack of MEAT, I seem it have lots of veg at my disposal.

So the plan for dinner:

baked Anelletti with ceasar salad.
The jury is still out on weather there will be any beef in it or not.  I will have to see what kind of mood i'm in when I take the trip to kindergarten drop-off.  .....although the picture sure makes one want to
add the beef....... hmmmmmm.

I hate packing....moving....storage...and moving....and unpacking.

I would just love to be able to pack as much as I can get in the van in one trip ....and throw a lit match in the doorway as I'm leaving.

There is probably more stuff in the dumpster than in the storage unit.

my husband will probably have a heart attack when he realizes what I' ve done to so much stuff.  But it felt so good to tip so much into the dumpster.  

So upstairs is done

main floor is done - except for the cleaning of the oven, should be done today

now it's for the basement and the garage....but there's not much so shouldn't take to many trips to the storage unit. I wonder if I should weigh myself today before I start cause all those trips up and down the stairs should  maybe do something to reduce my butt.

Not bad for only the second day on skates.  Even I was impressed.  Though there is more running on skates than actually skating on skates.  It's close enough.

I never knew the city had a "skate program" ....A trailer shows up at the schools and any kids without skates gets to pick a pair out of the trailer and a helmut and spend three days on an outdoor rink.  In my travels around the city lately I've noticed several long rows of kids walking with skates and helmuts to outdoor rinks.     It's a great program.  And the skates are amazing.  I don't think I've ever seen such hard skates that allow the kids to skate immediatly.  They are impossible to bend once on the feet, so it's impossible not to be able to stand up.

I actually purchased a pair of figure skates for her a while ago at a garage sale, but she couldn't stay up with them on, so I wandered over to the trailer and got a pair that all the other girls were using, and low and behold ...she was up and skating.  They paired the kindergarteners with grade 5 and 6's.  So there was added pressure to fit in fast.  And it seems to work.  There were no frames around for the beginners to even use.  It was ...get up...and skate.

I'm so proud of how she just barrels into groups of older kids.  No fear.  That's my girl.
Maybe next time she should take a hockey stick on the ice with her.

Winter Minestrone---courtesy Ina Garten...somewhere ...originally

It's not a pretty picture...I know - but it's all I really have.
I was reading some blog's and this soup caught my eye.  I don't know where I originally saw it though.
But it was inspired from Barefoot Contessa's latest book.  Winter minestrone I think it's called.

I just googled it and there it was 

So I spent tuesday trolling through italian markets to find the pasta

and while I was there purchased some pancetta.  But I figured I'd make a bigger pot of soup so I bought 6+ ounces instead.  Some fresh garlic and canned Italian diced tomatoes. I spotted some fresh focaccia bread so I bought a fresh bottle of balsamic so that I could smoosh the focaccia into some balsamic and olive oil with the soup.  ( I should have bought two loaves...it's been a while since we had it so we all pigged out and were depressed when it was all gone).

I diced up the pancetta, browned it all up.  Added two large onions, 6 garlic, about 5 or 6 veins of celery. Sauted that all up.  There was a package of butternut squash already peeled and cubed so I cut it up a bit smaller cubes, and also about 6 carrots.  Dumped in some balsamic and lea&perrins for good measure and pepper.  I poured the liquid from the tomatoes into a pan and less than half of the diced tomatoes to fry it up a bit (I hate the taste of tomatoes that haven't been fried up a bit)  Since there is one adult in this combined household that has an avertion to seeing actual tomatoes floating around in anything I pulverized the rest with an imersion blender and then added it to the frying pan with the rest.  There was a yam leftover from the night before so that was smooshed into the tomatoes as well as some salt and red pepper flakes.  That was all heated up and fried up somewhat.  Then was added to the veg in the pot with about 4 different containers of broth that were in the fridge.  Two were beef broth and two were chicken broth.  All together there was probably just under three containers.  I was also boiling up about a handful of cannelli beans in another pot because the canned beans were just too mushy ...and being a bean hater...I figured I'd make my own.  I threw in a couple 3 bay leaves and squirted some chili paste and a good swig of bragg's. I spotted a container with sauted green beans from the night before, so I threw them in as well.  Probably about 1/2 cup cut up green beans.

I turned the heat off while the beans were doing their thing in their own pot and added them to the soup after they were ready.

I cooked the pasta seperate from the soup pot. When it was ready, it was drained in a sieve and I added a big glob of butter and stirred it up.  It was added to the pot just prior to reheating the soup for dinner. When the soup came to a boil I threw in some chopped up spinach and a big glob of pesto. I still can't believe my good fortune finding a big bag of frozen homemade pesto from summer languishing in the back of my daughters freezer.

I smeared some olive oil over the focaccia bread and wrapped it up in foil - threw it into the oven.

Dinner was served


My g'daughter looked at it...and inquired if that "green stuff" was spinach.
-Yes it is
-But baba I hate spinach
-well baba hates spinach too and beans (i picked out a bean and showed it to her), but everything else in here sure does taste good.
-okkkkkay I will try it

she ate the whole bowl and requested more.

That's the secret to non mushy pasta in minestrone.  Cook it seperately from the soup and then after dinner get it in the fridge to cool down quick.  This morning I poured in about 1/2 a container of broth and a good swig of bragg's into the leftover container before it was taken for lunches.

And I've had a sudden craving for tortellini and stinky salad for dinner.  And I swore that I would not go into a grocery store again this week.  But there is no feta cheese, no cuc's, or tortellini either.  And we're all going to want some more of that facoccia bread again.  I wonder how much I will spend today.  Crap ....I'm beginning to really hate the food markets.

I can't believe this cost me $40.  What is going on with the cost of food these days.  I think we need a raise.

I think it's safe to say...I'm in a pissy mood this morning...and probably have been all weekend.

I finally got the bug that has evaded me all season.  And---I gotta say, If ever there was a sore looser in the germ game...it's me.  I hate being sick, I hate being around sicko's...so one can imagine that I'm not the best person to be around when I'm sick.  Unless you have my med's for me, juice with lots of lemon in it, kleenex,  or a glass of wine.  Otherwise stay-the-hell-away-from-me.

I toke my g'son to the clinic friday morning as he had a really high fever thursday nite, and woke up with another one...so just to nip this thing in the bud for the weekend, I thought it was prudent to get his ears and throat checked out.  But by the time we got our names called (walk-in clinic) I asked them to add my name and gave them all my medical info, cause in the hour we were there I got some germ from hell that had finally caught up with me.  In fact i think I have two different ones. Flu and Strep. Ends up the g'son was just fine. but I have strep.  Well, I self diagnosed it.  The doc stuck a swab down my throat and then a light and proclaimed it might just be a virus...give it a couple days.  "are you effing kidding me, does he really think I have the time or even the inclination to do this sitting around in a room full of sicko's anytime soon, with a cranky g'child to care for?"  All I can say is, thank god there were many stupid games on my cell phone to accupy his time.  I told him ...the doc ... that I've had strep many times before and know exactly how it feels and I don't need a lab to tell me I have it, so give me the med's and I won't use your name in vain all weekend.  Cause nobody wants that.

He looked at me kinda weird like I was going to hex him or something. Which of coarse if I could I would have. But he handed over the persc and I left.

What I should have done...but didn't is get a big bag of lemons and limes and juice the suckers and drink it all day.  But for some reason I didn't.  And today I would probably be feeling a whole lot better if I had.  Too much on my mind with the move and all probably.

So I got the med's and even a bottle of super strenghth Advil ...not the cold/flu one. Just the reg.  Should have got the cold flu one.  Took a double dose of the antibiotic and double the super duper advil.  And felt better for a bit.

Saturday was a beautiful day wasn't it?.    There were people walking around in shorts.  We got our butts out of the house kinda late for getting breakfast out, but managed for Lunch.  Drove around...trying to decide.  Settled on Montana's.  Sat down,...first mistake - ordered booze before previewing menu.  Wow the prices...for lunch for heaven sake.  The riblets on the app's weren't there.  The other prices were like $5 more per item than they should have been.  And no.....there was no lunch menu on Saturdays...."use a bad word here,,,,any one you want....starting with an FFFFFF"

what to do....what to do.....
suck it up...that's what
order my ceasar....I don't care that I'm taking antibiotics...I'm gonna order..and drink a ceasar with lunch...I don't care what the label on the bottles says.

and when I'm ordering a drink...server.....don't walk away as I'm talking...It might reflect on your stupid tip.  Wait until I'm finished...cause I don't want any old Ceasar...I WANT IT MY WAY....If I'm paying $7 bucks for it...It's going to be ...my way

...tall glass
...ice on the side (cause I don't want 3/4 of my glass swimming in ice, thankyouverymuch)
...half clamato juice, half ginger. (yes you read it right...that's the way you better bring it..and don't roll your eyes at me.  just make the damn thing and bring it ....quick)

...waiting for my ceasar

Hummed and hawed.....waiting an awful long time

Finally.....she brought my drink
ordered fish and chips ( I know....why?????  Never order seafood in a meat restaurant.  But I didn't see anything else I wanted.   Why are we even here again?   This is what happens when you don't eat breakfast. or even have a cup of coffee and it's 11:45.

My husband ordered....or better I ordered for him.  Cause he never knows what he wants.
The baby back platter.  Didn't check the price beforehand.  Hmm

Took a swig of my drink....blekkkkk

what the f.... h.....lll

It tasted like crap.  Like the clamato was sitting out all night on the counter or something.

My fish was the worst fish and chips I think I've ever eaten
I was soooo pissed I didn't even swipe one of my husbands ribs...preferring to think they might suck too.

We paid the bill and vowed never to return again.  What happened to this place anyway, $50 for lunch.......

We still had an hour and ahalf  to kill before the show.  It's a good thing we were in and around many outlets.  I haven't had any retail therapy in ages.  Just ages

My husband got annoyed and bought a paper and slunk off into the car.  Good.....I prefer to get my therapy alone anyway.

I noticed a London Drugs past the theatre so we went and got our movie supplies there.  Haven't been to one in ages.

God....I hate theatre concessions.  AFter buying our muchies at the drug store...I bought a small bag of popcorn and two drinks. $15.  What theatre doesn't have coffee anyway.  Still no coffee for me yet and it was well after 3, I hate fountain drinks. they always taste like swamp water.  I didn't notice the price until I was going over our bank account a day later.  That really pissed me off.  I don't know why I never noticed it.

But LOOOOOVED THE MOVIE

ZERO DARK THIRTY

I just KNEW....IT WOULD TAKE A WOMEN TO GET THE S.0.B ...IN THE END

I just knew it.

All those cia dicks.  Couldn't get the job done without a woman.  What else is knew.  And how many days did it take for heavens sake?

Anyway.....the lead character was a dead ringer for my youngest daughter....that was really weird.  I kept picturing my daughter in this scenario.  It was kinda creapy.  But my daughter is kinda "a bad ass"  so the character accessment was spot on.

I'm going to have to get the book from the library now.  cause I kinda missed a few things....Probably blowing my nose and hacking and coughing...snorting

just what does "ubl" stand for anyway.  b for bin...L for laden?  then what the heck is the "u" stand for.  it was driving me crazy during the movie....and my husband was no help what so ever.  He didn't have a clue either. maybe it was the flu that did me in.  My brain was under attack after all

and why the title....did I miss something?

zero ...dark....thirty?

zero....? no clue
dark....well it was dark during the raid....is that it?  I don't know doesn't seem that that could be that simple
thirty....where there 30 navy seals?  Is that it?  damn....

I'm going to have to order the book...that's for certain.  But who has time to read when your in the moving process?  Maybe I'll just go see it again.  But those torture scenes were troublesome.  I don't think I want to see those again.

My son downloaded the whole thing.   And he doesn't get the whole...that looks like your sister thing.  But he hasn't seen her in awhile.  WE actually argued about it awhile.....yes she does....no she doesn't....yes she does....no she doesn't...YES SHE DOES

What does he know anyway.
Well he does know the download site.  But that's about it.  Maybe I'll watch it in his livingroom when we go to visit long weekend this month.  Yay for family day.

Well it was spaghetti tonight....how lazy am I?
There was a hunk of hamburger and canned tomatoes were on sale...so what else is there to do?  Leftovers for the brownbaggers.  What more can anyone ask for.
...tomorrow it's cream of cauliflower with bacon....yum. I've been craving that for a few days now.  I need soup.  It's soup weather.  So it's soup tomorrow.  I don't care what everyone else wants.  I just hope I have everything cause I'm sick to death of spending money at the grocery store.  I swear everytime I end up in one it's always $100+.  Just once I would like to get in...and out for $10.  The only place I've actually spent any money in the last month has got to be the grocery store or the gas station.  I need some retail therapy...It's been awhile.

There was a day last week I was channel surfing and stopped at "the view" though I don't usually watch this show and especially when Bill O'Reilly is on it.

They were talking about Lincoln so I kept watching.  Expecting the usual O'Reilly nonsense.  But he was actually "civil"  who knew he could be.  Since I love anything historical I kept watching.  We went to see the movie Lincoln and I had trouble staying awake.  It wasn't anywhere close to my favorite movie that's for sure.  So I ordered the book they were talking about from the library.

It was on the reserve shelf the next day.  So that's what I've been doing for the past two days.  The only reason it's taken me this long to read is because of the migrains from hell that I've been experiences every morning for the past three days.  So today I finally went to the pharmacy to renew my perscriptions and lo and behold it finally went away.  So I could finish the book.

Now I have to wait for the kennedy book