What's for dinner?

Pesto pasta with shrimp. Salad and fresh fruit.

Made ratatouille, roasted butternut squash and roasted eggplant this afternoon. Think I will make a little garlic shrimp to go with it for supper.

My roommate bought herself (and therefore "us") an air fryer for Christmas. I haven't made anything in it yet but want to. I'm noticing all these great Instapot recipes. Got any tips for air fryer meals? Anyone out there using one regularly? I've heard good things about them, in general.

I used to get a grilled romaine salad when I lived in California. I've never seen it on a menu anywhere else except this one spot I used to frequent. I should try doing one at home. I buy romaine and other lettuces every week. It's something I always want on hand, even if some goes brown and gets thrown out.

I have never tried it grilled. Have to try that. I love lettuce wraps!

You can grill or pan fry romaine hearts too. They are great. Just cut them in 1/2 lengthwise and use a little olive oil in the pan. There are recipes online.

Also lettuce wraps are good.

cwille,

I love the three pack. Yes, salads but you can put it on sandwiches too.

"cwillie,"

I'm liking croutons AND garlic bread!!

A 3 pack of romaine lettuce hearts was on sale so I'm going to be eating a lot of salads. (It's only me - what was I thinking?) Tonight it will be a mixed salad topped with egg, cheese and some of that beef from the other day, I haven't decided whether to make croutons or garlic bread to go with.

"NHWM,"

Living in a big city out in the desert southwest, I have not tasted sugar straight from the sugarcane plant.

You were fortunate to have your grandpa to take you all to the sugarcane fields where you can learn about a variety of foods and flowers.

The pralines, peanut brittle and divinity sound "divine!"

Big pot of steaming homemade chili. served with slices of avocado, will freeze half for a quick meal on busy days. Wonderful on a cold day like today.
Homemade vegetable bean soup with Cilantro and fresh from the oven warm corn bread. Homemade coleslaw.

Yeah, I tried one once. PURE SUGAR! One bite before mom threw it out.

But I felt like I was desecrating something so beautiful and it wasn’t like eating the ‘forbidden’ fruit.

Forbidden fruit for me was taking a swipe of icing that mom made for a cake without her seeing me! 😊

Did you ever taste sugar straight from the sugarcane plant?

Oh, now that was special!

I adored my grandfather. Grandpa knew someone who worked at a sugar refinery.

Grandpa took us for a drive out of the city and we got to go into the sugarcane fields and taste it raw before it gets processed.

I remember it being a fun experience with my grandpa. Was neat to see where sugar came from.

I was a city kid. Grandpa wanted us to learn about where food came from. He was an avid gardener himself. He grew many flowers and veggies.

He loved sugar though. He made the best candy! Pralines, peanut brittle and divinity.

"NHWM,"

Since your brother would eat their sugar eggs and you just "stared" at yours, did you ever actually taste one and is it really good?

I just got my daily nutrition newsletter in my email inbox called "Why You are Craving Sweets" - they must have been reading our comments! Do do do do, do do do do, doooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh my gosh, NGI

Yes! That sounds like a chocolate fantasy!

An English tea room would be fantastic too!

"NHWM,"

Having had parents who lived through The Great Depression Era, they both had so much stuff it was excruciating to have to go through their 3 bedroom house with an extra addition outside and storage shed by myself. When my husband took a two week vacation and helped me, we had to take a lot of stuff to the backyard and hire a junk company to haul it away. That was so hard. I still have a 10x20 and 5x5 units packed with the rest of their things all the way up to the door. We have payed some big bucks since 2016 because I can't face it all by myself again.

I tried my hand at cake decorating. I made my mom a special Mother's Day cake in the shape of a basket using a weave technique. It was hard to do but, it came out pretty good for never doing it before. I had a Wilton set of decorating tips. I don't have the patience or talent and gave up on it especially after my dad passed away.

I think I've made the dough ornaments once a very long time ago so I don't remember the shape.

When you mentioned the miniature tea sets, I love doing afternoon teas. I had the mini spoons, forks and knives and mini dishes for the Lemon Curd and Authentic Devonshire Cream, pretty pink floral small teacups and the three-tier stand for the finger sandwiches, scones and mini desserts. I miss doing those for my mom. She loved them. I'd turn my dining room into a mini tearoom with a backdrop, table for two and send her an invitation.

Oooh, a chocolatier would be neat. Before COVID we went to a chocolate factory and took a tour. They've been around quite awhile in our state. You probably would of liked seeing The World's Largest Chocolate Waterfall in Alaska at Alaska Wild Berry Products. I took my mom there in 1995 and of course they passed out samples! I also made a white chocolate fudge with dried cherries and walnuts years ago, bought Christmas candy cups and boxes and tied with a ribbon to pass out to my parent's neighbors when she got to a point where she could no longer do it. That was much more fun to do than the cakes!

NGI,

I was laughing because my brothers ate theirs. I just stared at my sugar egg!

I love antiques road show. American Pickers is fun too.

I know, it’s hard to know what to keep. I wish mom would have kept one of my sugar eggs as a kid but it’s impossible to keep everything.

I liked matchbox and hot wheels!

The miniature tea sets! Those were adorable too!

How do they make those sugar eggs? I am going to have to research!

Did you ever make dough Christmas ornaments? I did. They’re fun. My friend and I did doves.

I have a hollowed out eggshell Christmas ornament that I spent $10 on many years ago at a craft show. It’s absolutely gorgeous! It has a scene inside of it!

Food is an art form. Any type of pastry of confectionery is especially beautiful, like my sugar eggs!

I have never been a beautiful cake decorator. It takes enormous patience and talent!

Actually my fantasy would be to be a chocolatier! Yum!

"NHWM,"

Why are you laughing? They are a piece of art :) I just went to SugarEggs.com - they really are an artform! In my spare time, I'd like to see how they make them. It seems like it would be hard to get the scenes inside.

I had to look up "Polly Pockets" - they are so cute!

Yes, I think back to all the things I could have sold due to their value today. I had a couple Barbie dolls, matchbox cars and some other things along with what my parents accumulated. It just takes so much time though to go through the process. I have quite a few Precious Moments figurines. I bought my mom a Precious Moments adorable yard figurine for helping us move years ago and someone at her previous facility stole it. I was so upset because I was going to keep it as a remembrance once she passed away. It was selling at around $100 - $125 according to my cousin's friend who sells antiques. The owners gave me a $100 but, it's not the money I wanted. It was for sentimental reasons.

We would often watch "The Antique Roadshow" on PBS. I've never heard of "American Pickers" - if it's on cable, we don't have cable. I'll have to see if there's any of them on YouTube or at list some clips of it. I basically hauled a lot of my stuff to the hospice company who took care of my dad in 2004 and our state's Humane Society as they have a thrift shop not too far away. They both get the cream of the crop. The rest, I give to Goodwill which is one of my next projects!

NGI,

I just stared at my sugar eggs like a piece of art! Hahaha 🤣

Mom eventually threw it way.

I wonder how those eggs were constructed. They were like looking inside of a story book.

Yes, train sets are really cool. Love those too!

I remember my oldest daughter playing with ‘Polly Pocket’ and I believe that they are collectors items now! They were adorable miniatures.

Just think if we had some of our old stuff! Some of it is worth big bucks now! I had one of the original Barbie dolls.

Now everything is plastic! I miss the old metal toys, my brothers had the Tonka trucks. I had a metal cash register. I saw one in an antique shop just like I had. It was selling for $75!

Look at that show, American Pickers. Those people are hoarders but they have valuable junk! LOL

"Elaine,"

I'm so glad you're loving the instant pot! I still remember once I got used to how to cook in it, I couldn't wait to make dinners and my husband couldn't wait to eat them - lol!

Your son was probably blown away by the reheated corned beef - the leftovers are just as good.

If I can find my beef brisket recipe, I'll post it. I made it for a dinner gathering years ago. It has a special sauce that not only tasted delicious but, had such a beautiful color!

Nobodygetsit, stoked, that’s funny!!! I am getting stoked using my instapot!! I love it!! Yes, I wrote down the time to 1:45 minutes because it was a thick cut.

I just heated a plate in the microwave for my son just now and the meat literally came apart with a fork!!!

Needhelpwithmom, thanks for the idea. A brisket. That sounds like a great idea in the instapot!!

"NHWM,"

I love the peanut butter eggs too but usually give them to my husband, since he loves them. You're probably talking about ones that are filled with strawberry or coconut creme and other flavors that I can't think of - maybe vanilla. I'll eat them if that's all they have or I'm really desperate.

I just looked up some images of the sugar eggs - yes, now I know what they are. They are too beautiful to eat! So if you never ate yours, what did you do with them?

I have always loved miniatures too. I don't know why I'm so fascinated with them. I had a doll house with all the little pieces of furniture too. I love miniature train sets. An older gentleman used to set one up in his backyard at Christmas time and held an open house. It was so neat, he'd put mini cars, people, trees, animals and more throughout the display. I like the dioramas some museums have on display too.

Good night, everyone.

My show is coming on about Agatha Christie in England on PBS.

Then off to bed!

NGI,

Me too. I love caramel and peanut butter eggs but not those fruit cream eggs! Those are gross to me.

You know, the eggs that are made of beautiful sparkling sugar. They are gorgeous! Works of art! Hollow on one end and there is a pretty scene to view.

Look it up online. They are so pretty that I never wanted to eat mine.

I love miniature art, like doll houses and the furniture that goes in it.

My MIL built a gorgeous doll house for my oldest daughter and furnished it beautifully. It’s so pretty!

Well, this is an egg, filled with a miniature scene inside.

Pastry chefs are so talented to me! Beautiful cakes are works of art to me.

We didn’t have a groom’s cake at our wedding though. They weren’t popular then. I loved picking out our wedding cake but compared to what they do now, ours would be an ordinary, traditional style. Nowadays, wedding cakes are extraordinary!

"Elaine,"

I just LOL when I reread what I wrote about you being "stoked" to use the pot - that sounds kind of funny!! I should have said you were really getting "stoked" in using your "instapot!"

"NHWM,"

The chili should freeze well as long as you put it in a good container made for freezing. I think brisket would be very good to make in it as well. I had a great recipe for beef brisket that had a delicious sauce to go with it - just don't know where it is at the moment.

I always loved having a chocolate bunny (hollow or solid) at Easter and I'm not a peeps fan either. I'm not sure I know what the sugar eggs are.

I like the red, purple and pink jelly beans the best and I like caramel eggs - I'm not sure if that's the same eggs you're talking about.

Elaine,

Yay! Success! So now you know how to modify the corned beef timing.

I wonder how brisket would work in it.

Elaine and NGI,

I want to do Chili too. Does chili freeze well?

NGI,

I bet that centerpiece was beautiful! My favorite as a kid were the sugar eggs! They are so pretty and of course, I still love my chocolate bunny at Easter!

Not a peeps fan.

I do like jelly beans and forget the cream filled eggs, 🤮 yuck!

Linguini with white wine sauce, scallops, shrimp and clams, salad and French bread. Staying at Opryland Hotel. A friends daughter sings in the dinner show. Lacy was very good.

"Elaine,"

I'm so glad you were able to get it cooked so it would be tender. Once I find a right cooking time, I always write it down for next time. I noticed a recipe said 90 minutes for a 2# piece plus, I know there are two different cuts I think which changes the shape/thickness in portions of the meat. I usually get the flat ones where the meat is more evenly shaped.

I want to make the chili soon while it's still cold outside!

Now, I think you're getting really "stoked" to use the pot!!

We cooked chili in it last week and it came out great!! We cooked the hamburger over the stove in a frying pan first and then threw all the ingredients together in the instapot for 10 minutes on pressure cook.

It came out delicious!!

Nobodygetsit and Needhelpwithmom, I just took the corned beef out. It was a very thick chunk of meat. It came out soooo much better cooking it longer and the taste is incredible!!!

Total cooking time for corned beef to come out tender on the inside as well as the outside is 1hour 45 minutes.