What's for dinner?

NHI olive oil - just a little, salt and pepper. Sometimes also nutmeg on the squash, dairy free parmesan and herbs on the eggplant.

"Golden"

Sounds delicious! Do you put anything on the roasted squash and eggplant?

Pork tenderloin, roasted butternut squash and roasted eggplant, apple compote. I'll probably have some dark chocolate and coffee later.

"NHWM,"

Marketing ploy??? Nah, they'd never do a thing like that to their loyal consumers (wink, wink)!

NGI,

Yes! Remember when the coke recipe changed? Coke addicts were having a fit because it didn’t taste the same.

Always wondered if that was a marketing ploy.

Roasted chicken with roasted carrots, potatoes, calfower.


I love young fresh coconut and the milk. I will say, I have had very rid (older) coconut and it can be dry & chewing.

"NHWM,"

Well I'm thinking if I had the real thing, maybe I would have liked it better.

You know just like the old coca -cola commercial says "ain't nothing like the real thing baby!" - "put de lime in de coconut and...." Oh, oh this is going in the wrong direction.

NGI,

It taste totally different than the bag. It’s really delicious if you enjoy coconut.

"Polar,"

I've never had fresh coconut although I do see them in the store. So I know the coconut I ate would have been when people passed out Almond Joy or Mounds candy bars at Halloween when I was a kid. I loved the chocolate part but, not the coconut.

So when it came to making the coconut cake, I know I used what comes in the bag in the baking aisle.

If I make that cake again, I will use your suggestion - thank you!

Not this year due to Covid, but the Zulu Mardi Gras parade decorates coconuts to give to parade goers.

Everyone wants a coconut! Many years ago float riders used to throw them into the crowd.

For obvious reasons, that was banned!

I have only attended Zulu a couple of times. It’s extremely early in the morning and our family always goes to the uptown Rex parade.

One year at a St. Patty’s parade, I was hit in the nose with a cabbage. It hurt!

My godmother had her glasses broken from a drunk Irishman float rider! She was so mad.

St. Patty parades they throw, cabbage, carrots, onions, potatoes, lemons, garlic, etc!

Bridger - fresh young coconut juice is the best drink ever. And the young coconut flesh is soft, sweet and creamy, so delicious. This was what we enjoyed in Hawaii when we went for our honeymoon.

But the dried shredded coconut sold in bags for baking is a poor excuse for coconut. If you can, buy a fresh mature (not young) coconut, shred the thick flesh in food processor and use for baking. It is so much better.

NobodyGetsIt - you were probably chewing on a piece of mature coconut. It's tough and fibrous, not suitable for eating like that. It's best shredded for baking.

Me too, Bridger. My dad used to open them for us to eat. So good!

Yes, we drank the milk too.

I love fresh coconut. I buy it, poke holes in the eyes and drain milk to drink. Crack and peel the rest to eat raw.

When I was a kid, a picky eater at that, I didn't like coconut. Whenever I tried it, I just kept chewing and chewing and chewing as if it were multiplying in my mouth - it just never seemed to go down the hatch so that's why I never liked it.

I can eat it now. My mom's favorite cake was coconut so one year for either her birthday or Mother's Day I decided to make her one. I think it was a three-layer one and it stood so tall and was white as snow. It looked so elegant and she was very surprised. It was so tender and moist. I would definitely make it again!

"Elaine," Glad you thought the brisket recipe sounded good. I know some people are intimidated with making brisket but, it's all in how you cook it!

We cannot FIND the oatmeal. 😡
Going back to bed at noon, will try again later. Meh.

Elaine,

That happens sometimes. We will lose our taste for something.

EB,

Great! It is easy. We enjoyed it.

That is what intrigued me. I would have never thought to put Dijon in a soup but it does add a nice flavor.

Oh, I have to try it with almond milk. I love almond milk. I only buy the unsweetened one.

My mom, mom’s sister and my grandma cooked really well.

I like a roast too. It’s fairly economical because we eat several meals from it. I love a roast beef sandwich the next day!

NeedHelp,
Wow! wonderful soup. family loved it. Two of us had seconds. I had to put away a bowl for my mom, otherwise it would be gone. She wants it later, just had her lunch. Empty pot now. Niece was going to have seconds later but I told her it might not be there so she had another bowl. Very quick and easy recipe and the Dijon mustard added great flavor. I copied and pasted the recipe and put it in my files of favorites. Thanks again for this great recipe. So satisfying, indeed.

Needhelpwithmom, I use to like coconut when I was a kid. But as an adult I can’t stand it. I won’t eat anything with coconut. For me it is the taste and texture I can’t stand, lol.

CWillie,
Almond butter oatmeal cookies! I would have to start hiding them! Yum!

Thank you for your suggestions, always!

Nobodygetsit, your brisket recipe sounds delicious!!

Needhelp,I am Catholic too. We never ate meat on Fridays as a kid. I eat meat occasionally but not too often. I would rather eat fish and vegetables. I do like a roast occasionally, though. I love to save money, I always look for the sales and stock up. My dad was a great shopper, he used coupons and got some of the groceries for free. It seems like you are a great cook too. Must have inherited it from your mom and grandmother, right? Well I have to tend to the wonderful soup. I will let you know how it turns out.

EB,

Don’t you love great tasting meals that don’t cost a fortune? I do buy quality ingredients, but I will buy smaller amounts.

I guess that’s why I have never kept a Sam’s or Costco membership because we can’t eat that much food! It would go bad. I’m not a shopaholic to buy the other items. I shop predominantly at Whole Foods and a couple of smaller local stores.

I bet most of us would like to spend less at the grocery store!

I don’t serve meat at every meal, not just because of cost. I simply don’t desire it at every meal. My doctor says to eat the colors of the rainbow! That’s how we get our vitamins.

Growing up Catholic, we NEVER ate meat on Friday, nor Ash Wednesday.

My mom didn’t serve meat for each meal though, even if it wasn’t a Friday.

I guess with several kids in the house she had to budget the grocery money closely.

I don’t remember complaining much. She was a great cook!

EB,

It came out good. I was tired of just the broccoli cheese soup. This recipe is from Well Plated.

I did add the celery. I used evaporated milk. If it is too thick dilute with milk or broth.

Thank you, Need help. I am going to make this soup very soon. Sounds delicious.
I just this minute made the soup and it is simmering. Smells so good. Very cold today 7 degrees this morning. A bowl of this soup is just we needed today to warm us all up. I used vegetable broth instead of the chicken and unsweetened almond milk. Can't wait to try it. I just love homemade soup. Thanks so much for posting this soup recipe.

I am trying a new soup. It’s simmering now!

Broccoli Cauliflower Soup

2 tablespoon of olive oil

2 tablespoons of butter

1 medium onion

2 large carrots

2 stalks celery

2 cloves garlic

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1/4 cup flour

3 cups chicken stock

1 1/2 cups milk. You can use any milk, non fat, low fat, half and half or evaporated milk undiluted.

1 head broccoli

1 head cauliflower

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 1/4 cheddar cheese plus 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese or 1 1/2 cups of cheddar

Chop broccoli and cauliflower into small pieces or place in food processor to chop.

Chop onion, garlic, celery and carrots very fine. Or use processor.

In large pot heat olive oil and butter.

Add onion and celery. Cook on low until very soft, about 8 minutes. Add carrots and cook for 3 additional minutes. Stir in garlic and cook for a minute more. Stir occasionally to prevent burning. Add salt, pepper and thyme.

Sprinkle flour over mixture and cook just until flour is dissolved, about a minute or two.

Add broth, milk, broccoli and cauliflower into pot. Bring to a simmer. Cover and cook 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent burning.
Stir in Dijon. Add cheese.

Taste and adjust seasonings to your liking.

If you like, purée half of your soup. If veggies are chopped small enough it isn’t necessary.

Sprinkle with additional cheddar if desired.

The almond butter might get stale Send but those oatmeal packs can last pretty much forever, no need to purge them because of the date. If you never really eat oatmeal maybe some almond butter oatmeal cookies would go down better!

cwille,

I remember doing that. Eating the coconut right out of the bag!

Fresh coconut is fantastic too!

I need to learn to cook a curry with coconut.

I drink coconut milk or a combination of coconut and almond. I haven’t tried incorporating it into recipes.

I will tell you another thing that my mom had to hide from us. Sugar cubes! LOL

Remember when company came over and our moms would place sugar cubes out for coffee or tea?

We looked at those sugar cubes as candy! Once in awhile, mom would give us one. It’s a good thing that she hid them. I guess that I saw it as forbidden fruit and wanted a few of them.

My oldest daughter had a friend that faked hiccups to get a spoonful of sugar! Her mom said that a spoonful of sugar cured hiccups!

It’s a kid thing. I hate sugar in tea or coffee and I would never eat a sugar cube now!

My mom’s cure for hiccups was to drink nine swallows of water while holding one’s breath. I swear it works! LOL 😂 At least for me, it works! I rarely get hiccups but I have always done her trick and it has never failed me.

Bridger, enjoy your day off from cooking!

We went to the Rotary Club fundraiser breakfast this am. Even with social distancing it was fun, but noisy. Band boosters have a hot dog sale and bake sale this afternoon. I don’t think I’ll be doing much cooking today.

Dh was trying to hide the Ginger Beer I just bought.
What was he thinking? It doesn't even have alcohol.
I tried it, and it is much too strong for me, sharing only 1/2 a glass.
It is all his, but he doesn't need to hide it!

And all those great ideas for stocking up on emergency supplies?
It will be soon coming up on "Best if used by" date.

We can never eat all those individually packaged almond butter. And the packets of oatmeal----there will never be an emergency big enough to eat all that maple and brown sugar oatmeal! We should have been eating that a bit at a time.

FIFO. Ever heard of "first in, first out"? Wonderful techie dH made a very useful inventory list. Foods first to expire are at the top.

Now, where did he hide my chocolate? It is not on the expiry list....