What's for dinner?

Gershen, where's the tomato soup to go with that? You should be ashamed! You failed to mention the dessert. No, never be ashamed that you ate what was convenient for you and maybe just what you wanted, or needed for comfort food.
I would have had two, call it grilled cheese and paint it with mayonnaise to grill it in the frying pan because it browns lightly golden that way. Yum.

Hubby isn't home so I made myself a toasted cheese sandwich for dinner with a pickle on the side. I know I should be ashamed of myself since you all cook such spectacular meals. But when its just me I don't go to a lot of trouble.

Dessert first: Blueberry frozen yogurt on a stick. Creamy, mild, very tasty.

Hi Jessebelle, Jeanne, Susan, and Cwillie- that's everyone on this page!
Love the sleep advice!

When I was up tending to mom last night at 3 a.m. I thought "JG's probably busy making something for dinner right now" lol

JessieBelle, I feel for ya, kid. That is soooo annoying to be in bed and not asleep! But I also envy you. I'd love to have a 1 am to 9 am or 2 am to 10 am internal sleep clock! I think mine is too far off that for therapy to do much good. But I'm seeing the sleep specialist next week and I'm keeping an open mind.

The "experts" suggest careers where you can take a night shift or work from home. I've been very lucky in that regard for the last decade or more, I have been able to work from home. What I really wonder about is how I ever managed to raise babies! I've known this problem since I was about 8 years old. It has gotten much worse in the last few years.

For what it is worth, most "experts" advise against going to bed before you are "sleepy" i.e. ready to sleep. (Being tired is not enough.) They say only sleep is sleep and lying in bed fretting about not sleeping does not contribute to health. But, hey, as a child I taught myself the squares table (2, 4, 9, 16, 25, 36 ...) lying awake in the dark, so it can't be all bad, right?

My Chicken Pad Thai was good tonight!

I think I'll make a summer squash casserole tonight. I'm still in the midst of sorting and cleaning out items from my storage unit, so the house is in a shambles, so quick and easy is the order of the day.

Jeanne, from one night owl to another...

I would be up most of the night if I could. My best work hours are in the evening. The only problem with the "embrace it" thing is that the world would never adjust itself to my clock. I've always had to battle to go to bed so I could get up to go to work early the next morning. Even now I make myself get up at 7 or 8 so I don't drift in time. I do accept that I'm different than most, but it's hard to embrace it when lying in bed thinking "I'm not sleepy" each night. I usually drift off about 1 or 2 AM. A lot of times I make up for the lack of sleep with an afternoon nap. I guess this is what the doctor means about adapting life to it. (When I was working outside the home, it was very hard to stay awake some afternoons.)

I have a genetic disorder that screws up my internal clock. I'm working with a specialist, but the prognosis for a "fix" is not good. I often get to sleep between 5 and 7 am.

I definitely need to maximize my use of the few afternoon hours I have available. The one time constant in my life is I need to make dinner to serve by 6:15 pm. That almost always includes a trip to the store. I shop regularly at Costco so I typically have staples on hand but I often need something fresh for dinner or something Costco doesn't sell. My new plan is to do that shopping after dinner, for tomorrow's dinner. Shift the afternoon work to later in the evening. (I was at my grocer's at 11:45 tonight. They are open until midnight -- worked fine.)

Also I read the recipe and pick out the tasks that could be done ahead. I just made the sauce for tomorrow's Chicken Pad Thai, sliced the scallions, and chopped the peanuts. Dinner will be much quicker with those things done. (I hope.)

I'm aiming to be able to put a decent and fresh dinner together even if I sleep late into the afternoon.

The usual expert advice for my sleep disorder is "Accept it. Embrace it. Adapt your life to it." I'm trying!

Sounds like a good save, Babalou!

Very old frozen salmon, defrosted and mixed with fresh chopped onions, potato pancake mix and eggs. Also fresh corn. Fresh corn makes up for many sins.

Fresh ginger and fresh garlic it is! I am loving this, because if I have neglected to plan ahead by spending too much time devoted to answering a question on here, then checking this thread before going to the market is helping me too! It is like a reward at the end of 'volunteering', something I never got back when volunteering at the senior center (not that I expected any reward). And Gershen's advice about colored bowls should help with losing weight, unless I find bigger bowls! Back to serious, thank you everyone for helping others, for sharing yourselves and what is in your kitchens, and all your thoughts are appreciated, always. Sending me, myself, and I to the store now. Sauteing or steaming vegetable tonight, add garlic and ginger!

juddabuddhaboo, dinner sounds great. My was ground beef and a ton of veggies stir-fried in my wok. Caprese salad (with darling little mozzarella balls from Costco). Strawberry Shortcake.

I'm about to start making gazpacho for tomorrow. Yes, it is 2:30 am, but this suits my sleep disorder! I'll probably make some kind of wraps to serve with the soup tomorrow.

I am enjoying New England summer by buying at local farm stands: fresh peaches, corn, cucumbers, big fat tomatoes, fresh berries, etc. Love it. Worth the extra money. The food is so beautiful and flavorful, if you don't have a garden this is the next best thing. And the drive to the stand is also a treat: to enjoy the countryside and get such a boost of peace of mind. Sometimes I take my mother but when she starts to complain or not enjoy it I just go by myself and am perfectly happy! I thank God for my health, and for the people who took the trouble to have the difficult life of a farmer to grow this food, and also for the hard working immigrants who work a the farm. Supporting honest, local food growers who refrain as much as possible from pesticudes and GMOS, are worth the extra trip to me.

Dinner tonight: sauteed veggies: japanese eggplant, cauliflower, broccoli, fennel, onion, fresh ginger and garlic: with a few tablespoons of Pad Thai sauce stirred in and everything simmering. Cooked fresh ear of corn, and fried up some crispy tofu squares. Just a few fresh figs for dessert.
Happy girl! Going for a walk around the senior housing to enjoy the flowers and maybe say hi to whover is out there.
Then, I'll call my mother and see if she had a nice day or whatever it was. If it wasn't wonderful, I don't mind. Mine was.

That sounds good mincemeat!

Jeannegibbs, I love Fiesta dishes too. I bought some big green chiles at Kroger today....going to roast on BBQ grill, stuff with cheese and make a chile relleno casserole by just whipping eggs, milk pouring over them, top with cheese and bake!

Sendme I just read an article that said eating your meals out of colored bowls helps you lose weight cause people tend to not fill their plate as much so you might be on to something.

Throwing away or donating favorite kitchen stuff is over-rated! Kitchen is the only thing the heirs can keep or sell in a garage sale. It's nonpersonal, and can teach those younger whipersnappers a thing or two about how to really cook in something other than a microwave. What is this 30 year old pan from faberware, and why does it still look so new? they will be saying when I am gone.

Jeanne, Have considered organizing and getting rid of my favorite red bowls and replacing them with corelle. Now that you have shared your nice meal, I will enjoy those bowls and anything else that makes mealtimes special, and think of you and your "boarders"' . What else could we put those enchilladas topped with chili con carne into but red bowls!

I notice a lot of US people mentioning Costco. Tonight dinner was a salad kit from there, enhanced with cooked chicken and a fresh tomato. Most grocery store salad kits (e.g. Dole's) are pretty boring (but quick) but the big bags from Costco are really special! Entire household likes them.

Along with the salad I used up the leftover Thai soup but giving everyone a cup in a cute little Fiesta bouillon bowl, sitting on a matching plate to hold crackers. Everyone liked that, too, and it was the right amount with a big salad.

I heard my son (a boarder) grumping about the nice fiesta bowl as he did the dishes. Look at how much room they take up! And they take up massive amounts of room in the cupboards! What was wrong with the Correlle ware we used to have, that stacks wonderfully and fits in the dishwasher. Grumble, grumble, grumble. I just smiled. He's the type who likes to grumble. Isn't it kind of me to give him just a handy and harmless topic?

Meanwhile, I LOVE my Fiesta dishes!

Jeanne, boarders? That would be my dream career to have a huge home to share with boarders, but I couldn't be the cook. There are so many older movies with boarding homes where women took in boarders, and it seemed so warm and happy. Then, if someone owned a ranch, or winery, they could just employ caregivers from staff they knew forever to take care of them in retirement. Ideal maybe.

Falcon, that inspired me to look up marrow. Now I'll know what the characters in a British novel are eating when Mum serves up marrow. :)

Not a common squash here. We eat zucchini and yellow crook-neck summer squashes.

I made Thai-Style Chicken Curry soup for dinner. Also used up some nan I had in the fridge and cooked up some steamed veggie dumplings from the freezer. Blueberry/cream cheese/granola parfaits for dessert.

My boarders were surprised that the soup was a simple Betty Crocker recipe!

Packed in water

Dinner is an adjusted recipe for Tuna & Noodle Casserole. Adusted because the Dried French's onions for the top are too expensive, and we like cheddar cheese melted oved the top. After searching out the best canned albacore tuna paked in water the "economy" rendition is over budget. Yes, this is my special comfort food standby, there is n o t h i n g left to freeze. So, today's economy casserole costs more than a salad and a steak. Gone.

Jeanne thanks for that hun some research needed I feel. Toad in the hole is just British sausages browned on all sides lightly (purely to give them a colour other than pink which is not appetising and then placed in a baking dish (with or without onions) and covered with a light better using plain not self rising flour and baked in the oven. It is scrummy and quick enough to make although over here we can buy it frozen.

I also like mushroom stroganoff Jeanne for those days when meat is just something you don't fancy for once.

As it is coming up to autumn (dare I even mention that in this heat) I really like marrow - now I think you might call it squash but I mean the long aren and white striped variety that is about a foot or more long and you wouldn't get your hands around the circumference unless you have huuuuuuuuuuuge man hands. I just cut the marrow in half de seed it fill with a good savoury ground mince, put the two halves back together wrap in foil and bake until the squash is tender - now that is yummy on a cold crisp autumn day

That is funny, Kimber.

Can you tease him about it? "I thought I would make kangaroo steaks, but the butcher was out of them." "I haven't made licorice soup in a while. Would you like that?" Depends on his disposition since his stroke, I guess. I wouldn't do that unless it would make him laugh.

When my mother spent one long weekend a month with me, I made sure every meal was something she liked. (Not hard. She had a pretty adventurous appetite.) Do you try that, or is Dad always coming up with "dislikes" you never knew about?

I also wrote the menu of the day on Mom's whiteboard. Lunch: Tomato soup Dinner: Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, lemon pie. I made sure there was always dessert and that she knew what it was when to expect it. She liked looking forward to sweets!

I saw this question and it made me laugh because I assumed it was something that annoys the h*ll out of me. When I take care of my dad (one weekend a month, F-Sun) he will hover and ask "what's for dinner?" about 20 times before lunch (he calls it dinner) and dinner. It drives me wild. Then he argues with me about what I am making because he doesn't like it. He is cognitively impaired due to a stroke and I realize he is not as reasonable as he used to be - but it still makes me want to scream.

Actually I do read the bible but not as a sleep aid but cause I enjoy it. It comforts me and makes me feel closer to my Mom.

Don't worry Sendme, I know you didn't mean any offense by your remark.
Nite Everyone!

Dinner tonight was a recipe from a 2007 ad I happened across sorting some papers. If was called Stroganoff Loaf. Recipe is on the Rhodesbread site, if you are interested. We all liked it. Maybe it is just me getting older, but lately I find I really like "Stroganoff" type recipes made with ground beef.

With it I served stir-fry veggies. I love the Costco big frozen bag of these. Great variety of veggies. I couldn't find it for a few weeks and was Sooo glad to see it back last shopping trip.