Hey Grandpa, What's for Supper? Part 2

[donrae]

Last night was a Cobb salad. It was kind of interesting, we had the power go out just after I got home from the grocery store. Thankfully the stove is gas, so I could still cook the bacon and boil the eggs. I just bought a roast chicken from WinCo. It all came together pretty well, considering it was done by headlamp. I'd wanted to bake French fries, but couldn't. So, we toasted bagels on the burners and slathered with cream cheese.

Tonight is pork chops, not sure how I'm going to do those. Maybe mushroom gravy? We'll see what strikes my fancy.

I'm trying to clean out the chest freezer. I'm thawing a few small packets of goat meat. Will crockpot with salsa, shred and add some rice. It should make lovely burrito filing for The Locusts to snack on.

 

[Blooie]

Whatever joint we pass by tonight, I think. Have to make a run to Cody today to restock, so we'll be gone most of the day and the weather down there is garbage!! <sigh>

Our intimate group of 100 people ate at this place called, "801 Chophouse" in Omaha this week. I've never seen a 7 inch tall cheesecake, but that's what we ended up with! WOW!! I asked the waiter when I chose the dessert to leave mine plain - good cheesecake is best eaten unmolested by fruity sauces. There was a dessert choice of Creme Brule or cheesecake for our group, but when the first ones came out to the tables we all sat there in shock! I finally suggested that everyone at our table (there were 9 of us) just lay the cheesecake down flat to ease the guilt while we ate it - that way it was only 3 inches tall and we wouldn't feel so guilty! Ken got the Creme Brule and was so glad he did. That cheesecake was done to perfection, subtly flavored, silky smooth, and the best I have ever eaten, hands down! I think I took a pound and a half of it back to the hotel. I ate a little of it every day, and still didn't finish it all before we checked out! Just look at this thing!! One photo is mine, and the other is of the serving another gentleman at our table got, with blueberry sauce.

 

[room onthebroom]

The feather river is not too far. I have not fished there but have fished further north--Battle creek, lost creek at Mr. Lassen and Deer creek. Hat creek is one of my favorite places.

Mostly we go up to a little creek in the coast range mt.s it is called the south fork of Stony creek. It is one of the few places that still has native california trout. It is a protected stream and you can only catch two a day with I think 7 in possession. They are not big fish but boy do they fight!

It is one of the only fish that my youngest daughter will eat too. There is nothing like catching a fish up there and cooking it a couple of hours later.

I love Woodland. That's our overnight spot on our annual road trip up to Oregon.

 

[donrae]

 

[chefsdreams]

the weather has been so freaky and unseasonably warm, i fired up the grill and cooked some chicken thighs, some onion slices and made tacos with guacamole, chopped lettuce and grated gruyere cheese. i've even got some left over. . . but i just took a peek and it seems my darling wife found them before me and snuck them with her to work!

 

[donrae]

Last night was marinated pork chops on the grill (thanks to my oldest son, the new grill master!), mashed taters and roasted veggies.

Tonight will be......well. I have two chickens I'm going to break down and I'll cook the legs and wings for dinner tonight. Probably what we call Special Chicken, it's a honey-ginger kind of thing adapted from an old Betty Crocker recipe. I've got asparagus, not sure what for a side.

I was at WinCo and they're out of broccoli. The produce guy said it was due to the flooding. It just seemed weird to me, they had cauliflower and spinach, but no broccoli.

Anyway, I'm also making up burrito filling today. I pulled some goat shanks from the freezer yesterday and had them in the crockpot with salsa and chicken broth. I'm going to cook up some rice, add some beans and mix it all together. Should fill The Locusts up for the weekend.

 

[Blooie]

Our plans to eat in Cody fell through and Ken had a meeting last night, so I invited Katie over to have dinner with her lonely old gramma. She came over with a box wrapped in a paper heart chain she'd made and a note on top.

Gramma,
Thank you for inviting me to have dinner with you. In this box I have a candle, a lemon, and dessert for two.
Love you,
Katie





She loves learning to cook and last night was her first ever experience with Brussels Sprouts. She'd never had them. So she learned to prep them, then she tossed them in the seasoned melted butter before putting them in to roast. She loved them!





While I finished the grilled fish, she set the table.



The menu was grilled ocean perch, roasted Brussels Sprouts, and a wedge salad with thin slices of strawberries, walnuts, crumbled blue cheese, and poppy seed dressing. The dessert for 2 she'd provided was a package of Hostess Cuppycakes, which we fancified up by serving them on dessert plates with a shave of ice cream and a strawberry. Man, do I love that little girl ~

 

[donrae]

What a beautiful dinner for the two of you!

I've been roasting a lot more veggies the last year or so. I'm going to have to try the Brussels sprouts. I was okay with them just steamed, but the rest of the family revolted. Funny to me, cause they'll eat pretty much any and all other veggies. I'm going to try to remember to pick up some....is frozen okay? That way I could just toss some on the sheet when I roast veggies. Last night it was a "shake the fridge and see what falls out" for roasting. I think there was a little bit of cauliflower, some broccoli, onion, shrooms, cherry tomatoes, sweet peppers....I think that was it.

 

[Blooie]

Some people precook them for a few minutes to retain the bright green color. I don't. I just lop off the ends, pull off the tough outer leaves, and toss them in melted butter with salt and pepper, then put 'em on a cookie sheet for about 15 minutes at 400. Dunno if it's proper but we love 'em that way. Not sure frozen would work. Seems to me they'd have to much moisture in them, but what are you out by trying?

 

[sourland]

Tonight I am making pork loin adobo, mac and cheese, and green beans - simple but tasty.