Hey Grandpa, What's for Supper? Part 2

[jenjscott]

mm boy, quail simmered in brown gravy, with black chanterelle mushrooms, with baked potatoes and homemade bread.

 

[Dragonfly Ranch]

Backyard Buddies - Got a new thing at Trader Joe's this weekend. May be you have already tried it since you are the champion of using grains and rice as sides in your meals. Think I'll try it tonight with slow roasted lamb shanks. It is called "Harvest Grains Blend" $2.99 for 16oz package. Here is what is in it.

"A savory blend of Israeli Style Couscous, Orzo, Baby Garbanzo Beans and Red Quinoa". Cooks in about 10 minutes.

I'll let everyone know how it is.

Again, as a result of a Bobby Flay Thrown Down show I made Kentucky Brown Sandwiches. Mark rated them an 8 and I was about a 6.5. They are basically and open faced turkey sandwich with a Bechamel cream sauce topped with bacon, Parmesan cheese and grilled tomato put under the broiler within nice and bubbly hot.

Sandee

 

[Backyard Buddies]

Quote:
So???? How was it???

We have tried that blend. My husband and I like it, but the kids weren't fond of the garbanzo beans the first time we tried it. The second time, they liked it much better. Gotta love Trader Joe's! Have you tried their marinated Mahi Mahi or Ahi yet? Yummy!

Tonight we're having chili. I have a HUGE crockpot full of it right now, so it'll likely reappear sometime later in the week.

 

[Dragonfly Ranch]

Quote:
So???? How was it???

We have tried that blend. My husband and I like it, but the kids weren't fond of the garbanzo beans the first time we tried it. The second time, they liked it much better. Gotta love Trader Joe's! Have you tried their marinated Mahi Mahi or Ahi yet? Yummy!

Tonight we're having chili. I have a HUGE crockpot full of it right now, so it'll likely reappear sometime later in the week.

We are going to have it tonight. Yes, we have tried the Ahi but not the Mahi Mahi. I really like the Ahi and need to get some more. I need to quit being lazy and make a batch of pizza dough - but then I wouldn't have an exucse to go to Trader Joe's - not that I need one.

Trying to keep daily calories under 1100 per day to jump start some weight loss so was glad that this blend was not too high in calories and NO cholesterol or staurated fat - that is if you use water not chicken stock.

I'll report in tomorrow for sure.

Sandee

 

[Dragonfly Ranch]

OK we tried the Harvest Grain Blend - we are with the kids the Garbanzo beans where too chalky. We like the mouth feel and taste of the Israeli Couscous and the other grains. Next time I think I'll add just a bit more chicken stock and see if that helps the Garbanzo beans.

Thawing out the Corned Beef for tomorrow, will have to steel some cabbage from the chickens - (it is one of their treats that they get throughout the week). Tonight will be a nice Cobb salad to help with keeping those calories under 1100 - we have one more slice of Cheese Cake for dessert that is probably the whole 1100 calories in one shot. My hips will be glad when its all gone. But then on BYC "What are you Baking" thread SunnyDawn posted a recipe for Eclairs!! Not fair - I don't really care for donuts but Eclairs are my favorite!!

Is anyone else having Corned Beef tomorrow? Does anyone do it in a crock pot? My husband is "self unemployed" right now and can turn it on in afternoon but was thinking crock pot might be easier.

Sandee

 

[Backyard Buddies]

That's exactly what the kids didn't like about the blend, Dragonfly Ranch! It has been a while since I made it so I had forgotten all the details, but your post reminded me. I think that the second time I made it, I added more liquid and then cooked it longer. It was better than the first time and the kids liked it then. Still, I prefer brown basmati rice or quinoa better, depending on what I'm making. I get both of those at TJ's as well. Another thing that I enjoy is to make a regular brown rice and add wild rice to it. I boil the wild rice for a while first, then rinse it. Then when I start the brown rice, I add the wild rice to it. Making it that way, the wild rice doesn't make all of the rice a yucky gray color.

Yes, we're doing corned beef tomorrow. I think I've made it pretty much every way - on the stove in my Dutch oven, in the oven in my Dutch oven, and in a crockpot. Of those three, I like the crockpot best, though I find that adding the cabbage can be a bit tricky. Last year I made it in my pressure cooker and I thought that was the best way of all. The veggie part is still a little tricky, but the meat was sooooo tender! Because of the low sodium thing that I'm doing right now, I'm going to have to make two separate sets of veggies, one in the pot and one on the side. And, I'll have a very small piece of the corned beef as well. Eating low sodium can really be a challenge!

Eating under 1100 calories a day is something I've done for years. I'm not a tall person and have the world's worst metabolism. The key is in portions and using fiber (beans, grains, and hi fiber breads) and veggies to fill your tummy plus low fat meats like chicken and fish that have been flavored with herbs and juices rather than oils and sauces. And, exercise is really important. Finding the time to do it is the challenge. Most days I exercise at least an hour and a half. I've recently added interval training to the mix and that's supposed to help a TON in burning calories. I feel pretty pooped doing it, but then feel great for days afterwards.

 

[Backyard Buddies]

Oh, with all the talk about diet and exercise, I forgot to post my dinner for tonight . . .

Sage and thyme rubbed thinly sliced pork chops, brown rice, green beans, and salad.

 

[Dragonfly Ranch]

Going to look for recipes to do the Corned Beef in the pressure cooker. Have never tried it that way and will probably do the veggies on the side just steamed which we like better anyway.

Yes, 1100 is a challenge and I feel like I need to go that low since I'm pretty much sedentary in my job all day long. I do try and get out in the garden for a little while when I get home and pull some weeds and such. Unfortunately, I was a big jock back in High School (many many years ago) and seemed to burn out on it and have never gotten back to it. Summer months do help with gardening and walking back and forth around our property since things are really spread out, but for right now I pretty much just sit all day.

People have said walk at lunch but I only get 1/2 hour (by choice so I can leave early on Fridays) and have to stay by the phone since there is only me here that takes care of the office. But with smaller portions and higher fiber I do loose the weight since that is how I lost the 60# before. Only struggle this time is that it is the last 15 pounds of a major weight loss and that is always the hardest to loose since your body really wants to hold on to it.

But I will make it, my mind is set.

Sandee

 

[Equus5O]

I've gotten behind on my cooking plans and it's only Tuesday! Sunday night was going to be braised beef short ribs, but since the stuffed bread was done first that's what got eaten. Plus the beef and barley soup that I had made. So I figured we'd have the short ribs last night. But, I had a dentist appt. at 7 and my husband wasn't going to be home until later than that, and my son wanted beef and barley again. So, we're going to have it tonight. If I ever get home. I'm still here for court. And, I defrosted a whole chicken for a recipe that I want to try where it's stuffed with and surrounded by rice and cooks at a very low heat for a very long time. And, tomorrow's corned beef of course. What do I do with this freakin chicken?! I think I got in over my head this week.

 

[Sequin]

Lobsters were on sale at the store today, so we had fresh salad w/ gorgonzola dressing and lobster for dinner. YUM!!