A Foodie Update

Wow - it's been a month since I was last here. Lots of things happening, some good, some not quite so good, but we still plug along.

I haven't done a lot of cooking at home for a while, so I haven't really had anything to post about foods from my kitchen. But, I have been treated to dinner a few times and I've enjoyed it.

Tom made me dinner twice this week. Both times he made meatloaf. I really enjoyed the first one. The second one not quite as much, but that's because he put way too much mustard into the meat mixture and I'm just not a mustard fan - especially Dijon! Yet, he used 90% lean beef and the loaf was so tender because he made sure there were good fats added to the meat (he used cream when he moistened the bread). There were onions as well as eggs and Worcestershire sauce. Other than the mustard, which only added a touch of flavor the first time, both meatloaves were excellent in construction and texture.

The first dinner also had broccoli and egg noodles. I made a sauce from the meatloaf drippings for the noodles. It was all really good. The second dinner had frozen string beans and couscous. I'm NOT a fan of frozen vegetables. I know they're good for you, but I just don't like their flavor or texture. I ate about half of them just because I know they were good for me. But, I couldn't make myself finish them. The couscous were kind of bland and dry, so I ate them mixed with the meatloaf.

Tom's brother made dinner on Sunday. It was actually pretty darned good, too. He made Shepherd's Pie. If you want to be precise, it would be Cottage Pie, because it was made with ground beef, not lamb. He gave me way too much, but it was good. His only problem was that he didn't add ANY salt to the dish, so we had to add it on our dishes because it was very bland.

In all three cases, I was able to bring a plate to my daughter, so she got to have a home made dinner, too. Well, the one time she actually came to Tom's house to eat. The other two times, I brought it to her.

I have to say I like being spoiled, having someone else do the cooking. I'm not going to complain, even if Tom's brother isn't my favorite person.

Surprise!! Happy Thanksgiving!!

Well, I just put a meatloaf in the oven - waited until after 9:30 to make it, but heck.....I always eat late. Looking forward to it, too, because I LOVE cold meatloaf sandwiches!


I'm also drinking a wonderful cup of Starbucks coffee (Venti size) that Tom brought me after Mass. Love that boy - he's so good to me.

This reminds me of Mom's house. I have that green dish,
but in amber.

But, here's the other thing I wanted to share. My daughter and I are going to have Thanksgiving Dinner in Medford courtesy of Scotch Bonnets restaurant. I couldn't believe it when I saw their post. Free Thanksgiving dinner for people who are down on their luck and, believe me, this year has been a tough one. 


We currently have a shut off notice on our electric even though we haven't missed a single payment for the last year and a half. BUT, because we were late a few times due to when MY check arrives, they are demanding payment in full of the previously agreed-upon payment arrangement and a new deposit. It apparently doesn't matter that it's November or that we haven't missed a single payment, or that our current usage is less than our equal payment plan (so we're in credit status there). It's frustrating beyond understanding!! So, Thanksgiving dinner at home this year just wasn't going to happen. Then this came along and, thinking they'd just take names and choose later, I registered. I immediately got a link for the tickets and an email confirming that we will be included in the dinner. WOW! I am impressed. 


The owner of this restaurant is so grateful for the opportunities she's had in this country that this is how she's giving back. I was there once as a customer and practically moaned my way through my meal, it was that good. If someone else hadn't paid, I might not have been there. I haven't been in a situation since moving back to New Jersey where finding a free Thanksgiving dinner was something I sought - and I didn't seek it this time, either. There were a couple of times in the past, when we lived in Arizona, that I partook of the generosity of different organizations, for which I am grateful. I was on welfare at the time and the money didn't even cover my rent, so the occasional helpful boost was much appreciated. But, this notice just appeared as a post on my Facebook wall. I had "liked" them after experiencing my meal, so when she posted this announcement, I received it. Otherwise, I wouldn't have known about it at all.

Meatloaf - a Successful & Delicious Effort

I made meatloaf for supper tonight. It turned out pretty good. The last time I made it, although it tasted decent, it fell apart because I had put too much liquid in it. This time, I backed off on the liquid and I think I did good.


Since there are only two of us in the house, I only used a pound of meat. To that I added diced bell peppers and onions, two slices of bread and some Kozlowski Farms Spicy Mexican fat-free salad dressing I picked up at Ross's. I didn't measure. I eye-balled it after leaving out the milk, oatmeal and egg that I put in the other one I made a couple weeks back. I also put some ketchup on top and then sprinkled white sugar lightly over the ketchup to make up for not having brown sugar (and to keep it from being too sweet). 

After an hour at 350 (I didn't preheat), it really turned out nice. The bread and the vegetables kept it from just being a big, thick burger and the salad dressing added moisture and flavor (I've used salsa before, too). I've used that salad dressing as marinade, too, and hope I can find some again. It was even tasty on salad! LOL


I tossed a potato in the microwave to go with my serving, but didn't do any other vegetables. I waited so long to even begin, I was hungrier than I should have been from waiting. I didn't want one more thing to wait for. But, the key to my knowing I'd done well was that my daughter had a second helping. She is not always easy to please. 


I just wish I'd used two pounds - I could sure go for a meatloaf sandwich tomorrow!!

The Challenge is Over

For two straight months, I participated in two separate blogging challenges, posting daily - first in alphabetic order and then in reverse order. During the second challenge, I added a couple more challenges (actually three plus one for writing an article a week - again in alphabetic order) and got a little lost and overwhelmed by what I'd put on my plate (see - a perfect foodie analogy!) But, I finished the daily blog challenge (a day late) and have taken a few days off to rejoice in the temporary lack of mandated posting.

My other blog challenges are posted on my sister blog, A South Jersey Girl Writes. I still have to write my blog post for one of those challenges. It is due no later than tomorrow. Another is due on Monday. Thankfully, they're each one per week, so once I'm caught up, I should have little difficulty keeping up. I've also begun writing news articles for Gather. Their requirement is eight per month - two per week. I got seven in last month. I hope to make the minimum this month. One is done - seven to go.


I've been out to dinner a few times since the Memorial Day weekend began. It's been nice to get away after a few weeks of going nowhere. The first outing was to the Elgin Diner. I posted about that as one of my reverse alpha postings. Then, I went to the Colonial Diner where I enjoyed "The Big Pig". That was a pulled pork sandwich topped with crispy bacon, cheddar cheese and five huge onion rings. It also came with French Fries. They also had a wonderful seafood bisque on the menu that I enjoyed.


Then I went to the local Chinese buffet and ate WAY too much for my comfort. But, I still enjoyed it (until later that night, of course). Pizza, General Tso chicken, stuffed shrimp, sweet n sour chicken, Wonton soup, fried rice, and my first fresh papaya in years! I thoroughly enjoyed that papaya.


Last night, we went to the Colonial Diner again and this time I ordered the meatloaf with potato pancakes and applesauce. It came with soup or salad plus dessert. I had salad, three good-sized slices of meat loaf, two potato pancakes and a small plate full of applesauce. I've had far better meatloaf. I was very disappointed in that, but the potato pancakes and applesauce were very good. My cats enjoyed the last slice of meatloaf, though. They were very happy cats!


Tonight, though, we went to Gagan Palace, an Indian buffet in Stratford, about eight miles away, if that. They had goat curry and lamb Do-Pyazza plus chicken tikka masala, aloo & chana (potatoes and chickpeas) plus several other vegetarian choices (including Palak Paneer, a spinach and cheese cube dish). Of course, the naan was plentiful (a flat bread baked in the Tandoor oven). And this time, I tried the Sambhar soup - a VERY spicy vegetable soup whose heat quotient was so high I couldn't taste it after the first spoonful. So, I didn't finish that one. The little bit I did taste was actually pretty good, but it was far too hot for me to eat again. I finished up with some fresh watermelon and mixed fruit in a fruit sauce that tasted a lot like mango. The fruit was obviously fresh, so I can only guess that they make it themselves. I didn't eat any goat because none of the pieces was bone-free. The lamb was delicious as was the chicken. I also enjoy the Navarattan Korma, a blend of nine vegetables in a creamy sauce. Basmati rice with peas is also on the menu and a must with the saucy selections offered. Despite the searing heat of the spice-laden soup, I enjoyed my meal.


I plan on making dinner tomorrow night, so hopefully I'll be back with news about that.


Time for Caturday!!


Cats of the past.

This is Pepper. She is Chloe's mama.

This is Johnny being held by my daughter when she was around eight.

This is beautiful Chelsea. RIP 1980