Category Archives: Recipe Ideas

There’s a tinge of fall in the air, and much rain, lightning and thunder, so we’re not grilling this evening. I have thin-sliced pork chops that I’ll pound even thinner, then dip them in milk, flour, egg and bread crumbs. I have thinly sliced potatoes in the oven with a bit of milk and cream for scalloped potatoes, and have some corn on hand.

Friday morning before leaving for Jim’s mechanic we saw the two adult cranes being stalked by a coyote. I saw one later that afternoon but heard them calling to each other over the weekend and believe I saw the colt (baby) trying to fly. I thought it was the baby because the flying and turns were irregular and its parents are master flyers. So I hope they’re all still alive.

After we dropped Jim’s car off at the shop I took him to work and was two minutes out when he called and said he forgot his badge. I turned off the freeway into a neighborhood and called back. I hoped not to have to drive all the way home, into town again and back home but it was OK. Seconds after getting off the phone I was pulling out to turn around and saw something. Young deer, in about six front yards in 20 seconds, just hopping away, its legs literally springs. I know the homeowners don’t like them eating their veg’s and flowers but this was a beautiful sight.

Dinner went well last night. Jim called them “chicken fried” pork cutlets. I took 1/2 inch cutlets and pounded them thinner, then coated them with milk, flour, egg and breadcrumbs. We saved extra room for potatoes, but I put too much liquid in them and were great but not quite as brown as I’d like.

Tonight I must get started on stuffed peppers. Unfortunately I only have a handful of regular rice so will use a cup of Arborio and probably make something else. Perhaps meat loaf with a very basic risotto and sauteed onions and peppers. Sounds good to me, thanks for the ideas.

The great news is that we saw the entire crane family early this morning, confirming that the parents hid the colt (baby crane) and fended off a coyote on Friday and perhaps over the weekend. It was heartening to see the family out “shopping” for food this morning. If I were a coyote I’d go after less lethal prey. They’re big birds, know how to protect themselves (though have lost one colt this year to predation or disease), will kick and I’ve seen their beaks kill a 1-2 lb. rodent in seconds, fillet it and gulp it in three portions. All in less than two minutes.

When the coyote was stalking them, hours on end, they never flapped their wings and flew away (hence protecting hidden colt). Amazing what beautiful creatures we get to see here. We’ve been here a while but I never tire of nature and mountains. Thanks again for helping me think through dinner. It’ll be good. Jim loves meat loaf, but always puts ketchup on it. Hey, if he did it to an aged NY strip, well, he never would in my presence. Cheers! Dee

My husband had to go into work last night for a midnight software project. He had to work several hours in the morning (with an hour’s r/t commute) then come home and he left before 11 last night and got home at 5:30 this morning.

I tried to keep as much of a normal schedule as possible. About five minutes before he left I apparently fell asleep and awakened nearly immediately after he’d gone. Luckily he took the sandwich I made for him (more on that later), a fruit salad of watermelon, cantaloupe, kiwi and Granny Smith apple, and slices of watermelon and cantaloupe. Plus salt and vinegar chips.

I took the dog out and I was wearing a jean jacket and pajama pants at eleven. Then I tried to go to bed but it was hot upstairs and I didn’t feel safe with the slider open. The dog was going to and from the guest room where she was on full alert watching for Jim to come home, to see me. That lasted 3 1/2 hours. Then I had my phone by the bed instead of downstairs charging and texts were coming in very loudly (I don’t text).

He got home at 5:30, took out the dog, brushed his teeth, got undressed and was snoring 10 minutes later. I was wide awake and got up and went downstairs at six after he was really snoring away.

The result: he feels like he has jet lag. I’m just tired. It’s one thing to accustom oneself to a time zone and another to pop into work at midnight and be “on” for hours then go home to a weekend. I thought it was Sunday all day! What we both realized is that this might be an easy thing to do in one’s mid-twenties, but as one ages it is more difficult. Of course this work requirement was done on a Friday night so that on Monday morning Jim will be ready to go, it only ruins his weekend. How thoughtful.

Given the trend of software guys it’s late, start at noon or later and work well into the night. He would do this naturally but is forced into a 9-5 (more a 9-7 or 8) reality. So this was new although he’s used to scheduled or emergency calls with London or India or Australia in the middle of the night, from home.

We’re getting older. I used to work 18 hours and be back at nine in the morning. Three weeks was about all I could take of that daily but I was in my 20′s. Marriage, schedules, and a herding dog who thrives on “routine” is enough to make this work anomaly worth mentioning.

Do I like to throw off routine and try to go somewhere to “recharge?” You bet, I’m working on it now. We’re happy, just tired. Cheers, Dee

I just came up with a menu for a cold luncheon that I may try in a week or two.

Cucumber-yogurt soup
Salmon with whole grain mustard, chilled
Cold sesame noodles
Light green salad, to be determined

Fruit salad for dessert
Herbal iced tea

Now for the guests! Cheers, Dee

I don’t have to serve wine with dinner. But when it comes to summer meat marinades I tend to use the following for pork: garlic/thyme/wine; grainy mustard and beer; or with hard apple cider.

What happens when the preacher comes to town? I’ve lived in a dry town for years, except I was off at college. My husband grew up in a dry county and has never imbibed, but he appreciates his wife’s cooking and likes the flavor of each of the dishes above.

His church forbade alcohol, dancing and solo singing. Ask him. He taught me the Texas Two-Step in his closet as I was helping him move away from me less than a month after we met. Don’t worry, he came back for me a few weeks later and the rest is history.

Now his and his brothers’ great high school friend is visiting us and staying over a night with wife and toddler daughter. He teaches school and preaches at his local church.

Jim’s been out of the church for some time so I asked my brother-in-law if it was OK to marinate meat in beer or wine or cider, dry the meat then grill it. He said if I gave the baby a jigger of whisky (here’s to the Scots for their spelling) that would be against the rules but there’s nothing against marinating.

I’ll hold him to that but came up with a new idea. This family will have been on the road for a few days eating restaurant food. We will provide them a place to stay en route and a family meal. I’m thinking of roast chicken, mashed potatoes and they liked my corn on the cob at Memorial Day so I’ll stick with that, plus a dessert. I want them to enjoy their vacation but make it feel like home. I’ll give them a chance to relax, take a walk, do a load of laundry and have a good night’s sleep before my breakfast… Cheers, Dee