Kitchen

[4kitties]

@Winifred 

Hope you are okay and that it is okay for me to start this thread this month.  I like to read what everyone is cooking and I miss it.

We had big salads tonight.  Kind of like a chef's salad with ham, cheese, olives, and different salad veggies.

[Harpa]

I've been cooking lately....sirloin steaks, stuffed peppers (I always stuff the red bells), chicken pot pie (store-bought crust, though), and meat loaf.

I never make extra sides. Some of the dishes don't need it. But if I do a steak (or salmon), that's it with nothing else. 

(I hope my DH doesn't get used to this!) I am actually happiest with salads.

[4kitties]

@Harpa 

I have gained a few lbs............  Working hard to get them off.........

Too much cooking here too!  Plus a bit of snacking.......☺️☺️☺️☺️

[KaySD]

I baked a large spinach and feta frittata, or maybe it's a crustless quiche, this morning, so we can have it all week/end. It was so good we ate two days rations. Oops. 

Planning pork potstickers with steamed edible-pod peas for dinner. Unless I change my mind...I confess the frozen pizza I tucked away is calling to me as well.

[Wendy Lou Hoo]

Planning on country fried steak with mashed potatoes and gravy.  Green beans and a salad for sides.  Fall brings out the yearning for comfort food.

[Laura14]

Cucumber salad here with homemade pumpkin bread and I think I am going to sautee mushrooms for tonight.   

[Winifred]

4kitties, thank you so much for starting this. My feeble mind and body are just worn out after months of what everyone else is going through. Thanks again. Actually no one is the sole owner of any of these threads. If they aren't started jump to it.

We are a bit chilly out her in Sou Cal this morning. Had th heater checked and turned on the other day.l It would really feel good this morning but I still have a few brains left. If I turned it on I would be miserable in a few hours - suppose to get into the 80s today and in a few days nearing or at 100 again. 

Have not been cooking from scratch much -  but continue to eat well. I think later today I am going to cut some white squash, dip it in batter and then fry it. I LOVE fried vegetables. 

Always enjoy reading what everyone is cooking and eating.

Have a great day everyone.

[jannabelle1]

I made egg casseroles in my new Curtis Stone mini loaf pans today. I love those little pans and they're perfect for so many things. I added green pepper, onion, sausage, tater tots and cheese. I made 2 mini loaves - we shared one loaf and I made spinach (frozen) for a veggie.....we'll have the other loaf in a day or so. BTW - it's just the 2 of us and we're in our early 70s....neither one of us has the big appetite we used to have.

[KaySD]

I'm getting close to making fruitcake. I have my mother's recipe, which I haven't made for years. It makes a very moist loaf with barely enough cake to hold the fruit and nuts together.

I discovered the incredible quality of fruits and nuts from nuts.com. I just got the shipment. The dried fruit is so incredibly fresh tasting, and even the glazed fruit is not too sweet. So much better than the sticky stuff from the grocery store. If you've never ordered from them, they are worth a look.

My recipe uses a pound each of pineapple, cherries, dates and pecans. There's little brandy in the recipe, and then the cakes are irrigated with a little more brandy every week from mid October to mid December. Unsurprisingly, they do not spoil! My mother used to keep the foil-wrapped loaves inside the big roaster, sitting on the basement stairs. So that would have been about 55 degrees. 

I bought that set of 4 mini-loaf pans from Temptations. I know, they tend to fall apart. But they are polka dotted! And the small size may sound stingy, but with 1/4 lb of all the ingredients I mentioned, a bite at a time will go a long way. 

[peachesncream]

I decided to roast a chicken, which I haven't done in a long time. It kind of bugs me how the house smells like chicken for a few days and the oven does too. I decided to use a Reynolds Baking Bag (large size) for a change.

I picked up a 6 lb. chicken at Aldi's (their Never Any Whole Chicken, which is antibiotic free, etc.). I put a quartered lemon inside the chicken. Spread melted butter on top, then Lowry's Seasoned Salt.  

The chicken took around 1-1/2 hours at 350 (faster than without the bag). It was lightly browned. The chicken meat was very moist and tender. We really enjoyed it. Clean up was easy. 

We had a lot of chicken to eat. I used the leftovers to make chicken enchiladas.

I would do this again. I like the ease and shorter cooking time with the bag.

FYI, my MIL always roasted her Thanksgiving turkey in a Reynolds bag - and it was always delicious.