<p>Chocchipcookie: We are lucky. We are in walking distance to world class restaurants. And driving distance to lots of other good and ethnic food. I could really rethink the cooking thing.</p>
<p>The restaurants in my town are as follows: Burger King, Subway, 2 pizza places (one excellent but with a very rude staff), Chinese that uses so much MSG I swell up like a balloon (and I am not sensitive normally), and a very old family owned hotel that serves terrible homestyle meals. So when I travel I definitely avail myself of as many dining opportunities as possible.</p>
<p>Tonight we are having Crockpot beef stew and probably biscuits to go with. DS7 has Tae Kwon Do so it will be nice to have something ready when I get home from work.</p>
<p>Barfly – what is it you’re freezing flat in the ziplocs? Is it homemade pasta sauce?</p>
<p>Lousy dinner last night. Nutritious and filling but uninspired. Even the dog wasn’t into it. Chicken thighs marinated in Stubbs chicken marinade then baked. Brown rice. Frozen broccoli microwaved with a squeeze of lemon, olive oil and S&P. </p>
<p>Tonight – Frittata! Then tomorrow maybe finally will summon the ambition to do the Classic Italian Cooking Pot Roast that interesteddad posted way back. Have only made it once and it is yum.</p>
<p>Last night’s dinner was cranberry walnut stuffed pork chops from a local deli with a spinach and spring mix salad. Tonight is one of my favorites, firecracker marinated Mahi Mahi with sauted green beans. This is one of our favorite marinades, I use it all the time on chicken, fish, and shrimp!</p>
<p>Firecracker Wahoo Marinade from Florida Keys Recipes</p>
<p>2 Tbsp chopped green onions
2 Tbsp olive oil
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1/2 tsp sesame oil
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1/4 tsp kosher or sea salt
3/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes</p>
<p>Mix ingredients, let stand for 15-20 minutes, mixing a couple of times. Pour over fish, cover and marinate for 1-2 hours in refrigerator.</p>
<p>When our grocery store has organic chicken breasts on sale, I freeze some in this marinade, yummy on the grill!</p>
<p>I’m tempted to try pureed celery root from Barefoot Contessa.</p>
<p>sewhappy, I make big batches of certain things that freeze well, like pasta sauce, stews and soups, then I freeze the leftovers in gallon freezer bags. All the bags are labeled with contents and date, and any other instruction needed. For example, if soup was too thick when I froze it, I may write a note on the bag reminding me to add a can of chicken broth or V-8 when I use it. Here’s the best part - when I open my freezer, I have this neat stack of meals. Downside - every so often, one slides out of the freezer and cuts off one of my toes. But it’s worth it.</p>
<p>Ellebud:</p>
<p>I wanna live where you live! Walking to restaurants, omg, sounds awesome. I’m in the suburbs where you unfortunately need a car for everything.</p>
<p>Sewhappy:</p>
<p>Enjoy your frittata! I just bought a dozen eggs today and will make a frittata, too, after we finish our leftovers!</p>
<p>Barfly:</p>
<p>Watch those toes! ;)</p>
<p>chocchipcookie (love your CC name BTW ;)), my skin crawled when I read Barfly’s post about toes - I’ve had my share of frozen foods vs feet accidents. One of the reasons I do not like frozen fish, LOL.</p>
<p>Dinner tonight… If the pork chops I put in the fridge last night are already defrosted, they will be cooked for dinner, otherwise, I will have to come up with something quick and easy to make. Frittata sounds good. I have a head of cauliflower in the fridge, so… Yahoo search to the rescue: [Cauliflower</a> Frittata / Frittata di Cavolfiori](<a href=“http://www.ciaoitalia.com/seasons/8/808/cauliflower-frittata]Cauliflower”>Cauliflower Frittata / Frittata di Cavolfiori | Ciao Italia) Never made it, but I think I will try making this tonight - the pork can stay in the fridge for one more day.</p>
<p>Really, really love this thread. Honest!</p>
<p>Tonight’s dinner: turkey meatloaf a la Bristol Farms…salad…fruit…</p>
<p>I must add that our town does not permit blacktop restaurants. Years ago we had a drive in restaurant called Dolores. But when the property was sold that was it. We do have a Johnny Rockets (under a different name) and Chipotle…but you have to walk to them. </p>
<p>No Chuckie Cheese, McDonalds…my youngest went to Chuckie Cheese ONCE in her whole life. They were deprived…just ask them.</p>
<p>Tonight’s dinner - roasted cauliflower, brussel sprouts, and onions added to sauteed tofu and seasoned with southwestern mix.</p>
<p>Shrimp sauteed with onions,green peppers,garlic, asparagus and italian style diced tomatoes over brown rice.</p>
<p>ellebud, what you said about Chuck E Cheese. My older kids went most of their lives without ever seeing the inside of one of those places. Then when DS7 was born we got a Chuck E Cheese about 30 minutes away. We have been a few times for VERY special occasions but I was just telling a childless co-worker yesterday that you basically need a Xanax, Vicodin, and wine cocktail to even get through an afternoon there lol. Thankfully I introduced my DS to hibachi restaurants and he prefers them to Chuck E Cheese now. My DH is another story lol…</p>
<p>lol, I met one of my very best friends at a Chucky Cheese. We were both new in town, both about to shoot ourselves trying to figure out to do with our younger kid once the older kid headed to school. Our daughters bonded and so did we at Chucky Cheese! </p>
<p>Good pizza, actually. :)</p>
<p>Tonight is spinach salad and grilled chicken breasts with balsamic vinaigrette marinade. And I hated Chucky Cheese, my kids were deprived also!</p>
<p>I hated Chuck E Cheese, but my boys loved it. Fortunately, Chuck E Cheese served pitchers of beer when my boys were little. Do they still serve beer? I was usually the designated driver, unfortunately. We recently got a theatre that serves alcohol and dinner, so now we can get a glass of merlot at the movies. Those horrid Pokemon movies might have been less miserable had wine been available back then. </p>
<p>Anyway, back to this thread. I’m thinking white chicken chile for dinner, with toppers of tortilla strips, diced tomatoes, onions and avocados, shredded cheese and cilantro, with a squeeze of lime juice.</p>
<p>Barfly, re: saving your toes. I freeze my foods flat, too. But after they’re frozen I store them standing up like books.
I’m slowly stocking up on frozen meals for the winter holidays when our two college kids will be home.</p>
<p>Tonight we will be having char siu chicken and fried rice.</p>
<p>Barfly, would you mind sharing your recipe for white chicken chile? I have a white turkey chile but I don’t make it often because it’s a pain in the rear, and my grocery stopped carrying the purdue turkey short-cuts that I used. I have a chicken tortilla but I think my family is getting a little tired of it.</p>
<p>Speaking of soup, I think we might be having french onion soup at home tonight - maybe get some roast beef and make hot sandwiches on good bread to dip in the soup!</p>
<p>Meatloaf, sauteed green beans from the local farm (last of the season 
) and my first attempt at Crash Hot potatoes. </p>
<p>Fishymom, love the sound of your marinade. Worthy of a C&P.</p>