<p>Mish mash of appetizer stuff to clean out the refrigerator and freezer as we get ready to watch the Packers play!! Cheesy crab English muffins, sweet and spicy smokies, spinach pie, some fresh fruit and veggies…and a last tempt to get rid of most of the rest of the Christmas cookies!!!</p>
<p>D is sick with a cold and requested tortilla soup with jalapenos. So, we’re having that with green salad. </p>
<p>abasket, we love to have appetizers for dinner, too.</p>
<p>Plantmom, why am I so afraid to try cooking scallops? I love to order them in restaurants!</p>
<p>I think I make short ribs so much often is that I do them in my 1976 orange crockpot. no browning, every tossed in at once. Either i go with barbecue style, with Marsale wine, or more French, with wone, mini potatoes. either way, lots of spices, tabasco sauce, fiery spice.It cooks all day, at least, so meat practically falls off bone.</p>
<p>I rarely eat red meatn so I use in veg soupr or sweet and sour soup. Happy to pass on recipe for latter.</p>
<p>lilmom, I suspect it’s because of the number of TV chefs that make it look so difficult. Who wants hell’s kitchen in their own home?! Not I! But it’s not hard to do. Critical is a hot pan–cast iron works great-- although tonight I used a large non-stick pan. Also, it’s best to make sure the scallops are dry enough that they don’t steam. I pat them off first, dust with a little seasoning, and then put in the very hot pan with olive oil. I cook them for about three minutes a side, turning only once. After removing the cooked scallops to rest, I make the sauce in the same pan, and then put the scallops back in at the very end, only to warm them a bit. Voila!</p>
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<p>Hmmm, that’s probably been my problem. Last time I made them, I tried to sear them, but they just seemed to create fluid in the pan.</p>
<p>Tonight I asked my DH what he wanted for dinner. He said “how about veal Marsala?” I was a little caught off guard.</p>
<p>But in the end, I googled a recipe for chicken and made Lemon chicken with mushrooms (recipe found on allrecipes.com and modified) and spinach salad. Everyone seemed pleased…</p>
<p>Nrd, your lemon chicken sounds good! I rarely cook red meat anymore, so our menu is filled with chicken, chicken, and more chicken. okay we also have fish and scallops on occasion, like tonight. I’ve found that fresh scallops are much easier to cook than those previously frozen because the latter tend to exude a lot more water, increasing the steaming chances.</p>
<p>Salmon, green beans and rice.</p>
<p>We were not too hungry but needed to use a half bunch of chard…saut</p>
<p>Thank you, plantmom. I love scallops and will definitely try cooking them as soon as I can!</p>
<p>I must say I’ve reached a point that I’m kind of fooded out and would like to live on soup and salad for a week or so!!!</p>
<p>Tonight, beef stew. </p>
<p>Tomorrow, I’m going to make a big batch of sauce to freeze.</p>
<p>I’m making honey sesame chicken with boneless chicken thighs in the slow cooker. I think I’ll make mashed potatoes to go with it, instead of rice. And roasting some broccoli and cauliflower, with garlic and olive oil. </p>
<p>Meanwhile, I’m eating low-glycemic, so I think I’ll be eating leftover chili.</p>
<p>Last night we had sweet & sour turkey meatballs and homemade potato wedge fries covered with garlic, parmesean, oil, lots of different spices…and small cups of vegetable lentil soup.</p>
<p>Today is football day…PIZZA :)</p>
<p>I like this thread because it gives me a chance to try new items and new recipes!</p>
<p>Yes, pizza. Ravens currently playing and ths Redskins later on. We called Pizza Hut.</p>
<p>Pork Tenderloin, sauerkraut, and garlic mashed potatoes</p>
<p>Meatloaf, oven roasted red potatoes, salad.</p>
<p>I really don’t cook and am lucky that DH does. But he LOVES meatloaf and thinks mine is amazing. Yeah, right. I enjoy throwing all kinds of carbs into it to make it hold together and it comes out very solid. Tonite’s has crushed plain Life cereal.
Very not healthy, but it doesn’t happen very often…we all much prefer DH’s unusual and creative concoctions.</p>
<p>^^^Eddieodessa:</p>
<p>This is funny: I have never had Pizzahut! My kids have had it elsewhere, but want me to try it at home so they can have it too! I like ordering from local mom & pop type places. In fact, we just took our kids to an Olive Garden for the first time a few months ago and they keep reminding me how much they enjoyed it…yucch. I’d much rather go to locally owned restaurants where the portions are not measured and everything tastes so fresh. 
I guess I’ll break down and try a Pizzahut one of these days, my kids will be thrilled!</p>
<p>Sirloin steak on the grill, with a melange of sauteed red peppers, green peppers, and onions, and gluten-free chocolate cake for dessert.</p>
<p>I just make teriyaki steak with stir fry veggies and brown rice. It was a success.</p>
<p>Olive Garden…yuk.Let’s just say a sibling worked there and I can tell you that NOTHING is made there. The sauces, soups, everything comes in a package. I can cook from a package at home…when I eat out I want it made fresh.</p>