dfish

I remember times as a child that we went to Frankenmuth for Sunday dinner. It always involved a long wait to get seated, but was well worth it once we were. Now, you can make reservations and I highly recommend doing that. Today at 1:30 pm it was 90 minutes minimum wait for walk ins. That was at the Bavarian Inn and across the street at Zehnders, the line was out the door. I am thankful that you made it safely. And, yes, it was important to make that trip. I hope it is ready soon for you and meets all your expectations. That is wonderful news, Carolyn. We had a similar sunset last night here in Midland. Our trip to Bronner's was wonderful. We bought a few things, but mostly we were on a scouting mission. Some of the fancy ornaments can be made at home, especially if you have a live in artist like Sue. After Bronner's we went down to the outlet mall at Birch Run. I found way too much down there that I liked. I haven't bought clothes in almost 2 years so this was a treat for me. I did get a couple pairs of velour lounge around the house pants so I can be like Marjorie on Mom.

Good morning, everyone! We are on a warming trend here in mid-Michigan with temps up to 40F and a bit of sun peeking through the clouds today. Last night we had a gorgeous sunset. Today we are planning to go down to Frankenmuth, a 40 minute drive from here. Bronners is a Christmas store open year round and we're hoping we can pick up some deals. We want a tall tree for the living room for next year. We are debating whether to eat linner (late lunch, early dinner) at the Bavarian Inn or Zehnders while we are there. Right now it sounds like way too much food to me. Today's meal is a great one. You can make it in advance and have it on hand for a busy evening. It is warm and comforting for a cold winter night. And, it is really easy. You can substitute left over turkey for the chicken. You can substitute riced cauliflower for the rice. It is very versatile. https://thecozycook.com/broccoli-cheddar-chicken-and-rice-casserole/ You can also add in other vegetables. Make it your own! https://www.jocooks.com/recipes/one-pot-cheesy-chicken-broccoli-rice-casserole/ Here is a version that is keto friendly (low carb). Basically, you leave out the rice. I'd probably add in zoodles or riced cauliflower to help bulk it up a bit. https://www.maebells.com/broccoli-chicken-casserole-keto-low-carb/ This last one does not use a canned creamed soup to make the sauce. I think I'd like that better as I'm not a fan of canned soup. It also helps cut down on the amount of sodium in the dish. https://www.wellplated.com/chicken-broccoli-rice-casserole/ So, use up some of that leftover turkey in a great creamy, cheesy casserole and pop it in the freezer for late January, early February. Wishing everyone a wonderful day.

Good morning, everyone! Welcome to @ocean sounds! Temps are moderating here and today should be a nice day. We even had sunshine yesterday! We went to the mall and walked around so that we had a warm place to walk. There weren't too many people there when we went. Today we're doing the same downtown. We'll visit the shops but probably won't buy anything, but we'll enjoy getting out. Today's meal is another good one for winter. Most of the recipes called for chorizo and potatoes, but a few of them had other ingredients. This Spanish Chorizo & Potato Stew is one of Spain´s most classic dishes ever. It´s loaded with flavors, super easy to make and promises to fill your body with so much goodness. Serve it next to a crunchy baguette and a bottle of Spanish wine from La Rioja, for the ultimate Spanish experience. https://spainonafork.com/classic-spanish-chorizo-potato-stew-recipe/ The Food Network adds some swiss chard to it. It is always nice to have greens in food as they are so good for us. https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchen/chorizo-potato-stew-3363400 This stew from Rioja is simple but you do need to cut the potatoes correctly (into 'cachelos') to ensure that their starch thickens the liquid. Everyone loves this – it's a very wintry, weekend-y, comforting dish. You can't get it wrong. In Spain, every mum makes this. https://thehappyfoodie.co.uk/recipes/potato-and-chorizo-stew-patatas-a-la-riojana/ Spanish chicken and chorizo stew is a go-to recipe for an easy weeknight meal. It’s simple to prepare (with little prep time), tastes delicious, and leaves plenty of leftovers for lunch the next day (important!). It’s hearty on a cold winter’s eve, but not so heavy that you can’t enjoy it in summer either, served alongside a refreshing Spanish salad. https://spanishsabores.com/spanish-chicken-and-chorizo-stew-recipe/ This Spanish white bean stew with chorizo sausage is so good that everyone will believe you spent hours in the kitchen! The chorizo flavors the beans so beautifully, that even the ones who don’t like beans will certainly try a tablespoon or two. And who knows, you may turn them into bean lovers! https://www.thehungrybites.com/spanish-white-bean-stew-with-chorizo-sausage/ Wishing you all a wonderful day!

I was thinking the same.

Good morning, everyone! What a wonderful day it was yesterday. The meal was great and the company more than wonderful. It was so nice to have a holiday in my own home without having to drive hundreds of miles. I hope all my Daily family had a wonderful day yesterday. Homeowners day is for Sue and me. We were able to pay cash for this house when we put the proceeds of our homes together. We feel so fortunate to be here. Now, who knew that there were more things you could do with butternut squash? I doubt we'll be making it as we need to eat up some of the leftovers in the fridge before we add more to it. But, it would be good on a cold winter's night. This cozy white bean and butternut squash soup with kale is full of garlic, herbs, flavorful stock, and good-for-you veggies. Drizzled with olive or garlic oil, a hunk of sourdough tucked alongside to sop up any leftover broth, this is a perfect cozy fall/winter meal to make all season long. Gluten free and vegan-friendly. https://www.forkknifeswoon.com/tuscan-white-bean-and-butternut-squash-soup/ Butternut Squash, Kale and White Bean Soup uses seasonal ingredients to create a comforting 1-pot meal. Ready in just 40 minutes, this warming + nourishing soup will become an instant favorite. https://dishingouthealth.com/kale-and-white-bean-soup/ Butternut squash soup is a classic fall soup, but dealing with a whole squash is cumbersome and difficult so use pre-cut butternut squash instead which makes this an easy soup to make. The squash is roasted first to bring out its sweetness and is combined with other veggies and creamy cannellini beans which gives the butternut squash soup a wonderful velvety texture. https://www.girlgonegourmet.com/creamy-butternut-squash-and-white-bean-soup/ The soup does look good, so I'm filing this away for a mid January meal. Wishing you all a wonderful day. If you are traveling, be safe.

How awful of that company! I'm glad you were able to make good of everything and that your DS and DDIL helped do that. Somehow, even if I liked PP&J, it doesn't make up for Christmas dinner.

Hugs to you from across the miles. Thank you for sharing with us and I hope we can lift some of the sorrow.

@ger_77

Merry Christmas, Rich. I hope your day is filled with fun and joy. You bring so much of that to us with your trip reports and the Daily.

My dad loved anything lemon. We've been sharing a lot of memories this Christmas.

Good morning everyone! It is still very frigid here in mid-Michigan, but the wind has died down substantially. We are all ready for Christmas here and as soon as I finish this, I will stuff the bird and get it in the oven. We were supposed to be 10 for dinner, but I think we are down to 7 now. Sue's DDIL is running a fever, the baby is sick, and the three year old is coughing. We don't know what it is and neither do they. They won't do a test for Covid, so it is best they stay home. We can celebrate with them another time. Today's meal is Christmas Ham. In past years when all of us were at one place for Christmas we sometimes had a ham along with the turkey. We usually assigned that to nephew Ian to make and he rather enjoyed it. I remember my mom making ham and she would stud it with cloves, use a brown sugar and mustard glaze, and put pineapple rings on it. Years later she got a spiral sliced ham for Christmas and wanted to put pineapple on it. Brother Jeff, the chef, tried to convince her that you didn't put pineapple on a spiral sliced ham. She wasn't buying it. So, he printed off a warning about using pineapple on the ham, claiming it caused an aversion to soap operas and small children, and managed to embed it on the tag for the ham so it looked like it came from the factory that way. She carried that tag in her purse until she died. Here is our first recipe: https://easyweeknightrecipes.com/christmas-ham-brown-sugar-glaze/ This one leaves out the cloves but adds in orange juice. https://aprettylifeinthesuburbs.com/best-christmas-ham-recipe/ This one uses honey in the glaze along with some garlic. You could also use Maple Syrup in place of the honey. https://cafedelites.com/brown-sugar-mustard-glazed-ham/ Here's hoping your meal is fantastic, whether it is ham or turkey or something else. Wishing everyone a wonderful day and a very merry holiday.

How awful about the tree coming down on the house, but the pie looks fabulous. I love lemon meringue! A luxury tree house? For them or for kids? What a great Christmas gift. Santa at work! @StLouisCruisers I'm so glad you made it safely.

Good morning, everyone! @grapau27 Happy Birthday to your Sarah! The wind howled all day yesterday, but really not a lot more snow. It is still cold here this morning, but I think we are coming out of it. Midland sort of exists in a bubble where the storms split and go north and south and then reunite. That has happened with this one. North of here is still getting pummeled with snow and has blizzard conditions for most of today. Last night brother Bill, his wife Lauren, daughter Liz, and her husband Joe braved the weather and came over for Farkle. Joe and Liz are in town for the holidays from Florida. I hadn't seen them since my dad's funeral in 2019. Baby Oliver was with them and he is truly a Jolly Ollie. Today's meal is perfect for today. I'll pass on it due to the starchy carbs, but if you can indulge, more power to you! This first one comes from Good Housekeeping, but that is a pay site. I got the picture from Pinterest and the ingredients and directions from BigOven. https://www.bigoven.com/recipe/triple-cheese-skillet-shells/2148459 There are many recipes for triple cheese shells, but not many for the skillet version with the little shells. So, we can have big shells. Three cheese stuffed shells with spinach are the perfect freezer meal. Gooey cheese, plenty of garlic and the best pasta sauce come together into a perfect weeknight dinner solution. Make ahead and freeze for when you need it quick! https://feastandfarm.com/three-cheese-stuffed-shells-with-spinach/ This one leaves out the spinach. https://therecipecritic.com/three-cheese-stuffed-shells/ This one adds some ground beef into it. You can leave it out, substitute Italian sausage, or whatever strikes your fancy! https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/three-cheese-jumbo-shells/ Wishing you all a wonderful day! Please, no accidents, falls, or sudden illnesses! Please stay warm and safe from the storm.

Probably not, but I taught middle and high school for 30 years and pretty much answer to anything that isn't foul.

I am so sorry! I will make up for it tomorrow, I promise. I did get stuff all over the counters and floor if that counts. I generally start ahead of time. Tomorrow I do the stuffing and set the table. I used to do pies and stuffing on the same day, but those days are in the past. Back when I did the pumpkin roll I learned my limits. I do have to remember to take the pumpkin roll out of the freezer tomorrow. What a great Christmas gift - WATER! Wow! I am impressed. That is truly wonderful. I hope your Christmas is truly merry.

Cyril, Zero, easily confused.

It is a chilly 7F here with windchills to -16F. Brrrr. Chocolate Pecan Pie is made. Apple Streusel Caramel Walnut Pie is made. Blueberry Crumb Pie is made. I'm done for the day. And, for once, I am not wearing as much pie as there is in the pie plate.

I'm so excited for you, Rich. Thanks for doing this and I look forward to your perspective.

Safe travels. I'm glad you liked the recipes. Sorry that Tana's aide is out sick. Hopefully, others are pitching in as both of you need help!

Good morning, everyone. Many thanks to @rafinmd for posting the Daily today. It really is a community effort. Sue arrived yesterday afternoon well ahead of the snow and wind. We were both quite thankful for that. I had already moved her bedroom into one of the other three downstairs. She had the large one, but the boiler, aka The Beast, was in a closet in her room and it was way overheated. Now she's in a much cooler room. The snow wasn't as heavy as predicted but the blowing and drifting are the problem. It is currently 11F with a wind chill of -6F. Nothing like they get on @ger_77's frozen tundra, but pretty cold to us. Today's meal is interesting. I bet it tastes really good, especially if you can find fresh chives. I only found one recipe for exactly what the meal of the day is. It is on a website selling spices, but ignore that and just use salt and pepper. Warning: this contains olives! https://www.selmagique.com/recipes/roasted-tomato-chive-pizza/ This next one is for a roasted tomato pizza sauce. You could add a few tomatoes and some chives to it. Or just have a cheese pizza. No olives here. https://www.thursdaynightpizza.com/roasted-tomato-pizza-sauce/ Or how about roasted garlic and tomato pizza? I'll take mine without the burnt parts. https://www.thursdaynightpizza.com/white-pizza-with-roasted-garlic-and-tomatoes/ How about roasted tomatoes with basil? Sounds good to me! https://fortheloveofcooking.net/2014/11/roasted-tomato-pizza-with-fresh-basil-and-homemade-pizza-sauce.html Hope that gives you all some ideas to make pizza a little different from the norm. Wishing you all a wonderful day!

Good morning, everyone! @richwmn Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy!! I set a new personal record at the grocery store yesterday. Part of it is for Christmas dinner and the rest for Sue and me as we hunker down during the blizzard. She will definitely make it down before the snow flies in earnest. Her boss was concerned about the storm and didn't want patients or staff to have to drive in it. It starts a bit earlier up there as they are further west. So, he cancelled the afternoon and rescheduled those patients. Today's meal is interesting. I might like it as a side dish. @kochleffel I had the same reaction as you did. Back to squash. I think we're having veggie nachos here. The first recipe looks good. The green stuff is the mole. https://www.punchfork.com/recipe/Roasted-Squash-and-Pumpkin-Seed-Mole-Bowls-Delish In this next one the mole looks like we'd expect. I'd try it. https://www.washingtonpost.com/recipes/roasted-squash-pumpkin-seed-mole/15540/ This one is a little more involved, but it sounds good and the flavors would be wonderful. It uses more than just butternut squash. https://www.food.com/recipe/mole-coloradito-with-roasted-fall-squash-537001 Wishing everyone a wonderful day. For those traveling, be safe!