dfish

Well, I just had an odd thing happen. I was supposed to have an appointment with an endocrine surgeon on Wednesday. He wanted a bone density scan of my forearm. The reason I was given was because he requires it. Huh? Why does he require it? No answer. So, I called the insurance company to make sure it would be covered since I just had a scan in June. Insurance said they would need a preauthorization request for an additional scan. So, I called the surgeon's office with that information and they claimed they did have preauthorization. Last week they said they didn't and the insurance company had to record of it. So, she sent me over to the department that has the preauthorization information so I could get the confirmation numbers and call the insurance company back. Well, less than 5 minutes later, while I was still on hold with the preauthorization department, the surgeon's office called back and said the surgeon had reviewed my case and determined that I did not need surgery. She added that they would be referring me to a medical endocrinologist. I said no thanks to that because if the surgeon had reviewed my records he would see no need to make that recommendation as I had been referred to them by my medical endocrinologist. I'm not sure what to make of this. I have a call into my endocrinologist to see what he thinks.

We visited Montreal on the Rotterdam in 2018. It was a b2b Boston/Montreal/Boston and Montreal was our turn around day. We didn't take any excursions as they all were airport transfers. One of the things we did do on this trip was explore the cuisine. Montreal was smoked meat sandwiches and poutine. We did like the gardens we saw. And, we enjoyed coffee at a sidewalk cafe.

Good morning everyone! Today has dawned with abundant sunshine and abundant heat and humidity. Thunder bumpers are supposed to roll in this afternoon and cool us down a bit. That would be a good thing! The only thing on my agenda is painting the living room. The room is bigger, but there is more room to maneuver around than in the kitchen and dining room. I think that will help make it easier. Today's meal is pure comfort. It is thick, rich, and creamy. It would be wonderful on a cold night in January. It is not for the calorie or carb counters. https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/chicken-gnocchi-pesto-soup/ This next one is a little lighter on the calories and the carbs. More broth used helps do that. https://thekitchengirl.com/10-minute-pesto-chicken-gnocchi-soup/ This is a vegan version. The chicken is left out, but could easily be included. https://www.delishknowledge.com/gnocchi-pesto-soup/ If you want to skip the soup version and just go for the chicken gnocchi pesto, here's the recipe. https://www.chiselandfork.com/chicken-pesto-gnocchi/ One last version: https://www.healthyfood.com/healthy-recipes/pesto-gnocchi-and-chicken-bake/ Wishing you all a wonderful day!

Good morning, everyone!! It is another nice start to the day here in northeast Ohio. It is going to be a scorcher, though. Temps in the low 90s are forecast. I am packing up Grandma's Belleek china and Mom's Waterford crystal in preparation for painting the living room. One more box and I'll be ready to unload the room and tape all that needs taping. Then, on with the paint!! Today's meal is a nice one and would be excellent for a hot day like today. Fattoush is a Levantine salad made from toasted or fried pieces of khubz (Arabic flat bread) combined with mixed greens and other vegetables, such as radishes and tomatoes. Fattoush belongs to the family of dishes known as fattat (plural of fatteh), which use stale flatbread as a base. Fattoush includes vegetables and herbs varying by season and taste. The vegetables are cut into relatively large pieces compared to tabbouleh which requires ingredients to be finely chopped. Sumac is usually used to give fattoush its sour taste, while some recipes also add pomegranate molasses along with the sumac. We'll start out with this recipe. Most of them are very similar and only vary in a vegetable or two or in the dressing. This one has a lime vinaigrette which sounds lovely. I'm not sure where to get the sumac though. https://www.themediterraneandish.com/fattoush-salad/ Oh, my! Doesn't that look delicious? I might have to stop by the store and get some pita bread. I found the sumac: https://www.amazon.com/Ziyad-Gourmet-All-Natural-Preservatives-Flavorful/dp/B00B03X2XI?dchild=1&keywords=sumac+lebanese&qid=1620534950&sr=8-4-spons&psc=1&smid=A2R4B1L3A6K3AY&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEzTEw5MlRWODNHN000JmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwOTIwODUzM1EzR0lTMzZXVzJCVSZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwMTczMDUzMUJPWFRVQkYyNU9GUyZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX2F0ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU%3D&linkCode=sl1&tag=feelgoodfoo03-20&linkId=60fadd98e2d98f018049c9782e88e7ea&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl You can also get sumac from Penzey's. Ok, now that we have our sumac, we can proceed on to the second recipe that calls for a lemon vinaigrette and includes green pepper. https://feelgoodfoodie.net/recipe/lebanese-fattoush-salad/ This next recipe uses red onion and includes some mint. https://www.gimmesomeoven.com/fattoush-salad/ This next one is the meal version and contains some chopped chicken. https://www.simplyscratch.com/fattoush-salad/ All the recipes say there are no rules as to which vegetables are included and which ones aren't. It all depends on the season and what if available fresh. So, be creative! Wishing you all a wonderful day!

Good morning, everyone! Today is starting out cool and crisp with abundant sunshine in northeast Ohio. I will celebrate Speak a Kind Word Day happily today. That should be a daily event. What a difference we could make in this world. @Cruzin Terri I'm happy to read that you are going to put the incident behind you and move on. Better for both of you. I am going to finish packing up Grandma's china and mom's crystal today and get the living room ready for painting. I'm hoping it won't take as long as the kitchen and dining room as there are no cabinets to do. It should be an easier job. Penne alla vodka is a pasta dish made with vodka and penne pasta, usually made with heavy cream, crushed tomatoes, onions, and sometimes sausage, pancetta or peas. The recipe became very popular in Italy and in the United States around the 1980s, when it was offered to discotheque customers. The recipe thus became an icon of the fashionable cuisine of the time, which preferred the use of cream in first courses. Penne alla vodka remains popular in Italian-American cuisine. Our first recipe comes from Ree Drummond of The Food Network. There is a whole cup of vodka in the sauce! One caution is to cook it long enough for the alcohol to evaporate leaving just the flavor. https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ree-drummond/penne-alla-vodka-recipe-2014981 This next one only uses a 1/2 cup of vodka and cautions us to use only fresh ingredients. No bottled garlic! https://www.cookingclassy.com/penne-alla-vodka-sauce/ This next recipe only uses 2 tbsp of vodka. It gives directions for including pancetta, bacon, or Italian sausage along with other vegetables. https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/a26556220/penne-alla-vodka-recipe/ The other recipes I found were all the same, only the amount of vodka changed. So, enjoy and let us know if you have a secret ingredient. Wishing you all a great day!

We were in 8197 and loved it. There was an occasional sound of chairs being moved, but nothing that woke us up or prevented us from sleeping. We did get sunshine on the balcony, but the big overhang was great when the weather was a little wet. I'd book it again in a heartbeat.

Good morning, everyone. Today is another beautiful day in northeast Ohio. It isn't supposed to be as hot today as yesterday. We shall see. Today I am putting my kitchen and dining room back together. My packing boxes came yesterday from U-Haul, so I am set to go! Halászlé is a traditional soup enjoyed both by locals and famed with tourists. An important ingredient is a broth made of fish trimmings such as fresh carp heads, bones, skin and fins simmered with vegetables that may include red onions, green peppers and tomatoes for two hours. It is then strained, and ten minutes before serving hot ground paprika and two finger-thick carp fillets, the roe and coral are added to the boiling soup. Traditionally, fisherman prepare the soup in small kettles on open fire on the river banks. When prepared in kettles, chopped onion is fried in the kettle with some oil until it is caramelized. Then, ground paprika is added and the kettle is filled with water. When the water comes to a boil, other seasonings (such as black pepper, white wine, vinegar, or tomato juice) are added, and finally the fish, chopped into large pieces. Entire fish, including heads and tails, are often added to the soup. The soup is usually prepared with mixed fish, most commonly carp, catfish, perch and pike. It is famous for being very hot and spicy. When prepared on-site the soup is served directly from the kettle and eaten with bread. Competitions in preparing the soup are popular and are usually held at fairs along river coast. White wine (such as Riesling) is served with halászlé. Diluted with soda water it forms a sort of spritzer, called fröccs in Hungarian. Halászlé is a traditional dish for Christmas Eve dinner in Hungary. Here is our first recipe for the dish. While this fish soup is traditionally made with hot paprika, you can substitute sweet paprika if you prefer. https://www.mygoldenpear.com/traditional-hungarian-fish-soup-with-red-paprika-powder-halaszle/ A number of versions exist, some are served over pasta, others include cream, but all are made using freshwater fish such as carp, perch or pike. Fried fish are also served at the festive dinner, along with warm potato salad. https://www.sbs.com.au/food/recipes/fishermans-soup-halaszle You can use any mild white fish you like. Cod is often substituted for the carp. https://www.bestofhungary.co.uk/blogs/recipes/fishermans-soup Enjoy! Wishing you all a wonderful day.

I'm here when you are ready.

Terri, I know that pain. Reach out if you'd like.

I am staying at the Chateau Frontenac for one night, fulfilling my grandmother's dream. I get in at 3:41 pm on the 7th. The area around the Frontenac has some fun shopping. I booked this last November so I didn't have to wait as long, but I also had Norway in July to help me through the wait.

That is so sad. Prayers for Linda for recovery and support and healing in losing David. That is so sad. Living alone that is a great fear as one ages.

Good morning, everyone! It is another beautiful morning in northeast Ohio. Mornings tend to be cool and crisp, but it is supposed to warm up today to the mid 80s. All my hardened left over paint from the garage went out this morning with the trash collection. Now, I have to get rid of the stuff the previous owners left in the basement back in 1987. Something tells me they are already hardened. I am waiting on delivery of my packing boxes and then I can put stuff away in the kitchen and dining room. And, prep the living room. Last night I was ready to give in and call a painter. This morning I think I can do it. I had Elote in Mexico City years ago. I was traveling with friends and students. We loved it. They didn't grill the corn, though. It was boiled, dipped in a sauce and sprinkled with cheese. Elote would be wonderful with fish tacos. This first recipe has a little history and some suggestions on what to pair it with. The flank steak sounds good as well. https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/grilled_mexican_street_corn_elotes/ Slightly different seasonings in this recipe, but lots of great information. https://www.seriouseats.com/mexican-street-corn-elotes-recipe This is Tyler Florence's take on street corn. https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/mexican-grilled-corn-recipe-1947651 You can do more than just eat it off the cob. Here's a recipe for street corn salad. https://www.loveandlemons.com/mexican-street-corn-salad/ Or how about some street corn dip with your tortilla chips? https://houseofnasheats.com/grilled-mexican-street-corn-dip/ Or how about street corn casserole? https://saltandbaker.com/mexican-street-corn-casserole/ Enjoy the corn and make extra! You'll want it. Wishing everyone a wonderful day.

I have declared the kitchen and dining room done. Now, I just have to put them back together. That means hardware on the cabinet doors and furniture in the dining room. I'm waiting on some boxes from U-Haul. I ordered their packing supplies kit. I want to box up Grandma's china instead of putting it back. I'll do the same with Grandma's Belleek china and Mom's Waterford crystal. I'm using the garage for storage, so the poor car is out in the cold.

I have been heading to the MDR lately. After the rush of embarkation I like to relax a bit and don't enjoy the crowds in the Lido. I can sit in the MDR and have a nice glass of wine and a decent meal.

Both the kitchen and dining room all have one coat of paint on the walls. It will need a second coat, but that generally goes on faster and easier since the walls aren't so thirsty. I'll get busy on that after lunch.

We always stopped at Howard Johnson's in Niagara Falls on our way to and from Grandma's in Binghamton, New York. I guess my parents felt it was safe to stop there with six rambunctious kids that had been trapped in the car for half a day.

Public wifi in Eidfjord outside of the Tourist Information office.

Good morning, everyone. It is looking like a beautiful day here in northeast Ohio. The heat is returning, though. I'm going to do laps this morning and then get back to my painting. I should be able to finish up the dining room and kitchen today. Then I can reload the furniture in the dining room and start clearing out the living room. I take out all the little furniture and drape the big stuff. Gyūdon , also known as gyūmeshi ), is a Japanese dish consisting of a bowl of rice topped with beef and onion simmered in a mildly sweet sauce flavored with dashi (fish and seaweed stock), soy sauce and mirin (sweet rice wine). It may sometimes also be served with toppings such as raw or soft poached eggs, Welsh onions (negi), grated cheese or kimchi. A popular food in Japan, it is commonly eaten with beni shōga (pickled ginger), shichimi (ground chili pepper), and a side dish of miso soup. After the arrival of Buddhism in Japan in the 6th century, consumption of meat became rare in Japanese culture (especially those of four-footed animals such as beef or pork) and in many cases frowned upon, both for religious and practical reasons. It was only after the Meiji Restoration in 1868 and the subsequent westernization of the country that meat began to be widely eaten. Gyūdon is considered to be derived from gyūnabe , a beef hot pot originating in the Kantō region of eastern Japan. Gyūnabe originally consisted of cuts of beef simmered with Welsh onions and miso (as the beef available in Japan at the time were usually of poor quality, the meat was cooked this way to tenderize it and neutralize its foul smell), but by the late 1800s, a variation that used a special stock called warishita - a combination of a sweetener such as sugar or mirin and soy sauce - instead of miso and featuring additional ingredients such as shirataki (konjac cut into noodle-like strips) and tofu began to appear. This version of gyūnabe (known today as sukiyaki - originally the name of a similar yet distinct dish from the Kansai region) eventually came to be served with rice in a deep bowl (donburi), becoming gyūmeshi or gyūdon. This first recipe uses sake and seems to be a pretty easy one to do if you can find the ingredients. They do give some substitutions. https://www.justonecookbook.com/gyudon/ Here's one with an egg topping. https://thewoksoflife.com/gyudon-recipe-beef-rice/ In this one the eggs are a little more cooked. I like my egg whites cooked through. https://www.seriouseats.com/gyudon-japanese-simmered-beef-and-rice-bowl-recipe I would tinker with this quite a bit and use riced cauliflower to cut the carbs and come out with something I think is similar, but totally different. Wishing everyone a great day.

First, never skip the wine. Second, I'll be using a roller. I'll paint your backs. Who knows? We might create a masterpiece. It has been said that some of the great poets did their best work on pipe dreams.

This would be tons of fun especially if we had some cardbordeaux.

Mine is Firstmiddle Last and I've never had a problem. Actually it is Last Firstmiddle.

I, too, have a shirt and pair of shorts just for painting. I should probably have long pants for painting to keep some of the paint off me. I don't know how I do it, but I wore gloves and still have paint on my hands. I truly identify with more paint on me than on the walls. I even have it in my hair.

Good morning, everyone! The rain has gone away for the day and I'm taking the day off from painting. I'm going to do my laps and then have lunch with friends. Looking forward to a relaxing day. Although, I do have a lot of paint to scrub off. I am the messiest painter ever. Today's meal sounds good to me as a side dish. I do like cauliflower and it is so good for you. Cauliflower is an extremely healthy vegetable that’s a significant source of nutrients. It also contains unique plant compounds that may reduce the risk of several diseases, including heart disease and cancer. Additionally, it’s weight loss friendly and incredibly easy to add to your diet. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/benefits-of-cauliflower This cauliflower "steak" is so impressive, your meal will demand a steak knife! Prep work is simplified for this sheet-pan dinner with an herbed garlic oil that's used two ways: first it's mixed with panko and Parmesan for a crispy crust for the cauliflower, then tossed with beans and cherry tomatoes for a zesty side dish.https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/herb-crusted-cauliflower-steaks-with-beans-and-tomatoes This Parmesan-crusted cauliflower makes a flavorful and hearty vegetarian main that is ready in under an hour. A generous amount of cooking spray helps the panko breadcrumb coating on these cauliflower steaks get nice and crispy. https://www.eatingwell.com/recipe/7896613/parmesan-crusted-cauliflower-with-white-beans-tomatoes/ In this sophisticated recipe, Tuscan-spiced cauliflower is coated with creamy mustard sauce and a rich topping of parmesan, breadcrumbs, and lemon zest before baking in the oven until delightfully golden brown and crunchy. A vibrant trio of creamy white beans, spinach, and fresh tomatoes (finished with a bit of fresh lemon juice) makes a hearty bed for the cauliflower steaks. https://www.blueapron.com/recipes/parmesan-crusted-cauliflower-steaks-with-white-bean-saute-lemon This last one comes with a different side salad made from cucumbers, bell peppers, and red onion. I think that looks good and I might get the fixings for that! https://skinnyms.com/herb-crusted-cauliflower-steaks/ Here's wishing everyone a wonderful day!