I let my daughter pick the menu since she heads back to school this Sunday, (and I am cooking a 19-pound turkey tomorrow).

Caesar Salad
Hamburgers (with chicken burger option for DH and me)
Lipton Side Dish (Parmesan noodles)
Potato chips
Fresh strawberries

Oatmeal cookies for dessert....

PS __ Freezing and WINDY here in New Jersey!

I picked up a frozen dinner at Costco it is Chicken Enchiladas something or other and looked very good, that will go in the oven and chips and salsa for appetizer.

I'm making a Slow Roasted Tomato and Fennel Soup recipe from a free book that I got on my Kindle Fire. It smells divine! I've got about 1/2 hour until I can eat it.

I cooked cabbage, potatoes, and ham in my new Cuisinart pressure cooker. My house may be odoriferous for a few days, but it surely did taste good to me. Way too cold (in the teens w/wind blowing) to air it out.

Shirley

I fixed potato soup and had some cheese and grapefruit juice to drink. Chilly here too, right now it is 18 and falling.

Sue in Central Indiana

Oh Suzieque, that sounds interesting! Please share the recipe if it tastes as good as it sounds.

Shirley, that is one of my favorites, I make it into soup using ham hocks. Yummy.

I wish I could have potato soup, Sue.

I love subs, Patti43, but don't treat myself to them very often. One of my closest friends owned a sub shop!

We had stuffed bell peppers and cauliflower mashed 'taters'.

Stuffed mushrooms and potato wedges, and some sliced cukes.

Ok, the decision on the soup is: Great! Here's the recipe, and my notes at the bottom.

Slow Roasted Tomato and Fennel Soup

3 lbs whole fresh tomatoes, cored and halved
1 fennel bulb, stem removed, quartered
1 large yellow onition, peeled and quartered
2 large carrots, peeled and cut in half (I used a handful of the little baby carrots)
2 stalks celery, cut in half
3 cloves garic, peeled
3 tablespoons olive oil
6 cups stock (I wasn't sure what they meant, so used chicken stock)
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspooon smoked paprika
(oh my - as I'm typing this, I realize that I didn't put the cumin or paprika in!!!)
seasonings to taste

Using 1 tablespoon of the oil, lightly coat the fennel, ceery, carrots, onion, and garlic. Place onto a sheet pan.

toss the tomatoes with the other 2 tablespoons of oil. Place onto a sheet pan.

heat the oven to 275.

Place both trays in the oven and roast for around 1 hour and 45 minutes to 2 hours.

Transfer all the vegetables to a pan and add the stock. Bring the mixture to a boil and simmer until the tomatoes begin to break apart.

Puree with a hand blender or other.

Return to the heat and add the spices and seasoning to taste. (Ok, I forgot about the cumin and paprika and just threw in dashes of thyme, marjoram, etc.). Will put in the cumin and paprika now.

Very, very good! And warming, on a cold night.

We had another crock pot meal, swiss steak (steak in brown gravy, not with tomatoes)mashed potatoes, corn and the last of the homemade bread. Rice Krispie Bars and or chocolate chip cookie bars compliments of my sister for dessert.

Maura, I always hated it when my daughter left to go back to school. I kept trying to get her to grow up and then when she did, I wanted her younger again. Dinner sounds good but that turkey sounds even better.

Suzieque, I keep telling myself I am going to find a recipe using fennel and also one with leeks. I've never cooked with either one so it's about time. I copied/pasted your recipe--should I add the cumin and smoked paprika do you think?

Ravencajun, we don't have a Costco but we do belong to Sam's. They have casserole-type meals that always look so good, but they're so darned big. Of course, "big" is the theme of those type stores, I guess.

Sue, that was a nice warm dinner for a cold, cold night. How much snow have you had?

Lynn, I hardly ever stuff peppers anymore. I just throw everything in the crockpot and let 'er cook. Not nearly as pretty as far as presentation goes, but I'm so lazy!!

Question Shirley--have you used a pressure cooker before or is this new to you? Well, two questions, I guess. Do you know if they make a small size?

Hi Patti - this was my first time cooking with fennel, and I can't say that I could distinguish it in the final produt. But it sure was good. Yes, I guess it'd be best to add the cumin and smoked paprika if you have them. But I wouldn't buy them specially. Just open the spice cabinet and give your choice a few shakes, as I did.

I do have them both. Never thought I'd have two kinds of paprika but I do--haha!

suzieque: The soup sounds delicious! I just got a Kindle Fire for Christmas-can you tell me what the title of the cook book is and where to get it?

patti43: This isn't my first electric pressure cooker. My last one had been on its last legs for over a year when it finally went completely. I limited the usage of it because it was a hassle every time I used it.

This is a 6 qt size, but I've seen ones in the 4 qt size.

Shirley

Aha--4 quart would be great! I'll have to look around. Thanks, Shirley!

Hi Lizbeth. It is "50 Paleo Soup Recipes". I agave no idea what paleo is! The book was free a few days ago. It may still be. Make sure you check if that matters.