I forgot to say last night that Ken "dared" me to post our dinner, LOL. He laughingly asked if a can of beans and some franks were forum worthy and I said well of course. Just wanted to let you all know that I took a night off from my usual gourmet meal preparations :-)

BTW, Shaun, Marilyn's Sausage Marzetti is one of my most favorite dishes! Yum.

Kathleen - sounds like you've got your own Mama Morton out there in the Hamptons!

I made a Mary (el) Zucchini au gratin as a side last night and it was very good..

It is almost like a lasagna/frittata:)

Hers was much more beautiful:)

The Crostinis had gorgonzola,pine nuts and figs.. drizzled w/ honey.

OOOH Kathleen , your fried chicken dinner looks great. Much better than mine. Don't you just love mashed potatoes and gravy?

I think I've met a few of those corn natzis before. If I can't peel back the husk to look I won't buy. I'm picky about my corn.

Annie looking foward to pictures of the wedding feast too.

Monique, love your presentation.

Remember Sarah? Matthew's girlfriend from when we lived in Nanaimo? They broke up over three years ago but remain friends. And we were always close to Sarah. After she finished college she moved back to Saskatoon to work for an architectual firm. Anyway, she is back here visiting and Matthew and Sarah came up for dinner last night and spent the night. I worked yesterday so dinner had to be something easy. I went with "Greek". One of Matt's favourites. Chicken Souvlaki, Greek Salad, rice and I made a Tzatziki sauce to serve with it. Dessert was the Blueberry Squares.

Another friend is picking Sarah up here later today and then I'll drive Matt home to Victoria.

Wedding feast? LOL We had ham sandwiches, baked beans, macaroni salad, sausage with sauerkraut, scalloped potatoes, wedding cake. Traditional wedding food in my family, with a side of beer! No pictures, although I wish I'd have gotten a picture of my nephew Dylan, still sweaty and dirty from hanging signs with directions, plunging his hand into the gallon jar of pickles. Ahem. Elery and I ate before we went!

I did get pictures of the cake and several of the reception, but now the county's computer firewall has blocked Photobucket. Sigh. I'll try to post from home tonight, and make a new thread.

Supper last night? Not a darned thing, it's just too blasted hot.

Annie

Annie, sounds like a feast to me. Lots of home cooked food made even better because you cooked it. One of the best meals I've had at a wedding was at a Southern Baptist Church in Grand Rapids. Menu sounded very much like yours and was all prepared by the church ladies. We drove all the way from Toronto for that wedding. Only thing missing was the beer. Or any other alcohol beverage for that matter. LOL! No dancing either.

It has cooled off here and is overcast. I haven't decided on dinner yet.

Ann

Are you feeling HOT HOT HOT? Anyone remember that little ditty from the late 80's /early 90's?

Well it hasn't let up here and we are sweltering!

Too hot to cook, again but I had leftover grilled chicken so we had cold chicken caesar wraps tonight.

They are hoping the rain that is in the Dakotas will reach us before petering out. I hope so, too. My poor sprinklers have been going non-stop just trying to keep my perennials alive! They look terrible, but if I can keep them from perishing there is always hope for next year!

Linda

Linda, I emailed you through GW but I don't know if you will get it. My email is posted..
And yes I remember that song!
As it was so darn hot, we met ds and his family at the ocean and had supper there. I made chick cuts, sliced them in bite size pieces,and put them on top a green salad, (red leaf lettuce from the farm, hugh head, 2.40 up from 1.60 last year! ) Red onions and cucumbers and tomatoes, feta and bacon. Hit the spot. Went to take pics there and my card is missing. I took it out to get some pics printed, and now I don't know where it is! Hoping a search of the car will be sucessful!

Linda, I have you to thank for dinner tonight. I finally got around to making the Spicy Chicken Cakes. I've had them on my list to try since the first time you posted the recipe. I used regular Helmans rather than the low fat variety. And I made a homemade lemon garlic aioli sauce using the leftover egg yolks to serve with them. As much as I love horseradish I found the horseradish sauce a little over powering for these delicate cakes. Moe loved them so much he had seconds. Definitely a keeper.

Ann I'll definitely get around to making those! Too good looking to pass up~

My gardens are parched..I have the shower.. bdays and a wedding coming up..I was up at five hose watering by hand..Shriveled up blooms..

Very hot like many of you the past several days w/ not a drop of rain..Cooler today..I think..or was I out too early:)?

Last night I tried to recereate the meal Jacques and I enjoyed so much at Lago in Vermont and by George I think I got it..
I loved making the hand made ravioli and will continue to practice..the dough is so easy and so smooth..

What recipes do you use for ravioli dough?

I made a dessert..well not really made as I bought the smaller sized angel food cakes.. we had the vanilla ice cream and blueberries..I simply whipped the meringue..You slice the cake in 2.. add a circle o ice cream in between..topped w/ blueberries..then frost and burnish:)

Next time..I may add some Cointreau to the cake or something~

Monique, So pretty with the toasted meringue an the flowers.

I use my regular

Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table

1 egg for each cup of flour( plus an extra egg for every 3 cups of flour, ie. 3 cups flour = 4 eggs, 6 cups flour = 8 eggs.

Salt
1 tablespoon of olive oil, per three cups of flour
.

Put the flour on a large board and make a well in the centre.
Crack the eggs into the well and sprinkle with salt and oil . Use your
fingertips to mix up the eggs and then start to incorporate the flour
into the eggs. Eventually it will all come together. Knead dough until
smooth and elastic. Let sit covered for 15 or 20 minutes. Divide
dough into smaller portions and run through a pasta rolling machine or
roll out by hand. Let dry slightly and then cut into desire widths.
Leave out to dry or use fresh. When dried she always stored it in a wax
paper lined box, in a cool place.

You can also mix and knead this in the Cuisinart, which is what I do
when I make it.

Once you get the right texture with the pasta dough you don't have to
add much flour. After the dough is kneaded to the right texture it just
needs to be rolled out either by hand or with a pasta roller machine.
If you are using a machine, you just keep changing the roller. You
start out on the widest setting and each time you put it through you
lower the setting until it is the thickness that you want. After you
have rolled out the dough and cut into strips, you should toss the
strands with flour which will help them dry out and not stick together.
My friends mom would make 12 and 15 egg pasta at a time and give it to
all of her family members (and me, a would-be family member). After she
cut the pasta she would lay the strands flat. She would have it spread
out everywhere there was a flat surface and also hang it from a
broomstick strung between two drawers. Once it was dry she would gather
up the stiff pieces and put them in boxes. Because I don't make that
much at a time, I just lay it all over my table and counter.

NOTE: Depending on the flour and the eggs, sometimes you will need
more eggs.

Ann Thank you!! Only you would have a tutorial.. And look how perfect your pasta is..:) The meal looks yummy too..

Do you have a cutter to make them square? I used a cookie cutter!

Off to the land of cooler weather and I hope I can bring some back with me. I am thinking cool thoughts for all of you with heat and no rain. Final peach canning got put on hold..too too much to do here, and no energy to do it. Since the peaches were still ripening, a week in the fridge can't hurt too much.

Only a husband would need food on such a day... ;-) Maureen

Last night I made shrimp and pasta, green salad and fresh yellow and white cobby stuff. Still haven't found my camera card, so no pics.
Monique, that dessert looks delicious, and Ann I am going back to read your tutorial! Amazing....
Linda, where do I find the recipe for the chicken cakes??, they look very good Ann.

Kathleen, Here is Linda's recipe.

Spicy Chicken Cakes with Horseradish Aioli
==========================================
* Posted by doucanoe (My Page) on
Tue, Jul 31, 07 at 8:38

Spicy Chicken Cakes with Horseradish Aioli
CAKES

2 (1 1/2-ounce) slices whole wheat bread
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
3 tablespoons low-fat mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large egg whites
2 teaspoons canola oil

NOTE: I used real Helmans, not low-fat and I added a minced garlic clove and cayenne pepper in place of the cajun seasoning.

NOTE: Made my own Aioli. A garlic Lemon Aioli using the extra egg yolks, and adding 3 large cloves of garlic, fresh squeezed lemon juice, lemon zest salt, pepper and olive oil.

AIOLI:
2 tablespoons low-fat mayonnaise
2 teaspoons prepared horseradish
1 teaspoon bottled minced garlic
1/8 teaspoon salt

To prepare cakes, place bread in a food processor; pulse 10 times or until coarse crumbs measure 1 cup (discard remaining breadcrumbs). Set breadcrumbs aside.
Place chicken in food processor; pulse until ground. Combine chicken, chives, 3 tablespoons mayonnaise, seasoning, 1/4 teaspoon salt, egg whites, and breadcrumbs in a medium bowl; mix well (mixture will be wet). Divide mixture into 8 equal portions, shaping each into a 1/2-inch-thick patty.
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add patties; cook 7 minutes on each side or until done.

Thank you , Ann!!!

Monique, that's a killer cake and, needless to say, but say I will, killer picture, as well.
And I have to comment on your trip to Vermont (although I haven't seen your pictures yet, I will, later tonight), anyway, Vermont is the one place I wanted to see this summer, and would've done so . . . had I not lost a bet. Painfully long story. Instead, we covered a big chunk of the South, where we enjoyed some mighty fine BBQs, and made a few friends along the way. Good times.

Ann, your Chicken Cakes look great; something my people would enjoy. I'll look up Linda's recipe.

Kathleen, I hope you find your memory card soon, we need more pictures.

I haven't been cooking much, but, since I won't be back to work until next week, and we've had a few fairly-cool days recently, I decided to break out the pots and pans. Herb-crusted Pork Tenderloin with Cauliflower Purée, Rigatoni with Basil Ricotta Sauce, and Apple Crisp with homemade Apple Buttermilk Sherbet, not necessarily in that order.
The garnish used on the sherbet was Cinnamon Basil; it's been growing like crazy in my backyard, and even though it has a lovely scent, I haven't used it for anything else.

Tonight, I'll be making something with Cornish Hens.

Sol

Ann what a coincidence. I went to take out some chicken to make the cakes tonight and realized I am out of chicken! So we'll have to have them later in the week, I guess. Glad you liked them. I really like the horseradish aioli, tho, it gives 'em a little extra "kick".

Last night I made a recipe from the CIA cookbook that I got from Cindy several swaps ago.

Firecracker Shrimp. Basically they were marinated in EVOO, cayenne, lemon zest and herbs, then wrapped in pancetta then skewered and grilled. Problem was with my pancetta. I bought it a couple of months ago and took it home and froze it. It is really hard to find here, so when I had the opportunity to buy some I figured freezing it was a good idea. However, it was kind of dy and not pliable at all when I thawed it out, so I couldn't get it wrapped around the shrimp.

Is that because I froze it? Anyone know?

Not sure about tonight. I took out some ground beef, but not really in the mood for anything with GB.

Linda

I don't remember noticing Cranberry Beans before, so I looked up a picture. They are pretty and it's too bad they loose their color with cooking.

Michelle

Those are pretty beans, Michelle. I've never seen them before!

Way too hot to cook tonight so it's breakfast for dinner. Bagels, lox and salads. I'm looking forward to it! It's cupcake week in the baking room, and we made over 200 cupcakes today. With frosting, sprinkles and rolled fondant that we stamped with teeny cookie cutters! The fondant was gross but the kids loved it :)

Beautiful food everyone .

Supper tonight was a simple "tossed" romaine salad with fresh cukes, garden grape tomatoes, green onions , fresh pineapple & cold shrimp. PA sugar plums for dessert.

Going to have to try those chicken cakes -- & I'm craving some fresh corn fritters-- maybe tomorrow-- dunked in Annie's HG--

Michelle, those are the beans I was asking about! What do they look like cooked?? The color was what interested me. In an earlier post Nancy said if they are large to discard the shell, and cook them like Lima beans. Don't like lima beans, so I think when I buy them I will only get a handful and make dh be the guinea pig!
No card yet! We had Pork fried rice I had frozen when I made it with the large piece of loin of pork I had left over.

Those chicken cakes sound good. I went and bought a smaller food processor the other day and I may try those next weekend. I haven't been doing any cooking to speak of and today I wanted fajitas so I got some and seasoned them with hot Adobo seasoning and fired up the Weber. I also made a big batch of chunky pico de gallo and had a burrito with refries, fajitas, cheese, sour cream and salsa. It tasted pretty darn good for a change.
James

Jim, I got a sample of Adobo seasoning with my last Penzey's order. OMG is it good on fajitas!

I used it tonight to turn that ho-hum hamburger into tacos for dinner tonight. I think I will add Adobo to my next order!

Linda

Kathleen, the info I found says that the beans loose their color so I assuming it means they loose the red veins and are just white after cooking. Here is a picture of the beans, it's a shame they loose their color.

Here is some history and info:

"Cranberry Beans are known for their creamy texture with a flavor similar to chestnuts. Cranberry beans are rounded with red specks, which disappear on cooking. These beans are a favorite in northern Italy and Spain. You can find them fresh in their pods in Autumn. They also freeze well.
CDC.gov - 5 a Day

According to the USDA, the American 'cranberry bean' is the same bean as the Italian 'borlotti' and, as a matter of fact, a large percentage of the 'borlotti' beans sold in Italy are actually 'cranberry beans' imported from the U.S.

Another name for this bean in the U.S. is 'French horticultural bean. "

I'm going to keep an eye out for some and we will try them and maybe save some beans to grow next year.

Michelle

Here is a link that might be useful: Interesting Beans

Another one making Linda's Spicy Chicken Cakes.

Tweaks: used chipotle pepper instead of horseradish right in the chicken mix instead of making an aioli (LAZY AND STRESSED).

Grilled 'em - but they were so wet I put down a piece of Reynolds' release aluminum foil. Don't know what noxious stuff I'm putting in my bod with that, but hey the whole family inhaled them and thats saying something.

Served 'em on a burger bun...

{{gwi:1537581}}

I must try those spicy chicken cakes~ I am certain I would like them..Nusy here and nothing to share:( But wanted to say ..I love your trio of pics Sol~

Simply..Outstanding:) Oxymoron? Or not?:)

Oooooooooooh those spicy chicken cakes sound wonderful! I just printed that recipe out and will try them tomorrow nite. I think I have all the ingredients on hand except for WW bread. Easy enough to stop and buy some. I know hubs will love this!! Thanks Linda.

I've got a shoulder picnic in the crock pot with brown sugar for tonights meal. I can't remember who told us about slow cooking a ham but it sounded so interesting to me. I'll let you know how it is. Just have to stop at the little roadside stand and grab a couple of sweet potatoes to go with it.

Have a good day all~

Oh my, the Spicey Chicken Cakes look so good...on my short list of things to try, next week probably.

Thought I'd post some of the dinners from the last few nights...

On Friday night we had a lovely dinner out on the deck of one of our favorite restaurants.

href="http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o214/wizardnm/DSCN0657.jpg"; target="_blank">

{{gwi:1537521}}
From where we were sitting we could watch the drawbridge go up and down. In the summer traffic is stopped every 20 min for the bridge to go up and let boats in and out of the harbor to Lake Michigan.

{{gwi:1537526}}
Sorry this pic is so blurry...I had to grab the camera quick. The boat belongs to a friend of ours, he likes 'em fast. I saw him the next day and told him he could slow down going thru the channel....ya right, never going to happen.

{{gwi:1537528}}

L-R...Kim, myself and Gayle on the deck at the restaurant.

Tonight we are planning on BLT's, there's a pile of tomatoes that Kim's other DS brought from Ohio...yum!

Nancy

I just snuck a piece of that slow cooker ham and it's delish! Thanks to whoever posted it!!

Gosh, I thought I was full, but come here and everything looks so good! I could eat again! Everything here!

Nancy, I can see you are enjoying your company! Nice pics!

Shaun, I only tried making ham once...in a baking bag...it caught on fire. I never had the nerve again. The crockpot, I could manage!

James, nice to see you here. I would love that fajita dinner.

Sol, as always, your pics are outstanding. You blow me away! Where did you go on vacation?

I've been busy gardening. Lots and lots of tomatoes. DH and I were discussing enlarging the garden next year. So hot here, so we had a "raw" dinner... heirloom tomatoes, with thin onion slices, S&P and a drizzle of evoo.

Bought an ice cream maker last week. Today I made Chocolate Orange Sorbet (I think riverrat posted the Williams-Sonoma recipe). We had it for dessert and liked it a lot.

Jayne

Nancy looks like a fun time!

Jayne..I 'm sorry to double post but again..your tomoateos..You could have a stad:)

WE are busy around here..and the last 2 days have eaten lunch out so minimalistic dinners..i.e.figs and cheese..etc..

But I did buy some figs that ripened much too quickly so I made a tart out of them..I hope and think we'll like it..

Monique...I'd love a piece of that tart...please!

Nancy

Make that two pieces, madame Monique!

You're so fortunate to get fresh figs that actually look like figs, instead of what I sometimes get around here, which resemble the boobs of 90 year old grandma, saggy and wrinkly. Okay, that mental image was too disturbing, even for me.

Jayne, I could really go for that lovely Chocolate/Orange Sorbet. It looks so refreshing!

Sol

Sol, I don't even want to know how you know what Grandma's boobs look like. :-)

BTW, I got an email from The Fresh Market. It opened in Grand Rapids today on 28th Street, so when are we going? G.B. Russo's, Penzey's, The Middle Eastern Market, a Vietnamese grocery and the Fresh Market are all within about a 3 or 4 mile radius.....

Oh, what's for dinner? Too hot to cook and I spent the evening last night snapping beans and canning them. Dinner was some cold cantaloupe and a marinated salad with some of the green beans, kidney beans, corn, minced red onion and fresh basil, a vinegar/sugar brine made it sweet/sour. It wasn't very pretty, but it was good.

Annie

Tonights dinner is just for the boys since I'm stepping out with the girls for dinner. I'm making them chicken tenders, rice and corn on the cob.

I'm going to be having dinner at the Japanese Steak House, Hibatchi Style (where they cook in front of you) it's always so so good!

Last week I made some Brandied Cherries and 2 pints of the Lemon Rosemary Green Beans. I enjoyed stuffing the jars with the beans!

Oh my NANCY! The hazelnut crusted walleye sounded so good! I don't think I've had walleye since I left MI and that was some 20+ years ago.

Yesterday I found some frozen-too-long shrimp and decided to make Gina's Linguine with Shrimp for tonights dinner. I've been meaning to make it for a while now and it's easy and fast and I'm pooped from a busy day.

We had a tornado touch down not far from our home, no major damage done that I know of. I was out to lunch with a friend and we were stuck in a restaurant and it was pouring rain like I've never seen before. Finally, we made a run for it and were soaked to the skin. It was fun though!! I got home just as it stopped raining to find 2 leaks in our new roof. Luckily my plumber was working and he found the worse leak was from one of his plumbing exhaust pipes. The other leak is from a twice repaired flashing problem. Is there no end to our construction/repair/construction/repair!!!

Michelle

I've not had time to cook much or post..or even read this thread..
Grabbed the chicken cakes recipes!
Ann, thanks for posting it again and your Aioli recipe. (I'm not a huge horseradish fan.)
Monique, your desserts are so lovely!!!
Sol, Can you please post your Apple Buttermilk Sherbet recipe?

Tonight is a recipe from Willams Sonoma Slow Cooker cook book I picked up a few months ago at Costco.
Beef-Chipotle Chili
It's gonna be spicey with a whole can of Chipotle's in Adobo!! Smells good..I've got Honey Corn Muffins in the oven right now. As soon as they are finished I'm heading back to football practice. I think I'll grate up some cheese real quick too..Gonna need something to cut some of the heat in this dish. ;)

Jayne, am I starting to see a pattern,,setting the ham bag on fire, LOL!
Michelle, you were busy. And yes, the problems will be worked out, eventually! It took about 2 yrs after we built ours to get it all straight!!
This hot, humid night we had steak with onions,( I like mine well done, I know, that's bad!) baked potato and corn. DH also had fresh tomato salad..
..

Wow, that fig tart looks divine!

Grandma's boobs, huh, Sol? ////shudder\\\\

Annie, you name the date! I do want to get to Chicago in the next month, and the weekend before Halloween is our annual Soup Tasting Party & Bonfire. Then the PFPP in Tennessee in November. But other than that I am free! LOL

Dinner tonight was grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato basil soup. Nothing photoworthy. The next couple of nights will be more of the same, getting ready for girls weekend. When I get back and the weather cools off a bit I hope to get to some serious cookin'!

Linda

Linda, that sounds like fun...soup tasting party. How do you do it??

Kathleen, I'm SHOCKED...you used the C word! Yes, a pattern. The ham bag was 15 years ago and I still won't do that again...guess you can be sure I won't be setting any outside fires again either!

Shaun, have fun!

Annie, I wanna go too.

Monique, isn't it fun seeing pretty things twice?

Sol, LOL...what a sense of humor!

Dinner tonight was "delivered"...enough said!

Yes, I have been healed, Jayne, LOL

I've been poofing a few meals lately and that's been great - some chili and then a night of Mama's Meatballs and sausage and sauce - nothing to complain about there. Last night I tried a new recipe courtesy of Cindy5NY - Giada's Roasted Balsamic Vinaigrette Chicken - a definite winner, easy and delicious, who could ask for more.

Shaun - I love Hibachi style cooking - haven't had it in a long time. Giving me a craving :-)

Love your pictures, Wizardnm, you all look so happy - nice!

Debbie814 gave the most wonderful Soup Tasting Party, I think it was this past February. Oh it was so beautifully done and so fun seeing all the pictures. I searched for the thread but it is gone now.

Beautiful picture Kathleen! What lake is that? It reminds me of Lake Huron.

Michelle

Michelle, that is the Peconic Bay, it is down the block from me. Eastern end of L.I.

Kathleen, we have a soup party and bonfire every fall. I make 4-5 different soups, keep them warm in crockpots, and serve various breads and accompaniments on the side. We have a fire out in our backyard fire pit and people just casually stroll in for soup when they want. It has been an enormous success, usually between 25 and 35 guests.

Dinner tonight is going to be take out Chinese. How's that for simple?

Linda

Sol, I don't even want to know how you know what Grandma's boobs look like. :-)

Annie, without going into detail, let's just say, it was a very awkward moment. ;-Ã

BTW, I got an email from The Fresh Market. It opened in Grand Rapids today on 28th Street, so when are we going? G.B. Russo's, Penzey's, The Middle Eastern Market, a Vietnamese grocery and the Fresh Market are all within about a 3 or 4 mile radius.....

Son of a mother, I forgot all about the FM!
I'm pretty sure either late Oct. or early November is good for me.

How about the rest of the hooligans, whaddya think?

Sol

That sounds like fun, Linda. Besides the breads, what else do you serve. Like what kind of accompaniments...sandwiches ?? I am thinking I could do that with my

OHHH My GAAWWWWWDDDDD! You guys are driving me crazy with all this GORGEOUS food porn! Our firewall at the office prevents me from seeing most of the pix and summer in Michigan is so precious, that when I'm not at work, I'm either working in the garden, enjoying our boat or at the club :-D. But taking a look here tonight ALMOST has me looking forward to some bad weather so I can spend some time in the kitchen...almost.
Kathleen, I adore your dishes! I think I looked at those somewhere and they came in four different fruit themes, yes? Please tell me the pottery?

Shaun, the crockpot ham sounds yummy, DH LOVES ham. Recipe, please?

Annie, your red, white & blue wedding cake (another thread, see...I have been paying attention) is adorable.

Monique, Sol, Ann & Nancy, all of you are ENABLERs, but you knew that already. Such beautiful food and photography.
Where's Marigene, still traveling?

Lurks in the summer, cooks in the winter...
Claire

Claire, sent you an email via GW..let me know if you get it..
Now someone can start a new WFD thread!