Seared scallops and roasted veggies

Really nice sear on your scallops Caminnc.

Grilled New York Strips.

I still had some perogies in the freezer so pulled them out for dinner one night.

I had a craving for meatloaf and decided to make one using ground turkey breast.

Did not see an 'end' button, but did find the 'comment' button after ann's first original post that will zip you to the bottom of the page...

I like some of the winter tomatoes the past year or two. Not familiar with Tom-Blakas. I've purchased kumato and no longer need to give them a splash and soak of balsamic/lemon to fake the garden fresh flavor.

Made a few meals during all this foul weather digging in the freezer and crisper drawer. Open-faced hot pastrami on my brown bread with homemade horseradish mustard cream. Raw kale, yellow beet, celery salad.

(looks a hot mess but tasty!)

I had to share this, because I was so happy that DH agreed to have it for a quick and simple dinner -- moitie-moitie fondue. 50% Vacherin Fribourgois (d'alpage) and 50% gruyere, with some Fendant/Chasselas wine.

Gooster, I would be very happy with your dinner. Can't remember the last time I had fondue.

Tomato and Burrata cheese salad.

Hot Chicken Sandwich with homemade fries

Vittorio Salad with grilled chicken breast.

@ann_t: mmmm burrata. That's always a hit around here. I'd been happy to have any of your meals. I've been waiting to make this fondue ever since finding the Vacherin Fribourgeois, which is rarely found in this part of the US.

You all are amazing. One day I will work on presentation; just working on the recipes now.

Dinner tonight:
-Chicken Bryan Casserole (copy catted and tweaked from Carrabba's) -Roasted Balsamic Cauliflower
-Italian Herb Boule

Sleevendog, that pastrami looks delicious, I love pastrami and haven't made any in a while. Now I'm going to be hungry for that.

Jasdip, I agree, Elery and I both like cabbage and I don't make it as often as I should, I just don't think about it.

Ann T, I wish Elery liked gravy, that hot sandwich looks just like something I'd like today. It's really cold here, and by Thursday it'll be colder, they are predicting a high of zero that night. Hot food is definitely going to be a necessity.

I've kind of been craving Chinese so tonight we had a "beef and broccoli" knockoff, made with venison in place of the beef. Brown rice in the oven per Alton Brown, and roasted butternut squash, we have three left from the garden, I'm amazed they've kept in storage this long.

Amanda and Dave were here with the kids on Saturday, we'd lost power and Elery went to help Dave start their generator. The new house must have some pretty good insulation because we lost power for 4 1/2 hours and the temperature only went from 69 to 62 in that time. Outside we were having wind gusts of 45MPH and the wind chills were about -35, so it was cold enough to be worried. As a result, Elery bought me a nice Valentine's gift, a brand new, shiny, bright red generator. I think it's perfect. (grin)

Anyway, I had a ham in the roaster, so when the power came back on I finished that, made some twice baked potatoes, home canned green beans and cheated with some frozen cheese bread. This plate belongs to the Monkey Princess, she wouldn't touch the sweet potatoes.

Annie

Annie, the only canned green beans I like are the French cut with the pimiento. But yours always make me hungry, they look so good.

I made an easy-peasy dessert. Graham crumbs, cream cheese, vanilla pudding, pineapple, and bananas and whipped cream. A variation of the cherry cheesecake that I make regularly. It looks messy, I can't cut nice neat solid squares.

I will have some of Annie's ham dinner, including the sweet potatoes and a piece of Jasdip's amazing looking dessert.

Baked two pizza's on Monday. The dough had been made the night before and given an overnight fermentation. Baked on the grill in the Bakerstone Pizza Oven.

First out was a Greek Pizza with potatoes, feta and Kalamata olives.

Thin crust with chewy rim.

Second pizza was topped with Italian sausage and mushrooms.

Oh boy, AnnT, that crust looks perfect. It's just far too cold here for poor Elery to fire up his pizza oven, even in the garage, so he's going to have to wait and drool over yours.

Jasdip, I won't eat commercial green beans either, they taste like....nothing. The homegrown and homecanned ones taste different, and none of the grandkids will eat green beans "from the store", they'll only eat "Grandma's green beans".

Tonight I just didn't really feel like cooking, so I made chili. The Texans would slap me, because I used three kinds of beans, a can of corn from 2012 that was just begging to be used, some onions, celery, sweet peppers, and home canned tomatoes. I've been told that's not chili, it's just beef vegetable soup with some chili powder, but I liked it.

Annie

Annie, we had Chili one night too. And even though my recipe is more of a Texan style, I always add beans too. This time I added black beans.

A few of our meals since I posted last including dessert.

Raspberry Tart

Dinner off the grill - Boneless chicken breasts, potatos, peppers, zucchini and green beans.

Chicken with peppers and black bean sauce.

Chili with home-made flour tortillas.

AnnT, I just like beans, but I always feel that chili needs a "starch", like rice or beans. Maybe it's a Midwestern thing.

Here I made some sesame chicken with rice one day and glazed some beets:

In all the moving, I've been finding things in the freezer, so I made a big batch of beef stock, simmered all night and canned into 6 quarts and a pint:

That conglomeration included a three year old package of oxtail and a stray beef rib, which made for a nicely beefy stock, although now I guess it's fashionable to call it "bone broth".

It gelled nicely and spent some time in the pressure canner, although I did use some to make beef barley soup, which I forgot to take a picture of, of course.

Tonight Elery had homegrown pork chops topped with sautéed onions and poblanos and a vegetable stew, as well as a side of Sol's zucchini pancakes. I have a bridge that's come loose and so can't chew anything until Dr. John gets that fixed next week, so I had Sol's zucchini pancakes with an egg for protein.

I spent the last two days at Ashley's with the girls, since her regular sitter broke her leg. One night we made pot roast and last night we had spaghetti with garlic bread. No pictures because I had no camera, LOL.

Annie

Annie, that beef stock looks wonderful! I need to make some. I've been making chicken stock lately but not beef.

Tonight, I finally remembered to take a picture of dinner. I take plenty of pictures of food for the blog, but tonight I did one of the Shrimp and Grit's I made for dinner. First time making this southern favorite by this northern gal. We really enjoyed it. I'll make it again!

Nancy, mine are always that big too, I guess Houzz does the sizing for you. Or something I don't understand, LOL.

I made chicken stock today, I'll can it tomorrow, I keep finding stuff as I move freezer contents. I also made chicken enchiladas with a side of Spanish rice and some refried beans, and sure enough, I forgot to take pictures. Go figure.

Annie

Houzz makes any picture you post 500 pixels wide.

wizardnm, just passing through and saw your shrimp and grits. Looks delicious. Just read a recipe for this on a blog but the ingredients were lacking and the grits very runny. Yours looks perfect. Did you use a recipe and if so would you mind sharing it? Thanks!

Annie, your stock looks so rich. Nice to have that on hand.

Nancy, your grits and shrimp look amazing. I finally have grits. Matt found a place in Victoria that sells them. I made grits recently with roasted garlic and cheddar to serve with oxtails.

Green Peppercorn Steak

Grilled chicken Greek style.

With traditional sides.

Thanks AnnT, and now I have 6 quarts and a pint of chicken stock to go with that. I just can't bring myself to buy that canned water that they pass off as broth in the grocery, it doesn't seem to taste like much of anything...

Here I've been sick. Bud is sick, Makayla is sick, Amanda is sick. I just slept for 38 hours, getting up twice, and still have a hacking cough. So it was leftovers for Elery for supper and soup for me.

Annie

It does me good to see all this great food. Nancy your shrimp and grits are really calling me. Ann T and Annie you never disappoint. We just used my last jar of beef broth last weekend for Stroganoff for our anniversary. I have 10#'s each of beef knuckles and chicken to make stock/broth of each. I don't get around too great so I need Christy to help with the setting up and hauling stuff around. I usually cook it for a day and then strain and refrigerate to get most of fat off, then reheat to can or reduce more if needed/wanted. Here is last batch.

It does me good to see YOU coconut. Haven't seen you in forever.

What did I have for dinner? Fondue. Cheesy stuff (aged Gruyère, Raclette and fontina cheeses blended with white wine and fresh garlic and finished with a dash of nutmeg) with dark bread and apples. Vegetable broth cooked the duck (with plum sauce), steak (with teriyaki sauce), and shrimp. And of course, chocolate! I ate the fruit and he ate the sweet stuff. He had rice crispy treats, sponge cake, marshmallows, and something chocolate chip. The chocolate fondue had pieces of toffee in it. Mmm.

Good-looking food as always, folks. Btw, I haven't made Shrimp and Grits in a few years, and it's what I'm craving at the moment.

Annie, keep using some of that liquid gold to help your troops feel better soon.
There's always homemade chicken stock here, which is what the doctor ordered when Thumper got sick last week. Thankfully, whatever he had, only lasted a couple of days. I hope you guys will recover just as quickly.

It is 27° F. in MI. That means, it is shorts and sandals weather!

And I've been cranking out tons of ice cream everyday, sometimes twice a day. Right now, I have espresso ice cream, pumpkin ice cream and buttermilk ice cream in the freezer. That's normal, right?
At any rate, I'll post the ice cream pictures at a more appropriate time, probably around Christmas...

Like everyone else, I've been cooking, but rarely photograph every dish. Some of these photos are from last fall.

Btw, who gets tired of looking at jars of chicken (or any homemade) stock? Not me.

I used the stock to make Roasted Tomato Soup, with Gruyere Popovers.

...and Avgolemono. The guys' favorite.

Butterscotch Brownies with Homemade Ice Cream and Hot Fudge Sauce.

And I noticed we're back to having our pictures reduced to 'blurry level' again. Perfect.

Sol

Your pictures are perfect Sol, not blurry at all.

I love, love your little cast iron popover pots!! I've never seen anything like them.

I do not have much to offer other than to say to all how much I enjoy all of the pics of their plates and posts of comments. Sometimes I am just overwhelmed with them all. You all are an inspiration to me. Over the last few years I try to make a "pretty plate" like the many I view on WFD. Our daughter comes to lunch, I try these new ideas out on her....and she says....."I would rather come here for lunch anyday rather going to a restaurant".

Today is a good day after entertaining a flu bug for six days....the sun is sorta shinning, one more night of cold temps and then an upward climb to more like spring weather.

Todays lunch....Meatloaf/gravy, fettucine with a butter/herb sauce, and lettuce wilted with a hot Zesty Italian dressing.

Thanks to you all!!

I would come to lunch too, Shirl if you served me that! That looks delicious!

Sol, love when you post. Your pictures are always special.

Shirl, I would be happy with your dinner. Looks delicious. Love that your meatloaf has gravy and not ketchup or tomato sauce.

Yesterday's bread. Eight medium size baguettes.

Chile Rellenos

Grilled hot dogs on homemade buns.

With homemade potato chips.

Oh geez, now I want some of everything. But first, I want a popover.

Sol, your broth looks prettier than mine, how is that possible? You're magic, I know it...

I think making a dozen kinds of ice cream when it's -25 if perfectly normal. It isn't? So I shouldn't have unpacked those sandals last week? (Sorry, if I put them away, I'll never find them again, now we're remodeling the first bathroom, LOL)

Coconut, I make broth just like you do, but I removed the fat and froze it. For something, I just don't know what, LOL. Maybe frying potatoes? I'm glad to see you here, I've missed you.

Shirl, I'd eat at your house any day. I think the fact that our kids would rather eat at our house than out at restaurants is the biggest compliment ever!

AnnT, now you've done it. Elery wants chiles rellenos and I want homemade potato chips and our yearly physical is only two weeks away and we're supposed to be eating Styrofoam and compressed air in preparation. Sigh.

We didn't really have supper, we just warmed up whatever we could find, because we were working on Makayla's science project with her. Making electricity with fruit, go figure, even her science project centers around food. And Bud had a second seizure on the bus tonight, that's two in six days so an emergency doctor's appointment for him tomorrow. Sigh. They need to find out what's happening with my little Buddy, although he says he feels fine.

Annie

I make broth out of my roasted chicken and turkey bones. Is that why I don't get gel? I made some 2 weeks ago and have it in the freezer. I skim the fat but I throw it out in the green bin.

Jasdip, mine gels without the fat, but I have to cook it for a long time to get all that good collagen and stuff from the bones before it gels. Then I refrigerate it until the fat settles on top and skim off the fat, freeze the fat and can the broth.

Do you make yours with roasted bones, or do you use raw chicken?

Coconut, so nice to see you posting again.

Pizza, one with sauce, fresh mozzarella, roasted cherry tomatoes, kalamata olives and fresh basil, and the other was more

like a focaccia without sauce and cheese.

Just roasted cherry tomatoes, basil and olive oil.

Eggplant and Tofu in a Black Bean Sauce.

Rigatoni with Garlic Basil Meatballs.

I made them this time with ground chicken rather than pork.

Ann T, I don't dare let Elery see that pizza, or he'll head to the garage for that pizza oven! It was a high of 16F today, the pizza will just have to wait. The eggplant looks really good to me, although that hot pepper would have to go, LOL.

Jasdip, I use roasted carcasses sometimes, but because we raise our own meat chickens it often raw pieces like backs, necks, wingtips, the feet if I haven't already used them but it will gel without the feet. I put them all into the big Nesco roaster with some onion, celery and carrot, turn it on about 400F and let them all roast until they are nicely browned, then add a handful of peppercorns, a couple of bay leaves, some salt and enough water to fill the Nesco a couple of inches from the top. I let it come to a good boil, turn it down to about 300F and let it cook all day and sometimes all night, the longer the stronger the flavor, you know. I don't even have to stir it, but I do check the liquid level if I'm going to let it simmer all night. Then I strain it through a colander to remove the big pieces and refrigerate the stock/broth until the fat rises to the top. Skim off the fat and freeze it and then reheat the broth, taste to adjust salt and seasonings, pressure can it. My lastest batch was just backs, leftover from those homegrown chickens Elery and I split for the grill, and I saved all the backbones we cut out.

I use the same technique with beef, because it's just so easy. Into the roaster with everything, a couple of hours at 400F, add the water, turn it down to about 300F and let it simmer for as long as I have. I can do anything else, it doesn't even need to be stirred, but I check the liquid before I go to bed if I intend to let it simmer overnight.

Today I had a trip to the dentist, so we had soup for supper. I made chicken soup with wild rice, and Elery had a barbequed pork sandwich on a pretzel bun with his.

Annie

I am spending entirely to much time on this computer.....I have find some very interesting food blogs lately and get engrossed (starting with AnnT's blog and branching out from there).

Thursday did some bread baking just for the fun of it....Had some of both in freezer, figured kids would drop by and I would send home with them, no one showed up, they are now in our freezer.

First did Hot Dog Buns.....have been doing these for sometime, first started out free forming...just wasn't what I wanted....suggested to my husband, Mr. Bill, "make me a cutter"....we first used a can.....he squashed and rounded out ends, sorta worked but more like hoagie rolls. Next he cut some metal and formed to my measurements, still not quite right. "Would you try one more time?" he did and I feel like it is great. Actually rather proud of it!! Cutter measures outside 6" x 1 - 1/4". He cut two pieces formed in two halves, then fitted together to make 6" and glued. The plastic tubing helps eleminates the sharpe edges.

KA Moonies Beautiful Bun recipe. Make 8 buns and the scrapes I roll, tie in a knot.

Pic of yesterdays roll and the cutter

Slidder rolls...loves these little rolls... makes great mini sandwiches. The secret I think to perfecting looking is the thickness of dough when ready to cut. Use a 2 1/2" round cutter.

Shirl, your rolls/buns look fabulous and the cutter your Mr. Bill made is fantastic! Hurry -- patent it, sell it, and make a million! :)

Shirl, your buns look perfect. But I am confused. This is a yeast dough right? So you use a cutter like you would a biscuit cutter? You don't just shape the dough like you would a loaf, forming in to rounds or longer rolls and pinching the seam?

Restaurant quality food as always, Ann!

Annie, how many freezers do you have? We have one chest freezer and it frustrates me every time I go rooting for something to eat. There's absolutely no room in an upright (for us) but chest freezers are a pia.

Shirl, gorgeous buns. I'm curious as well, why you don't just roll your dough into the desired shape.

We just finished dinner, a sausage (cut in half so that the cut side gets nice and brown). Of course, I didn't take a picture of that side. Sigh.

The rest of the sweet and white potatoes that we love roasted in a baking dish with lots of garlic and olive oil. Frozen corn.

We also finished the banana, pineapple and whipped cream dessert

Yes it a yeast dough....yes I used a cutter like a cookie cutter......I used to shaped and roll out by hand.....they just always looked rough irregular in shape and size....we ate anyway.....just thought if I had a cutter the shape of a hot dog bun they would look better.....They are more perfect like boughten ones....only they taste so much better, have not had store bought buns forever. Just a funny I have I guess.

I rolled back up and looked at Ann-T's bun ....I hand shaped never ever looked that good. Maybe I will have to try hand shaped again sometime.

Jasdip....your banana pineapple dessert looks delicious!!

Hahah Shirl, my graham crumb crusts always fall apart. The filling is banana, crushed pineapple and vanilla pudding, and whipped cream.

Hi! I'm just making a quick stop, to see what everyone is cooking. I will be back ....again and again.

Oldhouse1, I'll be back asap with the shrimp and grits recipe, just saw your request.

Nancy

Shirl, I really like the cutter too, I can never get my hot dog buns to look right either, and I always cut my dinner rolls with a round cutter because.....well.....that's how Grandma taught me to do them, LOL.

I've seen pans to bake the buns in that form them, but never a hot dog cutter. I agree, patent that and sell it, pronto!

Jasdip, everything looks good, but those potatoes look best to me, yummy.

Here I baked some whole wheat bread and we had the last of the wild rice soup and grilled ham and cheese sandwiches. No pictures.

Annie

Now you've got me curious! I'm going to try my next buns with a cutter.......a can. I use a soup can for my biscuits, and a large tomato can for my tarts pastry. I wonder if the soup can will do for buns. I'll find out!

Jasdip, I forgot to answer your freezer question. I have two large freezers, one upright and one chest freezer. Each year we put half a beef, a whole pig and a couple dozen chickens in the freezers, along with whatever fruits and berries are picked. I don't freeze many of the vegetables from the garden, but I do freeze Ann T's green tomatillo sauce for enchiladas and try to save room for Christmas cookies and breads as well as a couple of quick meals for "emergency" nights when I just don't have time to cook.

Tonight we had pasta. The Monkey Princess and I made homemade pappardelle sauced with an Italian sausage and cream sauce, as well as garlic rolls, some glazed beets and broccoli with cheese. Oh, and chocolate no bake cookies. I have some pictures of the cookies but not a single picture of the finished pasta, only pasta in progress, LOL.

Annie

Ci_lantro posted a recipe sometime last year for grilled pork chops. She marinated the homemade sauce all day, then grilled them. I marinated ours for a couple of hours and pan-fried them. Super delicious!!!! It's a definite keeper, we moaned all the way through dinner! LOL Thanks Ci-lantro!

I also had a sweet potato that was crying for me to do something with, so I par-cooked it in the microwave then finished cooking in the skillet. Canned french style beans was the veggie.

Okay, you all just have me dying here. I couldn't get away from work so haven't had lunch and I won't get out of here until five. I am also the world's most unimaginative cook. My tongue is hanging out the food looks so good. My best dish on my best day is a percent as wonderful as what you all are posting. I can't stop looking though. Maybe when I grow up I will be a good cook. I'm over 60 though so I doubt it.

Thanks gals. Nice to be back lurking and hopefully participating more.

Waves to Jasdip. Looks great, but now I want the marinade/sauce recipe.

We did make our big batch of vegetable soup for the freezer. About 3 gallons I think. Looks the same as the last pic I took of it and was going to post that pic but computer froze trying, so...veg soup, not a biggie. Smiles.

I wish you'd make some more corn on the cob for the dog coconut. I love that picture!

Hi Coconut! I "second" what Rob said, about your corn-cob loving dog.

Here's the recipe that Ci-lantro posted, it was one that she made up, and it's so good! I'm sure she won't mind me re-posting it.

Grilled Pork Chops (Ci_lantro)

2 thick-cut boneless pork chops

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tbsp brown sugar (I used 1 tbsp)

3 tbsp honey

3 tbsp soy sauce

3 tbsp worcestershire sauce

2 tbsp ketchup

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

Combine all marinade ingredients and pour half into a plastic bag. Add the pork chops, squeezing excess air. Refrigerate 4-8 hours, turning occasionally.

Preheat grill and lightly oil the grates.

Remove chops from the marinade, letting excess drip off. Grill, basting chops with reserved marinade until meat is browned with good grill marks, 8-10 minutes per side and temp reads 145 degrees. Heat remaining sauce until slightly thickened to serve with the meat.

I hope oldhouse1 see's this. I was asked for the recipe I used for my Shrimp and Grits (see above).

Cheesy Shrimp and Grits

INGREDIENTS
3 cups chicken broth
1 cup uncooked quick-cooking grits
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons butter
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Cheddar cheese
6 slices bacon, chopped
2 pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
6 green onions, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced

DIRECTIONS
Bring chicken broth to a boil over medium-high heat; stir in grits. Cook, stirring occasionally, 5 to 7 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat; stir in salt and next 3 ingredients. Set aside, and keep warm.

Cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat 3 minutes or until crisp; remove bacon from pan.

Cook shrimp in same pan over medium-high heat 3 minutes or until almost pink, stirring occasionally. Add lemon juice and next 4 ingredients, and cook 3 minutes. Stir in bacon.

Spoon grits onto individual plates or into shallow bowls; top with shrimp mixture. Serve immediately.

Nancy

Hi Nancy, Yes, I'm here!. Thanks so much for the recipe. Can't wait to try it. It looks and sounds delicious. Thanks for coming back to post it.

Sue

It's been a few days that anyone's posted. Dinner wasn't fancy, but it was tasty. The asparagus needed to be used up as did the ham that I roasted. So it went into a stir-fry.