Sometimes a hot dog hits the spot! Back in my college days, I was 'the hotdog girl ' at the locally famous kosher restaurant Kaplans, in the Catskills. I had a window to the outside sidewalk and sold hotdogs with whatever you wanted, hot potato knishes, and cold drinks. Great fun for a teenager...I was sad to be promoted to a real waitress....until I realized how well I was going to be tipped, lol. I like my dogs with a thin stripe of mustard and cole slaw. Gadgets, your dinner sounds like something I would make. I'd probably toss in some quinoa, though.

Some really tasty sauerkraut from the freezer cooked with chicken and ham and some boiled potatoes. And for dessert we are having some Satsuma tangerines grown on the next farm over from my BBF's farm. We get them in our community supported agriculture (CSA) box. They are the best I have tasted in years.

Rhizo, I'm working on writing up the recipe for the "Jamaican Jambalaya" but it is difficult since one of the steps was make a dish of roasted sweet potato, plantain and onion, eat half of it, refrigerate the rest overnight, and add that to the Jambalaya. For the most part though it involved cooking the ingredients in a large skillet, setting some aside, and cooking others, eventually adding more and more until they are all in the large skillet, then lower heat to a simmer until the rice is done. Cooking plantains however is easy. The hardest part is waiting until the plantains are ripe enough. They are usually greenish-yellow when you buy them, but i feel they are best when they are completely black on the outside, which can take a couple of weeks after you buy them. Once they are ripe, it couldn't be easier. Lightly score the peel lengthwise, remove peel and slice plantain into 1/4 thick slices. Add oil to a large skillet, heat over medium high heat until oil shimmers, add plantain discs, cook until browned, flip, and cook the other side until browned. Remove to plate with paper towel. Lightly salt and serve.

I've got a pot of Zuppa Tuscano on the stove..but it's Thursday so breakfast for the crew. Bacon, cinnamon sugar scones and sausage and cheese scrambled eggs. I might put an apple crisp in the oven too.. I've started picking apples..and a few pears. Dug potatoes...weeded the baby green onions.. 2 loads of wash and swept the house.. Yep all after a full day of work..oh and a 5.2 mile bike ride in my bedroom. I still have laundry to fold...but...I can do that after my shower while watching TV.