dfish

@StLouisCruisers Sandi, I hope this is the guy. Catching him will help soften some of the pain of trauma. It helps to know that the perpetrator is contained. @Quartzsite Cruiser I think we should get together and bake sometime. You are most welcome to come here. My kitchen is used to it. @Cruising-along Carolyn, good to know that the carrots are in big chunks. We could never have mushrooms in anything because my sister didn't like them. Why she was catered to on the mushrooms and I was left to fend for myself on the carrots, I don't know. Now, I also didn't like milk and would make a fuss about having to drink it, so we always got chocolate milk for dinner. I offered to make it every night because Mom didn't put enough chocolate in it.

Glad to read that your cruise is off to a good start. Enjoy the wine tasting! I never made it to one last summer but plan to rectify that on the Hawaii cruise.

OMG, Sandi @StLouisCruisers. Calming hugs to your DGD. I'm sure her mom is bundle of nerves as well. That was scary! @Cruising-along Carolyn and @Quartzsite Cruiser Lenda, as long as the carrots are in big chunks I can easily eat around them. I should try a beef stew with a better cut of meat than what mom used. I don't think she used a recipe, either. I think some of the roast beef and vegetable recipes look good and I liked the roast pork and vegetables recently. Sue will eat all the carrots. I was true to form as a messy baker today. I managed to explode butter all over the microwave even though I had it covered. Then, I poured half of it on the counter. I got flour all over the place. All cleaned up now. @richwmn It sounds like your cruise is off to a good start. We got a good chuckle about the woman who was missing her balcony off her ocean view room. Some people should not go out alone.

Good morning, everyone! A bit of a gloomy day here in mid-Michigan. It is raining, actually sort of misting, but should clear up later. I have no intention of leaving the house after braving the crowds yesterday at the grocery store. I have two pecan chocolate chip pies to make and then I'm dedicating the rest of the day to watching sappy Christmas movies on Hallmark or LMC. @kazu I am sorry to hear of the passing of DBIL's DM. May she rest in peace. @kochleffel and @Sir PMP @cruising sister Your DGD is precious. I am happy to see that she is being introduced to the world of pampering at a young age. DS Sue's DGD River is a true girly girl and would love a manicure. @RMLincoln That baby is precious! Thank you for sharing a picture with us. @smitty34877 I am glad you arrived safely in NH and that the dog is caring properly for you! @Cruzin Terri I'm glad you slept a bit better last night. I'm sorry about the results of the MRI and the worry and concern it causes when you can't get answers to your questions right away. This is one of those times that I invoke a favorite mantra of my brother's. Let go and Let God. @StLouisCruisers I hope your trip tomorrow is safe and trouble free. @cat shepard Safe travels for you today! @Crazy For Cats Welcome home! I know I am leaving out someone, so please accept my apologies. Today's meal is one that I will skip. I have never been a fan of beef stew. First, it had tons of carrots in it. I didn't like the cooked celery. And the beef had this type of fat that turned to a gelatin when cooked and I had to go through every piece of meat and cut that out. The gravy and potatoes were good, though. Tonight we'll be having left over spaghetti. This first recipe doesn't look too bad. I'd just need to make sure the meat was lean enough to my liking. https://omnivorescookbook.com/pressure-cooker-curry-beef-stew/ Here's one for the carrot lovers. https://www.paintthekitchenred.com/instant-pot-beef-stew-indian-beef-curry/ And one for the road. This one has pretty straight forward ingredients. https://www.aheadofthyme.com/instant-pot-beef-curry/ Wishing you all a wonderful day!

We've been to Ketchikan three times. The last time was in 2021 when the very limited restart happened. Because we didn't have to stop in Victoria, we had a longer day in Ketchikan and we did a boat tour out to Misty Fjord. I want Sue to paint one of these pictures for over our couch.

Good morning, everyone! It is a gray, gloomy morning here in mid-Michigan. I have to do a grocery run this morning and then make spaghetti for Farkel Friday. We are making the sauce from scratch using Mom's recipe, or what I can remember of it. Should be some good eating. I am going to try some of the new pasta that is supposed to be lower in carbs and we'll see how that works out. Otherwise, it should be a quiet day. @1ANGELCAT My condolences to your friends on their loss. @rafinmd I was a math major as well. Today's meal is a vegetarian meal, but for those who prefer, you can substitute chicken for the seitan. Seitan is a plant-based meat substitute made from wheat gluten that mimics the flavor and texture of chicken. You can buy it in many health food supermarkets, or you can make it yourself. It’s typically made out of vital wheat gluten, an ingredient that has a similar texture to flour but is mostly, well, gluten. A friendly PSA: although gluten gets a bad rap, it’s essentially pure protein. You can make seitan out of regular flour, like the TikTok trend shows, but using vital wheat gluten means you have to do a lot less kneading to develop the gluten. Seitan is often kneaded with spices and flavorings such as nutritional yeast and soy sauce as well as vegetable stock for extra flavor. Then it’s simmered in more vegetable stock until it’s firm. Our first recipe comes from Delish and they like to use the whole lemon to make the piccata sauce. That gives it an extra lemony flavor. In this one they shred the seitan like shredded chicken. https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/a35569963/vegan-piccata-recipe/ This next one is vegan and uses white wine and broth to make the piccata sauce. https://cadryskitchen.com/seitan-piccata/ In this recipe, the seitan is breaded and fried and the sauce is based in coconut cream. https://zenandzaatar.com/vegan-chicken-piccata-seitan/ Wishing you all a wonderful day!

Good morning, everyone! Cloudy skies this morning, but the temps are warming up a bit. I woke up to a horrific cramp in my right thigh. I couldn't get up and walk it out as that hurt more and my leg wouldn't hold me. So, I had to massage it until it let go. I am taking magnesium for the muscle cramps, but that does not seem to help. I do have low sodium and that may be the culprit, but I've been trying to remember to use salt. Hugs and warm thoughts to all those going through Blue Christmas. Many of us on the Daily have lost loved ones over the last couple of years and it is never easy, especially at the holidays. @Haljo1935 Wow, your flight situation was giving us all reason to stroke the worry stone. Glad you are on your way finally. @kazu I hope those packages get picked up today! It looks like an obstacle course to get into the house. But, maybe that's a good thing to deter those who shouldn't get into the house. @cruising sister Thank you for the update on Baby Murphy. She sure is a fighter. We had today's meal back in the early fall, but it is ok to review once in a while. I kind of like when this happens as I have the pictures saved already and just need to match the websites to them. The soup sounds heavenly, but it is high in carbs, so I'll be passing on it. We had baked salmon and cheese cauliflower last night and it was really delicious. Sometimes, simple is best. https://therecipecritic.com/creamy-sausage-tortellini-soup/ I like the addition of kale (or spinach, if you prefer) to the soup. It gives it some visual interest as well as enhanced nutrition. https://thecozycook.com/sausage-tortellini-soup/ This one has more of a tomato base to it. I think that would give it a good boost of flavor. https://www.aheadofthyme.com/creamy-tortellini-soup-with-sausage/ Whatever you choose for dinner tonight, I hope is is full of flavor and warms the heart. Wishing you all a wonderful day.

Three cheers for @superoma Eva! She has volunteered to take over the Meal of the Day while I am on my cruise in late January/February. I am sure you are all elated that you will not starve during that time! @Quartzsite Cruiser Lenda, tylenol does nothing for me. It doesn't relieve the pain, but it does send my liver enzymes into the stratosphere. I'll just muddle through until after the surgery. Then, the next step is follow up with Spine and Pain to see if there is something that will reduce/eliminate the need for the Aleve. I'd rather not have to take them.

Good morning, everyone! It is a gray morning here in mid-Michigan. There is snow to the north of us, but we are getting nothing right now. I'm a little creakier today as I had to stop taking my Aleve in preparation for surgery. You don't realize how much it is doing until you quit taking it. The neighbors are coming for coffee this afternoon to talk about party arrangements. We are hosting the neighborhood winter party and they have agreed to be our assistants, so we'll divvy up the tasks and enjoy some coffee and cookies. @kazu What a stellar job this morning starting the Daily. Thank you! @richwmn Safe flight and enjoy San Diego. I am still advertising for a substitute for the Meal of the Day from January 28 - February 20. It is really quite easy. Contact me at debfish34 at gmail. com Today's meal is a repeat from earlier, but worth taking a second look. https://www.aheadofthyme.com/baked-queso-chicken/ That looks so good to me! I think it would be perfect for a cold winter night. This next one seems super easy as long as you remember to marinate the chicken in buttermilk. That is supposed to tenderize the meat and help the chicken hold juices. https://www.butterandbaggage.com/queso-chicken/ A similar recipe with a variation in spices. https://juliasalbum.com/queso-baked-chicken/ We will definitely be trying that dish. Wishing you all a wonderful day.

Your cookies are just as wonderful. And think of the wonderful memories the grands have of making them with you. We cheated and used the sugar cookie dough that comes in a tube from the grocery store. As a founding member of the Messy Decorating Guild, I welcome you to the group. Your cookies are great!

Here's the best of ours. I was finally getting the hang of piping the icing. I'm sure you can tell which ones are Sue's and which are mine.

Sue says she guesses we could put some out to take a picture. But you get credit for working with kids. We're two old ladies. Of course, aching backs affected our output.

@St Pete Cruiser The Zaandam was a great home to us for 32 days last summer. Enjoy your cruise! @JazzyV I hope the surgeon is correct about the cause. Next step is getting someone who can do it. And soon! Insurance networks are the work of the devil. I hope some consideration can be made. Is there any way to get this classified as an emergency? I know insurance has to pay out of network providers the in network rate for emergencies. The only problem is that the provider can turn around and bill you for the difference. Ethically, that is wrong, but it happens all the time. And be careful with recommendations from the insurance company. A friend who had a pretty extensive skin cancer on her face was looking for a surgeon to do the procedure and her insurance company referred her to a podiatrist. I always wanted to make cut out cookies and ice them with royal icing. I had never done that before. After doing today's batch, I think it is a one and done. I have truly lived up to my reputation as a messy baker and messy painting spilled over to messy icing. You should see my work spot compared to Sue's.

@marshhawk I would use heavy cream or whipping cream for the thick cream. Heavy cream is considered the thick part of the milk. I think @smitty34877 had good ideas for the bourbon. Mrs. Dash original or table blend would work for the vegetable seasoning.

I am really looking forward to this thread as we are on the January 30th sailing. We are half and half on excursions with some ship excursions and some DIY. The inside cabin will be fine for just you. I can't imagine two people in one. But, I did 14 days in an inside cabin on Koningsdam a few years back and Sue and I did 32 days in an inside cabin last summer. We didn't spend a lot of time in the cabin and used it as a bedroom and the ship as our home. Lots of places to go!

Good morning, everyone! We had a lovely dinner last night with DB Bill, DSIL Lauren, and DN Lizzy and her family. Liz is up from Florida for the holidays. We didn't know they were going to be there and Sue and I decided to take the night off from cooking and head over. DB and DSIL had just been seated when we were lead to our table. A fun time was had by all! I am glad that arrangements have been made for the continuation of the Daily during Rich's much deserved cruise. Thank you to @kazu and @StLouisCruisers for stepping up to the plate. I am happy to say that when I have my surgery, @0106 Tina will be filling in for me. However, I do need someone to fill in when I am in Hawaii. The dates there are January 28 through February 19th. Tina will be on a cruise during part of that time as well. It really isn't hard to do! Contact me at debfish34 at gmail dot com if you can help out! Since I got the quilt top done, today is dedicated to cookie making. We're doing cut outs. Sue does a magnificent job of painting them. You will definitely be able to tell which cookies she decorates and which ones I do. Should be fun, though. @St Pete Cruiser Bon Voyage! @JazzyV Vanessa, here's hoping the neurosurgeon is inspired and can solve the problem you're having. Today's meal sounds really good and I am going to save the recipe for the middle of January to spice things up. You can use vegetables of your choice in this dish and really make it something special. I would throw a carrot or two in for Sue. Easy enough for me to avoid it. https://www.aheadofthyme.com/honey-glazed-roast-pork-with-vegetables/ I like the idea of the demi-glace in this next one. And, it comes with a wine pairing. https://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/honey-soy-roasted-pork-braised-vegetables Garlic always goes well with pork, so this one sounds really delicious to me. https://mykitchenlittle.com/2020/09/13/roasted-honey-garlic-pork-loin-with-veggies/ Wishing you all a wonderful day!

Thank you for all the nice comments about my quilt. I was hesitant to do this one because it looked so complicated, but it is really an easy one to do, and, as you noticed, goes together rather quickly. @quilty964 It is just a bunch of 4 patches and half square triangles. Nothing really complicated. Now, the Storm at Sea quilt that I did for my parents was complicated. It had diamonds and triangles and you needed to use templates. That is a never again quilt.

Good afternoon! @RMLincoln Maureen, the description of your trip home was white knuckle reading, let alone actually driving. I'm glad you made it safely. I have achieved my goal today and the top of the quilt is ready for borders. I have to go to the fabric store and pick out material for them. That should be fun. There were a couple triangle points that were cut off, but nothing bad enough to rip out and redo. IF I was entering this for competition, I would redo them. But, I'm not and I doubt anyone will notice them.

Good morning, everyone! It is snowing here in mid-Michigan. It is coming down like in those Hallmark Christmas movies and looks really pretty as long as we are indoors. We're only supposed to get 1 inch. We'll see. It won't stick around for Christmas as it is supposed to warm up again. I have to run over to the hospital and get some blood drawn for pre-surgical testing. After that I plan to work on the quilt top and get all the blocks sewn together. Then I can put the sewing stuff away until after the holidays. Tomorrow is our planned cookie baking extravaganza. @Cruzin Terri Wishing for a positive outcome for Jim. @Nickelpenny good luck with the injection. @seagarsmoker Wow! I hope things get better from here. @aliaschief safe travels home! @cruising sister I chuckled when you said you needed some recovery time after having DGS all day. We briefly discussed taking in my sister's DGD. Sue thought we could homeschool her. I immediately said no. There is a reason kids go to school and then to bed early. We need the downtime! @57redbird Sending you healing thoughts. @marshhawk I hope the tree survives. @JazzyV I sure am hoping that the neurosurgeon can come up with a solution to your pain. This has gone on all too long. Today's meal sounds good to me. I love lemon chicken and this is soup season, so let's do it! https://www.saltandlavender.com/lemon-chicken-orzo-soup/ I would leave the carrots out or make them in bigger pieces so they are easy to pick around. I like the addition of spinach to this soup. https://www.wellplated.com/lemon-chicken-orzo-soup/ One last version. https://damndelicious.net/2014/04/25/lemon-chicken-orzo-soup/ Wishing you all a wonderful day!

@ottahand7

I have made it at home before. I did a leg of lamb for a St. Patrick's Day party one year and I used a leg of lamb to make spiedies for my mom and dad. The spiedies I like, but they are marinated for several days and then grilled. The leg of lamb that I made was good according to those who ate it. I didn't. Maybe I'll be brave and try some lamb curry when I am on the Koningsdam in February.

Sue and I are staying over an extra night after the cruise because of the same issue. We look at is as an extension of our vacation. We're just going home to cold along with possible snow and ice. Thanks, Graham. My hernia is on the right, off to the side a bit, but above the navel. 12 days!