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Sounds like UC was the right move. I hope the meds relieve the discomfort quickly. I have dexamethasone cream for skin flare ups and it works very well. You definitely want to be in tip top shape for your cruise! What wonderful news! Go, Murphy! She is quite the little warrior princess. I hope things go well for your DB. Or he can tweak to his heart's content. I would season it up a bit. It somewhat reminds me of mom's chicken liver casserole. That was really, really good. @JazzyV I wish there was a magic wand to wave over you at night and help you sleep. My right hip wakes me up every night. I get up and walk around. Most of the time I can get back to sleep, but sometimes I can't. The hip never hurts when I am walking during the day or even hiking. Just at night between 4 and 5 am. @RMLincoln I am still reliving my move from a year ago through you. It was a year ago this weekend that Sue and had a grand shopping spree buying dining room tables, rugs and sectional sofas for our new house. It won't be long and you'll be unpacking, but you can take your time doing that. @Cruising-along Enjoy the time with the DGSs. We're trying to get River for next weekend, but so far no response from her mother.

Good morning, everyone! It is quite a bit colder here this morning in mid-Michigan than it has been this past week. We do have some blue sky and sunshine and that helps make up for it. Chocolate day sounds really good to me. I'll celebrate chocolate every day. I'm thankful the shooter in Maine has been found and is no longer a threat to anyone. I'm glad to read that Tana is breathing easier. That is such a nasty disease. We have Farkle tonight since DB Bill worked last night. It is his turn to bring dinner so that means either bad pizza or KFC. It's one meal. Speaking of meals, today's meal sounds like a great comfort food. You could use ground turkey, shredded turkey, ground chicken, shredded rotisserie chicken, or whatever you desire in this dish. I'll give you a couple of variations and I'm sure you'll be able to come up with some of your own. https://www.aheadofthyme.com/ground-turkey-pasta-bake/ This one is kind of a take on lasagna. Worth a try. https://thisdelicioushouse.com/baked-spaghetti-with-ground-turkey/ This last one has no tomatoes, just cheesy goodness. https://www.spendwithpennies.com/cheesy-ground-turkey-pasta/ Wishing you all a wonderful day!

I once subbed in a German class for a month. My knowledge of German is almost zilch. So, I had the 4th year kids teach me what I needed to know each day so I could teach 1st and 2nd year. 3rd year was working on a project and I didn't have to tackle anything new with them until almost the end of my stay. I got good enough that I had the 1st and 2nd year kids fooled. If they saw me in the building they would always ask me for help with their German. Then I had to confess. It all went very well and the teacher came back and said it was like she had never been gone. Terri, it is like you are transitioning from equal partner to caretaker. It is frustrating. We're here for you. @rafinmd Roy, it was a sad day indeed for your congregation. May they all rest in peace and may we learn to live in peace as well.

Good morning, everyone! We have another mild start to the day here in mid-Michigan with a temperature of 64F. I'm afraid that is the end of the warm weather for us as well. Tomorrow the high is only 50F. Almost all the leaves are down now. The ones that are still up will fall in the wild areas of the lot, so no problem with that! The eye doctor's office has finally agreed to refund all the money they owe me. My vision insurance company interceded on my behalf as the office was violating the contract they had with the insurance company. So, I only have to wait for the reimbursement check from them and from the Cleveland Clinic. Why is everything such a hassle? @mamaofami I'm glad that Sam is home again and hope that this time it is stay! @Cruzin Terri I was dismayed to read that Jim had fallen. I'm glad there are no broken bones, but I do agree that turning on lights helps now and then. I keep telling my DS Sue that. She has a thing against lighting. Today's meal is more like a side dish to me. I'm not sure it would be enough to fill me up on its own. In this first recipe the mozzarella and marinara sauce make the dish. https://www.howsweeteats.com/2020/09/cauliflower-parmesan/ This next recipe doesn't have the mozzarella or marinara sauce. That helps with the calories and this would make a nice side dish. https://www.lecremedelacrumb.com/parmesan-roasted-cauliflower/ This one is very similar to the first recipe and has a lot of great ideas for tweaking it. If you want it to be a main dish and it doesn't need to be vegetarian, you can add some Italian sausage. Or turkey. Or chicken. https://bellyfull.net/roasted-cauliflower-parmesan/ You can do something similar with portabello mushroom caps. Or cabbage "steaks". Enjoy! Wishing you all a wonderful day!

@grapau27

A few days ago @Cruising-along Carolyn and @Sharon in AZ Sharon asked for the recipe for Beef and Guinness Stew. Here is my recipe that I use. 2 lb. stewing or braising beef 1 tsp vegetable oil 2 tbsp butter 8 oz baby or pickling onions - I just use small onions or shallots or cut up the onions into wedges 3/4 cup Guinness - I use the whole bottle 1 1/4 cups beef stock bouquet garni 1 1/2 lbs potatoes cut in slices - I use small red ones as they have more fiber. Just cut in half. 8 oz mushrooms, sliced 1/2 tsp mild mustard Thyme sprigs to garnish 1 tsp plain flour salt and freshly ground pepper Season both sides of meat. Heat the oil and half the butter in a large, heavy pan. Brown the meat on both sides, taking care not to burn the butter. Remove from pan and set aside. Add the baby onions to the pan and brown for 3-4 minutes. REturn the steak to the pan. Pour over the Guinness and stock and season to taste. Add the bouquet garni and the potatoes. Cover with a tight fitting lid and simmer over a gentle heat for 1 hour. Add the mushrooms. Replace the lid and cook for another 30 minutes. Remove the meat and vegetables with a slotted spoon and arrange on a platter. Mix the remaining butter with the flour to make a roux. Whisk a little at a time into the cooking liquid. Stir in the mustard. Cook for 2-3 minutes until thickened. Season and pour over meat and vegetables. Garnish with thyme sprigs. The above came from a cookbook I picked up in Ireland. Another cookbook, Irish Traditional Cooking by Darina Allen includes garlic, 2 tbsp tomato paste, 8 oz carrots, and a pinch of cayenne. She does not put potatoes in the stew, but she does serve the stew over potatoes (colcannon or champ). In the Ballymaloe Cookbook Myrtle Allen does put potatoes in the stew. She leaves out the mushrooms and garlic and sprinkles parsley to garnish. When I make this I serve it with warm soda bread.

And brown rice is supposed to be better for us! I do like wild rice, but rice in general really spikes my blood sugar so I tend to stay away from it. While it enhances the flavor of the food it is in, I think it works best in a glass. I liked tomato soup as a kid, but it tends to be high in carbs so I stay away from it. I like to make chicken vegetable soup, cabbage soup, spicy bean soup, and others. As I said before, I prefer to brothy soups. Maybe because I like to dip a piece of garlic toast in them. I have a good recipe for French Onion that I want to try. @NextOne I'm glad you are home and recovering well. Take it easy and take advantage of the forced relaxation.

Grilled cheese and tomato soup is a staple to many households. I have a friend who would only eat that for lunch. Once in a while he'd have a ham and cheese sandwich.

Once I learned how to make soup, I never bought a can of Campbell's again. It just seems so gross to me! I will make up a large batch of soup and freeze half of it. Then I don't have to eat it every day till I'm sick of it and I do have it for when I want it again.

I thought the baking soda in the soup was a bit weird, but it is used to tenderize meat through a process called velveting. https://www.recipetineats.com/how-to-tenderise-beef-velveting-beef/ I know in that case you don't want to let it sit too long or the meat can get mushy. Cornstarch is also used to do this as is egg white. I'd be tempted to leave it out of the soup, but they do admonish us not to do that. But, since I'm leaving out the rice, no problem.

Good morning, everyone! It is a very mild 62F here in mid-Michigan, but that is accompanied by rain. It is supposed to clear out late morning, early afternoon. I have nothing on the agenda for today except for a trip to the grocery store. There are very few leaves left in the trees here. Next week may be the last time we rake to the curb. My dad loved mincemeat pie with brandy sauce and I would make one for him every Thanksgiving and Christmas. He was particular about the mincemeat and I only used the Cross and Blackwell brand. I haven't made it since he passed. The shooting in Lewiston is so senseless and makes me angry. Those who can make a difference refuse to do so. That is what makes me so mad. The tune might change if the victims were those they cared about, but as long as they aren't, they can turn a cold shoulder to the rest of us. The surgeon suggested I get a brace to wear that will help keep my innards in place around the hernia. It came yesterday, so I'll be trying it today. At least I shouldn't look so lumpy. Today's meal is one to save for the leftover turkey we will have next month or that you already have if you are in Canada. I'm sorry you didn't like the chicken rice soup recipe, Lorraine @cruising sister. I prefer brothy soups to the cream ones and would probably just follow my own recipe for making the broth. I suppose we will get a few recipes now and then that are not so great. Today we'll start with A Taste of Home and see what they have cooked up. https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/turkey-wild-rice-soup/ As I said, I prefer the broth based soups more, so here is one of those. I usually add a bay leaf to my soups. https://lexiscleankitchen.com/turkey-wild-rice-soup/ This next one uses a bit of white wine to flavor the liquid. Wine usually helps just about everything. https://www.thecookierookie.com/turkey-wild-rice-soup-recipe/ This one includes mushrooms. You can really use any vegetables that you like. I include brussels sprouts quite often as they hold up well. As for the carrots, I've learned that if I need them for "flavor" I use big chunks and fish them out at the end. Or just eat around them. Adjust the seasonings to your taste, not that of the recipe. I sometimes add a sprinkle or red pepper to the pot. https://www.aheadofthyme.com/leftover-turkey-wild-rice-soup/ Wishing you all a wonderful day!

Well, no easy fix, but there is a plan in place. The meds for sleep are a temporary solution until they find out what is going on. Use them if you need them. I finally have an appointment at the Spine and Pain Clinic for November 15. I have requested to be on the wait list for an earlier appointment if one opens up.

Goodness! Ok, Dailyites, we need to shape up and get well. @rafinmd I think scheduling is the worst part of medical procedures. Wishing you the best outcomes possible. @cruising sister I'm glad your side effects from the vaccine trifecta were minimal. Healing thoughts for your poor DB and the family. @Vict0riann I'm glad Pat's issue was dealt with. @JazzyV I'm sorry you are in so much pain. I'm glad you can get in today with the pain specialist. I hope they have a solution. I am still fighting with the eye doctor over my bill. They overcharged me by $60 and only refunded $55. They claim that the UV coating on my lenses wasn't covered, but the insurance company says otherwise. What they are doing is balance billing me for the difference between their charge and the allowance by insurance according to the contract they entered when they agreed to accept that insurance. I think I'll let the insurance company sort it out with them. Or report them to the insurance department for the state. But, it really isn't the insurance company at fault here. IT is the eye practice. You can be sure I will not be going back there.

Good morning, everyone! It is a very balmy 63F here in mid-Michigan this morning. Skies are overcast and we might get some rain, but I am enjoying the temperatures. They are supposed to last through the week. Next week gets seasonal again. Not much on the agenda today. I'm going to the gym (doctor said it was ok). Then to the grocery store. I might stop by the credit union. I paid off my car yesterday and want to divert that payment directly into savings. @seagarsmoker Who doesn't like meatballs? I think they especially appeal to kids. This first one has some good tips on how to make your meatballs soft and melt away. https://www.cookerru.com/italian-meatballs/ These are a beef and pork mixture. Pork helps sweeten the meat a bit without adding sugar. https://familystylefood.com/classic-italian-meatballs-2/ This recipe calls for grating the onion instead of chopping it finely. The onion often causes the meatballs to fall apart and the grated onion doesn't. They also have you soak your bread/bread crumbs with the grated onion to enhance the flavor. https://www.recipetineats.com/classic-italian-meatballs-extra-soft-and-juicy/ Here is a recipe for veal and sage meatballs with a marsala sauce. https://www.italianfoodforever.com/2021/09/meatballs-with-sage-and-marsala/ And here's one from Rachael Ray that includes gorgonzola cheese. https://www.rachaelrayshow.com/recipes/21421_veal_and_sage_meatballs_with_gorgonzola @0106 Tina, I hope you got some ideas from these. Wishing you all a wonderful day!

Good afternoon! The surgeon's appointment went well. I definitely will have surgery, but he needs a CT scan to determine which type of surgery. He said he couldn't figure out how big the opening was by palpitating it and that determines what kind of surgery I have. The earliest I can get for the CT is November 10th. So, we hurry up and wait.

Good morning, everyone! It is a balmy 52F here in mid-Michigan. We had thunder bumpers over night. They started about 3 minutes after I went to bed. Of course. But, I still slept well. @Overhead Fred @Seasick Sailor @kazu Welcome home, Jacqui! Remember, you'll be there a while and don't have to do everything today. I am sorry to hear of the death of the DW of Jose's BFF. As hard as it is, the blessing is that she wasn't sick and lingering in her final days, but well enough to enjoy them. @cruising sister Lorraine, I'm happy to read the good results on the stress test and interested to hear how the 3 vaccines at once goes. When Sue and I got the Covid and flu shots the pharmacist recommended putting two weeks between them. @smitty34877 I would hate to think of feeding your guest. I'm glad the damage was contained and is being repaired. But, what an ordeal! @Cruzin Terri I'm glad you are making an appointment for DH. My DSIL is having some issues and refuses to see a doctor. My DB won't encourage her to see one. They don't want the diagnosis because then it is real and they have to accept it. This way they can pretend. It is sad to see. I'm pretty sure the visit with the surgeon will result in a date for surgery to repair this hernia before it gets any worse. It does look like it has gotten bigger. Hamburger soup with macaroni is a meal that is economical and filling. You can adjust the amount of macaroni in it, or just leave it out. I would probably replace it with cauliflower or cabbage because of the carbs. https://www.thekitchenmagpie.com/hamburger-soup-with-macaroni/ Hamburger soup reminds me of a brothy hamburger helper. https://www.spendwithpennies.com/beef-and-macaroni-soup/ This one is pretty basic. I'd probably use tomato paste rather than ketchup. https://lilluna.com/beef-tomato-macaroni-soup/ From the three, I would probably go with the second one. Feel free to customize! Wishing you all a wonderful day.

@Cruzin Terri You made the right decision. Having your DH at peace is worth the money lost. I hope calmness becomes the norm. I, too, think we should continue the way we are doing things right now. Commenting on something from the previous day is easy enough to do.

Good morning, everyone! @Heartgrove Lily is as cute as cute can be! @Vict0riann Happy Birthday to your DS I never had a MIL, but my sister's was a gem. Diane and I could talk for hours. Sadly, she's passed on. I was really missing her and my mom at Emily's wedding this past weekend. They both would have been so proud. We are raking leaves today. It is amazing how many came down over the weekend. I'm sure by the end of the month they will all be down. Soup today sounds great. Once I started making soup I quit buying the stuff in the cans. I make a big pot and freeze half of it so I can pull it out at a later date and enjoy it. In today's soup I would probably leave out the rice and replace with a vegetable. Cabbage noodles are a good replacement. This first one has some interesting ingredients. https://thecozycook.com/chicken-and-rice-soup/ This next one makes it a creamy soup at the end with the addition of evaporated milk. https://www.spendwithpennies.com/chicken-rice-soup/ No soy sauce or milk in this one. https://iowagirleats.com/easy-chicken-and-rice-soup/ This last one has directions for making it in the instant pot. https://www.cookincanuck.com/chicken-rice-soup-instant-pot/ Wishing you all a wonderful day!

I'll look for it. I do find it interesting that most recipes here put carrots in it, but there were no carrots in the version I had in Dublin.

Awe, Terri, I am so sorry to hear this. I hope things get better quickly. OMG, I hate nuts in ice cream as well. My dad loved Butter Pecan Ice Cream and we had that a lot when I was a kid. They all thought I was weird for not wanting any. I'm going to have to try the Guinness Pie. Have either of you made Beef and Guiness, a type of beef stew that is made with Guiness. That is my go to recipe for St. Pat's Day rather than corned beef and cabbage. When I was in Dublin once I ordered Beef and Guiness and told the waiter I wanted to see if their's was as good as what I made at home. They enjoyed that. We arrived home about 45 minutes ago and it was good to get here. We left early since the Lions game was so brutal to watch. No sense in torturing ourselves. All in all, it was a great weekend and my DS Barb, the wedding planner, did a fantastic job. She made Emily's dress, did all the centerpieces, made the invitations, and more. We had a fantastic time and sharing a condo with both of my brothers turned out to not be too bad. Sue says it was a one and done for her, but I'd do it again.

Good morning, everyone! The wedding yesterday was very nice and my niece was radiant as the bride. This morning we are going to DS Barb's for an after wedding brunch and to watch the football game before we drive home. Go Lions! Today's meal is a great one. It is described as an Italian American dish with chicken cutlets and mushrooms in a rich marsala wine sauce. It sound heavenly. https://www.onceuponachef.com/recipes/chicken-marsala.html Tyler Florence from The Food Network adds some proscuitto to his chicken marsala. https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/chicken-marsala-recipe-1951778 And here's one last recipe to choose from. https://www.recipetineats.com/chicken-marsala/ Wishing you all a wonderful day!