Sorry to hear this. Hugs to you!
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I’m so sorry. It’s heartbreaking when our furry companions are unwell 
Hugs right back to you and your pup <3
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Greetings, People.
A busy holiday week. I signed up for a second fundraiser this year - a 2-day benefit for the local high school. Later in the week- a trip to Victoria BC for some relaxation and holiday ambiance. Meal planning is spotty as a result of things. I picked up some tortillas – both corn and flour – and what dinner gaps we can’t fill with leftovers from the freezer we can fill with some quick-to-fix Tex Mex.
Feeding two adults in the very rainy PNW:
FRI: Leek and potato soup. Grilled cheese sandwiches.
SAT: Scrounge.
SUN: Scrounge.
MON: Pan-fried halibut. Leftover potato gratin. Veg TBD.
TUE: NYT’s Easy Chicken Tacos (gift link). Chopped salad.
WED: Quesadilla. Refries. Red rice. Chopped salad.
THUR: Dinner out.
Happy Holidays!
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And a happy holidays to you too! Have a lovely time in Victoria.
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Just realized that I planned but did not post! Feeding three in the Boston burbs, but three is usually two plus one. DS has joined the high school wrestling team, and practices have been from 7-9:15pm, so he’s not eating dinner until late. However, he’s done at 4pm tomorrow so we will have our first family dinner of the week! Only 8 more weeks of this…
Sun: pork florentine and risotto, neither of which were a hit.
Mon: fast bolognese sauce and shells. I think we had vegetables too?
Tues: sticky rainbow beef with rice ramen noodles. This was pretty good but I wanted a slightly different flavor for the sauce (orange marmalade instead of hoisin, maybe?). DS inhaled the leftovers.
Weds: chicken tortilla soup
Thurs: picked up salads for DH and me, DS will have leftover bolognese when he gets home
Fri: garlic Parmesan chicken tenders, chips, roasted broccoli
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When I was in high school (a very long time ago!!) I had friends on the wrestling team who did stupid stuff to make weight. Please tell me that is a thing of the past!!
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He hasn’t said anything about it… but it’s one of the many things I’m keeping an eye/ear out for (in general, not for any specific concerns for him).
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I’ve had my eye on those tacos. Please report back on what you think.
Will do!
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Hello friends it is now the end of a busy week. I went to the opticians a couple of weeks ago for my bi-annual check up and found out I need a stronger prescription for my glasses and I should be wearing them all the time now. I left my frames behind to have the lenses replaced with the new prescription ones and with progressive lenses to boot. I went to pick them up after work on Tuesday but it involved a bus ride to the opticians office in the west end so I got home late. I also ordered a fruit and veggie box from our local community centre that I picked up on Wednesday then off to the library after to pick up a book I had on hold (“The Mysterious Affair at Styles” by Agatha Christie). Then off to the drugstore after work on Thursday to pick up a few items since it’s seniors day so I can get my 20% off 
I had a screening with the Ottawa Film Society last night but it was freezing and snowing for the second day in a row so when I got home I hunkered down for the evening and decided to forgo this one movie. I am just going to curl up on the sofa tonight and have a quiet evening at home and hopefully go to bed early. This is what I look forward to in my senior years 
This is my menu plan for this week:
Today: It has finally stopped snowing and it’s warming up a bit! So I decided I’d like to take a stroll up the street to enjoy the sunshine and to go to Farm Boy to pick up some sushi for lunch. I am not fond of their prepared meals although I must admit their sushi is really top notch. I had a rainbow maki and it included salmon, tuna and shrimp. I will have a kale salad for dinner tonight and I will add tomatoes and avocado.
Saturday: I will be staying at home to do some random chores and I will have a salade nicoise for dinner.
Sunday: Up in the air. I was going to have a chicken dish with a peanut sauce which involves using peanut butter. Good thing I checked my pantry first since I discovered I am out of peanut butter. I also got two big zucchinis in my fruit/veggie box this week so I might make something with zucchini for dinner instead.
Monday: I will be going to the pub with my book club. The book club organizer had a book picked out for discussion for tonight but I am still pretty far down on the waiting list for the library copy. She decided in the end to forget it and open up the floor for us to talk about what we are currently reading or planning on reading. Beer and meatballs may be called for We are going to an Italian pub and meatballs are their specialty.
Tuesday: Pork stirfry with green beans.
Wednesday: Potluck at work. I will have a green bean and tomato salad for dinner.
Thursday: The last film society screening of 2025. I won’t have time to have dinner before the show so I will stop in somewhere to have dinner after.
Have a nice week everyone.
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Hi, all! Cooking for 2 in Chattanooga, where we’re gearing up for several weeks in France with the in-laws. I love going to France, but often feel stuck in their somewhat remote suburban home while we’re there (and don’t get me started on what they like to eat). TLDR: I’m doing all the cooking now while I can!
Friday, December 12: Chicken with sesame and lemongrass, rice, broccoli
Saturday breakfast: Pumpkin cinnamon rolls
Saturday: Mac and cheese (to use up the bits and bobs in the fridge), fancy Ottolenghi cabbage
Sunday: Book club over to discuss Hamnet (which I sense many did not enjoy, though I did). I’m making pulled pork and mulled wine and serving my many, many holiday cookies; others are bringing sides.
Monday: Lentil soup with roasted cauliflower from Family with our vegan house sitter
Tuesday: Airport/airplane food
Happy Hanukkah to those celebrating! Have a great week, and happy cooking!
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Oh, please start. 
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Happy Hanukkah this coming week to all my fellow HOs who celebrate! 
Cooking for two w̶i̶l̶d̶ ̶&̶ ̶c̶r̶a̶z̶y̶ mildly interesting middle-aged folks in Happy Valley, as ever.
Tonight our buddy’s hosting a poker game and promised Italian food brought back from a place in Staten Island. Looking forward already 
Tomorrow I will be making a Mississippi roast with a ginormous pork shoulder (9.5lbs) that was 50% off. Since beef is damn near unaffordable these days & pork not far behind, I simply had to get that hunka meat. Should leave us with plenty of food for the coming days, or the freezer. I also have a band practice with our ancient drummer (our other two couldn’t make it) in the afternoon, so an easy dinner that practically makes itself is in order. Sides TBD, but likely a tangy salad & something else. Whattttt? No Sssspicy Ssssunday? Nope, not this week 
Monday therefore may have to be a spicy meal — Thai red curry with fish or shrimp if my dude is up for “Asian” food again, which he pronounced to be tired of 
. Maybe I should switch things up a bit 
Tuesday might be cheeborgerz with TJ’s fab chuck & brisket patties & LW fries. Been a while.
Wednesday is a ‘foodies’ event at a restaurant that has been consistently getting terrible reviews. My trio used to play there almost weekly several years ago, but we’ve not been back due to the abysmal service and lackluster food. These are freebies, however, so I thought we’d check it out. Maybe they’ve improved! Afterwards I’m gathering my gal pals at the bar, probz for the last time before the holiday shindigs all start happening, and we have a birthday to celebrate 
Thursday we’re apparently invited to a potluck with the local Dems. No idear what we’ll be bringing, or if we are actually going. I’m not particularly invested TBH.
Friday I have my early evening gig at a local pub. Dinner is a big ole ?
Saturday is likely another poker game.
Sunday we’ll be back to our traditional ssspicinesssss.
Stay warm, stay healthy, stay happy… and eat all the good tings!
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Feels like a soup week.
For two adults in San Diego:
Breakfasts: Gonna pick up a ridiculous amount of pastries to get me through grading.
S: (tonight) Dinner out - shared karaage and pork chashu fried rice with my husband
Su: Zuppa toscana
M: Picking up pizza after a veterinary appointment that will likely take several hours. Leftover pizza will be our lunches for the rest of the week.
T: Lentil soup - vegetarian
W: Shrimp tortilla soup - seafood
Th: Chicken pot pie soup
F: Chili with all the fixings
Take care of yourselves!
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I need to make that Tuscan soup again! So delish & comforting!
And fingers crossed for your vet appointment 
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Hi everyone
I escaped the polar vortex to warmer climes earlier than usual this year to attend a wedding I had been “warned” about (lol) 2 years ago (when the venue was booked, before the official engagement, coz that’s how we roll).
The extremely early arrival also enabled me to participate in bicentenary celebrations for an alma mater, which was such a blast from the past, and brought many folks together who don’t see each other regularly.
Actuals for the last week-plus:
— Masala cheese toast.
— Porcini ravioli in a light pesto cream sauce.
— Frankies (paratha roll-ups stuffed with chicken or paneer).
— Chinese at an old favorite childhood spot with a bunch of schoolmates after an event at school.
— Chaat night with more schoolmates after another event.
— Catered dinner after an evening of alumni performances and felicitations — an interesting mix of cuisines including Parsi, and very well done for a bulk food event. A spectacular kulfi (Indian burnt milk ice cream) was part of the dessert spread.
— Dahi (yogurt) chicken — a dish my mom invented after I left home, and has became a “modern” (lol) family favorite.
— Biryani of the Awadhi / Kolkata style (not my favorite but someone sent it over).
— “Pickled” chicken (old family travel recipe adjusted by my mother over the years to reduce oil and chillies as the preservation aspect is no longer required).
The wedding reception dinner deserves its own special mention: a glorious and extensive spread of Indian winter specialties, supplemented by a slew of international cuisines, with every single option available as both regular vegetarian and Jain (no onion/garlic/root veg). The event was at an outdoor space the size of a football field 
, and the food stations covered about 3/4 of the perimeter 
. In addition to one length dedicated to the seasonal stuff and Indian favorites, there was Italian (freshly prepared pizza and pasta, plus risotto finished to order), Japanese (okonomiyaki to sushi to ramen), Chinese (dim sum, several types of noodles, several types of fried rice, and stir-fries made to order), separate sections for soups and for salads, and more I didn’t even get to (because my exhausted friend came and sat down with us, followed soon after by her husband and kids).
I started with my fix of unique, seasonal Indian winter dishes (WHY is there so much BORING food on your plate? my nephews wanted to know 
). After that, I filled my plate with things for my friend and her family to snack on (the family sits for their dinner only at the end of the night after guests leave, which was midnight) – sushi, dim sum, pizza, risotto, and so on (all excellent).
The dessert section (which I usually skip) was spectacular — I went for some of the unusual items again: hand-churned tadgola / ice apple ice cream, freshly fried “lines” of mini jalebis served with reduced milk and caramelized cream, and baby rasgullas with tender coconut and coconut milk. There were western and Asian dessert stations too, and a separate section for paan / mouth fresheners / digestives. Phew! In the end, though, I had eaten only a few bites at the start and a few bites of dessert, because the time in the middle was spent chatting with and feeding my friend.
.
There’s a brief respite this week before the rest of the family descends for our usual holiday season fun and chaos. I want to bake a loaf of bread for mom because she enjoys a simple homemade boule so much, and she’s asked for a little banana bread. I will also partially menu plan the impending visit to preserve a modicum of my own sanity as chief organizer and fulfiller of diverse food desires 
.
Wish you all a good week ahead – stay warm, stay safe.
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So glad to hear from you! I’d been a bit worried. That wedding food sounds amazing! I cannot fathom the quantities.
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Hi, everyone. Cooking for 3 in Boston, where I woke up to snow showers and quickly accelerated my grocery shopping plans! I was out of the house in 7 minutes, didn’t make coffee, so hit the coffee bar at Wegmans. I think they should have cup holders for the grocery carts, as it’s hard to steer one-handed before being fully caffeinated.
Sun: chicken doner, homemade flatbreads, and fries
*this was an interesting technique for the doner, and it worked pretty well! Definitely needed crisping up in a skillet though.
Mon: takeout Chinese for the guys (I’ll be in NYC for work)
Tues: chicken tacos/quesadillas, homemade refried black beans
Weds: bbq meatballs (baked and with mashed potato flakes instead of IP and breadcrumbs), mac and cheese, green beans
Thurs: drunken noodles
Fri: 
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I 
drunken noodles. Do you have a favorite recipe for them?
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This is the recipe I use, no claims as to its authenticity!
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