Patt Saves the Day

I'm pretty sure I never blogged about this. I had every intention of doing so, but things got hectic and the photo was misplaced.

My friend, Patt, gave me this when I went to visit her over Memorial Day 2015. I had no idea something like this existed. She had retired from her administrative position and was cleaning out cupboards. "Maybe you could use this?" she asked. I'm ashamed to admit I didn't know what it was until she explained it.

It has saved my pocketbook and my work time. I found another one on a clearance shelf at Target. You see I have chicken noodle soup in this. But once I discovered Chef Boy-ar-dee still made Spaghetti O's, I started taking a can's worth in this one. So the one I got at Target is used for soup. You know, try as you might, tomato stains don't always come out of Tupperware after it's been microwaved.

This has made lunches so much better. I dump a can of soup or Sketti O's into the container and take it to work. Add a bowl of Jell-O or sliced fruit or vegetables and I have a full meal. I don't absent-mindedly hop in the car and head to Wendy's or Subway; the two closest restaurants; for lunch. It saves me money and I can work through lunch. There are days when you just need to get out because you need the break, but my finances are much better for not going out a lot.

I have the best friends.

Beverage:  Cranberry Tea

Deb

California Food - Part the First

Particularly when I'm traveling, I like to document my food. You can have very good food and very bad food while on a vacation. The November trip to California and BlizzCon/Disneyland was a case in point.

My gastronomical journey began on November 3rd at O'Hare. I had to get up early to get to the airport in plenty of time to check in so breakfast wasn't going to be an option. Plus, I didn't like the idea of leaving dirty dishes in the sink for 6 days.

Breakfast was two muffins, a banana and hot tea from Great American Bagel, which was right across from my gate.

My first airplane flight was in April of 1982. Back then, you still got free food with your seat purchase. As you know, that's no longer the case. I didn't eat the blueberry muffin before boarding so free tea and the muffin were food about 2/3rds of the way through the flight west.

Upon arriving in California, there was little time to eat. I grabbed my luggage and found the Super Shuttle to my hotel. The trip to the hotel took an hour. Once checked in, I surveyed my surroundings. Liz wasn't to get in until 6:45. We had talked of meeting up with Sparrow and her hubby for a later dinner. It was now 2 and I hadn't eaten anything since about 10:45.

As the shuttle drove down Katela, I noticed a little-seen restaurant in Chicagoland, IHOP. They have, for the most part, shuttered IHOPs in my area. It's sad but I know the one in Wheaton just could not keep servers. It's one of my favorite places to go and I miss it. So seeing one 4 blocks from the hotel was wonderful. I needed food. IHOP it was.

Pumpkin french toast with caramel sauce, sliced bananas and whipped cream. I was in heaven. There were other fall flavors which I thought about coming back to try, but the sheer number of places to eat in the area made a repeat visit impossible. I didn't realize how hungry I was. This is a half order. I had them bring out the rest of the order, it was so good.

Liz's plane was delayed so adding that extra plate of french toast wound up being a godsend. The next day, Thursday, November 4th, we wandered up to Disneyland. Our first stop there was a Starbucks; one of the largest I'd ever seen; for a quick breakfast. We had reservations for lunch, at 1, and the parks didn't open until 10, so there was some time to kill.

I had standard fare of 2 blueberry scones (Delivered in separate bags. Talk about waste.) and hot tea. Liz and I walked around California Adventure the rest of the morning and headed over to Disneyland in the afternoon. We had reservations at Cafe Orleans. There are food carts everywhere including many which sold these.

Leave it to Disney to turn spun sugar into something reasonably attractive.

We went to Cafe Orleans for three things. #1 was the parmesan fries, in the basket at back.

#2 is that Monte Cristo sandwich in the foreground. Liz and I split one sandwich. It was huge! It's served with the most amazing berry sauce. I don't remember the sauce the fries came with but I wound up just eating the fries "naked", they were so good.

The main reason to stop was beignets.

Incredible powdered sugar dusted puffs of air-inflated buttered dough. That's custard sauce at top and the mixed berry jam at the bottom. Oh my heaven. So...so wonderful. Even having a 6 block walk back to the hotel didn't leave us unfull.

Too bad Cafe Orleans is inside the park. I'd consider eating there just because. I had not had a Monte Cristo in a very long time. In case you are unfamiliar with this sandwich, it is cheese, usually swiss, with ham or turkey, sometimes both, dipped in egg batter and fried. Some places will grill the sandwich but the best ones are encased in a thick tempura-type batter. A guild member told me to go get one while I was out there, to which Liz replied, "I made reservations. She WILL have one." The whole meal was stellar.

Ashley arrived in the late afternoon and we went to get our convention badges. That evening, we met up with a guild member and her husband. I was still feeling full from lunch. We debated where to go for dinner and wound up back at Downtown Disney, the location of the Starbucks, for dinner at Rainforest Cafe. Now, I can take or leave Rainforest. There's one north of me, but we just couldn't think of a place in the area to go to with a wide menu and which wouldn't be crawling with BlizzCon people. We wanted to talk. We'd never met Amy and her husband so this was to be a special event. Fortunately, they have a decent a la carte menu.

A bowl of creamy tomato soup, topped with gruyere, and served with spiced cornbread. With hot tea, it was all I needed.

Friday started BlizzCon. In order to be alert and on the ready, we went to Goofy's Kitchen for breakfast. Oh come now. If given a choice, wouldn't you trade a free hotel breakfast for this?

That's their special peanut butter and jelly pizza. (I have the recipe.) The Mickey Mouse mini-waffle at the upper left was not very good; hard and flavorless. Liz said, in all the years she's been coming to this buffet, this was the first thing that was a disappointment. Fruit was in abundance. I'll always go for the fresh fruit.

Fluffy, fluffy scrambled eggs and crispy bacon. Tea and orange juice in abundance.  When we walked in and had our photos taken with Goofy, we were asked if we were celebrating anything. We said, "First visit" and then pointed at Ashley. "Her birthday is Saturday," we said. Liz and Ashley looked at me. "Well, your birthday is close." "Not really. It's Thanksgiving Day. That's not close." The employee shrugged. "Two birthdays! That works!"

Mid-way through breakfast, this arrived, along with wait staff to sing to us.

They set fire to my dessert and sang about it.

I got a "First Visit" and "Birthday" button. I put my World of Warcraft name on the button. On Sunday, when we came back to the parks, I did not wear my birthday button. It was the day after Ashley's birthday and I wanted her to have all the good wishes. Maybe some day I'll go back.

Beverage:  Hot cocoa

Deb

A Return of the Yum

It's back.

Panera has their autumn squash soup back. One bowl of this and life doesn't feel quite so hard. I have to cut back on eating out at lunch. It's too easy to let someone else cook and then pay for that privilege. But...but...soup...

Beverage:  Dunkin Donuts Tea

Deb

This Presents a Difficulty

The arrival of fall means that some of the most satisfying foods are in abundance; apples and squash. I'd been thinking about that lately, how my freezer needed homemade applesauce and butternut squash soup, pumpkin muffins and bread. I was thinking about how the smell of cinnamon and nutmeg and mulled cider always made me feel physically better.

And then I needed lunch after a long morning on my feet. It was yesterday and Panera always has cream of chicken with wild rice on Thursdays. I cannot, for the life of me, make that soup. Mine comes out lumpy or worse, burnt tasting, so I've given up. The occasional bowl of soup won't break my bank. I usually get the "You Pick Two" option so I can have half a sandwich and a cup of soup.

I look at the menu and, what's this? Butternut squash ravioli? I love squash stuffed ravioli. The old Dominick's grocery store chain had an in-store frozen food brand that had this kind of ravioli. I usually kept 4-5 boxes of that in the freezer. Paired with a salad or yogurt or warmed applesauce, it was a great lunch. I could get the ravioli in the "You Pick Two" option with my soup. Okay, I'll have that and the cream of chick...wait a minute. What's this? Autumn Squash soup? The gal behind the counter fetched me a taste. Oh my goodness. Yup yup. Butternut all the way. It tasted just like the version I have at home.

Here's my review of both items.

The squash is good. It's paired with a garlic cream sauce which, when I order this again, I need to ask for light sauce. I just don't understand why food preparers have to slather sauced food with so much. You're to compliment the food not drown it. I'm not a fan of the fried onions but those are easy to remove. The butternut flavor is complimented by the arugula. It's a satisfying dish. I like the carry out dishes Panera has, too. The bowl is a paper composite which is supposed to be completely biodegradeable. Of course I shall conduct experiments to see if this is true. Compost heap, here it comes. I will add this, occasionally, to my You Pick Two menu, but it won't replace anything.

Now comes the soup.

It probably looks better in a bowl but I have to eat lunch at my desk so their 'to go' cups are what I have. It is heaven, sheer heaven. It's rich and creamy with just a hint of sweetness to it. The full flavor of butternut comes through. They serve it with roasted pumpkin seeds. I don't think it needs the seeds, but then, I could eat this for days running and not be tired of it.

The only problem I can see is that now I have to decide on Tuesdays and Thursdays when I usually get the cream of chicken with wild rice, if I want this instead. Pay day is next week. I fantasize about walking into the grocery and buying all the butternut squash they have and making soups and stews.

If you're looking for a hearty, rib-sticking meal, adding this soup to your lunch is perfect. It will be a blessing as the days turn colder.

Beverage:  Water

Deb

Volume, Photo 27

I don't know about you, but there are days when soup is the only thing I want to eat. Easy to cook, nourishing and portable, it's almost a perfect meal, if you're heating the stuff from a can. It's a little more complicated if you're making it from scratch, but once you have a batch made, soup freezes like a dream. There are also a lot of warm memories attached to soup. It's comfort food and the science says there is something good in chicken soup that helps a body get through and recover from the flu or a cold.

I don't make Campbell's soup with all the water they say on the can. I usually use just a half of a can. I like the taste of the broth and I buy the lower sodium version. It tastes a lot like dumping chicken parts in water and cooking them for an hour. I eat the whole can. It says 2 servings, but seriously, unless I'm eating a bunch of other things with my soup, I eat the whole can.

I usually use the mug on the left, but I couldn't find it. (It was under the dishes not put away in the drainer.) I thought the mug on the right was the same size but it wasn't. I had to drink some of the broth in order to put the entirety of the can into the mug. In checking, the Hawkeyes mug is an eight of an inch taller. That eighth is just enough to make it big enough to hold all my soup.

This was chicken and stars soup. My grandmother used to have this whenever we came to visit. It was too expensive for my parents to buy and the only time Gram used to have it was when we were coming. She'd serve this with ham sandwiches. I don't find chicken and stars to be any less expensive than chicken noodle so I like to keep a can of this and tomato soup in the pantry.

Chicken and tomato. Good meals. I just need to keep the Hawkeyes mug clean.

Beverage:  Scottish Breakfast tea

Deb

Blarg

I'm sick. I am completely and totally blaming this on my lifestyle and, as my sister called them, "2-legged walking germ factories".

None of the kids was openly sick. They don't have to be. Kids in day care are exposed to hundreds of viruses to which they build up immunities. They bring them home and their parents become immune to these as well. Enter Aunt Debbie.

Now Aunt Debbie hasn't gotten a flu shot in 3 years. Why? Aunt Debbie doesn't come in contact with many people. Aunt Debbie works with a very small group of people, all over the age of 25. When Aunt Debbie goes out, it's usually with people her age and to venues where day care assisted germs can't be found. Put Aunt Debbie in a room with little people and all the things they carry and Aunt Debbie is going to catch the first thing that can jump ship onto her. As healthy as I felt last weekend, it's nothing compared to 'little people germs'.

I was fine until Thursday. I knew I was coming down with something on Wednesday but thought liberal application of hot tea with honey and a 12-hour sleep would staunch it. HA! I lasted a half-day at work. I stuck it out until someone else came in to answer the phones. Then I went to Dominicks and stocked up on comfort food.

When your head is congested and smelling is something you only dream about, food becomes an item you know you should partake of but nothing is appealing. Therefore, it is in my best interests to have things I will eat, that are appealing, even if they taste like cardboard and have no smell. Soup, both tomato and chicken noodle; beans, to be combined with smoked sausage and heated along with the leftover pork loin from last weekend; chocolate frosted donuts (these didn't make it through 24 hours); and Dr Pepper. Other than the donuts, I've had a can of soup, some toast and a couple of Dr Pepper and lots and lots of tea.

I think it's "Feed a cold. Starve a fever", but I'm also quite sure that if you treat a cold, it will be gone in 7 days. If you don't treat it, it will linger for a week. I had nothing in the house to combat the cough, which was so bad on Wednesday night through Thursday, that I bruised my rib muscles coughing. I take a prescription pain medication and the last thing I need, on top of this cold, is to have a drug interaction between something over-the-counter and my pain med. The pharmacist said I was good with any over-the-counter meds and he recommended this stuff, too. "Zicam works," he said. "I feel it lessens the severity of symptoms. I suggest you add it to what you're going to buy. It's not something you're going to get addicted to."

So I am in day 2 1/2 of taking this roughly every 3 hours as directed. My cough has, for the most part, gone away, which is very good. The hacking cough of this cold was so painful yesterday with the bruised muscles. I have a lot of drainage down the back of my throat and, right now, my head is stuffy. But, this hasn't made any move to head to my lungs. This is a very good thing. I can't take good old penicillin for infections and the drug I do have to take is expensive. I'm tired, but that's expected with a cold. I don't know if this works or if this is the natural progression of this cold. The stuff was on sale for $10 and it doesn't taste awful.

The proof will be how I feel come Monday. In theory, I should "be over" this by Thursday of next week. If I'm feeling 80% or better come Monday, I'll consider this a moderate success. Check back next week to see. Now, off to make more tea.

Beverage:  Boston Harbor tea

Deb

Another Surprise

I'm feeling low, lower than low, actually. I'm throwing a pity party for myself. I've had Leslie Gores' "It's My Party (And I'll Cry if I Want to)" stuck in my head since leaving the doctor yesterday. Funny how that works.

Pam and I had a lot of catching up to do so she took me to supper last night. That helped make me feel better because she has similar problems. Here are two middle-aged ladies comparing knee problems over burgers at Red Robin. That's comical in its own right. It lifts my sagging spirits somewhat and then I have to get out of her car and climb the steps into my home. Yes. This is why I'm depressed, when it takes me twice as long to get into my house as it did in February when there was all that snow.

There had been, in the mail on Tuesday, an envelope addressed to me, no return address and a Chicago postmark. I've seen this before as in an anonymous benefactor sending a Target gift card. But, I have been doing okay for myself, although my math skills this month left something to be desired. The computer calculator is correct but if you punch in the wrong numbers, you're not going to get the most accurate result. Another thing to depress me.

I didn't open the envelope right away. I had to make supper, a new manicotti recipe that, while fast to assemble is below average in taste. It did make a lot so I will have suppers and lunch for the next couple of days. I think the addition of garlic will make it better, but I am not saving this recipe. It's a dud.

Once the manicotti was cooking, I sat down and opened the envelope. I was expecting an invitation to something as the envelope is that size. I couldn't think what I'd be invited to, but maybe it would be something I'd consider attending. Inside was the usual yellow legal paper carefully enclosing a $50 Visa gift card.

I am humbled by this generosity. It's been a rough month but I have survived. I was worried about getting the next batch of medication and here arrives the means to get it. My friend, Patt, recommended a knee pillow she says you can get at the pharmacy which will keep your knees apart. If it's not too expensive, it's worth a shot, to see if it will help me fall asleep and stay asleep. Mija would probably appreciate not being kicked or crushed when I toss and turn.

It's uncanny to me how whomever this is seems to know right when I could use this. I sat in the recliner on Tuesday evening, turning it over in my hands just grateful for this person. I used to want to know who they were but I've decided I don't need to. I could not give them any kind of reciprocation in kind and I think the giving is, for them, the best part. My hope is that if my ship ever comes in, I can do for someone else what they have done for me.

I decided that I needed to do for me today, something to lift my spirits. I hobbled over to the grocery at lunch and got myself a salad. I have 1 apple and 2 potatoes at home. The potatoes are destined for a corn, bacon and potato chowder recipe I found. It's to rain all weekend. This is the perfect time for soup. The apple will be added to oatmeal apple cinnamon muffins once I get all the dishes finished from the weekend. I just can't do everything in one fell swoop. I have to do some and do another bit the next day. I can't stand and this, of course, depresses me. I felt a salad off the Dominicks salad bar would be healthy and would lift my spirits. I also got a couple bagels and a box of cereal since there is one serving of Cheerios left.

Yes, there were impulse purchases. I got apple cider. Perhaps that is better for me than a 2 liter of Dr Pepper. It's going to make the house smell better, that's for sure. Drat. I don't have an orange to make mulled cider. No matter. Warmed cider in the microwave will be just as lovely. And, to feed the depression, I got a bag of chocolate Oreos. No finger wagging at me. I'm female. I'm depressed. Eating is what makes it sort of better.

Best use of a gift card? Well, maybe not the Oreos but the salad has cheered me up a bit and the idea that I have cereal for next week is another cheer. I'm looking forward to warm apple cider this weekend.

Thank you whomever is doing this or to the maybe more than one person who bestows this blessing on me. Your kindness cheers me as I try to shake off this weight that is depression. I am ever so grateful to you.

Beverage:  Scottish Blend tea

Deb

A new favorite.

I love to cook but, since it's just me, I don't try new recipes from the thousands I have. This one was in a September Wednesday cooking supplement in the Daily Herald, the newspaper I probably should let go of but can't seem to go cold-turkey from.

I love fall, as we all know, and this time of year is when I get the urge the most to cook. The abundance of fall fruits and vegetables gets me revved up in the kitchen. Botanically speaking, a squash is a fruit, not a vegetable, for it is the fruit, with seeds, of a flower. We have classified it as a vegetable because it is not sweet and we generally associate sweetness with our fruits. Whether fruit or vegetable, butternut squash is good.

This soup is now my favorite butternut squash soup, bar none. I am not fond of onions so I left those out. I didn't have Granny Smith apples. I had some apples from visiting my mother. The aroma of cooking squash and then cooking squash and apples together was intoxicating. This is the smell of fall.

I thought I could get by with using a hand mixer to combine the ingredients but that didn't work. So, I had to get out my 30+ year old blender and puree the mixture. You need to puree it. Just trust me on this. It is so very smooth and it finishes the combination of flavors.

After I heat the soup, I drizzle the top with honey, about 1/2 teaspoon per bowl, and mix that in, not thoroughly, but just enough that it's mixed in. Some spoonfuls get the sweetness of honey, some do not and that juxtaposition of flavors is, for me, wonderful. This makes a huge amount. I have two pint containers in the freezer and a container in the fridge for this weekend, not to mention the three meals I got out of the soup before I froze it.

I'm considering making the recipe with different apples to see how the apple variety affects the taste. I didn't have ginger root so I used the powdered spice. I think I would like to increase that to see if I can bring out more of the ginger flavor. This recipe has so much potential.

I can see myself on a snowy December evening, curled up in the settee with a cat, a mug of tea, this soup and a hunk of bread. Now that's a meal.

Beverage: Scottish Blend tea

Deb