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Heavens!!!!

I blushed through that entire meal plan

I love fried chicken, but I never have been able to fry it up. Mine always seems so dry and tough! I can't get it crispy! Good thing that we have a Kentucky Fried Chicken around here.

Dianna

Hey sweetie how you doing?

Crispy fried chicken? Find a recipe that calls for a batter rather than just a coating and then use a deep frier to cook it in. But if you just want moist rather than dry use the shake and bake. or if you want to coat it you won't get the crispy crust but you can keep it moist by not adding salt to your coating or chicken prior to cooking and by cooking on a bearly medium setting. Takes about 45 minutes sometimes a little longer but that keeps it "golden" rather than going brown and it keeps it moist. Also make sure the chicken you are getting at the store is plump. Poke it with your finger it should make a depression that springs back up. The chicken should also be somewhat yellow in color rather than pasty white.

Pink Salmon Steaks
Spinach Salad
Boiled potatoes
Asparagus with cream sauce
Corn Bread
Cheese cake
Tartar Sauce, Ketchup, Malt Vinegar

Beverages: Lemonade

If you have never seen Pink Salmon it is bright orange in color when you see it you'll know what it is. I use a cracker coating with "Old Bay Seasoning". Although they can be coated ahead the actual cooking has to be done right before serving, but they don't have to cook long. The salad can be done the night before no problem. If you don't like spinach or don't want to have to mess with cleaning the grit out of it. I substitute romaine lettuce. The large purple onion is the one I like in these salads. If you can find them the little white potatoes are best for boiling in my opinion. The ones with the very thin skin. Making the corn bread batter in the morning is actually a good idea, it will make the bread fluffier. I like the creamier cheese cakes but that's just me. I know there are cheesecake recipies for diabetics that are just as wonderful as regular cheesecake recipies. Just remember the lower the temperature it's cooked at the creamier the results.

Getting hungry!

Thanks for the tips on the fried chicken.

Dianna

Your welcome Dianna any time.

Merme, re ribs the trick is to boil them first and then add whatever sauce you want and then just broil long enough to marry the flavor of the sauce to the meat. If you try to broil or barbaque them for the actual cooking you will end up with barbaqued bones lol.

Consumme
Crab Cakes
Tatar Tots
Baked Beans
Green Bean Almondine
Ice Cream
Tartar Sauce, ketchup, vinegar (malt)

Beverage Cream Soda

Ah the happy memories of childhood.
Crab Cakes can be done in the morning as they should be refrigerated prior to shaping into cakes. Every thing else is can, bag, or box under the heading of 15 minutes or less. Not to say that I'm lazy but I did work most of my life so cooking had to be fast.

Blintz with Cherry compote
Orange Slices
sausage patties

Apple juice

Note spice up the apple juice with a touch of pumpkin pie spice. and one of those orange slices.

Very light green salad
Seafood Bisque
Sour Dough Bread Thick Sliced

A May White Wine if you can find it. Marysville Washington used to put one out but I can't remember the name.

This is the time to use iceberg lettuce because the bisque is very very very rich. I don't think anyone would have room for dessert after this meal but.....fresh fruit would be best if there is room.

Watercress Salad
French Dip
Cottage Fries
Swiss Cheese
Lemon Meringe Pie

Coffee, Tea or milk

Note: Salad can be done the night before. The roast should be done right before serving because they always seem to get tough when they sit in the refrigerator (or maybe thats just me). Since this cheese is sliced I would do it right before serving. And of course I buy the pie. lol The nice thing about roasts is that it's just popping them in a pan and shoving them in the over and then checking on them from time to time, not a lot of work and broken down into increments so I don't wear my self out. Au Jus if you use the packets can be made any time and just warmed up right before you serve.

Needless to say I like the sour dough rolls for this recipe. The rolls are tough enough to hold together during the dipping.

Tempura Shrimp
Rice with Mushrooms
Julienne Carrots
Black Forrest Cake

Condiments: Dry yellow mustard made up into sauce(if you like it really hot add alittle horseradish sauce), Ketchup, Sweet & Sour Sauce, Lemon Sauce, Soy Sauce, Teriaki Sauce, seseme(sp) seeds.

Green Tea

Note: The mushrooms I use in the rice dish are those (shaki type, of course I can't remember the name) They are brown and kind of strange in appearance but have a lot more flavor than the button.) If you have leftover batter, dip in califlower, broccoli, or button mushrooms and fry. The batter can be done in the morning no problem. I don't like doing mushrooms early cause they shrivel. Carrots can certainly be cut in advance. If you have a fondue pot put your oil in that and let everyone cook their own. Just put the scewer and batter out on the table. It takes very little time to cook shrimp and a little longer for the veggies. If you want to have everything scewered in advance that's good too. Any you know I buy the cake premade lol.

I can't find the shutoff switch for my brain!!!

Stuffed Pork Chops
Steamed Artichokes
Biscuits & Gravy
Fruit Cocktail

Condiments: Mustard dip, Mayonnaise, Herb butter sauce.

Coffee, Tea or Milk

Note: this is alittle time consumming so you may want to do it on one of your good days. You could do the artichokes a head of time. But I stuff right after making it and immediately cook any time I have eggs and meat in the same place.

This is possitively the last one until I lay down for awhile my back is not happy.

Lamb Chops & Mint Jelly/Sauce
Garlic Mashed potatoes
Spinach
Vanilla Pudding

Beverage: A nice rosa

Top the vanilla Pudding with a little of the mint jelly/sauce depending on what you could find at the store. These mashed potatoes really don't go well with gravy but butter.....yum.

Ceasar Salad
Roast Pork Tenderloin
Baked potato
Beets
Apple Pie

Note: Wrap the pork tenderloin in bacon and then a herb crust and use a meat themometer because if it dries out it loses all it's flavor.

Hi TK ~

Thanks for these ideas! I've been downloading them into a file.

Two questions:

In one of the recent posts that begins with a watercress salad and some dips I think, there is no mention of meat. But in the notes you reference a roast of some sort and sourdough rolls?

I make a killer good pot roast which I usually serve with Yorkshire Pudding. What a feast!

Second question: I do not own a meat thermometer, so what should I look for in terms of features when purchasing one and what is reasonable to spend on such an item?

Merme

Good Morning Merme,

French Dip, is traditionally a steam ship round but that is way to big for anything less than a party. So you can use a bottom round roast or top round roast. Pot roast is usually cut with grain rather than cross grain so is not a good choice. Also This roast is baked not boiled. The au jus is made after. These are not top quality cuts of meat so they have to be cut very thin and the slices layered on the rolls.

Meat Themometers are very inexpensive I usually find mine at the dollar store. One maybe two dollars. They are pretty much generic. I like the ones with a metal prong and a wheel shaped gage but that's just personal preference. I think they fit in the oven better lol. The flat ones have to stand up or you can't see the gage to read it and if it's a turkey or large cut of meat that ain't always easy lol. Of course the wheel shaped ones don't fit in the drawers very well so it's a trade off.

Merme,

How do you download stuff? I would love to do that but I only have note pad that comes with windows nothing extra.

I love yorkshire pudding, popovers too but how do you get away with all that fat?

Did you know that if you use your leftover navy bean soup (second day when it is mushy) as a base for white clam chowder you will get rave reviews?

serve with Veggies: Just slice some cucumbers, onions and radishes place in vinegar and water. Green onions, bulb end placed in water.

I put potatoes and onions in my navy bean soup so I really don't need to add anything but water and clams to the chowder.

Bread and Butter

Pumpkin pie with whipped cream yummy

Almost everything is a do a head on this meal plan.

When the Boss comes to dinner

Peperoni, Greek Green Olives, Black Olive, blue cheese salad with a vinegarette dressing
Lobster Thermador
Mexican Corn
Wild Rice
Cracked Wheat Bread with butter

Kiwi Fruit with vanilla ice cream

Note use several leaves of endive to make a "bowl" then add the other salad items inside. for the dressing think "italian" and add spices accordingly. I figured since you live in Maine I had to provide at least one lobster recipe.

A Little Story: Having been married more than once (don't ask) I have had some very interesting in-laws. One father-in-law was once married to a gourmet chef. I had just started cooking and his ex-wife would not give me any help in the kitchen (wasn't good enough for her son...). So there I was, a steak and potato woman having to cook for a culinary "brat". What did I do?

Onion Soup
Pork Chop Suprise
Green Beans with walnuts
White Rice
Mandrin Orange Tart

What is Pork Chop suprise (hehehe) my father-in-law asked the same question after draging me all around Okinawa Japan for an entire day. My hostessing skills went right out the window and I said Pork Chops and anything else I find underneath the sink. Fortunately I haven't killed anyone with my cooking even when I was just starting out.

Pork Chops, cream of mushroom soup, waterchestnuts, tarragon, salt, pepper & garlic all slowly simmered over the stove until done. The "darling" man was very happy with dinner. Which was a good thing cause I don't like most seafood and definitely not if it tastes fishy which most okinawan food did. So of course eating in a restaraunt over there was out of the question unless it was kobi(sp) beef. That's beef that is raised on nothing but beer. Very tender.

For some reason that marriage didn't last....but I did learn to make ox tail soup and a bunch of other things.

Romaine, Red Onion & Corn Bread Crouton Salad
Chicken Corden Bleu
Cream Corn
Mashed Turnips with sour cream and butter
Cranberry Sauce

Coffee, tea or milk

Note: Salad & Chicken Corden Bleu can be prepared ahead but wrap the chicken in plastic because it will dry out. Not sure that made sense. You can wrap it all together into it's little loaves but you can't cook it until it is time to eat. Does that make sense? I must be having one of my days.

Poached Eggs
Corned Beef Hash
Biscuits & Country Gravy
Fresh green onions or chives

Hot Chocolate flavored with Orange Java, fruit juice

For when Its cold outside. For the longest time I wouldn't even try to poach an egg (+20 years) but I finally got up the courage and found it was really easy. And I wouldn't touch Corned Beef Hash. (Finicky eater here.) But the older I get the less restrictions I put on myself so I tried it and guess what I like it. Depending on energy constraints I usually rely on boxed, canned pre-made items from the grocery store. But corned beef hash is basically a dish made with leftovers and the mashed potatoes from yesterday if you have any leftovers from yesterday work just as good as diced potatoes fried today.

Souffles...yes they fall,... yes they require their very own specialized baking dishes,...yes they are time consuming to make,....no the flavor is not such that it is worth the effort. That's just my opinion. But if you would like me to add some here I certainly will. I think everyone should try to make one, at least once just to say they have. But then I'm like that way curious.

Liver & Onions
Baked potato with all the fixin's
Mixed Veggies
Multi-grain Rolls & butter
Viennatee(sp) Ice Cream if you can find it

Condiments: Butter, Sour Cream, Bacon Bits, Chives & Shredded Cheese

Coffee, Tea or Milk

Note: This is the liver & onions that are done with bacon and white grapes rather than the one done in country gravy. The ice cream is a brand that I used to be able to find in the stores around here but haven't seen recently. It's an ice cream loaf layer with very thin layers of hard chocolate and other flavors. They use a european styled ice cream much richer than american brands. If you can find it, it is heavenly. Cut very small slices it goes a long way.