Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Change in Plans

So Sunday was going to be a drive to Greenville to check out Falls Park.  I had seen it written up in the USAir mag on one of my many flights.  I never think to go to G'ville to visit, to check it out...  So I decided this might be a good thing to check out with my mom's visit.
However life sure can throw some curve balls at you.
Last week at this time, I was preparing for my mom's visit.  Clean the house, get food in the fridge.  She was busy packing up her stuff and getting ready for the ride down.
Now, I am sitting in her back room getting ready to head out in the cold to go get a bagel and check out the inlet.

Sunday, May 16, 2010

LYNX Blue Line


On weekends when Spencer is not working, we try to head on out for a walk somewhere.  Usually we end up at McMullen Greenway.  It is a good walk for the purpose of walking.  But last week we did more of a walk for the purpose of site seeing.  And we took the light rail into town.
http://www.charmeck.org/Departments/CATS/LYNX/home.htm
My mom and I have done this in the past.  I keep saying I am going to do it more often but never get around to it.  Spencer had never taken the light rail before so it turned out to be a good diversion from the norm.
We got on at the 485 station and rode all the way to 7th Street.  That's kind of like the whole line.  A good little ride with some people watching and scenery.

Surprised to determine that the last light rail ride was actually 2008 - wow time sure does get away from me...    http://edblholidaygreeting.blogspot.com/2008/04/tourist-in-city.html

And yes, the fruit does go on the grill

I bought a packet of chicken last week.  Enough chicken to eat chicken for the better part of the week.  So I decided that was an easy place to start for cooking for my mom and I during her visit.  Friday being a work day we didnt go all that crazy with the fixins.  Grilled chicken.  Grilled pineapple.  Lettuce.  Strawberries.  It was tasty.  Although I must admit I did snack on a bunch of her travel snacks after the fact.  Could have avoided that.

Ham Soup

Remember at Easter I made a ham.  Well instead of torturing myself through the leftovers - not a big ham fan - I boiled down the bones, made some broth and froze it.  I also froze the leftover ham.  And then I bought some multi coloured beans and anticipated making some soup in the future.
Now why not split pea you ask???  >>>ACK<<<  I have never been a fan of split pea soup.  I like peas but there is just something about it. 
So I soaked these multi beans and proceeded with some sort of soup.
AGAIN - not too sure what I did with it.  I did add onions and carrots and yellow peppers (and maybe some organic fire roasted tomatoes) but not much else in the line of veggies.  The leftover ham had a sweet quality to it which I though enhanced the flavor of the soup.  I gave some away to friends.  I think it was well received.

Fish Cakes


I know I said I would try to remember what I do to the food before I cook it or while I cook it so I can duplicate.  Easier said than done...
This was frozen cod, thawed and then partially cooked in the microwave.
I mixed it with chopped onions and peppers and egg.
Let's see some whole wheat flour and perhaps corn meal (I just bought both of those so I think they are getting frequent use in  the ktichen). 
I wish I could recall what else I put in there to hold it all together.
Google some recipes I know that's where I get most of my direction.

They seemed kind of runny once I got the patties together.  So I coated them with bread crumbs and then baked them.  Yes, baked them.  I dont like frying.  No, not for the health aspect but more from the burn aspect.  To get a good sear on a fried food such as a fish cake you really need to have hot oil and I just dont want to be splattered with hot oil.  So baking it is instead.


So I lied about the food photos

I seems I am taking more pics of food these days and posting than I am training for the next triathlon in a few weeks... 

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

i think that is all the food shots for now

one last picture


this one is for joanne.. she keeps talking about this cake and i feel bad as i was not as impressed and am not sure what changes i will do going forward to be impressed... 
it is a yellow cake with lemon curd, a filling of ricotta cheese and cream cheese - gosh i cant recall now what that chees mixture was - and raspberries...
it was slippery
so some cool whip covered up the flaws
and it tasted good
but i think it could have been better

More versions of fruit

I had been concentrating on ways to eat just fruit.  And squash came into the mix.  This was healthy except for the amount of olive oil I think I used in the roasting process. 



This mix was squash and zuchini with apples and green beans.  I forget what else ended up in the mix but MAN was it tasty.

realised i still had some food photos to post

Most diets harp all the time low carb low carb low carb... And it always involves some sort of quiche with veggies. But I decided I was just too tired with the veggie combo. I had enough of spinach and mushrooms and brocoli. So I decided to try to switch it up some. The comobination I came to was strawberries, bananas, and almonds. It was tasty.



Sunday, May 9, 2010

Happy Mothers Day

This year my mom wasnt in town for Mothers Day.  I know she was last year.  Cant recall if that is the usual visit or not.  I think it is always sometime in May.  Today, Spencer and I took the light rail into town and walked around.  He had not been on the light rail before so it was fun.  Well as fun as low key mass transportation can be.  Definitely not s subway or T experience.
We got off at 7th Street and meandered up and down the streets - Tryon, Church, College - and took in some of the newer buildings and museums.  As always I brought my camera but havent downloaded them just yet.  I will soon.  I am interested to see the comparison of the buildings being built and the end product.
It made for a long day.
Now off to bed as it is another one of those crazy early weeks.