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Because there are many of us on the forum with either chronic health issues OR temporary illness which make constant meal ideas another chronic hassle in our lives, why don't you make a thread of your great ideas?
It would be a benefit to ALL of us, because even the healthy folks could print out the thread and file it someplace just in case they ever get into a predicament!
Merme
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"In the midst of winter, I learned there lives in me an invincible summer" Camus (maybe a paraphrase)
From: Maine | Registered: Oct 2004
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That sounds like a good idea. So I'm not very good at titles. Could you name the string and I'll jump right in maybe with some meal plans around that capon you have?
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From: triangle, virginia | Registered: Mar 2005
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Roasted Capon Stuffing & Gravy Fresh tossed salad Mint fool Dinner Rolls and butter (optional) Mint or Orange tea
Notes: I think stove top stuffing done in the bird is great. Adding mandrin oranges and blanched almonds with a sweet & sour dressing makes for an unusual but yummy salad. Sun tea is always a nice addition to the table as long as getting to sleep is not a problem.
Please help me name these plans so they will be easier to find. I will add the title to each plan so that they will be easier to keep straight ok?
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From: triangle, virginia | Registered: Mar 2005
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Space Alien salad Chicken and Dumplins Green Beans a la tammy (lol) Mock minosas(sp)
Notes: Space Alien Salad (boys and rabbit food) Small scoop of cream cheese, celery sticks, carrot sticks, green onions, sliced bell peppers. use the cream cheese as a base and stick the veggies out of it for a nice dip that is fun for kids.
Green Beans a la tammy (lol)
Drain the french cut canned green beans add 2 tablespoons butter, 2 tablespoons diced onions, 1 tablespoon bacon bits, a few pomentos diced and a 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder. Salt and pepper to taste.
Mock minosas
1/2 glass orange juice 1/2 glass 7 up swizzle stick and an orange slice and marichino cherry.
Boy can i not spell.
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From: triangle, virginia | Registered: Mar 2005
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This is one of those things that came to me watching the commercials where they paint a picture using food. So this seems like the perfect time to put it on paper so to speak.
Build a basket weave frame from bread cut into long slices placed vertically and then horizontally around the outside of the plate. Leave the crust on the bread slices.
Sliced Hard Boiled Eggs Green Onions Sliced carrots Marigold blooms
Green onions place on plate white end down and use the leaves as stems for blossums made from the carrots layers arount the sliced hard boiled eggs intersperse the marigold blooms with the egg slices. For something different.
Milk coffee or tea Spreadable cheese
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From: triangle, virginia | Registered: Mar 2005
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Shrimp Parfait Herb Garlic Roast Broasted Potatoes Broccoli with Butter Sauce Garlic Bread Flan
Milk Coffee or Tea
Note this is rich so plan on making small servings.
Time: The Shrimp parfait can be made the night before with no loss of flavor. Potatoes can be cut ahead as long as they are put in the refregerator in water with a little (stay fresh vegtable stuff). I don't know what to call it. The roast can be rubbed in the morning or even the night before and left in the refrig. Because I've never grown my own vegtables I've always used the frozen birds eye so I'm not sure about doing them ahead. And I buy the texas toast so it's three minutes in the over at the end of roasting time and it's done.
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From: triangle, virginia | Registered: Mar 2005
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Note Vichyssoise can be refrigerated for up to 2 days. The Cabbage & carrot salad and it's dressing can be done a couple of days ahead also. Cheese and peperoni can also be done in the morning. I don't like doing the cheese much earlier than that because it starts to get hard. Bread sticks I usually buy so they are ready whenever I am lol.
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From: triangle, virginia | Registered: Mar 2005
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Note: The tortilla "bowl" shape can be achieved by taking the freshly fried tortilla and draping it over a cereal bowl. There is no need to spend extra buying these pre-made in the store.
Definitely everything here can be done ahead as long as you drain the hamberger very well. Then when it is time to eat just toss everything into the tortilla and enjoy.
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From: triangle, virginia | Registered: Mar 2005
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French Onion Soup Garden Fresh Salad Standing Rib Roast Green Bean Cassarole Mashed Potatoes & Gravy Cherries Jubilee
Milk, Coffee & Tea
Note; I've gotten raves for this meal and the hardest thing to do is to remember to call the butcher a week in advance so he has the size standing rib roast I need waiting for me at the store. I did this for my boyfriends birthday and got back rubs for a month.
Time wise this isn't as bad as it looks. The french onion soup is liptons dry onion soup, crutons & preshredded mild chedar cheese. Garden salad of course you can do in the morning and I certainly would. Green Bean Casserole again I used canned green beans, canned cream of mushroom soup and fried onion again from the can. (I am so bad). The standing rib roast is such a wonderful piece of meat all that's required is sticking it in the pan shoving in the meat themometer and turning on the oven. Mashed Potatoes and gravy dare I say instant? Cherries Jubilee yes everything should be done before hand either the day before or the morning of except scooping out the ice cream and lighting it on fire lol.
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From: triangle, virginia | Registered: Mar 2005
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If you click on the paper and pencil icon at the top of one of your posts, you can enter that post again and add to it. So....would you mind going back in them and indicate which parts of each meal could be done in advance and by how far ahead?
Lots of times I am feeling pretty well the night before or early in the morning and then am sick and weak by dinner time. So if I could take advantage of my stronger hours to make dinner production time easier, that would be marvelous.
Also, while you are typing these ideas up, COULD YOU PLEASE STRAIN OUT ALL THE CALORIES FOR ME?! My cardiologist told me this morning he wants me to lose the last 15 pounds on my diet.
Merme PS you can also use the edit icon to add titles if you want to.
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"In the midst of winter, I learned there lives in me an invincible summer" Camus (maybe a paraphrase)
From: Maine | Registered: Oct 2004
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Do not go anywhere near these recipes if you are on a diet...any kind of diet. I am over 200 pounds and love to cook with fats. It tastes great but the calore counter would have a nervous breakdown. Even the salads are not safe after I get done with the dressing.
How do you feel about: fish, rice, baked meats? And what kind of a diet did the doctor recommend? Some say bread some say not, ect.
You can still roast the capon but do the stuffing on the stove so it doesn't soak up the fats from the bird. Also use a lowfat margerine not butter. And of course you have to take the skin off the bird and basically pat it dry before you eat it. Capons have been raised in such a way that they are much plumper(fatter) than regular chicken, just what you don't need on a diet but the taste.....
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From: triangle, virginia | Registered: Mar 2005
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posted
Not to worry, TK, I am a MASTER at eliminating fats and calories out of recipes without changing the quality of them. I should be, after all the weight I've lost!
I was only joshing you about straining out the calories. Nana's11 used to serve up piping hot muffins every morning in cyber space and they were completely calorie free as long as we ate them on-line!
The only trick to successful weight loss is learning how to appropriately manage ordinary food. Extreme or radical or terribly restrictive diets don't produce lasting results because no one can eat that weird way for the rest of their lives. It is SLOWER to lose weight by managing ordinary food correctly, and we are so impatient for results!, but the final outome is healthy and lasting.
So here's my quetion:
I have never prepared ribs of any kind but that standing rib roast sounds great and the photos I have seen of them are awesome. Do you think a novice rib cooker could do one successfully? It seems perfect for serving on that special evening with loved ones gathered round.
Merme
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"In the midst of winter, I learned there lives in me an invincible summer" Camus (maybe a paraphrase)
From: Maine | Registered: Oct 2004
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posted
Don't think of them as ribs more like steaks standing up in a circle. With a meat themometer they are way simple. The only reason to save them for a special occassion is the cost. They are not cheap. Also a very small one will serve six.
Your loved one will rave. I always feel alittle guilty because it is so easy.
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From: triangle, virginia | Registered: Mar 2005
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grrrrrrrrrrrrrr it won't let me go back and edit, says it's been to long. Well ask about any of them I wasn't able to edit and I'll let you know. ok?
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From: triangle, virginia | Registered: Mar 2005
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Fried Chicken Corn on the cob Mac & Cheese Coleslaw Dinner Rolls & Butter Beverage
When I do fried chicken I usually do enough for several days because it is just as good cold as it is hot. The coleslaw can be done a head of time and should be. It will last a long time in the refrigerator. Mac & cheese if you do the velveta cheese can be refrigerated and reheated but the box kind really can't.
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From: triangle, virginia | Registered: Mar 2005
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Oysters on the half shell (served on a bed of ice garnished with parsley and lemon slices. Iced grapes Sweet Italian Sausage MeatballsEgg noodles in cream sauce Tomatoes and Mushrooms in a tarrigon marinade Fruit cubes with sour cream dip Soft Bread Sticks
Beverage Anything from Bitters to a champagne cocktail works with this
Note: Just about everyting can be done a head except the Egg noodles and actually cooking the meatballs. The oysters I would do in the morning. The iced grapes can be done the day before. The tomato/mushroom dish needs to marinade for 24 hours or so. And the fruit cubes can be done that morning also. The bread sticks are the ones pillsbury makes. So it's just take them out of the can and bake. And then enjoy.
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From: triangle, virginia | Registered: Mar 2005
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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
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From: SC | Registered: Nov 2004
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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.
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From: triangle, virginia | Registered: Mar 2005
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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.
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From: triangle, virginia | Registered: Mar 2005
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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.
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From: triangle, virginia | Registered: Mar 2005
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posted
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.
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From: triangle, virginia | Registered: Mar 2005
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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.
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From: triangle, virginia | Registered: Mar 2005
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