Journal

2022 - Week 25 Cooking Results

Baked Blackened Fish Sandwich

So it wasn’t blackened, really, but it was nice a pretty good. I added some Momofuku savory salt int he mix and baked them. We proceeded to eat them on ciabatta buns and it was pretty good. I vaguely followed the recipe.

Chilled Sesame Noodles

I was waiting on a work thing to get finished, but had to consider the timing of being ready for AMS. So I was racing to get this done so we could be ready for a 7 start time. This was quick. Very Quick. I added the sauce together, got the toppings prepped all while the water came to a boil and the noodles, cooked and cooled. We ate, and we then watched The Fifth Element.

Beef & Three-Cheese Noodle Casserole

I added a teaspoon of red pepper flakes, used Mozzarella and added some ricotta, that I had leftover. I may have added more cheese, since my brain conversion failed me, but it still worked.

I really liked the sun-dried tomatoes, after cooking and baking. They added a burst of tomato flavor.

Brats

Good Things.

Chicken Salad

I pulled the chicken off a rotisserie chicken, and then proceeded to make a pretty good chicken salad. A good quick meal as the weather was being hot.

Taco Salad

I had almost forgotten about the Wabi Sabi first CSA pickup, so I ran out right quick to get it and chat with Farmer Ben for a bit. I then when back home and used the mushrooms and arugula immediately. In the taco salad. I don’t normally use mushrooms, so this was a bit different, but not too much.

Elderflower Syrup

It is that time of year again, and I know that my wife loves this, so I make it again. On a note of the, its a bit odd, after I got my haircut, I stopped by the new Fareway Meat Market, to just see what was there. It certainly seems focused around the meat. Like sides, preparation things, but it had a nice variety of things. While I had not actually planned to buy anything, there was some Fever Tree Elderflower Tonic water. So I had to get that, then I got a couple of other things that I wanted to try. and finally got to use a gift card that I had in my wallet for quite a while (I used part of it to buy ice, when we lost power during the 2020 Derecho). So I ended up spending just over 3 dollars past the gift card and came home to make the syrup.

2022 - Week 24 Cooking Results

Dave Chang’s Leftover Fried Rice

I made this again, it was still pretty good. I used shrimp again, and it was still a nice thing.

Baked Blackened Fish Sandwich

We met up with a friend and ate dinner at a place that has been around for a bit, but was new to us, So Delayed. I’ll take the fish out of the freezer today to use it tomorrow.

Brats

Again good. I paired Blonde Fatale Brats with Blonde Fatale.

Corn and Black Bean Quesadillas with Pepper Jack Cheese

I effectively doubled the recipe, and then cooked them as directed, and put some in the oven while I made the second batch. I made nice crispy sides and we ate them with joy.

Salad with chicken

Pulled the chicken, added some simple salad items, ate dinner. Simple, easy, quick.

2022 - Week 23 Cooking Results

Dave Chang’s Leftover Fried Rice

So this was general guidance. I bought some little shrimp and vaguely followed along and it turned out quite good. I did make more rice then I need, but I’ll be making this again.

Deer Sloppy Sammys

I found this in the big freezer and in the bag was some deer. This is a good use as deer tends to be lean. Good, overall.

Skillet Cheeseburger Macaroni

I swapped out the American cheese with Prairie Breeze, added a bit more mustard powder and a bit more Worcestershire sauce and pickles. It was a pretty good quick, simple dinner.

Spicy Orecchiette With Tuna, Peas, and Lemon

I got a nice can of tuna, and combined that with one I had in the cupboard to add more tuna then required. Added more peas and went from there. Pretty good dinner, though I did annoy my thermostat by making it think it was too humid in the house.

Brats

Good as always.

Sheet pan Breakfast

I over crowded the potatoes, so they didn’t get as cooked as they normally did, but other then that this was still pretty good.

2022 - Week 23 Cooking

We both have been cleared to "go back to work” while for me, that means if there is a reason to go to the office I can do that, but for Shannon her surprise “vacation,” is over and she went back to work. I was freed on Wednesday but continued til Friday, where I got petrol for the mower (outside) and picked up my Food Coop order (masked, cause they require it). Saturday we masked up and went to Hamilton and out to eat. I’m looking forward to grocery shopping today.

2022 - Week 22 Cooking Results

Brats

Good as always.

Burgers

Also Good.

Pancakes

We are down to 2 bottles of pancake syrup, so this wlil probably continue for a bit.

Pasta

I added red peppers, onion, sweet Italian sausage, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce and a bunch of herbs and spices. A good pasta, lots of leftovers (used 1# of penne and what was left of elbow macaroni) and good to eat the next day or so.

Dave Chang’s Leftover Fried Rice

I never made the rice, so delayed!

2022 - Week 21 Cooking Results

The original plan was to head down to Cedar Rapids this weekend and watch my niece and niece* graduate from high school and go to the parties the next day. This is not how the week worked out.

Shannon tested negative on antigen test on Sunday and Monday, but when in on Monday to get a PCR test and tested positive. From discussions with her manager, she was not the only one who brought this Covid home. When Shannon asked me how I was feeling to try to get an impression of my level of sickness, I honestly had to say I almost always feel not great, so at this time I felt lest not great. I tested negative on a antigen test on this past Wednesday, and then got tested w/ a PCR that afternoon, and also tested positive.

My primary care provider noticed the test result pop up, my doc is the best, and reached out to ask if I wanted to do the antiviral course. Initially I refused cause I wasn’t feeling to bad, but after discussion w/ my cohorts, changed my mind and accepted it. As of now I just finished day three (twice a day, 2 pills each time, i started in the evening) of five of the round of Paxlovid. Reading about the why that it works combining a drug to help the liver fight HIV/AIDS and then another that blocks the replication of Covid related protein, is kind of interesting.

My only side effect, is a annoying taste in my mouth, which was described as possibly metallic, but to me is more a combination of a penny, fresh dirt, and a new insight this morning, hangover mouth after drinking really shitty beer (No I didn’t drink last night). On the positive side, this is easily distracted by chewing gum or eating. So the only time I’m not doing one or the other is as I go to sleep or wake up.

As it stands, we’re mostly feeling fine, We both cough here and there, but unlike earlier in the week, for Shannon, where the amount of coughing made her wake up early, which is not a thing that normally happens. I worked the entire time, not cause I had to, since I’m remote. On Thursday I was a bit tired so I called it a day a mere 30-45 minutes early, I had already taken Friday off.

The sign I was on the mend, was when the idea of going to bed at 9:30-10:30 seemed absurd, as I’m a normally a wind down at 10:30.

We are taking the appropriate precautions, and I have ordered groceries for pickup, and I’ll break out an N95 to go pick them up and have them put them in my trunk.

Brats

Good as always.

Pancakes

Again, due to the amount of syrup we have, this will happen on the regular. I swapped back to the Cooks Illustrated version.

Taco Salad

Good things.

Penne with Red Pepper Pesto

I added more red peppers, red pepper flakes, Parmesan, and ricotta. It led to a savory spicy clerkly can taste the red peppers dish. Apparently I didn’t read the directions well as I a salted all the peppers. Since it is not yet tomato season, I used a can oaf diced tomatoes. I forgot to add the vinegar so I added a splash of champagne vinegar and stirred it in. I really enjoyed this, though I guess I didn’t really make the recipe but it is close-ish.