Tuesday, June 5, 2012

thank you for all your best wishes

While today was our 43rd Anniversary it was an ordinary day. Mrs Skoot had music lessons and she told me to get my own dinner. Tomorrow I have a club meeting, and she has a night out with the "girls", so again I have to fend for myself, and supply my own dinner

Now realize that I am a helpless male, I am not a cook. I confine my kitchen exploits to breakfast and brunch items, or perhaps desserts. My specialty is Manager of the BBQ

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Dinner entrees are a challenge for me. I can make spaghetti, lasagna or some noodle dishes but deciding on a daily menu is beyond my capabilities, but I love our croc© pot for pulled pork or spare ribs. Tonight I prepared baked pork chop steaks, smothered in onions, marinated in lemon slices. We are trying to eat less so we had 1-1/2 each, but I forgot to snap a photo while they were still in the pan

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Here is what it looks like "plated-up", served with steamed broccoli and cauliflower. The onions were very sweet. approx 350°F for an hour. Time is not important, give or take half an hour.

Since it was our special day, I splurged on dessert

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Store bought apple pie in a box, with a brick of vanilla ice cream . We even used our special plates from the World Culinary Arts Festival. Team Vancouver won the world championship in 1987 somewhere in Europe and we went to a gourmet dinner at an upscale hotel for a 5 star meal prepared by "The Winning Vancouver Team". They prepared the same 5 course meal that won them the competition

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Mmmm, apple pie, al a mode (heated pie with ice cream on top)


There you have it. Our 43rd Anniversay homemade dinner. It just feels more relaxing to make dinner at home and relax instead of going out

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As I mentioned, we don't usually have dessert, but today we had two helpings of Apple pie, al-a-mode. It was our day to splurge a bit on our calories. Sometimes you just have to eat "on the edge"





14 comments:

  1. Lovely and yummy! Well done for cooking for Mrs. Skoot.

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    1. Lori:

      I'm learning and trying new recipes but I would like to cut the meat back, esp red meat. We stick more to chicken, fish and pork. Lots of BBQ chicken during the summer.

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  2. You did so well cooking for two, and dessert too!! Nice job :)

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    1. Brenda:

      Your ride to Queensland looks like an adventure, with you both getting lost and all that. I'm more a breakfast & dessert cook, but I've been learning how to prepare main meals lately. When you cook at home, you know you are using good ingredients.

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  3. Looking at your food posts almost has me wanting to focus a bit more energy on cooking. Looks delicious.


    Steve Williams
    Scooter in the Sticks

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    1. Steve:

      I'm not much of a mechanic. I understand the basics and comprehend what they tell me when things break or go wrong but I rely on the dealer to fix it. I was thinking of buying a project bike and do what you are doing. Try to do everything myself. In the old days I have spent many hours under my Alfa Romeo and MGB replacing master cylinders, tune ups, water pumps etc. Bikes seem so simple but they aren't

      If you want simple cooking, buy a CROC© POT. We have started to make our own ONE pot meals. Spare ribs, pulled port, pot roast. Fill it in the morning and when you come home, dinner is ready. Works out great on the weekends during the winter. In the summer we gravitate to BBQs and salads

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  4. Mmmmm living on the edge of an apple pie. That sounds delicious.

    Great job on preparing dinner and providing dessert too.

    Some days the best dinners are those quiet ones prepared at home with love.

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    1. Trobairitz:

      everytime we have something "vegetarian", I think of you in my thoughts. I think Apple is Vegan, but perhaps ice cream isn't since it may come from milk.

      the other day I had a vegan salad, with sprinkled chicken on top, so it was sort of vegan. SEE, I'm slowly changing my diet.

      we used to go out all the time, but find that eating at home is more relaxing, plus we can enjoy our sundeck more now that we have cut down the trees.

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  5. Dear Bobskoot:

    As a man with 30 years of crash and burn experience celebrating anniversaries (with three different women, who now spit whenever my name is mentioned), I congratulate you on the success of your relationship. Forty-three uears of marriage and you never had a fight.

    God bless you.

    Fondest regards,
    Jack/reep
    Twisted Roads

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    1. Jack

      battles prove nothing. Wars prove nothing. Bullies prove nothing. I learned a long time ago when to keep my mouth SHUT. If you win a war it only means you had more ammunition, more people, more guns, bigger muscles, or more money to fight longer.

      I noticed that your writings are more subdued as of late. I like the gentler "you" better.

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  6. Looks good. I generally avoid cooking pork as it is a very fine line between under cooked and dried out. Nice that you were wiling to tackle it. I wouldn't feel too guilty about pie-in-a-box or the store bought vanilla ice cream. After all you are saving for the big 50th party where we are all invited, right?

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    1. Richard:

      Yes, I also worry about pork and make sure it is fully cooked but this was baked covered in liquid so it doesn't dry out. Only minutes to prepare and pop into the oven for about an hour @ 350°F

      I can only make cakes, cookies or cream puffs. I fail at pies because I can't make the crust. I have tried the no-fail method, and it always fails. The Pie-in-a box option is the best. Simple & fast but I only buy on sale. Vanilla ice cream is also good for floats, but I like chocolate ice cream floats with Coke.

      I wouldn't mind being 50 again . . .

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  7. Well done Bob. I was eleven when you got married, standing in the school yard watching my young colleagues bully each other in the dog eat weaker dog of an English boarding school. I knew even then there was a better place to live. I just didn't know it was Canada where the water breeds gentler people. You are the proof.

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    1. Mr Conch:

      thank you for your good wishes. Yes, People north of the 49th are gentler folk, less opinionated, less pushy. I was lucky, I ended up here by accident

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