Spicy Chicken Cutlets with Black Beans Glazed Plantains and Avocado

 Quarantine supper tonite...   Live from NYC...

Mom got the jab 💉 today!  A dose of Pfizer in the left arm...  no ill effects...  just a tad sore.  She was ecstatic...  all smiles behind her mask.  On this cold damp rainy day...  after a 75 minute drive...  each way...  she began her voyage to safety from Covid 🥰

Coffee ☕️ and cottage cheese with black pepper for the hubs this morning...  iced latte and a banana for yours truly...  hubs heading to PT...  the drive out to vaccinate Mom on the horizon...  few supper discussions...  simply in agreement to have leftover spicy chicken cutlets.

Our family rejoices...  DIL’s Dad is home!!   A long road ahead...  still requiring oxygen supplementation and battling exhaustion...  but on his way to recovery...   feeling blessed 🥰😇

Supper tonite a nod to Cuba and Puerto Rico...  black beans...  spicy chicken cutlets...  glazed plantains...  avocado and lime.   Served alongside a celebratory glass of Sauvignon Blanc...  with tea and Girl Scout trefoil cookies for the hubs.   So warming and comforting on this miserable weather day 🥑 🍗 

Many of you have received your vaccine 💉 many more needing to schedule your first dose...  at this moment vaccines are outpacing  new covid infections 10 to 1...  lets keep up the great pace...  and in the interim...  you know what to do...  double mask up... new variants are more virulent and more contagious...  shorten time at the market...  limit interactions...  and wash those germy hands 😷💕

How was your day?   What’s on your plate?   Thoughts?

Meatless Monday’s... Penne with Broccoli, Eggplant, Sautéed Mushrooms, Roasted Red Pepper and Romano Cheese & Refurbished Ladies Desk

 Quarantine supper tonite...   Live from NYC...  

Bright blue skies...  cold temperatures...  never got above 30°F...  brrrr...  

Varmint prints in the backyard snow... a possum or raccoon looking for a meal...  squirrel prints too...  their tiny paws barely making a dent.  Whatever remained on the ground has frozen solid since yesterdays storm...  bitter cold this morning...   18°F... 🥶

Hot coffee ☕️ oatmeal with cinnamon and craisins today...  getting back on track...  meatless Monday on the menu...  the hubs not thrilled but  acquiescent.  Mr Sam wobbling about the kitchen during our breakfast meeting...  the occasional meow contributing to the discussion.  He seems more energetic...  still unbalanced.  

The hubs spent the afternoon in his workshop...  brace on...  completing the refinishing of the ladies desk...  came out stunning...  he is becoming a master carpenter...  adding the wooden facia board beneath the keyhole...  sanding staining and waxing the entire piece...  so pleased with the results 🥰

Excellent family news...  DIL’s Dad coming home from hospital tomorrow ❤️ we are grateful beyond measure for the slow but steady improvement...  still needing supplemental oxygen...  but out of the woods.   Once again...  immense thankfulness and gratitude for all your positive thoughts...  prayers...  well wishes and good vibes...  YOU have made an enormous difference...  we will never forget ❤️❤️❤️

Supper tonite...  meatless Monday...  oven roasted eggplant and broccoli...  sautéed mushrooms in garlic and olive oil...  tossed with roasted red peppers arugula and penne in an olive oil black pepper grated Romano dressing...  so comforting on this bitter night. 

Tomorrow another storm approaches...  a wintry mix of snow and rain destined to be a messy day...  regardless...   taking Mom for her first vaccine 💉 She is excited...  as are we...  an end to the isolation on the horizon.

Covid variants are spreading fast... doubling every ten days...  please folks...  when your eligible schedule your job asap...  until then...  you know what to do...  double mask up...  shorten the time at the market...   limit personal interactions and wash those germy hands 😷💕

How was your day?   What’s on your plate?   Thoughts?

Hummus and Chips... Spicy Chicken Cutlets and Summer Squash Pizza... Cream Puff Shells with Coffee Espresso Chip Ice Cream

 Quarantine supper tonite...   Live from NYC...  

Super Bowl Sunday!  What an odd day...  rain until mid morning...  followed by snow...  coming down in earnest from noon till about 4 pm...  flurries through late afternoon...   sunset and clear skies by days end.  Was it time to wear the rain coat?  Nope...  get out that snow shovel 😂

Sunday brunch called for pancakes and coffee on this unusual weather day...  hubs had several project to complete...  of course, mounds of paperwork await attention...  and so the day progressed...  snow piling up outside eventually leading to us both shoveling...  many hands making light work... all finished in just under an hour... the fluffy large flakes easy to dispose of...  neighbors outside waving and calling to one another as we all worked to clear sidewalks and driveways.

Supper tonite...  game side...  olive tapenade hummus with wavy chips... spicy chicken breasts with summer squash pizza...  Sauvignon Blanc to accompany...  cream puff shells filled with coffee espresso chip ice cream...  and a football pool with the kids...  everyone a winner! 

Excellent news on the home front... DIL’s Dad beginning to see and feel the improvement!  Doctors told us he will be returning home for continued recovery once his oxygen needs are normalized!  We are ecstatic! It may take time, but he seems to be out of the woods...  a HUGE thank you to all for your support...  prayers... well wishes and good vibes... YOU made a difference ❤️

Covid continues to spread throughout the US...  please folks...  as you become eligible for the vaccine 💉 make an appointment for your shot...  until then...  double mask up...  shorten time in the market...  limit interactions...  and wash those germy hands 😷💕

How was your day?   What’s on your plate?   Thoughts?

London Broil with Latkes and Garden Salad topped with Grated Salt Cured Egg

 Quarantine supper tonite...   Live from NYC... 

SUCCESS!!   Finally secured appointments for vaccines for Mom and us!  Mom on Tuesday and we are scheduled for Saturday...  couldn’t be more relieved to feel that lifting of pressure...  the light at the end of this very loooong tunnel...  fingers crossed that all goes as planned.  

Bright skies...  light breeze...  mid 40’s...  comfortable with only a jacket...  squirrels digging little round holes in the melting snow sniffing out nuts...  birds chirping...  life returning to the little blue ball 🌎 

Coffee ☕️ and oatmeal with craisins and cinnamon today...  100% of votes for a meat and potatoes supper...   spent the afternoon with Mom...   hubs came to visit as well...  sporting his brace and a slight limp...  expecting another winter blast tomorrow.  Stopped off at the market on the way home for last minute items...   filled up the car...  storm dropping about 5” or so on the Big Frigid Apple 🍎 

Super Bowl menu planning completed during our breakfast meeting today...  appetizer...  hummus... celery sticks and oven toasted chips...   main...  spicy chicken tenders...   summer squash pizza...   glazed plantains...   salad and vino to accompany...   leftover cream puff shells filled with coffee chip ice cream for dessert...  of course...  final planning left up to the cook...  which could change at a moments notice 😂

Supper...  London broil...  rare...  potato latkes...  crispy outside soft inside with a sprinkle of Himalayan sea salt to finish...   green salad with roasted red peppers, cucumbers, Kalamata olives and grated salt cured egg yolk on a bed of romaine leaves...   Line 39 Cabernet to accompany...  dessert a scoop of coffee espresso chip ice cream 🍦 

DIL’s Dad

making small improvements over the last days...  still in hospital...  still fighting exhaustion...  all positive vibes gratefully welcomed ❤️

Covid variants in most states across the US...  more virulent... more contagious...  the only way we get through this pandemic is to work together to stop the spread...  please folks...  double mask up...  shorten those visits to the market...  limit interactions...  and wash those germy hands 😷💕

How was your day?   What’s on your plate?   Thoughts?

Tilapia in Lemon Olive Oil Sauce with herbs and Roasted Red Potatoes with Red & Green Salad

 Quarantine supper tonite...   Live from NYC... 

Beautiful azure skies...   virtually no breeze...  temps in the mid 40’s...  smelling like spring...   delightful day...  took the hubs to PT...  ran errands...  enjoying the warmth and sun...  no scarves or gloves required.  

Coffee and the last of the English muffins for breakfast...  they are a delight toasted...  crunchy...  buttery...  found out they’re called crumpets in the UK...  how interesting!   Discussions of supper finally settling on fish...   after all...  it’s Friday 🐟 

Mr Sam still hobbling around with his injury...  a teensy bit improved today...  he tends to overdo losing his balance...  poor little kitty 😿

Our family member continues in hospital...  exhausted...  seemingly stable...  we wait for his body to heal from this virus...   positive thoughts gratefully appreciated ❤️

Supper tonite...  fish, of course...  tilapia in a lemon olive oil sauce with herbs...  served alongside roasted red potatoes and a bright green and red salad adorned with Kalamata olives...  sliced roasted red peppers...  sun dried tomatoes...  red onions and cucumbers over romaine leaves... a crisp Sauvignon Blanc rounded out the meal...  the hubs enjoying tea and Girl Scout cookies for dessert ☕️ 🍪 

Demand for vaccines currently outpacing supply...  all efforts to secure a vaccine 💉 for Mom yielding no results...  continued efforts will eventually pay off...  in the interim you know what to do...  double mask up...  short visits to the market...  take walks outside on warmer days...  and wash those germy hands 😷💕

How was your day?   What on your plate?   Thoughts?

Penne with Broccoli Rabe... Tomatoes... Parmesan and Sausage

 Quarantine supper tonite...   Live from NYC...

And the sun shone...  and the snow began to melt...  and the people were happy 😃...   temps rose into the low 40’s today...  outside it felt warm on the face...  no wind... all bundled up in coats, scarves and gloves...  ran an brief errand enjoying the brightness...  sun reflecting off mountains of snow piled in streets and on lawns...  the cold air unable to stem the warmth of the burning orb.

Coffee ☕️ meeting conversation vacillating between family worries (covid patients condition) and supper considerations...  time to use up some veggies nearing the end of their lives....  and by the way... what’s for dessert?  

Mr Sam fell in the basement and injured his back left hip and leg area...  he is very sore and now confined to the kitchen (no stairs) or living room (same floor) when we are about...  he is able to walk on the leg but it gives out now and then.  He will have a bit of a wait until he fully recuperates.  We are spoiling him silly with attention and extra love.  (Any vets willing to give advice???)

Supper tonite was a mash up of veggies nearing the end of usefulness roasted in the oven ...  broccoli rabe...  grape tomatoes... mixed with sliced sausage...  penne...   dressed in olive oil, black pepper and Parmesan.  Served alongside Line 39 Cabernet... It was hearty and flavorful...  didn’t stress the cook at all...  just exactly what we needed on this worrisome night.  Mr Sam snacked on sausage bits following his own dinner...   still able to walk over to the kitchen table and give us those soulful eyes 😽

Covid variants have now been found in our area...  trying without success to schedule Mom and hubs for a vaccine...  not giving up!  Glad to see Johnson & Johnson’s one shot vaccine 💉 apply for emergency use authorization today...  they’ve committed to 100 million doses in the first quarter of 2021...  that could be a game changer for us all.  In the interim...  you know what to do...  double mask up...  limit interactions...  and wash those germy hands 😷💕

How was your day?  What’s on your plate?   Thoughts?

English Muffins... Black Bean Chili with Crisp Green Salad

 Quarantine supper tonite...  Live from NYC...  

We have dug out!!  Finally...   three days after being pelted with the abominable snow man ⛄️ we are free!   Sanitation has stopped plowing the streets and the driveway is clear ❄️ 

Last night English muffin dough sat in a warm spot atop the kitchen radiator...   today...  time to bake.  Stove top baking...   a new interesting experience...   cast iron skillet and a cover to create a little oven...  the glass top to our chefs pan serving perfectly...  raised up on two small wooden blocks giving extra height for rising and a visual reference for browning.  Spread with sweet butter...  they were a delight.   Special thanks to Judy Lacher for taking the first dip into the English muffin pond and referring the recipe.   

Supper tonite the remaining portion of our black bean chili with a crisp green salad adorned with sun dried tomatoes, roasted red peppers and Kalamata olives...  avocado and lime...  whole wheat dinner rolls split and toasted in the oven accompanied.  Sauvignon Blanc our beverage of choice.  Tea for the hubs along with a couple of yummy Girl Scout cookies to finish.  

Our family member still in hospital...  steady...  fingers crossed for improvement over the next days 🤞 Covid vaccines 💉 difficult to come by...  a new vaccine from Astra Zeneca showing promise 🤔

Double masks folks...  this is not a drill...  limit interactions and wash those germy hands 💕😷

How was your day?   What’s on your plate?   Thoughts?