What's For Dinner TONIGHT?

[Eastcoastmom]

^^ Love, love, love smoked mozzarella!

[Ellen]

Thai lettuce wraps, featuring tofu and shiitake mushrooms with all sorts of lovely herbs.
And chenin blanc/viognier blend.

[TripleGemini]

I'm back! Ellen and I'm here, I'm so sorry I didn't reply sooner...I never checked the boards after I left last Tuesday.

I attended the CSUN Conference ("28th Annual International Technology and Persons with Disabilities Conference"), which was held at the Manchester Hyatt. I stayed with a friend who lives in Hillcrest, near Balboa Park. We left her house every morning at 7:30 am and got back most nights at around 10 pm. I co-presented (with a panel) on how to create and maintain an accessibility community and I also presented a session on writing for everyone.

I went to a slew of other sessions...four the first day (which was also the day I spoke), five the second, and four the third. In between, I had meetings with current and prospective clients and met up with friends (given that we only see each other at the events we attend).

But on Saturday, my friend and I rented an 8-passenger van and used her car to visit Coronado and Old Town with a bunch of other friends. We had a great time :-) I took two of my friends down to the ocean so that they could say they'd been in the Pacific Ocean. (The funniest part was our appearance...I have blue and purple hair, and the guys are blind and weren't using their canes in the sand, just my elbows. We were laughing at how people were staring at us :-).)

I had breakfast at my friend's house (she's vegetarian, so breakfast was fresh fruit, fresh Italian bread, a hard-boiled egg, and some cheese). Lunch was something from Seaside Village (one day we went to the Greek place for fresh pita and tzatziki, and I also had Greek salad and spanikopita). For dinner, we hit the various social events (a wide variety of foods).

I came home with a loaf of three-raisin bread from Bread and Cie, olive oil and vinegar from Tecumseh Olive Oil Company (blood orange and basil olive oil and pomegranate white balsamic), a jar of honey and spinach/garlic pasta from the Hillcrest Farmer's Market, 3 B*tchin' sauces (that's really the name!), and local chocolate bars (one with peppers, one with potato chips, and two with honeycombs). My son said that he was glad they could start eating good food again ;-)

Now to plan this week's menus...

[Ellen]

TripleGemini -- you hit some really great places, some of my favorites.
The Greek place at Seaport Village -- I know it well; it's a great place (that doesn't wimp out on ingredients) if you're looking for easily accessible Mediterranean-style food.
Bread and Cie: one of my favorites : Bread and Cie
Temecula Olive Oil Co.: another of my favorites for so many reasons -- and they deliver! Temecula Olive Oil - Home page
Oh, and the chocolate bars: Chuao -- and yes, they deliver, too! Chuao Chocolatier - Unusual, Unexpected & Delicious Chocolate

Glad you had a good time in San Diego!

[TripleGemini]

Ellen, thanks! (And thanks for "Temecula" :-) ) I know they deliver, but it's so much fun to go in and taste the combos. (That shop isn't set up well for blind people, though, with that big butcher block table in front of the registers.)

The pita was so, so good...I haven't found any place around here that compares.

And yes, it was Chuao chocolate! My husband and son have already eaten theirs. And they made French toast with the bread :-) (That would be after dinner, which was shrimp sauteed in basil olive oil and then topped with homemade pesto, served with spinach and garlic pasta.)

We just found out that CSUN will be in San Diego for the next four years :-) So I'll be back!

[Ellen]

Ellen, thanks! (And thanks for "Temecula" :-) ) I know they deliver, but it's so much fun to go in and taste the combos. (That shop isn't set up well for blind people, though, with that big butcher block table in front of the registers.)

The pita was so, so good...I haven't found any place around here that compares.

And yes, it was Chuao chocolate! My husband and son have already eaten theirs. And they made French toast with the bread :-) (That would be after dinner, which was shrimp sauteed in basil olive oil and then topped with homemade pesto, served with spinach and garlic pasta.)

We just found out that CSUN will be in San Diego for the next four years :-) So I'll be back!

In the meantime, if you want me to pick up anything for you and send (USPS flat-rate boxes are a great deal!) to hold you over until you're here again, please PM me.

[TripleGemini]

In the meantime, if you want me to pick up anything for you and send (USPS flat-rate boxes are a great deal!) to hold you over until you're here again, please PM me.

Thanks! That's really nice of you :-) (And I'll try to give you more notice the next time I'll be there...maybe we could meet?)

Dinner tonight: salad (spinach for me, spring mix for husband and son) with bacon, mandarin oranges, onions, cucumber, avocado, and hard-boiled eggs, with a dressing made with the blood orange olive oil and pomegranate balsamic vinegar.

[Cootie]

Ground turkey tacos for us. So good!

[Ellen]

...I'll try to give you more notice the next time I'll be there...maybe we could meet?...

That would be so much fun!

[Gutmutter]

Hulled barley cooked with dried mushrooms and Mchuzi Mix (from Africa), served with white northern beans, roasted garlic and a drizzle of ketchup.
I haven't had ketchup in years, but my daughter needed it for a recipe last time she was home and I just rediscovered it with savory dishes.