Food and Recipes while under Coronavirus quarantine #5

[BetteDavisEyes]

Copycat Zuppa Toscana

Get Copycat Zuppa Toscana Recipe from Food Network

www.foodnetwork.com

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Never waded in here before, but have been lurking for quite some time. I love reading about food and menus and all things related.

Tonight we had a soup I’ve been making for many years and it’s universally commented on whenever I serve it, so I thought maybe some of you here might be interested.

It’s actually a “copy cat” recipe of the Olive Garden’s Zuppa Toscana. It’s simple, peasant food, but delicious and so very satisfying on a cold, winter day.

I make some slight variations on the recipe and always use homemade chicken stock. I’d be happy to post the recipe if anyone is interested.

Glad to have you join us. Your moniker suggests that you spend a lot of time in the kitchen - at least on Fridays This awesome thread was started during the pandemic to help us cope with food shortages, rising prices, etc., and I'm glad that moderators have allowed the forum to continue. This is a wonderful group of people who have shared baking/cooking tips, recipes, and supported each other when Covid was rampant. Welcome!

 

[PayrollNerd]

Today the food pick up had Speckled Butterbeans. I don’t think I’ve ever had them. I’m reading about them and they sound similar to Lima beans. I think I’ll cook them in veggie broth to give them some good flavor.

The flowers are pretty. No idea what type they are. I’m not a big fan of ice cream but my kiddo likes it. We can’t eat the coconut one tho.

I pulled 2 small rutabagas this morning. I didn’t thin the seedlings well enough. So the others will have more room now. Picked 2 zucchini’s too.

Tomorrow I don’t have to be anywhere thankfully! I can meal prep and organize my freezers. I’ve been sticking everything in there haphazardly.

 

[killarney rose]

I love speckled butterbeans! Nothing like them fresh from the garden.

 

[anneg]

Today the food pick up had Speckled Butterbeans. I don’t think I’ve ever had them. I’m reading about them and they sound similar to Lima beans. I think I’ll cook them in veggie broth to give them some good flavor.

The flowers are pretty. No idea what type they are. I’m not a big fan of ice cream but my kiddo likes it. We can’t eat the coconut one tho.

I pulled 2 small rutabagas this morning. I didn’t thin the seedlings well enough. So the others will have more room now. Picked 2 zucchini’s too.

Tomorrow I don’t have to be anywhere thankfully! I can meal prep and organize my freezers. I’ve been sticking everything in there haphazardly.

Here are some speckled butterbeans I got at our Farmer's Market a couple of years ago. I thought they were pretty.

 

[killarney rose]

Alstroemerias I think is what they are.

 

[PayrollNerd]

Here are some speckled butterbeans I got at our Farmer's Market a couple of years ago. I thought they were pretty.
View attachment 405898

Oh pretty! So how did you cook them? This bag was frozen so I put them right back in the freezer.

 

[killarney rose]

I don’t know what all your dietary restrictions are, but they are really good cooked with lean ham in them. Or if you are going healthier I cook about half a bag like yours at a time. I add a tablespoon of chicken better than bullion and no salt. The BTB is salty enough.

 

[PayrollNerd]

I don’t know what all your dietary restrictions are, but they are really good cooked with lean ham in them. Or if you are going healthier I cook about half a bag like yours at a time. I add a tablespoon of chicken better than bullion and no salt. The BTB is salty enough.

My preference is to put some fatback, ham or a bacon slice in beans. But the youngest kiddo doesn’t eat meat. So I’ll use veggie broth, fresh onion, garlic, etc.

 

[anneg]

Oh pretty! So how did you cook them? This bag was frozen so I put them right back in the freezer.

I blanched them for a few minutes, then froze them. They needed to be cooked at least 30 minutes when I took them out of the freezer.

 

[PayrollNerd]

I started out well thinking I’d make a veggie stir fry. Then I added too much water. Oh well. Forgot some veggies make juice when cooked. Had to cook in stages so I could stir. It smells good tho! I’ll make the pasta dish to go with it. Not in the mood for rice today.

 

[PayrollNerd]

Dinner last night was good. I had picked up a big fried chicken breast at Publix for $2.86. The veggies, altho more steam fried? rather than stir fried, were good. The flavor of the pasta, Garlic and Olive Oil, was disappointing. It was very salty and more bland than expected.

I have another package called Butter Flavored and we have had those before. I'll make those for dinner tonight. I noticed the sodium is quite high on these. Much more than I expected. I made sure to increase my water last night. The Butter flavor and the Alfredo flavor have a lot of potassium, which is perfect to help keep mine above 3.4.

For dessert, I made a peach and strawberry cobbler. It calls for a can of pie filling. To us, there is too much pie syrup gel, and not enough fruit. So I put in all the peaches, left some of the syrup in the can, then sliced up some strawberries. I added a few spoonfuls of that vanilla bean ice cream to the top of mine. It really hit the spot when you want something sweet but not chocolate.

 

[PayrollNerd]

I reposted the food distribution information in the Grocery Shopping Tips thread just in case anyone needs assistance. Maybe you know someone who needs assistance. The SNAP program is being reduced due to pandemic funding coming to a close. So probably a good time to discreetly help someone.

Grocery shopping tips during Coronavirus quarantine #4

We almost need to start a poll to see how many people have stock-piled a month of food and other necessities just in case. It seems unnecessary when the problem is in some other part of the world, but it also seems quite likely that the problem will move to all parts of the world. If that...

www.websleuths.com

 

[Tbone144]

Paniscia for dinner tonight for MIl and I. It’s red wine risotto with beans. It has celery, carrots, onions, salami, an entire head of cabbage and of course the rice. Seems like a good one to keep on hand as those are fairly stable ingredients. Hopefully it’s good as I have an entire Dutch oven of it due to the head of cabbage. DH is having ham, cabbage and Mac & Cheese. I cant get him to eat beans.

Freeze dryer is doing apple slices for my sale apples. Those will be jarred so we can eat them as snacks instead of opening the Mylar bags for them. Still have to get orange slices, asparagus and gravy in. It’s still deep freezing because my try count got off. Apple slices were 4 trays so went ahead with that run (4 trays is full run).

 

[Seni]

@Tbone144 how to you revive your frozens?

 

[Tbone144]

@Tbone144 how to you revive your frozens?

With the freeze dryer you just add water or stock to bring it back. Hot or cold depending upon the food. I’ve only done my chicken vindaloo so far and it worked really well. A friend I gave some raw frozen eggs to said they worked great and tasted great with just equal parts water added.

I just jarred up 8 of the apples. Will make great snack for myself in MIL. We don’t rehydrate those, just eat them like chips.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Best gas station eats: We tried your favorite spots in Metro Detroit

We asked WDIV Insiders what the best gas station foods are in Metro Detroit -- and they had some pretty great recommendations.

www.clickondetroit.com

When you think of gas station food, what comes to mind? Shriveled up pizza? Day-old hot dogs? A bag of Spicy Sweet Chili Doritos?

We asked our WDIV Insiders what they thought -- and, yes, some were repulsed at the mere suggestion you make a meal out of anything found inside a gas station.

But, many made it clear there are plenty of options out there -- hidden gems, if you will -- that are better than just good, and can make for an inexpensive way to feed the whole family.

We set out to try a few of the options that were most popular among our Insiders. We settled on four that we thought were above average -- here are our findings...

 

[PayrollNerd]

Best gas station eats: We tried your favorite spots in Metro Detroit

We asked WDIV Insiders what the best gas station foods are in Metro Detroit -- and they had some pretty great recommendations.

www.clickondetroit.com

When you think of gas station food, what comes to mind? Shriveled up pizza? Day-old hot dogs? A bag of Spicy Sweet Chili Doritos?

We asked our WDIV Insiders what they thought -- and, yes, some were repulsed at the mere suggestion you make a meal out of anything found inside a gas station.

But, many made it clear there are plenty of options out there -- hidden gems, if you will -- that are better than just good, and can make for an inexpensive way to feed the whole family.

We set out to try a few of the options that were most popular among our Insiders. We settled on four that we thought were above average -- here are our findings...

I rarely use a Speedway and never even thought about getting food there. Not sure the ones here in FL are that updated yet. If they are, I haven't seen them.

We have WaWa's now and they have a good food selection: subs, breakfast sandwiches, food bowls, mac n cheese, specialty drinks counter which includes coffees, milkshakes, etc. There is a fresh food section for salads, fruits, meat/cheese snacks, along with the usual junk food and drink cases along the wall. They do a heck of a business.

 

[Tbone144]

Best gas station eats: We tried your favorite spots in Metro Detroit

We asked WDIV Insiders what the best gas station foods are in Metro Detroit -- and they had some pretty great recommendations.

www.clickondetroit.com

When you think of gas station food, what comes to mind? Shriveled up pizza? Day-old hot dogs? A bag of Spicy Sweet Chili Doritos?

We asked our WDIV Insiders what they thought -- and, yes, some were repulsed at the mere suggestion you make a meal out of anything found inside a gas station.

But, many made it clear there are plenty of options out there -- hidden gems, if you will -- that are better than just good, and can make for an inexpensive way to feed the whole family.

We set out to try a few of the options that were most popular among our Insiders. We settled on four that we thought were above average -- here are our findings...

Allsup’s burritos are supposed to be legendary. They aren’t gluten free so I haven’t tried them but apparently people are big fans. Bucee’s is my favorite when on the road. I can get fresh cut veggies, some smoked loin or turkey, sometimes venison sausage, and beaver nuggets for dessert. My husband likes their brisket sandwiches and I’m a big fan of their red velvet fudge. The Stripes breakfast tacos are supposed to be good but I haven’t tried them either.

 

[IceIce9]

The

I rarely use a Speedway and never even thought about getting food there. Not sure the ones here in FL are that updated yet. If they are, I haven't seen them.

We have WaWa's now and they have a good food selection: subs, breakfast sandwiches, food bowls, mac n cheese, specialty drinks counter which includes coffees, milkshakes, etc. There is a fresh food section for salads, fruits, meat/cheese snacks, along with the usual junk food and drink cases along the wall. They do a heck of a business.

I go inside Speedway locations frequently, there are always Speedways in the states where I travel for work.

I have never thought the food at Speedway looked appetizing in the least. And when I walk past the roller grill with hot dogs and corn dogs I always think it seem unsanitary, in the middle of the store where people are walking around it all day.