Jenn Dolari @dolari@driveinsaturday.org

I'm not gonna clean the bathroom just before I eat breakfast! Yeah, that's a good excuse. Maybe my neck will start hurting after that and I can put it off again.

I've been spewing every thought in my head on the internet since my university days in 1993. Thirty years. From Usenet to Blue Sky. I often say I live in the internet, and it's no joke.

But...if I can ask...why are you here? Just wondering why people have listened for thirty years....

Don't have to answer in public (or at all). DMs are open.

Actually this week all my meals were fancy pants meals, but my other two were fairly simple and easy to make with what I had on hand.

They were meals in my Zelda cookbook for "Salt Grilled Meat" which actually wasn't salt-grilled, or even grilled. But they make for the best pan-fried steak and baked chicken ever.

This Week's Fancy Pants Meal: Shrimp Jambalaya

Shrimp, sausage and just a touch of hot sauce. What's not to like?

# Shrimp Jambalaya

America's Test Kitchen: Let's Get Cooking

8.0 ounces andouille sausage
1.0 whole onion
1.0 stalk celery
1.0 whole red bell pepper
5.0 cloves garlic
1.0 pound shrimp (deveined)
14.5 oz tomatoes (diced)
1.0 tbsp vegetable oil
1.5 cups white rice
1.0 tsp salt
0.5 tsp thyme
8.0 oz clam juice
1.5 cups chicken broth
2.0 tbsp parsley

1 - Slice the sausage into 1/4-inch-thick rounds.
2 - Peel the skin and any tough outer layers from the onion.
3 - Mince the onion into 1/8-inch or smaller pieces.
4 - Cut the celery rib lengthwise into thin strips.
5 - Cut the strips crosswise into small pieces.
6 - Trim a 1/2 inch from the top and bottom of the pepper, including the stem.
7 - Slice the pepper from top to bottom into several pieces that will sit flat on the cutting board.
8 - Trim the white ribs on the interior of each piece and remove any remaining seeds.
9 - Cut the pepper into strips and then chop fine.
10 - Use the side of a chef's knife to tap the clove. The skin should loosen enough to remove by hand.
11 - Once the garlic has been peeled, use a garlic press to mince it.
12 - Remove the shells from the shrimp.
13 - Drain the canned tomatoes into a fine-mesh strainer set over a large measuring cup or bowl. Reserve 1/4 cup of the juice.
14 - Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium high heat until shimmering.
15 - Add the sausage and cook until lightly browned, about three minutes.
16 - Put the sausage on a paper-towel-lined plate, leaving the fat in the pot.
17 - Add the onion, celery and bell pepper to the fat in the pot and return the to medium heat.
18 - Cook, scraping up any browned bits, until the vegetables are softened, about five minutes.
19 - Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 15 seconds.
20 - Stir in the rice, salt and thyme and cook for one minute.
21 - Stir in the tomatoes, the reserved tomato juice, clam juice, broth and the browned sausage.
22 - Bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits.
23 - Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
24 - Scatter the shrimp over the rice and cook, covered, until the rice is tender and the shrimp have cooked through, about five minutes.
25 - Stir in the parsley before serving.

#thisweeksmeals #cooking

I'm copying a recipe from one of my DS Recipe Books and I noticed it has suggestions for a birthday meal. I decided to take a look. Here's what it suggests. If I wasn't trying to save cash, I'd actually do this. :D

Meal 1: Perfect Hamburgers, Oven Fries, All-Purpose Buttery Yellow Cake

Meal 2: Crispy Chicken Parmesan, Baked Macaroni and Cheese, Easy Yellow Cupcakes

Meal 3: Deep Dish Cheese Pizza, Greens with Creamy Italian Dressing, Emergency Chocolate Cake