SNACKS: Munching on salmon pinwheels atop cucumbers, via George Stella and loving it. George's other amazing snack I made and loved is Nutty Muddy Trail Mix. I now understand the draw of ice-cream flavors like butter pecan. I didn't have the chili powder or cumin. I just salted, buttered and baked handfuls of almonds, walnuts and pecans. I ate it like popcorn.


MEALS: I made two major meals since I flew home Thursday night. A chicken roast was inspired by Food Network chefs The Neelys, whose show I caught on the JetBlue TV screen. This was my first chicken roast. I didn't drop it once. It was a success. For my family I added Neely's Twice Smashed Baked Potatoes. I thought I was strong enough to serve a carb-laden side dish without tasting it, but I was weak. I had about 2 tablespoonfuls of this mix of cheese, broccoli, sour cream, butter and mashed potatoes. I thought I was in heaven, and I was using leftover American and Asiago cheese, not the Gouda and cheddar that the recipe suggested. My husband, a carb-friendly guy, said the potatoes were "OK."
I also made a roast beef! It was good, but too well done on the ends, nice in the middle. I like rare. I did try to make it into a hash for breakfast the next morning, adding some leftover pork chop meat, an onion, fresh garlic, and one small potato, but that sucked. It would have been successful without the pork.
Still learning.
Let me know if you try any of these recipes. The Nutty Muddy Trail Mix is four-star for me.