Food, glorious food

We had our pork roast yesterday, and it really hit the spot on a cold night. I was home all afternoon, and slow-roasted it with a giant sliced onion, garlic cloves and apple.  Who needs Fabreze?

Everything cooked down into a nice, fatty caramelized glaze for the potatoes...

I "cut" the pork up with a spoon and we made quite a dent, but there was still plenty left for pulled pork sandwiches.

It was kind of funny, but yesterday afternoon I was texting with my brother and sister and we were all cooking at the same time. Dave was making chicken with roasted Brussels sprouts; Marji and Dad were having sauerkraut, hot dogs and mashed potatoes, an old family favorite.

It must run in the family, because our Mom enjoyed planning meals and cooking. I can't remember a time when we didn't all sit down to supper together, even if it was just mac and cheese out of the box.  She was a good cook but frugal from necessity, and like most women in the 1950's, took advantage of canned and packaged food. 

All cooks sometimes succumb to the temptation. This Thai noodle dish was actually from a box I picked up at Marshall's, of all places.  Or I should say, it was "based" on a box. Convenience can be deceiving, because all the box contained was a handful of rice noodles and a pouch of extremely pungent sauce.  I only used a few tablespoons of the sauce, threw the rest away, and added the vegetables, cilantro, lime and peanuts myself.  So that "kit" was a rip off at $3.50. Live and learn.

But the doctored up noodles weren't bad, and I also made frozen coconut shrimp, another convenience product. They were delicious and definitely worth buying again. Look for the "Waterfront Bistro" brand from Safeway or Albertson's.