Val writes, “I’m always fascinated by the different names a food has in different geographical places. When we lived in New Hampshire, shortly after moving there we were at a flea market with friends. The guy said “I’m going to get some tonic, do you want some”. Thinking he meant tonic water I passed. He came back with Cokes. I mentioned I would have liked a Coke and he said I just asked you and you said no. That was my first experience with foods being called something other than I was used to. So let’s see what you all call some things that I know have other names.”

1. How do you pronounce manicotti? Men-e-got, man-i-cotti or some other way?
2. What do you can the carbonated drink that comes in a bottle? Soda, tonic, pop, fizzy or something else?
3. What do you call a sandwich on a long roll? Sub, grinder, hoagie, hero, poor boy or something else?
4. Do you call it broth, boullion or stock? How do you make chicken stock?

You can visit Val’s site, From Val’s Kitchen, to find out her answers and also other people’s answers.  Here are mine:

1. Man-i-cotti
2. We call it a “coke,” as in “Do you want to go get a coke?” which could end up being Dr. Pepper, 7-Up, etc.  It’s kinda funny when you stop and think about it.
3. Sub sandwich
4. Broth is what I call the watery stuff that comes in a can.  I think of chicken stock as boiling the whole chicken, and when the liquid is chilled in the fridge, then the stock has the consistency of gelatin.   Actually, though, stock has veggies and spices cooked in with the chicken, and the liquid drained off is the stock.

If you’ve never played Four Foods on Friday, then head over to Val’s Kitchen to read other people’s answers and to enter your answers if you’d like.  Val has a fun question this week:

“Name four things related to food that are strange or funny to you.”

Go to Four Foods on Friday to read more .

Here are Val’s answers:

1. Minute rice. It takes more than minute.
2. Freshly frozen. As opposed to frozen after getting stale?
3. Pasta. The pound of pasta isn’t always a pound now, sometimes the box is 12 ounces.
4. Pound cake. Some of the frozen pound cakes are only 12 ounces.

Here are my answers here at Healthy Home Blog:

(Our son helped me with the first one & then I thought of the others.)

1.  Instructions for frozen pizza say “not to eat frozen pizza.”  (Shucks!  I like pizza hard and ice cold!)

2.  On a bag of frozen cook-in-the-bag veggies:  “Cook in microwave for 8 minutes” and then it says, ” CAUTION: Bag is HOT!”   (Really?)

3.  On ice cream carton:  “Keep Frozen Until Served”  (I guess I can’t leave it out on the counter for an hour.)

4. On can of non-stick baking spray made with oil it says, “Do not spray into open flames.”  (Hmmm….it’s made with oil.   There are lamps that burn oil.  Makes sense to me!)

I know they have those instructions on the packaging for a reason, but sometimes they just sound so obvious!

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Val says,  “This week I have some random questions.”

1. What kind of olive oil do you use?
2.Do you prefer salted or unsalted butter?
3. What size eggs do you usually buy?
4. What’s in the bottom drawer of your fridge?

I have my answers below.  Share  your answers, leave them in a comment below and I will add them to this post.

1.  Extra virgin olive oil (We buy it at Sam’s.  Their brand is just as good as Bertolli’s.)

2.  Salted butter

3. Large eggs by the dozen

4. I have two drawers.  One has romaine lettuce, carrots, avocados, onion, zucchini, yellow squash, mushrooms, and a green bell pepper.  The other drawer has apples, oranges and lemons.

I’ll add your answers here:

Karen says, ” Our drawers contain nearly the same things. I guess that is because they are supposed to be crispers.”

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Val says, “What can you make with eggs, meat or poultry, vegetables and a starch?   Her answer:  This is a lame one but the only one that is coming to mind.  I’m thinking casseroles but only coming up with breakfast. So my answer is an omelet with meat and veggies in it, with hash browns on the side.

My answer would be Turkey Meatballs & Pasta Sauce:

• 16 ounce package of ground turkey
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/3 cup crushed Wheaties or Grape Nuts (or cracker crumbs)
  
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon basil
• 1/2 teaspoon rosemary
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
  
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 jar Chunky Ragu Sauce with veggies
• Pasta

Mix well.  Form 12 meatballs.  Preheat large skillet on medium with olive oil, place meatballs in skillet and cook COVERED for 12-15 minutes, turn and cook 5 more minutes.  Serve over pasta with Ragu Sauce.

Val says, “Hi everyone.  What can you make with meat or poultry, rice, cheese and a vegetable?   Val’s answer:  Cook rice. Add in cooked boneless chicken, cream of chicken soup, broccoli and cheddar cheese. Season to taste. Heat in oven to set or serve as it is.
Here’s my answer, and it’s almost like Val’s.  This is a quick & easy meal that is very satisfying, and it’s called:

Chicken & Brown Rice with Broccoli & Cheese

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INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup brown rice

• 2 1/2 cups water
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  
• 2 cups cooked chicken, bite-size
• 1 can 98% fat free cream of mushroom soup
• frozen broccoli
• freshly ground salt & pepper
• 1/2 cup sharp shredded cheese, reduced-fat
  

DIRECTIONS:

Cook brown rice in water and olive oil according to package directions.  As soon as it’s done, add the chicken and soup.  Stir.  Add just a little more water if necessary.  Place the frozen broccoli on top (break it apart), place the lid back on top of the pan, and cook on medium low for 10-15 minutes until broccoli is tender.  Add shredded cheese, salt and pepper to taste.

Val says, “Hi all!  Let’s try something different.   One question.  What can YOU make with

*chicken
*bacon
*cheese
*tomatoes

Val’s answer:  One delicious sandwich!”

My answer would be a salad with those ingredients in it along with green olives, diced cucumbers, sliced ripe avocado and sliced mushrooms.  I wondered what AllRecipes.com would come up with if I put those ingredients in the Ingredients Search.  It came up with 22 recipes, and I chose four that sounded especially good to me:

• Chicken and Bacon Florentine
• Chicken Texas Style
• Cobb Breakfast Casserole
• Creamy Tuscan Bean and Chicken Soup

Val says, “Hi all!  Sorry I’m late this week, I was sick all day yesterday. With that in mind, I offer this week’s questions.”

1. Are there any drinks you feel help you get better when you’re sick?

Depends on what kind of sick.  Congestion & upper respiratory flu – hot green tea and regular tea, sometimes hot chocolate.

Stomach flu – Coke, Sprite, 7-Up
2. Are there any foods you feel help you get better when you’re sick?

Healthy foods, good homemade soups.  If it’s stomach flu, then nothing!
3. Starve a cold, feed a fever. Do you believe this?

No, and actually I’ve read that if you feel like eating, it’s good to eat to nourish the body. (healthy foods, of course)  Now if it’s the stomach flu, that’s a different story.  A person needs to go without eating for 24 hours to kill out the virus. Nibbling on saltine crackers after 12 hours usually won’t hurt.   Eating other food, though, just prolongs it because it feeds the virus.
4. Who cooks when you’re sick?

My husband might cook a meal, but usually he will bring something in.  Actually, I was sick with bronchitis a week ago, and he made homemade soup for us.  I sat and gave him step-by-step directions on how to make it.  He did a good job, and it tasted really good to me.

Somehow I got a week behind, so this is actually this week’s FFoF:

Val says, “Hi all!

One question again this week.

What are four spices you must have in the house?”

Besides the basic ones, salt and pepper, I always have these on hand:

• Bay leave
• Cinnamon
• Rosemary
• Thyme

And Parsley and Cilantro.

From Val:  “Hi all!  One question again this week.

What are your four favorite soups?”

1. Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Soup

(I can tell by reading the recipe that this will definitely be a favorite – I plan to make it soon)

2. Turkey & Vegetable Soup
3. Olive Garden’s Minestrone Soup
4. Three Bean or Four Bean or Five Bean Soup (do you get the idea that I like bean soup?)
   

1. What’s your favorite type or shape of pasta?

Rotini and Farfalle (bow-tie pasta)
2. Where do you shop for groceries?

Several places!  I study the grocery ads every week and usually end up going to a couple of different grocery stores, maybe three, to get their specials.  I shop at Brookshires, Albertsons, and Krogers on a regular basis.  Certain things I get at Wal-Mart, Sams, or Super Target because I can get a better deal there.  And then some things I can only get at Central Market, so I go there every three or four weeks.
3. What’s your favorite mayonnaise?
Hellmann’s Light Mayo

4. What is the food in your freezer wrapped/stored in?

Usually whatever it came in.  Or if it’s casserole, I have freezer containers to freeze it in so it’s the right portion for what I need.