Gorgeous breakfast of leftovers. Put the brown rice in a bowl and top with chard sauteed with raisins and bacon, brown rice, and a cabbage dish from The Quick After Work Vegetarian Cookbook. Green and red cabbage with onion, orange, raisins, black mustard seeds. A nice complement to the chard. Put the bowl in the steamer, and in 10 minutes or so it's toasty warm.

Lunch: Leftover seafood pasta from The Italian Joint. Still pretty good.

Snack: Mexican orange-cornmeal cookies. Have yet to dip them in chocolate. Fine just plain. I make a light fruitcake of nuts, dates, apricots and golden raisins. It's late, but it will be able to sit for a couple of days. Plans are to make toffee and another cookie, perhaps pecan meringues, as well.

Dinner: I've never made cube steaks, but that's what Bob bought. Garlic mashed potatoes and brussels sprouts that Bob pan-seared then braised with pine nuts. We are working our way through a box of See's chocolates, so thoughtfully sent by my brother Michael and his wife, Debbie. Thanks, folks!