Week 55

Christmas is coming the goose is getting fat, or I am getting fat, whatever.  The sibs will be here in a few days, so I decided to make things that I think they will like.  Such a kind sister, am I!  Unfortunately, I have been a bit of a slacker cook.  Josh has been sick and working overtime (isn't this the story of every December?)  So there has been a bit more pizza than there ought to be in our lives as of late.

So without further ado, here is the menu:

Salad Pizza

Sausage and Potatoes

Salmon and Acorn Squash

JO Mac n Cheese and Salad

One Pot Chicken Pot Pie

Week 54

Have a holly jolly Christmas!  This song has been in my head for about three days.  It's better than the horrible Paul McCartney Christmas song.  Or Yoko Ono's vocal addition to John Lennon's Christmas song ("War is over, if you want it!" - nope, not over...)  Anyhoo.  I have been on  a diet the last two months and have lost 11 pounds, which is great.  And now my wallet is on a diet, too.  I know I have been saying that for a while.  But this time I really, truly mean it, y'all!

So here it is:

Salad Pizza

Salmon+Acorn Squash

Sausage+Mustardy Potatoes

Kale and Bean soup+Bread

Chard and Sweet Potato Gratin + Brussel Sprouts

Chicken Pot pie - from Cook's Illustrated

Week 53

Ahh, Thanksgiving hangover.  I was just reading on  a blog (Dinner: A Love Story) about how the planning of the the Thanksgiving menu is sometimes more enjoyable than the food.  I concur!  Although, I love food, the eating of the Thanksgiving grand meal, never lives up to the planning of it...  Maybe it's the exhaustion of caramelizing a meringue for a lemon pie the night before (anytime the candy thermometer comes out, I think I need a xanax...), or maybe it's just how quickly it is all gobbled up.  I don't know.  But what I do know, is that the pies I made were AWESOME.  Hooray!  Brussel Sprouts need to be made right before the meal, and the make-ahead mashed potatoes were fabulous.  As usual.

So here is this week:

Farro and Bean Stew + Bread

Asparagus and Quinoa

Mushroom Burguinion

Turkey Burgers with Mango Chutney + Cous cous salad

Salmon and Wild Rice

Panna Cotta Trifle (for a bit of a treat)

Week 52

Thanksgiving countdown.  It's on the way, gobbling and mucking it up.  We are having the big feast at a good buddy's house this year, and I am so excited.  Since it is feast week, I share with you the feastly menu:

Thanksgiving:

Make-ahead Mashed Potatoes - two portions, one with chives, one without

Lemon Marhmallow Meringue Pie - from the Flour cookbook, p. 220

Pumpkin Pie - also from the Flour cookbook, p. 214

Pickles (Henry's request)

Cranberry relish (thanks, Trader Joe's!)

Stuffing

Brussel Sprouts

Non-feasty menu:

Potstickers and edamame

Lentil Soup and Bread  (Still haven't made this)

Salmon and Veg

Kale and Bean Soup + Bread

Mustardy Potatoes + Sausage

Tabasco butter Asparagus + Veg

For breakfast -

Lemon Brioche French Toast

Thanksgiving Breakfast:

Frittata

Week 51

Hooray - I am actually pulling all of this together the day BEFORE I go shopping, rather than the five minutes before.  It's a hurdle in efficiency!  Soo, since my last post, I have started a diet (or did I already start the diet by the last post?).  Anyway, trying to keep it healthy, y'all.  But not too, too healthy, it still needs to be interesting.

So here it is:

Chickpeas and Caramelized Fennel and Brussel Sprouts


Home Sick Texan Carnitas and Slaw

Mushroom Pizza - using Lahey crust and his recipe - p.26

Red Lentil Soup + Bread

Shrimp Roll-ups + Roasted Tomatoes + Fresh Mozzerella

Salmon + Pan-Fried Potatoes

Lemony Banana Bread

Week 50

I'm FIFTY, FIFTY years old!  Okay, this will be quick.  So I am on a bit of a calorie restriction right now, somehow I managed to gain 15 pounds in a year (cakes, I am looking at you...), so I am trying to eat healthier, but not too healthy.  Just portion control, really...


So here it is:

Kale and Quinoa plus Acorn Squash

Pumpkin Saag (Good Moses, when will I actually make this?)

Salmon and Brussel Sprouts (best recipe for brussels I have had)

Hamburgers and Broccoli Bites

Potstickers and Edamame

Tempeh Curry and Wild Rice

And there it is folks!

Week 49

Well, birthday week was a smash.  A swimming smash.  Movies were watched, no presents (we weren't into that his year), phone calls were made, and such, but basically we just ate loads of cake.  Bathed, clothed, and slept in cake.  And I never thought I would actually say this, but I am almost sick of cake...  I know, where is my soul?  The Boston Cream Pie was AWESOME, and the Josh made (mostly) a coconut  cake, with lemon curd and cream cheese frosting, for realz, y'all.  So good, fatty times were had.  And I didn't go to the gym this morning... But I will be at pilates this afternoon, where I plan to repent for all my caloric sins.  So the menu, it's a bit indulgent, maybe too much pasta, but no cake.

Menu:

Pumpkin Saag (still needs to be made)

Beans n Bread (also, not made yet)

Salmon+lemon risotto+ spinach

Rigatoni alla pastora (way naughty) + brussel sprouts

Espresso Black Bean Chili + Fixin's

Week 48

Whew, I have already been to the gym this morning, and now I need to rush this out to get there again.  For pilates, with my dear sister, Maddy.  I think it is awesome that I go to pilates, and then off to the grocery, in order to buy things such as: heavy cream, butter, semi-sweet chocolate.  Oh well.  Such is life when it is BIRTHDAY WEEK!  That's right, two of the greatest people in the world have birthdays this week: me (of course) and the hubband.  So, Josh is supposed to make me a dinner, and I haven't quite decided on that yet.  And I will make him one (not so different than the rest of the week...)  Josh has requested Boston Cream Pie - gulp.  That  is a tall order.  I will do my best. 

Cheers to old age!

Menu:
Josh birthday -
Corn Chowder (by Miss Ina Garten, Josh chooses this every year, and I think it is because that is the only meal he can remember that I have made...)+Bread+Boston Cream Pie

Pizza

Beans n Bread (Do-over from last week)

Pretzel Chicken and Sweet Pot. fries

Pumpkin Saag and Coconut Rice

Mushroom Risotto and Acorn Squash

Week 47

It's almost 10pm and the boys are having "cool dude".  It goes without saying that my goals of getting them to bed earlier, aren't quite working.  So this will be quick.

Pumpkin Saag - I made this tonight and it was awesome.  I paired it with coconut rice and naan.

Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese Sammich

Salad Pizza

Beans n' Bread

Sausage and Mustardy Potatoes

Sour Cream Enchiladas - this is from PW - and it was pretty good, just ignore the disturbing amount of sour cream and cheese...

Week 46

Ahh, the Pilates class strikes again and leaves me little time for sweet words.  It's fall, I am happy, and I am feeding the beans.  Green beans, black beans, and bean friends.  Finished my third thirty mile ride, and I am ready to do 100 more miles!  Love my bike!

Okay, those are my thoughts.

Menu:

Salad Pizza

Coconut Milk Chiken + Fingerling Potatoes (from Fast, Fresh, Green, p. 73)

Kale and Bean Soup+Bread+Custard Cake (for Maddy's Berfday!)

Mushroom Pasta+Pomegranate Green Beans (from Fast, Fresh, Green, p. 61)

Sour Cream Enchiladas+Wedge Salad

Pull-apart Pumpkin Bread! 

Autumn, I salute you.

Week 45

No time for wordy words, I have to get to Pilates. Ha, I say this like I am always at Pilates, not true. This is my second class.

Menu:

Pizza

Cauliflower Soup and Bread

Pretzel Chicken and Sweet Potato Oven Fries (with Limey sauce)

Pumpkin Saag

Mushroom Rissoto and Roasted Acorn Squash

Week 44

There are a lot of repeats this week. I don't know what happened last week. I cooked, just cooked different things, I guess. This week is my EIGHTH wedding anniversary, and a friend has graciously offered to take my kids for TWO nights. Yes, today, I am capitalizing all my numbers. Anyhoo. Since it is a special occasion, we will most likely be dining out a few nights. Yay for love!

I was trying to think of something to make that would be significant, however, the meals I remember most from our early years are as follows: Taco Bell (on the way home from a Fugazi concert, this wasn't officially dating times, but "just-friends" times), "Ramen Surprise" (ramen with eggs, soy, sugar, raisins, cashews, and whatever else you feel like throwing in), and sushi night, from a local restaurant that had a half-off night. Sooo, basically we were broke and didn't cook much at home while in college. We did get a bit ambitious in the kitchen and had an international cooking night each Friday. Those were the days, my friends. However, dining out sans kids is just so awesome, that I think we will take advantage of it.

Menu:
Pizza - every Friday, folks. Every flippin Friday.

Talapia + Zucchini Fritters (for the super-sized zucchini in the garden) + Wild Rice

Red Lentil Soup + Bread

Brisket + Black Beans + Slaw

Farmer's Market Pasta

Clementine Yougart Cake (Based on this recipe)

New tradition - Dutch Babies every Sunday, Holla at yo Motha!

Week 43

Autumn is slowly creeping in, and I couldn't be more happy about it. Summer has become a bit brown. The Mr. has gone through the fridge and pantry, procuring all sorts of grains and veg that have been in hiding. Soooo... this meal is geared to using up all that I can. I am so valiant.

Menu:

Salad Pizza

Red Lentil Soup + Bread

Talapia + Grains + Chard

Sausage + Mustardy Potatoes + Kale

Brisket + Black Beans + Slaw

Tofu Masala + Rice + Naan

And something for breakfast:

Baked Oatmeal (from the cookbook Super Natural Everyday, quick note, I accidently typed "cookboob" just now. May be my new word for cookbooks). P. 44

Bran Muffins (also from SNE) p. 47

Week 42

Still trying to get back into the swing of it all. Summer is pretty, pretty steamy at the moment. Yuck. Trying to be a bit healthier after my cupcake tour of 2011.

Menu:

Salad Pizza - every Friday

Gazpacho and bread (tomato explosion in the garden, not that I am complaining.

Carnitas

Farmer's Market Pasta - this involves pasta from the market, plus a sauce from whatever I put together from the garden.

Ravioli Salad, plus green salad

Talapia, barley salad, plus braised kale.

Hooray for a great summer and a productive garden!

Week 41

I have been away for about a month. That month was spent fairly free of cooking, and I have returned home with barely a notion of how I cooked in the first place. The garden is a jungle, with loads of tomatoes, just begging to be turned into gazpacho. And like a fairly fairy Godmother, that is what I plan to do. On anther Cinderella note, my pumpkin plant died. Boo. So here is my steamy early August menu plan. The thought of an oven is awful, but oh well. I will persevere, just like my trusty pioneer ancestors.

Menu:

Gazpacho and bread

BLATs and salad

Shrimp pitas and tomato caprese

Pizza Salad

Apricot crockpot chicken with wild rice

Ari birthday: peanut butter and honey sandwiches, raspberries and Yellow Cake with Chocolate Frosting birthday cake. For the big #2.

Week 40 (!)

We are parents! The blog has now officially been incubated, 40 weeks of mostly made meals. There were hits (salad pizza) and misses (Valentine's dinner of beet gnocchi that looked dangerously close to gerbil fetuses, I know, sorry...). Like anything worth anything, there were blood (tricky knives), sweat (summer cooking), and tears (darn onions). At such a proud moment, you think I would be on top of my game, but really, I am just NOT into cooking right now. It's bloody hot. We spend most of our time outdoors either at the park, or in the backyard with me cursing chipmunks in the garden while my kids play. The chipmunks are such bastards, they dig up my garden for what? Are they just compulsive or is there intention behind it? I believe they are manic. Manic bastards.

So this week, I keep it simple. I always say that, though. But this time, I do hope it is. We are working a bit on the house, so the kitchen is not in prime working order. And I just don't like the indoors. At least there aren't chipmunks in the kitchen, though.

Menu:

Salad Pizza (with greens from the garden, hooray!)

Veggie Burgers + Cabbage Salad

Shrimp rolls and garlicky broccoli salad (Melissa Clark, p.66)

Sesame Noodles + Veggies (Time for Dinner, p. 150)

Chickpea Pasta + Roasted Spiced Cauliflower with Almonds (Melissa Clark, p. 70)

And ALMOND CAKE (happy times)

Week 39

I am, again, trying to do more veg stuff. So this week we have one meat meal, instead of "meatless" Mondays, I think I will do MEAT Mondays, and we will all dress like savage, bloodthirsty hellions. Just on that day. Anyway, it is time to share the menu of the century, or at least the menu of this very average, quiet, and cozy week.

I have a bunch of arugula in the garden, so I am trying to use it up, which shouldn't be too hard.

Here goes:

Sea Salt Baked Potatoes with Arugula + Greens The recipe calls for a dressing with raw egg, I think I am going to try it. I have eggs from my friends farm, and I trust her. Also, the kids won't have any, just the Mr. and me. It is only one yolk, I figure I've done that sort of damage with raw cookie dough, before.

Salad Pizza (going to try arugula, carmalized onions, walnuts, and goat cheese, on this)

Sausages with Sweet Pepper and Onion Stew with Fried Croutons (Melissa Clark, p.177) + Greens + Bread

Black Bean and Sweet Potato Burritos (Moosewood, p. 172)

Cashew Curry + Rice

Tabasco Butter Asparagus and Quinoa + Coconut Spiced Spinach

Still need to do the raw cheesecake...

Oh, and some arugula and prosciutto wraps - garden snacks!

Week 38

At the moment I am arguing with Henry about why we need to go grocery shopping. He says, "But WHY, Mommy, but why?" He doesn't like it, suffice to say. And when I say, because we need food, he says, "But why is food SO important?!" Oh, man. I even threw in an offer to go to Chick Fila for lunch, still, no takers. Unfortunately, for Mr. Henry, he really has no choice in the matter.

So for our very important food that we must buy right now, here is the menu for this week:

Asparagus and Fried Eggs, Melissa Clark - . 46

Salad Pizza

Chicken Saag + Coconut Rice + Naan - Time for Dinner, p. 221

Macaroni, Peas, Bacon a la JO - MC, p. 230 + Brussel Sprouts


Lentil Salad (from last week) + Bread

Plus, granola!

And a dinner for a new mom:
Red Lentil Soup + Bread + Jam Tart

And dear sweet Lemon Dessert Gods, I may have to try this.

Week 37

I type this with a mouth halfway numb from dental work. Ugh. Food doesn't sound fun right now, but as any home cook, I soldier on. This week the garden has overtaken all my cooking interests. It's hot. And the seedling need me. The weather just wants me to be outside, so I kept it (hopefully) simple this week.

Menu:

Lentil Salad and Bread

Pizza Salad

Pork Ragu and greens

Grilled chicken sausage and asparagus

Tabasco Asparagus and Quinoa + bread

And this might be crazy, but raw cheesecake.

Week 36

Ah, Mr. Spring. Though it seems like it should be Mrs. Spring, with all the fertility and such going on. But whatever the gender, spring is here. Though it was a bleak thirty-nine degrees outside, I had some blissful pea starts appear in the garden yesterday, and hence, there is life!! It is a dreary day today. But those pea shoots are so very happy, thus, I am too. This week, is almost, all meatless. I stuck a little chorizo in, but that is it. Maybe next week I can go all the way. I am like a third-base vegetarian.

So it is all Jamie Oliver (my little Brit cooking boyfriend) and Melissa Clark this week. A lot of asparagus, because, why not? Tis the season for the asparagus. I bought some plants, so maybe one day, I will have my very own asparagus children. Until then, I steal them from the grocery.

Menu:

Asparagus Soup with poached eggs and bread (Jamie at Home - p. 22)

Salad Pizza

Broccoli Pasta and salad (JAH - p. 32)

Pan-Roasted asparagus with fried eggs (MC - p.46)

Crispy Tofu and Chorizo, broccoli (MC p. 174)

Phyllo and Feta Cheese Torte (p. 234)

Dessert please -

Olive oil blood orange cake - MC

Also, I will post our Easter menu later this week. I haven't decided yet, most call for ham or lamb, both don't appeal. So I will think this out.

Week 35

I am late on posting this, already did the ole grocery run. But here is what is in the cards:

Jamie Oliver's Macaroni and Cheese (with creme fraiche, peas, mint, and bacon). I have made this before, good stuff.

Cabbage and egg noodles (from Laurie David's new cookbook), and garlicky kale.

Pork and Milk, brussel sprouts, potatoes

Salad Pizza

Red Lentil soup (from Melissa Clark's cookbook - In the Kitchen with a Good Appetite), bread

Barley Risotto, broccoli

Also, going to try this "power salad", as I am in a bit of a lunch rut.

Lemon Tart, for the old, sweet tooth, again, from Melissa Clark's book.

Week 34

We have been out of town the last three weekends of this month. So cooking has been on and off. But now I am squarely at home. Really. I Out-of-Town Ari is a disagreeable insomniac who will only eat cheetos and drink juice. He is a tyrant. But At-Home Ari is sweet, though still prefers to only eat cheetos. However, home does not have cheetos, so it's not an issue.

So to celebrate homenessess, here is the week's delightful menu:

Cauliflower soup and bread

Salad pizza. I am feeling the love.

Pork Ragu and greens

Salmon patties and broccoli slaw

Chicken and Wild Rice salad sandwiches with kale salad (lots of salads going on here)

Also, I got a new cookbook from the library - In the Kitchen with a Good Appetite, by Melissa Clark. This has exciting prospects, but not a lot on the vegetarian meals. So I will probably try out a chicken recipe. But she does have a sweet item named Gooey Honey Butter Cake with Lemon and Cinnamon (p. 364). I am not a huge fan of cinnamon, but I REALLY like butter, and this cake has a large portion of butter. It looks to be a bit more like cinnamon roll than cake - the crust rises - but I will take it.

And another also, I have been thinking about making my own sandwich bread. So here is a recipe to try. I am so lame, I don't even really know what it means to proof the yeast, but I will put on my thinking cap, and figure it out.

Week 33

We just got back from a quick trip to Madison, Indiana. This meant no cooking for about two days. That is a good and a bad thing. Bad, Taco Bell. Good, Chickiepoo;s (in Madison), make that Very Good. So now I am back, Spring is in my bones and I feel like hopping like a bunny. I am planting seeds, having garden dreams, and obsessively checking the bulbs I planted last fall, which are slowly poking up out the sleepy soil. This may be the thing to break me of my muffin addiction and get me back on the green smoothie train.

Hip hip hooray!!

Menu:

Chicken Saag and roasted cauliflower

Salad Pizza - we've had this almost every week, good stuff

Shrimp Rolls and broccoli slaw

Smoked Salmon Chowder - from (Time for Dinner, p. 261), and bread.

Avgolemeno, bread, and salad. (TFD, p. 119)

Week 32

Winter blah. February is the worst. None of the birds are eating their new bird seed, even after my weeks of petitioning, on their behalf, to Josh. Also, we are budgeting, ugh. So bah humbug.

Pizza - I used James Lahey crust, it was awesome. I had a ball leftover, so we will be eating on that. Mushroom, onion, and Mozzarella, plus pineapple for Henry.

Swedish Meatballs and mashed potatoes - from Time for Dinner (p. 134)

Slow-cooker Chili - from Real Simple, January, p. 134) and cornbread (sweet, for Josh).

Green Lentil Soup and naan

Wagon Wheel Pasta with goat cheese and edamame (Time for Dinner, p.84), kale salad.

Plus slow cooker bbq chicken for Josh's lunch.

Week 31

We had a nice weather tease this week and it has put my mind more on gardening, than cooking. So this is a bit uninspired. Anyhoo, I am going to try and do a pizza Friday type of thing, thought with the hubband schedule, trying anything on a weekly basis never works really well. Also, two different slaws. I don't know what that means, I may have a slaw problem.

So here it is mateys:

Pizza - I am going to try the homemade crust and salad pizza idea from DALS (Dinner a love story blog - awesome blog).

Shrimp Rolls and veg slaw

Pulled Brisket, slaw, and pickled onion on tortillas

Garden burgers and sweet potato fries

Kale and bean soup, bread

Pasta with tomato cream sauce

And, perhaps, a pie (Blackberry and apple)

Week 30

Greetings from the land of the sick. We have all been trading around a lovely cold that has left all in the family feeling achey and bitter. What better way to start the week, right? From how I feel at the moment, this meal plan seems much too ambitious. But it is written in hopes that my head will stop feeling as though it is made of cement and that my bones will stop complaining whenever I am not in the horizontal position.

Go Team:

Steak and Guinness pie - (Jamie at Home, p. 342), served with broccoli (or kale) - I have made this before and I remember it being a pain. But it was good, so maybe a once a year type project.

Roast carrot and Avocado salad (Jamie at Home - p. 370)

Sesame noodles - (Time for Dinner - p. 150)

Fish and wild rice, broccoli

Wagon Wheel pasta with goat cheese, salad (Time for Dinner, p. 87)

Still haven't made pink milk cake. Will report on its awesomeness next week.

Week 29

Ahoy. Ahoy. Ahoy, from the depths of winter armageddon 2011. Henry hasn't had school in a week. We have all been imprisoned by snow, then ice, then snow. Apparently, when snowed-in, I like to bake. I made muffins! Bread! More bread! This is some sort of coping mechanism in order to stay sane while staying home ALL day. I am the opposite of agoraphobic, I get ansy when I don't leave the home. So here is the meal for the week. Valentine's day is fast approaching. I don't have any big ideas for our meal yet, but I do plan on making a large strawberry milk cake. And that is a stupendous plan, indeed.

So here it be:

Crepes - taken from the Time for Dinner cookbook - p. 160. I like this idea, it's like a French taco. Or a snobby taco. And this veg slaw on the side.

Peppered Steak with mustard sauce. Sweet potato fries. Or frites. I plan to make a flank steak instead of a filet, though.

Sour Cream Enchiladas a la Pioneer Woman. Crispy green salad with it.

Salmon with coconut rice.

Homemade Pizza. Trying to make the dough myself with this recipe.

And of course, pink milk cake.

Week 28

New year, same old, same old. But I would like to get better about the cooking thing. I was out of town for most of December. But I am back! For a few more weeks, then headed out to visit me olde sister in Seattle. Hurrah! Okay, so here it is:

Belgian Beef Stew - recipe from DALS, a new cooking website that I lubs. This is just the kind of weather for such an endeavor. It may overtake my most favorite beef stew. We shall see.

Cauliflower Soup and Bread - Kind of basic, but a bit spicy. From a little place in Utah called Cafe Zupas, good stuff.

JO Spinach and Mascarpone pasta and kale salad. I have been into some good ole kale lovin lately, from green smoothies to sauteed, good stuff.

Frittata with veg.

Shrimp rolls and sweet potato fries, with some lemonade. Nothing like a pretend summer meal in the midst of winter.

Maybe some granola. Tis the time of the year.