Wednesday, August 1, 2007

Turkey Meatloaf

turkey meatloaf


I love this recipe for turkey meatloaf. I found it on the package years ago, but I make a couple of changes to it. My family prefers bread crumbs on the top of their meatloaf instead of ketchup. The key is to saute the onions before it goes into the mixture. So good!


Turkey Meatloaf




1 to 2 T. butter


1 c. chopped onion (for kids who don't like seeing onions - chop finely in the food processor)


2 cloves garlic, minced


1 pkg. ground turkey


1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs (plus more for sprinkling on top)


1 egg


1/4 cup ketchup

2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce


3/4 t. salt


1/2 t. pepper




Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; cook 5 minutes or until soft. Transfer mixture to a large bowl. Cool 5 minutes. Add turkey, bread crumbs, egg, ketchup, Worcestershire, salt, and pepper to onion mixture. Mix well. Pack into a loaf pan. Sprinkle some bread crumbs over top. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes or until internal temperature is 165 degrees. Let stand 5 minutes before slicing. Serve with ketchup.


Sunday, July 29, 2007

Country Style Hamburger

hamburger and gravy
I know that today's recipe does not qualify as a recipe. It's not a photogenic dish, either. It is not close to gourmet or "company-quality."
However, when my kids and my husband see that we're having "Country Style Hamburger," they smile and sometimes even cheer. It's what I make when I need a "tried and true"-- when I don't want to hear any complaining or see any disappointed faces.


These homemade mashed potatoes are topped with browned ground beef mixed with a jar of beef gravy. That's it. (See what I mean?) I sometimes add sauteed onion, green pepper, and sliced mushrooms which makes it a teensy-weensy bit more sophisticated.


How do you make your mashed potatoes? I recently realized that the most important step to prevent gluey mashed potatoes is to warm up the milk before adding it to the hot boiled potatoes. I pour some milk into a Pyrex measuring cup, along with a pad or two of butter, and then microwave it until it's nice and warm. Did you already know to do this? In my ever present need to rush, for the last 15 years I have poured milk right from the jug. Who knew?

Wednesday, July 25, 2007

Tossed Salad and Omelet

tossed salad and omelet
Tonight I spied some leftover Spam (eek!) in the fridge, so I cut a slice of it into tiny pieces and sauteed it with a bit of onion and red pepper. Next, this salty mixture was added to the middle of this soft, creamy omelet, along with a few crumbles of feta cheese. It was just enough after a long night at the baseball fields.

Have you ever eaten an omelet and a salad together? I think they go very well together(crunchy, creamy). I must confess, however, the first time I heard this idea was while watching Frasier. ("Now I don't know what to with those tossed salads and scrambled eggs...") Good night everybody!

Tuesday, July 24, 2007

My Boneless Chicken Routine and Knife Scare




Tonight we had lemon-pepper grilled chicken, but I must confess...The marinade came from a bottle! Gasp! I also made some basmati rice, steamed broccoli and a simple Romaine salad with balsamic vinaigrette. My kids even loved it. To quote my 11-year-old, "I'm a big fan of this chicken."

Boneless chicken was on sale this week in massive packages. As a wise kitchen gal, I came home and dealt with the chicken immediately. After cutting off the extra fat, I cut each breast into two pieces and pounded them a little so they would cook quickly on the grill. Knowing that I have even more of this pounded chicken in the freezer (safe in freezer bags) is quite exciting to me. They defrost quickly and cook quickly. All the work up front definitely pays off.

But get this! I almost lost my eye while I was cutting the chicken! It came as a shock when my serrated knife suddenly broke in half and flew up to my face. This knife is a good quality knife that I've had for about ten years. Let this be a warning to you! I won't tell you the name of the company until I give them a chance to respond. I was not injured but merely frightened to death. I may have some future knife phobias, however...
Update: The company, Henckels, advised me to send the knife to them, and they'd look at it. A new serrated knife arrived in the mail a short time later at no charge. However, a piece from the handle of the new knife has already broken off. It is now uncomfortable to use. I'll buy myself some new knives when I can. (Probably not Henckels, however.)

Sunday, July 22, 2007

Easy Garlic Bread

easy garlic bread



Hi everyone! It's been a few days since I last posted. I haven't done a lot of cooking. The other night we had take out pizza and Greek salad, and last night we went to a party and had burgers.


Tonight we had an easy meal of Buitoni four-cheese ravioli, leftover Greek salad, steamed zucchini and summer squash, and garlic bread.




I make garlic bread the way my Mom always made it when I was a kid. It has buttery garlic taste on both sides of the bread! When I make my garlic bread, however, I use two appliances my mother never used -- the microwave and the toaster oven. Once you've made garlic bread this way, you'll never feel the need to buy frozen garlic bread again (if you ever have). Note: If your bread is extra long, you may need to cut the bread in half or use your oven.



Garlic Bread


In a small dish or custard cup, place about 1 or 2 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Squeeze a clove or two of fresh garlic into the mixture. Microwave on high for 30-second intervals until you can smell the garlic. Optional: before microwaving, you can also add other herbs such as oregano or basil. Grated parmesan is also a nice touch. Next, make vertical slices every inch or so going down the entire length of the bread. Here comes the fun part that kids enjoy doing. Using a brush dipped in your oil mixture, paint the insides of each slice of cut bread. Finally, wrap the yummy-smelling bread in aluminum foil and bake in the toaster oven at 350 degrees until warm. It usually takes about 10 minutes or so.











Wednesday, July 18, 2007

Better Way to Cook Hamburgers

b
I made burgers last night, but I made two changes to my usual routine.

(By usual routine, I mean, "Form patties, place on grill.")

First, I seasoned them like a meatloaf. In one pound of ground beef, I put about 1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs, one egg, 1 teaspoon of Worcestershire Sauce, and 1 tablespoon of A-1 Sauce. Then I formed my patties.
I'm not sure where I heard to do this, but my next step was to make a small depression with my fingers in the center of each patty before cooking it. The idea behind it is that this thinner center will allow the burger to cook faster than usual. As a result, the cooked burger will be nice and moist. It worked! I highly recommend! The flavor was enhanced by the Worcestershire and A-1.














Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Veggie Pasta - Simple Abundance Style




The book "Simple Abundance," by Sarah Ban Breathnach, is one that I find myself visiting quite often. It reminds me to be grateful for each day.

My favorite parts of the book are what she calls "Joyful Simplicities." She gives ideas about how to celebrate each month throughout the year, based on the weather, available foods, holidays, etc.

I was recently inspired by her July 10 entry titled "Kitchen Mysticism." Here she explains that through cooking, you mix food with love and emotion to create a sense of balance in your home.

Here's her recipe for this delicious Veggie Pasta. I used regular tomatoes and eggplants, and I didn't have any fresh oregano or yellow peppers, but it still came out excellent. The slow cooking brings out the sweetness of the vegetables.

"Slice red and yellow bell peppers, tiny eggplants, and zucchini into strips. Chop red onions, fresh basil, oregano, and Italian plum tomatoes. Saute slowly in good olive oil and minced garlic until the vegetables are soft. Take a sip of wine. Add penne pasta to boiling water for six minutes. Grate fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese...Call everyone to the table. Stop to give thanks. Offer a toast and a thanksgiving for good health, love, companionship, delicious food, and a moment of contentment. A day fully lived, simply abundant."

Monday, July 16, 2007

Homemade Popsicles

homemade popsicles
What do you think of my new popsicle molds? They are made by Tovolo, called "Yellow Groovy Pop Molds," for $7.99 at Amazon. As you can see, they create a substantial popsicle.

I searched for some good popsicle recipes online, but I didn't have enough ingredients on hand, so I made this recipe up. In my blender, I pureed some frozen mango and strawberries, and then I added some Stonyfield Vanilla Yogurt and a squirt of honey. They are a mixture of creamy and fruity.

Tuesday, July 10, 2007

Insalata Caprese Sandwich

insalata caprese sandwichAs you may have noticed from my previous posts, DB and I love fresh mozzarella and tomatoes. Last night I made these sandwiches which are so delicious! The "recipe" is so basic, but the result is a yummy mixture of creaminess, tartness, sweetness, and a bit of crunch. It's the perfect recipe for a summer night.

Insalata Caprese Sandwich

Start by warming a 6-inch section of French bread (for each sandwich) slightly. I wrapped mine in aluminum foil and placed it in the toaster oven at 350 degrees for a few minutes. Remove bread from oven. On each side of the bread, sprinkle balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil to taste. Fill sandwich with layers of sliced fresh mozzarella, tomatoes (season them first with kosher salt and pepper), and chopped fresh sweet basil.

Have you made this sandwich before? A layer of prepared pesto would be a nice addition. I am interested in hearing your comments on how you make this, or how you would improve it. Thanks!

Zucchini Pie







Since I last posted, I experienced a little getting-ready-for-party burn-out. Today I felt inspired by all the pretty produce in my refrigerator. I found and adapted, however slightly, a recipe from Allrecipes called "Mimi's Zucchini Pie," and it looks so pretty! Although it looks like a quiche, it tastes a bit more cake-y. I used slightly less oil than what was called for. Next time, I would top each serving with some warm marinara sauce.

Zucchini Pie

4 eggs
1/4 cup vegetable oil
salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup all-purpose baking mix
1 1/2 cups sliced zucchini
1 1/2 cups sliced yellow squash
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 large ripe tomato, sliced
garlic salt, to taste
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
marinara sauce, optional

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9 inch deep dish pie plate.
Whisk together eggs and oil in a bowl with salt and pepper. Stir in baking powder and baking mix until moistened. Gently fold in zucchini, summer squash, and onion. Pour into prepared pie plate, and arrange sliced tomato over top. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and garlic salt to taste. Bake in preheated oven until puffed and golden brown, about 35 minutes.

Saturday, July 7, 2007

Leftover Blues

Yesterday we ate party leftovers for lunch and dinner. I can't even look at that stuff any more...

Because I felt that we had been eating too much beef recently (for sure), we went out to a seafood restaurant Thursday night. It was our first time at this restaurant which is quite popular, nestled in the heart of a seafaring town. The menu says that the fish is taken off the boats each day. The restaurant has a nice atmosphere and you can see sailboats pass as you wait for your dinner.

I had the grilled salmon, and DB had the citrus swordfish. The menu said the salmon would be topped with "herb butter," but I didn't detect any herbs. The fish was a bit bland, but it was okay. The butternut squash that it came with was delicious and probably loaded with butter. DB's swordfish was good, he proclaimed. The fish sat in a creamy citrus-y sauce. We will go back there and try something else next time.

Friday, July 6, 2007

4th of July Bash


We ended up having an extremely fun party on the 4th. The food came out great and the rain held out until the end.
I served the BBQ Beef Brisket (that I had tested a few days before) and it was a hit. My best reviews to date! (Please see July 1st post for recipe.)
We had about 21 adults and 14 kids. It turns out, however, that I bought too much brisket (15 pounds). I just had too many other food choices.
I was surprised how much the brisket cost ($60). I froze some and will bring the leftovers to another party tomorrow. Here's the whole menu.
4th of July Menu:
BBQ Beef Brisket (in rolls)
Sweet Italian Sausage, Onions and Peppers
Meatballs in Marinara
Hot Dogs (for the kids, mostly)
Baked Beans
Zucchini and Tomatoes
Homemade Cole Slaw
Store bought Red Bliss Potato Salad
Garden Salad
For dessert we had sliced watermelon, cheesecake bites and brownies with ice cream.
I spent yesterday cleaning up, for the most part.

So what's the photo of, you ask? My very thoughtful neighbor brought this chicken teriyaki on skewers as an appetizer. I loved how she presented it. There was chicken on one side, and on the other skewers were: green and red peppers, onions, and fresh pineapple. They went like hot cakes! She just marinated the chicken in bottled teriyaki sauce and grilled them. Highly recommended!

Monday, July 2, 2007

Curried Rice with Steak



Last night I decided to broil the top sirloin steaks we had bought from Omaha Steaks. I sprinkled some salt, garlic powder and olive oil on them. The steaks came out perfect! Quite tasty and juicy. I also made some sauteed onions and mushrooms with garlic and a salad with tomatoes and fresh mozzarella.

Finally, I made some curried rice. It's kind of a strange pairing with steak, but it worked for me. Here's the recipe I adapted from Allrecipes.

Curried Rice

adapted from Allrecipes.com

2 garlic cloves, minced
2 T olive oil
1 1/2 cups uncooked long grain rice
1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
3 cups chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup dried cherries (or raisins)
1/2 cup chopped almonds, toasted

1. In a large skillet, saute onions and garlic in olive oil until tender. Stir in rice and curry powder. Saute for 2-3 minutes or until rice is lightly browned.

2. In a saucepan, heat broth and salt. Pour over rice mixture; stir. Cover and simmer for 35-40 minutes or until rice is tender. Remove from the heat; stir in dried cherries or raisins and almonds.






Sunday, July 1, 2007

BBQ Beef Brisket



Last night I tried out a recipe from Allrecipes.com in preparation for our upcoming big bash on the 4th. My goal is to make something that I can prepare the day before, and this dish fits the bill.




I made a couple of changes to the recipe. First, I did not take the time to let it marinate overnight. It didn't seem to make a difference. I also cut down on the smoke flavoring in the sauce. It was suggested to double the sauce, so I did. There was more than enough! It was tangy and sweet and yummy.




After slicing the meet (after only 4 1/2 hours in the oven, my family was hungry), I put some slices back in the oven with the sauce. The kids ate their meat plain (so tender), and DB and I put our sauce on top. Very good! The meat was so tender. I highly recommend this recipe!




BBQ Beef Brisket




from Allrecipes.com



4 pounds lean beef brisket
2 tablespoons liquid smoke flavoring
1 tablespoon onion salt
1 tablespoon garlic salt

1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 cup ketchup
3 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon celery salt
1 tablespoon liquid smoke flavoring
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons mustard powder
salt and pepper to taste




1. Pour liquid smoke over brisket. Rub with onion salt and garlic salt. Roll brisket in foil and refrigerate overnight.
2. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Place brisket in a large roasting pan. Cover and bake for 5 to 6 hours. Remove from oven, cool, and then slice. Put slices back into pan.
3. In a medium saucepan, combine brown sugar, ketchup, butter, water, celery salt, liquid smoke, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, salt and pepper. Stir, and cook until boiling.


4. Pour sauce over meat slices in pan. Cover and bake for 1 more hour.

Best Banana Bread

banana bread food processor





For Mother's Day, I treated myself to the most beautiful food processor ever. After much consideration, I chose a Cuisinart.

I have been having lots of fun playing with it. Although I bought this new toy to make savory dishes (mostly hummus), I have made a few sweet treats.

When I bought the food processor, I also bought The Food Processor Bible by Norene Gilletz.

This morning I made her Best Banana Bread (for the 4th time) in my food processor. It's so quick to make! What I love about this recipe is that it only uses 1/4 cup oil. This recipe is also unique because it calls for 3 teaspoons of baking soda, and it's cooked for a very loooong time in a slow oven (275). The bread is darker than most. Because I'm a big fan of the crust, I make four small loaves instead of one large.


Best Banana Bread

from Norene Gilletz

3 medium very ripe bananas (the blacker the better)

1 cup sugar

3 tsp. baking soda

dash salt

2 eggs

1/4 cup oil

1 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp. lemon juice plus milk to equal 1/2 cup (or 1/2 cup buttermilk)

2 Tbsp. ground flax seed or wheat germ (optional)


Using the steel blade in your food processor, process bananas until pureed (15 to 20 seconds). Measure 1 cup banana puree. Add sugar, baking soda and salt; process for 30 seconds. Add eggs and oil and process until blended, about 10 seconds. Pour flour over, then add sour milk or buttermilk. Process 8 to 10 seconds longer, until smooth. Blend in flax seed or wheat germ, if using.

Pour into greased bread pan. Bake on middle rack in preheated 275 degree F oven about 2 1/2 hours, or until loaf tests done.

* I make 4 small loaves instead of one large. I bake these smaller loaves for 1 1/2 hours and it is fine.

Saturday, June 30, 2007

Sunburns Without Sun

My kids and I got sunburns yesterday. I'm so embarrassed! I feel so badly. It's their first real burns. We were at the beach for four hours with not a drop of sun the entire day. I am a manic mother when it comes to sunscreen usually. (I was wearing a sweatshirt it was so chilly!) At least we all had a ball. The kids were swimming and boogie boarding.

We brought sandwiches and the usual fare for the beach -- chips, brownies, fruit salad.

I feel like a failure. As my husband said, "Let it go." Am I the worst mother, or what?!

Friday, June 29, 2007

The Joys of Summer Food



















Yesterday was a day of eating well for me. For lunch, I was inspired to eat a lunch like Oprah. On one of her shows that I caught recently, she mentioned that she eats turkey sandwiches on Wasa crisps. These crisps are curiously satisfying, crunchy, and only 60 calories each. Her sandwich also had cheese, but I chose to stick with: a couple slices of Boar's Head buffalo turkey, Romaine lettuce, tomato and horseradish mustard. It was delicious! May I recommend the "light rye" flavor of the Wasa crisps. Here's a link to Wasa's site: http://us.wasa.com/wasa/smpage.fwx?page=591&main=products.
For dinner, I steamed some of the vegetables that I bought at the farm stand the other day. Somehow the timing worked out well, and each veggie was the perfect tenderness. It also helps that the veggies were so fresh. I put about 2 inches of water in the bottom of a medium saucepan. When it came to a boil, I added the zucchini and summer squash first. On top of the squash, I layered broccoli florets and red peppers. I threw the cover on and let it boil and steam for about 8 minutes. All they needed was a little salt and pepper.
Of course I didn't just eat vegetables for dinner. I also had a sandwich with tuna on whole wheat. My husband and son had baseball practice.




Thursday, June 28, 2007

Zucchini and tomatoes





My husband and I planted five veggies this summer. We planted three tomato plants and two zucchini plants. The zucchini plants are really doing well! There are tons of beautiful zucchini blossoms. The tomato plants, however, are yellow and looking crunchy...not sure why. I've given them plenty of water. Maybe too much? We'll see!

Tuesday, June 26, 2007

Pesto Margherita Pizza



















Using my new food processor, I made pizza dough. I was amazed by how easy it was! I made a double batch of dough which makes 4 good-sized pizzas. I used a recipe that came with my KitchenAid food processor.

I made two pizzas so far. One is this Pesto Margherita Pizza, and the other one has the standard red sauce and shredded mozzarella.
For the Pesto Margherita Pizza, first I lightly baked the crust for about 5 to 10 minutes. After taking the pizza out of the oven, I spread the pesto, and then I placed sliced tomatoes and fresh mozzarella over it. I baked it at 400 on the bottom shelf of the oven until the crust was nicely browned. I used olive oil on the pan, and then I sprinkled some on top of the tomatoes before it hit the oven.
I recommend you salt your tomatoes and let them release their juices before you place them on the pizza.
Herbed Pizza Dough
1 cup water
2 T olive oil
1 package active dry yeast
Water should be 105 to 115 degrees, then stir in yeast and olive oil until dissolved. Set aside.
With dough blade in word bowl add:
3 cups flour
1 ounce freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 t sugar
3/4 t salt
1/2 t dried basil
Process about 10 seconds. With processor running, slowly add yeast mixture. Process 1 1/2 to 2 minutes; dough will form a ball.
Remove dough to greased bowl, turning dough to grease all sides. Cover; let rise in warm place until double in size, about 45 to 60 minutes.

Monday, June 25, 2007

Freshly picked strawberries and peas







Today the kids and I went to our local farmers market and picked strawberries and peas. There were strawberries everywhere! It was hard to stop picking there were so many. Looks like I need to make some strawberry shortcake. I am also tossing around an idea I saw from Ina Garten (the Barefoot Contessa). She sprinkled her strawberries with a bit of balsamic vinegar, sugar and black pepper. As she would say, "How bad can that be?"
I have since learned that I was supposed to pick smaller pea pods, but I am sure they will still taste good lightly steamed. I also couldn't resist buying "their own" broccoli, hot house tomatoes, zucchini and summer squash.
Don't you just love this adorable "Fresh from the Farmers Market" icon? It's free and available for your use. Check it out at the website http://kitchen-parade-veggieventure.blogspot.com/.

Saturday, June 23, 2007

Sweet Mustard Chops

I grilled some pork chops last night. I adapted the recipe from Allrecipes. I think they were alright.

The grilled zucchini and red peppers were better than the pork! I marinated them in olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Sweet Mustard Chops

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup prepared mustard
2 teaspoons Montreal Steak seasoning
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
4 (1 inch thick) pork chops


DIRECTIONS:
Combine mayonnaise, brown sugar, mustard and seasoned salt; mix well. Blend in vinegar. Pour into a large resealable plastic bag or shallow glass container; add pork. Seal bag or cover container; refrigerate overnight. Drain and discard marinade. Grill, covered, over medium coals, turning occasionally, for 20-25 minutes or until juices run clear.

Tuesday, June 19, 2007

Hot Rolls


Today the kids and I made this hot roll mix from Pillsbury. I noticed the "use by" date was coming quickly, so we made them in spite of the fact it was such a hot day. The dough was sticky and hard to handle, but we had fun. They turned out delicious! I would highly recommend. You need to add an egg, water, sugar, and butter.

Stopping to enjoy the butterfly and flowers







As I was taking a photo of some flowers (coreopsis) that I was planning to pull up, this large monarch sat for a pose. Here are some photos of this year's annuals. I always go big on the potato vines.



Foodie BlogRoll

Please take a look at my sidebar. It's a link to join The Foodie BlogRoll--Food Bloggers unite! It will give you lots of opportunities to find other fascinating food blogs. Enjoy!

Friday, June 1, 2007

Tomato, Mozzarella and Avocado

I made our usual salad with tomato, mozzarella and balsamic salad, but I added some ripe avocado in the center.

Tuesday, May 8, 2007

Fixings for a Salad


Tonight we had a busy weeknight's dinner: ground hamburger with beef gravy over mashed potatoes (aka "country style hamburger"). I served a salad on the side. The kids could choose what they wanted in the salad: Romaine lettuce, red pepper slices, tomatoes and feta. Simple but satisfying!

Slow Cooker Vegetable Chicken Soup


In my new slow cooker, I made a soup with veggies and split chicken breast that came out quite tasty! It looks pretty, and it must be good for me.

Vegetable Chicken Soup

2 boxes low salt Chicken Broth
1 small onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, diced
1 zucchini, diced
2 handfuls of baby carrots, each cut into 3 pieces
2 small tomatoes, seeded and diced
2 split chicken breasts, skin removed
bay leaf
salt and pepper to taste

cooked rice or noodles (Pastina or orzo)
Parmesan cheese

After it is done cooking, remove the bay leaf and the bones, dice the chicken and put it back into the soup. Then stir in your cooked rice or pasta. It also tastes good if you put a few diced potatoes in there at the beginning of cooking it. I cooked mine on low for over 8 hours. Serve with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.

Tuesday, April 24, 2007

Turkey Burgers

Dinner was served. After much consideration (or at least, a little), I ended up putting some dinner on the table. The kids each had a hot dog (yuck), and my husband and I had turkey burgers on wheat rolls.

Normally I insist we all eat the same thing -- unless it's a bizarre food. Tonight I just didn't have it in me.

The burgers are so easy! Here's the simple recipe:

1 package ground turkey
1/4 cup dried Italian bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan

I made 4 large burgers with this mix. I had frozen three last week, and then I defrosted them tonight in the microwave. I fried them in a little spray olive oil in a non-stick pan. Cook on moderate heat until internal temperature is 170 degrees. The top and bottom of the burgers get nice and crunchy. Fabulous!

It's an overly simple idea... It's just what I was in the mood for. We had some sliced red peppers and baby carrots with dip for our veggie.

First Entry

The name of this blog just came to me. Actually, it was whined to me by my oldest. As he expected, I told him that I do not know what's for dinner.

Yes, I know that I should make a list on Sunday and buy my groceries accordingly. I know that I should have each week's menus all ready to go (ideally, they'd be laminated and alphabetized). I know that each meal should: include all of the food groups, feature complex carbohydrates to prevent high glycemic index, and let's not forget the importance of fiber!

But alas, I didn't and I don't know what's for dinner.

Having dinner plans somewhat planned out for the week is a comforting feeling. Not knowing what to slap on the table tonight is a sinking, boring feeling. I am bored with thinking about dinner.

I plan well some days. Just yesterday, I knew what we were having. I had made beef chili (no beans) on Sunday so that we could eat it on Monday. That was great! Tonight? Not so great. Hmmm... No meat is defrosted, not enough eggs for the entire family, blah, blah, blah. Tune in to see what I scrap together.