Monday, August 18, 2008
Back in October
Life is a bit crazy right now--have to plow through some deadlines. Looking forward to coming back in earnest in October!
Friday, July 25, 2008
$100?
Could you feed your family for $100?
Our grocery bill hovered between $75 and $100 until this spring. But that doesn't include lunches for the kids or my husband during the week. And I eat leftovers for lunch about half the time and buy my lunch the other half. Then food prices went c.r.a.z.y. and we were looking at twice that sometimes. Twice! For seven dinners and oatmeal.
When our CSA share has started up, the bill went back down below $100, but that's not counting a great deal of veggies we've already paid for.
Maybe I'll start tracking grocery bills, along with the menu.
Our grocery bill hovered between $75 and $100 until this spring. But that doesn't include lunches for the kids or my husband during the week. And I eat leftovers for lunch about half the time and buy my lunch the other half. Then food prices went c.r.a.z.y. and we were looking at twice that sometimes. Twice! For seven dinners and oatmeal.
When our CSA share has started up, the bill went back down below $100, but that's not counting a great deal of veggies we've already paid for.
Maybe I'll start tracking grocery bills, along with the menu.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Turkey pesto burgers
This is barely a recipe
1.25 lb ground turkey (that's the way Jenny-O packs it)
2-4 tablespoons pesto (or whatever you've got in the fridge)
Mix together lightly. Pockets of pesto are okay. Make six to eight thin patties, indenting the middles a bit, and place them on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 400 degrees, about 12 minutes. (You can press on the centers to tell when their done.) Reheat on a hot frying pan.
Why a rimmed baking sheet? Because, depending on how you made your pesto, a lot of oil could come out of your burgers.
1.25 lb ground turkey (that's the way Jenny-O packs it)
2-4 tablespoons pesto (or whatever you've got in the fridge)
Mix together lightly. Pockets of pesto are okay. Make six to eight thin patties, indenting the middles a bit, and place them on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 400 degrees, about 12 minutes. (You can press on the centers to tell when their done.) Reheat on a hot frying pan.
Why a rimmed baking sheet? Because, depending on how you made your pesto, a lot of oil could come out of your burgers.
50.5 meals: Some observations
Because I'm apparently in a list-making mood:
1. Man, we eat an awful lot of chicken and turkey.
2. Sandwiches, unless they're pressed in the waffle iron, don't seem to go over well.
3. Neither do soups. The Big Bean and I love pho, but that's far from a quick weeknight dinner, unless we get takeout. I love cold beet soup. The husband likes it. The kids think I'm trying to put something over on them. Maybe I am.
4. I usually cook way too much for dinner--too many dishes, too much of each. In truth, the kids fill up on lunch and snacks at school and the husband and I eat lunches that are plenty big. I need to get back to single dishes and to thinking of the evening meal as supper, something to tide us over until breakfast.
5. But I like having lots of little dishes on the table, so that may never happen.
6. And I like leftovers, because that's what I eat for lunch and what I'll probably start packing for the kids in the fall. So scratch all that.
1. Man, we eat an awful lot of chicken and turkey.
2. Sandwiches, unless they're pressed in the waffle iron, don't seem to go over well.
3. Neither do soups. The Big Bean and I love pho, but that's far from a quick weeknight dinner, unless we get takeout. I love cold beet soup. The husband likes it. The kids think I'm trying to put something over on them. Maybe I am.
4. I usually cook way too much for dinner--too many dishes, too much of each. In truth, the kids fill up on lunch and snacks at school and the husband and I eat lunches that are plenty big. I need to get back to single dishes and to thinking of the evening meal as supper, something to tide us over until breakfast.
5. But I like having lots of little dishes on the table, so that may never happen.
6. And I like leftovers, because that's what I eat for lunch and what I'll probably start packing for the kids in the fall. So scratch all that.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Museum-worthy
From photofunia.com. Via the inimitable Angry Chicken. I think everyone on the web is doing this very thing this morning.
Sunday, July 20, 2008
What's on the menu this week
Saturday: Dinner with friends
Sunday brunch: Baked eggs, bacon, crostata, fruit
Sunday dinner: Big salad, salami, cheese, beet soup, rye bread
Monday: Just me and the kids: Freezer fun!
Tuesday: School carnival rescheduled
Wednesday: Quinoa salad, turkey burgers in lettuce wraps
Thursday: Sesame soba noodles with broccoli
Friday: Mac and cheese, veggies, challah
Sunday brunch: Baked eggs, bacon, crostata, fruit
Sunday dinner: Big salad, salami, cheese, beet soup, rye bread
Monday: Just me and the kids: Freezer fun!
Tuesday: School carnival rescheduled
Wednesday: Quinoa salad, turkey burgers in lettuce wraps
Thursday: Sesame soba noodles with broccoli
Friday: Mac and cheese, veggies, challah
Friday, July 18, 2008
50.5, part V!
Phew! It wasn't easy getting to 50. Maybe we don't actually eat 50 easy, tasty things. I actually think about a dozen of these are in heavy rotation for us.
40. Tortilla roll-ups
Just like those cheesy hors d'oeuvres. You'll need a spread (cream cheese, salsa, Laughing Cow, whatever), some shaved or chopped veggies, some protein. Let the kids do the work.
41. Spring rolls
Sounds complicated. Is not. You need spring roll wrappers. Some patience. A willingness to let go of perfectionism. Oh, and some combination of the following: rice noodles, shaved vegetables, thinly cut protein of choice. Soy or hoisin for dipping. Kids think they're magic.
42. BLTs
Have you ever turned down a BLT? Turkey bacon can be good, too.
43. Persian rice
This is not quick. But I must include it because it is one of our absolute favorite meals. Because we are not Persian, we usually eat this with turkey meatballs (the cumin and coriander kind), feta cheese, greens, and lots of plain yogurt.
44. Edamame
This is for when I'm not hungry. Kids love to pop edamame out of their pods. Plus: protein and veggie in one. Maybe some rice and carrot sticks on the side.
45. Chicken and biscuits
There are slow ways to do this and their are quick ways. The quick way involves leftover chicken and vegetables, a light white sauce (add sherry), and your favorite biscuit recipe or phyllo dough.
46. Turkey tetrazzini
Not so quick. So good. I'll post the recipe sometime.
47. Falafel in pita
I--gasp!--use a mix for this. (I also have a potato-based Indian-spiced veggie burger recipe. You can keep the mix in the fridge for a couple of days and fry them as you need them. But my kids don't like them. And they're not quick. So they don't qualify.)
48. Roast turkey breast
Roast it on Sunday night. Slice it for dinner Monday and Tuesday. Serve with cranberry sauce all year round.
49. Squash lasagna
No one in my family actually likes this. But I am convinced it is a good recipe nonetheless: Stir a pint of ricotta into a pint or so of pureed cooked squash (there's the problem for me, right there). Layer this mixture with parcooked lasagna noodles and grated parmesan. Bake until bubbly.
50. Risotto
Clean out the fridge. Call it "special rice," if you must. If I were better at frying things, I would make arancini with the leftovers.
50.5 Cold cereal. Because when the going gets tough, the tough aren't too proud to break out the Cheerios.
40. Tortilla roll-ups
Just like those cheesy hors d'oeuvres. You'll need a spread (cream cheese, salsa, Laughing Cow, whatever), some shaved or chopped veggies, some protein. Let the kids do the work.
41. Spring rolls
Sounds complicated. Is not. You need spring roll wrappers. Some patience. A willingness to let go of perfectionism. Oh, and some combination of the following: rice noodles, shaved vegetables, thinly cut protein of choice. Soy or hoisin for dipping. Kids think they're magic.
42. BLTs
Have you ever turned down a BLT? Turkey bacon can be good, too.
43. Persian rice
This is not quick. But I must include it because it is one of our absolute favorite meals. Because we are not Persian, we usually eat this with turkey meatballs (the cumin and coriander kind), feta cheese, greens, and lots of plain yogurt.
44. Edamame
This is for when I'm not hungry. Kids love to pop edamame out of their pods. Plus: protein and veggie in one. Maybe some rice and carrot sticks on the side.
45. Chicken and biscuits
There are slow ways to do this and their are quick ways. The quick way involves leftover chicken and vegetables, a light white sauce (add sherry), and your favorite biscuit recipe or phyllo dough.
46. Turkey tetrazzini
Not so quick. So good. I'll post the recipe sometime.
47. Falafel in pita
I--gasp!--use a mix for this. (I also have a potato-based Indian-spiced veggie burger recipe. You can keep the mix in the fridge for a couple of days and fry them as you need them. But my kids don't like them. And they're not quick. So they don't qualify.)
48. Roast turkey breast
Roast it on Sunday night. Slice it for dinner Monday and Tuesday. Serve with cranberry sauce all year round.
49. Squash lasagna
No one in my family actually likes this. But I am convinced it is a good recipe nonetheless: Stir a pint of ricotta into a pint or so of pureed cooked squash (there's the problem for me, right there). Layer this mixture with parcooked lasagna noodles and grated parmesan. Bake until bubbly.
50. Risotto
Clean out the fridge. Call it "special rice," if you must. If I were better at frying things, I would make arancini with the leftovers.
50.5 Cold cereal. Because when the going gets tough, the tough aren't too proud to break out the Cheerios.
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