Disasters in Homemaking

Time to Make the Dough?

2011-08-20T20:37:00.000-07:00

I just read this quick description of making french baguettes. I've never seriously considered making my own bread, but this makes it look so simple, I might have to try it. Of course, I'm also going to have to figure out how to make it at altitude, but I've got pluck so I'll give it a try!Here's the link at the Nosh Cookbook: http://www.noshcookbook.com/2011/08/baguette-recipe-of-simple-kneads.html

Menu Plan Monday 5 - Week of August 15, 2011

2011-08-15T08:34:00.000-07:00

This is what our family will be eating this week:

Special Notes: I recently signed up for "The Six O'Clock Scramble," which is a service you pay for that suggests a weekly menu. I like it because you can modify each week's menu according to your family's dietary needs and it helps me to expand my repertoire of dinners. One of the best features is the shopping list. Every ingredient is marked with a key that identifies which meal or side dish the ingredient is meant for. That way, if you are whizzing through the market with small children on the verge of an unexpected meltdown, you can quickly edit the list (in your mind) for the critical items you need for that night's meal, or the next few nights' meals instead of the whole week. Also, if you are a multiple location shopper, like me, you can easily figure out whether or not you have enough ingredients from one store to complete the meal.

Monday: Black Bean Burgers (The Six O'Clock Scramble) with a side of sauteed yams and corn.

Tuesday: Honey Sesame Spaghetti (The Six O'Clock Scramble)

Wednesday: Black Bean, Fennel and Tomato Stew (The Six O'Clock Scramble)

Thursday: Moo Shu Vegetable Wraps (The Six O'Clock Scramble)

Friday: Apple Bacon Cheddar Frittata (The Six O'Clock Scramble)

Saturday: Coconut Chicken with Mango (The Six O'Clock Scramble)

Sunday: Leftovers (The Six O'Clock Scramble)

Further Inspiration:
Looking for more menu planning ideas? Check out "Meal Plan Monday" on OrgJunkie.com.

Info on Who I Feed:

Our family consists of myself, my husband, our preschool daughter and toddler son. Everyone has different food preferences. I love onions, garlic and peppers and flavors like stir-fries. I'm not fond of meat, but eat it sparingly. I don't ever eat pork (no, not even bacon), lamb, rabbit or veal. I love carbs. My husband is directly opposite - no garlic, onions or peppers, lots of meat. Our children fall in the range between us.

I try to be budget-minded and healthful, but some weeks are easier than others. Every now and then I get on a diet type of kick. I'm going to label each week's meal plan according to the overall healthfulness of it.

At the end of the week, I will make notes about whether or not we stuck to the plan, adaptations and how the meal went over.

A Return to the Blog

2011-08-13T18:57:00.000-07:00

I've taken a bit of a hiatus from this blog - with good reason! In the past year I finished my master's in Gerontology at an accelerated pace (almost double the load) while continuing to be the full-time, stay at home mom that I am. In addition to finishing with a 4.0 GPA, we got pregnant again with #3 (yay! - due in January 2012) AND got moved to Denver for my husband's job just after graduating.

Nothing like preparing a house for sale, packing for moving, scampering halfway across the country for two day school finding trips and finishing a thesis with morning sickness to make you wonder if you've taken on too much!

Nevertheless, as I'm setting into a new routine here in Denver and looking forward to moving into our new home next month (we are presently in corporate housing), I'm finding myself wondering what, exactly, we've been eating for this past year! I know we were in an easy routine with home cooked meals, but can't for the life of me recall what we were eating every week! I think there was a fair bit of tortellini involved. Also, living up here at altitude I've discovered it's pretty tricky cooking meat properly so I've pretty much abandoned it. My husband, cycling more than ever, needs his protein but is content cooking his own meat.

At some point this spring I discovered the Six o'Clock Scramble and subscribed. It's a GREAT cheat sheet for creating a menu plan. I don't mind that it costs some money because I really like the convenience and the meals have challenged me to try new foods.

Today, as I was making dinner, I remembered Disasters in Homemaking and thought I'd get back to it as a great way to keep track of the meals and household rhythms that seem to work for our family.

I'm really happy to be here in Colorado - it's simply gorgeous and I love a new adventure. The one thing I'm sad about in the move is that we didn't get the chance to garden this growing season. I'm hoping to learn about produce gardening in the Denver area so that next spring I can start at the right time. I think we are going to put a greenhouse in our yard too, which will be really exciting! I only major drawback to the Denver area I've found is that it simply cannot compete with California in terms of the bounty of farm fresh, year-round produce available. That's what you get for living somewhere with four full seasons, I guess! It inspires me to grow our food even more, so we'll see what comes of it then. I'll be posting those adventures over at the Plant Killer.

Stay tuned for menu updates and adventures in homemaking!

Menu Plan Monday 4 - Week of August 9

2010-08-08T15:03:00.000-07:00

Craving Levity

This is what our family will be eating this week:

Special Notes: I'm taking everything from the "You on a Diet" book. I can't say I've actually done the whole diet / exercise program outlined in the book, but I have given a number of the recipes a stab and they're very good. They're also easy and quick to make. It's funny, but this is one of the best cookbooks I've used, as far as the recipes being well written and consistently producing yummy food. I'm ready for a change and thought I'd give the whole two-week "You on a Diet" thing a spin. We'll see what results I get in energy or weight! The "diet" involves exercise as well, and you have to follow it for breakfast and lunch as well, but I'm just listing the dinners here.

Monday: Asian Salmon with Brown Rice Pilaf (p. 285, You on a Diet)

Tuesday: Stuffed Whole Wheat Pizza (p. 287, You on a Diet)

Wednesday: Mediterranean Chicken with Tomato, Olives and Herbed White Beans (p. 289, You on a Diet)

Thursday: Royal Pasta Primavera Provençale (p. 290, You on a Diet)

Friday: Apricot Chicken and Green Beans with Almond Slivers (p. 291, You on a Diet)

Saturday: Turkey Tortilla Wraps with Red Baked Potato (p. 292, You on a Diet)

Sunday: Broiled Trout, Orata with Rosemary and Lemon, Rock Aparagus (p. 293 & p. 301, You on a Diet)

Further Inspiration:
Looking for more menu planning ideas? Check out "Meal Plan Monday" on OrgJunkie.com.

Info on Who I Feed:

Our family consists of myself, my husband, our preschool daughter and toddler son. Everyone has different food preferences. I love onions, garlic and peppers and flavors like stir-fries. I'm not fond of meat, but eat it sparingly. I don't ever eat pork (no, not even bacon), lamb, rabbit or veal. I love carbs. My husband is directly opposite - no garlic, onions or peppers, lots of meat. Our children fall in the range between us.

I try to be budget-minded and healthful, but some weeks are easier than others. Every now and then I get on a diet type of kick. I'm going to label each week's meal plan according to the overall healthfulness of it.

At the end of the week, I will make notes about whether or not we stuck to the plan, adaptations and how the meal went over.

Lusty Bagel with Cream Cheese and Tomato

2010-08-07T15:17:00.000-07:00

One of the reasons I took up gardening a few years ago is that I wanted some certifiably home grown tomatoes to pull ripe and warm off the plant and exalt over on a bagel with cream cheese. This is the essence of summer flavors for me.

My large tomatoes haven't come in quite yet, but we have received a few gorgeous tomatoes in our weekly CSA box. I didn't intend for this tomato to look like it's smiling. I'm a little bummed about that actually because it detracts from the real focus of the photo: look at the amazing deep red of that tomato!!! Look how gorgeous and succulent it is! It's almost like a persimmon, the ways it's just drizzling out of its skin with juiciness. It was simply fantastic.

Thumbs Down on Karam's Garlic Sauce

2010-08-06T14:49:00.000-07:00

One issue I have with Sriracha sauce is that is can be rather spicy. Normally I like this, but sometimes I just want full-flavored garlic on my food without the spice. I happened across a garlic sauce on the refrigerator shelves of Whole Foods recently. It was pretty pricey - something like $6 for the bottle, but I'll pay a pretty penny for a truly great condiment.

The sauce is "Karam's Garlic Sauce." It has a simple ingredient list - olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, salt, pepper. The problem I have with it is twofold:

A) it basically tastes like any plain old bottled Caesar salad dressing

and

B) it doesn't hold up when applied to heat - the oil separates.

These two factors combing to make me feel like I'm adding something to a dish that shouldn't be exposed to heat (like salad dressing) and makes me think of mayonnaise that's been sitting around unrefrigerated at some sandwich counter all day. In short, because of the actual texture of the sauce, I can't shake the feeling that I'm eating instant food poisoning.

Apparently there's a cult following behind Karam's sauce and more power to them. I'm sticking with my Sriracha for now and hoping I'll discover the ultimate basic garlic sauce somewhere else.

Recipe: Summer Pasta with Garden Tomatoes and Basil

2010-08-05T15:43:00.000-07:00

I have to remember to take a picture of this the next time I make it!

This recipe is very simple and it makes a delicious meal. As with any dish that is simple, you must make sure you are using the most fresh and flavorful ingredients. Right now, we get the tomatoes and basil from our garden.

12 oz penne pasta
2 pints small (cherry ish) tomatoes - washed and whole (minus stems)
1/2 cup chicken broth (can be substituted with vegetable - I use the Trader Joe's broth packets that you add water to)
1 small bunch basil - leaves torn
Shredded parmesan cheese to taste
sea salt to taste
black pepper to taste

Additional Onion / Garlic Sauce if Desired:
3 cloves garlic - roughly minced
1 small white or red onion - sliced thin or thick, depending on your preference
1/4 cup chicken / vegetable broth

Put water on to boil. While water is heating, wash tomatoes and basil. If adding garlic / onion sauce do the following at this point:

1. Slice the onion
2. Pour about 1 tbsp olive oil into a pan
3. Over high heat, add the onions and caramelize it (start high until well browned, lower to medium to simmer out the sugar)
4. Meanwhile, roughly mince the garlic
5. As onion approaches your desired level of caramelizing, add garlic and lower the temperature until garlic is sauteed
6. toss in broth, stir and simmer for another minute or two
7. Pull off stove and set aside to add to pasta later

BACK TO THE PASTA:
1. Cook pasta according to package directions
2. During last minute, pull out 1 cup boiling water from pot
3. Throw tomatoes into pasta water for last 10 seconds of cooking pasta
4. Drain pasta and tomatoes
5. Return to pot
6. Toss in a little olive oil to prevent sticking
7. Mix reserved pasta water with 1 packet broth mix from Trader Joe's (or bouillon cube)
8. Add broth to pasta & tomatoes*
9. Dish out food
10. Top pasta with torn basil and cheese (the basil wilts easily which is why you add it after plating)

*If you opted for the garlic / onion sauce, add here. If you are like me and are the only one who will eat onions and / or garlic in your family, you can toss your added sauce in after plating.

Other Ideas:
You can easily add leftover meats to this dish and completely change the flavor. I often make extra to use as a hold over a few days later with a meat as a "fresh" leftover meal.

A New Love: Sriracha

2010-08-03T14:37:00.000-07:00

A few years ago I was wandering the aisles of a grocery store and another customer asked me if I knew where the "rooster sauce" was. I had no idea what she was talking about. The then launched into a lengthy explanation of how much she and her 5 year old daughter loved this sauce and put it on everything. It was spicy and full of garlic and it sounded divine. The woman told me how it was usually found in the Asian section of a grocery store and that it had a rooster on it.

Time went by and I forgot about it until one day I spotted some of this mysterious sauce, just as she'd declared, in the Asian section with a rooster on it. The sauce is called "Sriracha" and the brand is Huy Fong. It's an American-made sauce that's based on an old standby from Thailand. It has been the most amazing addition to my culinary arsenal.

Warning: Always Shake the Bottle!!!
It's actually not that spicy, or rather, the spiciness and garlic flavors are pretty well balanced when you first open the bottle. It's critical, however, that you shake the bottle every time prior to squeezing sauce out of it or you'll end up with less garlic and more heat. I actually had to toss out about 1/4 of a bottle once because it got too spicy.

Another Warning: Be Sure You're Getting the Real Thing!
The greatest variant of Sriracha I've found is the Huy Fong version. Sadly, when you have an enviable product, people like to copy it and apparently this holds true for Sriracha. Yes, that's right... along with Chanel, Gucci and two dollar bills, there's a quick market for counterfeit Sriracha out there. Learn about how to get the genuine article here.

What to Eat Sriracha With
I hit the golden ticket the first time I tried the Sriracha - I used it as a condiment for a plain old cheese quesadilla and it was AMAZING. A friend of mine told me it goes great with "sweet" flavors. I wonder if it would be good with mango, and I intend to find out when I try this recipe for Grilled Chicken with a Mango Sriracha Glaze.

I eat boiled eggs with Sriracha a lot too, and it really perks up anything you would normally eat either hot sauce or ketchup with. In fact, it's really easy to combine Sriracha with ketchup and / or mayo / sour cream to create a great dipping sauce.

My love affair with Sriracha is only just beginning and I can already tell this is going to be a lifelong fascination. Please share any thoughts you have about good Sriracha recipes!

Menu Plan Monday 3 - Week of August 2

2010-08-02T09:39:00.000-07:00

Feeding Hungry Athletes

This is what our family will be eating this week:

Special Notes: This week my husband will be out on Tuesday night, so I get to prepare a simple meal that he usually isn't fond of. On Saturday, he's riding a century on his bike (100 miles... like a marathon for cyclists), so I really want to carb and protein-load him afterward. In addition, we belong to a CSA, which we pick up our food from on Wednesdays. This last week's box had a fair amount of beets and potatoes, which I'm going to need to use ASAP. Finally, our pear tree is booming... I think on Saturday I'll plan to make pear-based pierogies for Sunday. We're off to a family gathering on Sunday, so it would be nice to show up with something in-hand.

Monday: Apricot Chickenwith Green Beans and Almonds (p. 291 You on a Diet)

Tuesday: Summer Pasta with Garden Tomatoes, Basil and Parmesan

Wednesday: Rosemary Shallot Pork Tenderloin with Fig-Balsamic Compote by Gabi Moskowitz over at Broke Ass Gourmet, served with roasted potatoes and beets

Thursday: Taco Thursday with Ground Turkey

Friday: Asian Steak and Noodles (p. 48 The Working Mom's Fast & Easy One-Pot Cooking)

Saturday: Pasta with Sausage Spaghetti Sauce

Sunday: Leftovers, Gabi Moskowitz's Sweet Potato and Pear Pierogies with Chilies (after a Mid-Day Family Meal at Sister-in-Law's)

Further Inspiration:
Looking for more menu planning ideas? Check out "Meal Plan Monday" on OrgJunkie.com.

Info on Who I Feed:

Our family consists of myself, my husband, our preschool daughter and toddler son. Everyone has different food preferences. I love onions, garlic and peppers and flavors like stir-fries. I'm not fond of meat, but eat it sparingly. I don't ever eat pork (no, not even bacon), lamb, rabbit or veal. I love carbs. My husband is directly opposite - no garlic, onions or peppers, lots of meat. Our children fall in the range between us.

I try to be budget-minded and healthful, but some weeks are easier than others. Every now and then I get on a diet type of kick. I'm going to label each week's meal plan according to the overall healthfulness of it.

At the end of the week, I will make notes about whether or not we stuck to the plan, adaptations and how the meal went over.

Dishwasher Lasagna

2010-07-26T16:07:00.000-07:00

Holy cow. Now I've heard of everything.

Perhaps this is better served in my blog on thrifty living, since it capitalizes on using the dishwasher while you're washing dishes, but it also looks like a definite dinner disaster in the making.

Apparently it's possible to cook fish, and now lasagna, or anything else that can be cooked via a steam packet of tin foil, in your dishwasher.

Am I bold enough to put this on a future menu? I might just have to try it out.

Here's the step-by-step recipe on cooking lasagna with a dishwasher, and here's a video about it.

This is the penultimate dishwasher poached salmon recipe by Bob Blumer on Salon.com.

Speaking of Bob Blumer, it seems his complete set of "Surreal Gourmet" articles are no longer on Salon, so here's a link to one of his books, "Surreal Gourmet: Real Food for Pretend Chefs."

Menu Plan Monday 2 - Week of July 26

2010-07-26T10:31:00.000-07:00

Yummy Healthful Meals from All Over the World

Most of these recipes are relatively fast. They're all fresh and healthful.

This is what our family will be eating this week:

Special Notes: Some links point to the book that I'm getting the recipe from with page number after.

Monday: Asian Salmon, Brown Rice Pilaf, (both adapted from "You on a Diet " p. 285 - adaptation: no garlic) Sautéed Spinach

Follow Up Note: Super easy to cook. Used leftovers in salad the next day.

Tuesday: Rice Noodles with Vegetable Chili Sauce (p. 170 The Detox Cookbook)

Follow Up Note: Ended up cooking on Thursday night. Took about 20 minutes of prep, 45 minutes total. Very easy and delicious.

Wednesday: Crockpot Sweet Potato Andouille Sausage Stew from Gabi Moskowitz's Mom at Broke Ass Gourmet (leftover vegetable chili sauce over leftover brown rice pilaf for me)

Follow Up Note: Cooked on Tuesday. The children wouldn't eat it. Fortunately there were lots of leftovers (that's sarcasm). Froze to serve in a few weeks. Had about 5 extra servings. Husband wants more sausage next time.

Thursday: Roasted Chicken with Carrots, Onions and Potatoes from Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa Cookbook

Follow Up Note: Cooked on Wednesday. Used extra vegetables. Served Thursday night for children. I always forget it takes 1.5 hrs to cook. Whoops. 20 minutes prep, started at 5:30. Must remember next time that I need to start prep at 4 if I want to serve it at 6.

Friday: Indian Rice with Tomatoes and Spinach (p. 176 The Detox Cookbook)

Follow Up Note: This was DELICIOUS - everyone in my family ate some of it. Very quick to make (10 min prep, 30 cooking). I added a few teaspoons of sugar to cut the acidity of the tomatoes. I used fresh tomatoes, as per the recipe, and it's a great meal to make to use up super ripe tomatoes (though they don't have to be super ripe - it's just that when they're past salad or sandwich ripeness it's harder to find uses for them). This recipe could be more cookie cutter by using a can of diced tomatoes and frozen spinach.

Saturday: ~~Bean Salad with Tuna and Red Onion (p. 158 The Detox Cookbook)~~ Saved!!! Got an invite to dinner at a friends house! We are OUTTA Here! :-)

Sunday: No idea. Again. I'm thinking "leftovers."

Further Inspiration:
Looking for more menu planning ideas? Check out "Meal Plan Monday" on OrgJunkie.com.

Some of the recipes come from these sources, all of which I find inspiring and have simple, relatively quick, very healthy and diverse recipes:

The Brokeass Gourmet

The Detox Cookbook (don't follow the "program" outlined - it's aggravatingly complex, but the recipes are great)

The Barefoot Contessa (not exactly healthy... somewhat fattening, but will teach you how to roast like nobody's business)

You On a Diet (every recipe I've tried has been delicious and easy)

Info on Who I Feed:

Our family consists of myself, my husband, our preschool daughter and toddler son. Everyone has different food preferences. I love onions, garlic and peppers and flavors like stir-fries. I'm not fond of meat, but eat it sparingly. I don't ever eat pork (no, not even bacon), lamb, rabbit or veal. I love carbs. My husband is directly opposite - no garlic, onions or peppers, lots of meat. Our children fall in the range between us.

I try to be budget-minded and healthful, but some weeks are easier than others. Every now and then I get on a diet type of kick. I'm going to label each week's meal plan according to the overall healthfulness of it.

At the end of the week, I will make notes about whether or not we stuck to the plan, adaptations and how the meal went over.

Freshening Up Our Toddler Snacks

2010-07-25T16:09:00.000-07:00

Here's a word you hear all too often as a parent: "snacks," or "'nacks" as my son says it. On the one hand, I think it's adorable how my son says it and how my two little ones light up with delight at the sheer prospect of something as simple as "snack time." On the other hand, I cringe almost every time snack time rolls around because we're definitely stuck in a rut.

My son will eat blueberries until his poops are blue, literally. Both of them will knock back peanut-butter pretzels, cheddar bunnies, raisins or cut up apples, but that sort of brings us to the end of the line. We need more snacks to choose from!!!

This is especially important because my two year old essentially lives on snacks. G-d forbid the boy would deign to eat more than a single bite of a meal, especially dinner. Tell him something is a "snack" though and he'll power it back!

I've been troving for snack ideas and came across a few really good ones. Wholesome Toddler Food lists some great ideas like Energy Balls with grated carrots, yogurt cereal bars and baked apples with muesli.
This site, Alli 'n Son, lists waffle sandwiches as a lunch idea, but I think it would make an equally good snack. Also, I like the simplicity of the idea of Kix and raisins as a to-go snack that's listed on the "Snacks for Toddlers" site.

Do you have any other ideas?

MOTW: Gouda Turkey Cheeseburgers with Fennel Relish and Sweet Potato Fries

2010-07-20T23:06:00.000-07:00

This was the big hit last week (Jul 11-17). I got the relish and fries recipe from Real Simple, but opted for turkey burgers instead of beef (much leaner). The fennel relish is extremely fast and easy to make, but sounds delightfully gourmet. When I relayed the meal to a friend last week she stopped me when I mentioned the relish and said "you made all this?"

Instead of sweet potatos, I accidently bought yams (the white fleshed ones - I always get the two confused). They were delish!

I pulled a quick turkey burger recipe off the web which worked great. The trick with turkey burgers is that, if they're from 100% breast meat, they'll dry out very fast. Thus, adding egg whites plumps them up and the minced onion adds some flavor. I skipped the garlic because it really does bother my husband, though I'm sure it would have tasted great. The only thing about the burger recipe --- it didn't state the obvious that you need to either put butter or cooking spray in the pan. That's not necessary with beef burgers because of their fat content, but with turkey burgers... well... let's just say they stuck to the pan really well!

This meal was a hit with the whole family.
Real Simple Recipe for Burgers (minus turkey part), Fries and Relish:

Serves 4 Hands-On Time: 30m Total Time: 30m

Ingredients
2 pounds medium sweet potatoes (about 4), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch wedges
3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon olive oil
kosher salt and black pepper
1/2 small fennel bulb, cored and thinly sliced
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 1/4 pounds ground beef chuck
4 ounces Gouda, sliced
4 hamburger buns
Arugula, for serving

Directions
Heat oven to 450° F. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the potatoes, 2 tablespoons of the oil, ¾ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Roast, tossing once, until golden brown and tender, 22 to 25 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, toss the fennel, onion, lemon juice, 1 tablespoon of the oil, and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper; set aside.
Form the beef into four ½-inch-thick patties and season with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Heat the remaining teaspoon of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the patties for 3 to 4 minutes per side for medium-rare. During the last minute of cooking, top the burgers with the cheese and cook, covered.
Place the burgers on the buns with the fennel relish and arugula, if desired. Serve with the fries.

Turkey Burger recipe at AllCooks by Trudi Davidoff:

Prep Time: 15 Minutes

Cook Time: 15 Minutes

Ready In: 30 Minutes

Servings: 4

"Turkey burgers are a delicious change of pace. Slap these moist patties on the grill for a special summer treat!"

Ingredients:

1 pound ground turkey

1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon seasoned

bread crumbs

1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon finely diced

onion

2/3 egg whites, lightly beaten

1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon chopped

fresh parsley

1/3 clove garlic, peeled and minced

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions:

You have scaled this recipe's ingredients to yield a new amount (4). The directions below still refer to the original recipe yield (12).

1.	In a large bowl, mix ground turkey, seasoned bread crumbs, onion, egg whites, parsley, garlic, salt, and pepper. Form into 12 patties.
2.	Cook the patties in a medium skillet over medium heat, turning once, to an internal temperature of 180 degrees F (85 degrees C).

Taco Tuesday, July 20

2010-07-20T23:00:00.000-07:00

Tacos work great as a family food because my children get a thrill out of "making" their own tacos - adding all the condiments on top.

Tonight's variety was ground turkey breast with raisins, a mix of the Whole Foods organic southwest seasoning and Bearitos' regular seasoning, along with shoepeg corn and black beans. For toppers we had peach salsa, avocado, onions, cheese and tomatoes.

Meal of the Week - Introduction

2010-07-20T22:51:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I find myself in a rut with food, especially because my husband and I are on opposite ends of the taste spectrum. He likes meat and simple, unadorned vegetables. He enjoys dairy-based sauces and abhors stir-fries. I love stir-fries and lots of vegetables. I love garlic, onions and peppers. These things make my husband ill.

Between the two of us, my husband is the far superior cook. However, I am the homemaker, so the onus is upon me to figure out what to serve the family on a regular basis. I won't even try to factor in our children's tastes, which vacillate to wildly to dictate a menu -- my daughter used to love vegetable lasagna, but the second I made a batch big enough to have extras frozen as last resort meals, she declared that she couldn't stand the stuff.

The whole endeavor is more greatly complicated by the fact that we both try to eat relatively healthful meals. We usually fail, but rather than serving everything in a cream of mushroom sauce slathered in butter and cheese (hello Paula Deen!), which would taste awesome but cause our hearts to explode, we strive for healthy at least.

I often find myself in a pinch and come up with blanks as to what to plan for a week of food. I'll forget how, six months' prior, I'd tried a great and simple recipe that everybody loved (or at least ate) that somehow fell off the list.

Thus, I thought it would be handy to write up bits about meals that go over well each week. This is my intro to myself to remember why I started this "label" category.

Menu Plan Monday 1 - Week of July 19

2010-07-19T08:11:00.000-07:00

A Week of Home-Style, "Comfort*" Foods My Children Might Eat
*Just like "charming" = teensy in realtor-speak, "comfort" = not healthy in menu-speak

This is what our family will be eating this week:

Special Notes: My husband will be out of town Wed - Fri, so mid-week is oriented to more child-friendly fare.

Monday: Country Style BBQ Short Ribs (adapted from a pork rib recipe), Roasted Potato "Fries," Romaine Salad

Tuesday: Taco Tuesday

Wednesday: Fish 'n Chips style fish sticks (Whole Foods, mix of potatoes and fish), salad

Thursday: Annie's Mac and Cheese with Bush's Vegetarian Baked Beans, Carrots

Friday: Pizza - Trader Joe's pepperoni pizza, salad

Saturday: Cheddar and Cracker Chicken, Steamed Baby Broccoli, Roasted Potatoes

Sunday:No idea. I'll let you know when I get there!

Further Inspiration:

Here are some other inspired menus I liked this week and want to remember for future weeks.
Alli 'n Son's Toddler Lunches look great, as do the meals
Food on the Table's meals look very yummy and adult-oriented
The Common Room has a great week of meals to prepare with children. The page took forever to load, but it looks worth the wait!
Finally, Life as Mom's Menu Plan Monday post isn't so inspiring from a food perspective, but has some interesting links to other posts about meal planning.

Looking for more menu planning ideas? Check out "Meal Plan Monday" on OrgJunkie.com.

Info on Who I Feed:

Our family consists of myself, my husband, our preschool daughter and toddler son. Everyone has different food preferences. I love onions, garlic and peppers and flavors like stir-fries. I'm not fond of meat, but eat it sparingly. I don't ever eat pork (no, not even bacon), lamb, rabbit or veal. I love carbs. My husband is directly opposite - no garlic, onions or peppers, lots of meat. Our children fall in the range between us.

I try to be budget-minded and healthful, but some weeks are easier than others. Every now and then I get on a diet type of kick. I'm going to label each week's meal plan according to the overall healthfulness of it.

At the end of the week, I will make notes about whether or not we stuck to the plan, adaptations and how the meal went over.

Miniature Shepherd's Pies

2010-06-27T13:13:00.000-07:00

I was inspired to make this when a friend and neighbor showed me how easy it was to prepare ahead of time and freeze for later. I've GOT to remember this as a stand-by for the children this fall! It'll make a great, tasty and hearty dinner on-the-go when things get busy!

Martha Stewart's Shepherd's Pies

(Image from Martha Stewart's site)

The Butternut Squash Tacos... My Way

2010-05-07T22:50:00.000-07:00

I finally got around to making that luscious looking taco recipe.It came out pretty swell, and was super easy. I wonder why I wasted 2 weeks putting it off?

I bought pre-cubed squash from Trader Joe's. I couldn't find the chipotle peppers in adobo, so I just bought some chipotle salsa and used that as a substitute, which helped to make it less dry than it would have been. Used "La Tortilla Factory" corn tortillas -- can't be beat... Don't ever get "mission" brand - they bite.

Next time, I think I'd cube the squash more, probably caramelize some onions first, throw in some currents and black beans and call it a party!

Finally! An End to Those Pesky Dinnertime Dilemmas

2010-05-07T22:45:00.000-07:00

I've been looking for a tool such as this:

"What the Fuck Should I Make for Dinner?"

Could come in handy, if anything for a laugh at least.

Actually, my "old standards" for "aaaack! I forgot to shop and am supposed to serve dinner to two little children in 10 minutes!!!" are:

Microwaved fish sticks with ketchup*
Microwaved Amy's pizza bites thingies*
Microwaved anything else in the freezer*
PB&J's*
Quesadillas*
Cheesy omelets*
Canned veggie chili*

*All the aforementioned are usually "served" with: a side of peas / green beans / carrots / whatever's not totally limp, wilted or moldy from fridge

My universal go-to's if I have 20-30 minutes and only pantry / regular fridge fare are:

pasta with frozen veggies thrown in for last few minutes, tossed with marinara or chicken stock
oven-cooked fish sticks (wicked classy! we pull out all the stops some nights!)
veggie chili cooked with frozen ground turkey

What are some of your emergency dinners for little children?

Healthy Tacos for Taco Tuesday!

2010-04-24T20:09:00.000-07:00

These healthy tacos look so yummy. We do a couple of "taco Tuesdays" a month over at our house - often on a Monday or Wednesday, rarely on a Tuesday. Ordinarily, we do it with ground turkey breast, but this variation looks delicious. Butternut squash is heading out of season, but I'll keep this in mind for this fall!

Follow Up:
I tried this recipe (finally!). Delicious! Here's my post on that sweet taco action.

Soft Tacos with Sauteed Winter Squash and Chipotles