Hot dogs

with chips and grapes. Major slump in the cooking these days, but the kids don't mind :>)

Potato Soup

With onions...Ritz Crackers to go with.

VERY late - I was making a carrot cake for my boss's birthday (it's today, the cake is for tomorrow) and needed to get it into the oven before dinner. At any rate, dinner eventually made it onto the table, and the cake is in the fridge.

Spaghetti

Leftover meat and mushroom sauce over angel hair pasta, with garlic bread.

Roast beef

TMOTH made the slow-roasted beef again. Yummy. Biscuits in a can, mac & cheese for the kids, roasted carrots and potatoes, sauteed mushrooms. The carrots were a bit underdone - something noted by a few people online the first day after the recipe ran in the Post, but that could be remedied by steaming after roasting.

Second great dinner in a row. Last night we had boneless skinless thighs, grilled after marinating in Soyaki Sauce from Trader Joe's, baked potato, french bread, and lima beans (for me).

No cooking tonight

Not much, anyway. The mid-kid went to a birthday party at dinnertime and had pizza, and I had a slice as well. TMOTH cooked dinner for himself while we were gone, but he couldn't get the toddler to eat anything. I made him tomato soup, but he didn't eat it - he DID eat three slices of toast and some celery with ranch dressing. I just had a bowl of corn flakes and a cup of tea. Definitely a cold coming on - hopefully it won't peak during my meeting Monday morning.

YOYO

This term was used by a mom on one of the listservs I belong to - You're On Your Own! Not really - the boys aren't old enough to cook for themselves yet, but I made quesadillas for them and home-made macaroni and cheese for me. Mmmmmmm....nothing better when you're not feeling all that well. TMOTH made himself some french bread pizzas.

Hamburgers, cheeseburgers, hotdogs

Another locust night - the toddler ate TWO cheeseburgers, and the mid-kid ate a cheeseburger and a hotdog and maybe another hotdog. And carrot and celery sticks, for a token vegetable.

Mmmmmm, fish...

TMOTH made fish for us tonight. He sauteed artichoke hearts, peppers, garlic scapes, and garlic in butter and olive oil, then put on top of the fish to bake. I brought home French bread, a brown rice mix (portobello mushroom flavor; very good), and a broccoli/cauliflower mix. Kids had fish sticks or chicken strips.

Leftover bean soup

Fast and easy.

Last night was pork tenderloin, fried apples, salad/vegetables, and crescent rolls. I never know when we have dinner whether my kids will show up as butterflies or locusts; last night it was locusts. Nothing but a grease stain left on the plate.

Beef shank

TMOTH bought a cross-cut beef shank on sale last week, so I braised it, adapted from an Emeril Lagasse recipe, with onions, carrots, and celery in a broth-wine mix. Yum. Homemade yeast rolls to go with. I made pasta for the kids, and wound up with enough for us to mix with the meat. Double yum.

Waffles and bacon

The mid-kid wanted Lego waffles, so I got them for him for dinner. (TMOTH and I had normal waffles.)

Leftover bacon will be VERY good on bean soup sometime this weekend. TMOTH has a beef shank in the fridge; not sure of his plans for that.

Bits of this and that

1. Cheese sticks
2. Tyropita
3. Soft pretzels
4. Baguettes
5. Pretzel thins
6. Hummus
7. Artichoke dip

Plus, TMOTH is making cookies!

Leftover roast beef

TMOTH made mashed potatoes and I brought home mushrooms to saute. Also a cantaloupe, which wasn't bad for January. Brownies from a box for dessert later!

Chicken thighs

On the grill - TMOTH cooked 'em, so I don't know what he put on them - tasted like some garam masala. Broccoli, carrot and celery sticks, and biscuits. Leftover apple crisp for dessert.

We had a little excitement at dinner - the cats came chasing in a mouse, which made it into the wall before the cats could get it.

Hamburgers

TMOTH used the KitchenAid grinder attachment to grind a chuck roast into hamburger meat. MUCH MUCH better than from the supermarket. It's more fatty than I like, but tasted better than the stuff from the store, and TMOTH likes them fattier. All in all, a good thing. The tween had dinner with a friend, so no duplicating dinners.

Lamb chops

Grilled lamb chops, asparagus (a gift from my friend K. who bought too much), crispy potatoes, and bread with olive oil for dipping from Trader Joe's. Yum yum. I made the dough for snickerdoodles this afternoon and baked them after dinner. Toddler-boy helped with some.

leftover chili

I added black-eyed peas to mine - they're close enough to "beans" to work really well. Also cheese, and scooped it all up with tortilla chips. TMOTH eats his chili with Ritz crackers - yuck. Kids had quesadillas.

I also bought chicken thighs at the Giant, along with a big piece of chuck roast for TMOTH to grind into hamburger.

I also have a yen for snickerdoodles. Just need to go mix it up and get it in the fridge before I have to take toddler-boy up to bed.

Roast beef

A hurried dinner for me - the tween and I had 15 mintues to eat and dress (for her) to make it to the high school for the band concert.
Too bad - TMOTH made roast beef using this methoc:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/08/AR2008010801295.html

It was yummy. Perfectly medium rare, with baked potatoes and sliced cucumber [my pitiful contribution] and wheat croissants.

lasagna and garlic bread

I was running late today, for some reason...lots of small stops. At Hancocks for quilting thread, at the grocery for baby wipes and Chapstick...and our wimpy microwave doesn't help. It was eventually done, and not horrible.

Pizza

TMOTH made pizza, with toddler-boy helping - he puts on the mushrooms and pepperoni.

Grilled fish

With hushpuppies, potato salad, and broccoli/carrots. TMOTH wasn't too happy with the fish (too plain) but the hushpuppies were made specifically because I wasn't too sure he'd like the plain fish and he even liked the potato salad.

Shepherd's Pie

We had a piece of leftover grilled lamb, so I diced it up and added leeks, mushrooms, celery, carrots, and a little beef broth, then had mashed potatoes on top broiled to brown. We also had some mini whole wheat croissants that are surprisingly good.

Pizza tomorrow may turn into calzones - TMOTH was looking for recipes today.

I'm doing something right!

From This, That, and the Other Thing

Your Life is 8% Off Track

No doubt about it, you are living the right life. You've made some great decisions, and they've definitely paid off. Keep it up. You're on the right track!

Are You Living The Wrong Life?

Menu Planning

Not something that gets done often enough around here :)

In the fridge, there is some leftover lamb and pizza dough from Trader Joe's. The lamb will become shepherd's pie tomorrow night, I think. I have leeks, carrots, celery, and potatoes. We also have eggs now, so I can make bread.

Pizza Sunday.

Fish Sticks Monday (has to be relatively easy and fast; quilt guild starts at 7:15).

I'll have to scavenge the freezer to see what needs to be dealt with for later in the week.

Long time, no post...

Holidays took over for a while, I suppose.

Tonight was leftover mini-quiches, pita triangles with hummus, and bagel chips with artichoke dip. A little light on the vegetables, considering that one of my resolutions for 2008 is to eat more vegetables. I had good intentions, but never quite got that broccoli cooked.