What's for Dinner?, March 20

I have been hiding out from this thread because I am so ashamed of the terrible eating going on around here! So much illness, and my broken toe, has meant pizza, mac and cheese, and other lame take-out.

Tonight I finally cooked, and I must urge you to try my new recipe because it was such a crowd pleaser. Look in the recipe box for (drum roll)
Shaunbalaya!

Mom is here, so we're eating well. Will probably have corn chowder later this week, and zucchini quesadillas, and baked ravioli. And we're indulging on those barely in-season strawberries and asparagus!

Shaun
www.homeschoolblogger.com/shaunms

on the new thread and especially the cooking. I know how it goes when you've been feeling rotten so long. It takes me ages to get back in the swing of things of cooking.

today's dinner is on hold while I return an earlier favour and keep Mum company while she throws up. Dad's away and doesn't want her left alone.

Kerri.

Keeping it simple tonight! With tomato sauce and cubed pork, and possibly parmesan cheese if I feel fancy.

but we have a banoffee pie for dessert so it doesn't matter much what's for dinner!

Kerri.

Sounds great Shaun - I may try it!

Well, I experimented with Indian cooking last night, which I have been craving lately for some reason. I have made curries in the past, but not lately. I made chicken korma and Indian potato pancakes (which I made up). It was a lot of work but turned out pretty good. I think the curry could have used more salt and more spice for my taste though. Anyway, I have leftovers for lunch - yay!

Rest of the week???

Cheeseburgers with Onion Rings
Crockpot Roast with Smashed Potatoes
Teriyaki Salmon with Rice
Strip steak with an angel hair/veggie dish from Giadda (new)

Well, DH is gone until Friday and we'll ALL be gone for week after that, so the DDS and I are having a week of "eat whatever is in the 'fridge."

I'd like to be down to just the barest essentials and things that won't go bad (pickles, etc.) before Friday!

It may make for some interesting meals....perhaps I'll report in after dinner!

Blessings,
Lenora
"...if woman's work is never done, why bother about how much of it [isn't] getting done at any given moment?"
~ Claire Fraser in The Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon

today was just filled to the brim with the stupidest of stupid things so I cheated a bit and the kids and I had chips, baked beans and a breaded chicken thing which had a leek and cheese sauce (kiev style kind of thing).

I may meal plan later or tomorrow or I may just torture myself for the whole week and fly by the seat of my pants for eating!

Kerri.

Tonight: DS14's scouts our turn to drive:

flank steak, veggies, and cheese quesadillas with guacamole

Tomorrow: DD5 ballet, Middle School Parent group meeting, and the school budget vote

homemade whole-grain mac and cheese(extra-sharp cheddar-yum!) with ham, tomato, and broccoli

Wednesday: marathon youth relay team to big city for shoe fitting

Who knows? DH can fend for himself!

Thursday: DS15 has youth group and I have choir

Crock Pot Bolognese sauce on linguini, salad

Friday: Crash Night!!!

Cod nuggets, really lemony-dill tartar sauce, corn, and zucchini

That's the plan anyway...

Shaun, the Shaunbalaya sounds so good, I will definitely try that, thanks!

-Jo

I'm afraid I'm getting to the point at the moment that when I see this thread that's the first thing that pops into my head!

I'm about to spend my last 20mins of peaceful no-kids time before the end of school catching up on some serious meal planning. I haven't done it for the last couple of weeks and I don't want to lose it completely because it was really good.

tomorrow might be baked potatoes, bacon, corn on the cob, that kind of thing. DH always moans that we have bacon and baked taters when he's away, which is why I'm not going to do it tonight. Not sure what we'll have tonight yet!

Kerri.

(who cares, that is!)

Last night the DDS and I wnet to our local little Mexican restaurant which was yummy. As cold as it is, I may make some chili for tonight...I have part of a loaf of crusty bread in the freezer that would be yummy with that. We're getting down to "bare bones" in the 'fridge in preparation for being gone for a week so I'm really scrounging!

Blessings,
Lenora
"...if woman's work is never done, why bother about how much of it [isn't] getting done at any given moment?"
~ Claire Fraser in The Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon

I love having my mom here!

Last night: take out from big bowl
Night before: pierogies and broccoli (light dinner after a day of treats!)
Night before: take out from Romano's Macroni Grill

I think tonight I will try to get the corn chowder made, and maybe deliver some to my friend with the new-ish baby who just had RSV.

Tomorrow, probably ravioli

Friday, mom's last night. Can you say restaurant?! (Maybe, I think that might work well on the way to the airport.)

Shaun
www.homeschoolblogger.com/shaunms

Sorry Shaun, I couldn't help thinking of the Little Red Riding Hood story....

Soup tonight. I've got a bit of celery and some carrots, part of a bag of noodles and a decent chunk of chicken, so Chicken Noodle Soup will use all that and warm us up! I have a couple of sandwich buns that I'll toast to go along with it and a bit of salad, too.

We're almost out of milk, so I'll probably make the DDS pancakes for breakfast in the morning. I've got some eggs to use up...maybe I'll make oatmeal cookies for the trip...I can toss in the little bit of applesauce that's hanging around, too.

Blessings,
Lenora
"...if woman's work is never done, why bother about how much of it [isn't] getting done at any given moment?"
~ Claire Fraser in The Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon

That's it. Pizza.

Potato curry, egg fried rice and cucumber slices (well, I had to get a green vegetable in there somehow!)

I forgot that part. Pizza and oven fries. A very starchy combination to which we were introduced in England, and what can I say, I got addicted to it.

We had a lot of cabbage at lunch though!

I like to call it cheat's curry because the sauce comes out of a jar - a concept I'm getting quite enamoured of since it's more straightforward than my curry paste, no matter how delicious. Dopiaza sauce to which we added chicken, plum tomatoes and spinach - mainly because those were the veg that needed using up! We also had a shop-bought cucumber and mint raita to try - didn't like the texture but it tasted good and it was less effort than cutting up fiddly bits of cucumber! We had chappatis and naan bread instead of rice because we'd been shopping and it was fairly late.

baked taters tonight - the fresh ones we bought last night because the others were ready to draw their pension.

Kerri.

It's been a long day and we had beans with sliced hot dogs in the freezer, so I'm cooking up some rice and there's supper. I also made some oatmeal bread yesterday, so we'll have that with it.

I left him to it so I could get through a contract I've been trying to read all week. Actually it started with me not wanting to get oil and salt on my hands for the baked potatoes, then I wrote down the method for the pasta salad he's been itching for, he remembered bacon and he took it all from there. AND he remembered the packet of pancakes I've had in the fridge nearly 2wks, so he heated those up for breakfast this morning.

he regularly reminds me why he's a keeper. Sadly he's flying off to Singapore tomorrow for an unspecified time, but at least a week and hopefully less than two.

I guess I should make an effort for tonight's dinner, but I have to have finished this work first.

Kerri.

Tonight we're having soft tacos with beans, pork, and a little cheese. The beans are a combination of pintos (refried) and black beans.

And this family feels like celebrating! So, for tonight:

A prime rib roast (it has been in the freezer since August)crusted with garlic and pepper
sauteed mushrooms
warm sourdough rolls
steamed green beans or broccoli, boy's choice
vanilla ice cream with fresh strawberries masecrated in just-made warm maple syrup
wine for the grown-ups

We will listen to PHC, play some games, and otherwise relax and enjoy one another.

I can't wait!
-Jo

we only ate 3hrs ago and I had to think about we had! We tested some individual frozen steak and kidney puddings today - not bad but I don't think I'll bother again. They needed to be steamed and I was lucky they all fitted neatly into one pan, but it was still quite a fuss. With that we had chips broccoli and gravy which was all very tasty.

My meal planning is so far off track that I can't even find the book any more!! Considering I need to drive DH to the airport tomorrow then go to my parents' house for 1pm (it's Mother's Day here tomorrow) I don't really see that I'm going to have tons of time tomorrow. I ought to make time though, because I know it will save me a lot of effort and time during the week.

Kerri.

Well, tonite is:

steak and salmon on the grill
this pasta recipe - http://www.barillaus.com/capellini_alla_piemontese.aspx

the rest of the week:
Thai chicken
crockpot chicken
frozen dinner
ham
chicken enchiladas
cheeseburgers

Not too inspring I know, but at least I have a plan.

Last night we had spaghetti bolognese. Tonight we are having shepherd's pie with roast parsnips and carrots, and cauliflower.

nor planning either... better go hunt for that book when I'm done here!

Mum put together a German soup-based dish for our (very late) lunch, then the kids and I had a piece of cake and some biscuits when we got hom shortly after 7pm. I'd thought of salad bits but hadn't realised it was that late and they needed to be getting to bed. We'd stopped an extra 10mins at my parents' house to watch a heron sitting in the back field which was a lovely treat!

going to look for my meal planning book and get back on track...

Kerri.

I am really making an effort lately, both to reduce my grocery budget drastically (by necessity ) and not to waste anything at all. I have three quarters of a pack of thin sandwich ham that will have to be thrown away if we don't eat it today, so we have to have it for dinner

The options?

Pasta with ham, sweetcorn and onion
Ham with mashed potato, sweetcorn and pickle.
Ham, eggs and chips (fries)

Any other suggestions? They all sound pretty boring to me....

Add in some spices to make it un-boring.

We are having black bean soup tonight, I think.

I ended up having ham, cheese and sweetcorn in an omelette, with beansprouts. DS14 went for ham and cheese sandwiches.

Bad, bad, bad. I mean, delicious, but I ate out for three meals today! Help! I need to figure out something I can make for everyone (including inlaws) with no ingredients, no time, and no effort.

Any thoughts?

Shaun
www.homeschoolblogger.com/shaunms

from a can!! Sorry Shaun - not full of ideas at the moment.

since I went shopping yesterday I threw in pack of fresh noodles and a pack of shredded veg with beansprouts and voila... dinner. Well ok, I added some eggs too. But it's simple and actually very cheap compared to some 'fast food' meals. The noodles are maybe a dollar, and then the veg is another dollar, plus 3 eggs. Funny... when I say that they're about a dollar it suddenly seems to much more expensive than 59p (which is probably not even close to a dollar anyway!).

I played catch-up in my meal planner last night, remembering back far further than I would have believed possible. Then I came up with 3 meals for the next three days. So tonight is sausages, wedges and baked beans, tomorrow is my delicious pan-fried soy sauce chicken with rice and green veg. The night after that is... ummm... oh yes, bacon and mushrooms in a cream sauce with pasta. Maybe I should throw in burgers for the night after that. I ran out if inspiration fairly fast and got stuck on lamb. I realised I love lamb but have very few meals than involve it because it wasn't easy to get hold of in S'pore.

it's a start...

Kerri.

I'm trying Lynn's 3 day recipe blitz. Day One today - lentils and rice with mango chutney. Probably beansprouts and cucumber too.

A question about lentils - I always understood lentils don't have to be soaked prior to cooking, and I never have done. The lentils I bought last week though, state on the packet that they should be soaked overnight. I have soaked them, though I'm not really convinced they need it. what do you think? Shall I try them without soaking next time? I'm a bit scared because I always do what I am told I think I might email the manufacturer actually.

anything that doesn't get cooked in a decent amount of time is a stone, not a lentil! Even the puy lentils which definitely stay firm don't need soaking overnight. Unless you like mush of course! What on earth kind of lentil tells you it needs soaking??

Kerri.

I did email the company and had this answer

'"Lentils" is a general and therefore confusing term. All beans, peas, lentils, dals etc are legumes and as such ALL should be soaked before cooking. Cookbooks which state that they do not require soaking are giving incorrect information which while it may apply as a general rule is by no means the case for everyone.

1 Legumes contain a trypsin inhibitor which can interfere with the digestion of protein. This can cause indigestion/ flatulence problems (among others) for those who are sensitive. Soaking greatly reduces the risk.

2 Some beans eg Red Kidney contain a toxin which is removed by soaking.

3 As a general rule, the cooking of legumes is quicker when they have been pre-soaked.

4 Soaking cleans the legumes and removes dust and any other debris.

As a manufacturer we have to advise customers on the safest and best practice for customers to enjoy our product. Soaking lentils beforehand is not always necessary but it is the safest practice. If you have been using lentils without pre soaking and not experienced any problems then there is no need to worry. You can use our products as you would any other.'

So now we know

We thoroughly enjoyed the day one of the 'recipe blitz' by the way. Even DS14, who isn't so keen on lentils. I added garlic and onion to the lentils, next time I think I would use more onion. Other than that it was perfect My only regret is that after I'd eaten half a jar of mango chutney I read the label - HOW many calories???? Eek.

Leftover lasagna that is! I froze half the batch, the last time we had lasagna.

I don't think this creation is original enough to merit its own name, but my easy dinner for guests is frozen ravioli, boiled and then baked with tomato sauce and mozzarella. Throw in some green beans with butter and lemon and a Caeser salad, and you've got dinner!

Sorry Kerri -- I don't like tomato soup and neither does DD6!

Re: soaking lentils. Heck no! But I suppose if excess "wind" were an "issue" for you . . .

Shaun
www.homeschoolblogger.com/shaunms

well it's a nice theory, but I currently have some pain which *might* be caused by breezy problems, so obviously if they give you pain that's a different issue. I suppose if you're eating a massive quantity of lentils it could be a problem but I've not really noticed anything, but then I'm not badly affected by beans either.

I think I should change the topic altogether here...

I've got to get some fresh spinach - mine's going quietly putrid in the fridge door (it kept bumping into the back of the fridge and going slimy because it was too cold, and there's never room in the veg drawer!). Drat... gotta remove the chicken thighs or whatever lumps of chicken I can find from the freezer for dinner tonight!

Honey - go defrost that chicken for tomorrow's dinner. Oh yes, I just put your spice pastes in the post with 3 first class stamps on them. I gave up on getting to the post office, so fingers crossed. DH also has orders to get more curry paste which he forgot on his last trip. This could be the last return visit for some time, so if there's anything else you need extras of let me know before the weekend.

Kerri.

Now how did you know that chicken is still lurking in my freezer? Actually it's waiting for a day when I am at home - I can't be doing with cooking a roast dinner after I've been out all day. I might cook it Saturday actually, as DS doesn't have a Maths lesson this week so we're at home.

Tonight should be day two of Lynn's recipe blitz. However, for day three I am supposed to have leftovers from day one and day two, and yesterday we ate all the lentils and rice! When we get to day three I'll cook some more up Day two is sausages and potatoes. I'll probably make use of the half a can of sweetcorn and small amount of beansprouts which are lurking in the fridge, too. Mustard and fried onions too.

We just had the last of the bean soup, and now I'm cooking some spaghetti with cubed pork and tomato sauce for our main dish.

because it's frighteningly similar to mine in many respects!! I didn't even take the chicken pieces out in time for last night's dinner, let alone buy spinach, so I switched tonight's dinner for last night's, but tonight's might be something totally different since I have no time to get out today to buy spinach. Maybe tomorrow!

some meal planning is better than none. At least when I have an alternative recipe planned for the next day it's easier to switch over than start thinking from scratch.

flex flex!

Kerri.

Not keen on day three of the recipe blitz

It's a soup made with the water and leftovers from day two's sausages and potatoes, along with leftover lentils and rice from day one (I cooked more lentils and rice, we didn't have any leftover) and a tin of chopped tomatoes. I added garlic, herbs, some leftover sweetcorn and mushrooms. The result was a kind of mushy risotto that was just about okay, but I won't be repeating it

Our favourite night was definitely day one, the lentils and rice with mango chutney. I'll be planning that meal again next week

Was going to make turkey meatloaf for all the assembled in-laws, but the meat is still frozen and I don't like to microwave it and then have partly cooked, party-frozen meat to work with. Why does it take so darn long to thaw in the fridge?!

I think I am going to let someone else figure out dinner tonight, as I have a major deadline tomorrow and need to work like crazy.

Meatloaf can be Saturday; tomorrow is dinner out with all the family.

Ahhh, visiting relatives. If you just abandon all hope of being a good hostess and instead impress them with your pathetic broken toe, your husband's overwork, the constant illness of yourselves and your children, you can get some help with the meals!

Of course, there is the matter of dealing with all the crud when they go home . . .

Adding in some garlic bread to jazz it up.

Mushroom gravy, over pasta. Cheap, cheerful and tasty

Cheap and cheerful again today! Chickpea curry with couscous and cucumber slices.

...at least until after I get to the store! My fridge is empty after our vacation and I'm not even sure I have cupboard stock that might resemble a meal.

I guess that's the goal for today!

Blessings,
Lenora
"...if woman's work is never done, why bother about how much of it [isn't] getting done at any given moment?"
~ Claire Fraser in The Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon

Probably with corn tortillas to go with it.

I need to go grocery shopping but not sure if it will really happen today.

We had steak (cheap frying steak, but it was nice), with garlic and pepper seasoning, with sliced sauted potatoes.

I have to go grocery shopping tomorrow. Trying to keep to my new low budget again, which is challenging this week as we have run out of a few staples.