What's For Dinner? January 2007

Wow! You sure do eat a lot healthier than we have LOL...

New Years Day- Kid's ate at my grandmother's, DF found something in the cabinet I'm assuming cuz he hasn't starved yet lol, and I had a Lean Cuisine meal I picked up at the grocery store on the way to work.

Tuesday- Leftover roast from sunday, mashed potatoes (also leftover), and green beans (I had healthy choice pizza at work)

Wednesday- Cleaned out the rest of last week's leftovers (I ate at work again lol)

Thursday- Tonight we're having chicken on the foreman grill, and whatever I can scrounge together in the cabinets to go with it. It might be kinda difficult though since Mother Hubbard's cupboards are just about bare and she doesn't get paid til tomorrow. I'm trying very very hard to not have to use my credit card but I'm thinking I might have to at least a little unless I can dig up enough change for a gallon of milk.

We haven't been this broke in a LONG time... I forgot what it felt like. Not that I missed that feeling at all! Well I'm off to work on next week's budget and grocery list. Hopefully I can find a few extra $$ in the budget to get some extra stuff and restock my cupboards.

I think tonight we're having roast chicken, carrots, and potatoes, but DH will probably insist on putting barbecue sauce on the chicken. He basically won't eat meat without barbecue sauce or ketchup!

the night before last... ummm... Friday... we were late in the office so we thought we'd treat DS who'd opted to stay with us instead of visit my parents and we went to Pizza Hut. And promptly drove away again because the queue was too long. We grabbed fish and chips on the way home instead. Last night I collected DD quite late so we predictably (my father predicted we'd out or at least have pasta) had pasta. I like to call it a creamy pork and spinach ragu with flavoured pasta, but really it was a slightly altered version of the spag bol DD had the night before. And tonight hit an all-time low with a few crispy duck pancakes (like spring rolls, from the freezer) and an ancient piece of garlic bread, also from the freezer.

I started to make the soup, but the cheese smelled so bad I gave up and chucked the whole lot away. Better go dig out some sausages for tomorrow's dinner or we might just starve!

Kerri.

noodles, packet of ready shredded stir-fry veg (those things are great, as long as you use them the same day or the next), bacon and a couple of eggs.

yesterday... sausage, potato slices and baked beans because I was trying to hustle myself and the kids out for shopping.

I picked up some runner beans and asparagus yesterday and declined to check where they came from for once. Must do something nice with them before I forget and let them go icky again.

Kerri.

Again! But this tme with lumps of chicken in and a dash of coriander and stuff. It keeps getting better. Except I've now run out of decent chicken stock.

I remembered to take something out of the freezer to roast tomorrow. In this case it's a corn fed chicken - I'm hoping I can taste the difference, and maybe get some decent stock out of it if I don't get too lazy. I've got frozen leftover roast potatoes from Christmas dinner, so that makes it easier!

not sure about today. Corn on the cob at lucnh if I haven't left it too long like I normally do. Runner beans with dinner.

Kerri.

it's really impressive to see what someone's eating for the whole week!

We had an unexpected extra mouth to feed today. Well we had an extra body from school - he'd checked with his mother but they hadn't done anything in advance or agreed food or not, so when we got back I made him call home and give contact numbers, and also check food requirements. His mother didn't mind either way so I fed him, and since he nearl sat up and begged when DD casually suggested spag bol the cook took the easy route. He wasn't fazed by the frozen chopped spinach floating in it either, and he accidentally reminded me about the garlic bread I had in the fridge so that worked quite nicely. I can be flexible when DH isn't around but somehow I wouldn't offer that when he's home.

that was decided 2hrs before we ate, which is at least double the planning I normally have!

Kerri.

last night we ended up on tuna and cucumber sandwiches after judo (about 8pm) and I dragged out some other odds and ends so we had crisps with houmous, cherry tomatoes, fruit smoothie (DD included, to my shock, though she had half milk), small lumps of feta, followed by an apple for me and a banana for DS. DD just finished the crisps (potato chips).

tonight we had Thai green chicken curry with fresh baby spinach followed by apple and raspberry crumble. If you're wondering why that sounds unusually involved for me, we ate at my mother's!! We even managed to squeeze lunch out of her and got treated to soup. Everyone but everyone loves all my mother's soups - at the kids' christenings when we had our various Singaporean and Malaysian (and one Mauritian) over for the ride Mum had to make two different soups, including one in a massive stockpot because she knew it would disappear. And that was just lunch - the buffet looked like it got attacked by vultures, but nobody ever accused my mother of being stingy with food, and it's all lovely.

Actually I have to tell you this... the kids in DD's class (all 10 and 11 yr olds) were asked what their favourite food were and no less than 3 said something to the effect of "Stephanie's mum's food" or "anything Stephanie's mum cooks!" I'm deeply flattered, particularly since I once had them making their own pizzas for DS' birthday, and another occasion included a very simply BBQ with salads, and an introduction to feta. It reminds me of my own childhood with all my friends raving about my mother's cooking, so it really does give me a nice feeling.

don't think they'd be impressed with some of the things I've served recently in the name of dinner though!

Kerri.

Well yesterday I tried my hand at homemade Maine Baked Beans and Homemade Steamed Brown Bread. Considering we live in Maine and on the coast, I thought now this is something I should know how to do! Well I suppose it took less work than I thought. I did the Beans in the Crock Pot and they were that best beans I have ever tasted. (my hubby too!) The steamed brown bread was not hard to mix up, it just took 2 hours in the oven, with the pans placed in another pan of hot water and covered. But I just went off and finished that good book I was meaning to read and bingo it was done! Even the lovely old gentleman who lives across the street, said to me, after tasting them... AHHH Yahhh....seems as though ya got this one right...ahh yup....Clearly a compliment....