First full week of school, plus soccer practices for all, so I plan to bring out the slow cooker at least once this week. And Mariquita had a special Ladybug delivery of San Marzano tomatoes last Friday, so after canning the bulk of them, I will use the rest in a sauce. Ooh, maybe a [...]
Summer is over and my slacker parenting ways are a thing of the past. Guess I am going to have to get off my duff and start cooking dinner again! Thank goodness for our veggie box from Mariquita, providing inspiration and raw materials. This summer I have been also purchasing local lamb and pork, from [...]
After a long hiatus, I am back to writing. Even cleaned up my desk for the occasion! Our box from Mariquita Farms included Summer Squash, Green Beans, Lettuce, Chioggia Radicchio, Red Onions, Strawberries, Cauliflower, and Carrots. By chance, we ended up with 3 extra boxes this week, so the strawberries are going into jam and [...]
Last week’s menu was a big success, cooking ahead really helped with the stress level. The family especially enjoyed the Chicken Curry on Thursday night which was quick to throw together into the crock pot. Definite recommend. We also tried SooFoo, a rice blend I picked up at Whole Foods several months ago. Both kids [...]
The week doesn’t look too bad now, but I am guessing it will heat up as we go along. And every afternoon has a sport or activity, so I need to get myself started on dinner earlier in the day. Julia (from Mariquita Farms) and Jonathan (Eat Right at Home) both tell me they cook [...]
A holiday Monday. The addition of a new sport on Thursday. I need a quick menu plan that I can prepare ahead of time and avoid the last minute scramble right before dinner, when I am driving carpools. I also need to save my strength for next weekend, as I think I will be up [...]
Last week, Bharat and I had a virtual cooking playdate with some of my pork from last year’s buy and his sous vide machine. After marinating in a rub I found on A Dork with His Pork blog, Bharat put a pork belly and pork roast in the sous vide machine overnight. Results were mixed, [...]
Time to get serious again. After taking the whole summer off from weekly meal planning, we are back to school this week which means back to a schedule. If I don’t do this, I spend valuable time during the week rushing around shopping and prepping for dinner when I could be doing important things like [...]
With the end of summer, we hosted a BBQ dinner to celebrate Pat’s 80th birthday. Another great backyard party, with the help this time of my brother and sister-in-law. I served roasted leg of lamb (from Sierra Farms Lamb); Grilled chicken; Farro salad with artichokes and sun-dried tomatoes; Savory tomato bread pudding; Green pea, bacon [...]
We hosted an 80th birthday party this weekend for a dear friend, and now we are enjoying the leftovers. Although, I have a bit of a rule on leftovers – no more than 3 meals of the same food (including lunches and the first time the food is served). Tonight will be our last night. [...]
Garlic Bulb This week is back-to-school in our household, and I thought it would be nice to have a couple of the kids’ favorites. While on vacation, we used a couple pounds of our Morris Grass-fed ground beef for tacos and sloppy joes, and I think I will bring those items back this week. Maybe [...]
Cantaloupe Our box from Two Small Farms CSA was full of many summer time favorites, including Sweet Corn, Zucchini and Cantaloupe. We also found Onions, Spinach, Red Beets, Strawberries and Purple Cauliflower. Here is my menu plan for the week of August 2: Sunday: Corn, sauteed spinach, grilled zucchini, grilled lamb chops Monday: Hamburgers, Corn [...]
