Friday Food: Powering Through

This was not my most accomplished week in the kitchen. Except for the fact that everyone was fed every day, which actually was quite an accomplishment, thanks to the cold that cast its shadow over most of my week.

Friday

Short version: Elk stir-fry with rice, leftover elk stew

Long version: I made the stir-fry with more of the large bag of elk I had thawed early in the week. When I come up with pieces without much sinew or connective junk in them, I try to use them for stir-fry or steaks. This time, it was stir-fry.

A. ate a bit of stir-fry and a big bowl of his never-ending elk and chile stew.

Saturday

Short version: Pizza elk, pasta with marinara, frozen green peas

Long version: Finally, the last of the bag of elk. These were the gnarlier pieces I had cut off when trimming the stir-fry meat. I simmered the pieces until they were tender with the juice from a large can of whole tomatoes, plus garlic powder, basil, oregano, vinegar, and water. This was covered with melted asadero cheese. Ta da! Pizza elk.

The tomatoes in the can were used for the marinara for the pasta the kids had.

Sunday

Short version: Pork carnitas tacos . . . and, uh, that's it

Long version: I had been planning to make tortillas for this meal, but then I started to feel the onset of a cold right before dinner. I sat there thinking, "Ugh. I don't want to make tortillas; I guess tacos are out. Maybe I could just make rice. Or bread and butter," before I remembered that I could just use store-bought tortillas.

My brain is a confused place sometimes.

The tacos had lettuce and salsa on them, which totally counts as two vegetables, right? Right.

I didn't make dessert, either. Good thing Miss Amelia had sent two packages of those frosted animal cracker/cookies things home with Cubby and Charlie when they brought her the church bulletin. Those things are gross, but the kids love them.

The children found the raccoon hat A. made for Cubby almost eight years ago, plus this random bit of raccoon fur scrap that still has the raccoon's face on it (gross) and decided to add on to Poppy's church outfit.

Fetching as this is, I did not allow her to go to church like this. 

Monday

Short version: Ugh. Food.

Long version: Long, congested day at work. A. had the last bowl of his elk and chili stew. Cubby and Jack had barbecue pork made with the leftover pork, plus rice and frozen green peas. Charlie and Poppy had scrambled eggs, rice, and peas. I had scrambled eggs, sweet potatoes, and peas.

I made the eggs because Charlie's mouth had an unfortunate run-in with Jack's knee right before we left for school, leaving Charlie with a damaged mouth and a very impressive fat upper lip. He couldn't really close his mouth and said it hurt to chew, so I made him the scrambled eggs and rice so he wouldn't have to.

I joined him in the scrambled eggs as I was in the stage of congestion where I couldn't chew with my mouth closed and breathe at the same time. We were a really fun crew at dinner, let me tell you.

Tuesday

Short version: Taco rice skillet, frozen corn

Long version: Make taco meat. Add leftover rice and cheese. Serve with frozen corn. Bon appetit.

Wednesday

Short version: Leftovers

Long version: Cubby had the last of the vegetable soup, plus some cheese and bread. Charlie, Jack, and Poppy had barbecue pork sandwiches, plus home-frozen green beans before dinner (still frozen) and raw cabbage with their sandwiches.

Their idea of an appropriate vegetable accompaniment is weird.

A. and I finished the taco rice skillet. Everyone was fed. Yay me.

Thursday

Short version: Bunless cheeseburgers, oven fries, baked beans, green salad

Long version: You can infer from the relative completeness of this meal that I was feeling better.

I used only two of our enormous potatoes to make the oven fries, and I had too many for my half-sheet pan. Those really are big potatoes.

The baked beans were the last of one of the giant three-pound cans of Grandma Brown's baked beans the MiL sent home with us from New York this summer. We didn't quite get through the can before I decided to give us a baked-bean break and shoved the rest in the freezer. That was like two months ago. Enough time had passed that the children were excited to see them again. And then dismayed when I told them we wouldn't have any more until Daddy went back to New York in the spring.

By that time, they'll be REALLY excited to have them again. Absence really does make the heart grow fonder. Or the mouth. Or something.

And speaking of the MiL! She sent each of the children a Merino wool long underwear top, which arrived this day. I forced them all to stand together wearing their shirts so I could show the MiL how much they liked them. And this is what I got:

Yup, that's about right. They do like the shirts, though.

Okay, your turn! What'd you eat this week?