Today is our first day of summer vacation. We're all ready for the break.
Friday
Short version: Pizza, raw fennel
Long version: One cheese pizza, one with leftover taco meat on it (better than it sounds), and no mess on the stove, hooray!
I may not be the quickest problem-solver, but I get there in the end.
Saturday
Short version: Pork and gravy, mashed potatoes, baked sauerkraut, green peas
Long version: I had actually cooked the pork shoulder roast the day before, when it was cooler. I had poured the liquid and fat off into a jar and pulled the meat off the bone that day. So to reheat the pork, I sauteed minced green garlic in the pork fat, then added the juices and chunks of pork with salt and pepper, and when it was all hot, some cornstarch in milk to thicken it all. It came out very well.
I had also baked the sauerkraut with the pork the day before. One bag from the freezer, and one jar that had been canned last summer. I just baked it in a covered casserole dish with some butter. I like it better cooked right with the pork, but not everyone likes it as much as I do, so I kept it separate.
Sunday
Short version: Fried chicken, sorta-cornbread, cucumbers, roasted sweet potatoes, leftovers, chocolate banana fake ice cream
Long version: I had just six rooster drumsticks still in the freezer that I had separated from the carcasses before I froze them. So I marinated those in yogurt, then rolled them in corn flour and fried them in corn oil and olive oil.
The cornbread was actually the batter left from the buttermilk pancakes I had made after church. I used yogurt, and it made very soft, almost custardy pancakes. Some of the children were not fans, and I didn't think the texture was quite right, either. The ingredients were very like those used in cornbread, however, so I added another cup of cornmeal to the pancake mixture and baked that. It came out very well, actually. Better than the pancakes, anyway.
It didn't really rise, but no one minded flat cornbread.
The kids had the chicken and cornbread. A. had leftovers from the night before. I had a salad with my lettuce, yay! Plus some of the roasted sweet potatoes and tomatoes and cucumber and leftover taco meat.
I hadn't made that fake banana ice cream in awhile--you know the kind that's just frozen bananas and milk or cream--and I'm always amazed at how well it works. It really is almost indistinguishable in texture to soft serve. I always add cocoa powder to it. And I discovered this time that it doesn't work in my blender. I have to use the food processor. Boo.
Monday
Short version: Quickie pork stir-fry, rice
Long version: Two bags of frozen stir-fry vegetables, the rest of the pork roast diced up, soy sauce, garlic powder, ginger powder, vinegar, peanut butter, and there's a workday dinner.
Tuesday
Short version: Sirloin steaks, garlic bread and rolls, leftover mashed potatoes, sauteed and raw green beans
Long version: I had made the rolls with some of the bread dough while I was baking, thinking I could use them the next day for pulled pork sandwiches. But then they all got eaten after dinner. Of course.
The leftover mashed potatoes were for A., who didn't eat the bread, and Cubby, who ate the bread and wanted more food.
A. and I ate the sauteed green beans (mine in yet another salad--still my lettuce yay!), and the kids ate the raw green beans. Pretty typical.
Wednesday
Short version: Leftovers
Long version: Last work day of the school year! These leftovers were actually from the cafeteria, where they had pulled pork on Monday and the cook sent the rest of it home with me. Bread and butter or rice, frozen green peas, and there's a work day dinner.
Thursday
Short version: More leftovers. Plus celebratory spaghetti with pesto.
Long version: Last day of school. Spaghetti with pesto for the kids, leftover steak, and raw tomatoes.
I ate the last of the cafeteria pork and leftover sauerkraut. Cold, because it was 90 degrees and I had no interest in hot food.
Okay, your turn! What'd you eat this week?
5 comments:
Friday-scrambled eggs with onions and bacon, baked potatoes, peas
Saturday-pot roast pie (leftover meat, not leftover pie!), tossed salad, fresh pineapple, chocolate chip cookies. The 7 year old had yogurt, pineapple and cookies (of course).
Sunday-meatballs, rotini, broccoli. The 7 year old had the rotini and half a meatball.
Monday-salmon loaf, baked potatoes, coleslaw
Tuesday-leftover meat pie (all a leftover by now), coleslaw
Wednesday-turkey and gravy (leftover-I took it out of the freezer), rice, asparagus
Thursday-baked beans, cornbread, coleslaw
Hello, this week we ate:
Monday: Leftover spaghetti noodles tossed with butter, garlic, chicken sausage, peppers and green onions. Strawberries and grapes for dessert.
Tuesday: Shrimp, rice, sauteed zucchini and peppers.
Wendsday: Beef and barley soup (we're still in the low fifties here in the rainy PNW) bread, cheese.
Thursday: Leftover soup, bread and cheese
Friday: Going to be stupid busy today so probably breakfast...cheese omelettes for the win.
Happy weekend everyone.
takeout
baked chicken thighs, roasted potatoes, salad
chicken taco salad, bagels
fish taco's
beef stew, mashed potatoes, coleslaw
shrimp stir fry, toast
And for tonight grd. beef & cheese over roasted potatoes, asparagus.
I can't believe it's summer vacation already. I guess your school starts earlier that ours. :)
Linda
I somewhat dread summer break because of all the extra cooking (and, related, because of all the extra people talking to me alllllll the time).
We had pizza with my best friend's family one noon; they came to pick up half a beef. I used my last jar of homemade pizza sauce, which is not too liquidy.
My usual pizza problem is not-quite-cooked-enough crust, so I've started heating the baking stone and then putting the baking sheet on top of the stone to bake the pizza. This is because I am super lazy and do not want to take the pizza out of the oven more than the once at the end. Also, I have never mastered the use of a slip, so just the stone is not a great option for me.
Of course, I forgot to put the stone in the oven when I was sharing my pizza with friends. Typical.
Aside, it is neat to be sometimes selling beef to people like my best friend.
Other meals this week have included chip dip, tacos, concession stand food at a softball game which seemed to stretch into lo verily eternity, meatballs, leftover meatballs, grilled cheese and bacon sandwiches.
And I know I'm late but if you desperately want to reduce that pasta sauce, I recommend a crock pot without a lid. It's deep enough that spatters don't really go anywhere, and plus you can walk away from it without scorching anything.
This is a recycling week - very little cooking, lots of leftovers.
Fri- cookout with visitors. burgers, Italians sausage, brats, chips, fruit, and ice cream and Popsicle. Half of the brats and sausages came out very dark, but that didn't stop my from serving them...
Sat - leftovers. college boy home took care of many of the burnt items. Bless him!
Sun - Grilled pork cops, broccoli, mashed potatoes.
Mon - pulled pork from left over chops, chicken strips, fries.
Tues - Taco Tuesday as I'm happy to take menu plans from fictional animated characters.
Wednesday -grilled chicken - some plain, some marinated, asparagus, pineapple.
Thursday - leftover chicken, applesauce, broccoli. I had cereal later,
Fri - I hadn't planned anything as college daughter was going to take small boys out for pizza (college boy has a job at cute little pizza place downtown and they wanted to watch him at work). However, she has a raging ear infection, so the small boys told her they'll do it another day. So I pulled out a Domino's gift card.
Not much baking. We did corn muffin waffles for breakfast, and I did come through with cinnamon rolls and cheese braid two mornings. Lots of generic Oreo.
We used to make waffles and pancakes with yogurt instead of milk - all yogurt is a little soft (though the sour tang is a nice contrast to syrup/powdered sugar). Half milk and half yogurt worked better.
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