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Hi friends, cooking for two adults and an 11yo in the Boston burbs. We had a few days of spring, but winter is coming back tomorrow/Monday. I’m hoping that this is the end of winter and we can empty out the snowblower for storage.
Big news: DS survived play auditions and callbacks! He was cast as “Mall Boy” in the ensemble of one of the two plays, and rehearsals start this week. I’m so proud of him for pushing outside of his comfort zone. It’s going to be interesting seeing how we manage scheduling around his rehearsals, soccer practice (which starts in a couple weeks), boxing lessons, and oh yeah - schoolwork.
My broken toe is healing; doc said no surgery required. The bruising is down to a lovely shade of purple-green and I’m back in sneakers (no boot). I will be in the office on Mon and Tues - getting to meet my new coworkers in person! - which is simultaneously exciting and terrifying. I have to people for several hours at a time… do I remember how to do that??
Sun: DH’s birthday! Homemade pan pizza (SE), salad, and a Boston cream pie for dessert (NYT for the custard and chocolate, Martha Stewart vanilla cake… DS is working on it as we speak). I’m also making the broth and pork for ramen tomorrow.
Mon: pork ramen https://thefoodcharlatan.com/wprm_print/32289 with some modifications - I bought a 7.5 lb pork shoulder so I’m cooking it separately from the broth. I’m also trying dried ramen noodles and will probably not cook them in the broth, so I can just make what we need. Last time the leftover noodles absorbed all the broth so the leftovers were more noodley than soupy.
Tues: IP spaghetti and meatballs (Melissa Clark), green beans
Weds: Chicken shawarma and Greek potatoes
https://www.thechunkychef.com/wprm_print/12888
Thurs: leftovers
Fri: tbd, I’m meeting my old boss for a drink so I might let DH and DS figure it out themselves
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We loved this dish too. I’ve made it several times. My notes say; use two cans of rinsed beans. Cook the shrimp first, remove and add a splash of white wine to reduce.
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OOps This is a response to the Lemon Bean Shrimp dish from the NYTimes website.
Congratulations to DS, happy birthday to DH, and good luck peopling.
I really want a slice of the Boston Cream Pie.
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Actuals for March 21 week, cooking for 2 in Minnesota. Where the year-long excitement of city construction on the corner of our block - tearing down and replacing a fire station - has just begun. We think we’ll have fewer meals outside on the back deck this season, since the non-stop beeping of construction equipment can’t really be called “musical”. Closed windows and louder settings on the stereo speakers is our current coping strategy. However, “techy” husband managed to get an outdoor webcam working and we can watch the construction site from any screen in the house.
Mon - OUT with a friend we’d not seen in person for two years– Husband and I split a seafood platter – salmon with lobster sauce, grilled scallops, breaded shrimp, rice, baked potato, salad, biscuits
Tues - (Schwan’s) breaded hake (white fish), macaroni & cheese, fresh orange slices. (Schwans’s) Key Lime Pie nibbles
Wed - Sushi, Baked potato half with tonnato (tuna) sauce and egg from Ottolenghi Simple https://www.theguardian.com/global/2016/apr/18/easy-ottolenghi-fish-recipes
Thurs - One pan pork chops with apples and onions, using apple cider instead of broth and dried herbs not fresh.
https://www.thechunkychef.com/one-pan-pork-chops-apples-onions/ Recommended in 2018 on WFD by Cerise1. We’ve had several times – half recipe gives us 2 meals
Fri - Oven Italian Beef “my way” shredded for sandwiches. Recipe posted on HO What's For Dinner #79 - the Carly Simon "An-ti-ci-pay-yay-shun" Edition - March 2022 - #670 by MidwesternerTT with fresh apple/orange salad and chips
Sat - Skillet-cooked cod fillet in lemon oil with lemon-pepper. Side of brown rice/black beans/ Rotel casserole. Recipe posted on HO What's For Dinner #79 - the Carly Simon "An-ti-ci-pay-yay-shun" Edition - March 2022 - #702 by MidwesternerTT
Sun (today) - Marinated pork tenderloin, brown rice/black beans/rotel side dish, fresh apple & oranges salad. Dessert pumpkin muffin
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Truman, I met a friend for lunch in a restaurant last week for the first time in two years. I realized I had forgotten how to “people”. It went really well and it was great to meet at a restaurant by the ocean in Swampscott (Mission Bay) with great water views.
So glad the toe is healing and no surgery, and YES to son getting the part and trying out beyond comfort zone, which has now had its boundaries expanded!
It’s so great DS is helping with DH’s birthday, and enjoy that meeting with old boss, too.
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I don’t really use recipes for soup, sorry! In this case, I will brown the veggies first to get a little caramelization, add the broth and seasonings, simmer till the flavors blend, then I pour it over the cooked tortellini to ensure they don’t get overcooked.
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Close enough - thanks!
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This made me so happy to read!
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@truman I missed the broken big toe on your earlier post - ouch! Wish you good recovery!
I was surprised about the boot - I’ve broken a big toe multiple times (as also my little toe, including a few days into packing for my parents’ move last month when it was an obstacle course… but no one knows that happened…), and every time they wouldn’t put a splint or boot or anything.
With the little toe the only thing they said one time (after I pushed) was that I could tape it to the one next to it — not for medical reasons, but so other people could see I was hurt and they would be less likely to step on my foot 
Anyway - careful about other people 
and I hope it heals soon!
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Hello everyone! Updates from last week: salmon with “bedazzle rice” was good. posted here
@sallyt I made the Bars of Fame on Thursday! I texted my neighbor to ask if she wanted some and she replied “I love getting this kind of text from you”.
Husband’s report on unicycle riding class: “I still haven’t ridden a unicycle but I came a lot closer than ever before.” he will keep practicing.
Last Friday we went out! I really wanted a fried fish sandwich so we went to our local burger type place and sat in the cold, drafty covered porch area.
For this week: We thought it was spring but today is gray and chilly again in STL. Daughter will be at a robotics competition Thu-Sat so may or may not be joining us for dinner.
Sun 3/27: chicken Reuben skillet from Simply Julia with roasted broccoli, extra-crispy by accident, and roasted potatoes
Mon 3/28: asparagus cacio e pepe, I think this is from Dinner Changing the Game. super easy.
Tue 3/29: deferred from last week: perfect poached eggs with spiced chickpeas and smothered pita chips from Cook This Book, green beans
Wed 3/30: mystery freezer soup. there are a few quart jars of unlabeled soup in the freezer that are a few/many years old and I pull one out about every 6 weeks so we can use them up. Either grilled cheese sandwiches or biscuits to go with. roasted cauliflower
Thu 3/31: I am really not sure yet, and it bothers me to not have a plan! Daughter may or may not be home for dinner.
Fri 4/1: takeout or maybe eating in an actual restaurant again. Husband has a credit for a nice dinner from work.
Hope you all have a great and delicious week!
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YAY to eating out and to the bars of fame! Did you like them? A friend made them after I posted on IG and was like, they are SO RICH. They really need to a healthy dose of Maldon sea salt and I think that they taste best like 5-10 minutes after being stored in the fridge.
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Yeah, that was my reaction to the bars of fame/shame - too rich for me! One of my nieces was in love, but the rest of my family found them to be too much (and honestly, I’m not a peanut butter & chocolate person anyway…) That said, they are SUPER easy, so a good option for when you need something quick and impressive. (The salt + fridge tips are good to know, though!)
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Congrats to your son on the play casting - and most importantly, for trying something new!
I like the sounds of your husband’s birthday dinner! Also happy to hear the toe is healing as well.
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A little late this week due to a crazy day at work on Friday and a relatively busy weekend.
Cooking for two adults and a 3 year old in the Toronto suburbs. Work has been pretty crazy, and I am finding the increased amount of socializing completely exhausting. I have been saving vacation time for the summer, but thinking we may need to do a long weekend somewhere soon.
Friday: the enchilada pasta I didn’t get a chance to make earlier in the week This was actually a huge hit for the 3 year old, and I will definitely make again given the fibre content.
He doesn’t seemed bothered by the chickpea pasta! https://peasandcrayons.com/2017/04/healthy-one-pot-enchilada-pasta.html
Sunday: BBQ beef tenderloin steaks, mushrooms, green salad, roasted potatoes The little guy ate half my steak and all of my mushrooms. Claimed he didn’t like potatoes anymore - we are working on saying “I am still learning to like this” or “I don’t like it YET” instead of “I don’t like it”. He still ate the potatoes…
Sunday: had my nieces and nephew and BIL & SIL over for dinner. Baked Ziti, SV Cesar salad, homemade rolls. Forgot about dessert so the kids had popsicles, probably from last summer. The dog jumped off the couch, didn’t yelp, but started limping after. (Little known facts, Yorkies are capable of faking an injury, according to my vet). My 8 year old niece was very sympathetic and concerned, kept giving him treats, carrying him up the stairs, etc. Dog was magically better this morning when he forgot about his injury.
Monday (tonight) The 3 year old has swimming lessons - first one without us in the pool with him.
We will see how it goes. Having leftover pasta & steamed broccoli when we get home.
Tuesday: Office day. Honey Lemon Chicken & Asparagus
Wednesday: Office Day & out for dinner with friends afterwards. My husband and the 3 year old will eat whatever my husband throws together.
Thursday: going to my parents for my dad’s 67th birthday celebration.
Have a great week everyone!
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One of my most treasured memories of the corgi whose picture is my avatar was doggie daycare calling to tell me he’d had his leg bitten by another dog but not to worry, he seemed fine. Went to pick him up, saw through the window he was walking just fine, as soon as he came though the door and saw me he could barely stand on that leg. Had to be lifted into the car. I’m laughing just typing this. He too was fully cured by the next morning. 
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My border collie did this when he hurt his paw. Once it healed, he would lift the wrong one to get attention.
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And this is why dogs are awesome!
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Thanks for the sympathies… The podiatrist told me to tape it (so that joint couldn’t bend) and that’s helped a lot. When I broke my 4th toe a few years ago, there was a lot of buddy-taping.
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