Let’s use this thread to share concise weekly dinner menus for each week in March. It’s helpful if you can include your location and how many people you are feeding. Links to recipes are always appreciated, and sources help. We all know plans can change, so it’s fine (practically expected) when your week gets rearranged from your posted plan. You may choose to report actuals for the prior week to share ideas with others.
First Day of Spring March 20 is very likely to still see wintery weather here in MN, but the steadily increasing minutes of daylight all month are worth celebrating. Will you celebrate Purim March 7 by making hamantaschen? How will you celebrate Pi Day (3.14) with something round? On 3/17, will you cook something “Irish” for St. Patrick’s Day? If you observe Lent, how will your usual menu change?
The February discussion is still available for reporting the last week and follow-ups.
Reminder – Keep your comments menu / food related. And in the interest of faster viewing times, please use the knife&fork under a comment to indicate you liked it or want to echo what was said by another, rather than posting a separate comment.
Last week I strayed from my “no shop” mantra in the protein department and bought a 3-lb. package of chicken wings. They were on sale! We love wings and haven’t had them in a long time. Other than that, sticking to my plans to achieve freezer, fridge and pantry clean-out.
Cooking for two adults in the PNW:
FRI: Dino BBQ dry-rub roasted chicken wings with white voodoo sauce. Veggie sticks.
Hi, everyone. Cooking for two adults and a tween in Boston, where I’m hoping that tonight/tomorrow bring enough snow to justify a snow day but not so much that it takes hours to dig out. Is it summer yet??
Sun: pulled pork, slaw, and box cornbread / arepas (Pinch of Yum). I also made a batch of red curry for lunches and baked oatmeal for breakfasts.
I re-organized my collection of recipes this week, something I’ve been planning to do since this time last year. The two extra-large binders of hard copies I keep were over-stuffed (I could hardly lift them), and over the course of some 15 to 20 years, the lines dividing the categories had been seriously blurred. It took all my free time for two solid days to rearrange, subdivide and move into new notebooks. As I keep a digital mirror copy of the notebooks on the computer, that needed updating as well. It’s not perfect (sub-divides could go on endlessly), but certainly more manageable. Most importantly, it is done! Yay!
As for meal planning, I’m still working down the freezers, fridge and pantry. In our chest freezer I’ve hit a layer of sausages and ground meats, which is reflected in this week’s menu accordingly. DH, the consummate carnivore, has been thrilled with this whole exercise. More happy days ahead for him.
Planning and cooking for two adults in the PNW:
FRI: Pan roasted chicken thighs. Salad. Baguette. Possibly some French onion soup from the freezer if we’re feeling wanty.
Me, my stuff is in piles, but when I reorganize, I can’t find anything because my brain goes back to where the stuff was before the reorg. Any tips to get past that?
Lol. I am the same way, but decided just to roll with it. I told DH yesterday we’d have to stop eating, because I wouldn’t be able to find anything any more.
Seriously, the brain can be retrained. I think it is just a matter of suffering through it for a bit. Given my last stab at organization lasted almost two decades, I’m assuming this is the final time I’ll have to do it, and eventually I’ll get used to finding things.
If you choose to do it, I’m with you in spirit!
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Harters
(John Hartley - a culinary patriot eating & cooking in Northwest England)
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Saturday - Middle Eastern. Sort of. Lamb shawama (from leftovers from a leg roast and frozen) - tossed in olive oil & baharat, then warmed through in the pan, moutabel, freekah, green beans in spiced tomato sauce. Figs (tin). Arabic sweets (bought today from Syrian Sweets in Manchester)
Sunday - Squash & lentil dhansak (moved from lst week)
Monday - Tomato & ginger pork (Nigel Slater recipe). Tomatoes, mustard seeds, ginger, basil and olive oil whizzed in the processor and warmed through. Slices of pork fillet cooked in the griddle pan and mixed into sauce. Carb & veg to be decided ( we have veg shortages in the supermarkets so it’s probably going to be a matter of what we can get)
@Rasam - I leave myself post-it notes in the old spot, with a “forwarding address”, when I rearrange kitchen cabinets. Perhaps something similar would help you?
Yes, amen to that! I have bought all the stuff too, just seem overwhelmed by the task. Also, many of the hard copies have faded to the point of being unreadable. @MunchkinRedux - do you find the print lasts longer if you put into plastic protectors?
Funny. I, too, purchased the supplies last year - it took forever to muster the stuff to tackle it.
I do think the sheet protectors help. The can get a little grungy (I pull them from the notebooks to cook by), but are wipeable. Without them, a paper copy wouldn’t last me more than a session. I’m an admittedly messy cook.
Hello everyone from Ottawa, Canada. It is now warm AND sunny on the same day! I will enjoy it while I can since the weatherman is predicting another snowstorm starting tonight. Whoever is praying for snow you can stop now When my workday ends this afternoon I will be on staycation for a little over a week. I have a couple of museum visits planned, a couple of movies to take in, and some shopping. Meals I penciled in for a solo diner this week look like this:
Today: Take out lunch is a reina pepiada. I have no idea what they put in the sauce, other than coriander and garlic, but it is VERY tasty. Dinner tonight will be a garden salad with sliced kolbasa.
Saturday: I will stay at home today to get my chores done (laundry, vacuuming etc.) to get it out of the way. When I’m done I may fix myself a martini and peruse my cookbooks to get inspiration for using up my pantry items. Dinner will be peanut butter noodles with cucumber from Bon Apetit.
Sunday: Pencilled in for today is a visit to an art installation then a late afternoon matinée of A Man Called Otto. Dinner will be Martha Stewart’s basic red sauce served over fettucine, salad of some sorts on the side.
Monday: Off to the west end to hit up the big box stores (Winners, Home Sense, Marshalls) and ending at Costco. I will stop for lunch somewhere en route then another salad for dinner.
Tuesday: Another art gallery visit then a late afternoon screening of The Florida Project. Home for dinner which will be beef stew, egg noodles and yet another salad.
Wednesday Another gallery visit (The city of Ottawa has three art galleries and only one of them is open on the weekends. The other two have some interesting looking exhibitions this year so I have to wait until I am off so I can go.) Dinner out then an evening viewing of The Stories We Tell (to mark International Women’s Day).
Thursday: My birthday! Clothes shopping is planned then off to the pricey fishmonger down the street to pick up a prepared meal.
Have a nice week/weekend everyone. I hope it is sunny where you are.
When my workday ends this afternoon I will be on staycation for a little over a week. I have a couple of museum visits planned, a couple of movies to take in, and some shopping. Meals I penciled in for a solo diner this week look like this:
