Mon:
I have local asparagus and ramps so I’ll be using those tonight. I think in this salad:
I haven’t decided on the protein yet. Maybe Greek beef meatballs or biftekia. I have made this biftekia recipe several times:
It’s funny. I was asked if I make any of the dishes I post recipes for. I know I am guilty of posting a lot of recipes. I like sharing recipes, and I like reading recipes. I am on a restrictive diet and I have to avoid sugar and salt, so I often am posting photos of baked goods I will never buy and recipes for cakes I’ll never make or eat.
I posted and read a lot about Irish Spice Bags a while back. I’ve been avoiding binging on junk food and fast food, so who knows when or if I’ll ever order an Irish Spice Bag. Or a deep-fried Mars Bar. I’ll still chat about things online even if I am trying to stay on the Healthy Wagon in real life.
I don’t always post results of recipes I do try, because I don’t always take photos of what I make, and sometimes what I make looks like a dog’s breakfast.
I make or prepare dried or canned beans 3 times a week. They are on the table every night.
Unless I’m making a special new recipe I follow closely, I don’t post photos of the beans I make. My usual beans are Greek or Italian- style with tomato and herbs, maple/ brown sugar/ molasses baked beans, or curry powder / coconut/ dried apricot beans. I make these a lot and none of you need to see photos of my Tue night winged beans. LOL
Our town - also very suburban - has a few turkeys here and there, but one in particular likes to hang out on a busy road during rush hour. He seems to take offense at white SUVs, according to local Facebook posts.
I have to pipe in here. My daughter lives in a small town north of Sudbury, Ont. While visiting got up early one morning to see a black bear walking by her house. Garbage is under lock. Amazingly there is no history of a bear attack. They are sissies and run away if noise is made but ill never try that. Moose is another story.
Wild turkeys (and Canadian geese) have forgotten that they are not dinosaurs and will absolutely go after people (or pets or cars!) that violate their feeding territory!
We had one strolling through the backyard of our local library on Main Street earlier this week. The librarian I mentioned it to said it wasn’t unusual.
Hello friends it is a lovely day in Ottawa with temperatures hovering in the mid 20s Celsius which would be in the mid 70s Fahrenheit. When I look out my 11th floor apartment it is a sea of green out there - I love Ottawa at this time of year! It is a long weekend this weekend since it is Victoria Day on Monday so I am now thinking about what I would like to do during my extra day off. (For the Brits on this board, yes we still celebrate Queen Victoria’s birthday in Canada but not Chuck’s for some reason.) I will try to get my errands done today and tomorrow so I have Sunday and Monday free to either do something fun or rest - or maybe both! I picked up my first CSA of the season yesterday and got a lovely basket full of greens: arugula, spinach, and spring mix as well as asparagus and bok choy. Also, I have decided to try something new this year. Since I get mostly veggies in my CSA, I decided to order a small fruit box from the Good Food Box program I have been ordering from over the winter, to a certain extent it is an affordable means of getting fruit and also because I would like to minimize my trips to the grocery stores this summer and I would like to spend my time doing other things. Onto my menu for this week:
Today: I am now nibbling on kimbap that I got at the Korean grocery store earlier. I plan on running up to the market later to pick up missing ingredients then back home for a Greek salad for dinner.
Saturday: Off to Costco. Yes I am going to Costco on a long weekend I plan on picking up some basa fillets for the freezer as well as some non perishables for the pantry so I should be good for awhile. For dinner I will have ginger bok choy soup with noodles.
Sunday: Rice noodle salad with shrimp and asparagus.
Monday: No sketching class today since it’s a statutory holiday. Fried cabbage and noodles from Budget Bytes.
Tuesday: Chicken casserole, egg noodles.
Wednesday: Last yoga class but I will probably forgo it since there is a jazz band performing tonight that I really want to see. I will have a pork and asparagus stir fry at home before the show.
Thursday: CSA pick up day again! This is my favourite time of year Pasta puttanesca, garden salad.
Hi everyone! Hope you’re enjoying your weekend. I’m taking a little break from the cleaning (which is going well and feels so satisfying). I’m trying to put together a bookcase, but the instructions and photos do not match what I was sent. Driving me a little crazy. After a bunch of errands this morning I took myself to my new favorite pastry place and picked up breakfast (a lemon curd filled croissant/muffin thing) and dessert (mocha gateau). Would love to have the bookcase done before indulging, but it’s not looking good. Oh well. It’s been a productive week with LLD away, and he’s having a blast on his biking trip. Here is what we (mostly me) ate:
Sun: LLD made halibut, smashed potatoes, and toasted Brussels sprouts with parmesan. A great meal.
Mon: drove him to the airport, came home and made avocado kimchi toasts with fried egg (J. Turshen Small Victories)
Tues: spicy Sichuan noodles with ground chicken and charred green beans. This made a good amount; happy about leftovers!
Wed: carry out
Thurs: leftover spicy noodles
Fri: crostini with smashed white beans, sardines, and chimichurri. I took the lazy way out on this Zuni recipe- canned beans with some lemon juice added, canned sardines, and TJs chimichurri. Took maybe 5 minutes to make, and was tasty.
Sat/Sun: either more leftover spicy noodles or kidney bean curry, rice, and raita. Whichever I don’t do tonight I will do tomorrow.
Thought about it so here goes Actuals foe one in Western Mass
Saturday fried haddock and butternut squash
Sunday had a pound of hamburg to use. Made two patties for the freezer and hamburg stroganov with mushrooms, curly egg noodles and peas on the side
Monday repeat
Tuesday made cheater rugelach with refrigerator piecrust for daily sweet. Dinner at local Mexican place with DS.
Wednesday made enchiladas with leftover Mexican
Thursday repeat
Friday fried cod with butternut
Saturday cheeseburg and salad and corn fritters
Hello to everyone from the Twin Cities of MN where we were running the AC right until we needed to switch back to the furnace. The lilacs and lily of the valley smell Amazing! The skate completion and middle school musical are done for another year! I am so tired but I still have to calculate all the volunteer hours. Not enough volunteering equals more for your membership. Both girls did pretty well- it was a tough competition! And Rapunzel sold her hair extensions quite well. Looking forward to a more relaxed schedule and more regular meals: Some Actuals and plans for 2 adults and 2 busy girls:
Thurs 15: First day of completion which kicked off with a tornado warning. Also schools locked down and all that. First theater performance. Assorted freezer finds for all
Fri 16: Big kiddo competed. She did rather well considering MIL fainted during the warm up group before her and “why is Nana on the ground” and everyone is like “Autumm, can you figure out what is going on over there.” and I’m like yup, that’s my MIL down. She’s fine Ish. Big kiddo show with Mr Autumm ushering. Little one and I figured out the new mini- waffle maker with SK’s freezer waffle recipe https://smittenkitchen.com/2023/03/easy-freezer-waffles/ Then little one took a 75 minute bubble bath. Disney+. wine and chill time
Sat 17: Matinee Musical performance- my parents were in town but (thankfully) stayed at a hotel. Meatball sub for big kiddo between matinee and evening show, take out pizza for the rest of us. Another long bubble bath for little one= stream with some wine and chill
Sunday: Tonight! Both girls competed. Take out from a local place. I’m beat. The texts about judges transportation to the airport started at 645.
Mon 19: Back to the rink! Big kiddo skates. Leftover meatballs and pasta. Salads.
Tues 20: Big kiddo’s band/choir concert. Timing could be complicated in part as I haven’t looked at the start time. I think I saw some pulled pork in the freezer. Salads
Wed 21: Either both kiddos skate or we do Ladiess Night at Stars on Ice. TBD.
Thurs 22: Noting on the schedule? Grilling time! Pretty sure there is a pork tenderloin hiding in the freezer
Memorial day weekend? Let’s worry about that one later. . .
I know not much real cooking but we made it through. Also not on there was a really good watermelon. And SK raspberry cake for snacks. Take care everyone!
A belated post for the week - feeding 3 in the Boston burbs.
Sun: another late soccer game, another night of burgers. Fireworks for dessert! (Our town does a big celebration the weekend before Memorial Day.)
Mon (tonight): pork carnitas (made yesterday in the IP), rice and beans
Tues: chicken parm, red sauce, pasta, green beans. Last week’s NYT recipe with halloumi under the broiler worked well for a technique, so repeating that but jarred sauce and NO ALLSPICE.
Weds: chicken with some green sauce (cilantro-lime? chimichurri? ) from Costco, sautéed peppers, rice. Long day in the office.
Thurs: turkey tenderloins (marinated if I remember), corn pancakes, broccoli.
Fri: carnitas in a different form tbd, maybe nachos
I plan on picking up some basa fillets for the freezer as well as some non perishables for the pantry so I should be good for awhile. For dinner I will have ginger bok choy soup with noodles.
