Weekly Menu Planning – October 2022

I haven’t had stuffed shells in ages, and it sounds so good to me right now.

I hope things calm down with your dad and the falls.

5 Likes

Oh Munchkin - I am glad your father is OK and hope he has a better time going forward.
I originally read your post as “ready to throw dinner plates out the window” … and empathized with that too.

8 Likes

That, too!!!

4 Likes

Thank you, people, for your concerns and well wishes. It’s not fun being 95, I can assure you. He keeps a chin up at all times (except when it’s on the floor), which I admire.

13 Likes

That’s a lot. Sorry!

4 Likes

Hello everyone from what turned out to be a mostly warm week. I think it was in the 20s celsius (in the 70s in Fahrenheit) most of the week but the temperature dipped yesterday. I think it was in the mid teens (mid 50s Fahrenheit) yesterday but felt much cooler after the warm weather we’ve been experiencing. My menu plan for a solo diner from Ottawa Canada looks like this:

Today: cheese tray from a nearby restaurant including locally produced aged cheddar and a sauvagine cheese, grapes, spiced walnuts and grapes. Cauliflower salad for dinner.

Saturday: shopping trip to Chinatown. I will pick up take-out while I’m in the neighbourhood.

Sunday: Linguine with scallops and leeks.

Monday: Leek risotto.

Tuesday: Spring roll bowl.

Wednesday: lamb chop en papilote.

Thursday: Pasta with brussels sprouts and gorgonzola. Side veggies tbd.

Have a nice week everyone.

15 Likes

Hi, all! Cooking for 2, where it’s been an intense week at work, on top of needing to replace our 4-year-old fridge. DH, who hates to throw anything away, is very happy he convinced me we needed to keep our old one! And…he’s also somehow keeping the non-functional one “to store stuff in”. Sometimes you have to choose your battles, you know?
Anyway, meal planning.
Breakfast: Pumpkin spice muffins
Friday, October 28 (tonight): I had planned to do the Dorie Greenspan daube, but DH has a late afternoon faculty meeting/happy hour, so I’m going to make myself sweet potato and kale pancakes based loosely on the recipe in How to Cook Everything Vegetarian.
Saturday: the daube, salad, and mashed potatoes
Sunday: Chicken burritos, salad, lemon ice (if I can find freezer space for my ice cream canister)
Monday: TBD
Tuesday: DH’s birthday. Probably fish couscous and a German cream and streusel cake to celebrate two of his many heritages, haha
Wednesday-Thursday: TBD
Friday: Sayur buncis (Indonesian green bean “curry”) from the Complete Asian Cookbook; rice
Happy Halloween–may you get to keep the candy you like :-). Have a great week and happy cooking!

16 Likes

Oy. Sorry.

6 Likes

The November discussion is now ready for us. Weekly Menu Planning – November 2022

4 Likes

Actuals for the final week of October, cooking for 2 in MN. Where perfect Fall weather led to ambitious days of outdoor cleanup of planters, shrub-trimming, and leaf-mowing/blowing. And volunteer work for the campaign continued at a fast-clip most mornings and evenings. Having a menu plan made life easier when all I really wanted to do was rest-up.

Mon: Repeat Sunday’s pork tenderloin, farro/zucchini/haloumi side, red grapes, spinach salad
Tues: noon - Beef sheetpan fajitas (modified from “Dinner’s in the Oven” by Rumini Iyer, p. 86) w refried beans, avocado, cheese. Evening - (Bag meal) Beef & broccoli, wild rice (previously cooked/frozen), Ginger Gold apples
Wed: Stouffers mac & cheese, rotisserie chicken, fresh spinach salad, red grapes. Dessert: Schwan’s pumpkin cake roll w/ butter pecan ice cream
Thurs: Salmon, butternut squash, spinach salad. Dessert - Schwan’s pumpkin cake roll w/ butter pecan ice cream
Fri: Steak, mushrooms in garlic butter, spinach souffle (commercial), roasted butternut squash
Sat: meatballs (frozen commercial) in BBQ sauce, over cheesy grits. Green beans. BAKED Dessert: Rhubarb upside down cake
Grits recipe from budgetbytes.com/bbq-meatballs-with-cheese-grits/
Sun (today): noon - Mahi mahi, butternut squash bowl, peas, evening -Smoked turkey oven chimichangas

8 Likes

Hi everyone, I haven’t cooked much the past couple weeks. LLD was away, then my tooth cracked and I needed to make an emergency trip to my dentist in DC (and found out he’s retiring- words can’t express my dismay), and then LLD’s sister made a 2 week plan for them to be away in Scotland to bury his father’s ashes. His father died just before the pandemic, so it’s good that they are finally able to do this. Lulu and I were not invited, which is ok, but her boyfriend is going. And again, this is a two week trip that she has planned, right after LLD was away for 10 days on a biking holiday. Do I seem slightly irritated? That’s how I’m feeling. All very weird. The good news is that Lulu is away at a debate event (she made the finals!), and I’ve had the house to myself for 4 days, which is a nice little treat. Again, not a lot of cooking, but here are some things I’ve made:

Chickpea stew with coconut and turmeric, pitas

SK Beef bulgogi tacos

Sourdough discard crackers with dukkah

Creamy tuscan chicken (got the recipe from these threads - I think hergreenapples) with french rolls. Delicious.

Roasted cauliflower and chickpea curry, basmati, cucumber raita

Linguine with clams - got clams at WFs to make this for myself. Not a single one opened, but I found a can of clams in the pantry. Worked!

Bagel with smoked salmon and the works

Baked potato and salad.

Tonight is my last solo night, not sure what I’ll make. Lulu and I will make some bean dishes over the next week, happy that November’s COTM has tons of appealing bean recipes. I’ve baked blondies to welcome her home and to share with my Pickleball group.

Wishing everyone a fun, happy Halloween!

18 Likes

The food looks great–keep those beans coming! :slight_smile:
I can see how the situation with LLD could make you more than slightly irritated!
And that’s really weird with the WF clams!

6 Likes

Two weeks after 10 days away is…way…too…long. One sib’s boyfriend goes, but not the other sib’s wife and daughter? I can see Lulu couldn’t miss school for weeks, but still!
I hope you get some good time alone that you can make absolutely best for you. And maybe you and Lulu can re-enjoy your best stuff together from the 10 day trip.
And you and Lulu get beans! Sounds like she is an absolute debate star! And sorry about the dentist.

10 Likes

Hello to everyone from the beautiful fall of the TwinCities of MN- where we could use some rain but he blue skies without end are lovely too- and above average temps - can’t complain there! Wrapping up October with Window Week! The egress window in our basement was installed and they replaced the windows and patio door in our temporary apartment. Glass half full- the cooking smells were finally vented from the apartment! But it was really cold!

Actuals and maybe a plan to wrap up October- where our goal is one day at a time! 2 adults and 2 growing girls:
Tues: Uncle IL’s Celebration of life and both kiddos skate. Moving service but LONG! I had to leave early to get to bus pick up. Really missing an amazing guy and gratefull I arrived a bit late so I souls stand in the back and wiggle vs sitting still in the seats! Love you Uncle Chuck! Assorted drive through take out.
Weds: After skating leftover potato leak soup doctored up tint baked potato soup
Thursday: Frontera fajitas kit from Costco with a little flavor doctoring
Friday: take out pizza after skating and dropping into the apartment Halloween party
Sat_ 3rd times a charm- finally made the curried butternut squash soup without a technology malfunction Green side salads
Sun: Tonight: Little one had a fever and sore throat. Voluntarily took 2 naps during the day (OMG!) Stupid glass electric stove F d up omelets so scrambled eggs with cheese on top, kale salad using this dressing sitting overnight https://food52.com/recipes/88453-via-carota-insalata-verde-recipe. I enjoyed the kale!
Mon: Little one was under the weather on Sunday so with trick or treating who knows!

13 Likes

The clam thing was crazy. I told a friend and she said she never gets seafood from our local Whole Foods, which sort of surprised me, but maybe she has a point.

2 Likes

I’m absolutely ok with not being invited - I figured it was a nuclear family sort of thing. But apparently there are exceptions. But Lulu and I are going to have a great time for the next week. She gets back this afternoon from the tournament, and beans are on the menu!

3 Likes

What are LLD’s views? About the exclusion and the timing?

2 Likes

He was surprised that I thought the exclusion was odd. Every family is different. He wasn’t thrilled about the whole 2 weeks thing, but felt he needed to do it for his mother. I totally understand that.

On the food front, I’m cheating a little tonight. I bought a jar of vindaloo simmer sauce, and I’m going to put beans in it. I’ll make rice and a salad to go with it.

6 Likes

Hope the little one bounced back enough to Trick or Treat. Thanks for the reminder about curried squash soup – have not had that yet this Fall.

Nothing like the draw of candy to cure a 7 year old! Also “my baby’s” first covid test-thankfully negative

I based my soup loosely on this one https://cookieandkate.com/thai-curried-butternut-squash-soup/. I added lemongrass and ginger pastes along with leeks

I think it would have been better if I used my blender instead of the immersion blender but I was so thrilled I didn’t burn anything on the stovetop I didn’t care (Viramix is in storage so improvising these days)

2 Likes