And now that we have the table, the chairs, and a tablecloth, there’s no reason we can’t do this now, except the scheduling…

I’d love to get this on the calendar with our friends in April. 1 month ago

And I think it would be a great test-run for Christmas.

Unfortunately, we still don’t have chairs for our dining room table yet and that is obviously a first step. 6 months ago

I’ve been pinning anything that looks tasty, with ingredients I’d use, and with techniques that I could follow.

I now have four fully separate meals I’m excited to try out, and a couple that have (most of) the ingredients I already have!

Still focused on just getting through tomorrow morning with the GRE, but otherwise there’s no reason I can’t make one of these meals tomorrow night!

YAY! 8 months ago

Our grocery store had a buy one get one free sale on feta cheese. Now that we have gobs of it, I want to meal plan some things utilizing it.

I have a couple of ideas, but am open to more suggestions! Any favorite recipes utilizing feta? 10 months ago

For a week! With their one year old, I imagine we’ll try to eat most (if not all) meals at home. That’s a lot of mouths to feed at various points in each day. Plus, considerations are to be made for Miss Toddler who’s actually a pretty decent eater, but a toddler nonetheless.

So I’ll need to think about what to make for everybody and have on hand. Breakfast, lunch, snacks, dinner… I’m sure J would love to grill, but he’ll be working during the day, and who knows yet what times he’ll be home everyday…

Hrmm, this is going to be an adventure! 10 months ago

J and I have been talking about taking meal planning more seriously. As a way to save money, as a way to stop overeating, and as a way to prepare for life in a new place when a dozen or more restaurants won’t be within short walking distance.

I’ve been pinning all kinds of visual meal plan boards and recipes over on Pinterest.

I think it’s time I start to implement something.

Flylady suggests that you start by documenting what are actually eating as a way to discover patterns. Eating out would show up a lot, but I think that might help us in our awareness.

I have a ton of ideas that I just am not acting on. That’s foolish. I can do this. 13 months ago

So I have a cousin about my age who lives in the same city now with her dental student husband. Her parents and two siblings are all in town for Easter, and want to see our place for the first time. I invited them all over for dinner tomorrow night, which when we’re all together is EIGHT people! I’m not quite sure how I’ll pull it off, particularly when we have a table and chairs for only 4, BUT we’ll make it work: I’ll clear my sewing table and bring it in the dining room to create more surface area, we can eat in shifts, and there’s always the couch – haha.

First, I was inspired by Afrayedknot’s fish tacos. But J and I went over to my cousin’s place and we all had hamburger tacos tonight. :/

Then, when I was meal-planning earlier today when I wasn’t thinking we’d see my cousins so soon, I thought I could make chicken koftas with tzatziki tonight. Now I’m thinking I can do a whole Mediterranean themed night with the koftas and tzatziki and tomatoes in pitas and maybe zucchini fries and a Greek salad! Mmmmm, yes, I like how this is shaping up. And if I’m still feeling adventurous (and maybe I’ll have to be to make sure I can feed everybody), maybe I can also make Afrayedknot’s orzo pasta side dish recipe I remember she had from her old 43T account.

Yes, I think I have a solid plan!! Hooray! 13 months ago

The Thai Mango Chicken turned out wonderfully. I served it over the thin vermicelli rice noodles I had, and I’m very pleased with it.

Recipe here.14 months ago

I’ve got rice noodles, Israeli couscous, and Emmenthaler cheese to use.

I’m not planning on using any of that in the same dish, but should help me narrow down the options of what I could make for dinner tomorrow. 14 months ago

I even bought dark chocolate chips and oats to make a chocolate oatmeal cookie recipe I saw online, and had full intentions of making them before leaving my sister’s.

But my niece has been sick, and during the week that my sister was going to have her in daycare, she’s been too sick to attend, and all of a sudden, I’ve been inundated with what it is to take care of a sick baby, and that does not leave much time and space to make chocolate chip cookies. Rats!

I suppose I could make them now, at midnight. But that just doesn’t seem practical. (Maybe tomorrow?) 15 months ago

Gotta love that Martha. For my sister’s birthday I gave her the two Martha Stewart Everyday Food cookbooks that have exceptional ratings on Amazon. I looked over both books yesterday, and determined the remaining meals I’ll make until we depart Friday.

Tonight I am making:

Pork Tenderloin Paprika and Egg Noodles with Lemon-Thyme Green Beans.

Tomorrow night I am making:
Chili-rubbed skirt steak (although I think the meat counter gave me flank steak – same or different?) with roasted sweet potato wedges and paprika-roasted cauliflower.

I think we’ll get leftovers from both meals that C can either bring with her for lunch, or use again for dinner next week when she’s back by herself. Gosh, I feel so stingy for not being able to be with her all the time, but I’m sure J feels like I’m being generous. Haha.

I am glad I’m overcoming my phobia of the kitchen. 16 months ago

(in order of remembrance):
1. J’s chili recipe taken from a working moms cookbook. Served over rice, and what makes it really successful is the fresh fixins’: tomatoes, sour cream, salsa, avocado, crumbled corn chips, spring lettuce mix, shredded cheese, cilantro, lime.
2. Butternut squash corn chowder, ala Martha Stewart.
3. Roasted parsnip bread pudding (with added ham), also ala Martha Stewart.
4. Carrot-ginger soup via Epicurious.
5. Indian curried acorn squash that i found randomly online.

I’ve had each of those recently enough that I don’t feel compelled to make them too too soon, but it’s good to remember that I liked them!

Over the summer I purchased black mustard seeds to use in a recipe for Indian daal. It was cheaper to buy a big bag of them than the small glass vial that would have better suited the amount I needed. J critiqued the need for that many black mustard seeds, so I have taken that as encouragement to keep finding recipes calling for them. I have made four things so far with them, but need to keep searching.

I also purchased rice noodles in the vain hope that maybe I’ll find a good recipe for pad thai or some other neat Thai noodle dish. I crave that kind of thing often enough when we go out to eat, but have never had the courage to make it myself. I think, because I’ve been afraid of fish sauce… J recently bought some for his own purposes, so maybe that’s enough to open the floodgates for my trying it as well.

For that same dish he made, he also bought sambal oelek chili paste, which seems to be a variant on sriracha sauce, but with a smokier taste? (I’m still trying to figure out the difference.) I’m curious to see what things we could use that in…

I’m also craving:
1. Risotto.
2. A chicken dish J made with a cilantro pesto sauce (I think that’s what it was) that was divine.
3. Beef stew.
4. Scallops…

So we’ll see what comes of any of these desires. I am glad I’m less afraid of the kitchen, and I’m hoping J will be more inspired to be back in the kitchen after his several months of “being on the floor” are over at the end of January. As much as it’s nice to eat out, I’m feeling the pinch on our wallet. Plus, I have lots of new moms in my life I told I’d help out (i.e. my sister and my best friend from college), and I know cooking for them is paramount. 16 months ago

I had this on a little while ago, but declared it done when I was clearing my list of most things in an effort to clear my head and intentions…

I’m finding myself 1) needing to cook more often, and 2) actually cooking more often, and wanting to document the things that have worked well and the things I still want to try.

I’m also wanting to keep experiencing new-to-us restaurants and really enjoy good food. 16 months ago

....for when J’s parents are here for his graduation. We’ll be going to our absolute favorite restaurant on our anniversary, then we’ll be going to the place where we had our rehearsal dinner (and where I got an OpenTable Spotlight coupon earlier this year), and then we’ll go to a new place that keeps getting rave reviews.

All are part of the Bucket List. :)

I’m hoping to hit up our favorite breakfast place, too, while they’re here! 2 years ago

There are a few I’ve been reading about as being really great. I need to do some research and find some consistent winners. But I want to get started on the list. There are certainly plenty more to add, and still menus and reviews I want to read through…. but here goes.

Alinea
Avec
Frontera Grill
Hot Chocolate
Girl & the Goat
Mado
mk
Next Restaurant
Saigon Sisters
Taxim 2 years ago

J and I love food. We love eating out, and discovering hidden (and not so hidden) gems. J loves cooking, and gets better and better all the time. I’d like to get better at cooking, but need a goal with a bit more umph than “try a new recipe.” And I had ‘host a dinner party’ on my list a while ago, but this goal name covers the gamut.

So, I will use this goal to highlight:
1. Restaurants to enjoy.
2. Meals to cook.
3. Dinner parties to host.
4. Whatever else comes up. 2 years ago