Monday – Chicken cordon blue, rice pilaf, broccoli
Tuesday – Chicken Marsala takeout from Savona’s (Drew’s birthday)
Wednesday – BBQ ribs, macaroni & cheese, broccoli
Thursday – New England baked haddock, french fries, cole slaw, green beans
Friday – Chicken fajitas
Saturday – Burgers, chips, salad
Month: October 2022
Happy Homemaker Monday, April 20, 2020
Ah, another Monday! We’re over one month into quarantine, with just under another month to go. New York was extended through May 15th. Sigh… It’s hard to be upset when you know that the governor is making smart decisions and it is all for the greater good, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t put down my head on the table when I heard the news. Nevertheless, I appreciate that he is doing what truly is the right thing. I think back to that quote we’ve all heard “You can do hard things.” It’s something we usually tell our children, but I think we all need to remind ourselves of it, too.
Let’s get to Happy Homemaker Monday, where I am linking up with Sandra at Diary of a SAHM.
The Weather
Another cooler day out there right now. I’ve been running in and out of the house for various things and it’s chilly and in the 40s. We actually woke up to snow on Saturday morning! So weird.
How I am feeling today
Busy & happy to celebrate Drew’s birthday! No, we can’t go out or anything but since it’s a workday that doesn’t really matter much anyway. Last night we ordered a bunch of take-out to enjoy through the week in between home-cooked meals.
On my mind
I made the decision to deactivate my Facebook account and I have this strange guilt over it. Honestly, the only thing that really kept me hanging on to it was sharing photos with family and I can easily just email them. And yet I have this nagging feeling… I just got tired of the constant barrage of information and as I looked over my friend list I realized that most of the people listed really are “connections” either via work or my kids’ schools… not really friends that I want to share things with. In a perfect world I could parse it all out, but I tried that and couldn’t figure out a way to make it work so I took drastic measures. I suppose that seems silly since I do have this blog, but somehow it is different. Certainly not everyone I was “friends” with on FB knows about this blog or reads it. In fact, very few do! So I don’t know… maybe it’ll be a week or a month before I log back on. Or maybe I’ll be able to cut the cord for good. But right now I just feel like I need a break from the chaos.
On the breakfast plate
Today it was a roll with cinnamon butter. I need to start laying off the carbs… my waistline is definitely being affected by all the bread and pasta!
On my reading pile
Nothing at the moment.
On my tv
Boys are still watching Twin Peaks S2 and we still like Monk during down time, but I don’t really have any new shows at the moment that are piquing my interst.
On the menu this week
Friday morning I did a huge grocery shopping trip, so my fridge is well-stocked for a while!
Monday – Burgers, potato salad, peanut butter pie
Tuesday – Steak tips, mashed potatoes
Wednesday – Chicken Parmesan, spaghetti
Thursday – Pork chops
Friday – Chicken tacos or chicken burrito bowls
Saturday –
Sunday –
From the camera
My current favorite recipe is Alison Roman’s Spiced Chickpea Stew. It is absolutely delicious, the only change I make to the recipe is using one instead of two cans of coconut milk. It just makes a thicker stew, and we all like that!
Looking around the house
I have to fold a couple baskets of laundry later on today.
Chore I’m not looking forward to today, or this week
Nothing really…
To relax this week, I will…
Crochet, work in my memory planner, watch TV… same stuff, different day!
Red Lentil Soup with Sweet Potato
It’s soup season! Here in the Hudson Valley fall has definitely landed and I have been craving hearty, comforting soups.
Last winter, one of my patrons at the library shared this soup recipe with me the day before a winter storm. I love a good lentil soup, and I was intrigued by the sweet potato in this recipe. I had all of the ingredients on hand, and more than enough time to make it (thank you snow day!). Although cinnamon was not an ingredient in the original recipe, she suggested it to me and I think it really adds a nice flavor to the soup. You can omit it if you like, but it is barely noticeable as cinnamon… it’s more like a secret ingredient!
Red Lentil Soup with Sweet Potato
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 1-2 carrots chopped
- 1 stalk of celery chopped
- 2-3 cloves of garlic minced
- 1" knob of ginger shredded (or equivalent ginger paste)
- 1 medium sweet potato chopped
- 3-4 Tbsp. tomato paste
- 1 tsp. cumin
- 1 tsp. coriander
- 1/2 tsp. chili powder
- dash cinnamon optional
- 1 cup red lentils
- 4-5 cups chicken or vegetable stock
- 1 lemon
- plain yogurt, garam masala optional, for garnish
Instructions
- In a large pot, heat oil on medium-high. Add chopped onion, carrots, celery, and sweet potato. Sauté until onion is translucent.
- Add garlic and ginger, sauté and stir for another minute.
- Add spices and tomato paste, sauté and stir for another minute.
- Add broth and lentils, stirring up any stuck bits, and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook for about 20 minutes, until lentils are very soft. Add water or more broth if it seems too thick. Taste and add more salt, if needed.
- Puree soup in blender or with immersion blender. This soup can be made very smooth or left a bit chunky.
- Squeeze half of the lemon into the soup and stir well.
- Serve with a dollop of plain yogurt and a sprinkling of garam masala, if desired.
Spinach & Bacon Quiche
Need a delicious recipe for a brunch or a light dinner? Quiche is one of my go-to options because it can be made ahead of time and is delicious with a side salad in the summer or a cup of soup in the cooler months. This is a recipe I worked on with my son when he was in middle school. It actually won him a prize at a “Top Chef” contest that was judged by chefs from local restaurants! I hope you enjoy it
Bacon & Spinach Quiche
Ingredients
- 9-in refrigerate pie crust
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup heavy cream (half-and-half may be subsituted)
- 4-5 pieces cooked bacon
- 3 slices Swiss cheese
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 small onion thily sliced
- 1/2 Tbsp. butter
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. pepper
- 1/8 tsp. nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp. fresh thyme
- 1 Roma tomato dliced
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350°F. Fit pie crust into 9-inch pie plate.
- Heat butter in small skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the thyme. Set aside.
- In medium bowl, mix heavy cream, eggs, nutmeg, salt and pepper; set aside.
- Layer Swiss cheese slices, crumbled bacon, bacon, onion, and spinach over the pie crust. Pour egg mixture over top. Sprinkle shredded cheddar over the top. Arrange tomato slices over the top.
- Bake 40 to 50 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cool for at least 20 min. Cut into wedges.
Notes
Serve warm or at room temperature.