Week of February 13, 2012 {Meal Plan}

Ingredients & Inspiration

    • We are in the middle of a mad period of travel and last week's meals were a bit haphazard. I want to eat better this week.
    • Our freezer is full but only getting more full. I want to work on eating some of the surplus in the next few weeks. Look for the (f) to indicate an ingredient from the freezer.
    • We're celebrating Mardi Gras a few days early so I can write about it next week.

Menu

Monday - mushroom swiss bison burgers with homemade potato buns, roasted broccoli and parsnips

Tuesday - afternoon Valentine's tea (pimento cheese sandwiches, homemade crackers, chocolate cake, fruit), stir fry and eggrolls (f) for dinner

Wednesday - Dad's treat restaurant (Thank you Dad!)

Thursday - ravioli (f) and home dehydrated tomatos sauce

Friday - Mardi Gras early: boudain & grilled okra on ciabatta with Tobasco aioli, shrimp etouffee over rice, king cake

Saturday - R at OEFFA, A&L: fish (f), rice, peas

Sunday - family dinner

Eating Before Christmas December 19, 2011 {Meal Plan}

children making a gingerbread houseIt's here! The week of treats and gifts and family! We're trying to eat vegetable-heavy, non-holiday food as much as possible to balance the feasts that will come at the end of the week.

Meal Plan:

Monday - homemade chorizo and bean burritos with guacamole, salsa, and spinach

Tuesday - pad thai with bean sprouts and tuna chunks

Wednesday - homemade pizza

Thursday - Solstice Party in the morning. We're serving sun bread and chicken noodle soup. Eggs, waffles, and fruit salad for dinner

Friday - dinner with family at Lima's Lock Sixteen Restaurant

Saturday - hosting Xmas Eve dinner of roast goose and duck, mushroom pie, au gratin potatoes, kale and sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, and popovers

Sunday - 'Ethnic Roll-up' potluck dinner wherein everyone will bring their favorite rolled foreign food. We're making pork tamales. Other dishes that might show up include sushi, lasagna rolls, stuffed grape leaves, cabbage rolls, and stromboli.

What are you planning to eat this week?

Feast Week November 21, 2011 {Meal Plan}

fridge before thanksgivingIngredients and Inspiration

  • This is the week of at least three feasts for our family.
  • Our fridge is full of chicken stock, brussels sprouts, and charcuterie for our contribution to Thursday's meal.
  • I have five or six pie pumpkins to process into puree this week. I'll give some to pie-makers and freeze the rest.
  • To make the stock this weekend, we cooked several small chickens and picked off the meat. We froze some and need to eat the rest.

Meal Plan Monday - chicken soup with dumplings Tuesday - chicken burritos Wednesday - baked potatoes with broccoli and cheese, salads Thursday - turkey dinner at my parents' house with 20+ family members Friday - Alex hunting, dinner TBA Saturday - lunch and dinner at relatives' homes in Napoleon, Ohio Sunday - leftovers

Week of Awesome Eats November 6, 2011 {Meal Plan}

Before I make a meal plan, I always look ahead on my calendar. This week is particularly full of local events that I hope to attend:

  • It's Dine Originals Restaurant Week! Enjoy original prefix menus for just $10/20/30 November 7 -13 and support Local Matters at the same time. I think I'll treat Lil to lunch at Katzingers or tea at Mozarts.
  • This Tuesday is election day! We suggest voting No on Two but the most important thing is to participate in our democracy.
  • Thursday November 10, 2011 is Columbus Foundation's The Big Give. For 24 hours, donations to 600 nonprofits will be at least partially matched by a $1 million pool. Many of our favorite foodie organizations are participation including Clintonville-Beechwold Community Resource Center, Local Matters, Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association, and Wild Goose Creative. If you have a spare dollar or two, visit The Big Give website between 11 am Thursday and 11 am Friday and choose your favorite nonprofit(s) to double your money.
  • The November Too Many Cooks at Wild Goose Creative promises to provide food for thought as well as a tummy-full of tastes. Matthew of Good Idea Cooking is presenting six recipes featuring native Ohio foods in a presentation of 'What if the Pilgrims Landed in Ohio?' $10 at the door, 7 pm Sunday the 13th.
  • It doesn't happen until next Tuesday but I would guess that the Off the Menu: Flavors of Autumn dinner put on by Slow Food Columbus will sell out this week. The Refectory will treat adventurous eaters to a game-centered five course meal and wines for $75/member, $85/nonmember on Tuesday the 15th from 6:30-8:30 pm. Sadly, we will be out of town for this dinner.
  • <shameless self promotion> I will talk turkey and other birds on Sunday in a Whole Bird Cooking class at Franklin Park Conservatory. Students will learn by doing when they stuff, truss, carve, and eat a whole bird. $30 (members), $35 (nonmembers), 4-6 pm November 13, register by calling 614.645.5923.
  • Speaking of the tom, don't forget to make your reservation for a fresh local turkey for Thanksgiving.

glass pumpkins at franklin park
On to our meal plan!

Monday - salmon cheeks, rice, peas

Tuesday - squash, onion, and cheese tart, romaine salad

Wednesday - swiss chard lasagna, salad

Thursday - pad thai with tuna nuggets

Friday - dinner with friends

Saturday - CMH Dinner Club (we're bringing an inventive 'sweetheart' recipe)

Sunday - dinner with family or Too Many Cooks or both

What are you eating and doing this week?

October 3, 2011 {Meal Plan}

Ingredients & Inspiration:

  • I harvested a ton (well, several huge bowls) of green tomatoes, peppers, and herbs this weekend when frost threatened.
  • I ended up with four bags of Swainway Urban Farm sprouts after working the booth on Saturday. Yum!
  • Hello birthday week!! I want to go to Athens Farmers Market for my birthday and backpack the night at Wildcat Hollow. This will be our first time to the market ever and first time backpacking since Lil was a baby.

Menu:

Monday - fried green tomatoes, remoulade, dinner salads

Tuesday - salmon cheeks (fish heads, fish heads, rolly polly fish heads), stuffed peppers, sprout salad

Wednesday - dinner with Dad at India Oak?

Thursday - Applicious cooking class at Franklin Park Conservatory (tickets still available, $63 for six (6!) courses including fennel apple slaw, apple braised pork, and rustic apple tart)

Friday - Trail burritos (dried beans/salsa, cheese, tortillas, sprouts), dried fruit

Saturday - Dinner in Athens (Casa Nueva or Jackie O's? Maybe one for early lunch, the other for dinner?)

Sunday - Birthday dinner of fondue and small plates at our house

 

PS. Stay tuned to the blog this week for a series of giveaways celebrating my birthday!

Meal Plan September 19, 2011

Ingredients and Inspiration:

  • We are trying to return to a normal routine after several weeks with lots of events.
  • Our garden is winding down with only a few tomatoes and peppers left.
  • I unearthed some old homemade chorizo in the freezer that needs to be used.
  • Lil's birthday is this weekend!

Monday - chorizo mulitas, curtido

Tuesday - from-the-garden Johnny Marzetti (food blogger roundup on this Columbus classic coming Wednesday), steamed garden green beans

Wednesday - broccoli and purple potato frittata

Thursday - Tuscan kale and bean soup

Friday - pool and pizza birthday party for Lil's friend

Saturday - Lil's birthday dinner at Sushi Ting. I asked what she wanted and predictably she answered "salmon sashimi".

Sunday - Lil's 6th birthday! Party with Taysetee Pastry cake, followed by barbecue dinner at my parents'.

 

August 28, 2011 {Meal Plan}

Ingredients and Inspiration:

  • Lots of green beans in the garden. Tomatoes are infrequent but still around. We have just a few beautiful white patty pan squash ready to eat.
  • We didn't meal plan last week and I hated it. Too much questioning what to make for dinner!
  • On Wednesday, Alex and I have a quick night away to Cincinnati to hear Gillian Welch. Yay!!
  • This week will end with our annual labor day camp and feast. I want to eat cheap and healthy meals leading up to the gluttony.

Sunday - pad thai with green beans

Monday - wild rice soup and carrot muffins

Tuesday - pork stew with patty pan squash, carrots, and purple potatoes

Wednesday - something on the road?

Thursday - Lunch at Ikea, pasta with garden veggie sauce

Friday - sandwiches on the way to East Harbor State Park

Saturday - pancake breakfast, sandwiches for lunch, African Safari potluck dinner and potato packets

Sunday - eggs, bacon, and toast breakfast, lunch on South Bass Island (Put in Bay), hot dogs and sausages, chips, fruits and veg dinner

July 25, 2011 {Meal Plan}

Ingredients & Inspiration:

  • It's still really hot. We are planning lots of low-cooking time dishes.
  • Alex's birthday is Tuesday!
  • Fresh peppers (nardello and pepperoncini), green beans, violet jasper tomatoes, and herbs in the garden.

Menu:

Monday - green bean pad thai

Tuesday - Alex's wishes - maybe sushi out?

Wednesday - BLTs with homemade bread, bacon, and aoili, and fruit salad

Thursday - Grilled fish, bok choi, and sweet potatoes

Friday - Pork belly roast (in preparation for a Pork Board giveaway!), beets, cornichons, new potato salad

Saturday - Rachel teaching pizza class in the morning, hosting 'It Couldn't Be...' dinner for Foodbuzz

Sunday - Birthday seafood boil for Alex and Rachel's sister Megan - crawfish, lobster, clams, potatoes, corn