Category Archives: Eating

Chomp it up.

menu plan Monday

What we’re eating as the snow melts

I am always pleased to have a Saturday totally free of obligations on the schedule, so I was already looking forward to last weekend. And then the weather folk said “You’re going to get a light dusting of snow!” and I was pleased because I like a light dusting of snow.” Then they said “You’re going to get 2-4 inches of snow!” and I was OK with that because the kids like to tromp around in a bit of snow.” And Thursday night they said, “Uh, you’re going to get a lot of snow. Like, 8 inches maybe? Or 12? We have no idea, really. Just get some bread and milk and plan to stay home.” And I was back to being thrilled because (a) Rockford managed to get home from Minneapolis just before the storm hit and (b) I love planning to stay home.

So we had a cold, stay-at-home weekend, with a good number of snowball fights and several naps while binge-watching “The Crown” and one nice-sized snowman, and we ended up with just over 10 inches of snow.

Monday: Hawaiian Meatballs
“What was that thing you used to make with green peppers and pineapple?” Rockford asked.

“Ummmmmmm,” I said. “Sounds like it could be a sweet-and-sour something?”

“No,” he said. “I think it was meatballs.”

And so it was. I last made this Pioneer Woman recipe something like 4 years ago.

Tuesday: Pizza, perhaps

Wednesday: Breakfast For Dinner
Last week’s tap-dancing class was equal parts amusing and confusing. I really should practice the steps we attempted to learn before Wednesday so I have some hope of keeping up. Regardless, Rockford will be at home making waffles for the kids.

Thursday: Sandwiches
It’s STAR WARS DAY! So we’ll have some sandwiches before we go see the movie.

Friday: Soy-Glazed Pork
This was overly salty the last time I made it, so this time I’m going to make my own black bean paste so I can cut down on the sodium a bit. I hope it works.

Hungry for more? Check out the Menu Plan Monday linkup at OrgJunkie.

menu plan Monday, Shopping

Arts & crafts & menu plans

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We had a busy but very nice weekend here at Butterscotch Sundae headquarters. We spent some time on Saturday at an indie art and craft fair, and I saw these lovely things:

Octopi and other sea-life inspired pottery from Anja Bartels. She also had a line of dogwood pottery that was gorgeous.

Sweet and often simultaneously profane artwork by my friend Robin Plemmons.

Mind-bogglingly beautiful concert posters from Status Serigraph.

Stunning tiny sculpture from Funlola’s Workshop. Most of it was in the form of jewelry; I couldn’t believe the detail in her succulents in particular.

The “wire taxidermy” by Alison Brynn Ross blew me away. They were all delicate and lifelike and so quirky. I’d love to put this shark on my wall.

And my favorite thing from the whole show, Julia Claire’s pottery. Her designs feature geometric mountain scenes, and I’ve been admiring them on instagram for about a year. I was so excited to round the corner and see her work!

We got a lot of Christmas shopping done there, which is (in my opinion) great news for our gift recipients. Including myself, because I may have bought something from Julia Claire and stuck it under the tree To: Me; From: Me.

With zero segue, that brings us to this week’s menu plan. Here ’tis:

Monday: Oven-Baked Chicken
“Oven-Baked Chicken” is just another way of saying we’re having Shake ‘N’ Bake. I need to use up some potatoes, so I’m making mashed potatoes, too.

Tuesday: Tacos
Just your standard ol’ ground beef tacos, ft. black beans and avocado.

Wednesday: Frozen pizza
I’m embarking on what I’m certain will turn out to be a lifelong tap-dancing career on Wednesday evening, and I’m leaving my family to eat frozen pizza while I do it. Hopefully I don’t injure myself.

Thursday: Breakfast for Dinner
The question I face every week when I plan BFD: Will the veggie sausages make it until BFD night? Historical precedent says probably not.

Friday: Pizza
I know, I know! It’s a two-pizza-night week. Sometimes these things happen, and we have to learn to live with that.

Hungry for more? Check out the Menu Plan Monday linkup at OrgJunkie.

Eating, National Blog Posting Month

A timeline of culinary misadventures

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1989. The time when I didn’t know how to cook but my little brother was hungry so I made him Every Spice In The Cabinet Soup. It was terrible, but he ate it and pretended it was good.

1997. The time when I didn’t know how to cook but I wanted to make dinner for Rockford and my little brother so I made a chicken-broccoli casserole recipe that I found on the back of a can. It was terrible, but they ate it and pretended it was good.

2001. The time when I didn’t know how to cook but I needed to make dinner for Rockford and myself and all we had in the house were potatoes. I tried to make potato soup, but I only used potatoes, water and pepper. It was terrible, and we did not eat it.

2002. The time when I tried to make stuffed shells with goat cheese. They were terrible, and we ordered pizza.

2009. The time when I tried to make a vegan meal and it used every pot and pan in the house. It was terrible, and we ordered pizza.

2017. The time when I nearly cooked a spider in the rice. That was tonight, and I fished it out in the nick of time.

What’s your most memorable kitchen disaster?