One more week of Winter Break! More games, puzzles, and relaxing to come!
Sunday: Breakfast for Supper!
Monday: D-bomb's Tuna Melts with Chips and Kosher Pickles
Tuesday: Takeout Tuesday! Darren's Pick
Wednesday: Spaghetti with Bell Peppers and Mushrooms
Thursday: Diner's Choice: Egg Salad, Grilled Cheese, or Other Sandwiches
Friday: Bacon-wrapped Jalapeno Poppers, Black-eyed Peas, Cabbage, and Cornbread
Saturday: Date Night Takeout! Darren's Pick
It's winter break! One of the most fun things about both of us working at academic institutions is that we both get a break for Christmas! I have to work from home Monday and Tuesday - exams and end-of-semester meetings, but we can start relaxing - it's time for hot chocolate, pajamas, and binge watching TV! And maybe a takeout lunch date or two...
I'm going to treat Christmas prep much like I did Thanksgiving prep and spread it out over the whole week. It worked like a dream! I'll bake extra cornbread on Sunday and prepare the dressing Monday or Tuesday. I still have some of my Thanksgiving turkey and broth in the freezer. I'll bake the sweet potatoes when I'm baking the regular potatoes on Tuesday and then peel them and put the casserole together on Wednesday. I can make and apply the pork rub on Thursday, but it doesn't have a lengthy brining period like the turkey did, so I could also do it Friday morning. The cranberry sauce is already made because my recipe makes about 3 pints, and we've only eaten one so far. I've found that by ladling it into very clean canning jars while it's piping hot and making sure they seal (listen for the pop!), the cranberry sauce will last for months in the refrigerator, as long as it hasn't been opened. I like to finish it within a couple of weeks once it's opened.
Sunday: Pinto Beans, Roasted or Fried Cabbage, and Cornbread
Monday: Spinach Ravioli with Mushroom-Pancetta Cream Sauce and Salad
Tuesday: Broccoli, Bacon, and Cheese (Twice?) Baked Potatoes and Salad
Wednesday: Blackened Mahi Mahi and Asian-Inspired Dinner Salad
Thursday: Christmas Eve "Coffee Table Supper" - Loaded Nachos with Refried Beans, Bell Peppers, Onions, Roasted Corn, Jalapeños, Queso Fundido, Grated Cheese, etc. and Assorted Snacks or Dessert
Friday: Christmas Dinner! Roasted Pork Tenderloin, Sweet Potato Casserole, Cornbread Dressing, Lima Beans, Cranberry Sauce, and Rolls
Saturday: Date Night Takeout! Lib's Pick
We're in the countdown to winter break! This Christmas won't look like any previous one, but Darren & I always enjoy time off spent together.
Sunday: Turkey Pot Pie and Salad
Monday: Baked Sweet Potatoes, Lima Beans & Rice, and Salad
Tuesday: Tuesday Night Takeout! Lib's Pick
Wednesday: Refried Black Bean and Cheese Burritos with Fajita Vegetables
Thursday: Seared Tuna Steaks, Rice, and Salad
Friday: Date Night Takeout! Darren's Pick
Saturday: Breakfast for Supper!
We're back to virtual school for the remainder of the semester. For health and safety reasons, I am very glad. For instructional reasons, I am disappointed. Such is life during pandemic times...
Sunday: Pressure Cooker Baked Beans with Conecuh Sausage and Brazilian Cheese Bread
Monday: Darren's Fried Rice and Salad
Tuesday: Tuesday Night Takeout! Darren's Birthday Pick
Wednesday: Dried Lima Beans and Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread
Thursday: Mahi Mahi Tacos with Cabbage, Lime, and Guacamole
Friday: Date Night Takeout! Lib's Pick
Saturday: Breakfast for Supper!
Overall, our tiny Thanksgiving turned out well, if a little lonelier than I would have liked. Since Darren and I took/had the whole week off, we did some fun things, and I did a little of our Thanksgiving prep each day. I had already prepared the cornbread dressing a few weeks ago when I made a really big batch and froze half of it, so I just took it out of the freezer to thaw on Monday, and I also made my cranberry sauce. On Tuesday, I baked the sweet potatoes. Darren and I picked up lunch and had a picnic at a local park. It was a really nice, sunny day, and we were the only people in the park. On Wednesday, I dry brined the turkey legs and wings, and I peeled and mashed the sweet potatoes to prepare the casserole. On Thanksgiving day, I relaxed until late morning, and then prepared the basting butter for the turkey and the topping for the sweet potato casserole. We had a late lunch around 1:30 with no rush or stress because everything was done piecemeal. Our turkey legs and wings turned out really well, along with everything else, but we still had far too much food! After we enjoyed Thanksgiving #2 on Friday, we pulled the rest of the turkey and froze it for using later in soup or potpie or something, and I made 12 cups of turkey stock in my pressure cooker with the bones, scraps, and some chunks of veggies. I'm going to use some to make the curry on Sunday, and I'll freeze the rest. I used the leftover rolls to make bread pudding, which I haven't done in several years. Darren thought this bread pudding was a hit. I wish I had filmed his reaction - he was so pleased he couldn't stop laughing. Now it's back to the grind for a few weeks until Christmas break.
Sunday: Japanese Curry Lentils with Carrots and Potatoes over Rice
Monday: Antipasto Salad with Cheesy Garlic Bread
Tuesday: Tuesday Night Takeout! Joint Pick
Wednesday: Broiled Sandwiches with Chips and Salad
Thursday: Seared Tuna Steaks with Avocados, Rice, and Salad
Friday: Date Night Takeout! Darren's Pick
Saturday: Breakfast for Supper!
It's Thanksgiving week! It will be a lonely Thanksgiving this year. It's too risky to travel far, and I wouldn't want to expose anyone since I have been teaching students in person for the past few weeks. We've had a few isolated cases, but I think we're doing fairly well with masks, distancing, and hand washing/sanitizing.
It'll be a small dinner this year, with just the two of us. I don't think we've ever spent a Thanksgiving with just the two of us. Still, I'm grateful for health amid the pandemic, and I hope for continued health and safety for family, friends, and self.
We're skipping takeout Tuesday this week, because I get the whole week off for break, and it doesn't make much sense to get takeout, because we won't both be rushing home from work to prepare supper.
Sunday: Roasted Vegetables and Salad
Monday: Dried Lima Beans, Creamed Spinach, and Cornbread
Tuesday: Corn and Potato Chowder with Brazilian Cheese Bread and Salad
Wednesday: Refried Black Bean and Cheese Burritos with Roasted Peppers & Onions topped with Queso Fundido
Thursday: Thanksgiving! Turkey Legs and Gravy, Cornbread Dressing, Sweet Potatoes, Cranberry Sauce, and Rolls
Friday: Date Night Takeout! Lib's Pick
Saturday: Breakfast for Supper! Pancakes and Sausage
The countdown is on for Thanksgiving. Five more school days and then a week off!
We're going way back with some recipes this week. Spinach ricotta pasta was of my first recipes! I wanted to have cast iron seared steaks for Sunday dinner, but we didn't get any steaks in our grocery order.
Sunday: Bacon & Parmesan Crash Potatoes, Roasted Cabbage, and Salad
Monday: Pinto Beans and Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread
Tuesday: Tuesday Night Takeout! Lib's Pick
Wednesday: Spinach Ricotta Pasta with Salad
Thursday: Blackened Mahi Mahi with Faux Macque Choux
Friday: Date Night Takeout! Darren's Pick
Saturday: Breakfast for Supper! Breakfast Scrambles?
It's cooling off. I suspect we will have a few more days near 80, but the really hot days are gone. I'm glad. I enjoy cooking more when I can stay cool in the kitchen. Also, I'm having better results with online teaching this term, so cooking has felt like less of a chore some nights. I have found a lot of baking recipes that I want to try, too. We'll see how that goes. First up is this chocolate chip snack cake. For some reason, it makes me think of childhood, though I'm not sure if I've ever had it before. I'm ready to try new things and to revisit some of the winter comfort food recipes that we haven't had in months.
There are still a few items that we used to buy that we have been unable to get. The frozen goat cheese ravioli that I love continues to be unavailable, so I'm subbing in some spinach and cheese tortellini that I already have in the freezer to go in one of our favorite pasta dishes. I am not sponsored, but we have really enjoyed Rana pastas over the past few months. I think they are refrigerated pasta, but I've been doing grocery pickup since March, so I honestly don't know. They might be frozen. Either way, they cook really quickly and taste excellent. We have liked all of the varieties we've tried, so I'd recommend them, if you're a pasta lover.
Sunday: Cheese and Spinach Tortellini with Roasted Butternut Squash, Browned Butter, and Toasted Pepitas
Monday: Coconut Curry Chickpeas with Jasmine Rice and Salad
Tuesday: Tuesday Night Takeout! Darren's Pick
Wednesday: Darren's Fried Rice and Salad
Thursday: Blackened Mahi Mahi with Avocados, Rice, and Salad
Friday: Date Night Takeout! Lib's Pick
Saturday: Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Burritos with Grits
It's November. The temperatures are dropping, and the leaves are changing. It felt like fall earlier when I was outside with the dog.
Sunday: Roasted Sweet Potato and Black Bean Burritos with Corn and Pepitas and Salad
Monday: Red Beans and Rice with Cornbread and Salad
Tuesday: Tuesday Night Takeout! Lib's Pick
Wednesday: Spicy Miso Pasta and Salad
Thursday: Mahi Mahi Tacos with Cabbage, Lime, and Avocados
Friday: Date Night! Darren's Pick
Saturday: Breakfast for Supper! Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Tacos
The weather is (maybe) cooling off. We're planning some pretty hearty meals this week. I am looking forward to cooler weather and more time outside.
Sunday: Tortellini Soup with Salad
Monday: Coconut Curry Chickpeas and Jasmine Rice
Tuesday: Takeout Tuesday! Darren's Pick
Wednesday: Chicken and Dressing with Zipper Peas
Thursday: Seared Tuna Steaks with Rice, Avocados, and Salad
Friday: Date Night Takeout! Lib's Pick
Saturday: Breakfast for Supper! Pancakes and Bacon with Fruit!
We enjoyed our weekend away. We just went to Oxford, but it was nice to get away from these four walls and stare at another set of four walls! The weather was mild and sunny after a brief rain Friday morning. We got takeout a couple of times, and we watched too much Food Network.
Sunday: Cheese Tortellini with Peppers, Onions, and Mushrooms
Monday: Darren's Fried Rice and Salad
Tuesday: Black Beans and Rice with Conecuh Sausage and Brazi Bites
Wednesday: Pressure Cooker Cube Steak with Mashed Potatoes and Roasted Cauliflower
Thursday: Refried Black Bean and Cheese Quesadillas with Guacamole
Friday: Date Night Takeout! Darren's Pick!
Saturday: Breakfast for Supper! Grits, Eggs, and Biscuits with Bacon
Sunday: Pinto Beans, Roasted or Fried Cabbage, and Cornbread with Salad
Monday: Pasta with Spinach and Mushroom Pancetta Cream Sauce and Salad
Tuesday: Tuesday Night Takeout! Darren's Pick!
Wednesday: Baked Southwestern Egg Rolls with Guacamole and Salad
Thursday: Blackened Mahi Mahi Tacos or Burritos with Fried Corn, Avocados, and Honey-Lime Slaw
Friday: Date Night Takeout! Lib's Pick
Saturday: Staycation Weekend! Diner's Choice
Sunday: Roasted Acorn Squash Stuffed with Italian Sausage, Spinach, Quinoa, and Parmesan with Salad
Monday: Japanese Curry Lentils and Rice with Salad
Tuesday: Tuesday Night Takeout! Lib's Pick
Wednesday: Spicy Miso Pasta and Salad
Thursday: Seared Tuna Steaks with Rice, Avocados, and Salad
Friday: Date Night Takeout! Darren's Pick!
Saturday: Breakfast for Supper! Sausage, Cream Cheese, Spinach, and Potato Quiche
The temperatures are cooling off. I'm waiting for another heatwave, but I have really been enjoying the milder morning and afternoon walks with my dog.
Sunday: Chicken Pot Pie with Lima Beans and Fruit Salad
Monday: Red Beans and Rice with Cornbread and Salad
Tuesday: Tuesday Night Takeout! Darren's Pick
Wednesday: Goat Cheese Ravioli with Roasted Butternut Squash and Salad
Thursday: Blackened Mahi Mahi Tacos with Cabbage, Lime, and Avocado and Refried Black Beans with Cheese
Friday: Date Night Takeout! Lib's Pick!
Saturday: Breakfast for Supper! Jalapeno Cheese Grits, Sausage, Biscuits or Cinnamon Rolls, and Fruit
Here's the meal plan. Not too much is goin on this week, but the temperatures seem to be cooling off. I doubt it will last, so I'm going to enjoy it while I can.
Sunday: Broccoli Mac and Cheese and Salad
Monday: Black Beans and Rice with Brazi Bites
Tuesday: Tuesday Night Takeout! Lib's Pick
Wednesday: Re-fried Black Bean and Cheese Burritos with Grilled Peppers and Onions, Guacamole, and Fried Corn Relish
Thursday: Seared Tuna Steaks, Avocados, Rice, and Salad
Friday: Date Night Takeout! Darren's Pick
Saturday: Breakfast for Supper! Sausage, Egg, and Cheese Burritos with Hashbrowns
It's mid-September, and some mornings, I catch just a hint of fall in the air. I'm looking forward to cooler temperatures and winter meals. Also, I'm cleaning out the freezer, so we're eating based on what we already have available.
Sunday: Spinach, Potato, and Gouda Quiche with Mexican Fruit Salad
Monday: Thai Curry Garbanzo Beans and Jasmine Rice
Tuesday: Tuesday Night Takeout! Darren's Pick!
Wednesday: Roasted Sweet Potatoes, Black-eyed Peas, Ham Steak, and Cornbread
Thursday: Blackened Mahi Mahi, Red Beans and Rice, and Brazi Bites
Friday: Date Night Takeout! Lib's Pick!
Saturday: Breakfast for Supper! Pancakes and Bacon
We've been having better luck getting grocery pickup on Sundays, so I'm going back to planning Sunday to Saturday. So this Sunday is also on the previous meal plan.
Sunday: Round Steak and Gravy with Mashed Potatoes, Butter Beans, and Biscuits
Monday: Refried Bean and Cheese Nachos with Fried Corn and Guacamole
Tuesday: Tuesday Night Takeout!
Wednesday: Roasted Potatoes, Butter Beans, and Jalapeno Cheese Cornbread
Thursday: Seared Tuna Steaks with Rice and Salad
Friday: Date Night Takeout! Darren's Pick!
Saturday: Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Breakfast Tacos with Hashbrowns
The days are long, but somehow, there's never enough time to get everything done. I leave work exhausted, but I'm never actually finished or even caught up. Hopefully, things will level off soon, or I'll find a way to hold out until May... Here's to a week of relatively quick and tasty meals!
Monday: Coconut Curry Chickpeas with Jasmine Rice
Tuesday: Tuesday Night Takeout!
Wednesday: Spinach and Cheese Ravioli with Mushrooms, Bell Peppers, Italian Sausage, and Parmesan and Salad
Thursday: Mahi Mahi Fish Tacos with Cabbage, Lime, and Avocado and Fruit
Friday: Date Night Takeout! Darren's Lib's Pick!
Saturday: Breakfast for Supper! Bacon, Egg, Cheese, and Potato Burritos and Fruit Smoothies
Sunday: Round Steak and Gravy with Mashed Potatoes, Butter Beans, and Biscuits
We're trying something new this week with adding a day of takeout. With my new school schedule, the days are crazier than ever, and I need a break already! Darren's classes has started for the semester, so he is working and going to school. We both need more time to relax!
Monday: Bacon Brussels Sprouts Pasta and Caesar Salad
Tuesday: Tuesday Night Takeout!
Wednesday: Broiled Sandwiches, Chips, and Fruit
Thursday: Seared Tuna with Avocados, Rice, and Salad
Friday: Date Night Takeout! Darren's Pick!
Saturday: Breakfast for Supper! Sausage, Egg, Cheese, and Hashbrown Breakfast Burritos!
Sunday: Japanese Curry Lentils with Sweet Potatoes and Carrots over Rice with Fried Eggs for Darren
