This week's menu

In the last couple of years the distribution of cooking labor has been a little lopsided, with my darling husband doing the lion's share of the cooking. I've been planning menus and making shopping lists, which helps take the stress off him, but it is still a lot of work to do all of the actual preparation of food. So, this semester we've revamped our menu planning a little. Brian's class schedule keeps him busy in the afternoon now, where before he was home and able to cook. Since I get off earlier, I'm taking more of a lead. Yay!! Now we plan our meals to (roughly) follow this schedule:

Sunday: Large meal that makes left overs (cooked together)
Monday: leftovers
Tuesday: Kristen cooks
Wednesday: date night - cook together or eat out
Thursday: crock pot/slow cooker or pre-prepped throw in the oven casserole (Brian takes lead, I finish)
Friday: Brian cooks
Saturday: play it by ear, usually cook together whatever strikes the fancy.

That means we do most menu planning on Saturdays or Sundays and grocery shop the same day. I take leftovers for lunch when I'm able, so we're trying to do a fair bit of extra cooking, when its not something more expensive (not making extra steaks or fish usually, for example).

I'm pretty excited about our menu this week. It is a little fancier than some weeks, mostly because of Valentine's day on Friday. ♥

February 9 - 14, 2014

Sunday: Chicken pot pie with biscuit crust
Monday: leftover pot pie
Tuesday: Tropical sea scallops with cucumber mango salad and rice
Wednesday: Mozzarella stuffed caprese burgers with balsamic glaze drizzle and grilled squash
Thursday: Baked ziti
Friday: TBD Valentine's day celebration

I'll likely go to our favorite grocery store Friday and pick up something awesome to make together. They have fantastic steak, stuffed fish, mostly prepped shellfish... so something will come together easily and deliciously. Plus I'm keeping a dessert trick up my sleeve. ;) Not that I can spring much on him... he'll be home all day! No Friday classes this semester, lucky duck.

Your turn! 
How do you share the load? Who does most of the cooking at your house?
What are your Valentine's day plans this year? Any favorite traditions?

Olympics drinks

Just a quick post to share my opening ceremony celebratory drinks! This will absolutely work for any Olympics party you may have planned. The trick? Rimming sugar. Aka, colored sprinkles. ;)

Blue drink ideas:

Blue Hawaiian 

Blueberry vodka, blue curaçao, seltzer

Really, blue curaçao and anything XD 

Black drink ideas: 

Black Russian

Rum and Coke

Rum and Coke and chocolate (add godiva liquor or chocolate extract)

Red drink ideas:

Cape Codder

Cosmopolitan

Bloody Mary

Malibu Bay Breeze

Yellow drink ideas:

Jameson and Ginger ale 

Vodka and pineapple juice

Frozen Mango Daiquiri

Harvey Wallbanger

Green drink ideas:

Midori Sour

Green Apple Martini

Midori Mojito

To serve: Rim a glass of your choice (champagne for smaller sips, or white wine glasses or martini glasses for larger servings, assuming your glasses are anything like mine!) with colored sugar. I used cheap crystals for the green, red, and blue. The gold sprinkles are fancier here, but you could use simple yellow too. 

Pour a little bit of sprinkles in a shallow dish. Just wet the rim of the glass with a slight ring of water. Drip it in the sprinkles and spin to coat. 

For the chocolate rim; melt some semi-sweet or dark chocolate chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl in 20 second bursts. Mix in a drizzle of oil (canola is fine, or something fancier like coconut) to make it smoother. Dip the glass in and spin to get an even coat. 

My pick for the night? A modified green apple martini; vodka, apple martini mixer, ginger ale. 

My darling husband chose the Jameson and Ginger. Isn't it an epic gold? 

Your turn! What would be your pick? Please share if I missed a favorite. Also, what sport are you most excited to watch? I am all about some figure skating and ski jumping. 

Beef stew with root vegetables and horseradish

Fall always means stew season to me. Its one of those miracle dishes that once you know the fundamentals you can tweak it a million different ways to keep it interesting. The last time I tried to blog about stew, I failed miserably and charred the beef beyond all recognition. After hacking off the black bits and continuing anyways, Brian was kind, and said it imbued a subtle smokiness to the dish. (Do we see why I love this man? Not yet an "oh bleep no, we're ordering pizza" night. ♥)

This time was immensely more successful. For one, I have much better equipment now, thanks to the generosity of our friends and family at our wedding (and preceding shower). This particular recipe was blessed by the Le Creuset dutch oven from Aunt Joann. It really is so much easier to nail with a solid cast iron dish balancing out the heat. XD

Additionally, I used a very elegantly compiled "how-to" from Fine Cooking magazine. I could wax poetical about them all day though, so I won't get started (except to say that I love the subscription Brian got me for Christmas last year, and pour through every glossy page like its a religious experience.)

But we were talking about stew.

This beef stew combines all the right classic elements, with just a little edge of surprise. I am loving having the leftovers for lunch. It is definitely NOT a weeknight meal. This is a make on the weekend, start after lunch, fill the house with good smells, drool in anticipation sort of meal.

Beef stew with root vegetables and horseradish
from fine cooking

Pizza Monkey Bread

This post has been a long time coming... I originally used this recipe for a housewarming party... back in February! Back then I was picturing using it again for March Madness parties, but now I'm looking at football season... Bonus, it does travel well if you can a) keep it warm, b) reheat it in an oven, or c) stick it in the microwave when you get to the party. :)
Original thanks for help go to Rachel, though Brian has helped with batches since the original! Rachel still deserves the nod, since we all know a new recipe is hardest the first time.

This recipe is super kid friendly. Also housewarming party friendly, game night friendly, and football friendly. Great for the kid in all of us. I found it easiest to make with a helper or two, so this gets the kids involved in making dinner, or gives you a chance to catch up with that best friend that is always eager to help set up (thanks Rachel!)

Harvest Squash, Veggie, and Pumpkin Lasagna

I had this idea about a week ago. It was vaguely inspired about a month ago by a dish at a restaurant, but I knew I wanted to do something different. Last weekend as we brainstormed our meals for the week I hatched a real plan for the dish.

It. Was. Epic.

Now I normally don't oversell my dishes (*cough*snickerdoodles*cough*) but this one... it blew my mind. After I put it in the oven I fretted over ingredients that might have made it better. It was superb the way it was. Perfect Sunday dinner, with spectacular leftovers for Monday lunch. This is an instant hit for the "if I open a restaurant, I'll serve..." list.

Harvest Squash, Veggie, and Pumpkin Lasagna
a Joyful Foodie original recipe

Slow scrambled eggs

This is the time of year where most blog posts are helping you get back to the rush rush rush of the school year. The new brilliant lunchbox posts, for young and not so young alike start to blend together until you can't keep the ideas straight. Don't get me wrong, I'm as ready for a break from "leftover whatever" and "another sandwich" as the next gal. But the start of the school year always makes this teacher appreciate weekend breakfasts all the more. A chance to slow down and savor my food, to really taste the flavors. This breakfast is perfect for those mornings.

I always though scrambled eggs were a quick meal, a go-to for those last minute I need protein mornings. But when you don't rush them, when you cook low and slow, they get this most marvelous creamy flavor and just melt in your mouth. YUM.

Slow Scrambled Eggs with Dill, Ricotta, and Smoked Salmon
adapted from the How to Cook Everything cookbook

Busy summer!

So, its been a few weeks. So much for hitting the blog hard this summer, eh?

Really, this is just a quick check in. I'll be along with some food in the next week or two.

What have I been up to?

Honeymoon!

We went to St. Lucia for a week at the beginning of August. Talk about AMAZING. We realized while there that this is the first "grown-up" vacation I've ever taken. I only ever went home for school breaks, and we've only done 2-3 day weekend jaunts before. I guess the Boston trip last summer counts for something, but that was more visiting friends and family than getting away just to unwind and sightsee. This was sleeping in, eating out, catamaran touring, ocean swimming, rum drink sipping relaxation. I've got some food posts to share out of this one, trust me! My favorite food memories? Eating at a hotel where the chef had made the reservation for us, perfectly cooked rack of lamb, fried plantains (I made those!) and creole breakfast with salt fish and floats. Also the Chairman's reserve spiced rum. Makes the most delicious rum and coke... you can taste and distinguish actual spice flavors, which is so cool. :) And the Piton beer reminds me of meals with my Farfar, who's beers of choice were Carlsberg and Heineken... it had that kind of flavor to me.

Reading!

The books on the left are ones I've already finished in August (three were on the kindle), and the ones on the right are my "next up" stack. :)

Reading. TONS. I read 10 books in the month of August. Instead of defaulting to "what do I want to watch" and grabbing the remote, I've been reaching for my book. Its been AWESOME. If you check out my 29 by 29 list (see tab above) you can follow my list. Just finished Jurassic Park today, only took me three days (and this, after school has already started!) Earlier this week I read Before I Go to Sleep by S J Watson, which was so phenomenal I read it in just TWO DAYS. I got the book from the library Tuesday and finished it Wednesday. I thought about it every time I had a break at school Wednesday too. XD

New classroom!

Started a new job! I am now at a middle school (again) teaching 6th grade science and social studies. So far I LOVE IT. My kids are great, my team is great, my principal is great. I'm really happy to not have the super long commute, it makes such a huge difference to the day. I actually have time and energy left to be helpful and interesting at home. This week I helped make dinner last Monday, cleaned up from dinner a couple times this week, did general chores including a load of laundry on Wednesday, etc. It doesn't sound like much, but its a move in the right direction from it being mostly Brian handling everything to me being human enough at the end of a work day to take some of that off his shoulders. Even if it is just cleaning up a meal instead of grouching that the kitchen is messy, its big steps here. I am so happy to be at a place where I can serve a group of children and my own family in such a balanced and fulfilling way. Now I'm just looking at keeping that balance once the paper grading starts!

New haircut!!

(Terrible pic, but I'll get some better ones this weekend, whatwith labor day festivities.)
I swore I would do it someday, and I finally did. I went with some slightly conservative side swept bangs, since I was a little nervous to make the leap, but they are super cute. Finally I love pony tails on me! Now I just need to get the gym thing happening again so I can rock that look in public. Usually, pony tails are reserved for cleaning, super hot sticky weather, and ugh I can't deal with you (which happens less right after a haircut!). The inspiration pictures ranged from Victoria Beckham (extreme end) to Sandra Bullock (conservative end). My stylist nailed what I was talking about. :)

What was your favorite way to stay busy this summer?