[img attachment=”98244″ align=”aligncenter” size=”medium” alt=”whats for supper aleteia” /]
It’s that ambitious time of year again, when people want to SORT THEIR LIVES OUT. We are all making plans, solid plans.
So, if you’re working on sorting your life out, would it help if I started using a link-up system again? It never really caught on, but I’d be happy to try again. I loved seeing what other families had for dinner. The original idea was not only to post pictures of my pork chops (I mean, who starts out with that for an original plan? People just fall into this kind of thing, all right? You have a camera, you have an empty corner in the garage, and someone says, “Hey, you know, here’s what you could do. . . ” Next thing you know, it’s a business model and you’re thinking of upgrading your drapes), but to give everyone a leg up in that lonely, lonely business of making a weekly meal plan.
Eh? Eh? Link-up, or just a reminder to share your menu for the week? Or just keep on posting pictures of my chops? I’m flexible.
Here’s what we had this week:
SATURDAY
Pizza hut pizza
On Saturday, we went to the ZOO! This is the first time we’ve been there when it wasn’t free day and thus packed to the gills with a gazillion other broke families. I was delighted to see that there is a whole lion in this zoo, and not just the top of a tuft of hair of the lion, which is what we’ve been able to see in other years through the crush of people. They also have entire giraffes, not just trees swishing with invisible giraffes inside them; and there is a whole gorilla, not just a fleeting gorilla butt.
[img attachment=”117342″ align=”aligncenter” size=”medium” alt=”Screen Shot 2016-08-26 at 9.57.27 AM” /]
Paying admission! Who’d-a thunk it. Next you’ll be telling me some people pay more than $12.88 for a pair of shoes.
My husband’s wonderful sister from California was in town, so we dragged her along with us to the zoo, and then we dragged her to one of our region’s distinctive culinary showcases: Pizza Hut. Of course we just had to sample that classic New England specialty: Two Pepperoni And Two Olive. My husband ordered Coke, and the waitress asked if Pepsi was okay, and he said “yes.” And that’s how I knew it had been a long day.
***
SUNDAY
Blueberry Chicken Salad again
This was so yummy, and chicken was so on sale, I put it on the menu again while it’s still blueberry season.
[img attachment=”117334″ align=”aligncenter” size=”medium” alt=”blueberry salad separate” /]
Still yummy! Here’s the recipe. I used bleu cheese instead of feta this time, and it was a much better match.
***
MONDAY
Hamburgers, chips
Nothing to report. Kids made supper while I was on the radio.
Oh, by the way, that was my next-to-last radio show with Mark Shea. Over a month ago, I had to regretfully let Mark know that when school started up, I wouldn’t be able to co-host anymore, because we’re just too crunched for time. So this coming Monday will be my last show (at least for now). You can still find podcasts of all of Mark’s previous shows, including the Mondays when I co-hosted. Also, the show is now available for Kindle, which should make it much easier to listen! And you can become a friend of the show, to help keep Breadbox Media on the air. Mark is such an enormously knowledgeable, articulate, and funny guy who is willing to talk about anything with anyone. Definitely worth your support.
On my last show this coming Monday, I will make a third and final attempt to tell the “got any duck food?” joke. It will be horrible.
***
TUESDAY
Copycat Wendy’s Power Mediterranean Chicken Salad
We have fast food once a week on our fabled shopping turn. A trip to Wendy’s is not as exciting for me as it is for the little guys, so I usually get a half salad, and I bring a can of seltzer from home. Wendy’s salads are actually quite good, fresh and interesting, not the limp, wizened, uninspired food you’d expect from a fast food place. My favorite is the Power Mediterranean Chicken Salad. Silly name, but a very tasty and filling meal.
I didn’t copy it exactly, but my version was:
Chopped kale,
spinach,
baby arugula,
grape tomatoes,
feta cheese,
black olives,
chick peas,
white beans,
roasted sunflower seeds,
chopped sweet peppers,
and chunks of grilled chicken.
I did buy some quinoa, which I happen to like, humph; but it felt too hot to cook anything else, so I skipped it, thus making the salad slightly less powerful. The Wendy’s version also includes hummus, which I put on the table but forgot to eat.
Normally, I serve meals like this in separate dishes, so people can pick and choose, but I was not feeling terribly accommodating on Tuesday, so I chunked it all into a giant bowl together.*
[img attachment=”117335″ align=”aligncenter” size=”medium” alt=”blueberry salad mixed” /]
I only kept the olives sequestered, in deference to my husband’s intense olive aversion; but he got home really late after a frustrating day of trying to squeeze some verifiable information out of a guy who spends a lot of time making amazing deals with classic car aficionados and also, as a side hobby, corresponding with the Better Business Bureau. I sort of mumblingly mentioned that there was lots of salad left over, with lots of nice things in it, such as nice chick peas. He said he was too tired to eat salad, and made some burgers instead. Fair enough.
*If you look closely, you’ll notice that this is actually a picture of Saturday’s blueberry salad, and not a copycat power mediterranean chicken salad at all. This is because I lost my iPad again, so my son took pictures with his phone, but then the rotten kid went to school. If I can reach him in time, I’ll add more pics in later, but I don’t have high hopes.
***
WEDNESDAY
Pork ribs, mashed potatoes, peas
Is there anything lovelier than a nicely-roasted pork rib reclining elegantly upon a plate? I argue that there is not.
[img attachment=”117343″ align=”aligncenter” size=”medium” alt=”pork dinner” /]
Notice the delicate breath of frost upon the peas. It was still hot, and I still didn’t feel like cooking anything. I did, however, take the peas out of the bag.
***
THURSDAY
Four large pizzas, carrots with hummus
My teenage son saw that I was having a stressful week, so he offered to try hummus. So now he has officially tried hummus. I think it made him tired. I appreciated the gesture.
***
FRIDAY
Pasta?
Okay, don’t forget to let me know your vote about future food posts! Link-up, or just a reminder to share menus in the comments, or just more pictures of my meaty thighs? I live to serve.
