What's for Dinner? - Week Starting 23 December 2017

People are forever asking how I manage everything with such a busy schedule. I love to cook, but I don’t always have time to do so in the manner I would like. This weekly journal is a way to keep it real and show that while my intentions are good, sometimes life and all of its activities get in the way of serving a delicious, home-cooked meal and that it is perfectly okay.

- Saturday: Jim tried his hand at making fried rice tonight with a recipe for Kielbasa and Shrimp Fried Rice. While fried rice is an easy meal to make, it is something you have to make once to be able to understand how versatile it is and feel comfortable playing around with ingredients. Jim stuck with the recipe exactly, except for dividing the recipe into two pans and using three-quarters of the shrimp for Holly’s pescatarian version. While it was still good, I think playing around with the seasonings and adding bean sprouts, carrots, and other vegetables would make it even better. It makes a ton of rice though, so I know I will be taking some for lunch next week.
- Sunday: Christmas Eve was the perfect day to try Crockpot Sunday Sauce. Connor prepped everything the night before so all we had to do was take the crock out of the refrigerator and put it into the warmer. When we got back from my brother’s house later that day, the sauce was ready to go. It was absolutely delicious too. We were able to freeze some of the sauce for Jim and me and still have some for leftover meals this week. I am very excited about those leftovers.
- Monday: When we talked to the kids about plans for Christmas, Connor expressed a desire to open presents, eat, sleep, and relax. So we did just that. I made a breakfast casserole for after opening presents, but that was the only formal meal of the day. Instead, we had appetizers ready to go for whenever someone was hungry – taco dip, reuben dip, deviled eggs, wings. People could eat at their leisure however often they wanted. It made for a very relaxing and no-pressure holiday.
- Tuesday: My fridge was practically groaning with all of the leftovers it contains. I have used every piece of food storage containers I own too. There was absolutely no need to make anything until we ate all of those leftovers, so that we made some headway on them today.
- Wednesday: Connor left today to head back to Ames for the marching band’s trip to Memphis and the Liberty Bowl, which means one less person eating food. My fridge is still ridiculously full, and we only have two more evenings to eat up everything before our own trip. More leftovers it is.
- Thursday: Yep. More leftovers.
- Friday: What do you eat when you are in Memphis? BBQ of course! We went to Central BBQ after the festivities and had some of the best ribs and pulled pork we have ever had. Poor Holly made due with fries and vegetables.
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What was for dinner at your house this week?

6 Comments

Brandie on December 31, 2017 at 6:18 PM

I hope you enjoyed the trip to Memphis!

Michelle on January 4, 2018 at 9:14 AM

We absolutely did, although I might have to see a doctor about my vocal cords which I *may* have damaged during the game.
Reply

Ti on December 30, 2017 at 12:27 PM

That Sunday Sauce looks really good but there are so many ingredients! And, my daughter is a vegetarian now. One gluten-free person and a vegetarian in my house means things just got interesting. We don’t eat a lot of meat as it is but this is challenging and she is not doing fish either.

Michelle on January 4, 2018 at 9:09 AM

OMG, that Sunday Sauce is fan-freaking-tastic. It looks like a lot of ingredients, but Connor actually made it and he had almost no problems (the browned butter caused him some issues but that is lack of experience in the kitchen). As I said, we prepped it the night before and took the cast-iron pot out of the fridge and popped it into the cooking portion of the slow cooker before we left for the day. It was to-die for.

I have had to entertain my in-laws with one gluten-free person, one vegan, one vegetarian, and multiple shellfish allergies among the family. Rice and beans, corn tortillas or corn ships, veggies. That’s usually what I serve when they visit but it is NOT easy. I don’t envy you there.
Reply

Jenny @ Reading the End on December 30, 2017 at 12:19 PM

We had two kinds of beef stew for Christmas dinner, and they were delicious! My brother-in-law has this new sort of spicy shredded beef situation that was extremely yummy. And I’ve been eating out a lot since then, I’m afraid, so not cooking very much. I got some shockingly yummy queso at Costco, and I’ve been gobbling it up like there’s no tomorrow. :p

Michelle on January 4, 2018 at 9:04 AM

I so desperately need to clean out my fridge, freezer, and pantry and take stock of what I have versus what I need versus what I want to make in the next week. Between trips to my brother’s and this trip to Memphis, I have no idea what I have anymore. I’m just waiting for it to warm up a bit. No one wants to go to the grocery store when it is below zero outside.
Reply

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Brandie on December 31, 2017 at 6:18 PM

I hope you enjoyed the trip to Memphis!
- Michelle on January 4, 2018 at 9:14 AM
  
  We absolutely did, although I might have to see a doctor about my vocal cords which I *may* have damaged during the game.
Ti on December 30, 2017 at 12:27 PM

That Sunday Sauce looks really good but there are so many ingredients! And, my daughter is a vegetarian now. One gluten-free person and a vegetarian in my house means things just got interesting. We don’t eat a lot of meat as it is but this is challenging and she is not doing fish either.
- Michelle on January 4, 2018 at 9:09 AM
  
  OMG, that Sunday Sauce is fan-freaking-tastic. It looks like a lot of ingredients, but Connor actually made it and he had almost no problems (the browned butter caused him some issues but that is lack of experience in the kitchen). As I said, we prepped it the night before and took the cast-iron pot out of the fridge and popped it into the cooking portion of the slow cooker before we left for the day. It was to-die for.
  
  I have had to entertain my in-laws with one gluten-free person, one vegan, one vegetarian, and multiple shellfish allergies among the family. Rice and beans, corn tortillas or corn ships, veggies. That’s usually what I serve when they visit but it is NOT easy. I don’t envy you there.
Jenny @ Reading the End on December 30, 2017 at 12:19 PM

We had two kinds of beef stew for Christmas dinner, and they were delicious! My brother-in-law has this new sort of spicy shredded beef situation that was extremely yummy. And I’ve been eating out a lot since then, I’m afraid, so not cooking very much. I got some shockingly yummy queso at Costco, and I’ve been gobbling it up like there’s no tomorrow. :p
- Michelle on January 4, 2018 at 9:04 AM
  
  I so desperately need to clean out my fridge, freezer, and pantry and take stock of what I have versus what I need versus what I want to make in the next week. Between trips to my brother’s and this trip to Memphis, I have no idea what I have anymore. I’m just waiting for it to warm up a bit. No one wants to go to the grocery store when it is below zero outside.