Category Archives: foods

Menu Plan Monday, 9/5

This week brings me back to school!! I start full blast with students tomorrow.

And we have friends coming to town for the next three or four days. I am so excited for our friends to visit, even if it’s the craziest week for me. This has become an annual tradition and with the sucky summer behind us, I’m extra looking forward to this visit. BUT, with my newly diagnosed allergies and food restrictions, I need to stay vigilant. I think I have a solid plan to stay the course.

First week back to school, company coming, and all my dietary restrictions mean that menu planning and meal prepping are absolutely crucial for success. This week, I already figured out my breakfasts and lunches for the school week as well.

Please to enjoy, my kitchen whiteboard!

Monday Menu Plan

Monday: Brined & grilled whole chicken, white rice, and honey carrots

Tuesday: Sausage Soup & salad

Wednesday: flank steak, warm potato salad, grilled jersey corn

Thursday: chicken thighs, leftovers, and salad or green veg

Friday: dinner out….it’s Qs big night!!

Weekend: fresh fish and clams from Randall’s (a local fish market, right on the bay)

A few pictures from last week’s eats!

bofa soup
ginger pork & GF lomein
pork cutlet, mashed pot, green beans, gravy

Polish kielbasa*, mashed, Polish kraut*

*from a local European Market. While I was there, I also picked up a box of delicious hibiscus tea. I hope the store stocks around. I’ll be back.

A back-in-the-day sorta post

I really had no idea what to title this post. Back in the early blogging days, one of my favorite weekly posts was the menu planning. As I get back into blogging, I want to start sharing my food “stuff’s again. I never stopped menu planning and I never stopped taking pictures of my food. I still love cooking.

So….menu planning Monday is back!!

A note about lunches: While I’m home for summer lunches are a little looser but still sort of planned. When I go back to school, I will plan breakfasts and lunches, at least for school days.

Since Big Man has been home from the hospital, we have been adjusting our diet. His doctors have recommended the Mediterranean diet so I’ve been looking up recipes and finding new ways to eat that use less salt, more fresh produce, and are still delicious. I grabbed these two cookbooks from the library and so far, I really like what I’m seeing, cooking, and eating. I’ll keep you posted with more pictures and posts.

Brown Sugar Brunch Cake

On Sunday, I woke up and enjoyed my coffee and decided I needed to bake. I went looking for a recipe but found a few I liked. I combined and came up with what I am calling “Brown Sugar Brunch Cake” and it was delicious!!! 

Cake ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/3 cup veg. oil
  • 1/3 cup white sugar
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1-2 tablespoons maple syrup or honey

Crunch Topping ingredients:

  • 1/3 cup butter
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon 
  • 4-6 tablespoons soft butter

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 375°F 
  2. Grease your pan – My pan is approximately an 8X11 but a 9X13 or muffin tins could just as easily be used. 
  3. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, white & brown sugars, salt, and baking powder. Break up all sugar clumps. Stir in oil, eggs, and milk until well blended with very few lumps.
  4. Optional step – fold in fruit (berries, bananas, chunks of apples)
  5. Fill your baking vessel
  6. In a medium bowl, mix together the Crunch Toppings ingredients. Crumble over top of the batter. 
  7. Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 25-30 minutes. If making muffins, check after 20 minutes. Toothpick inserted in the middle will come out clean when cake is done
  8. The longer you let the cake cool, the crunchier your topping becomes!