Food This Week (9/21)

I've missed my weekly food posts this past year (or two).  It's helpful to look back and remember what I was making, especially when I find myself in these occasional food slumps.

My FAVORITE menu change is from summer to fall.  I am not a great summer cook.  The things I love require a hot stove or oven and summer just does not oblige these temperature needs.  Still I enjoyed finding new marinades I liked, new salads and other sides.  I am SO ready for fall cooking.

Even with my excitement for a change in menu I'm struggling.  It is overwhelming on an almost daily basis for me to feed our family well.  I like to cook. I love food. Quality and nutrition are important to me. These things pose challenges when planning and cooking for a family  of 5.  It's not just 7 dinners a week anymore.  It' 7 breakfasts, 7 lunches (2 to pack 5 days a week), approximately 14-21 snacks.  It's gotten insane.

So as usual I'm rebooting, going with the flow.  I'm going back to the one big Costco run a month for organic meet to portion and freeze, eggs and cheese, pantry staples (think canned tomatoes and broth up the whazoo).  Then weekly (or bi or tri weekly of late) local grocery runs to get specifics for meals, fresh produce and some dairy (all hail the weekly milk delivery, WORTH EVERY PENNY.)

So, here we go.  On the menu this week..

For breakfasts::
German Apple Pancake
apple cinnamon oatmeal
cereal ( I just stocked up on malt o meal, the family is excited)
eggs ( ALWAYS eggs)

Lunches::
Trader Joes Os and hebrew national hot dogs (the only hot dogs in our family's eyes)
sesame bagels and cream cheese
Beef bologna or turkey sandwiches
Trader Joe's frozen mac and cheese (oh my gosh, SO GOOD)
leftovers from dinner

Dinners::

Pumpkin Black Bean Chili (I made this with ground turkey and a side of homemade cornbread.  It'll feed us lunches for most of the week and was SO GOOD.

Greek Cod Cakes with roasted cauliflower (I owe a thanks to my neighbor susan for this recommendation, we loved them!

Baked Ziti with a parmesan cherry tomato and cucumber salad (I used cottage cheese instead of ricotta because I like it better, this too will feed us for the whole week)

Braised Chicken thighs with baked acorn squash and quinoa

Spinach, sharp cheddar and sausage frittata

Franks and Beans (a family favorite)

Snacks::

Applesauce Oatmeal Muffins (I made a double batch, half with raisins, half without...will definitely use raisins in them all next time they are so good)

Honey Balsamic Almonds....oh man, we'll be roasting nuts at least once a week from now on, a new favorite for sure

Snacks are probably the thing I most want to figure out.  With Ainsley taking one to school with her and Felix now totally on board with snacks all the time I feel like the three are eating ALL the time.  I don't mind having some store bought snacks in the house but it gets expensive and annoying to have to keep buying tiny boxes of crackers that last us two sittings.  I am thankful my kids love homemade snacks.  Roasted nuts, dried fruit and homemade muffins and bars are regularly in the rotation and it keeps things exciting to make new recipes every other week or so.

The girls have been requesting those delicious nuts we got at the flea market a few weeks back and Louise specifically wants cashews so I think this recipe will be next up in our nut rotation.  And then perhaps some apple spice muffins?  Or pumpkin?  Mmmm, muffins.

Yay food!