Excuse my horrific handwriting–I wrote the majority of the menu board with half a crayon, so it’s barely legible…see?
It could also have something to do with the amount of champagne I consumed this weekend.
On Saturday night we ventured into the city (New York City. I used to hate it when people from the east coast called it “the city”, now I’m the guilty one.), 13 pound Le Creuset Dutch oven in tow. It’s like my baby. Why, you may ask, am I carting cast iron cookware around like this? Well, aside from the fact that it’s my job, this time was actually for pleasure, as I was cooking dinner at my sister and her husband’s new apartment. What better way to test your kitchen skills than in an NYC apartment kitchen? I was hoping that I could follow in Deb’s footsteps, at least for the evening, and it was successful! I wasn’t really sure where to stand and how to contort myself when lifting said Le Creuset in and out of the oven, which has a six inch perimeter when the door is open, but that’s a minor detail, as long as no one gets burned.
I’d actually love to sit here and recount every menu detail and fun moment from the evening, butttt I happen to be saving up for another post soon. It was so fun to see them, as it had been shamefully long (3 months!) since our last visit, which happened to be their wedding. Plenty of wine, cheese, laughs, chocolate, stories, more laughs, cupcakes, and more wine were had by all. And we slept 5 people in probably about 550 square feet. I’d say that’s a success.
This week is going to be cooking and photography mania as I attempt to keep us fed, photograph about five different dishes, not abandon this blog, frustrate myself with technical web stuff, get ready to leave in one week for Dallas with Steve, plan a birthday celebration in a city I’ve never been to (how hard can it be, though, to find whiskey and manly food in Texas? I’d guess not very.), and coordinate bachelor/bachelorette party details for the OU/TX football game! I feel like I go on about my to do list every week, but I know it’s nothing compared to what a lot of you all do. After all, my camera will never sob inconsolably and demand to be fed. If nothing else, we’re all busy with very different priorities, but we all have to eat. With that in mind, here are the details of how I’m tackling dinner this week. Show or tell me how you plan to do the same–and if that involves ordering pizza, I will not be judging in any way! Actually, I’ll probably be jealous. Comment, email, or tag #nckhomemade in your Instagram posts!
- Monday: Wine glazed lentils and vegetables with greens and poached egg
- Tuesday: Creamy chicken enchiladas, black beans, avocado
- Wednesday: White bean stuffed mushrooms; mustard crusted roast salmon
- Thursday: BLT salad with creamy parmesan dressing (BACON!)
- Friday: Broccoli cheese soup, roasted butternut squash, chicken sausage
The enchiladas and soup are excellent freezer candidates, so you’ll likely see them popping up over the next few weeks in my dinner plans as I thaw them for round 2. The lentils are becoming a staple around here, and they’ll keep all week in the fridge for my lunches or even a snack (or even breakfast if I’m feeling rebellious). The recipe for the stuffed mushrooms will be coming to the blog at some point, and they could totally be a standalone dinner, but I decided I was craving Ina’s mustardy salmon so a splurge on some quality seafood may be in order. Thursday is definitely a throwback, as I’m going to revamp a blast from the church cookbook past (photo courtesy of my mom, and thank you Sharon Kuhlmann, wherever you are), and I still have to find a perfect and simple Friday night soup recipe!
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