Menu Plan Monday, 1/4 – 1/10 (2010!)
January 3, 2010
I have really enjoyed the last couple of weeks — the end of the year is always particularly restful since everyone seems to check out of real life for a little while, and it doesn’t feel like there’s a tremendous amount of catching up to do once everything resumes after the new year. Plus it was great having J. home on vacation, we had lots of fun with the boys, and I am happy to report that I am finally getting a tiny bit better at Mario Kart (we got a Wii for Hanukkah).
We ate out a few times: Red Hat Bistro in Irvington (delicious, and I especially loved their special Manhattan on the rocks); Hill Country in Manhattan (the boys gobbled up the chicken and declared it “even better than yours, Mom”); and BLT Steak in White Plains (always a favorite of ours, especially because of the hen of the woods mushrooms).
I cooked a tiny bit, too, not counting all the water I boiled for pasta. I made Hot Spinach-Artichoke Dip (just OK), my Baked Ziti, and grapes rolled in goat cheese with a toasted pistachio crust (soggy after sitting in the fridge overnight) for New Year’s Eve at our friends’ house. But the standout for NYE was the Sugar-and-Spice Candied Nuts from Smitten Kitchen. They are super-simple to make, but taste like something you stood watching over with a candy thermometer all afternoon. Addictive and delicious — they never even made it into a bowl on New Year’s, we just all ate them out of the bag.
Easing back into routine, I’m cooking food that I could do in my sleep — no new recipes this week, but plenty of protein and veggies to counteract the crazy eating since Thanksgiving.
Monday: Roasted chicken drumsticks, peas, baked potatoes
Tuesday: Lemon-baked chicken breasts, sauteed spinach, Israeli couscous
Wednesday: Cheese lasagna, spinach salad with mushrooms, Italian bread
Thursday: Leftovers
Friday: Chicken Soup with noodles, steamed broccoli, challah
Saturday: Out to dinner
Sunday: J. grills if weather permits
For more menu planning ideas, check out Laura at Organizing Junkie.
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Filed under: Meal Planning,Memes
I'm Dara, the Chick in the Kitchen. Living in the suburbs of Manhattan with my two school-aged boys and husband. Feeding my family something more diverse than a different shape of pasta each night. Read more 
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3 Comments
1.
Sharon | January 4, 2010 at 8:29 am
Two thumbs up for the Candied Nuts! We ate them out of the bag, too — and in almost one sitting! Thanks for the sample – a special treat in my mailbox
2.
Grammy | January 4, 2010 at 1:40 pm
Interesting year end wrap. Slow cooker recipes made it to both top 5′s!
3.
Vicki | January 4, 2010 at 3:04 pm
I totally didn’t realize that BLT had a White Plains branch. I should check it out!
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