It’s always hard to get back into cooking after vacation, but I did succeed in making a full dinner tonight. Actually, it was a double dinner, since I brought a meal to a local family in need as well. That was really my motivation for cooking — someone else was depending on me.

Monday: Mrs. Jones’ Mac & Cheese, garden salad, fruit salad

Tuesday: Bagels, Hummus, Mighty Grain Salad

Wednesday: Spaghetti & meatballs (from the freezer), Pasta with Lentils & Kale, celery and carrot sticks

Thursday: Make Your Own Pizza, roasted broccoli

Friday: Roasted chicken, challah, Sweet Potato & Kale Bites

Saturday: Grilled skirt steak, grilled vegetables, Mediterranean Eggplant & Barley Salad

Sunday: Mother’s Day! I’m letting J. figure it out

For more menu planning ideas, check out Laura at Organizing Junkie.

Another week, another plan. Made any great new recipes recently?

Monday: Out to eat or order in

Tuesday: Peter Reinhart’s Two-Day Challah (I put the dough up today), celery & carrots, sliced cheese

Wednesday: General Tso’s Slow-Cooked [Chicken] Tacos With Orange-Broccoli Slaw

Thursday: Amazing Whole Wheat Pizza Crust for make your own pizza and calzones; garden salad

Friday: Shabbat Chicken, barley & sauteed onions, steamed green beans, challah

Saturday: Out to dinner (Thai?)

Sunday: Slow Cooker Vegetable Barley Soup, Pumpkin Dinner Rolls

For more menu planning ideas, check out Laura at Organizing Junkie.

At about 3:30 AM on Friday morning, February 26 we lost our electrical service during a heavy, long-lasting snow storm. And we have been without power — or heat — since then, until 4:30 PM yesterday. That’s four days of no utilities in the middle of winter. We spent Friday night in the house, sleeping around our fireplace, but then had to jump ship and go to J.’s parents. It was just too cold. I’m back now, in my warm house with every convenience around me, and a very big smile on my face. Look for a meal plan posting later today.

To prep a butternut squash, I cut off the neck with a large chef’s knife, and use a vegetable peeler to remove the skin. Then I go back to the bulb part, cut it in half, scoop out the seeds, and peel the outside as well. Afterward I hack the whole thing into bite-sized pieces.

Today when I stepped away to the garbage can to peel the neck of the squash, moisture (sugar? it was sticky) started seeping out of the other cut piece, leaving dewy droplets all around the edge. I thought it was really beautiful.

Yesterday evening @kalynskitchen tweeted that she’d roasted a butternut squash, toasted some walnuts, and mixed the two together with Gorgonzola cheese. I’d planned chicken noodle soup for the boys for dinner, but decided to copy Kalyn and make the squash for me and J.

I peeled and cubed the squash, tossed it with a little olive oil and salt, and roasted it at 425 for about 40 minutes. I toasted a handful of chopped walnuts over a medium heat in a small frying pan. And then we mixed in some pieces of Danish blue cheese. (Actually, J. skipped the nuts altogether and still thought it was really good.) The sweet, warm butternut squash goes so well with the tangy, creamy blue cheese — I never would have thought of this combination but it’s a natural match. With some challah, it made a complete meal.

Sauteed onion, pepper and tomato mixed into some scrambled eggs, served over a toasted bagel. I think eggs should be dinner more often!

The boys may look like they can’t keep their hands off my plate, but they were much more interested in the carbs than the protein or veggies.

In previous years we started the sit-down meal with soup; sometimes a butternut squash soup, or even a clear wild mushroom. But it winds up being too much food — we’ve already taken the edge off our hunger with the cheese, crackers and fruit. We’ll skip soup this year and just serve the main meal without individual courses.

We’ll have 16 people eating, plus my sweet niece who I would like to plop on the table as a cute centerpiece. Somehow I miscounted earlier in the week and came up with 12 people. Hmmm. I hope my cooking is better than my math.

Thanksgiving Menu, 2008

Before meal:
cheese tasting platter with red and green grapes, crackers

The meal:
roasted turkey (J.’s domain)
J.’s Favorite Goulash with egg noodles

sliced cranberry sauce (from a can, that’s how we like it!)
Brussels sprouts w/ chestnuts & dried cranberries (recipe from RBF)
garlic & oil carnival squash (making this up as I go along)
savory stuffing (mom’s bringing)
dijon roasted potatoes
sweet potatoes with marshmallows (j.’s aunt is bringing)

Dessert (it’s too much, I know):
ginger chocolate chip bars
cranberry streusel bars
fruit salad (GG is bringing)
chocolate dessert (renee is bringing)
pies (j.’s aunt is bringing)

::> Enter my Healthy Habits plate contest here! < ::

I feel like I’ve barely been cooking lately — we’ve had lots of planned meals out (like our cheese tasting) and on other days I’m using leftovers from the freezer (we defrosted some goulash one night). I suppose I’m in a bit of a rut. This week will be better, though. And I’ve started planning for Thanksgiving, which we’ll host here — I’m getting excited about trying some new recipes for the holiday.

We’ve finished up all our Pumpkin-Chocolate Chip Muffins, so I plan on making Chocolate Chip Banana Bread this week as well.

This weekend is up in the air — my sister is in town, and J. and I are having a date night to watch Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull while the kids sleep out. We’ll figure out weekend eating plans as they come.

Monday: Leftover Winter Lentil Soup, challah rolls, muenster cheese slices

Tuesday: Mushroom Lentil Barley Stew, Pumpkin Dinner Rolls

Wednesday: Chicken Sausage with Lentils & Peppers, whole wheat egg noodles

Thursday: Unstuffed Cabbage, farm share veggies, Italian rolls

Friday: Chicken soup (from the freezer) with noodles, challah, farm share veggies

Saturday: TBD

Sunday: TBD

For more menu planning ideas, check out Laura at Organizing Junkie.

Another day, another chocolate chip muffin. I’ve come to realize that as long as two criteria are met: 1.) smooth batter (no lumps of fruit); and 2.) chocolate chips are included, my boys will eat anything I can pack into a muffin, even if they’d never touch it otherwise (carrots, peanut butter, bananas, etc.). Today it was pumpkin. I had intended to throw some flax meal in at the last minute but I forgot. Next time.

These are a nice, simple, slightly-dense muffin that I am comfortable serving for breakfast with a cup of milk. It beats crackers or pretzels, which is what G. has otherwise been requesting after I turn down his pleas for ice cream or cookies.

Pumpkin-Chocolate Chip Muffins
Adapted from Kid’s Favorite Chocolate Chip Muffins

Makes 24 muffins

3 c. white whole wheat flour
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. cinnamon
4 large eggs
1 c. white sugar
1 15-oz. can pure pumpkin
1/2 c. unsweetened applesauce
1/2 c. canola oil
1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350° F.

In a large bowl, mix together all ingredients except chocolate chips until they are just combined. Mix in chocolate chips.

Line or grease muffin tins, and fill each cup generously with batter. Bake for about 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

• White Chip Orange Cookies, with a little orange zest.
• Mushroom Not-Potpies with Cheesy Parmesan Crust, a hearty vegetarian option for cold winter days.
• Thanksgiving Stuffings, a whole batch of recipes! I’m eying the Apple-And-Date Stuffing for this year’s holiday meal.
• Veal and Olive Ragù with Pappardelle, which I’d make with ground turkey instead.