Menu Plan for the Week of 8/30 (Angel Food Included Each Day)

Monday, August 31:

• Slow-cooked Venison
• Steamed Rice*

Tuesday, September 1:

• Fish* Tacos
  
• French Fries*
  

Wednesday, September 2:

• Moo Shu Chicken Lettuce* Wraps
• Di San Xian (Eggplant, Fried Potatoes* and Green Pepper Stir Fry)
  

Thursday, September 3:

• Pork Chops*
  
• Roasted Sweet Potatoes*
• Tossed Salad*
  

Friday, September 4:

• Chicken Nuggets*
  
• Succotash*

Saturday, September 5:

• Grilled Ribeye Steaks*
  
• Vegetable Soup

* Indicates a dish that uses an Angel Food item.

Menu Plan for the Week of 8/23

I'm trying to stretch our dollars by eating based on what we have, especially since we were eating out so much last week in Chicago. It's also the last week of the month; I'm not sure how much I've spent on groceries this month, but the less I can spend the better!

Monday, August 24:

• Slow-cooked venison
• Steamed rice
• Okra
  

Tuesday, August 25:

• Calzones
• Fruit medley
  

Wednesday, August 26:

• Roast chicken (slow cooked if started early)
• Mixed vegetables

Thursday, August 27:

• Seafood Risotto
  
• Brussel Sprouts/ Mixed Vegetables
  

Friday, August 28:

• Turkey burger stars
• "Russian" potato salad

Saturday, August 29:

• Venison
• Vegetable Soup

End-of-Summer Getaway: Enjoying Chicago and Its Eateries

What are the best ways to spend three lovely days as a twosome in Chicago? Riding the "L" and the Navy Pier Ferris wheel ($12 for 2 tickets) proved to affordable and fun. We also managed to see the Harry Potter Exhibition at the Museum of Science and Industry ($36 for 2 tickets). Enjoying some fine food cost us more than we'd normally spend eating out, but hey, we were on vacation, right? Even on a grad student budget, a couple has to occasionally take a well-deserved break and not fret about each penny.

Chicago's near north neighborhood is home to many of our favorite restaurants. This time we chose to dine at the Wildfire Grill and the Rock Bottom Brewery. We also savored classic Edwardo's deep dish pizza and sampled sausages as haute cuisine at Hot Doug's on Chicago's north side. We have no regrets.

What exactly did we find so delicious? At Wildfire, the macadamia-encrusted halibut was voted the best dish at our table. And shockingly, I was the one who ordered it! Hand-crafted beers, good steak and flavorful chili left us more than satisfied at the Rock Bottom Brewery. The 7GA IPA and Lemon Saison were excellent beverage choices, which one of us consumed, while the other just inhaled the bouquet of complex aromas.


Since non-Chicago pizza is almost always a disappointment, Edwardo's
stuffed pizza, my husband's favorite, was a must-eat meal on day one of our Windy City stay. Our third day in Chicago featured our first pilgrimmage to Hot Doug's encased meats, which convinced us that they were indeed a culinary triumph worth the wait. We arrived at Hot Doug's early and stood in line for 10 minutes before ordering five of the specials, which included elk, antelope, lamb, duck, and my favorite (I think): the "Uber Garlic Pork Sausage with Chipotle Dijonnaise, Vintage Cheddar Cheese and Roasted Garlic Cloves." Enough said.

Tastes of Oklahoma City: Grandy's Sinnamon Rolls and More

I grew up believing that my Oklahoma roots didn’t run that deep, since all of my extended family lived far to the north or west of us. But like other places I’ve lived and grown to love (Chicago, China, and Vietnam), the people and the food I left behind are what I miss the most.

This summer I had a chance to return to Oklahoma and visit my parents, sister, and friends there. I was also eager to get some of my favorite foods that are not available in Nebraska, where I live now. I not only enjoyed the morsels myself, I had fun introducing my children to some of the local treats of Oklahoma City. They may not remember the blur of friends and kids they encountered, but they are still talking about the new places they saw and the donuts and cinnamon rolls we tasted on our trip.




It is widely known that Oklahoma City is not a particularly healthy city when it comes to food and how much people eat. But because going out to eat is both commonplace and a beloved pastime, there are some tremendously tasty treats to be had. So to justify our donut indulgence, we opted to walk to the donut shop instead of drive. Very un-American I know.

After getting our donuts in pretty white bags, we strolled to a nearby park bench to dig in to our raised glazed wonders. My three kids promptly burned off some of those calories on the swings, teeter tooter and jungle gym. My two-year-old son learned a new favorite phrase that day: "donut shop."


Featured Review:
Grandy’s Sinnamon Roll

This is my new afternoon snack craving. I remembered these were wonderful, but the sweet cinnamony perfection was something that had not crossed my lips in a long time. I can recall only one instance in recent years that equaled this delight--pillowy soft cinnamon rolls made by my sister-in-law, Sarah.

You can find reviews of four of my local favorites--Grandy’s, Daylight Donuts, City Bites, and Braum’s--in the article Best Bites Around Oklahoma City: Where to Find Delicious Local Foods Under $5.

Menu Plan for the Week of 8/9

Last week we were in Oklahoma and enjoyed my mom's cooking. We also indulged in some local favorites like Grandy's Sinnamon rolls and other treats. The one meal that I cooked while we were visiting was stuffed pork chops. The apple stuffing was great, even though we lacked pecans; the pork needs more practice for me to get it right. Nevertheless, I like to experiment!

We're traveling again soon, so I won't be getting too crazy in the kitchen this week. I can pursue more adventurous recipes once my daughters start school, which is coming up soon!

Monday, August 10:

• Chinese dumplings (frozen)
• Steamed rice
• Sauteed baby bok choy (per my daughters' requests)
• Garlic shrimp

Tuesday, August 11:

• Roast chicken (slow cooked if started early)
• Mixed vegetables

Wednesday, August 12:

• Leg of lamb (to welcome my husband home from Asia)
• Zucchini

Thursday, August 13:

• Fried rice (slow cooked, I hope)
• Sauteed Tilapia

Friday, August 14:

• Turkey burgers
• "Russian" potato salad

Saturday, August 15:

• Meatball casserole
• Fruit salad

Free Calendars + Motivation: Can They Make a Difference in How We Live?

After entering the blogosphere and trying to find my place, one thing I have decided is to leave deal blogging to the pros. There are plenty of helpful websites out there that post frequently about the latest offers and freebies.

Nevertheless, I wanted to mention how a free calendar could affect my life--and share how one already has.



This week I discovered a free 2010 calendar offer (with purchase) from Annie's Naturals and Kiwi Magazine that includes a coupon page! But actually, the best part of it is that it is an activity calendar offering inspiration for activities for kids. My husband and I agree that planning simple activities for our kids is important, a higher priority even than planning meals. But too often time slips away as I focus on my to-do list. This calendar will give me another tool to help me in planning enjoyable days at home with my kids.

Why do I pin my hopes on a calendar? For a few months now I've been putting my free Dinner Made Easy fridge menu/ grocery list to good use. Things posted on my fridge tend to wander, but not my trusty menu pad from Betty Crocker. When the tablet is gone, I plan to print out menu templates, though I've found it tricky to keep individual papers in place on the fridge. I'll have to find a another way eventually, but in the meantime I'm enjoying what I've got: a very useful weekly menu planner, right where I need it.

What I wonder is: how do other moms balance their tasks with home-based activities for their children? And how can I help organize our time and make our daily rhythm less random? We have plenty of options--toys, art supplies, books, etc. But deciding what to do is sometimes tricky for me and and for my kids (ages 5, 4 and 2). I'd love to get some more ideas that I could implement.