March Cook-at-Home Challenge

[Spider In The Bath]

I'll join in for this month. I already cook most of our meals anyway, but I have been trying to make all of our own bread. I usually bake some and buy some. So for the rest of this month I will try and bake all of it.

[Fawn]

Fawn, I am following your blog with interest. Earthshepherd - DD1 loves those pancakes with lemon and sugar. I usually make crepes.

Interesting development - DH is reading Omnivore's Dilemma and wants to eat more veg food. Will have to read it now myself. DD1 is already veg, so it would actually be easier to prepare ONE veg meal for everyone, rather than separate stuff like I do now. We'll see what happens.

Hey! Thanks for taking an interest...I am having a ton of fun w/ the thing.


....how cool is it that your DH is interested in the Omnivore's Dilemma?!?
I could have possibly stayed married to a man who expressed interest in the things that I was reading....

[Terri]

I stopped by the commercial fisherman's coop yesterday and picked up a luderick (blackfish) which I've never heard of before - it was really good! Apparently they are a big sport fishery here in Australia. I had it with a marinade made of rice vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil and cayanne pepper.

Oh, and because of eating at home, I had to learn to gut and filet a fish... never done that before. So a good meal and a new skill.

[Bastelmutti]

We'll see what happens re: Omnivore's Dilemma! I went grocery shopping today and didn't buy any meat. We both used to be veg and now DD1 is veg, so it wouldn't be a hard switch. (Even if we do go veg, I may have to make an exception for Korean BBQ!)

I experimented today with making seitan crumbles. Umm, interesting...and by interesting I mean pretty awful - had to dump it! Note to self - next time follow recipe!!

The menu for the next few days is
* Bimbimbap (mixed rice and vegetable dish with an egg on top & spicy sauce)
* Pasta w/ peas
* Tortilla soup w/ quesadillas
* Pasta w/lemon sauce
* Some sort of stir-fry with tofu & rice

[Kat]

I had a weird issue with my password for this site, so I haven't posted for a few days. I am enjoying reading about everyone's progress!

@Stella--happy anniversary!
@Bastelmutti--thanks for all the meatless meal ideas. DH acts like he is going to die if he doesn't have meat at every meal. I would prefer to eat meat in small amounts or only occassionally.

We've been plugging along with the frozen dinners still. The kitchen remodel has lasted WAY longer than anticipated because out contractor keeps running into problems. It will probably be quite awhile yet before he is done. I miss cooking so much. I hadn't cooked much before this because I was in my first trimester and feeling so crummy. Now that I am in my second, I have a good day every now and then and really want to cook. Sigh.

[Kat]

Anyway, we're trying to resist temptation to eat out, and our parents have been gracious. My dad sent us home with some sliced ham and prime rib for sandwiches. DH's folks had us over for dinner one night and sent over some spaghetti another. I couldn't be more thankful for them!

ETA: I'm not sure why my posts are separate like that--I must be out of practice posting. :p

[Kat]

Wanted to eat out last night but came home and heated up a frozen dinner instead. Then I REALLY wanted some ice cream (which we do not have), so I dug around in some boxes and found some dark chcoloate instead. One small square was all it took to squelch the craving for something sweet. My ever expanding waistline and my pocketbook thank me. :p

[Kat]

We made it through the weekend, largely because our parents fed us and sent us home with leftovers :-) Yesterday I couldn't stand the thought of eating one more sandwich or TV dinner, but our kitchen is still all torn up. So instead of eating out, I made scalloped potatoes, broccoli, and Rice Krispy treats in the microwave.

This morning I ate a very sad-looking banana with my breakfast. Normally I would have made it into bread or something, but since I am out of a kitchen, I decided to just eat it. No need to waste it.

I went grocery shopping yesterday and came in $47 under budget. We should have enough to make it through the week. I am hoping our kitchen gets done very, very soon. It is expensive eating convenience foods all the time, and the motony of them makes me want to eat out.

[Rosemary]

Kat, if you have a grill or a camping stove, perhaps you could relieve the monotony that way? You can grill almost anything!

This week our menu is not very exciting. It's spring break and we're busy so my food prep time is reduced. Pasta with broccoli & chicken Italian sausage; grass-fed pot roast with potatoes and cabbage; tofu veggie stir fry; and leftovers. I made some 5-minutes a day whole grain bread dough a few days ago and took it out of the fridge to rise today, so I'll bake that later. I also need to make more yogurt and granola, and chop veggies for eating raw as snacks.

[Bastelmutti]

I went grocery shopping yesterday and came in $47 under budget.

I need to do that - LOL!

This week we've had pasta with spinach and ricotta and rice noodles with fried tofu, fresh veg and Vietnamese sauce. Tonight is samosas (frozen), rice & tomato-cucumber salad. Rest of the week: gorgonzola pasta, bean tostadas, lemon pasta.

Yes, we are going to town with a new pasta book DH found at the library - Giuliano Hazan's 30 Min. Pasta - amazing!!

PS Still sticking with vegetarian meals (except fish sauce in the nuoc cham I served last night). We still have some meat like salami around that DD2 and I are eating. I think DD2 and I will stay omni, but we'll see about DH. DD1 is already veg.