So Far, So Good

The mid week check in
I failed to mention in 'The New Deal' that 99% of everything posted in my weekly menus will be NEW dishes that I have chosen in an effort to step out of the kitchen comfort zone so many busy moms find themselves in. When everyone is hungry and and the kitchen is a mess, it's almost impossible to resist resorting to the same ol' tried and true meals that can be made on autopilot with minimal energy. Not that there is anything wrong with this, everyone has "those days", but if too many of them are strung together, it's inevitable that everyone at the table will be a) burned out on said same ol' dishes and b) still be hungry for a key ingredient- inspiration. With a little bit of creativity and planning, "those days" can be kept to a minimum.... I'm here to show you that if I can manage to accomplish 3 new from scratch dishes every day, with a baby on the hip and two more at my feet, in my cramped little kitchen, ANYONE can. Get motivated, get cooking, and SHARE! :)
My Monday morning breakfast of poached eggs on hash was super yummy and a victory in it's own right, as it was the first poached egg dish I have ever prepared. When sliding the egg into the water, I had a temporary moment of panic, as it looked as though I was going to end up with egg drop soup. They did, however, come together quite nicely, not perfect, but quite nice indeed and tasted wonderful on the tiny cubes of potato, onion, red pepper, and roast beef that were sauteed with fresh rosemary. The Sesame Chicken was a culinary revelation- at least for my household. Bare in mind that I have never attempted Asian cuisine in my own kitchen before, so this was something entirely new and different. Spicy and sweet with a sesame crunch, perfectly blanched broccoli with rice along side... It was better than the best take out I have ever had. It was also the only time that I have ever actually enjoyed eating thigh meat. It was also relatively inexpensive to make (thank you, thighs), aside from the minor upfront investment in a few Asian oils and accompaniments. Isabella's favorite thus far, which surprised me, was the open faced mozzarella and fried egg sandwiches with anchovy butter, which she devoured happily. This is the same child, however, that will eat an entire smoked fish with the head attached and all (she actually did this last week and her skin smelled like a hearing for the next 36 hours!). The anchovy butter, which sounded intriguing but was completely foreign to me, is simply butter melted with the addition of finely chopped, rinsed anchovies, that are cooked together until the fishes dissolve into the liquid. I have never enjoyed mozzarella so much without it being accompanied by a chunky marinara.... YUM!