February 14, 2023 by suzanne day by day

Valentine’s Day, Brain Day Off, Dinners This Week

Happy Valentine’s Day, Internet! We don’t really do much for Valentine’s Day around here, except cards for one another. And I found some irresistible little things at Michael’s a few weeks ago that I picked up for Carla, including a stuffed animal that she does NOT need. I also picked out a few small treatsies, even though I have been pretty successful at keeping candy and sweets out of our house so far this year. Time will tell whether this was a Bad Plan.

The only other thing I did (today at least; don’t hold me to this for future Valentine’s Days) was make A Special Breakfast for Carla. I used a cookie cutter to cut heart shapes in her pancakes and I bought her a box of Valentine’s Day themed Froot Loops, and I cut her strawberries into hearts. She mentioned the strawberry hearts but not the pancake ones, and only ate a handful of the Froot Loops after proclaiming that they taste just like regular Froot Loops.

My husband’s view of Valentine’s Day, without putting too many words in his mouth, is that it is kind of aggravating and unnecessary. I told him that Carla and I were participating in Valentine’s Day whether he wanted to or not, and that we really wanted to at least get him some sort of candy, but he is trying to eat better and had no suggestions. Carla was indignant at the idea of not getting him SOMETHING, so she and I got him some low-sugar treatsies from Target that I hope aren’t too terrible. My view is that Valentine’s Day is fun, and I like to participate in fun things. Because my husband has made his views quite clear, I have no expectations of getting anything for Valentine’s Day, and was therefore delighted that my husband remembered to buy me a card and Carla remembered to make me one (or, more likely, that my husband reminded Carla to make me one). Also, it was an excuse to buy myself Sour Patch Kids and Nibs.

My only other view of Valentine’s Day is that it’s really fun for our kid, and she will only be a kid for such a short time, so why not lean into the fun for her sake? She LOVES holidays, and candy-centric holidays especially. I think this may be the last year that her school does a Valentine’s Day party, but she really enjoyed making a “mailbox” and writing out Valentines to all her classmates and teachers. She even decided to depart from her all-black clothing routine for the day: she chose a red skirt and a shirt with polka dots in a variety of pinks and reds. Making Valentine’s Day special for her is worth the little amount of effort I put into it, and I’m happy to continue as long as she enjoys it.

This is all to say that we are not doing a special Valentine’s Day dinner, which is fine. Special or no, however, we still have to eat.

Normally, I post dinner plans on Monday. But my husband and I went to the grocery store on Sunday for a quick restock of a few things, so I didn’t need to go to the store again urgently yesterday. Plus, I was having A Day. I swear that I woke up and my brain stayed in bed. Probably needed a mental health day. I was in a fog all day, and kept forgetting things, culminating in nearly missing Carla’s music lesson.

One of her activities has ceased for the season, which means we can reclaim many hours of our week. I have been feeling happy and relieved since the last day. In my head, apparently, this translated to ALL of her activities ending, which is not the case. So I was indulging in a leisurely Target trip with Carla – you know, just sort of toodling around the store, not really following a list – when my phone alarm went off, reminding me that I had twenty minutes to get Carla to her lesson. Ack!

Of course, the alarm went off two minutes after everyone else in the store decided to wrap up their own shopping trips, so when we got to the (poorly manned as usual) checkout stations, three enormous lines had already snaked into the walkway, blocking foot traffic, plus there was an additionally long line at the lone self-checkout.

I didn’t want to put back all of our shopping – that would have taken too long. And I didn’t want to abandon my cart and our carefully selected items – no way did I want to RETURN to Target after already spending so much time there. (Target shopping just doesn’t have the cathartic, comforting effect on me like it used to.) But (shock of shocks) there was no staff person in sight, so I couldn’t ask if I could simply leave my selections somewhere for 30 minutes while I dashed Carla to her lesson and came back. I did briefly consider parking the cart outside the bathroom and hoping for the best, but as it wasn’t a foolproof plan I didn’t go through with it. So I got in line and sent my husband frantic exclamation-point-laden texts which helped neither of us but felt like Doing Something at least.

Poor Carla, at this point, was complaining about being hungry. Most Mondays, because of our jam packed activity schedule, I feed her dinner at 3:45 (I know), so she was starving. I impulse allowed her to impulse grab a package of Nutella and pretzel sticks as well as a Rice Krispie treat off the impulse buy display. The line moved at an agonizingly slow pace, but eventually a couple of other registers opened, and we were out of Target a mere 15 minutes after my alarm went off.

In the car, while Carla wolfed down her treats, I called the music teacher to let them know she’d be late. We managed to arrive at her lesson 15 minutes after it started, but by then I was a sweaty, edgy mess.

Later, when I unloaded the Target bags, I realized that I’d grabbed the wrong type of breakfast bars for my husband. So I will be returning to Target after all.

I still feel slightly frazzled today. My husband asked whether the dishwasher was full of clean or dirty dishes, and I gave him an exasperated look and said, “Well, just look in the dishwasher and you will know!”… at which point it became apparent that I had only unloaded the top rack and the silverware tray while the bottom rack was still full of clean plates and pots. Also, I have been writing this post and just now realized that I forgot to soak my feet this morning. Sigh. I really hope that my brain decides to show up to work at some point today, even if it is a little tardy.

Anyway, dinners!

Dinners for the Week of February 13-20

Garlicky Chickpea and Spinach Soup: I posted about this a few weeks ago and tried it and LOVED it, wet spinach and all. So flavorful, so filling. I have been thinking about it ever since, so back on the meal plan it goes! I feel like the preparation would work well with lentils, too, but I haven’t tried that yet. Maybe next time.

Quinoa Crunch Salad: This just sounds so yummy and fresh. I am not a big eater of cabbage, but for some reason it has a high level of appeal right now. Probably my husband will want chicken with his salad, and I may roast some shrimp for mine.

Slow Cooker Chipotle Chicken Tacos: Despite everyone’s encouraging comments in favor of chicken thighs, I am going to make this with breasts. Takes a looooong time to teach this old dog new tricks, especially when those tricks involve food. I plan to turn this into a taco bowl with lots of romaine and cabbage. I feel a little wary of a slow cooker recipe that doesn’t require any liquid, but I suppose the NYT is trustworthy enough. And I can always throw in half a cup of chicken stock if I feel really uncomfortable.

Noodle Free Chicken Pad Thai: Is this too similar to the quinoa crunch salad??? We’ll find out, I guess. I have never in my life purchased broccoli slaw, so I am very interested to learn what it’s all about. I am going to let my husband eat the chicken for this one; I will eat shrimp or just stick with the veggie-only version.

What’s on your meal plan this week? Do you do a special Valentine’s Day dinner?

February 16, 2021 by suzanne day by day

Dinners This Week; Valentine’s Day Recap

Well, Valentine’s Day has come and gone. I took a bunch of photos, but my lighting was Very Poor due to the persistent clouds/snow so you will have to take my word for it that things were less gloomy than they seem in the pictures.

In preparation for Valentine’s Day, Carla and I did indeed make the adorable stripey sugar cookies. (I also made some polka dot ones just to see if I could.)

They were very cute but… cuter than they were tasty, I’d say. This could well have been user error; perhaps if I had pulled them out of the oven a minute or two earlier, they would be chewier than they were. But I think that the exuberant use of cornstarch in the recipe contributed to their rather… delicate flavor.

I bought myself red and white tulips, because flowers of all kinds but especially tulips make me feel cheery, and I painted my nails red. And then painted my ring finger nails pink with a red diagonal. (I did this Thursday and the polish was gone by Valentine’s Day. Also, I recognize that the photo of my nails is particularly hard to see.)

I bought myself some Reese’s peanut butter hearts (the too-small ones, not that I knew that when I bought them; I thought they would be the size of the Reese’s peanut butter eggs you get in individual packages for Eastertime), and I went a bit overboard with buying things for Carla, including a book of stickers, a drawing book, some stick-on earrings, and a giant, solid milk chocolate Hershey’s kiss.

A new bakery opened near us, so I also got us each two beautiful macarons. And, because I have been wanting to get her one since at least Thanksgiving but haven’t had an opportunity, I got a hot cocoa bomb for Carla.

We had a sugar free-for-all yesterday, and so all the treats are gone. Well, except for the cookies, of which there are still many, even though we packaged some of them up and delivered them to the kind neighbors who always allow Carla to pet their dogs.

On Valentine’s Day, I drank tea in a festive red and white cup. I made Carla a heart-shaped (frozen) waffle. I cut up some berries for both of us and covered them in whipped cream. (I added heart sprinkles to Carla’s breakfast, you know, in case she wasn’t about to get enough sugar.) (My husband slept in, so he missed the festive breakfasting, but Carla made him coffee.)

I did some reading. I took a very long and leisurely walk on the treadmill and watched an episode of The Office. And I snacked on candy and cookies whenever I felt like it. My husband and I ordered pizza for dinner and then watched an episode of The Queen’s Gambit. A perfectly adequate day.

I struggle with days like Valentine’s Day, where it seems like there are Certain Expectations (mine, society’s, the universe’s) which are never met. And yet complaining feels taboo, because a) someone always has it worse, and one should be (and is!!!) grateful for what one has and b) it IS a pretty silly holiday and c) complaining feels hurtful to the person who is not meeting said expectations, and who has, after all, been very clear all along about thinking Valentine’s Day is ridiculous. If *I* am the one who likes the holiday, and *I* am the one who finds it pleasing to have a day in the drear midwinter dedicated to something frivolous and fun, and *I* am the one who enjoys making A Big Deal out of it, then it makes sense that *I* should also be the one who orchestrates it the way I want. It does help, to have that attitude. To go in knowing, I WILL have flowers and I WILL have candy and I WILL cut out a bunch of paper hearts and stick them on the walls simply because it brings me joy, and I don’t have to worry about any expectations because I am meeting them myself. It helps. But it doesn’t eliminate the sensation of hurt. (Especially when my husband and daughter, who already each got several treats and gifties from me, also got gifts from my in-laws, and I didn’t. His parents assured us it was a mail delay, and of course it’s not like I NEED or even WANT anything, but I did feel a little self-pitying and near-tears about the whole day for a while.)

Well. No use sobbing over spilled conversation hearts, is there? I hope that at least YOUR Valentine’s Day exceeded expectations.

The best part about the day was FaceTiming with my parents. My mom had made a necklace of paper hearts for her dog to wear, as well as a huge handmade paper card from the dog to Carla, and it was just so sweet and adorable I can’t stop smiling about it. My mom always had a knack for making holidays joyful when I was a kid – maybe that’s why I feel so driven to make them special for Carla.

I did regret not getting myself a silly heart-shaped box of chocolates, though. I will know better for next year.

Okay, now that the sugar rush is behind us, and we are facing down a week of winter storms, let’s turn to some hearty, chill-banishing meals, shall we?

Dinners for the Week of February 16-22

Broiled Ginger Soy Salmon with Steamed Broccoli: This sounds like a close cousin to my tried-and-true favorite, Thai Chili Salmon.
Crispy Shredded Chinese Chicken: This recipe seems to lend itself well to leftovers. Maybe a stir fry one day and lettuce wraps another?
Lentil Soup: My husband has been jonesing for some lentil soup and I agree that it sounds IDEAL for the weather we’re having. I’m guessing miracle no-knead bread would make for a perfect pairing.
Lime Sheet Pan Shrimp Fajitas: These sound so flavorful and simple to make.

What’s on your menu for this week?

February 9, 2021 by suzanne day by day

Dinners This Week

This week at the grocery store, the spice section featured postings of an ominous note:

If there is a paprika shortage I don’t know WHAT I will do.

Also I keep wondering if the magic feta pasta (roast cherry tomatoes with olive oil and a block of feta, then add noodles) could work with any other vegetables? Okay, okay, I do see recipes that are experimenting with spinach or butternut squash instead of tomatoes. And here’s one with mushrooms and feta and spinach that looks like a possibility. But my ideal baked pasta would have mushrooms and goat cheese… and onions… and roasted garlic… and maybe some balsamic? And a few handfuls of arugula thrown in on top. Basically this pizza, but in pasta form. YUM.

Well, I haven’t purchased any mushrooms because I am not yet ready to try out my idea. But it’s on my mind, that’s for sure.

Dinners for the Week of February 9-15

Roasted Pork Tenderloin and Potatoes: I am really in the mood for potatoes and roasted meat. Must be the intense, bitter cold we’ve been having. (Which is about twenty degrees warmed than the bitter cold my best friend back home is enduring. So I will count my blessings.)
Copycat Chipotle Chicken Burrito Bowls: I have literally never once ordered a chicken burrito bowl from Chipotle, but oh man, these sound SO GOOD.
Instant Pot Chana Masala: Our favorite local Indian restaurant has not survived the pandemic. It was not the most consistent place, but when it was good, it was good. I really hope the owners are doing okay. Anyway, I miss Indian flavors and this chana masala sounds warming and delicious. (I would probably add some bell peppers to it, as is my wont.)
Broccoli Beef: This is an old standby, but we haven’t had it recently.

This weekend also features Valentine’s Day, so I really want to make these adorable striped sugar cookies with Carla. Although I have had kind of a brownie hankering lately… These raspberry brownies look amazing… and I wish these Mississippi mud brownies were in my mouth already.

My husband and I don’t usually celebrate Valentine’s Day (although this year, I am extra sad about that because flowers and a date night would be so wonderful) (neither of those things is going to happen, unless I buy myself flowers) (which I might), so perhaps we will get takeout? Is Valentine’s Day going to be a big takeout day this year? Maybe we’ll do it Saturday instead.

What’s on your Valentine’s Day menu – sweets and treats or otherwise?