I think in my past life I was Italian. Either that, or Italian mothers figured out way before the rest of us how to get a good dinner on the table and still attend all their kids' soccer practices and games. Because seriously, every time I think about a cook-ahead meal that can make everyone happy and be ready for us when we walk through the door, there's a marinara sauce involved. Here's a favorite example: Spinach Lasagna. This recipe is from my mom and grandmother, who have been making it for as long as I can remember. It's incredibly easy because you don't have to precook the lasagna noodles.
Spinach Lasagna
10 oz frozen cooked spinach, thawed and drained (put some muscle into wringing that baby dry - no one wants soggy spinach)
15 0z ricotta cheese
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano
9 lasagna noodles, uncooked (Note: I made this for a long time using whole wheat lasagna noodles, because I really do like whole wheat pasta. But, I have to admit it's better with regular lasagna noodles, and I've gone back to using those. The regular noodles soak up the liquids better and you have a firmer lasagna, which we like. Also, for my husband - a man who likes his meat red and his bread white - the whole wheat noodles combined with the spinach and no meat made it too much like health food and not enough like good food for him)
26 oz jar marinara sauce (Not to be too Jessica Seinfeld-ish, but I have found that if you blend a jar of marinara sauce with a can of drained cooked carrots, you don't change the flavor at all but you get one more veggie in the dish. Luckily DH doesn't read this blog, or else he'd be all squeamish about this recipe being too healthy again).
11x7 casserole/lasagna pan. The size is important because it fits the noodles perfectly and the liquid-to-noodles proportions are just right. If you don't have one this size, pick one up at Target. It's a brilliantly useful size for all kinds of casseroles.
Preheat oven to 350. Mix ricotta with 1 cup mozzarella, egg, spinach, water, and seasonings (mix well so that the spinach is evenly distributed and not clumpy). In an 11x7 casserole pan layer 1/2 cup marinara sauce, then 3 noodles, then 1/2 of the cheese mixture. Repeat: 1/2 cup sauce, 3 noodles, and remainder of cheese mixture. Top with remaining 3 noodles, the rest of the sauce, and the last cup of mozzarella. Cover with foil. Bake at 350 for one hour. Let stand for 15 minutes before serving.
Happy eating!
Monday, August 31, 2009
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Dem Bones
I've hit a mental wall this week. I've had so much thinking to do about complicated issues at work, not to mention a ridiculously complex reverse lane carpool line, that my brain literally hurts (okay, that's a really long way of saying I have a headache, and trying to blame it on something other than the glass of cheap wine I had an hour ago). Which means there's no more mental capacity for meal planning, ingredient search, and recipe reading - let alone comprehension.
All of this means that this week has required my easiest dinner recipes ever. Tuesday night's dinner fit the bill: pork chops with apricot preserves, green beans, and rolls. Easy, inexpensive, fast, and so yummy.
Ingredients:
4 bone-in pork chops (1 pork chop per person, increase number as needed to feed your family). Note: this is where the post's title comes from. I can't stress enough you have to use the bone-in pork chops. Boneless are too thick and too dry, so don't even try them.
1 jar apricot preserves. Buy the smallest jar you can find, because while you think you might use them again for something else, at some point while you're spreading the preserves on the pork, you're going to get distracted and stick the knife back into the jar, rather than scooping some out with a separate spoon, and then you've got raw pork mixed in with your preserves, and you're definitely not going to save it then. Trust me. Just buy the small jar and save yourself the aggravation.
Salt and pepper
Bread crumbs
Fresh green beans, washed and trimmed ($0.99/lb right now at our grocery store - a veggie bargain!)
Your favorite frozen dinner rolls**
Preheat oven to 425. Put tin foil down on a half sheet baking pan (this makes no difference for the cooking, but all the difference in the world for cleaning up). Sprinkle both sides of the pork chops with salt and pepper. Place on the tin foil. Spread each pork chop generously with the apricot preserves, at least 1 tablespoon of preserves per pork chop, or a little more if you need it. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs, and put in the oven. Set your timer for 15 minutes.
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large pan. Put green beans in the pan, sprinkle in some salt and pepper, and saute until they get to your desired doneness (I like mine a smidgen on the softer side, so for me that's about 15 minutes. If you like yours a little crisper, it will probably be about 10 minutes).
When your timer beeps, take out the pork, cover loosely with tinfoil, and put your frozen rolls in the oven. Reset timer for 8 minutes. Set the table, pour your wine, chase your children and make them wash their hands. (Then make them rewash their hands, actually using soap this time). Take the rolls out, and dinner's ready. Easy and yummy, and super easy clean up.
**A note about dinner rolls. Honestly, sometimes the little things in life make everything so much easier. We tend to be traditionalists about our dinner - unless we're having a soup or a casserole, we like a main dish, a vegetable, and a starch. One thing I struggle with when trying to get a good dinner on the table quickly is doing a pasta or a rice, which can either be a little high maintenance (pasta - easy enough to cook but always needs something on it) or slow to cook (rice). Not to mention the extra cleanup required. When strolling through the grocery store a few weeks ago I came across frozen dinner rolls, and the light bulb went on. I've kept a bag of them in the freezer ever since. They are easy, healthy (whole wheat!), fast, and make the meal feel just a little more complete. Why I haven't been using them for years on the nights when a rice or a pasta is too much work, I don't know, but there you go. Brilliance in a resealable freezer bag.
Happy eating!
All of this means that this week has required my easiest dinner recipes ever. Tuesday night's dinner fit the bill: pork chops with apricot preserves, green beans, and rolls. Easy, inexpensive, fast, and so yummy.
Ingredients:
4 bone-in pork chops (1 pork chop per person, increase number as needed to feed your family). Note: this is where the post's title comes from. I can't stress enough you have to use the bone-in pork chops. Boneless are too thick and too dry, so don't even try them.
1 jar apricot preserves. Buy the smallest jar you can find, because while you think you might use them again for something else, at some point while you're spreading the preserves on the pork, you're going to get distracted and stick the knife back into the jar, rather than scooping some out with a separate spoon, and then you've got raw pork mixed in with your preserves, and you're definitely not going to save it then. Trust me. Just buy the small jar and save yourself the aggravation.
Salt and pepper
Bread crumbs
Fresh green beans, washed and trimmed ($0.99/lb right now at our grocery store - a veggie bargain!)
Your favorite frozen dinner rolls**
Preheat oven to 425. Put tin foil down on a half sheet baking pan (this makes no difference for the cooking, but all the difference in the world for cleaning up). Sprinkle both sides of the pork chops with salt and pepper. Place on the tin foil. Spread each pork chop generously with the apricot preserves, at least 1 tablespoon of preserves per pork chop, or a little more if you need it. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs, and put in the oven. Set your timer for 15 minutes.
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large pan. Put green beans in the pan, sprinkle in some salt and pepper, and saute until they get to your desired doneness (I like mine a smidgen on the softer side, so for me that's about 15 minutes. If you like yours a little crisper, it will probably be about 10 minutes).
When your timer beeps, take out the pork, cover loosely with tinfoil, and put your frozen rolls in the oven. Reset timer for 8 minutes. Set the table, pour your wine, chase your children and make them wash their hands. (Then make them rewash their hands, actually using soap this time). Take the rolls out, and dinner's ready. Easy and yummy, and super easy clean up.
**A note about dinner rolls. Honestly, sometimes the little things in life make everything so much easier. We tend to be traditionalists about our dinner - unless we're having a soup or a casserole, we like a main dish, a vegetable, and a starch. One thing I struggle with when trying to get a good dinner on the table quickly is doing a pasta or a rice, which can either be a little high maintenance (pasta - easy enough to cook but always needs something on it) or slow to cook (rice). Not to mention the extra cleanup required. When strolling through the grocery store a few weeks ago I came across frozen dinner rolls, and the light bulb went on. I've kept a bag of them in the freezer ever since. They are easy, healthy (whole wheat!), fast, and make the meal feel just a little more complete. Why I haven't been using them for years on the nights when a rice or a pasta is too much work, I don't know, but there you go. Brilliance in a resealable freezer bag.
Happy eating!
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Here's to Ina
Regular readers have seen me mention Atlanta Mom, one of my oldest friends and my cooking partner in crime. Atlanta Mom is the one I called when I was overwhelmed with having an eight week old baby and a 3 year old, and DH was going to be gone overnight. Despite the fact that she lives 4.5 hours away, has 2 children of her own, and her husband was also out of town, she said she could arrange child care and school carpool, and come help me that night.
Was my response "thank you" or "wow that would be great" or "you're amazing"??
No!
My response was: "Ok, but I think I really need you for two nights."
And because that's the kind of friend she is, she rearranged her own life and came to Savannah for 2 nights in the middle of the week to take care of all of us.
Atlanta Mom - since I didn't say it then: Wow. Thank you. You are amazing.
She's our guest-blogger today, and with any luck you'll see more of her. Happy eating! (Or rather today, happy drinking!)
***
At night, after the kitchen is cleaned and the kids are tucked into bed, I have an agenda that involves one activity: plopping on the couch to watch TV. Most of what I watch comes courtesy of my DVR (how did we live without these?), and one show that I thoroughly enjoy watching and never tire of is The Barefoot Contessa. I eagerly anticipate new episodes and frequently watch repeats. Ina Garten’s motto is to make familiar dishes the very best they can be. Her cookbooks are beautiful and generously include lists of her favorite ingredients, products, and kitchen tools. She has no secrets—she is happy for everyone to cook as well as she does!
Remarkably, I recently stumbled on a recipe in her Barefoot Contessa Parties! cookbook that I hadn't previously noticed. I immediately filed this listing for Real Margaritas in the “to make soon” section of my brain. When we had had friends over for dinner a couple of weeks later, I blended a batch of this happy hour treat. It is easily my newest favorite Ina recipe. While the recipe calls for 1 cup of each liquor, I thought, as did those with whom I was sharing the pitcher, that it was a bit too strong. Reducing each to ¾ c. produces a much better balance and an only slightly less potent cocktail. See what you think. I’ve made this recipe three times and now fondly refer to them as Ina-Ritas.
Ina’s Real Margaritas
Serves 6
1 lime, halved
Kosher salt
½ cup freshly squeezed lime juice (4-5 limes)*
2 T. freshly squeezed lemon juice (1 lemon)*
(*I have the same electric juicer Ina recommends and uses on her show. I love it! I also use it for her Tequila Lime Grilled Chicken, which is yummy. I see a theme here…)
¾-1 cup Triple Sec
3 cups ice
3/4 -1 cup Blanco (white) Tequila
If you like margaritas served in a glass with salt, rub the outside rims of 6 glasses with a cut lime and dip each glass lightly into a plate of kosher salt.
Combine the lime juice, lemon juice, Triple Sec, and ice in a blender and puree until completely blended. Add the tequila and puree for 2 seconds more. Serve over ice.
If you prefer frozen margaritas, halve each of the ingredients, double the ice, and blend in two batches. Serve with a cut lime.
And I love her introduction to this recipe: The keys to this recipe are to use fresh lime juice and inexpensive tequila.
I’ll toast to that! Cheers!
Was my response "thank you" or "wow that would be great" or "you're amazing"??
No!
My response was: "Ok, but I think I really need you for two nights."
And because that's the kind of friend she is, she rearranged her own life and came to Savannah for 2 nights in the middle of the week to take care of all of us.
Atlanta Mom - since I didn't say it then: Wow. Thank you. You are amazing.
She's our guest-blogger today, and with any luck you'll see more of her. Happy eating! (Or rather today, happy drinking!)
***
At night, after the kitchen is cleaned and the kids are tucked into bed, I have an agenda that involves one activity: plopping on the couch to watch TV. Most of what I watch comes courtesy of my DVR (how did we live without these?), and one show that I thoroughly enjoy watching and never tire of is The Barefoot Contessa. I eagerly anticipate new episodes and frequently watch repeats. Ina Garten’s motto is to make familiar dishes the very best they can be. Her cookbooks are beautiful and generously include lists of her favorite ingredients, products, and kitchen tools. She has no secrets—she is happy for everyone to cook as well as she does!
Remarkably, I recently stumbled on a recipe in her Barefoot Contessa Parties! cookbook that I hadn't previously noticed. I immediately filed this listing for Real Margaritas in the “to make soon” section of my brain. When we had had friends over for dinner a couple of weeks later, I blended a batch of this happy hour treat. It is easily my newest favorite Ina recipe. While the recipe calls for 1 cup of each liquor, I thought, as did those with whom I was sharing the pitcher, that it was a bit too strong. Reducing each to ¾ c. produces a much better balance and an only slightly less potent cocktail. See what you think. I’ve made this recipe three times and now fondly refer to them as Ina-Ritas.
Ina’s Real Margaritas
Serves 6
1 lime, halved
Kosher salt
½ cup freshly squeezed lime juice (4-5 limes)*
2 T. freshly squeezed lemon juice (1 lemon)*
(*I have the same electric juicer Ina recommends and uses on her show. I love it! I also use it for her Tequila Lime Grilled Chicken, which is yummy. I see a theme here…)
¾-1 cup Triple Sec
3 cups ice
3/4 -1 cup Blanco (white) Tequila
If you like margaritas served in a glass with salt, rub the outside rims of 6 glasses with a cut lime and dip each glass lightly into a plate of kosher salt.
Combine the lime juice, lemon juice, Triple Sec, and ice in a blender and puree until completely blended. Add the tequila and puree for 2 seconds more. Serve over ice.
If you prefer frozen margaritas, halve each of the ingredients, double the ice, and blend in two batches. Serve with a cut lime.
And I love her introduction to this recipe: The keys to this recipe are to use fresh lime juice and inexpensive tequila.
I’ll toast to that! Cheers!
Monday, August 24, 2009
Eos? Yes-os!
If you have not eaten at Eos in Savannah, you are seriously missing out. Our meal was fabulous, service was friendly and prompt, and the decor was unexpectedly welcoming.
(Before you click on that link, note they haven't updated their website since February. I think they've been devoting all their energies towards cooking perfect dishes).
I'll admit the location is a little suspect. We read that it was located in the "Victorian district" of Savannah. If by "Victorian district" people around here mean "houses have not been painted and yards have not been tended to since the Victorian age," then yes, that's exactly where it is. But once inside, oh so charming. It's an old bank, and absolutely delightful with its brick wall and funky artwork. Next time we go I'm taking more people with us so we can eat in the vault room (which seats up to 7 at one large table). Who's available next Saturday?!?!
Eos' menu says it serves "small plates," but I'll be frank: the portions are absolutely normal, and what we should all be eating in the first place. Just because they're not super-sized doesn't mean they're small, and the prices are entirely reasonable. Nothing on the menu was more than $18, and a number of entrees were in the range of $10 - $15. They have an extensive by-the-glass wine menu, and though those prices were a little on the high side, we always appreciate not having to commit to a whole bottle for the two of us, especially when we order such different foods and like different wine parings.
We had appetizers of caprese supieror and aquacate vinaigretta (stuffed avocado), main dishes of pan roasted salmon with risotto and green beans and crispy duck breast with home fries and asparagus, and finished with the chocolate mousse. Seriously, I wanted to hide under the table and lick my plate. Everything was that good. But what I loved most was the unexpected combinations - creative pairings that showed someone was really thinking about their cooking - that worked perfectly. For example, the duck breast and home fries came with a subtle honey mustard sauce that just made the dish sing. Not too in-your-face, but a twist that was just right.
My usual policy at restaurants is to order dishes I can't make at home and wines I can't find on the grocery store shelf. But it's also nice to come home with an inspiration for a dish you could recreate. At Eos, the stuffed avocado was a stroke of brilliance that will be making its way on our dinner plates at home. It was an avocado cut in half, pit removed, and then each side topped with a homemade tomato salsa. Delicious, healthy, and simple.
Happy eating!
(Before you click on that link, note they haven't updated their website since February. I think they've been devoting all their energies towards cooking perfect dishes).
I'll admit the location is a little suspect. We read that it was located in the "Victorian district" of Savannah. If by "Victorian district" people around here mean "houses have not been painted and yards have not been tended to since the Victorian age," then yes, that's exactly where it is. But once inside, oh so charming. It's an old bank, and absolutely delightful with its brick wall and funky artwork. Next time we go I'm taking more people with us so we can eat in the vault room (which seats up to 7 at one large table). Who's available next Saturday?!?!
Eos' menu says it serves "small plates," but I'll be frank: the portions are absolutely normal, and what we should all be eating in the first place. Just because they're not super-sized doesn't mean they're small, and the prices are entirely reasonable. Nothing on the menu was more than $18, and a number of entrees were in the range of $10 - $15. They have an extensive by-the-glass wine menu, and though those prices were a little on the high side, we always appreciate not having to commit to a whole bottle for the two of us, especially when we order such different foods and like different wine parings.
We had appetizers of caprese supieror and aquacate vinaigretta (stuffed avocado), main dishes of pan roasted salmon with risotto and green beans and crispy duck breast with home fries and asparagus, and finished with the chocolate mousse. Seriously, I wanted to hide under the table and lick my plate. Everything was that good. But what I loved most was the unexpected combinations - creative pairings that showed someone was really thinking about their cooking - that worked perfectly. For example, the duck breast and home fries came with a subtle honey mustard sauce that just made the dish sing. Not too in-your-face, but a twist that was just right.
My usual policy at restaurants is to order dishes I can't make at home and wines I can't find on the grocery store shelf. But it's also nice to come home with an inspiration for a dish you could recreate. At Eos, the stuffed avocado was a stroke of brilliance that will be making its way on our dinner plates at home. It was an avocado cut in half, pit removed, and then each side topped with a homemade tomato salsa. Delicious, healthy, and simple.
Happy eating!
Friday, August 21, 2009
Eating In While Eating Out
The time has gotten away from me, and I haven't done some restaurant reviews that I meant to do. Sadly, since I didn't write it all down as soon the next day, the actual details of our meals escape me. So here are the highlights from two recent ventures out...
1) Bonna Bella Yacht Club. In Savannah, we all know it as the best place to eat on a beautiful Saturday evening given its gorgeous views and great outdoor seating (the fabulousness of the food goes without saying). But here's a tip we recently discovered - it's a great place to eat on a rainy day well. The indoor seating is fresh and new, thanks to rebuilding required after a fire, and with its huge windows is a wonderful place to watch the rain pouring down on the marsh while you're cozy inside eating the best crab stew ever served. Seriously, next time it's pouring rain and you want to get out of the house, try BBYC for lunch or dinner.
2) Ruth's Chris. Wonderful, wonderful to have such a great steakhouse in Savannah...both meals we've had there have been amazing...but seriously, the portions are so huge I felt uncomfortably wasteful. Tip: if you're not getting a steak, get one of their appetizers as your dinner.
And finally, a dinner idea for those willing to venture a little to the north: next time you make a trip to Charleston, take a cooler with you and hit the New York Butcher on Coleman Boulevard in Mt. Pleasant. Buy as many of the chicken parmesan entrees as your cooler will hold, and pop them in your freezer for the easiest and yummiest dinner EVER.
Have a great weekend!
1) Bonna Bella Yacht Club. In Savannah, we all know it as the best place to eat on a beautiful Saturday evening given its gorgeous views and great outdoor seating (the fabulousness of the food goes without saying). But here's a tip we recently discovered - it's a great place to eat on a rainy day well. The indoor seating is fresh and new, thanks to rebuilding required after a fire, and with its huge windows is a wonderful place to watch the rain pouring down on the marsh while you're cozy inside eating the best crab stew ever served. Seriously, next time it's pouring rain and you want to get out of the house, try BBYC for lunch or dinner.
2) Ruth's Chris. Wonderful, wonderful to have such a great steakhouse in Savannah...both meals we've had there have been amazing...but seriously, the portions are so huge I felt uncomfortably wasteful. Tip: if you're not getting a steak, get one of their appetizers as your dinner.
And finally, a dinner idea for those willing to venture a little to the north: next time you make a trip to Charleston, take a cooler with you and hit the New York Butcher on Coleman Boulevard in Mt. Pleasant. Buy as many of the chicken parmesan entrees as your cooler will hold, and pop them in your freezer for the easiest and yummiest dinner EVER.
Have a great weekend!
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Practice What You Preach
Aaahhh, I knew the aura of peace and organization wouldn't last. On the upside, everyone is so tired from starting school and after-school activities that everyone is asleep by 7:30. On the downside, that includes the grownups in the house...
Which brings me to the conversation I had with myself Tuesday night.
"Self," I said, after dinner was eaten, the kitchen was cleaned up, the kids were bathed, read to, and tucked in, the mail was sorted, the toys were picked up, "You really ought to do a little preparation for tomorrow night's dinner."
But I was sooooo tired and all I wanted to do was collapse on the couch and watch a tivo'd Closer, flip ambivalently through a catalogue, and then go to bed, so I did my best to ignore my inner voice. However, she's nothing if not persistent.
"Self," I said, a bit more sternly this time, "It will make things much easier on you tomorrow if you do just a little prep work tonight. And then you'll have something to blog about."
Fine. In a fit of sheer willpower, I made myself go into the kitchen and put together Ina Garten's pork tenderloin marinade. SO WORTH IT. It took me less than 15 minutes from start to finish (including getting out all the ingredients and then cleaning up after myself), and when we came home Wednesday afternoon it was ready and waiting. Quick to cook, and absolutely delicious. I served it with lima beans and rice. Here you go:
Herb Marinated Pork Tenderloin
1 lemon, zest grated
3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (4 to 6 lemons)
Good olive oil
2 tablespoons minced garlic (6 cloves)
1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary leaves
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
Kosher salt
3 pork tenderloins (about 1 pound each)
Freshly ground black pepper
Combine the lemon zest, lemon juice, 1/2 cup olive oil, garlic, rosemary, thyme, mustard, and 2 teaspoons salt in a sturdy 1-gallon resealable plastic bag. Add the pork tenderloins and turn to coat with the marinade. Squeeze out the air and seal the bag. Marinate the pork in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours but preferably overnight.
To cook: either grill on medium high heat until the thickest part of the pork reaches 137 degrees (this is what we did last night and it took approximately 20 minutes), or brown on all sides in a large saute pan and then finish in the oven (you can leave them in the same saute pan) at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes (I haven't tried doing them in the oven).
Happy eating!
Which brings me to the conversation I had with myself Tuesday night.
"Self," I said, after dinner was eaten, the kitchen was cleaned up, the kids were bathed, read to, and tucked in, the mail was sorted, the toys were picked up, "You really ought to do a little preparation for tomorrow night's dinner."
But I was sooooo tired and all I wanted to do was collapse on the couch and watch a tivo'd Closer, flip ambivalently through a catalogue, and then go to bed, so I did my best to ignore my inner voice. However, she's nothing if not persistent.
"Self," I said, a bit more sternly this time, "It will make things much easier on you tomorrow if you do just a little prep work tonight. And then you'll have something to blog about."
Fine. In a fit of sheer willpower, I made myself go into the kitchen and put together Ina Garten's pork tenderloin marinade. SO WORTH IT. It took me less than 15 minutes from start to finish (including getting out all the ingredients and then cleaning up after myself), and when we came home Wednesday afternoon it was ready and waiting. Quick to cook, and absolutely delicious. I served it with lima beans and rice. Here you go:
Herb Marinated Pork Tenderloin
1 lemon, zest grated
3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (4 to 6 lemons)
Good olive oil
2 tablespoons minced garlic (6 cloves)
1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary leaves
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
Kosher salt
3 pork tenderloins (about 1 pound each)
Freshly ground black pepper
Combine the lemon zest, lemon juice, 1/2 cup olive oil, garlic, rosemary, thyme, mustard, and 2 teaspoons salt in a sturdy 1-gallon resealable plastic bag. Add the pork tenderloins and turn to coat with the marinade. Squeeze out the air and seal the bag. Marinate the pork in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours but preferably overnight.
To cook: either grill on medium high heat until the thickest part of the pork reaches 137 degrees (this is what we did last night and it took approximately 20 minutes), or brown on all sides in a large saute pan and then finish in the oven (you can leave them in the same saute pan) at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes (I haven't tried doing them in the oven).
Happy eating!
Monday, August 17, 2009
One Shining Moment
Oh how I wish I could freeze time right now, this very moment. I am exhausted from a busy day of work, child care, errands, and house chores, but for once in my life, everything is as it should be. The boys are asleep - no one is fussing from teething or asking for one more drink of water or please please please can the cat go to sleep with him tonight or throwing lovies over the side of the crib and shrieking with outrage when they don't immediately return to the sweaty hand like a boomerang or any of the usual evening nonsense... The laundry is folded (!). The kitchen is cleaned. Bags are packed and ready for the first day of school tomorrow. I've answered most of my emails, I've had chitchat and a glass of wine with my husband, and I even read the paper (ok, in Savannah that takes like 3 seconds, but still. It's an accomplishment most days).
And I am taking the moment to appreciate it all.
Here's today's walk-through-the-door-and-have-dinner-practically-ready meal: baked tortellini. Get good quality frozen tortellini, put it in a lidded casserole dish, pour marinara sauce over it, stir well and cover, and set your "delay start" function on your oven so that it starts baking 45 minutes before you come home. (Note: this is a good dish if you're leaving the house for a couple hours and want dinner ready when you come back, not if you're gone all day). When you walk in, take it out, sprinkle liberally with shredded mozzarella or provolone cheese, and pop it back in the oven uncovered while you quickly toss together a salad, set the table, and open a bottle of wine. When the cheese is bubbly it's ready. So yummy and easy, and truly one of our family's favorites. I was serving our youngest his third helping of it this evening, when DH, attempting to give him a nudge on his manners, said, "What do you say to Mommy?" The little rascal looked at me and said,"More!" Ha.
Happy eating!
And I am taking the moment to appreciate it all.
Here's today's walk-through-the-door-and-have-dinner-practically-ready meal: baked tortellini. Get good quality frozen tortellini, put it in a lidded casserole dish, pour marinara sauce over it, stir well and cover, and set your "delay start" function on your oven so that it starts baking 45 minutes before you come home. (Note: this is a good dish if you're leaving the house for a couple hours and want dinner ready when you come back, not if you're gone all day). When you walk in, take it out, sprinkle liberally with shredded mozzarella or provolone cheese, and pop it back in the oven uncovered while you quickly toss together a salad, set the table, and open a bottle of wine. When the cheese is bubbly it's ready. So yummy and easy, and truly one of our family's favorites. I was serving our youngest his third helping of it this evening, when DH, attempting to give him a nudge on his manners, said, "What do you say to Mommy?" The little rascal looked at me and said,"More!" Ha.
Happy eating!
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