Journal

2022 - Week 51 Cooking Results

Pastitsio (for Holly and the boys)

I took the day off, with the idea that I’d make two of these, but as I needed to delivery it earlier then I would normally be able to finish it. My hours our flexible enough that I could have probably snuck out early, but I just took the day off. I got my hair cut, picked up some bread, Stopped by the Cheese Shop, then headed home to start making dinner. After making some adjustments for effectively doubling it, I used 2/3rd lamb and 1/3rd beef, then mostly followed along. Things came together well, considering.

While the plan was to hang out over there a bit, and catch up with Holly and the boys, the blizzard moved in with a bit of a vengeance, and while, we could’ve probably gotten away with hanging out, it didn’t really appear so at the time. I dropped the dinner off, said hello, said good bye and headed back through the blizzard and home.

Pork and Bacon burgers

New from Crooked Gap, took out, cooked ate.

Green onion Sausage Pasta

We still had leftover Pastitsio, so I mixed the half pound of green onion sausage, cooked them with a few leftover onions, then added eggs and scrambled everything together and served it with toast.

Taco Salad

Mostly beans as a base, but a bit of meat. Good as usual.

Brats

This was the evening where we planned to go see Die Hard at the Varsity. This got narrowed a bit, since Shannons’ schedule got changed a little so she’d have to work until 5, the movie starts at 6:15. It wasn’t snowing anymore, but it was bitterly cold. Fortunately, for our timing, Shannon’s work closed at 3, and so she had a bit of time to change and eat. I finished my work day, quickly made dinner and we ate, bundled up and quickly moved, taking account that it may be slick, into the theater, a bit early, hoping to park close. We watched the movie, noticed some things that I had not before. Then rushed through the cold to the car to home. Pretty good sausage, fun movie, good night.

Sweet Potato Soup with Bacon and Chives

I planned to make this on the Sunday, but I decided I needed to take a break after visiting several stores, not for ingredients, but to replenish my stock of shampoo and etc. It was kind of frustrating as I drove over hoping to find a selection of Mead, where I was going did not, driving back across town visiting drug stores in hopes that I could find the other things I needed, which I did not. I finished my grocery list for the week and headed home. 5 or 6 stores were visited. I brought home burgers, we ate them.

2022 - Week 50 Cooking Results

Stir-Fried Udon With Bacon, Parmesan & Gochujang

To start, this recipe calls for 2 blocks of frozen udon noodles. The problem here is that this may not be available to a person. There are many comments below on the noodles, but the translation of item to weight is kind of silly. here’s best, here’s dry, etc. Give people options.

I added more gochujang, and used about a pound of fresh noodles. It turned out ok.

French Toast

This was more of what I was thinking off. I ended up using a whole loaf of challah, which I have decided is just too dense. I still have a loaf left, but I’ll make french toast again to finish it off.

Pasta and Bean Soup

I have been thinking about the box, which was a bit unexpected, but actually makes sense as a price cutting measure. The box the local brand came in was basically a mac & cheese box, filled with 12oz of orzo. So you buy more of the mac and cheese boxes, getting a discount and remove a box size from the line up. I assume it will save money. I was looking for the box that I would normally look for, and they were in different sized box, so I actually and to engage the noggin for a bit.

I added to the size cause I felt like more onions and celery. I re-boiled the turkey stock for a bit to make sure anything that may have grown in there, died off. And as, with last time, the stock eventually got sucked up into the orzo. I started taking photos, but apparently stopped. Still good, good as leftovers too.

Egg and Muffin Sandwich

I stuffed some rolls that I bought from La Mie in the freezer, and I thought this would be a good place to use these rolls. However I used them for the Sloppy Sammy’s first. So these ended up on larger rolls, so it was fine, just not as I intended. I tried to get that nice flatness to layered eggs and it seemed to work well. The sausage was from a larger Duroc pork producer, that I just happened to see at the grocery store. Good things.

Brats

These ended up being some La Quercia online purchase. I had wanted the mustard, but also wanted to not pay shipping. So I added them via mail order and went from there. They stayed in the freezer for quite a bit, but pulling them out I remembered it. It was good, not outstanding, but good.

Sloppy Sammys

I forgot to get vegetables for this, so I had to stop at the grocery store just down the street to get an onion and a green pepper. I also forgot to get rolls, and thought, hey I got those La Mie roles, forgetting that I planned to use them later in the week. Even so it still worked.

2022 - Week 49 Cooking Results

After the coordination of doctors, patients, and a delay or two, On the 6th the honor walk was held to celebrate the gift of life being given. It was emotional in a quiet intensity. Friday the 9th, there was a visitation we attended, which was a celebration of his past life, pictures growing up, things that meant a lot to him on the collection of hobbies that he had. There was a dramatically detailed Lego flower display, made by members of the IowaLUG (he was a co-founder).

Saturday we went to the funeral, where so many showed up who his life had an impact on. Many good stories were told, thanks to the CCU nurse that took such good care of not only my friend, but the family around him. I know there were other stories to be told, but I, along with others, probably couldn’t make it through that.

Afterwards, we went to the Greek Orthodox church to have a luncheon and just hang out with those who loved the person and wanted to honor his life and family. Socially and emotionally exhausted, we went home and just vegged out.

Turkey Tortilla Soup

I chopped up the last of the turkey breast, and just used tortilla chips. this came together well and was quite tasty.

Grown-Up Grilled Cheese Sandwiches with Comte and Cornichon

I figured the blended cheese would be good on it’s own, and it was, but just not as good as I thought it would be. Grilled up? Quite nice.

Hot Dogs

Good Things. All Pork. All Good

Chili Pork Noodles

Made before, will make again. Swapped the chili crunch with the hot honey chili crunch and skipped the sugar. Passed the heat test with Shannon, and I was able to add a bit more heat on my own.

Fish

I have a layer of bread (some thanksgiving leftovers, normal stash) on top of the pile in chest freezer, and the idea of digging to find fish, didn’t enthrall me, so we had eggs.

2022 - Week 48 Cooking Results

Brats

I pulled out pork hotdogs from the freezer, so we had them.

Eggs and Bagels

Simple, easy.

Green Chile Turkey Enchiladas

This was pretty easy to make, I used my new pyrex baking dish, and it worked out pretty well. I sort of started ignoring the directions, and ended up making them the way I thought they should be, and it turned out pretty well.

Turkey Tortilla Soup

Delayed.

Grown-Up Grilled Cheese Sandwiches with Comte and Cornichon

Delayed.

We also ended up going to the Richard the Whale beer release brunch, and the last Grade A Gardens at the farm dinner, featuring the works of chef Katie Porter.