Meal Planning - Feb. 22 - 28, 2021

Some weeks I feel as though I have a lot of energy to do creative meals and other weeks, I don't. This was a don't week. There are a lot of old standbys here which don't take much work. I think everyone is feeling their emotional margin to be a bit slim at the moment. We are all tired of pandemics and social isolation. Coming up on the year anniversary means that many of us will feel a little bit on edge as our bodies remind us of the trauma of venturing into the unknown last year... sheltering at home, everything canceled, worrying about supplies, worrying if everyone would be okay, just worrying.  Be gentle to yourself. Free up your schedule as much as you can to give some space. Acknowledge that what you are feeling is real and valid; you are not imagining having your feelings all over the place. And realize that it will pass. Plan some easy non-nonsense meals for yourself and your family, too.

Monday, Feb. 22

Biscuit and gravy casserole

     This is one of those meals which everyone adores but makes me feel vaguely guilty since it uses so much processed food. With that sales pitch, want the recipe? Open one can (tube?) of large biscuits (the kind that come in the package that pops open). Cut each biscuit into quarters and spread around the bottom of a greased 9x13 pan. Bake for 10 minutes at 400 degrees. Take out and set aside. Brown 1 pound of bulk pork breakfast sausage. Add 3 TBSP of flour and mix in well. Slowly add 2 1/2 C milk and stir over medium heat until thickened. Pour on top of the pan of baked biscuit pieces. Open the second can of large biscuits. Cut these in fourths as well, putting them on top of the gravy in the 9x13 pan. Bake at 400 for 20 minutes. That's it. (I need to double it, so one pan should serve five or six.)

Applesauce

     Home canned

Tuesday, Feb. 23

Tacos

Refried beans

     Homemade and in the freezer

Wednesday, Feb. 24

Garlic broccoli penne

     This is popular with everyone and broccoli crowns were on sale this week.

Garlic bread

Thursday, Feb. 25

(We're celebrating Y.'s 14th birthday which was yesterday)

Pot sticker stir-fry

     We'll use the homemade jiaozi from New Year

Fresh noodles

Roasted green beans

     Green beans are Y.'s very favorite vegetable

Apple pie with vanilla ice cream

     And apple pie is her very favorite dessert. I have canned apple pie filling I made last fall.

Friday, Feb. 26

Ravioli

     This is just packaged ravioli that will be served with jarred sauce. I probably won't even make it, but have the children make it themselves. J. and I are going to order some take-out and try to find somewhere in the house where we can eat it and not have children staring at us. 

Canned pears

     Home canned

Saturday, Feb. 27

Bucatini all'Amatriciane

     This is my one slightly adventurous dish. After reading a really wonderful article about the US's bucatini shortage, I became vaguely obsessed with finding some. One of the stores I shop at has a lot of European specialty items, so I figured if any store was going to have some, this store would. I was right! So I bought some. Actually I bought four pounds. They have been sitting there in my pantry staring at me, so I decided it was time to find a good sauce to have with them. This one comes from my favorite Italian cookbook. I'll let you know how it is.

Salad

French bread

Sunday, Feb. 28

Sweet chili chicken thighs

     This uses sweet chili sauce as well as sriracha. They are very, very good.

Egg noodles

Salad