MPM--Happy Fall

One of my friends (hi, Lauren!) added a tagline to her blog, "I never promised you a food blog." And I feel like stealing that even though it isn't Filch It Friday because it seems I end up there a lot. But, food is an easy topic, it's a part every day, and cooking is something I'm continuing to learn how to do so it lends itself to blogging.

This week we started off sinfully yummy. It was finally cool enough to consider roasting again, so I cranked up the oven and made a bunch of stuff on 450 degrees. I roasted carrots (peeled, a little olive oil, kosher salt, and parsley) and beets (no tops, wrapped in foil, stuck in a baking pan) and rosemary potatoes (on an iron skillet, with olive oil and rosemary and kosher salt on the bottom). For good measure I made the Smitten Kitchen Rosemary Flatbread which was awesome. It's been a long time since I kneaded anything. I'm not usually a fan of getting my hands dirty (literally, which puts me totally at odds with my sons--especially my older one, who hasn't met a tactile sensation he can resist) but this wasn't too involved or too sticky. (And, it's vegan!)

The piece de la resistance, however, was a new find, thanks to my neighbor. I am such a slave to Acme, our local supermarket, and the place my mother and my grandfather ALWAYS shopped, that it's hard to get me to go elsewhere. But folks have been raving about the ShopRite that opened as part of the reverse W*lM@rt complex near us. (We call it the Reverse W@lM*rt because instead of killing the local economy, it built one. They moved on to several hundred acres of dead retail space in a relatively poor area, and now over 80 stores and businesses are within the three blocks surrounding them.) Anyway, one of my very food choosy neighbors has been raving about their meats; in particular, their filets mignon come from Australia, meaning they are grass-fed, no hormones, and no mad cow. She told me how when it goes on mega-sale, she has them grind one in to meat for burgers and they think she's crazy. (I just wanted her to invite me for a cookout.) This week was finally the mega-sale she'd mentioned, so I got the whole filet. They sliced half in to steaks, and left half the tenderloin for me to roast later. I have not had a great supermarket steak in a long time so I was a little skeptical.

Well. Color me skeptical no more. These things were awesome. I am now sorry I only got one and will be a devoted slave to the circular to find them again.

So, with that out of the way, this week's menu:

Monday: Tacos (with deliberately leftover filet)

Tuesday: Hot chicken salad, roasted beets, iceberg lettuce salad

Wednesday: Open face sandwiches from Robin Miller with leftover filets, provolone, artichoke hearts; string beans; mashed potatoes

Thursday: Whatever is in the CSA box, plus something chicken as well

Friday: probably pizza, as (shockingly) there is no football game to attend.

For more ideas, go check out The Organizing Junkie!