MPM--Back into a Groove

...boy, you've got to prove your love to meeeee....yeah. Like that. Happy new week, everyone. Last week, you may recall, I had lost my mojo completely. It was really sad. But--I recovered, hence this week's title. I couldn't bring myself to take the kids out for pizza on a Monday, so I used the rest of the lemons and rosemary and reprised the yummy chicken, this time with all boneless, skinless breasts, and it was a huge hit. We saved the pizza for another night, when my husband was out and it was a glorious, perfect, 72 degrees. We walked to town and one boy got pizza, the other, samosas, and because we had the dog with us, each boy had to go in and order and pay by himself. They were thrilled and felt very grown up. It was a great way to spend the evening--easy, fun exercise, nice treat, happy memories. Wishing all of you all these things. So, this week:

Monday: Happy St. Joseph's Day! Wear red, eat zeppole, and something else Italian. Lucky me, I'm in the city on Monday so I'll pick up something at Superior Pasta--probably eggplant parm but maybe some crab sauce for fun.

Tuesday: God bless Taco Tuesday, the anchor of my week.

Wednesday: A tough day with fencing after school. Probably leftovers (tacos and chicken nuggets from the weekend), kale chips (the new favorite around here; I use the Smitten Kitchen guidelines), and ... something.

Thursday: I didn't make the butter chicken last week so this week, I think it makes it to the rotation.

Friday: Man, I want to say pizza, but we'll see how it goes. I'm trying to avoid going out to dinner on Lenten Fridays but I miss it like crazy.

Not everything last week was as successful as the Tuesday pizza stroll. I tried the crock pot roasted potatoes and cabbage. I thought it had potential, as the thing that saved the traditional dish for me as a child was copious amounts of vinegar. Alas--it's still potatoes and cabbage. My husband, who is so patient with my clumsy kitchen efforts, could hardly suppress a gag. I couldn't even freeze it with the potatoes so out in the trash it went. Good thing cabbage was on sale for 7 cents/pound, and potatoes for $2/bag. For $1.50, I can experiment.

On the other hand, I was feeing as sour as the milk as I sent in the Irish soda bread with the boys on Friday. Neither one of them liked it or wanted to take it. But both came home and said in astonishment that everyone who tried it loved it, and neither one came home with leftovers. That made me smile and keeps the tradition alive. Also? I made the second batch with King Arthur unbleached white whole wheat flour and the difference was amazing--my husband called it "transformative." (Don't you just love him? It made up for the cabbage incident.)

Meanwhile, spring is in full bloom here already and I am ready to enjoy it. We did some yard work last week and this week is some more major planning. The yard is a total disaster and it's time for it not to be. And in the front, the only place with full sun, we planted seeds. Here's hoping something grows; we have basil, two kinds of peas, and two kinds of cucumbers ready to grow, I hope. I'm such a rube, I had no idea how many seeds there would be so I am casting about for other places to grow them too.  And I don't even know if these will be ground cover or need trellises. I need help.

Wishing you a beautiful spring, whether it's already sprung where you are or not! Meanwhile, go check I'm an Organizing Junkie! and see what others have planned for this great and glorious week. (Sorry, still have some St. Patrick's Day banter left in me.) See you Monday!