FFOF 84

VALMG is going on hiatus, so this'll be the last for a while...play along if you want!

1. What’s your favorite flavor of Italian Ice?

Lemon, hands down, though I do enjoy mango, cherry, and root beer.

2. Watermelon. So you prefer seeded or seedless?

Seedless, though I can see the appeal of the old school black seeds.

3. Ice cream. Do you prefer soft serve or hard?

I prefer the regular scoopable kind, though I have never said no to a "custard." (Which is what we call soft-serve down the shore where it tastes best!)

4. Ice pops. What kind is your favorite?

I can't taste the difference! But my favorite popsicle-type thing is the Haagen-Daaz raspberry sorbet around the vanilla 100-calorie amazing treat things. Alas, they have disappeared from my markets around here except for the single servings at $2.90 a pop! Can't quite bring myself there.

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FFOF 83

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#1. TheSaladCaper’s question. Give me one weird food combination which has always been your comfort food.

Now I want to see what TheSaladCaper comes up with! I don't know how weird it is but pretzels and milk take me back to after-school snacks.

#2. Name a food that begins with B.

Beets. Yum!

#3. Name a drink that begins with B.

Does a sea breeze count? I don't even know what's in that anymore. So sad.

#4. Share a recipe for something that calls for broccoli.

Our favorite way to make broccoli is also the easiest: chop in to florets; place in microwave safe bowl. Drizzle olive oil on and sprinkle some pepper (or grill seasoning). Cover bowl. Microwave to desired consistency. Though I have to admit: this broccoli slaw recipe from Smitten Kitchen has been calling my name since she posted it!

MPM--Lazy Hazy Crazy Days

Ah, summer! Welcome, meal planners. This has been a great week here--camp is in session, the weather finally cleared and got gorgeous, and The Best Babysitter Ever came for a visit. We even got to the beach to visit with friends, and life is good.

And even if none of that were true, the Jersey corn, tomatoes, and blueberries are in! So I'm officially off the EDF train and back on the summer food bonanza. We went peach picking and raspberry picking and I already froze two bags of peaches (thanks to TBBE giving me the time to peel them--phew!). We also tried the Smitten Kitchen watermelon lemonade, which I would recommend. There are some other reviews below, but first, the menu for the week!

Monday: sweet potato chili and cherry tomato frittata (sad to be inspired by a catalog, but there it is). I also have some raw beet salad in the fridge ready to go as I was making an effort to clear the fridge before the next CSA batch of food arrived.

Tuesday: Have I mentioned TBBE makes the best lasagne in our world? And that she kindly makes some every time she comes? And I am slowly learning her tricks. But she left us another as a goodbye present and even if the weather turns hot and humid--well, it's always a good night for lasagne if you are my husband.

Wednesday: If I'm feeling adventuresome, I'll be trying another W-S recipe: braised chicken with tomatoes. If not, rotisserie chicken, and my favorite corn-tomato-zucchini side dish. Or we might just go to Peace-of-Pizza.

Thursday: out with my book group. Leftovers for my crew at home. (Hence the chicken on Wednesday so there will be something they might eat that is not a hot dog in the house.)

Friday Ball game!

If the amount of food seems somewhat massive, we're also making dinners for some families (my inlaws among them) that need some extra help these days.

And last week, we tried a few winner recipes from Smitten Kitchen. I had bought a baby watermelon and then got distracted by all the unbelievably great precut melons running around, so we used the baby for the watermelon lemonade. It wasn't amazing, but I would definitely make it again when lemons are cheap again. I also found my way to my new favorite way to make zucchini (and just in time, as they are coming quickly in the CSA). I made a small version for myself for lunch one day and a larger one for dinner. My kids won't touch it, alas, but we're working on it. And I'm certainly not coordinated enough to actually make the matchstick cuts but it's a very forgiving recipe, as she notes.

Meanwhile, we have new neighbors, who are new to our street but not to our town, so they come with built in friends already too, and (mostly because my littlest one is, well, the littlest one) suddenly we have passels of kids coming through our house. It's been fun but there it's a real change in the dynamics of our street and our days. So any recommendations for easy, cheap, healthy snacks the kids will eat, do share!

Have a great week! And for more inspired menus, check out I'm an Organizing Junkie!

MPM--Eating Down the Fridge, Still

Hello Menu Planners!

We got through the steroids last week, and overall followed the plan (with one exception--the Jersey corn came in so I threw out one day and we had BLTs and corn--yum!). You'll see some leftover for this week...

Monday: Spring-y Noodles. We didn't make it last week when the corn came in but I still have most of the veggies.

Tuesday: Ball game!

Wednesday: We are probably going out (if I can find a babysitter); otherwise, leftovers, including black bean burgers for the grownups and hot dogs for the kids.

Thursday: freezer meal. So many choices, but I think the Trader Joe's stuffed chicken breasts will be the winners, complemented by CSA vegetables (yay, more beets coming!).

Friday: My poor little guy, every single time he wishes on an eyelash, wishes to go to his favorite pizza place for "lots and lots of pizza." While he is hardly suffering for lack of pizza, it's as good a weekend as any to indulge him.

I did go to the grocery store today, but we were out of things like soap and shaving cream, so that was a pretty hefty amount of what we bought. The only actual purchase for this menu that I made today was hot dog and hamburger rolls. Granted, we're out a lot this week (I hope) but still. I'm enjoying keeping up the minimum shopping!

Happy week everyone!