One of the ways I cope with being the primary cook of a blended family is by planning ahead.
Menu planning has reduced my stress, eased the youngest boy’s food related anxiety, and helps us avoid last minute grocery runs. As an extra bonus, since we added a chalk board after the kitchen renovation the menu board has also become one of my creative outlets.
This was a pretty standard week plan.
Spaghetti Carbonara
There are many versions of carbonara; this is mine. I make two pans because two of us won’t eat mushrooms.
- sliced mushrooms
- bacon
- 2 C cream
- 1 egg
- finely grated parmesan
- Fry the bacon and the mushrooms.
- In a bowl mix the egg, cream, parmesan.
- Turn the bacon and mushrooms down very low, and add in the cooked pasta.
- Pour the cream egg mix over the pasta and toss.
- Let it thicken slightly while you stir – this happens quickly and if
Tacos with rice and corn salad. you don’t watch the egg sets. Serve immediately.
Tacos
I don’t need to tell you how to make tacos. I do make my own quick refried beans though. I use canned pinto beans, minced onion and garlic, oil, tomato paste and pepper flakes. Cooked together until you can mush the beans.
Stir fry
I cook the chicken and veggies separately so the chicken cooks but I never end up with over cooked vegetables.
Sauce:
- sesame oil
- soy sauce
- ginger paste
- garlic paste
Stir fry:
- sliced chicken
- sliced onion, carrot, peppers, and cabbage
- small broccoli florets
- peanut oil
Veggies: Heat peanut oil in the wok. Throw in the carrots first, toss a minute, throw in the broccoli, cauliflower and onion, Toss, then cover a minute. Add the peppers, pour in the sauce, toss and cover a minute.
Chicken: Heat peanut oil in the fry pan. when the oil is hot add some garlic and ginger paste, stir once and throw the chicken in. Toss until the chicken is cooked.
Meatballs and Mashed potatoes
I have one boy off beef, so I make pork meatballs.
Meatballs:
- ground pork
- 1 egg
- bread crumbs soaked in milk
- salt and pepper to taste
- minced onion and garlic
- chili flakes
Mix the pork with the onion, garlic, salt and pepper. Add the egg and bread crumbs.
Form little balls, and brown them in a fry pan. Put the browned meatballs in an oven, covered, to finish cooking. You can make a quick gravy by deglazing the pan with a bit of beef stock.
Pepperoni Pasticcio
This is how I use up small quantities of pasta and leftover tomato sauce. Pene, rigatoni, fusilli, farfalle – they all work.
- chopped pepperoni
- chopped onion and pepper
- arrabiatta or basil tomato sauce
- grated mozzarella
- cooked pasta
Saute onion and pepperoni. Pour in the tomato sauce. Add the peppers and cook slightly.
In a large casserole dish toss the cooked pasta the tomato sauce. Stir in the grated mozzerella. Top with more mozza. Pop this in the oven at about 350 until the cheese browns.
Red Beans and Rice
This totally a cheat recipe, but it tastes great.
- bacon
- chopped onion, pepper, carrot and celery
- large can of kidney beans
- Bullseye blazin chipotle BBQ sauce
Fry the bacon, onion, celery and carrot together. Add the beans and BBQ sauce and peppers. Cook until the peppers are just cooked. Serve over rice. A poached egg on top is a yummy addition.
That’s it. Pub night is a separate blog 🙂
I grew up eating family dinners together, and always ate with my son. It helps families feel connected and keeps parents involved in their kid’s daily lives. So when my husband and I blended our families I naturally kept mealtime as a time for us to gather.
Basically, it’s a buffet that we all sit down to while watching a movie or playing a board game.
and sliced veggies show up at the start. I’ve since added roasted grapes, lettuce wraps, onion tarts, mini 
Make me eat my words. 