tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7005811776581111932024-03-14T02:45:22.707-07:00Dinners in the FourOneFiveA San Francisco mother chronicles her reluctant obsession with making dinner for her family.
Glue guns and sippy cups required.Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10750639695206955639noreply@blogger.comBlogger122125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-700581177658111193.post-70667373758216812142013-01-21T09:19:00.001-08:002013-01-21T09:19:24.121-08:00Dinners for January 20 - 25, 2013This holiday weekend has given us more time than usual to make some dinners with prep times longer than 30 minutes. This week I chose two dinners from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Dinner-Story-begins-family-table/dp/0062080903/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1358787959&sr=8-1&keywords=dinner+a+love+story" target="_blank">Dinner: A Love Story (the book)</a>, one that is quick and easy and one that takes little more time.<br />
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The turkey chili we made last night was a slam dunk with my 7 year old. When I first said I was making chili earlier in the day, he said he didn't like chili and that it was too spicy. But from the moment I started to <span class="st">sauté</span> the onions and garlic till I added the cinnamon at the end, he was orbiting around me asking when... when... when... could he finally taste what smelled so good. He ate two bowls of chili and declared this the best dinner he's ever had. A quick note, I only added 2 tablespoons of chili powder because I was worried the spice would turn off my kids. It worked great and I think I am going to slowly up the chili powder amount over time. <br />
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<u><b>Sunday</b></u>: DALS book selection recipe - <a href="http://www.dinneralovestory.com/my-8-year-old-made-this-chili/" target="_blank">Turkey chili</a> with homemade cornbread muffins<br />
<u><b> </b></u><br />
<u><b>Monday</b></u>: <a href="http://dinnersinthefouronefive.blogspot.com/2012/01/new-beginnings-meal-plan-for-january-1.html" target="_blank">Spinach feta quiche</a> with salad<br />
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<u><b>Tuesday</b></u>: DALS book selection recipe - Apricot mustard chicken, crispy broccoli and mashed potatoes (sorry, no link available)<br />
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<u><b>Wednesday</b></u>: <a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/332444/roasted-salmon-with-brussels-sprouts" target="_blank">Roasted salmon and brussel sprouts</a> with barley pilaf<br />
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<u><b>Thursday</b></u>: Sausage, kale and pasta<br />
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<u><b>Friday</b></u>: Dinner out with friends<br />
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<u><b>Saturday</b></u>: TBDAmandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10750639695206955639noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-700581177658111193.post-24829292142379535252013-01-15T21:03:00.000-08:002013-01-15T21:03:12.818-08:00Missing in Action - The Dinner Edition<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<u><b>Sunday</b></u>: Dinner at a friends house<br />
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<u><b>Monday</b></u>: Roasted pork chops with kale and farro<br />
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<u><b>Tuesday</b></u>: <a href="http://www.dinneralovestory.com/freezer-meatballs/" target="_blank">Lamb meatballs with pita pockets and yogurt mint sauce</a><br />
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<u><b>Wednesday</b></u>: <a href="http://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-pasta-with-butternut-sq-64966#" target="_blank">Butternut squash with pine and penne pasta</a><br />
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<u><b>Thursday</b></u>: Cobb salad<br />
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<u><b>Friday</b></u>: <a href="http://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-pizza-with-crispy-kale-butternut-squash-bacon-smoked-mozzarella-recipes-from-the-kitchn-178188" target="_blank">Butternut squash and kale pizza</a><br />
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<u><b>Saturday</b></u>: TBD<br />
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Oh my, where has the time gone? I have been so bad about posting menus, it's almost a shame to be trying again. But this is a new year and a new start, right? I was inspired by the <a href="http://www.dinneralovestory.com/seven-days-challenge-your-5-step-plan/" target="_blank">Seven Days, Seven Meals</a> challenge over at Dinner: A Love Story and for the past two weeks I have introduced about five new dinners into our repertoire, including two from this week's menu. Sadly we have not had many hits with this experiment! My kids each ate one lamb meatball and declared it inedible, but the adults inhaled them. The <a href="http://www.eatliverun.com/boyfriend-approved-spicy-black-bean-burgers/" target="_blank">Spicy Black Bean Burgers</a> with jalapenos omitted for the kids were met with a resounding "Um, no thanks!" Same goes for the <a href="http://www.eatliverun.com/spinach-feta-turkey-burgers/" target="_blank">Spinach Feta Turkey Burgers</a> - they ignored them and ate the sweet potato fries instead. I almost pulled out my <a href="http://dinnersinthefouronefive.blogspot.com/2011/11/off-rails.html" target="_blank">cottage cheese trick</a>, but they redeemed themselves by inhaling the <a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Crispy-Black-Bean-Tacos-with-Feta-and-Cabbage-Slaw-351271" target="_blank">Crispy black bean tacos with coleslaw.</a>This has not been an easy ride, folks. Oh well, I love trying new recipes and while all were not winners, we definitely have room to grow around here. Wish us luck. Have you had any success with new recipes lately?Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10750639695206955639noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-700581177658111193.post-72921506389925472532012-10-09T06:23:00.001-07:002012-10-09T06:23:14.819-07:00Dinners for October 7-13, 2012<u><b>Sunday</b></u>: <a href="http://dinnersinthefouronefive.blogspot.com/2011/12/twofer.html" target="_blank">Wine braised chicken with tomatoes, peas and rice</a><br />
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<u><b>Monday</b></u>: Chicken fried rice (twofer!)<br />
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<u><b>Tuesday</b></u>: <a href="http://www.dinneralovestory.com/i-don%E2%80%99t-know-yet/" target="_blank">Butternut squash soup</a> and grilled cheese sandwiches *squash was roasted on Sunday*<br />
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<u><b>Wednesday</b></u>: Dinner party at Whole Foods (more on this later)<br />
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<u><b>Thursday</b></u>: Oriechette pasta with broccoli and sausage<br />
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<u><b>Friday</b></u>: TBD<br />
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<u><b>Saturday</b></u>: TBDAmandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10750639695206955639noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-700581177658111193.post-75664125844659279022012-09-09T15:45:00.002-07:002012-09-09T15:49:27.544-07:00Dinners for September 9-15, 2012<u><b>Sunday</b></u>: <a href="http://www.dinneralovestory.com/shrimp-with-feta/" target="_blank">Greek Style Shrimp with Feta</a> (DALS Selection of the Week - page 70) with Quinoa and Spinach Pilaf<br />
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<u><b>Monday</b></u>: <a href="http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2010/01/tomato-sauce-with-butter-and-onions/" target="_blank">3 Ingredient Tomato Sauce</a> with pasta and garlic bread<br />
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<u><b>Tuesday</b></u>: <a href="http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/sausage-peppers-crispy-polenta-10000001699322/index.html" target="_blank">Sausage and Peppers with Polenta</a><br />
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<u><b>Wednesday</b></u>: Back to School Night<br />
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<u><b>Thursday</b></u>: <a href="http://everydayfoodblog.marthastewart.com/2011/02/todays-recipe-orange-and-balsamic-chicken.html" target="_blank">Balsamic Orange Chicken</a> with brown rice and broccoli<br />
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<u><b>Friday</b></u>: TBD<br />
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<u><b>Saturday</b></u>: TBDAmandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10750639695206955639noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-700581177658111193.post-58698121222165316682012-09-09T14:14:00.001-07:002012-09-10T15:29:39.091-07:00Loving: Everyday Food on YouTube*Updated!<br />
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I can't stop watching these<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPaqm0l6Oak" target="_blank"> less-than-five minute videos</a> on quick dinners made by Sarah Carey, the Editor in Chief of Everyday Food magazine. I really like her easy, breezy approach to dinner and often watch these clips <a href="http://dinnersinthefouronefive.blogspot.com/2012/03/anatomy-of-menu.html" target="_blank">while planning</a> my <a href="http://dinnersinthefouronefive.blogspot.com/2011/06/obsessed-with-everyday-food.html" target="_blank">dinners for the week</a>.<br />
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Take a look at how easy and delicious this Orange Balsamic Chicken can be. She sold me on it when she spilled part of the dish around the 2:50 mark. However, the most notable moment in this video is at the 3:15 mark when I noticed that a woman in the background of the kitchen looks like she <strike>is not wearing pants</strike>. Upon further inspection using my computer monitor at work, it turns out she is wearing orange leggings. Whew! For a moment there I thought Everyday Food was trying get more viewers by being risque. Yes, that makes total sense!<br />
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<br />Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10750639695206955639noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-700581177658111193.post-81391608071046281262012-08-29T21:22:00.000-07:002013-01-15T21:40:26.443-08:00Loving: Whole Foods (again)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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"Whole Foods Parking Lot" <br />
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I've never hidden the fact that <a href="http://dinnersinthefouronefive.blogspot.com/2012/04/loving-new-clients-office-location.html" target="_blank">I am in love with Whole Foods</a>, which is like admitting to everyone that I also like to breathe fresh air. So you can imagine how high I jumped when I heard that a Whole Foods was opening up just a few short blocks from my home. I almost keeled over from happiness. <a href="http://stuffwhitepeoplelike.com/2008/02/03/48-whole-foods-and-grocery-co-ops/" target="_blank">Fact #48</a>: Having a Whole Foods open up near your home signifies that the gentrification of your neighborhood is complete. <br />
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I would drive by the construction site on my way to the gym just about every morning and watched it progress from a gigantic pit of dirt to a gleaming storefront in just under a year. The store has been all over Facebook with its <a href="https://www.facebook.com/WFMOcean?ref=stream" target="_blank">fan page</a> and when they offered behind the scene tour, my neighbor and I jumped at the chance to walk around it before it opened up last week. I didn't take any pictures (I wasn't sure if I was allowed to), but the store is bigger than any other Whole Foods that I know of and the selections is jaw- dropping. I know many call it Whole Paycheck, but all I can say is thank you for coming to our neighborhood. Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10750639695206955639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-700581177658111193.post-41341976920248137052012-08-13T06:53:00.000-07:002012-08-13T08:41:59.915-07:00Dinners for August 12 - 18, 2012This week should be the calm before the storm since school starts next week. However, we have three birthdays within 18 days of each other and as a result we are busier than ever this week with a 3-year-old, a 41-year-old and a 70-year-old all celebrating birthdays.With family commitments, birthdays and appointments all colliding at once, we have a rare only-three-dinners-eaten-at-the-table kind of the week.<br />
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To make things easier on myself this week I chose two dinners from the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Dinner-Story-begins-family-table/dp/0062080903" target="_blank">Dinner: A Love Story</a> cookbook. I'll post my review of last week's choice later this week. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts on the recipes as well.<br />
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<u><b>Sunday:</b></u> <a href="http://www.dinneralovestory.com/a-winning-weeknight-dinner/" target="_blank">Kale, Sausage and White Bean stew</a> <----<a href="http://dinnersinthefouronefive.blogspot.com/2012/07/dinner-love-story-cook-long.html" target="_blank"> DALS Cook-A-Long</a> selection of the week<br />
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<u><b>Monday:</b></u> My birthday girl requested "Sammin, a vegahble, bread, an a pupcake." For those not well-versed in preschooler, it translates into "Grilled salmon, steamed broccoli, some nice bread and a cupcake for dessert." Your wish is my command, Colette. <br />
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<u><b>Tuesday:</b></u> Out with family<br />
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<u><b>Wednesday:</b></u> Out with family<br />
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<u><b>Thursday:</b></u> Spinach, tomato and feta frittata <---- <b style="color: red;">BONUS </b>DALS Cook-A-Long selection of the week (p.117)<br />
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<u><b>Friday:</b></u> Out with family<br />
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<u><b>Saturday:</b></u> Out with familyAmandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10750639695206955639noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-700581177658111193.post-4290469032940028962012-08-07T21:15:00.002-07:002012-08-08T13:20:09.365-07:00Trader Joe's Salad Hack<br />
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One of the nice perks of my office location is that I am a two block walk away from Trader Joe's and can pick up some last minute items for dinner. Alternatively, one of the not-so-great perks of working so close to a Trader Joe's is that I also pick up things that I really shouldn't be buying - like my favorite sea salt and turbinado sugar covered dark chocolate almonds or a prepared salad for lunch while I am at the store under the guise of "getting something for dinner." More often than not, I will find any excuse to go in there on my lunch hour (more on my lunch hour grocery shopping trips <a href="http://dinnersinthefouronefive.blogspot.com/2012/04/loving-new-clients-office-location.html" target="_blank">here</a>).<br />
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When my husband and I play <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/science/rock-paper-scissors.html" target="_blank">Rock, Paper, Scissors</a> to see who wins the previous night's leftovers for lunch that day and he wins, then I just go to Trader Joe's for lunch. (<i>Note to self:</i> Watch linked video on how to win Roshambo every single time.) I try to find a healthy salad that isn't a total calorie bomb but will keep me filled for the afternoon. So while I am technically eating a salad almost every day for lunch, I am also paying about $4-$5 for these packaged salads which any person in their right mind would know is a royal waste of money. As I ate my favorite Vegetable & Grain Country Salad at my desk the other day, I took a quick look at the
ingredients and realized that I was paying $4 for a whole lot of
packaging and not a whole lot of salad. I resolved right then and there to make my own Country Salad (what, pray tell, makes it a 'Country Salad' Trader Joe's?). <br />
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This salad has simple ingredients and could not be any easier to make. The packaged version came with cooked bulgur wheat, garbanzo beans, two or three sad cherry tomatoes, some diced roasted red bell pepper and cucumber mixed together and placed on top of shredded cabbage.<br />
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Mine was the same but I threw in some basil and some edamame because I had it in the fridge. <br />
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<b>Vegetable & Grain Country Salad Hack</b><br />
<i>(Note: I cooked 1 cup of dry bulgur wheat in 2 cups water which yielded 4 salad servings for me)</i><br />
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Bulgur Salad:<br />
1/2 cup bulgur wheat, cooked = .49 cents<br />
1 Persian cucumber, peeled and diced = .17 cents (Six for a $1 at the farmer's market)<br />
1/2 red bell pepper, diced (I didn't roast it) = .25 cents (2 for $1 at the farmer's market)<br />
1/3 cup garbanzo beans = .33 cents<br />
6 cherry tomatoes = Free from my garden <br />
1 cup shredded cabbage = .15 cents ($1 per cabbage at the farmer's market)<br />
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Dressing:<br />
(no measurements, just did it to taste)<br />
Exrta virgin olive oil <br />
Balsamic vinegar<br />
Cumin <br />
Squirt of lemon<br />
<u>Salt and Pepper </u><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Total Cost: $1.39</b></span><br />
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Crazy, right? All I did was cook 1 cup of bulgur wheat in 2 cups simmering water for about 15 minutes and added extra virgin olive oil and salt and pepper as it cooked. I added a little more oil after it was done cooking, threw in the diced vegetables, mixed it together and put the mixture (about 1 cup total) on a bed of shredded cabbage. I made about four salads with 1 cup of cooked bulgur and then used the remaining ingredients for other things in our dinners that week. <br />
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This was a successful Trader Joe's salad hack in my book. I love that I can easily make this and can add in whatever vegetables I have in the fridge at the moment. I've added shredded carrot, minced shallots, green onions, edamame, etc. It's very adaptable and quite tasty. Hope you like it!Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10750639695206955639noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-700581177658111193.post-6765340693552905302012-08-05T22:24:00.003-07:002012-08-05T22:24:28.947-07:00Dinners for August 5 - 11, 2012It took me close to a week after our vacation to get back into the groove of things. I had a menu for last week but I can't even remember where it is or what we ate. Now that we are back into our old routine I was more than happy to go make a menu early Sunday morning while my kids slept and then shop for it that same day the way I usually do. It feels like I got into a rather bad habit of going to the store nearly every day to pick up this or that and it was driving me crazy! Who wants to go to the store every single day? I like to get it done in one day and then not have to think about it for the rest of the week. <br />
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This week's DALS Cook-A-Long meal is Fried Fish Sandwiches with Zucchini Fries. I love this kind of meal because it's a modified <a href="http://dinnersinthefouronefive.blogspot.com/2011/12/twofer.html" target="_blank">Twofer</a>. I can use the breading from the fries for the fish as well and not have to clean up another plate. <br />
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Sunday: Out with family<br />
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Monday: <a href="http://www.dinneralovestory.com/fish-chips/" target="_blank">Fried Fish sandwiches</a> with <a href="http://www.dinneralovestory.com/green-french-fries/" target="_blank">zuchinni fries</a> <------ DALS Cook-A-Long Selection of the Week<br />
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Tuesday: <a href="http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/food/recipes/citrus-soy-chicken-pork-or-shrimp-stir-fry/" target="_blank">Pork stir fry</a><br />
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Wednesday: <a href="http://www.dinneralovestory.com/corn-for-the-dentally-challenged/" target="_blank">Shrimp, bacon and corn pasta toss</a><br />
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Thursday: <a href="http://www.dinneralovestory.com/lemon-pepper-chicken/" target="_blank">Yogurt-marinated chicken</a> with <a href="http://smittenkitchen.com/2011/08/25/zucchini-fritters/" target="_blank">zucchini fritters</a><br />
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Friday: TBD<br />
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Saturday: TBDAmandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10750639695206955639noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-700581177658111193.post-32940047123469404122012-07-30T21:13:00.000-07:002012-07-30T21:27:32.897-07:00DALS Cook-A-Long #2: Barbecue Ribs with BBQ Sauce<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">50 Cent's other hit, "In da Rub" inspired this caption</td></tr>
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In this second installment of the <a href="http://dinnersinthefouronefive.blogspot.com/2012/07/dinner-love-story-cook-long.html" target="_blank">DALS Cook-A-Long</a> I wanted to cook something that was screamed summer to me and for me that would be ribs on the grill. However, I had a mental block with ribs and I had no idea how to even cook the darn things. Seriously, they were as mysterious as Turducken to me. Do you know what I mean? This rib mystique probably came from logging far too many hours watching barbecue competitions on the Food Network in my formative cooking years (aka - unemployed after the dot com bubble popped).<br />
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I used to think that cooking ribs required a third generation family recipe, four days of marinating and cooking and a rotisserie barbecue grill about the size of my dining room table. <a href="http://dinnersinthefouronefive.blogspot.com/2012/07/dinner-love-story-cook-long.html" target="_blank">Everyday Food</a> disspelled this myth when they explained that delicious ribs simply required that one bake the ribs for three hours and then grill the ribs for about 10 minutes after that. Before reading this helpful nugget of information, I was the one who bought the pre-cooked and pre-marinated ribs at Trader Joe's. I didn't know any other way to do it.<br />
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Now that I am no longer a naive rib nerd, I had a feeling that <a href="http://www.dinneralovestory.com/baby-back-ribs/" target="_blank">Jenny's rib recipe</a> was going to be a keeper. However, I did tweak a few things in the recipe.<br />
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<b>BBQ Rub recipe notes</b><br />
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The recipe said the rub would make enough for 4 rib racks but I wasn't
sure how many ribs were typically in a rack. So I used half the rub for
the 14 ribs in the rack and it worked out great. I baked the ribs at
300 degrees for three hours with no problems.<br />
<ul>
<li>I opted to use 2 tablespoons of smoked paprika, since I didn't have regular paprika... we all survived.</li>
<li>I used fennel seed instead of celery seed. Delicious.</li>
</ul>
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<b>Barbecue Sauce recipe notes</b><br />
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First and foremost, the number one <a href="http://www.dinneralovestory.com/whats-your-page-turner/" target="_blank">page turner</a> in a recipe for me is the use of sugar with meat. My stomach turns at the thought of it, actually. So naturally I wanted to pass on this recipe but I had faith and I knew I could adjust the sugar contents.<br />
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<ul>
<li>I used 1/4 cup brown sugar instead of 1/2 cup brown sugar. I survived! </li>
</ul>
This barbecue sauce was incredible and I made enough to use for a dish later this week. It isn't sickly sweet and isn't too spicy for the kids. I had my hesitations, but this recipe was a winner.<br />
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And you can bet your bottom dollar I was singing the Scrubs version of 'Baby Back Ribs' while making these bad boys. <br />
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<br />Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10750639695206955639noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-700581177658111193.post-65774438662808614942012-07-27T18:14:00.003-07:002012-07-27T18:14:51.271-07:00Olympic Pizza<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UhvlcE6OZ8g/UBM79Q3h0eI/AAAAAAAAAiI/5-12DTgrjEU/s1600/DSC02771.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UhvlcE6OZ8g/UBM79Q3h0eI/AAAAAAAAAiI/5-12DTgrjEU/s320/DSC02771.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Team Pizza USA!</td></tr>
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I have been eagerly awaiting the start of the Olympics for months and now that it's finally here, I can hardly contain myself. The usually quiet television is on non-stop for the next two weeks when we are home.<br />
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When the games are over I experience a Olympic-sized hangover, mainly from the let-down of the games ending to the sudden silence around me when television used to be on 24/7.<br />
<br />In honor of the Olympics (and a sly effort to break our traditional <a href="http://dinnersinthefouronefive.blogspot.com/2012/04/food-rut.html" target="_blank">pizza topping issues</a>) I made this Olympic-themed pizza with blue potatoes, black olives, cherry tomatoes, kale and yellow bell peppers for our Friday night dinner.<br />
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May the odds be ever in your favor... oh wait, wrong games. <br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dMJttxK8Q7g/UBM8jkUAPlI/AAAAAAAAAiU/YvNYTSy9R_Y/s1600/hungergames.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dMJttxK8Q7g/UBM8jkUAPlI/AAAAAAAAAiU/YvNYTSy9R_Y/s1600/hungergames.jpg" /></a></div>
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<br />Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10750639695206955639noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-700581177658111193.post-28148775727772949332012-07-18T05:39:00.002-07:002012-07-18T09:19:40.600-07:00Harvest<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZoQz9Gn1f4c/T_uVddXDeBI/AAAAAAAAAhY/nIsR74NxHtk/s1600/DSC02490.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZoQz9Gn1f4c/T_uVddXDeBI/AAAAAAAAAhY/nIsR74NxHtk/s320/DSC02490.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The last of the kale is in the background. Rest in peace old friend.</td></tr>
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A good friend of mine has a really nice backyard garden here in San Francisco. Often we sit back there while watching the kids play and chat about about what she has growing in her raised vegetable beds. When she went inside to get a drink for the kids one day, her husband came over to me on the sly and said, "When she needs to do gardening, she says she is going to "go harvest the garden." But then she only brings in a few cherry tomatoes! That's not a harvest! That's just picking what happens to be available at that moment!"<br />
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Well, I can relate to her choice of words because anything I bring into my home out of my garden is a harvest to me. I had an <a href="http://dinnersinthefouronefive.blogspot.com/2012/05/loving-kale-is-coming-out-of-our-ears.html" target="_blank">amazing amount of kale</a> awhile back and now that that situation has died down, we are harvesting delicious cherry tomatoes and the delicious sugar snap peas pictured above. In previous seasons, these little gems never made it past the back door because my kids would mow through the vines while playing in the backyard. But this year I managed to harvest a few before the kids got to them. I was quite proud of my harvest - all 12 of them that I promptly placed into their lunchboxes. (<a href="http://www.easylunchboxes.com/" target="_blank">These are our favorite lunchboxes!</a>)<br />
<br />Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10750639695206955639noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-700581177658111193.post-45367711069740183062012-07-16T06:23:00.003-07:002012-07-16T06:23:57.081-07:00Mom Camp 2012<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-damlpbyNxdQ/T_uqM74M27I/AAAAAAAAAhk/vgVPAGnYjwc/s1600/DSC02646.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-damlpbyNxdQ/T_uqM74M27I/AAAAAAAAAhk/vgVPAGnYjwc/s320/DSC02646.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Egg carton painting</td></tr>
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Every year families across the United States scramble to find <strike>glorified childcare</strike> camps for their kids during the summer. The prices can really set a family back when you add up how many weeks of camp one must schedule for their children, particularly if the parent works outside of the home like I do.<br />
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<a href="http://dinnersinthefouronefive.blogspot.com/2011/07/mom-camp.html" target="_blank">Last year</a> my friend <a href="http://emmaskidsbooks.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Emma</a> and I searched around for a few friends to do a week of Mom Camp, asking each parent to put in one day of watching kids for the other four days off. It was originally to save money, but Mom Camp forces you to think out of the box. It can get all too easy to take your kids to the park or the same old places every single week. We kept the Mom Camp structure simple: Hours were from about 9-4, each parent had to watch the kids one day that week and siblings were not included, unless you were the host parent and then you could have both of your kids at your day of camp. This rule was bent on Friday when the younger siblings had a separate camp at Emma's house (Never again. Right, Emma?). Besides sibling camp, I thought the whole thing went really well and I am eager to do it again next year. <br />
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This year the dad's got involved and proved to be as much fun as the mom's. This should not come as an surprise to any of our friends, both dad's involved this year should have 'Fun Dad' stamped on their foreheads. <br />
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<u><b>Dad Camp - Monday, July 2nd</b></u><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LVVBPeGmnSI/T_urms3OaaI/AAAAAAAAAhs/9PLDKfPa6yY/s1600/DSC02404.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LVVBPeGmnSI/T_urms3OaaI/AAAAAAAAAhs/9PLDKfPa6yY/s320/DSC02404.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dad Camp was fueled by strawberries and hot chocolate</td></tr>
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My husband drove three seven-year-olds and our two-year-old daughter down to <a href="http://swantonberryfarm.com/" target="_blank">Swanton Berry Farm</a> in Davenport for strawberry picking. For $28, the kids had a blast picking and eating berries along the coast, eventually walking away with 10 overflowing baskets of organic strawberries. After they ate their packed lunches at the farm's picnic benches, they drove to <a href="http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=523" target="_blank">A<span style="font-size: small;">ñ</span>o Nuevo State Park</a> and walked around the trails, ending their adventure on the beach, digging for sand crabs and running in the waves. My husband commented that this was probably the best day he's ever had with so many kids all at once. He came home happy and the kids were thrilled with the strawberries as well as the copious amounts of hot chocolate he gave to them to keep them warm (hey, this is Coastal California after all, folks!). With sand in their hair and shoes and strawberries to share with their families, these kids were happy campers. <br />
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<u><b>Mom Camp - Tuesday, July 3</b></u><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FVArQvEVn7Q/T_tdrY2Ak3I/AAAAAAAAAgY/dpgs7fef3Lw/s1600/momcampemma.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FVArQvEVn7Q/T_tdrY2Ak3I/AAAAAAAAAgY/dpgs7fef3Lw/s320/momcampemma.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Butterfly Hunters of San Francisco</td></tr>
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My friend Emma hosted camp at her house and being the crafty one that she is, had art projects ready to go for the kids. They created plastic water bottle bumblebees and <a href="http://craftsbyamanda.com/2010/07/4th-of-july-luminaries.html" target="_blank">Fourth of July luminaries</a>, hunted for caterpillars and butterflies in her backyard, baked <a href="http://www.bakedperfection.com/2009/07/peanut-butter-cup-brownies.html" target="_blank">Peanut Butter Cup Brownies</a> in her kitchen, and went on a geo-caching treasure hunt at Stow Lake in Golden Gate Park. Whew! I am exhausted just reading the list of stuff they did. My son came home with his arms filled with art projects and stories that dominated our dinner hour. It was a great day of camp! <br />
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<u><b>No Camp - Wednesday, July 4 </b></u><br />
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<u><b>Dad Camp - Thursday, July 5</b></u><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cRMJi8LSCrs/T_ts_cfkj3I/AAAAAAAAAhM/Zokb6l6STa4/s1600/slides.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cRMJi8LSCrs/T_ts_cfkj3I/AAAAAAAAAhM/Zokb6l6STa4/s320/slides.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Breakneck speed required on the cement slides in San Francisco</td></tr>
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This dad took all the kids to the <a href="http://www.exploratorium.edu/" target="_blank">Exploratorium</a> in San Francisco. The kids had a blast trying out the science experiments and ate their packed lunches in the cafeteria. Afterwards, he took them to the <a href="http://blog.sfgate.com/parenting/2009/05/06/broke-guy-day-care-fun-with-concrete-slides/" target="_blank">infamous concrete Seward Street Slides</a>. This part of the day turned out to be the highlight moment for all of the kids. After they were done with the slides, they all came back to his house to play in the backyard and drink gallons of lemonade. Perfection!<br />
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<u><b>Mom Camp - Friday, July 6</b></u><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kyuU8MbT_sQ/T_teWZcmaYI/AAAAAAAAAgg/4bl9t5cD_h0/s1600/DSC02651.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kyuU8MbT_sQ/T_teWZcmaYI/AAAAAAAAAgg/4bl9t5cD_h0/s320/DSC02651.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tin can stilt races</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lM01r7gTZo0/T_tfDB3LZdI/AAAAAAAAAg0/NRTa0ThvbUU/s1600/DSC02681.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lM01r7gTZo0/T_tfDB3LZdI/AAAAAAAAAg0/NRTa0ThvbUU/s320/DSC02681.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking for sea otters at Mori Point</td></tr>
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I had a few things planned for the "at home" portion of the day, but as usual they took up less time than I expected. Our friends down the street joined our camp for the day and the kids <a href="http://familyfun.go.com/crafts/a-trail-tote-672562/" target="_blank">painted egg cartons</a> for the treasure hunt I had planned in Pacifica. Then they made their own popsicles with pudding and/or fruit juice with toppings to eat later on in the day. The night before camp, I made coffee can stilts for the kids to walk around on and they played on those for awhile (Best DIY Project: Old coffee cans with jump ropes from the Dollar Store for stilts. The kids loved them!). I took the kids on a hike to Pacifica's Mori Point and we brought along the egg cartons for the nature treasure hunt. I was surprised at how seriously the kids took this hunt, they were on a mission to find every color in their carton, however blue was the only color we weren't able to find. When we got to the lookout at the top of Mori Point, my son wanted to go higher and so we climbed this beast.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4lfQRiLsLj0/T_tgJbrBilI/AAAAAAAAAg8/uhNrPtHsHiI/s1600/DSC02684.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4lfQRiLsLj0/T_tgJbrBilI/AAAAAAAAAg8/uhNrPtHsHiI/s320/DSC02684.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One child claimed this hill to be 380 stories high.</td></tr>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4lfQRiLsLj0/T_tgJbrBilI/AAAAAAAAAg8/uhNrPtHsHiI/s1600/DSC02684.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a> <br />
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If the kids did not sleep well that night after this hike, then I did not do my job! It was quite a hike and they were exhauted when we got to the top. Afterwards, we went to the Pacifica Pier to watch the fisherman and then headed home to eat our popsicles. It was a great day for everyone. <br />
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All in all, this was an incredibly successful Mom & Dad Camp. I would love to do it again next year and I hope our friends are up for the challenge. If you put it in dollars, the three families saved nearly $900 dollars for three kids in our camp and each day probably only cost about $20 for each parent to host. Definitely worth trying if you can find friends to do it with and have the time to put into it.Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10750639695206955639noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-700581177658111193.post-75862820111657041162012-07-13T06:43:00.001-07:002012-07-13T08:10:04.498-07:00Foggy Day Popsicles Round 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wdfIA69qj-4/T_sRDk_st9I/AAAAAAAAAe8/9k83DTijslc/s1600/Everyday+Food.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wdfIA69qj-4/T_sRDk_st9I/AAAAAAAAAe8/9k83DTijslc/s1600/Everyday+Food.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://dinnersinthefouronefive.blogspot.com/2011/07/foggy-day-popsicles.html" target="_blank">A little San Francisco fog</a> never slows us down when it comes to making popsicles around these parts. My son had been drooling over the <a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/357265/fruit-salad-ice-pops" target="_blank">Fruit Salad Popsicles</a> from the cover of last summer's Everyday Food Summer issue and we finally got around to making them. Since his sister was in school that day we had some time to do these together and it was a perfect afternoon shopping trip and home project. These could not be easier and I don't know why I didn't do them sooner - it's just white grape juice and sliced fruit, after all. My son took great pleasure in using a knife on his own to cut up the fruit and these were all consumed in one day.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9jLviJ-Yxow/T_sihq5_jFI/AAAAAAAAAfI/VLjeVxKKFs0/s1600/DSC02432.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9jLviJ-Yxow/T_sihq5_jFI/AAAAAAAAAfI/VLjeVxKKFs0/s320/DSC02432.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Studying the picture so he could cut the strawberries the same way</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EuD_3qXbUKU/T_siq_oX-vI/AAAAAAAAAfU/qS5aX1Wfp08/s1600/DSC02435.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EuD_3qXbUKU/T_siq_oX-vI/AAAAAAAAAfU/qS5aX1Wfp08/s320/DSC02435.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ta Da!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10750639695206955639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-700581177658111193.post-8649456697898297492012-07-10T21:51:00.000-07:002012-07-11T06:32:33.091-07:00The Dude Abides<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mVJZxNzFKuw/T_smvXtOrMI/AAAAAAAAAgA/jLZHzDyhM-Y/s1600/DSC02498.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mVJZxNzFKuw/T_smvXtOrMI/AAAAAAAAAgA/jLZHzDyhM-Y/s320/DSC02498.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Point Break meets The Big Lebowski</td></tr>
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For the past few months my son was set on having a Mad Scientist birthday party. We had been watching fun science experiments on YouTube and researching ideas for transforming our garage into a labratory for his party. But then in the month leading up to his birthday he changed his mind and <strike>begged</strike> asked for a bowling birthday party at the local bowling alley. I was a little disappointed not to be able to execute the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjbJELjLgZg" target="_blank">Mentos and Diet Coke experiment</a> on our street, spraying cars and houses with soda. But then the idea of keeping my house clean and not turning it into a science lab also sounded very appealing.<br />
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My son has had a love affair with bowling from a very early age as you can see below. At three years old he was bowling in our hallway and told me, "This crown makes me bowl better." What can I say? The dude abides.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-756a9PJfTSw/T_z2XM4i0MI/AAAAAAAAAh4/r_fPClBzM3M/s1600/PICT0017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-756a9PJfTSw/T_z2XM4i0MI/AAAAAAAAAh4/r_fPClBzM3M/s320/PICT0017.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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With the location and theme out of the way, we started to talk about his cake. At a restaurant later that night he pulled a notebook and pen out of my purse (any other neurotic list makers out there?) and drew a picture of the cake he had in mind, saying, "It's a surfer bowling cake where the surfer is actually bowling on the water and then a shark leaps out of the water at him!" Wow. I had no idea how that would even come together, but I brainstormed for a day or two and searched around for cake ideas on the web. I almost gave up and went to the dark side for help (the dark side being a bakery), but then I figured I could swing <i>something</i> along the lines of what he wanted.<br />
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I asked a few friends if they had a toy surfboard that I could use on the cake, but no one had anything like it. Then one friend suggested drawing a board, so I ran with that idea and made my own cake topper using old photos of my husband's long board and of my son surfing.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uae4ltBitWc/T_skkw2IqAI/AAAAAAAAAfc/RRPtgkZxPTY/s1600/DSC02492.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uae4ltBitWc/T_skkw2IqAI/AAAAAAAAAfc/RRPtgkZxPTY/s320/DSC02492.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I used Mod Podge to adhere a couple of photos to stiff cardboard (an old
Amazon.com box) and then I carefully cut out the figures with an X-Acto Knife.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QtKaH_KHVWY/T_skqH3yEsI/AAAAAAAAAfk/xMfeqzxqk44/s1600/DSC02495.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QtKaH_KHVWY/T_skqH3yEsI/AAAAAAAAAfk/xMfeqzxqk44/s320/DSC02495.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I wish I had thought to take photos of the cake as I made it, but I was having a slight panic attack as I assembled it, thinking it was going to look like a <a href="http://www.cakewrecks.com/" target="_blank">Cake Wreck</a>. I just focused on getting it done by that point.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2-xe-LgEsUg/T_smB3UXUBI/AAAAAAAAAf4/Yl_uQSVOVX0/s1600/DSC02500.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2-xe-LgEsUg/T_smB3UXUBI/AAAAAAAAAf4/Yl_uQSVOVX0/s320/DSC02500.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I used two boxes of Trader Joe's devil's food cake mix and baked them in two jelly roll pans so I would have plenty of space to work with. Then I baked another box cake mix in a 8x8 pan to use for the wave, cutting it to size. To make the wave, I placed a few blocks of cake on top of the sheet cake and frosted it, then I stuck a small sheet of foil into the wedge of the cake so that it would look like a wave, and I bent the foil to form the curl of the wave and covered the whole thing with frosting. I found the little bowling pins and bowling ball at a cake decoration store and used a rubber shark from our bath toys (Yes, I cleaned it thoroughly). The look on his face was priceless when he saw himself surfing on his own cake.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aRrjSdbrwcY/T_sqfyw_ieI/AAAAAAAAAgM/IR31bsfGWww/s1600/big-lebowski.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aRrjSdbrwcY/T_sqfyw_ieI/AAAAAAAAAgM/IR31bsfGWww/s320/big-lebowski.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
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<br />Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10750639695206955639noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-700581177658111193.post-45310430750513663312012-07-09T19:21:00.004-07:002012-07-09T19:21:58.517-07:00Dinners for July 8 - 14, 2012Our kids are with their grandparents for the week so my menu is all over the place this week. We want to enjoy our nights and leave the dinners flexible for this week. I saw a great slow cooker Chicken Tikka Masala on Pinterest that I am dying to make so that is going to happen for sure. For some reason that I cannot explain, but Indian food in San Francisco is so expensive. Yet over in the East Bay it's affordable. Maybe it's the rent? In any case, maybe this crock pot version will take care of my craving.<br />
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I have chosen to make BBQ Ribs on page 239 for this week's Cook-A-Long recipe and will also be making the Barbecue Sauce from page 238 to go along with it. Looking forward to hearing what you make and how it's received by you and your families.<br />
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<u><b>Sunday:</b></u> Dinner out<br />
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<u><b>Monday:</b></u> TBD <br />
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<u><b>Tuesday:</b></u> <a href="http://www.mealplanning101.com/2009/07/slow-cooker-chicken-tikka-masala.html" target="_blank">Crock Pot Chicken Tikka Masala with yellow rice</a><br />
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<u><b>Wednesday:</b></u> Dinner out with friends<br />
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<u><b>Thursday:</b></u> TBD<br />
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<u><b>Friday:</b></u> Reunion with the kids - not sure where we'll be, so I am leaving this TBD<br />
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<u><b>Saturday:</b></u> Barbecue Ribs with <a href="http://smittenkitchen.com/2009/05/broccoli-slaw/" target="_blank">Broccoli Slaw</a> and corn on the cob <-- DALS Cook-A-Long meal!Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10750639695206955639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-700581177658111193.post-65862406510324385382012-07-09T09:29:00.002-07:002012-07-09T09:46:22.250-07:00DALS Cook-A-Long: Salmon SaladLast week was our inaugural leap into the very well-chartered waters of cooking from the new <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Dinner-Story-begins-family-table/dp/0062080903" target="_blank">Dinner A Love Story cookbook</a>. This diary/cookbook is such a joy to read and the bonus for me is that I have made enough of her recipes that I know that they will pretty much all work with my family.<br />
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I actually made two dishes last week, one planned and one on the fly. Below is my review of both and I'd love to hear your reviews as well if you want to leave them in the comments.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<u><b>Salmon Salad</b></u></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo credit: Dinner A Love Story</td></tr>
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I chose this as my first recipe because she demonstrated how to make the salad on the Today Show a few weeks ago. I also chose it for my menu for its deconstructive-ness, though I overestimated how much this would be true when applied to both of my kids.<br />
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You can watch the video <a href="http://www.dinneralovestory.com/dinner-a-morning-show-story/" target="_blank">here</a> for more information.<br />
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When I made it for my family, I carefully set aside the components for my nearly 3-year-old daughter. I knew she'd eat the salmon, the green beans and the corn without blinking, but it would have to be separated. I assumed (and wrongly so) that my 7 year old son wouldn't need this kind of deconstruction and served him the salad all mixed together. Wrong. He saw his sister's plate and looked at his plate and immediately pointed out how unfair it all was. I helped him separate the parts as best as we could, but this was a dinner fail for him and it was my fault. I should have known better!<br />
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I had also hoped that the purple potatoes would entice my kids a little, but they were not impressed. After my son took a tiny bite of potato, he said, "These don't taste any different than regular potatoes." And I took a bite and said, "Really? They taste totally purple to me, I always wondered what purple tasted like." He looked at me suspiciously and took another bite before putting it aside for good. Kid 1, Mom 0. <br />
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After I got the kids settled and we all were eating, my husband declared, "Wow, this is like Tuna Nicoise but far better. Why is that?"<br />
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Well, for one, it uses salmon rather than tuna. Second, it doesn't have olives. Third, it just tastes better with the vinaigrette recipe she uses. We cleaned our plates and so did my daughter. However, my son was the unhappy camper of the bunch, eating bread with butter and picking at the green beans. Normally he would eat green beans, salmon and corn with no problems, but mixed together was asking too much. Lesson learned.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<u><b>Playdate Cookies</b></u></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nary a peep during the M&M application process</td></tr>
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I was with both kids on a soggy, wet Friday and was looking for some fun things to do while the fog whipped around the street outside. Going to a park was not an option that day, but firing up the stove was definitely on my mind. I had a stash of M&Ms in the cupboard and I knew that these cookies would be a hit with the kids, if only for the M&Ms part of the recipe. The cookie recipe itself is good, I thought it was a littler oilier than I would have preferred. But don't think that stopped me and the kids from eating bites of dough as we made the cookies. Since we were going to add M&Ms to the cookie, I opted to keep the chocolate chips out of the recipe since I thought it was a little overkill. I think the genius part of this recipe is the suggestion to give the children their <u>own bowls of M&Ms to decorate with</u>, you could easily do the same with chocolate chips with the same effect. I don't know why I didn't think of this before, but it saved us arguing and tears. And the silence was deafening as they took this task very seriously. The cookies came out perfectly and my daughter is still talking about her M&M cookies.<br />
<br />Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10750639695206955639noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-700581177658111193.post-12467925622465949362012-07-02T21:23:00.001-07:002012-07-02T21:29:18.346-07:00Dinner A Love Story: The Cook-A-Long!<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6QhQVMb4EYk/T_JzKLKJPKI/AAAAAAAAAeU/WI-g9KpMOu8/s1600/DinnerLoveStory_finalfinal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6QhQVMb4EYk/T_JzKLKJPKI/AAAAAAAAAeU/WI-g9KpMOu8/s320/DinnerLoveStory_finalfinal.jpg" width="256" /></a></div>
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After the exciting launch of <a href="http://www.dinneralovestory.com/" target="_blank">Dinner: A Love Story's</a> new <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Dinner-Story-begins-family-table/dp/0062080903" target="_blank">book</a>, I thought it would be fun to host a Cook-A-Long on this blog, merely because I know the recipes are going to be winners and because I am eager to hear how they work with you and your families (or spouses, partners, cats). I would really like to hear from others on how they are using the recipes with their families and thought this might be a fun thing to do together.<br />
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Each week I'll choose one recipe from the book and will announce it here by Sunday evening. During that week we all cook the recipe (or another one that you wanted to try) and post your results on your blog by the following Sunday evening or report back in the comments on how it went. <br />
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If you want me to link to your blog post about your DALS recipe from the book, then send me an email at dinnersinthe415 at gmail dot com by Sunday evening (11 PM EST / 8 PM PST) and I'll link back to your Cook-A-Long post along with my own recipe review by Monday morning. If you don't have a blog, then worry not, just wait till I post my review and chime in with your own review in the comments.<br />
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This is just a fun way to work our way through the book and share our thoughts on the recipes as we go through them. No obligations, no chain mail, no expectations. Just good old fashioned book club fun with a dinner twist. <br />
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<u><b>This week's selection is on Page 62 of the book: Salmon Salad</b></u><br />
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Happy Cooking!<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mFfZKkp5jcQ/T_JzmSaQeVI/AAAAAAAAAec/5_7YQFGyYyg/s1600/jacques-pepin-lg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mFfZKkp5jcQ/T_JzmSaQeVI/AAAAAAAAAec/5_7YQFGyYyg/s1600/jacques-pepin-lg.jpg" /></a></div>Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10750639695206955639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-700581177658111193.post-58216375381646478072012-07-01T21:12:00.000-07:002012-07-02T21:18:47.640-07:00Dinners for July 1 -7, 2012<u><b>Sunday</b></u>: Frozen pizza - I went to the Castro Theater's '<i>Grease</i>' Sing-A-Long with friends. So.Much.Fun!<br />
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<u><b>Monday</b></u>: <a href="http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/47790122/ns/today-food/#.T9n7vu21kYM" target="_blank">Salmon veggie salad</a> <--- My first meal in the DALS Cook A Long (Page 62) <br />
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<u><b>Tuesday</b></u>: Quesadillas with <a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/852297/corn-and-black-bean-salad" target="_blank">black bean and corn salad</a><br />
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<u><b>Wednesday</b></u>: 4th of July!<br />
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<u><b>Thursday</b></u>: <a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/312770/gemelli-yellow-squash-peas-and-basil" target="_blank">Pasta with zucchini, basil and peas</a><br />
<br /><u><b>Friday</b></u>: Homemade pizza<br />
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<u><b>Saturday</b></u>: TBDAmandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10750639695206955639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-700581177658111193.post-67694784832401032902012-06-26T09:30:00.006-07:002012-06-26T09:30:52.326-07:00Loving: Justin's Nut Butter packets<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ignore those languishing projects at work when nut butter is near</td></tr>
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<a href="http://dinnersinthefouronefive.blogspot.com/2012/04/loving-new-clients-office-location.html" target="_blank">I love a visit to Whole Foods</a> as much as the next girl, but now I have another love to add to my growing list of "must haves" when I shop there. I picked up <a href="http://www.justinsnutbutter.com/" target="_blank">Justin's Nut Butters</a> that came in these little " to go" packets because they were on sale, thinking I'd stash them in the car for a quick snack for the kids. But then I thought about it a little while longer and decided that giving a 2 year old a packet of squirt-able peanut butter would be like giving her free range with a Sharpie marker. I opted to keep them in my desk drawer at work and immediately fell in love. I can smear them on an apple or just eat it straight from the packet if I feel like it.<br />
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I realize that I am rather late in the game to rave about this product as well as my new found love of Almond Butter, which, according to one annoyed friend, has been around for years. Sadly, I am the same way about music. I tend to stick to the '90s era of music and when I do discover a new song, I am always late to the game. Remember the <a href="http://www.theonion.com/articles/im-getting-bitten-by-the-oscar-bugagain,27437/" target="_blank">Onion columnist, Jackie Harvey,</a> who reported on celebrity news and gossip about six months after the fact? That is me with music, "I just heard this new song by Adele, have you heard of her before?" Jackie Harvey and I are tight when it comes to matters concerning music and almond butter.Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10750639695206955639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-700581177658111193.post-1844782909988522702012-06-24T17:06:00.002-07:002012-06-24T17:06:10.619-07:00Dinners for June 24 - 30, 2012Boy does it feel good to be posting my menus again. I missed this kind of blogging because I often forget what I had planned for dinner and have to check my retro datebook to see what is on the menu. I much prefer keeping this here where I can check it on my phone.<br />
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I have a backlog of posts as well to get to and I also want to start the Cook-A-Long to the new book, Dinner: A Love Story. More on that later this week.<br />
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<u><b>Sunday</b></u>: Barbecue Pork Ribs with tomato bread salad<br />
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<u><b>Monday</b></u>: Spinach Feta Quiche<br />
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<u><b>Tuesday</b></u>: I am out for the night, so the family will have some turkey bolognese from my stash in the freezer with pasta.<br />
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<u><b>Wednesday</b></u>: Fish tacos<br />
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<u><b>Thursday</b></u>: Pesto yogurt marinated chicken with tomato cucumber salad. No link for the chicken - I just combine about 1/3 cup pesto with a 6 oz cup of greek yogurt, add chicken to the bowl and let it marinate while I am at work.<br />
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<u><b>Friday</b></u>: Camping - more on how scared I am of camping later this month. All I have to bring are S'Mores thank god.<br />
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<u><b>Saturday</b></u>: TBDAmandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10750639695206955639noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-700581177658111193.post-81752303905402763172012-06-07T08:45:00.004-07:002012-06-07T08:48:41.738-07:00Why So Quiet?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We're in the midst of switching Internet providers so we have a week off with no Internet at home. I almost feel like Laura Ingalls Wilder without access to the world wide web, next thing you know I'll be boiling water in the backyard for our morning breakfast and asking my children to help me gather food for supper. So till late next week I'll be offline reading my new copy of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Dinner-Story-begins-family-table/dp/0062080903" target="_blank">Dinner: A Love Story.</a><br />
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I can't wait to post a picture of the books next to my bed at the moment. I have an interesting mix that cracked me up last night as I crawled into bed. The subjects range from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Pride-Prejudice-Zombies-Classic-Ultraviolent/dp/1594743347" target="_blank">Jane Austen and zombies</a> to almost-smut (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Fifty-Shades-Grey-Book-Trilogy/dp/0345803485" target="_blank">50 Shades of Gray</a>, anyone?).<br />
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Happy Trails till next week!Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10750639695206955639noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-700581177658111193.post-21120612136152815562012-06-04T16:17:00.004-07:002012-06-05T08:40:43.677-07:00Dinners for June 3-9, 2012Judging by the links in this post, you'd think this menu was sponsored by <a href="http://www.dinneralovestory.com/" target="_blank">Dinner: A Love Story</a>. Speaking of which, anyone interested in joining an online "Cook A-Long" with me when her book comes out on June 5, 2012?<br />
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I can create a web ring and we can all cook maybe one dish a week and move along through the book, discussing how our families like the recipes... kind of like a book club with a blog twist. Any interest?<br />
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<u><b>Sunday</b></u>: Defrosted soup from the freezer after a weekend out of town<br />
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<u><b>Monday</b></u>: <a href="http://www.dinneralovestory.com/quick-and-easy-pork-fried-rice/" target="_blank">Pork Fried Rice</a><br />
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<u><b>Tuesday</b></u>: <a href="http://www.dinneralovestory.com/wax-on-wax-off-the-kitchen-edition/" target="_blank">Chicken with Brussel Sprouts</a> and bacon (see my comment in the post on how I prepared this dish. It's super simple!)<br />
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<u><b>Wednesday</b></u>: <a href="http://everydayfoodblog.marthastewart.com/2011/08/todays-recipe-spaghetti-with-shrimp-and-bacon.html" target="_blank">Spaghetti with shrimp and bacon</a><br />
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<u><b>Thursday</b></u>: Bean and veggie tacos<br />
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<u><b>Friday</b></u>: Dinner and a movie date with my soon-to-be 7 year old. If I know my kid he'll request <a href="http://www.theboulevardcafe.com/" target="_blank">Boulevard Cafe</a> and Madagascar 3 (I'm just going for the popcorn, let's be honest).<br />
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<u><b>Saturday</b></u>: TBDAmandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10750639695206955639noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-700581177658111193.post-20326774149123183322012-05-29T09:01:00.001-07:002012-05-29T09:01:13.475-07:00What is Your Get out of Jail Free Card?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I realize it can be defeating to refer to dinner as 'jail', but there are some nights where the 'D' word can feel a little like it. You know those nights where maybe your train was delayed due to Occupy Oakland protestors raiding a BART station, or you realize that you left the chicken for that night's dinner in the fridge at work, or you look at your weekly menu and say to yourself, "Not gonna happen. No way. Do not pass go, do not collect $200."<br />
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In our house, my husband and I refer to the items we keep stashed in the freezer on nights like these as our "Get Out of Jail Free" cards. While these delights are great to lean on in a pinch, we do try to serve them with some kind of vegetable, which we jokingly refer to as "<a href="http://blog.sfgate.com/parenting/2012/02/16/trying-harder-with-school-lunches/" target="_blank">The Obligatory C.P.S. Vegetable</a>."<br />
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Below is a list of our favorite Get Out of Jail Free dinners that we keep in the Community Chest... or what most would call the freezer.<br />
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I realize our freezer dinners aren't that healthy, so no need to get all <i>organi-sanctimonious</i> on me. <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/18/organic-eaters-mean_n_1528529.html" target="_blank">Let's leave that for the unhappy, judgmental people</a>. <br />
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<u><b>Cheese Tortellini: </b></u>I buy these in bulk from Costco and keep them in the freezer for nights described above. Tossed with butter and parmesan (maybe some CPS-worthy frozen peas thrown in) and dinner is served.<br />
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<u><b>Aidell's Chicken Apple Sausages (with Andouille for me):</b></u> While *I* am not a fan of fruit mixed with meat, my whole family loves those sausages. So I always keep a package of chicken apple and andouille sausages in the freezer. Defrosted and grilled, maybe served alongside some good bread and whatever vegetable is in the fridge makes all four of us happy. <br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yN8uvU3yjO4/T78NiYVSK5I/AAAAAAAAAcg/s_0XJ5_Mh30/s1600/pizza.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yN8uvU3yjO4/T78NiYVSK5I/AAAAAAAAAcg/s_0XJ5_Mh30/s200/pizza.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
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<u><b>Frozen Pizza: </b></u>My kids know they hit the lottery when I am out for the night and my husband pulls out a Trader Joe's frozen pizza. I secretly love the squishy texture. However, I don't want to know <i>why </i>it's squishy.<br />
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<u><b>Trader Joe's Mandarin Orange Chicken</b></u>: I am not even sure this is really chicken, so we reserve these for special use and it violates my "No sweet meat" rule, so I eat a few pieces without much sauce. Serve this with frozen brown rice (again Trader Joe's) and you are golden.<br />
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<u><b>Trader Joe's Fish Sticks:</b></u> I am not going to lie, I kind of like these. What can I say? I am both ashamed and oddly thrilled to be showing you this. My husband was particularly proud one night when he served these with a side baby carrots. <br />
<br />Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10750639695206955639noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-700581177658111193.post-7325402111891801762012-05-28T07:37:00.003-07:002012-05-28T07:37:58.293-07:00Dinners for May 27 - June 2, 2012For the rest of the United States it is warm and sunny, which makes for perfect grilling weather. But in San Francisco it is cool and foggy (and I wouldn't have it any other way) so it is Beef Stew weather for us. I am a sucker for <a href="http://dinnersinthefouronefive.blogspot.com/2011/11/traditions.html" target="_blank">traditions </a>so we are grilling regardless of the whipping winds and wet fog for this Memorial Day. How about you?<br />
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<u><b>Sunday</b></u>: <a href="http://dinnersinthefouronefive.blogspot.com/2011/11/beef-stew-for-beginners.html" target="_blank">Crock Pot Beef Stew</a> <br />
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<u><b>Monday</b></u>: <a href="http://www.dinneralovestory.com/lemon-pepper-chicken/" target="_blank">Yogurt-marinated chicken</a> on the grill with vegetables and <a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Black-Bean-and-Rice-Salad-243130" target="_blank">Rice and black bean salad</a> <br />
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<u><b>Tuesday</b></u>: <a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/316932/chicken-spinach-and-potato-hash" target="_blank">Chicken, Kale and Sweet Potato Hash </a>(adapted from this Everyday Food recipe)<br />
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<u><b>Wednesday</b></u>: Leftovers<br />
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<u><b>Thursday</b></u>: Roasted salmon with green beans<br />
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<u><b>Friday</b></u>: Dinner out<br />
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<u><b>Saturday</b></u>: TBDAmandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10750639695206955639noreply@blogger.com0