October 28, 2023 - My "Pretty, Please" photo of the week - A framed original watercolor that my mom gave me as a housewarming gift in 1989...after college when I first moved into an apartment without any roommates...an older one bedroom 2nd story apartment in Santa Barbara, with a beautiful ocean view. It took me 5mn to walk down to the beach, and the rent was only $1,200/month! Today, this watercolor hangs on a wall opposite my bed, next to a watercolor of my daughters with their feet in the sand, holding hands looking out at the ocean. In a 3rd frame is an ode to my love of dance...a small print of a ballerina in blues and golds. My pretty view before I start my day.
Menu: By planning ahead, I can always count on having delicious & nutritious "fuel" for the coming week, as well as some flexibility to switch things up. If text is red, that means it's planned but subject to change. (If I'm craving something from Tues. lunch, on Monday morning, I'll make a trade.) If you're viewing this on your phone, you will need to scroll to the right to see lunch & dinner. Links below will send you to my own recipe, a cookbook/borrowed recipe, or the restaurant I visited. If you'd like more info on anything without a link, then please Get in Touch .
Date | Day | Breakfast (generally 8am) | Lunch (generally noon) | Dinner (generally 5pm) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
23.11.04 | Saturday | Mini Mexican Egg casserole, using some leftover chicken enchilada | Leftover coleslaw with extra sugar snap peas, and some pulled brisket on top | Burgers! |
23.11.05 | Sunday | Smoothie– Cherry, apple, celery, a little kale, chia seeds, cashew milk, ice | Quinoa, baby kale and green pea salad. Grated hard boiled egg on top. | Mini BLTs on homemade sourdough. Creamed potato - cheddar soup, using raw cheese and roasted jalapeños. |
23.11.06 | Monday | Soft boiled eggs over shredded crispy zucchini patties | Leftover soup from last night and a piece of toasted sourdough. | Chicken Picatta with roasted chile-peanut broccoli |
23.11.07 | Tuesday | Smoothie - Almond butter and banana | Microgreens Salad with radish and shredded hard boiled egg. Miso dressing. | Sashimi (from AJ's grocery store) on way to cooking class |
23.11.08 | Wednesday | Microgreen omelet | leftover Minestrone from cooking class last night | Beef stew, homemade sourdough, and Caesar Salad. |
23.11.09 | Thursday | Hard boiled egg and fresh berries | At a work event - steak tacos | Mussels & clams in tomato broth. Simple green salad, with leftover dressing from last night. |
23.11.10 | Friday | Smoothie - Cucumber, spinach and pineapple | Leftover stew from Wed. night. | Out to Zingara - Grilled octopus. Simple green salad. |
Life is busy…for me, too! I plan my cooking time around a busy calendar. For instance, this week, besides typically working about 6:30 am - 4:30 pm each day (as a Kinder-9th grade school principal) I also plan my meals around some evening or weekend events :
Saturday - Went to Scottsdale’s Polo Party…a family member was modeling between the matches. Was a fun and beautiful day, but didn’t leave much time (or energy!) for cooking. My son-in-law and daughter were headed to In-n-Out in the evening and they picked up a burger for me. I did get started on various sourdough breads that I’ll be baking tomorrow. I made the leven in the morning and left it while at the Polo Party. I took care of the bulk rise and folding in the afternoon/evening. Then in fridge for the night.
Sunday - Sourdough baking day. First shaping in the morning, then final shaping 30mn later. Let rest/rise for 4 hours, then into the oven at noon. Made 2 country-wheat loaves, 4 baguettes, and 4 pizza rounds (froze the dough for pizza, but it’s ready to go in the oven once thawed.)
Tuesday - Week 4 of 24 for my Cooking Class. Made fish chowder, minestrone and french onion soup!
Wednesday - An extended family dinner, including my mom.She brought me an armful of yummy veggies from her garden.Yay!
Thursday - My daughter, Juliana, along with her husband and baby son...are currently visiting friends and family here in AZ, and stayng with me. But today they left for a "side" trip to Santa Barbara, CA. They met in Santa Barbara (Montecito) at Westmont College, and he'll be playing in the Alumni Baseball game...past team members against the current team. I’ll miss cooking for them and holding baby Carter!
Also Thursday - From 4:30-6:30 Wine group - a local group of folks who enjoy meeting weekly and tasting wine. :-) Fun!
Friday - A bite out at Zingara, just down the road from me...actually within walking distance! Octopus on hte "Small Plates" menu is delicious!
Pictures from this week are displayed below, in order...left to right and top to bottom...as you would read a book.
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