Keeping track of what’s coming in!
I had to go to our soon-to-be new office space today to review signage specifications. Because the project manager was there, too, afterwards, I got the in-depth tour which included a rooftop stroll. This photo also shows how weird the weather has been. I think the forecaster said something like, “partly black cloudy with spots of bright clear blue skies and intermittent showers.” Below is the inside view of that sawtooth roof. (May 22, set here.)
The tempeh loaf I planned for and made for Tuesday’s dinner was incredibly simple to prepare and freaking rocked. The ingredients are common, the prep time minimal and the result delectable. When planning meals for the week, I knew that we’d all be eating together without a time constraint, like practice to get to. A rare occurrence of which I wanted to take full advantage.
The thought of a family sitting down to eat together led my mind to a 1950 image of mom in a dress, heels, apron and oven mits, serving a piping-hot dinner just as dad gets home and little Johnny comes in from playing. That image naturally led to my dinner selection of potatoes and greens aside meatloaf. (Huh. Not sure why I neglected the martini that surely would’ve been present at that table.)
The greens I had on hand were broccoli and asparagus, which I simply steamed. Since I already had the oven on to bake the loaf, I decided to cut up and the bake potatoes in a covered stoneware dish with a bit of olive oil and Earth Balance.
While everything was baking, I had plenty of time to set the scene. Place mats, forks, knives, napkins, serving dishes with spoons, water glasses and condiments were all set on the table before dinner. I even turned the radio on to a jazz station (no, not that ez listening crap) and pulled out a tray on which I could place the hot loaf pan and potato dish to bring to the table. Everything was finished cooking and I served dinner within ten minutes of Jason coming home and Avery’s friends leaving.
Feeling Fancy Tempeh Loaf
1 lb. tempeh
1 Tbl. olive oil
1/2 cup whole wheat bread crumbs
1/2 cup rolled oats (or 1/4 cup oats plus 1/4 cup wheat germ)
2 ribs celery, with leaves, finely chopped
2 carrots, grated
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup nutritional yeast flakes
1/3 cup tahini
1/4 cup tamari
1 tsp. each of dried basil, oregano, turmeric, and thyme, plus a dash of black pepper
1/4 cup good quality ketchup
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil a 9×5 loaf pan. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium flame. Add the celery, carrot, onion, and garlic and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat. Put the tempeh in a large bowl and mash well. Add the yeast, tahini, tamari, all of the dried herbs, and the ketchup. Stir until well mixed. Add the bread crumbs, oats and the cooked vegetables and mix well. Press the mixture firmly into the prepared loaf pan. Bake for 45-50 minutes. Let the loaf stand for 5 minutes, then invert onto a serving platter to unmold.RECIPE from Macrobiotic Foundation of Central Florida’s MacroNewsBite
I was actually out of tamari, so I substituted soy sauce; you could use Bragg’s, too. To make this easy recipe even easier, I added the grating plate to my food processor and grated the onion, carrot and celery into one bowl.
As we sat down and ate together, we couldn’t help but feel fancy — a stark contrast to another recent meal — and grateful for the simple pleasure of eating a no-deadline meal together. We’ll definitely be doing this more :)
Jase bought me these Gerbera daisies — the first plant purchase of the season. They’re in a silver pitcher-like container at the bottom of our front steps and are just fabulous to come home to. The color is especially interesting; sort of a deep pink, that tricks you into thinking it’s red. Also, it’s been raining. A lot. (May 21, here and here.)
While she’s been waiting very patiently over the past couple weeks to help us plant the vegetable garden in our backyard, she lost a tooth. (May 20, here.)
One of my 43Things is to do weekly meal planning. I’m starting out with weeknight dinners and using a couple forums at MotheringDotCommune and (duh) flick’r to help me out. There are several reasons why I want to do this, most revolving around being efficient with my resources (of time and money), simplifying and of course, my general love of being in the kitchen. But, the biggest reason why I’m doing this is simply because I can.
Planning and preparing dinners, along with taking a daily photo, were two items at the top of my “pro” column when discussions of homeshooling and telecommuting first started happening a couple months ago. It may seem silly, but these two very simple pleasures have really brought balance and focus to my days. They each offer a process of creativity, but a very short one that also has a clear beginning and end.
There’s also been a sense of control, and therefore calmness, in writing out the plan for the week. Just as I’m satisfied by getting into the kitchen and creating, the fact that I can make the dinners (and photographs, for that matter) super-complex or one-pot-meals, really makes my inner control freak Virgo smile.
I’m not sure how I’ll document each meal here on the blahg (maybe a once-a-week roundup? with photos of each meal? how copious are the notes?), but I will put the meal plan here, with at least a blurb, once a week. I’m aiming to get a photo of the dinners on flick’r daily.
Enough chit-chat, here’s what I got for week one:
Week One: May 19 through 23
Thoughts and notes: The mission this week it to buy as little as possible, using up leftover brunch supplies and some of the stockpiled amaranth and/or millet. I made a big batch of fajita guts, Mexican rice and refried (but not really) beans late last week in an effort to use some of the aforementioned brunch goods. Monday, AC and I have an hour to eat in between to activities and Jase won’t be home ’til late (and so, will fend for himself). I’d like to have dinner on the table so we can all eat together before AC’s lacrosse practices on Tuesday and Thursday. Thursday, Jase and/or his nephew may or may not be around for dinner. Wednesday is Jase and I only. Friday, Jase is home early and in charge of dinner.
Plan:
5/19 (Mon.) - fajitas and rice
5/20 (Tue.) - tempeh loaf (recipe here), potatoes and broccoli
5/21 (Wed.) - fajitas and rice
5/22 (Thu.) - amaranth and veggie stirfry (this recipe, modified)
5/23 (Fri.) - biscuits and gravy, spinach salad
Avery and I had our first meal tonight, which went seamlessly. I know it was leftovers and already prepared and therefore super-easy, but just knowing that I didn’t have to think about dinner while we were rushing around in the very small window we had to eat together was so nice. I’m excited to see how the rest of the week goes!
Apartment Therapy has this thing called PlantTherapy, which has this guy Matt, who does this specific thing Saturday morning flowers, which I just love. Although I don’t get flowers every Saturday, about once every week or two, I do wander around the neighborhood stealing flowers in bloom to set on my dining room table. (May 19, set here.)
The weather was really struggling with what it wanted to do yesterday. We went from sunny, clear skies and warm temperatures to pouring rain and freezing cold. And then back again a couple times. Late in the evening, as the sun was setting, the skies cleared up and the sun lit up little droplets of water on the honeysuckle in front of the house like lights. It was like a little rave in the garden. (May 18, set here.)
My neighbor gifted me with some rooted pussy willow branches, which… alright. I’ve been trying to play it cool all weekend, but every time I say “pussy willow” my mind suddenly becomes that of a sixth-grade boy, “Heh… she said pussy.” (May 17, set here)
I think the main reason why the universe gave me a family for which I am responsible, is so that I stay in line.
I have once again proven that, if left to my own devices, I surely would subsist strictly on a diet of red wine, peanut butter, salsa, crackers, refried beans and the internet. Behold, my dinner:
This is what happens when I eat alone. Having no responsibilities to feed my only son a nutritious dinner, nor to remind my boyfriend how lucky he is to have a partner who cooks fabulous meals, clearly means one thing to me: LAZINESS. I won’t let this deter me, however, for I have actually convinced myself that this meal was a good choice, not an irresponsible one. Readers of this site will be with me I know, once I point out that this meal is comprised almost completely of local ingredients.
Aw yeah, just what I need: reinforcement by way of rationalization to continue with this ridiculousness.
The wine is Chaddsford Winery’s 2006 Pinot Noir 25th Vintage. It’s said to be a “light, delicate red with a mouth-filling combination of fruit and earthiness,” and I must whole-heartedly agree. At about $15 a bottle, it’s my favorite, stand-by local red wine. And that adorable little jar is filled with a sweet and sassy Rosemary Rosé herb jelly from Little Isobel. The texture was a bit more watery than I’m used to, but the flavor was absolutely refreshing. The unique labels and little sprig of Overbook Farm-grown rosemary suspended in the jelly really makes this product a local gem. The crackers are not local and not remarkable. They simply served as a vehicle to get the jelly to my mouth, and to cleanse my delicate and sophisticated palate in between sips of wine. Ahem.
I’m thinking of using this dinner-for-one theme during One Local Summer. But first, I suppose I’ll have to get rid of that family.
> Cross-posted at www.farmtophilly.com.
PS: This is not my first “dinner for one” post. There’s one here and here. And I’m unashamed ;)
So. I’ve officially been telecommuting and homeschooling for two weeks. My mission has been to be prepared, not planned. It appears as though this simple approach was the best choice I could have made.
On the work front, I’m keeping track of all my projects diligently with a neat to-do list, arranging schedules so that I can get to meetings and communicating efficiently with all my awesome coworkers. On the homeschooling front, we’re enjoying a decompressing “de-schooling” period, stumbled onto a fun homeschoolers gym class at the Y and are realizing just how many in-real-life learning opportunities happen every single day.
We’re also still struggling a bit to find that work/school/home and family/alone time balance, we’ve gotten on each other’s nerves once or 30 times and we’re a little bit more disorganized that I’d like us to be.
But, overall, the good keeps getting gooder and the bad is so far straightening itself out. I feel incredibly blessed that I was able to do this for my family. Especially for Sir Azrielle McPurrsons, aka Tubby, Tub, Tubblies. How did he LIVE WITHOUT ME during the days?!
Bad Behavior has blocked 65 access attempts in the last 7 days.
comments
RSS