Food

The week in pictures

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 Aside from the general busy level and workalcoholism, I think this largely sums things up.

Test of new socks: AWESOME. I’ve put off buying new socks for so long that it feels like clouds instead of boots. Also willow doesn’t understand why she doesn’t get a post-walk treat before I take my boots off, and after.

Pretty sure she demands pretzel sticks.

Misty wanting attention.

Willow wondering why Misty gets the crane service and the chair.

Sometimes: I am a dog chair.

Willow reminding me that her pretzel stick bribes are required for midnight snackage.

The kind of looks I get when getting dressed for work.

It’s amazing Willow didn’t dive on the plate faster than I could take the picture, lol.

Wasn’t sure if leftover brussels sprouts and alfredo sauce was a great idea. Combined with meatballs, it certainly is!

Willow wishes a poor meatball would roll off the table, on the floor, or just straight into her mouth.

Yes, Willow, I know you wants treats.

Sometimes you’ve just gotta splurge šŸ™‚

Pretty sure the dogs are smarter than I am when it comes to how to spend an afternoon.

Best part of chili mac is definitely eating chili mac.

Comfort level: over 9000!

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My mother would sometimes make dishes similar to this, based on what she considered ā€œItalian peasant foodā€. As for me, I found most of them highly delicious. Often good ways to use up small bits of sauce or oil, and make something filling out of it.

Such meals also taught me good ways to combine inexpensive foods with leftovers, and how to turn it into a delivery vehicle for cheese. Hehe.

Willow of course wishes she could make off with a plateful, lol

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 On the way home I had a scathingly brilliant idea. Combine the leftover noodles from last nightā€™s garlic/olive oil/cheese plan with spinach and beans.

Willow and company were just sad that they didnā€™t get any of the chicken. Although they were happy for the beef / gravy chaser I set out for them, lol.

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 While Little Caesarā€™s might not be great pizza: itā€™s cheap and efficient. Not to mention I question the ability to make much better for $5, lol.

So….full

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Probably the third dinner Iā€™ve made out of the batch of meatloaf. Not to mention, combined with the leftover potatoes and vegetables from tonight: I just packed three lunches with the remaining meatloaf, lol.

Misty and company of course just wonder why thereā€™s no doggy share.

Itā€™s probably a good thing that tonight is also meaty / gravy bits for the hungry doggos.

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Normally I donā€™t make meatloaf. But this time I decided to solve the main logistics problem: giving myself a good head start on cooking time. Plus two pounds makes a ton of meatloaf.

For reasons unknown to me: I seem incapable of remembering to warm up the meat in advance, so that I donā€™t end up with a frozen slab of meat for a mixing hand. But thatā€™s a chronic problem that remains heat after year, lol.

Willow was pretty convinced that this meal should be shared, but had to settle for her own meat and gravy bits after humanā€™s dinner.

And sheā€™s probably right about the sharing. I feel like I just ate enough for three or four people. Plus thereā€™s at least four times as much meatloaf in the refrigerator, a comparable glob if potatoes and the on seasoned portion of the vegetables.

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 One of the side effects of shopping hungry: I bought a steak for the first time in next to forever.

I also had the genius idea to put the broccoli and cauliflower and mushrooms in the cast iron skillet with the steak before finishing it in the oven. And thankfully didnā€™t ruin the steak. Since the veggies were already steamed yesterday: they were ready for a quick trip to the oven. Lacking potatoes, the udon stand in for filler.

Willow of course just wished she could have my food instead of waiting for her own food, lol

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Faced with the clock telling me that I should cook dinner, and a disposition that feels more like going Barny Gumble on an Espresso machine: I opted for a plot involving fried rice.

I diced and pressed some tofu, something Iā€™ve never worked with before. Interesting to me however the recommended way to prepare it for frying or baking is essentially the same way I was taught to prep eggplant for the same cooking methods.
But aside from that most of the ingredients were chosen based on leverage.
  • About 1/3 of the tofu block.
  • Half a can of peas and carrots, so that I can use the peas for flavoring something else.
  • A chunk of  steamed broccoli and cauliflower that leaves enough leftover for another meal or two.
  • About half a thing of mushrooms that were on sale when I did the shopping earlier this week.
  • Plenty of rice, and enough leftover for a meal or two.
Pretty much other than seasonings: everything was chosen because itā€™s something thatā€™ll save time on another meal.

The dogs of course are always interested in food: but they love their extra special treat even more.

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While the timing worked out well, I had to go pick up Mistyā€™s prescription: so may as well do the shopping. I do think that the photos show the dangers of being so hungry youā€™re ready to drop, and finding yourself in the grocery store. Something like that, yadda, yadda.

The salad kit was probably a mistake, but speed was essential. The fried chicken will also last three or four meals if I have filler. Not to mention itā€™s shareable with the dogs.

Typically Iā€™m too cheap to buy parfaits at the grocery store, and rarely have enough fresh fruit to make one. On sale for $2, I said screw it.

The cookies on the other hand were because I can only die once, probably, šŸ¤£.

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Canā€™t say that I have any recollection of eating tortellini before tonight.

But thereā€™s only two things that really need to be known. Firstly: unless itā€™s filled with rat poison: anything that looks lie a dumping is likely tasty; and seondly: I love pasta šŸ˜€.
Willow of course agrees with my method of covering them in cheese, applying suave and cheese, mixing them up, and then applying more cheese ^_^.