My mother-in-law and I grabbed lunch at Cafe Borrone today. It was guuh-uuhd. We also got $25, 1-hour massages at Happy Feet foot spa in Palo Alto.  That was also guuh-uuuhd.  We ladies are livin’ the life today.  Not looking forward to Pat’s departure on Saturday!

If you live in the Bay Area…I highly recommend you re-create my day.  Cafe Borrone is always delish.  And Happy Feet is my new fave!!!

I am happy to introduce Marie from Make and Takes as today’s guest blogger!  Marie is one of the bloggers I had the pleasure of meeting in person recently and she is as sweet as she is impressive.  I love having her for a guest post since she is so talented at creating kid-friendly activities and snacks…which brings us to her post.  Thanks, for visiting, Marie!

I’m happy to be a guest today as This Week For Dinner is one of my favorite food blogs! I love Jane’s Weekly Menu, it’s always giving me good ideas for what to eat.

Today I’m sharing one of my family’s favorite healthy snacks, Edamame! Have you tried it before? Edamame are soybeans in pods. You don’t eat the pod, just the yummy soybeans inside. My kids and I can gobble a whole bag of Edamame in minutes. They’re a simple snack, fun to eat, and good for you too.

You can buy Edamame all ready to go in the freezer section of your grocery store, they even sell big bags of them at Costco.

Place some in a bowl and follow the directions for cooking/steaming on the bag. I also like to add salt to mine, making for an even tastier treat.

Now pop the pod in your mouth and squeeze out the soybean. The salt on top of the pod will give your soybean more flavor. Then discard the pod into a bowl. I dare you to eat just one of these, I promise you won’t be able to stop!

As I’ve mentioned, my in-laws are in town. We were exploring yesterday and drove by the Allied Arts Guild down the street from where we live.  We always figured it was some sort of artists’ colony and never took the time to really check it out.  Yesterday, as we drove by, we noticed a “Public Welcome” sign.  We finally stopped to explore.

It was so cool. Boutiques, working areas for artists, a restaurant and BEAUTIFUL grounds.  I can’t believe I’ve been living literally steps away from such a lovely spot for nearly a year.

So…my challenge to you this week…discover a hidden, beautiful place where you live.  I promise it’s there.  Maybe hiding behind a stone wall as mine was. Or perhaps a little art gallery down the street. Whatever it is, it’s there.  Take a minute to notice, really look closely.  You’ll be happy you did.

It’s turned into a stormy weekend.  I think some hot chocolate is in order.

This coming week is going to be FUN.  My in-laws are coming to town…and, lucky for me, that is a great thing!  I’m planning a menu, but I doubt will be sticking to it.

MONDAY:
- Lentil Soup
– Delicious bread of some sort

TUESDAY:
- Spinach & Prosciutto Lasagna
- Salad

WEDNESDAY:
- Kitchen Sink Quesadillas
- Guacamole & Chips

THURSDAY:
- Leftovers

FRIDAY:
- Eat out

SATURDAY:
- Eat out

SUNDAY:
- Breakfast for dinner…probably waffles

It’s your turn!  Please share your menu for the week!

I HATE DOING THE DISHES.  This card sent to me by my mother-in-law hangs on my fridge to reinforce that fact every day.  I think the greeting card writer must have overheard me muttering these words one day and thought, “Hey! That would make a funny mother’s day card!”  I’m expecting royalties.

Anyway, yesterday I walked into the kitchen to yet another sink full of dishes…

Wanna know the weird part?  They’re clean.  Yes, I almost always have a sink full of CLEAN dishes. While I hate doing dishes SO much, I usually manage to get them washed.  But for some reason I have a mental block when they reach this state.  I just can’t bring myself to grab a dish towel, dry them off, and put them away.  It’s weird. I know.

Whenever we have guests, they’re just confused.  I invariably find dirty dishes stacked on top of the clean ones.  Because, honestly, have you ever seen a sink full of clean dishes?  Am I the only one?  Nate hates it.  But after nearly 10 years of marriage, this is one battle he’s given up on. Smart man.

And if a sink full of clean dishes is NOT the bane of your kitchen existence…I’m dying to know what is. Fess up!

We’re having tacos tonight, complete with delicious guacamole.  But my avocados aren’t quite ready.  Close, but not quite.  Which brings us to today’s Kitchen Tip! How to speed up (and stop) the avocado ripening process!

First, tips for SPEEDING UP ripening:

• Put your avocados in a brown paper bag.  The gases that ripen the avocado get stuck in the bag and help speed things up.  I clip the bag closed with a Chip Clip to “seal” it.
• Store your avocados near bananas.  Bananas also let off those same gases that ripen the avocado, so they can help things along.
• Today’s technique? Put the avocados in a brown paper bag WITH bananas.  I’m getting desperate.  I sure hope it works!  I’ll let you know tonight…

What if your avocados are perfectly ripe but you don’t need them for a few more days? Here’s how to STOP ripening.

• Place avocados in the fridge.  That’s it.  Easy Peasy.
• In case you are wondering, putting avocados in the fridge does not hurt or change them (unlike tomatoes, which should NEVER go in the fridge).

One thing that has been so fabulous about having this blog is “meeting” all of YOU! I love the sense of community and the many friends that I’ve picked up along the way, friends I’ve never actually met in person.

Lucky for me I had the chance to meet three of my dear blogging friends last week!  Marie from Make and Takes, Allison from Petit Elefant and Lindsey from Cafe Johnsonia. I knew they’d be amazing women, but they exceeded my expectations. If you haven’t been to these ladies’ blogs, go check them out here and here and here. You’ll love them.

Lindsey was gracious enough to host our get-together at her home, complete with all of our kids in tow.  Which was a lot of kids, by the way.  Lindsey is a fantastic cook (hence her food blog) and made some delicious Sausage Potato Soup (with secret ingredients!!) and homemade Wheat Bread.  It was HEAVEN.

Thank you Lindsey, Marie and Allison for a perfectly lovely afternoon!

Sausage Potato Soup (with secret ingredients)
From Lindsey Johnson
- 5-6 medium sized potatoes, cut into 1″ cubes
- 1 lb. bulk pork sausage
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 cup light cream
- 1/4 cup butter
- 6 cups chicken stock
- 1 1/2 Tbsp. vanilla extract
- 2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
- freshly ground black pepper

Bring chicken stock to a boil in a large pan. Add potatoes and onions. Cook until potatoes are tender. Meanwhile, brown sausage in a separate pan. Add the cooked sausage to the potatoes and stock. Add the cream and butter. Stir until butter is melted. Add the vanilla and balsamic vinegar right before serving.

Time to announce the two random, lucky ProFlowers giveaway winners…drumroll please…

Jessica, who said: “I’d love it. Thanks!”

and

Gina von, who said: “Gosh- flowers just make you happy and even more fun if you can give yourself a Valentine’s gift. Great give away Jane!”

Congratulations, ladies!  Have fun spending your $100 ProFlowers giftcards!  Big thanks to ProFlowers, once again!

I went to Utah last week for a QUICK trip. The brevity of the trip didn’t stop me from eating more Provo Bakery donuts than any person should eat in a year. Or ever. Come to think of it, my trips to Utah always involve me eating oodles of delicious (and usually not so nutritious) food. I love it!

MONDAY:
- Orange Chicken
- Rice
- Veggie

TUESDAY:
- Margherita Pizza

WEDNESDAY:
- Chili

THURSDAY:
- Leftovers

FRIDAY:
- Tacos

SATURDAY:
- Eat out

SUNDAY:
- In-laws in town!
- Green Noodles
- Salad

The last few weeks have been GREAT in the way of menus…I love how many people are planning and posting!  Keep it coming…please share your menu for the week!

Valetine’s Day = CHOCOLATE! Which is why I must draw your attention to this amazing dessert. Mini Molten Chocolate Cakes. If you’re looking for the perfect dessert for Valentine’s Day, look no further. You’ve found it.

I wrote a post on this dessert last year, so click on over for tips and explanations. And if you’re looking for even more chocolaty inspiration, check out the 14 Days of Chocolate over at Everyday Food. Yum.

It is about time for a Costco post!  I know there are those of you out there about as obsessed with Costco as I am Trader Joe’s.  Take my aunt, for instance.  She and her husband go to Costco whenever and wherever they can, even on vacation.  They wish Costco sold t-shirts to commemorate their vists.  “Aloha from Costco Oahu!”…or how about…”I’ve been to the First Costco…San Diego, CA”  You get the idea.  She loves Costco.  And I know she’s not the only one!

What do you always buy at Costco?  What are your favorite items, food or otherwise?  What are the best values?  Any insider tips?  Bring it on!

My one and only tip…buy your electronics at Costco.  Good prices, good return policy.

I have a Costco membership and I’m ready to make better use of it.  Can’t wait to get your suggestions!

This giveaway is now closed.  Thank you!

Valentine’s Day is right around the corner…which means ProFlowers is ready to offer a giveaway!  Two lucky winners will each win a $100 ProFlowers gift card to use as they wish on the ProFlowers website…yummy treats, beautiful flowers, cool RedEnvelope gifts…I just wish I could win the giveaway myself!

To enter, simply add a comment to this post by Midnight PT on Sunday, February 15. The winners will be announced next Monday, February 16.

And if you’re looking for the perfect Valentine’s Day gift, click on any of the ProFlowers links in this post to receive 15% off your purchase! The Candy Heart Tulips are pictured above…they are BEAUTIFUL in person.

Good luck!

Time to announce the winner of the Taste This! and Oilcloth Alley apron giveaway!  And the winner is…

Allison, who said, “ooh, the adorableness! love love love.”

Congratulations, Allison!  And thank you to Gina von Esmarch for such a fantastic giveaway!

What a great weekend it has been…I hopped on a plane with my girls to surprise my grandmother for her 80th birthday.  It has been a very touching couple of days.  

I really need your menus this week!  I’m only cooking for half of the week…yea for me!

MONDAY:
- Traveling!

TUESDAY:
- Traveling!

WEDNESDAY:
- Bistro Chicken (this is EASY and YUMMY)
- Mashed Potatoes
- Veggie or Salad

THURSDAY:
- Paninis

FRIDAY:
- Corn Chowder

SATURDAY:
- Leftovers or eat out

SUNDAY:
- Orange Chicken
- Rice
- Veggie

What are you eating this week?  By the way, I LOVED all the first-time (and long-time) menus last week! Keep it coming!

My friend Natalee brought over this Southwestern Layered Bean Dip for our Super Bowl party last week and it was scrumptious. (How’s that for a new descriptive food word? ‘Yum’ and ‘delish’ are used far too often on this here food blog.)

It’s similar to the classic 7-layer Mexican dip, but a bit different, a bit healthier…and it’s always nice to mix it up!  Click here for the recipe.

I saw this delicious Hershey’s Cookies ‘n’ Cream bar at Target the other day.

It was calling out my name.  I couldn’t turn it down.  I have had it for well over a week now, which I thought exhibited some pretty decent self-control on my part. Until this afternoon, when I opened the wrapper.  And the candy bar was gone in a matter of minutes.  So much for self-control.

A few disclaimers about today’s post:

1) I don’t really like candy bars all that much.  Don’t want you all getting the impression I just sit around stuffing my face with candy bars all day.  Not that I’m not stuffing my face with other things…

2) Since my mom works for M&M/Mars, and she will just LOVE seeing ‘Hershey’s’ plastered across my blog…I must say the following, in order to maintain mother/daughter harmony: I never buy Hershey’s products. This was the first time ever.  It must have been a moment of temporary insanity. I will never buy Hershey’s items again {wink, wink}.  Now, everyone go buy a bag of M&Ms so I can feel better about myself.

Happy news! Remember last Friday when I was all fired up? Quick follow-up…the Consumer Products Safety Commission has granted a one year stay of testing and certification requirements until February 10, 2010. This pretty much saves the necks of many small businesses. Good work to everyone who spoke up!

The fact that this stay was granted means the lawmakers understand that the law as it is written is problematic.  What a relief.  Here’s hoping this well-intentioned law will be re-written in a beneficial way for all.

Click here to read more!

If you failed the last Cookie Dough 101 Pop Quiz, now’s your chance to redeem yourself.

What is the very best thing to do with leftover cookie dough?
A. Bake it all at once.
B. Eat it all
B. Put in the fridge for future bakinig.
C. Make individual balls, freeze them on a baking sheet, then put in a ziploc freezer bag for future baking.

If you answered A…did you learn nothing from the last Pop Quiz?

If you answered B…I like how you think.

If you answered C…you learned from the last quiz.  Good job.  Half credit will be granted.

If you answered D…you are a cookie genius.

After the last quiz, many of you suggested D.  I kind of thought it seemed like a pain, but I’ve learned the error of my ways.  Seriously, making up the balls and freezing them RULES.  The dough lasts longer in the freezer and it is SO EASY just to through a few cookie dough balls on a sheet and pop them in the oven.  Actually, maybe too easy…let’s not think about how many cookies I bake how often.  Anyway…thank you all for the advice.

There IS one drawback to freezing the dough…you can’t sneak bites of dough out of the fridge throughout the day.  Okay, maybe that’s a benefit…

This giveaway is now closed.  Thank you for your interest!

Remember the Taste This cookbook signing I recently wrote about?  I am excited to announce that the author Gina Von Esmarch is offering a special giveaway to TWFD readers!

One lucky, random winner will receive a copy of Taste This, signed by Gina and photographer Tom Vano.  The winner will also receive TWO Oilcloth Alley aprons – one Mom-sized and one kid-sized!  Practical AND adorable, you definitely want to get your hands on these great oilcloth aprons!

To enter the giveaway, please add a comment to this post by Midnight PT on Sunday, February 8.  The randomly-selected winner will be announced on Monday, February 9.

Big THANKS to Gina! And good luck, everyone!

Yesterday was This Week for Dinner’s 2nd Birthday! I hope my blog can forgive me for my belated birthday wishes. I can’t believe the blog has been around for two years already. Where does the time go?

MONDAY:
- Asian Spinach Salad

TUESDAY:
– Paninis
- Oven Fries (if I’m feeling adventurous) or chips

WEDNESDAY:
– Bistro Chicken (this is EASY and YUMMY)
- Mashed Potatoes
- Veggie or Salad

THURSDAY:
– Leftovers

FRIDAY:
– Traveling

SATURDAY:
– Eat out

SUNDAY:
– Traveling

In honor of TWFD’s birthday, let’s get as many menus up here as we can! If you haven’t posted a menu before…please do! And if you post every week, keep it coming! Remember, ANY kind of menu is welcome…fancy, not fancy, easy, hard.  Just share your ideas!  And Happy 2nd Birthday!