Sorry for the silly rhyme. Couldn’t resist. My mom and sis are here right now, which is great, and we had our St. Patrick’s dinner last night, which was also great. Think I can use the word great again? That would be great.

CALL FOR A RECIPE: I want to make Corn Chowder this week. Anyone have a recipe they love? Please post!

Song of the Week: “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right” by Susan Tedeschi. If you haven’t heard Susan, you need to ASAP. This song is a Bob Dylan cover that just plain rules. She is from the same part of Massachusetts as my in-laws, so we all love her. But it helps that she is a dang good musician. Her voice is amazing, and I love ALL of her albums. She is definitely one of my favorite artists (I’m still bitter over her loss to Christina Aguilera for the Best New Artist Grammy in 2000).

Thanks to everyone posting menus and ideas – this will sound cheesy, but it really does inspire me when I plan each week. So, thank you! Keep it coming!

Sorry for the silly rhyme. Couldn’t resist. My mom and sis are here right now, which is great, and we had our St. Patrick’s dinner last night, which was also great. Think I can use the word great again? That would be great.

CALL FOR A RECIPE: I want to make Corn Chowder this week. Anyone have a recipe they love? Please post!

Song of the Week: “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right” by Susan Tedeschi. If you haven’t heard Susan, you need to ASAP. This song is a Bob Dylan cover that just plain rules. She is from the same part of Massachusetts as my in-laws, so we all love her. But it helps that she is a dang good musician. Her voice is amazing, and I love ALL of her albums. She is definitely one of my favorite artists (I’m still bitter over her loss to Christina Aguilera for the Best New Artist Grammy in 2000).

Thanks to everyone posting menus and ideas – this will sound cheesy, but it really does inspire me when I plan each week. So, thank you! Keep it coming!

MONDAY:
– Beef Stew
– Rolls

TUESDAY:
– Baked French Toast
– Home Fries
– Fruit Salad

WEDNESDAY:
– Macaroni Grill’s Pasta Milano
– Salad
– Bread

THURSDAY:
– Leftover Night

FRIDAY:
– Corn Chowder
– Whole Wheat Bread

SATURDAY:
– Crepes (spinach, mushroom, chicken and swiss)
– Spinach salad
– Baguette

SUNDAY:
– Chili Chicken Skewers
– Rice with Cilantro Pesto
– Asparagus or Chunky Banana Sweet Potato Mash

Cadbury Mini Eggs and Daffodils are a sure sign that spring has sprung! (Although if you were hammered with snow yesterday out East you may be doubtful!) Few things cheer me more than that day in early spring when I find daffodils galore at Trader Joe’s. Oh happy day! I don’t know about TJ’s in other places, but right now in San Diego they are $1.19 for a 10-stem bunch… at that price you can fill the whole house with flowers and barely make a dent in the checking account.

Happy Spring!

I’m always torn about how much Trader Joe’s I should feature on the blog… first of all, they’re not paying me. 😉 Seriously, though… I love their stuff, but I know some of you out there don’t have access. So, if you don’t, just ignore my post today. 😉

I was going to feature Cuban Mojito Simmer Sauce next week, but Kelly made such a glowing review of it (and also reaffirmed I SHOULD tell you about TJ’s stuff), I figured I would go ahead and feature it now! This week I had Cuban Mojito Chicken on the menu. This sauce is a savory yet citrus-y (how’s that for grammar?) sauce that isn’t very thick. I usually cook a pound of chicken on the stove then simmer in the sauce, serve over rice w/a side of black beans and a veggie. It is scrumptious. I haven’t done this yet, but I think it would also make an awesome marinade. Anyway, when you get a chance, try it out!

YEARS ago my friend Jami had me over for lunch and threw together the most delicious sandwich… I don’t know if it’s a regular of hers, but I have made it ever since. It’s easy and delectable. You simply can’t go wrong when Boursin cheese is involved. Given my previous post, I guess I should be saying to use whole wheat baguettes… okay, yeah, sure. Seriously, a regular old white baguette tastes so good. Sorry, whole grains.

Boursin Turkey Baguette Sandwich
Toast a baguette. Spread Boursin cheese on both sides. Top with turkey and romaine lettuce. Sometimes I use spinach instead to make it “healthier,” but the romaine is nice for the texture – take your pick. Enjoy!

I recently bought a loaf of “wheat french bread”… well, when I got home and read the label, there was NO FIBER in the bread. What the?!?!? My two whole grain cents… if you care… make sure the bread you buy says WHOLE wheat bread or whole grains – and read the labels carefully! I basically bought white bread with brown flecks in it, flecks with absolutely NO fiber.

I’m going to venture into the world of wheat bread baking. I’m looking for a recipe that is like the wheat bread they give you at Cheesecake Factory (DARK, kind of sweet, not too dense, not pumpernickel). If you have one, please share!

Is there anything better in the world than Cadbury Mini Eggs? Easter just can’t come fast enough each year. I love having this bowl in the kitchen… maybe too much. 🙂

I LOVE homemade fries… when you cut ’em small and fry ’em up in oil…nothing better. HOWEVER, there are serious drawbacks to this method… smelly house, fatty food, cooking fries in small batches so they don’t stay hot, dangerous cooking conditions. For those reasons I rarely make the effort. Last week, however, I decided to do things a little differently. I baked AND grilled some fries to compare methods. They come out differently than regular frying, but just as good and a great way to go.

PREP: I sliced the potatoes thin and wide so they wouldn’t fall as easily in the grill. Coat in olive oil and season with a seasoned salt, pepper and paprika.

TO BAKE: Spread seasoned potatoes on a cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for ~30-40 mins. Flip halfway.

TO GRILL: Cook on medium indirect heat on the grill, 10-15 mins or until done. Flip halfway. Keep an eye on them throughout.

RESULTS: The grilled fries had a nice texture to them, were not as greasy and had a nice grill flavor. However, it is really easy to burn the outsides before they are cooked through, which does not taste so good. The baked fries were yummy yummy because none burned – more consistent. If you want that added grill flavor and texture, I would recommend baking them partially then finishing off on the grill. If you’re good at grilling, you probably don’t have to do this.

Bottom Line: A GREAT alternative to frying your french fries – tasty, healthier, easier, safer, less stinky.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!!! That means GREEN FOOD in the Maynard house, a tradition I’ve inherited from my mother-in-law, Pat. Of course, I can’t go all green or all Irish for that matter… corned beef sandwiches with swiss cheese comprise the main dish (instead of corned beef hash). All of the supporting characters will be tinted with the traditional Irish color… green mashed potatoes? green jello? The possibilities are endless. Here’s Cate 2 years ago… sorry it’s not a picture of green food, but this picture should brighten anyone’s St. Paddy’s Day!

Song of the Week: “Heal Over” by KT Tunstall. You may be sick of her two songs that you hear all the time… but I have to say I quite like her album. “Heal Over” is near the end and I think it may be my favorite song on there. Definitely check it out. Speaking of which, you should really be checking out ALL of the songs of the week… they are all DANG GOOD and you’re missing out if you aren’t 😉 plus you want to be as cool as me, right? Just kidding… but honestly, take a trip to iTunes or my store and check them out!

Keep a look out for more frequent posts! I’ll be doing regular features from now on. If you have ideas or contributions for the features, feel free to email weeklydinners@gmail.com!

Homework assignment #1: Please post your menus! If you already are, you rule! If you aren’t – share! Don’t worry if it isn’t fancy, either. It’s all about sharing and stealing ideas. Homework assignment #2: Pass the blog on to others! Some of you are doing an AWESOME job at that and I thank you!!! 🙂

Erin go bragh!!