Menu Banner
  1. Monday, November 30, 2015

    Food Writer Michael Procopio Helps Us Cope with the Holidays but Not with Man Buns (Ep. 10)

    This Week for Dinner Podcast #10: A Discussion with Food Writer Michael Procopio

    It’s Monday, which means a new podcast episode! Today’s show features a recent conversation I had with food writer Michael Procopio from Food for the Thoughtless. It is safe to say that Michael’s blog is one of my favorites. He is witty and funny and sarcastic and his writing makes me laugh every time. Even his recipes are funny.

    Michael lives in San Francisco and is a culinary school graduate who has had an extensive and varied career in the food world, from working as a pastry chef to food styling to waiting tables (oh, the stories) to recipe development to joining the Court of Master Sommeliers. In today’s show he shares a recipe that is perfect for the holidays (maybe not quite in the way you are thinking!) and a great kitchen tip, peppered with his always-entertaining thoughts and stories. I love this episode and it was a joy putting it together, even though listening to myself laugh and laugh and laugh some more was pure torture. Thanks for that, Michael.

    Shownotes:

    It’s easy to listen to the show!

    • Via the web: Just click play below!
    • Via an app: For iPhone and iPad, subscribe to the This Week for Dinner Podcast on iTunes and listen to it through the purple Podcasts app. For Android devices, use the Stitcher, Podcast Addict or Pocket Casts apps. In all cases, launch the app, then search for This Week for Dinner Podcast. The benefit of using an app: once downloaded, you can listen to the show without an Internet connection.

     Other Stuff!


  2. Sunday, November 29, 2015

    Week 462 Menu

    Wow. Sunday is almost over and I just now realized I haven’t planned this week’s menu. We’ve literally been living off of leftovers. I guess I forgot they don’t last forever!

    week 462 weekly menu from @janemaynard including FREE printable meal plan and shopping list!

    MONDAY:
    Turkey Boursin Baguettes

    TUESDAY:
    Carnitas Tacos

    WEDNESDAY:
    Chili

    THURSDAY:
    – Leftovers

    FRIDAY:
    Teriyaki chicken (crock pot)
    – Rice and veggies

    SATURDAY:
    – Take out night

    SUNDAY:
    – Breakfast for dinner: Omelettes and fruit

    Click here for the free printable of this week’s menu plus the shopping list!

    Okay, you know what’s next…share your weekly menu in the comments! And have a great week!


  3. Friday, November 27, 2015

    Friday Show and Tell: Happy Day After Thanksgiving!

    Happy Day After Thanksgiving! I hope you are all sufficiently stuffed. I know I am. Before we get on with this week’s Show and Tell, I need to tell you about my turkey this year. I spatchcocked it. And dry brined it. And roasted it in mayo. And it was PERFECT. So perfect, in fact, I am going to do a whole post about the process. In related news, I was so inspired by my podcast interview with Kate Lebo earlier this week I ended up making all of our pies from scratch. And it was good. So good. Anyway, more posts to come on all of that, but for today how about some links and TV shows?

    spatchcocked turkey

    First off, food links. For Cool Mom Eats I dug up some really delicious turkey leftover recipes, perfect for this weekend! And, on Babble this month, I kinda went crazy with the kids’ food art.

    Jessica Jones on Netflix

    As I mentioned before, I’m wiped out after cooking all week, so we’re just gonna relax today. Much of that relaxing is going to involve getting caught up on The Voice and watching Netflix. Nate and I started Jessica Jones last night after the kids went to bed. We keep hearing how awesome that show is and, one episode in, I think it just might live up to the hype. Oh, and one more fun Netflix thing! ‘Twas the night before Thanksgiving…when a big box of funny goodies from Netflix arrived on our doorstep celebrating the new Care Bears & Cousins series. (The package included scrunchies. I don’t know if I can forgive Netflix for introducing scrunchies to my girls. Anna hasn’t stopped wearing them since Wednesday. Oh my.) I totally loved Care Bears as a kid (I had the Cheer Bear plush toy!), so it will be fun to watch it with the kids. Hug it out! 🙂

    Care Bears & Cousins on Netflix

    That’s it! Go eat some leftovers. And more pie. And, as always, comment with your own show and tell!

    I am a member of the Netflix Stream Team, which means they send me cool stuff from time to time. For the record, I would be addicted to Netflix in spite of said cool stuff.


  4. Monday, November 23, 2015

    Writer, Teacher and Baker Kate Lebo Talks Pie Making and More (Ep. 9)

    This Week for Dinner Podcast Episode 9: Pie Expert and Writer Kate Lebo

    Thanksgiving is just days away, which probably means that many of you are on the cusp of baking a pie (or two…or three!). Lucky for us today’s podcast guest is a pie expert! I was actually planning to buy my pies at the store this year (GASP!), but after talking with today’s guest, I’ve decided to make my pies from scratch after all. So, who is this powerful enchantress who has bewitched me into making homemade pie crust? Kate Lebo is her name!

    Kate Lebo is a writer, teacher, and baker from the Pacific Northwest and the the author of two books about the folk art of pie making, Pie School: Lessons in Fruit, Flour, and Butter and A Commonplace Book of Pie. Kate’s essays and poems have appeared in Best American Essays 2015, Best New Poets 2011, New England Review, Willow Springs, and Gastronomica, and she writes the “Cooking the Books” column for the Spokesman-Review. Basically she is an awesome writer with an MFA from the University of Washington who also happens to be obsessed with making great pie and teaching others how to make great pie.

    My chat with Kate was delightful and informative. And, while today’s episode is certainly timely for Thanksgiving, our conversation is perfect for any time of year because pie is always a good thing.

    Shownotes:

    It’s easy to listen to the show!

    • Via the web: Just click play below!
    • Via an app: For iPhone and iPad, subscribe to the This Week for Dinner Podcast on iTunes and listen to it through the purple Podcasts app. For Android devices, use the Stitcher, Podcast Addict or Pocket Casts apps. In all cases, launch the app, then search for This Week for Dinner Podcast. The benefit of using an app: once downloaded, you can listen to the show without an Internet connection.

     Other Stuff!


  5. Sunday, November 22, 2015

    Week 461 Menu + Thanksgiving Menu!

    thanksgiving-prep-banner-500

    Hello everyone! Well, it’s Thanksgiving week! Which for me means lots of easy dinners the first half of the week then a major feast on Thursday, followed by leftovers for as long as I can drag them out! I’ll put both our weekly menu and our Thanksgiving menu below. When you share in the comments, feel free to leave either your weekly menu, your Thanksgiving menu, or BOTH! 🙂 And, for the Thanksgiving menus, please link to recipes you’re using if they can be found online!

    week 461 weekly menu from @janemaynard

    MONDAY:
    Chicken salad sandwiches
    – Fresh fruit

    TUESDAY:
    – Breakfast burritos

    WEDNESDAY:
    – Chicken tenders (from Trader Joe’s freezer)
    – Raw veggies and dip

    THURSDAY:
    – HAPPY THANKSGIVING! (see menu below!)

    FRIDAY:
    – Leftovers

    SATURDAY:
    – Leftovers

    SUNDAY:
    – Leftovers

    Click here for the free printable of this week’s menu plus the shopping list!

    And here is our plan for the Thanksgiving feast!

    Got a lot of cooking and shopping ahead of me! I’m already tired. But I’m also super excited to eat everything! As usual, please leave your menus in the comments! And this week if you want to share your Thanksgiving plans, we’d love to see them!


  6. Friday, November 20, 2015

    Friday Show & Tell

    Happy Friday! Soccer season is over around these parts, so I’m looking forward to our first weekend with nothing on the calendar. Sadly I think most of that free time will be spent cleaning the disaster that is our house!

    There is a lot to share today. Ready, set, GO!

    Bagel Snowmen by @janemaynard

    I have a bunch of food links for today, most of them perfect for Thanksgiving!

    And, before we go, just want to share two great causes quickly. It’s the giving season!

    When Cate was in preschool many moons ago, there was a really wonderful group of moms in that classroom. We were all very different from one another but everyone got along beautifully. One of the moms, Rachel Lorkin, had a baby around that time, a little boy named Luke with chromosome 15q duplication. Rachel has an Etsy shop where she sells some of her artwork, which serves as a respite in her otherwise hectic life. From now through December, 100% of the sale price on any of her items will go to the Chromosome 15q Duplication Aliance, an organization that supports research and kindness for families like Rachel’s. If you’ve started your holiday shopping, check it out! It’s a great cause! (The robots on canvas are RIDICULOUSLY cute.)

    rachel lorkin robots on canvas

    Second, last week I had the chance to be a guest judge for a high school speech tournament at an non-profit called Reality Changers here in San Diego. It is absolutely astounding what this non-profit is doing for kids from disadvantaged backgrounds to help get them into college. I was very impressed and loved meeting a few of the kids in the program. If you’re in San Diego and looking for a non-profit to get involved with, definitely check out the volunteer opportunities at Reality Changers. If you’re not in San Diego and would like to support the program with a donation, click here.

    That’s it from me today. If you have anything you’d like to share, please do!


  7. Thursday, November 19, 2015

    Food Galore with Christine Koh, Author of “Minimalist Parenting” and Co-Host of the Podcast “Edit Your Life” (Ep. 8)

    This Week for Dinner Podcast #8: Christine Koh Shares Tons of Great Recipes and Kitchen Tips!

    Hello! Today’s episode of the This Week for Dinner podcast is CHOCK FULL of awesome recipes and kitchen tips from my dear friend Christine Koh, the mastermind behind Boston Mamas, co-author of the book Minimalist Parenting and co-host of the podcast Edit Your Life. Christine was a blogging colleague who transformed into a dear friend after we spent 24 hours together in an SUV for a relay race. (For the record, Christine was running and I was driving.) Christine is super smart, super funny, and she knows good food. You’re gonna love her.

    Shownotes:

    It’s easy to listen to the show!

    • Via the web: Just click play below!
    • Via an app: For iPhone and iPad, subscribe to the This Week for Dinner Podcast on iTunes and listen to it through the purple Podcasts app. For Android devices, use the Stitcher, Podcast Addict or Pocket Casts apps. In all cases, launch the app, then search for This Week for Dinner Podcast. The benefit of using an app: once downloaded, you can listen to the show without an Internet connection.

     Other Stuff!


  8. Tuesday, November 17, 2015

    Kitchen Tip: The Best Way To Cut Dough for Crescent Rolls

    There hasn’t been much Thanksgiving prep happening here on the blog because, honestly, there just isn’t much Thanksgiving prep happening in my kitchen! I AM cooking next week, and I haven’t done one thing yet to get ready. Honestly, I’m not stressed about it. I’m sticking with the old stand-bys this year, so I pretty much know what we’ll be eating. Just need to do some shopping this weekend. It’s all good. However, if you are actually planning ahead, you can click on my “Thanksgiving Prep” tag and see all kinds of posts related to Thanksgiving!

    kitchen tip: cutting crescent rolls with a pizza cutter from @janemaynard

    I do want to share a quick Kitchen Tip today related to Thanksgiving. It’s one of those tips that is kind of a “Duh” thing to share, but I didn’t figure it out until last year, so I imagine I’m not alone in having not done this before. Every year I make crescent rolls for Thanksgiving. And every year I use a sharp knife when cutting dough for crescent rolls. You know, once you’ve rolled out a circle and cut the circle into triangles. Well, last year, I was about to use the knife and then, for some reason, I thought of the pizza cutter. It worked beautifully. Also, what did I tell you? DUH. How had I never done this before?!

    Please note that it works best to cut from the outside edge towards the center. If you cut from the center, sometimes the tips of the triangles roll up as you roll the pizza cutter.

    kitchen tip: cutting crescent rolls with a pizza cutter from @janemaynard

    Life changer, guys. Well, when it comes to making crescent rolls at least. You’re welcome and happy crescent roll cutting!


  9. Monday, November 16, 2015

    NY Times Bestselling Cookbook Author Pam Anderson on Food and Family (Ep. 7)

    This Week for Dinner Podcast #7: Pam Anderson, Cookbook Author, shares one of her favorite recipes and kitchen tips!

    It’s Monday, which means a new podcast episode! In today’s show I chat with Pam Anderson, New York Times best-selling cookbook author and blogger at Three Many Cooks. In 2009 Pam started the food blog Three Many Cooks with her two daughters, Maggy and Sharon, and they’ve been sharing their wonderful family and food ever since! I love this family and can’t believe how lucky I am to call them friends. Pam worked at Cook’s Illustrated for years and has written several fabulous cookbooks, so this woman knows food. I hope you enjoy listening to my discussion with Pam. She is a gem!

    Shownotes:

    It’s easy to listen to the show!

    • Via the web: Just click play below!
    • Via an app: For iPhone and iPad, subscribe to the This Week for Dinner Podcast on iTunes and listen to it through the purple Podcasts app. For Android devices, use the Stitcher, Podcast Addict or Pocket Casts apps. In all cases, launch the app, then search for This Week for Dinner Podcast. The benefit of using an app: once downloaded, you can listen to the show without an Internet connection.

     Other Stuff!


  10. Sunday, November 15, 2015

    Week 460 Menu

    Happy Sunday! My day has been very busy with soccer tournaments, and then Nate and I are going to see Matisyahu tonight (so excited!), so basically I’m squeezing in doing the weekly meal plan with 10 minutes I have to spare! Here we go!

    Week 460 Weekly Menu from @janemaynard including FREE printable meal plan and shopping list!

    MONDAY:
    – Trader Joe’s mac n cheese from the freezer section
    – A really good garden salad to make up for the lazy entree 😉

    TUESDAY:
    Chicken Tortilla Soup

    WEDNESDAY:
    Turkey Boursin Baguettes

    THURSDAY:
    – Soccer team party at Pizza Port

    FRIDAY:
    – Leftovers

    SATURDAY:
    – Eat out night

    SUNDAY:
    Carnitas Tacos

    Click here for the free printable of this week’s menu plus the shopping list!