A weekly menu would be nice
My dad and stepmom were here for the weekend, so I'm feeling a bit discombobulated. It was great having them here, but you know how it is with visitors; the-day-to-day stuff just doesn't get taken care of, and then Monday morning dawns and you realize the enormity of your daily life, and getting things back in gear seems like a monumental task. Please tell me this resonates with some of you? I'm not a lunatic, am I?
I've been feeling very overwhelmed with all I am supposed to do everyday. I try to work six hours of my "day job." I also need to make dinner, write in this blog, start a new Chicago food blog (any name ideas, by the way? It will be small bits about the best food places, both shopping and eating - a prize to the best name), do all of the laundry, keep the house clean, take the dog for long, meaningful walks, explore the city, catch up on my knitting, and spend time with my kids. I have a babysitter for five hours a day, but unless I'm doing "day job" work for most of those, I can't afford her. Which leaves me little time to do the other stuff. I end up wandering around my house muttering about all I need to do and accomplishing nothing at all.
But ANYWAY, this week's dinners. I have from the farmer's market: gorgeous beets with greens attaced, cranberry beans, apples and an assortment of multi-colored fingerling potatoes. I have a butternut squash from a couple of weeks ago that I'd like to cook. Today is hitting 84 degrees, so all of the fall menu items I have in mind will be overkill. I'm thinking a BBQ? Grab something from the local meat market and make it with the potatoes? With sauteed beet greens? (the beets will hold, their greens will not).
Other ideas for the week (which will have more seasonal weather) include a pasta e fagioli with the beans, roasted beet salad, and maple-glazed ginger garlic squash in the crockpot. OH, and I'm looking for a great pear recipe for a dessert. Our next door neighbors have a beautiful pear tree and they have put a bunch of pears out for the taking. Any ideas?
