Amber's Journal *

If I can keep up with this menu we'll eat like kings this week.

Monday - polish sausage and cabbage
Tuesday - swedish meatballs, lingonberry jam (from IKEA), caesar salad
Wednesday - cilantro lime shrimp tacos, salad
Thursday - beef short ribs, grits, beets, summer squash (cooking for friends)
Friday - fish, caesar salad

I actually made it to the market this morning. It had been a few weeks. You'll notice that summer veggies are starting to sneak in with the spring greens and root veggies. Tomatoes can't be far behind.

Veggies: swiss chard, romaine lettuce, dark leafy lettuce, flower salad mix, summer squash, beets
Meats (not pictured, in freezer): ground beef, beef short ribs, polish sausage
Grains: roasted grits
Treats: creamed wildflower honey

Cost: under budget

Menu here

Chris and I had a great time on vacation! Check out these photos for now, but I do plan on writing up a more detailed description before I forget the details.

I did successfully make every dinner on my menu last week, though not on the days I had specified. Still, I'm calling it a win. Then I missed the market again on Saturday because I was volunteering at Astronomy Days, and I'm going to miss next weekend because we'll be out of town. One of these weeks I'll get back on track with our food. I love the farmer's market and I miss it.

Here is this week's menu. I hope I can stick with it this time:

Saturday - hot italian sausage and halushki, beet greens
Sunday - out with friends
Monday - pork mango picadillo as tacos with green onions
Tuesday - crock pot braised beef sandwiches,salad
Wednesday - pork chops with rosemary & sage, broccoli
Thursday - out at a meeting
Friday - mojito tilapia taco bites, beets

I made it! I've felt so run down the past few days that I wasn't sure I'd get to the market this morning, but I'm sure that some nutritious food will help to beat this cold so I ventured out. It was a beautiful day at the market. The NC Beekeeper's Assocation was out educating people about keeping bees and I made it in time to hear the live music again (it was these guys).

The haul:
veggies - beets, broccoli, cabbage, salad with flowers, snow peas, green onions
meats - chuck roast, pork chops, ground pork, ground beef
treats - strawberry lemonade (not pictured because I drank it)

Cost: exactly on budget

Menu here.

In addition to completely failing to cook dinner last week (I think I did one night), I also missed the farmer's market yesterday. I was so busy all day that there was no time to get there. I'll try again next week.

This week is going to be my first back on the menu wagon. I haven't been cooking much at all for the past few weeks. I've mostly survived on quesadillas and Easter leftovers. But that changes now!

Saturday - Cook Out Summit
Sunday - Krispy Kreme burgers with friends
Monday - out with father in law
Tuesday - franks & sauerkraut paprikash
Wednesday - stuffed peppers
Thursday - out with husband
Friday - smoked salmon pasta

Lunches will be mostly butter chicken.

Looking at this menu again there is a lot of eating out happening. I guess this is more of a transition week back into the kitchen.

I skipped last week, so that makes this update #2 but week #3. It was a beautiful day at the market today! I went later in the morning instead of right after they open and was rewarded by the live music they have playing after 10am each Saturday. People were out shopping and having fun. I had a blast.

The haul:
veggies - cauliflower, red leaf lettuce, arugula, rainbow chard, flower salad mix
meats - beef short ribs, hot italian sausage
treats (not shown because I ate them) - soft pretzel, blueberry kuchen, fresh squeezed strawberry lemonade

Cost: under budget

Next: this week's menu.

Today is opening day of the farmer's market! It's also a dark and stormy day which is why my veggie photo looks like it was taken in the middle of the night. The market was a little light on vendors today, but whether that was because of the storm or the early-ness of the season I don't know.

Today's haul:

Veggies - arugula, kale, red leaf lettuce, butter lettuce, salad mix with flowers and pea shoots, asparagus
Meats - ground beef, bacon, locally cured grass fed beef hot dogs (can you tell I'm excited about this one?)

Cost: under budget

I had hoped to bring home root veggies for soup this week but there were few to be found. Looks like I'll be supplementing at the grocery store.