The 2020 week 32 menu plan is complete. It is a plan that I had hoped not to make. Originally my oldest granddaughter and I had planned a trip to Atlanta for “World of Prom” the international market to view the social occasion and prom dresses designed for 2021. This was her sweet 16 birthday gift. I had to cancel the trip not only due to the virus, but also the civil unrest in Atlanta.
Next Monday the ‘Ole Buckeye and I celebrate our anniversary. Originally we were to leave for a 10 day cruise to the Greek Islands. Cancelled. At this point I am going a little stir crazy. I guess if I had had no plans it would have been different, but now I feel disappointed and eager to do something, even if it is close by. I have tentatively booked a night at the Marriott Virginia Beach Oceanfront. The hotel is new and part of the Cavalier Resort complex. Hopefully we can relax on the beach and enjoy several meals in the area. I will watch both the weather and be aware of the pandemic. We can always cancel. (Part of the experience is looking forward to it…right?) With all of these factors in mind the 2020 week 32 menu is complete.
Breakfast
The 2020 week 32 breakfast plan utilizes the rest of my peaches with the repeat of our new favorite cobbler and utilizes apples in the BAM cake and oatmeal. The frittata recipe caught my eye and will be a great eat again meal to end the week.
Lunch
The lunches for the week continue with the focus on eat again meals as well as eating occasional dinner leftovers. The zesty chicken and black bean casserole provided more meals last week than I originally anticipated and it will definitely be added to the rotation. Later in the week we have brunch reservations at Becca, one of my favorite restaurants located in the Cavalier.
Hopefully the weather will cooperate and we can enjoy the outdoor garden area which is spectacular.
Dinner
The dinner plans for the week are really exciting. We will be having our anniversary dinner at Steinhilbers outdoors (weather permitting). Our anniversary eve dinner will either be at Eat Bistro or at the very new Orion’s Roof at the Marriott, which is due to open just the day before our arrival. The only new meal planned for my kitchen is the Queso Chicken which keeps being bumped from week to week.
Hits and Misses
I have made this quiche often in the past and it is definitely a favorite. This time I substituted gruyere cheese…delicious.
Broccoli, Cheddar, Bacon Quiche
I actually hesitated making this casserole as a lunch offering, but I am glad I did. Not only was it a very good E meal but it feed us frequently during the week and we did not tire of eating it.
Zesty Salsa Chicken and Black Bean Casserole
This salad has been a favorite for quite some time. It is amazing how well it keeps from day to day. I often add some fresh romaine to revive it. We had it twice for dinner and again at lunch.
Sunday Family Dinner
I decided to invite my son’s family for Sunday dinner. He is out of town, but the three girls as well as my daughter joined us for dinner. I had already planned pork tenderloin, but decided to try some new recipes. I developed a dinner menu that included a new spinach salad, a new preparation for the tenderloin, roasted sweet potatoes and glorified cabbage, which is a favorite of the granddaughters. They brought ice cream from Blue Cow for dessert. (They knew that I have had a craving for butter pecan ice cream for weeks.)
What a great spinach salad! Luckily I had all of the ingredients for this new salad on hand, which was the biggest reason that I decided to make it. This will definitely be prepared again and again.
A new recipe for tenderloin caught my eye. I marinated the tenderloin for a few hours in the sauce and then baked it (excluding the potatoes) but simply roasting the meat. I had mixed reactions to the flavor but the pork was tender and moist.
The sweet potato recipe is a repeat of a favorite. This time I used the spicy version and it was a perfect compliment to the meat.
It was an enjoyable meal as well as a wonderful family time. An added bonus–the ‘Ole Buckeye and I had a repeat of this dinner on Monday evening putting the Thai Basil chicken on a future menu plan.
Food for Thought
The importance of making the right decisions on purchasing produce to avoid harmful pesticide exposure has a direct impact on health and budget. The “Dirty Dozen” is the currently accepted list of fruits and vegetable that have the highest level of pesticides. If at all possible the organic options of the following should be purchased: Kale, Spinach, Strawberries, Nectarines/Peaches, Apples, Grapes, Cherries, Pears, Tomatoes, Potatoes, Celery, and Peppers. When in doubt the best way to check the authenticity of an organic purchase is to check the code on the label. Organic options have a 5 digit code beginning with a 9, while the nonorganic have a 4 digit code beginning with a 3 or 4.
Recap
I must admit that I have not been as careful following the THM eating plan. In fact I have strayed enough that I am adding unwanted pounds. The venture into baking sourdough bread has not helped either. I have decided to do a Fuel Cycle week to get back on track. I need to control this weight gain before it gets out of hand. However, I will not let the future plan interrupt the enjoyment of our planned celebration. Here’s to a great week of eating. Bon Appetit!
