Hits and Misses Week #18
I am reconsidering my weekly meal planning and the scoring or rating of new recipes. Although the planning is extremely helpful in the grocery shopping and weekly organization, the Hits and Misses may not be an important feature. I need to determine a better way of reviewing the plan. Hopefully I will figure it out.
A week ago I featured several new entrees.
On Monday we grilled burgers. I was intrigued by the mouthwatering photo on Skinny Taste’s Blog.
The Salsa Verde Burgers were a miss for us, although the recipe did encourage me to offer more condiments with my burgers, as in salsa verde. Although we love avocado, we would have preferred smothering our burgers with guacamole instead of slices of avocado. In addition I season my burgers before grilling them. I mix my ground beef with chopped onion, salt and pepper, and a good dose of Worcestershire sauce. It adds flavor and moisture to the burger.
Tuesday night was family night and I decided to prepare yet another birthday dinner for my son, after all burgers and brats did not seem quite celebratory. On the docket…a new chicken recipe that looked outstanding…and it was a Hit!
30 Minute Chicken in Creamy Mushroom Sauce with Bacon and Pesto
Chicken in Creamy Mushroom Sauce with Bacon and Pesto
I served this mouthwatering chicken with mashed cauliflower, homemade fresh green beans like my mother used to make and an Arugula Salad which I have made before. We were out of dried cranberries (which never happens) so I substituted raisins. It remained delicious and even though I prepared a huge salad…none remained at the end of the meal.
The meal was a success. Oh, but the dessert was a true triumph. First you must understand that my sons’s most favorite dessert in the entire world is cheesecake. To celebrate his big day I made my daughter’s recipe for cheesecake. It is time consuming and costly, however, it is without a doubt the best cheesecake I have ever made. The crust…oh my goodness, the crust. I will post the recipe in the near future. I guarantee you will love it.
Wednesday night was to be a sunset sail. It turned out to be a dockside gathering. I will admit I was a little nervous about sailing (fair weather am I) because it was windy…really windy. Fortunately, for me at least, the skipper could not find the boat key. (and NO, I did not hide it.) Instead of sailing, we sipped beer and wine and were introduced to each other. A very pleasant evening indeed. We came home to a easy dinner of chicken divan which I threw together quickly using broccoli, left over sliced cilantro grilled chicken and a cheesy topping. Perfect for a late evening meal.
On Thursday night we had left over hamburgers, but not the salsa verde version. We each picked our own favorite condiments and enjoyed this repeat more than Monday’s meal.
Friday night called for Grilled Flank Steak with Tomatoes and Arugula. Let me begin by saying that I seldom try a new recipe for grilled flank steak, because we enjoy my tried and true recipe so much.
This recipe, however, caught my eye. It sounded great for lighter fare on a hot summer evening. I did one minor change to the recipe as posted.
After allowing the steak to rest, the ‘Ole Buckeye sliced it and I actually severed it on top of the salad.
A Hit. This was so easy and delicious. It will be added to our summer fare.
Saturday Night was a repeat. We spent nearly the entire day at “Sand” Soccer. Both Grand girls were competing with their first game at 9:30 and the last at 5PM. We did not make it the full day. It was 95 degrees on the beach and I finally gave out after the 2 o’clock game. We came home and both of us fell asleep for a heat exhaustion caused nap.
We had a late dinner and it was delicious. We enjoyed the leftover chicken in creamy mushroom sauce, mashed cauliflower, sautéed zucchini and an arugula salad. It was just as flavorful as the first time.
Sunday…what a day. We had an early morning trip to the beach for first rounds of Sand Soccer. It was HOT. It was HUMID. We watched each of the grand girls in their early games and returned home. Our age is a factor in the sun and the sand, especially when it is 90 degrees. We got a text at 2…both girls would be in the finals in their respective age groups. Back to the Beach. The 10 year old placed second, the 12 year old placed first. Yahoo!
Even though we were invited to our son’s house for Italian beef, we opted to go home. We needed time out. I made stuffed peppers, Ceasar Salad, and a baked potato wedge with sour cream. Comfort food from an old tried and true recipe. This is yet another recipe that requires a post.
So many recipes…so few pictures. My posts would be much easier to do if I would only remember to take pictures before we devour our dinner!
On to another week…
