Quarantine Life Week 32

So, our numbers are climbing. The election is still on-going, but it definitely looks like Biden is going to be our next president. I am so hopeful that he will be able to start healing some of the damage done by the last four years. Yes, I made a political statement there. If you disagree with me, you are entitled to stop following, but please, don’t turn this forum into a political argument. With numbers climbing, we are going back to trying to do little things like grocery shopping as infrequently as possible and using what we have. I’m also trying to develop a plan for Thanksgiving. So far, I will be preparing a vegan meal and dropping it on my daughter’s doorstep. We’ll probably do brunch or lunch the day of for the husband, the 10-year-old and I. I’m hoping for a virtual hello with the middle daughter. But let’s talk about this week’s food.

Thursday (10/29) – I made pork shanks with potatoes, braised in a red wine sauce, with sliced onions. Think beef Bourguignon but with pork. It was delicious. I would definitely make this again. I love pork shanks. I feel a little deprived that I discovered them so recently. They are a very inexpensive meat, but delicious if cooked right.

Friday (10/30) – We just had leftovers of the pork shanks. Not exciting, but hey, gotta eat them up.

Saturday (10/31) – I made a brisket shepherd’s pie. I cooked the brisket in the instant pot. While I was shredding it, I also cooked the potatoes in the instant pot. I assembled it with a mix of frozen veggies, some Worchester sauce, and a little roux made from the meat stock. It was delicious. It was soupier than I prefer, so I may adjust next time. But overall, it was very good, and we had leftovers for days.

Sunday (11/1) – I started the day by making a chorizo and tater tot casserole. The idea was based off a recipe I got from Trader Joe’s a while back. That recipe called for soy chorizo, but I used my homemade chorizo. I flattened it out in the casserole dish the way my pops used to do beef for a hamburger casserole and topped that with tater tots. I baked that 10 minutes and then topped it all with cheddar and baked it another 10 minutes. It was delicious, especially with some sour cream.

Monday (11/2) – I reheated the garden pesto pasta from the previous week and sautéed some shrimp in garlic and butter for the hubby and myself. The kid loves pasta and really loves pesto, and we keep the shrimp on the side, so it works for everyone.

Tuesday (11/3) – I actually made our breakfast on Monday. I baked a spinach and feta quiche for us to have for breakfasts all week. It was like spanakopita meets scrambled eggs. I used a pie crust I made during “pie week” and froze. That crust recipe is awesome and does great even after being frozen. The hubby and I just ate leftovers for dinner.

Wednesday ( 11/4) – I ended up kind of paralyzed on dinner. I haven’t been planning as well this week. I hadn’t even printed a November calendar yet. I was standing in my kitchen spouting off options, none of which sounded good. This resulted in some classic comfort food. I made tomato basil soup from a can of whole stewed tomatoes, and grilled cheese sandwiches. In the end, everyone was pretty happy with my poor planning.

I managed to feed my family and get through the week. I’m going to call that good. Between the general Covid stress we all have, and being glued to CNN so much that I think I saw John King more than my husband, it was an interesting week. But a couple of new dishes came out of it. That quiche is one I will definitely make again. My brisket shepherd’s pie needs a little work. But I am reminded each time we sit down to dinner that I am fortunate.