Oh ya, we are still doing this. I’m hearing we may be able to get those vaccines by the end of summer. I’m cautiously optimistic and at the same time may miss this life. You know, I’ve kind of gotten used to it. Oh, and I’m agoraphobic, so you know, this is kind of okay. But I would love to be able to go to the grocery store and feel safe again. Anyway, let’s talk about this week’s food.
Thursday (2/4) – I made instant pot Hungarian goulash. I used bottom round roast, and I would say that I would pressure cook the meat a little first as it was not as fall apart tender as when I used chuck. However, the flavor was spot on. I give most of the credit to the excellent spices I get from Savory Spice Shop.
Friday (2/5) – I made a nice big pot of chili. I intended to use all beef, only to realize one of the packages I’d pulled from the freezer was ground pork after putting it in the pan to cook. I like it better this way, but pork isn’t gentle on Katie’s stomach, so I felt a little bad. We love ours with lots of oyster crackers and shredded cheddar. I make mine using fresh tomatoes, peppers, jalapenos, onions and lots of spices. I let it cook for six hours so all the veggies break down.
Saturday (2/6) – We just had chili leftovers for dinner.
Sunday (2/7) – I made some snickerdoodles. They didn’t quite turn out right. I’m pretty sure I know what I did wrong. They taste good, but they are harder than they should be. For dinner, we made shrimp scampi. I love shrimp. You can just pull them from the freezer and thaw them in cold water. It just makes dinner so easy. While I love making very complex and interesting dishes, sometimes simple is nice.
Monday (2/8) – I made sheet pan roasted vegetables, and we also had some lobster roll dip for those that wanted a little meat. I had planned to make split-pea soup, but I worked late and then just wasn’t in the mood for it. Our veggies included cauliflower, broccoli, potatoes, and tomatoes. All were cooked with olive oil and garlic. It was a success. I didn’t like that I didn’t have a protein for the vegetarian, but once in a while won’t hurt, and it’s not like it was just pasta and butter!
Tuesday (2/9) – Katie wanted one of our good old unhealthy snack nights, so she baked up some frozen perogies and jalapeno poppers, and we heated some chili queso she had made. It was delicious even if it wasn’t our healthiest meal of the week.
Wednesday (2/10) – I made the NYT French onion macaroni and cheese again. I didn’t have the exact cheeses the recipe calls for so I used what white cheeses I had, which included mozzarella, parmesan, Monterey jack and gruyere. I also continue to use a breadcrumb topping rather than the baguette called for in the original recipe. We prefer this way. It came out beautiful, and I think the leftovers have all already been eaten.
The weekend is going to have to be a pretty meaty despite having the vegetarian. I meal planned and now have things that need to be cooked because they are thawed and we threw out the menu too many times this week. Working with the whims of a 19-year-old and, let’s be honest, of myself and my husband, things can get a little disorganized. I also got caught up in my day job a few times. Don’t worry, there will be vegetarian options for her to choose from.
Foodie's Delimma 
Whew, I got tired just reading about your week.
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