Thoughts for the Week

After a really tough week at work, I try to focus on the fun of New York from two weekends ago.

Last week we ate fresh veggies as sandwiches on fresh bread all week long. They were delicious. I was grateful for a patient, thoughtful, and understanding husband who allowed me to have some really bad days at work and to come home late not wanting to move, let alone cook. Don't get me wrong. Normally, cooking is a great creative escape from stress and a way to celebrate good times. However, my stress at work rendered my brain and feet useless, which also might explain why I didn't even get around to thinking about a menu for this week. Fortunately, I have a fabulous mother who put together a Sabbath lunch for 10. And I have fabulous in-laws who have done the grocery shopping, the cooking, and the clean-up for the majority of their stay. I think I am very blessed.

Yesterday, we had a breakfast for the pastor who performed our wedding ceremony and his wife and girls. Ashley immediately told us the girls would be helpful in teaching us what wasn't child-proof about our house. Luckily, we did well and even had some toys we've already received (and the cool measuring spoons Paul gave me for Christmas) as entertainment. I got up early to make pancakes because Paul thought that was a good idea. Saturday night, I mixed three sets of dry mix for the pancakes and pulled out some vegetarian sausage patties to defrost in the fridge. That was where my brilliance of the entire situation stopped. I will tell you some things I learned yesterday morning.

• Never try a new recipe when you're in a time-crunch (I had for some odd reason chosen a different pancake recipe then I am used to.)
• Never make pancakes for a group of 11.
• If you insist on making pancakes for a group of 11, make one batch in advance and keep them warm in a 200' oven. (I did the oven part, but had issues with the batter that prevented an entire batch from being done before the guests arrived.)
• Banana pancakes are a great idea when the bananas are beaten up small to hide the chunkiness because it adds extra flavor without extra sugar. I suspect even if they had been chunky, they would have still been a success.
• Blueberry pancakes are very messy and likely more time-consuming depending on your version.
• Thinking of extra toppings is a great idea with children. For instance, I served defrosted strawberries to go on the pancakes, but the girls just wanted the strawberries themselves. We also served cheese to go on the grits, but the girls were happy with just a spoonful of cheese on their plates.

My plan for the week is to take advantage of the extra hands and extra creativity in the kitchen. (Which also makes for a very full fridge and inability to find anything. Who knew concocting a fast lunch to take to work could resemble a scavenger hunt?) I'd also like to post my New Year's Kitchen Resolutions and to catch up on all the posts from our dining experiences in New York. Wish me luck.

Would you like to know what we're eating next?