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Sometimes, the best laid plans aren't enough. Remember how my menu plan for the week included pre-cut vegetarian turkey and zucchini to make a second batch of soup? Well, tonight, for some reason, soup wasn't a good idea. It is a bit warmer in Florida, and I grazed on goodies all day at the office. So, it didn't take me long after getting in my car and starting the drive home to evaluate what was in the fridge and to change my mind. What I loved about the fajita idea was that everything had been prepared already. So, it was a cinch to cook, and I had two huge fajitas on the table within 15 minutes. Moreover, my only dishes were two plates, the sauteing skillet and spatula, the cutting board and knife for the onion (they were only in rings), and two knives and forks to eat with. Thanks to an empty dishwasher, clean-up was even faster than cooking!

Recipe for Veggie Fajitas

• 2 Large/Burrito Size Flour Tortillas
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar
• 1/4 large onion, diced or sliced
• 1/4 bell pepper, sliced
• 1 cup vegetarian turkey, cubed or sliced
• 1/2 cup zucchini, cubed
• 1 T Oil, olive or other preferred sauteing

Note: Proportions of veggies and veggie-meat were what I had on hand. The beauty of such a recipe is that you can always add or take away or exchange. There is no wrong as long as you like what you are putting in the dish!

Place a medium to large skillet on medium-high heat. Pour in oil and add onions. Stir until onions soften. Add bell pepper, zucchini, and turkey. Stir to coat with oil. Let sit occasionally to brown sides of veggies and stir again. Veggie-meats do not have a minimum cook time. You only need the food to be cooked through (and the veggies tender, of course). Place tortillas on microwaveable plate. Spread vegetables evenly in center of wrap. Sprinkle with cheese and roll. Microwave 30 seconds to melt cheese OR while the veggies are cooking, place the tortillas on top of the skillet so they catch the heat from the cooking. Turn often to make sure all sides are warmed. Then, you don't have to microwave the finished product.

The "girl's part" of the bridal shower where this, the ranch dressing and chocolate cake with raspberry glaze was served, was to be followed by a co-ed trip to a local restaurant and bar. So, I chose light snacks (except for the cake) to serve at the shower. The crackers and cheese cubes were a hit and half of the vegetables were gone. Naturally, most of the cake did not come home with me.

Previously, I have made this soup and loved it. I'm not sure what went wrong this time around, but we weren't as excited about it this time. So I will probably be spending my time trying new soup recipes, which makes a lot of sense when it isn't cold that often in Florida. So many soups, so little time! However, I think the mixture of flavors is still creative and fun for those with more experienced taste as the egg and lemon are quite unusual. For people who have more calendar time to eat soups that warm the inside, I think the creation is worth a try from your own stove.

One day last week, our office had a free lunch delivered by a drug rep. The menu was Tijuana Flats, a chain Mexican restaurant started by some local college kids that has done incredibly well with its fast food and HOT sauces with funky names. I was very impressed with the amount of food delivered because we are a large office and generally the amount set aside to allegedly serve 50-60 people only feeds 40 or less. So in case you were looking for a casual catering recommendation, this is my vote. Naturally, the salsa isn't special, but it's fresh. The same goes for the guacamole.

Paul wanted some poached eggs to go with some English muffins I got on sale. His mom had a very simple plan for accomplishing the meal. I also acquired some Simply Potatoes on sale at Publix and thought this would be an opportunity to try something new. I love the speed and ease of poaching the eggs in the microwave and how our small Vignelli bowls are a perfect size for accomplishing the task. Paul used our "splurge" item of white cheddar from the imported shelves at Costco and sliced tomatoes on his sandwich and topped the eggs with dill, salt, and pepper. It really was good.

My cupboard, fridge, and freezer looked really full; so, for a few weeks I did limited to no grocery shopping. Toward the end of the cleaning-out-the-cabinets process, I was left with the ingredients to try a recipe from the Vegetarian 5-ingredient Gourmet. I thought I could get away with using the frozen corn in my freezer and the canned Hunt's tomatoes in the cabinet that I was stuck with after our educational experience with the pasta taste test. The concept was really good, but Paul's comment solved any question as to whether or not the soup was good.

Creamy Zucchini Soup has to be the fastest and easiest soup recipe ever--not to mention cheap! Dinner was on in about 10 minutes, if not less. The recipe from the Vegetarian 5-Ingredient Gourmet was really straight forward. Sour cream or yogurt was what made the soup creamy. I used yogurt instead of sour cream (because that was what we had in the house) and am quite curious to know what the flavor would have been like with the sour cream. I also used dried dill instead of fresh, as that is my preference. I challenged myself with this recipe because it does taste as simple as it sounds. It's is a light soup that does not send every taste bud bouncing crazily.

I sat up in bed sometime in the middle of the night and realized yesterday had not gone smoothly enough for me to be near a computer other than at work. So, bright and early this morning, I am making up for my lack of desire to get out of a nice warm bed on one of the coldest nights of the year in Florida and share my thoughts.

This week, I will feature a series of posts, the inspirations of which came from the fascinating cookbook, The Splendid Table's How to Eat Supper. It is more than just a list of recipes. The book also highlights little known facts, dispels myths, and makes specific grocery list recommendations. Perhaps after I highlight some fabulous experiences with the book, you will want to acquire one of your own.

In honor of the Chinese New Year, I served Chinese food for dinner last night. I really like Chinese food. I love the sauces and particularly am a fan of egg rolls even though I try to stay away from fried foods. I like making Chinese food with rice, but when I have an excess of spaghetti or egg noodles, this is a great way to use them without having pasta in marinara or alfredo sauce for a week.

Recipe to Make Stir Fry

• 2 large toes garlic, coarsly chopped
• 1/2 large onion, thinly sliced
• 1 medium Carrot, julienned
• 1 cup frozen broccoli
• 2 oz. De Boles (organic) spaghetti style pasta (only because that is what was opened)
• 1/4-1/2 cup sugar snap peas
• 1/8 (or less) teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 6 Tablespoons Pad Thai Sauce from Moosewood Cooks at Home
• Olive oil to cover bottom of a skillet

Boil pasta according to pasta directions. I do not salt the pasta because there is so much salt in the soy sauce. Meanwhile, cover a large skillet with oil. Turn the skillet on medium and add the onions. Microwave broccoli and sugar snap peas 1:30 minutes to defrost. Add carrots and garlic to the onions when they are softened. Add broccoli and peas until warm. Drain pasta and add it to the vegetables. Pour the Moosewood recipe mixture (lime, ketchup, and soy sauce) over the vegetables and pasta. Stir in sauce and two pinches fresh crushed red pepper. Serve hot.

Cost Per Person $1.75

When so many fresh ingredients are at your fingertips (especially during the winter time) it makes so much since to create a fantastic sandwich that mixes them all together. I enjoyed this so much because it was a fast creation and the flavors were fantastic.

This was surprisingly a great and easy recipe. I found it in the same Better Homes and Gardens as the recipe for the fruit cake topping. When I saw the photo and the recipe in the magazine, I knew it would be easy to create a vegetarian variation and had foods that my family would eat. However, when I poured the soup our of the pot on my stove and into bowls, I became nervous that it didn't look so good and might taste horrible.

This was a mid-to-late afternoon snack to cover lunch and my dinner on this Sunday because I knew I needed a wise meal before singing at Disney with the choir and new I wouldn't be fed well the rest of the night.

Nothing about this tart was on sale or cheap, but it was beautiful and tasty. I divided the tart into 8 slices, but probably should have kept it at 7 so everyone had enough. I gave ice cream and vanilla yogurt as options for the side.

Once again, I am confessing that I read magazines at work. But, who could blame me? There's a wealth of information free to me; and since I can't sit still at lunch, I am productive by researching facts and recipes. Let's face it, if it weren't for my reading magazines at work, Paul would not have an absolutely fabulous Christmas present, which I am proud of finding. Sadly, some of Paul's friends read this blog; so, I cannot share the details until after the 25th. Therefore, we must return to the topic of the cake.

I was eating the leftovers of this at work and a girl walked in saying "That smells good." Always eager to share my creations, I offered her a bite from the side I had not reached yet. She seemed surprised to be able to say "That's actually good." Thank you very much. I almost think it's my favorite of my own recipes thus far.

This is such a great recipe because it takes something that should taste a bit sweet and makes it more salty with the pesto and creamy white sauce. The entire lasagna lasted Paul and me four meals. So, the price seems quite right and all the time invested seems quite efficient.

This salsa went over so well at the group dinner, that I decided to take the same recipe and make it again in the form of enchiladas. Paul was confused because I used flour tortillas--which made it look more like burritos--instead of corn tortillas. However, it was quite the success because a few people came up specifically to shake my hands when it was done. As was common on those nights, there was a line for the food when I arrived, which gave me no time to take pictures. The above picture was a plate of leftovers we made for someone who was late. On the night of the enchiladas and Spanish rice, there wasn't a bite of anything left except the chips and salsa.

On occasion, we find opportunity to eat at IKEA. Generally, a sale draws us in, and we arrange to have friends go with us. The activity is so much more fun with another couple. When IKEA Orlando opened, we were still newlyweds, and we took along fellow newlyweds, Tim and Magally Putt. We enjoyed a variety of vegetarian dishes. Magally, also enjoyed the Swedish meatballs, which are not vegetarian.

I specifically made this pizza to highlight the simpleness of using a soybean-based meat substitute in a meal. The prices for this meal are estimates because the price of the vegetarian food varies so greatly among stores. Certainly, a local speacialty health food store has the potential of being cheaper than a major supermarket.

This post refers to the product in the very front of the photograph. The plate was a sampler platter at a buffet. I created the dishes. Hopefully, recipes for the other dishes will be available soon.

This post focuses on delicious, quick meals and the estimated prices for making them. My goal is to help families prepare healthy menus in spite of the depressed economy.

In a floundering market consumers are looking for good food that is as cheap and nutritious as possible. I hope this post will be the first in a continuous series that focuses on time-saving dishes that don't break the bank while they impact your menu.

I have previously mentioned that applesauce is a annual tradition at our house. The following is my process.