Menus

It's not Monday, or even Tuesday, but I guess I'll go ahead and share what we've got on the menu this week! It's getting to the end of the month so we're sticking to cheaply abundant ingredients. Of course, there are also more opportunities for unexpected creativity when you know you're not going to run to the store for what you need...

Rice with cinnamon & sugar ≈≈ 15-bean soup
Apple-cinnamon oatmeal ≈≈ Basmati rice pilaf, eggs, frozen mixed vegetables
Pancakes, smoothie ≈≈ Pan-fried fish, curried potatoes, tomato soup
Muesli ≈≈ Goulash, kale
Butterscotch oatmeal ≈≈ Buttered noodles, vegetable gratin
Cereal ≈≈ Asian chicken salad
Fast Sunday ≈≈ Pancakes, sausage, applesauce

So my least-planned meal, I'd say, was last night's 'pilaf'. That's all I had thought of, truthfully, just a vague 'pilaf', which could really be any of a number of dishes. But when I went to make it, I got out two different cookbooks and combined previously-untested recipes to make what turned out to be a crazy-successful and easy meal. My pickiest eater requested loudly -- and repeatedly -- that I make the rice again. It had mushrooms, onions, and garlic in it, along with coconut milk, cinnamon, cumin, and cardamom. Most of those things blended right in, you couldn't see anything but a little of the mushrooms and some flecks of seasonings. Maybe it was the simple fact that it looked so benign that drew in all my eaters, but it certainly was a hit.