The Weekly Galette

All Play, No Work

The theme of last week was all play, no work, especially after the kids had Monday off from school for President’s Day and Tuesday off for -25 degree weather. On Monday, I took the youngest to an indoor playground to meet a friend while the oldest had special cousin time. On Tuesday, the girls and I set up exercise stations in the basement and rotated stations every two minutes while blasting Avril Lavigne. I got quite a workout in. For lunch, Joel and I took the girls to the Malt Shop for burgers, fries, and candy-loaded malts. It felt like we stepped back in time as we settled into a cherry red booth and played card games until our food arrived. Later on, I took the girls to the indoor playground at the community center. Now that the girls are old enough to play on their own, and I no longer have to crawl around with them, I get to sit and read like a civilized adult. I finished Tsarina by Ellen Alpsten, and Oh. My. Gosh. It was so good! If you like historical fiction and you’re looking for a beautiful winter read, this book is for you. Food-wise, the chilly temps forced me to play the “let’s see how long we can go without making it to the store” game. I held out until Thursday. A new record!

Monday, February 17, 2025

Leftovers

Tuesday, February 18, 2025

Alton Brown’s Garden Vegetable Soup (Food Network)

This soup was very light and fresh. Exactly what I was looking for after burgers for lunch. I added a can of kidney beans to up the fiber and protein content.

Wednesday, February 19, 2025

Skillet Turkey Burgers (Cook’s Country Magazine via Kate Cooks the Books)

We’ve been making this easy turkey burger recipe for years and they’re always a crowd pleaser. In addition to adding the 1 cup of panko to the turkey mix, I also like to sprinkle additional panko on a plate and press both sides of each patty into the panko to ensure an extra crispy crust. We usually eat ours without the bun dipped in Dijon mustard or Ranch dressing. We ate our turkey burgers with Mashed Rutabagas and salad before racing out the door for evening activities.

Thursday, February 20, 2025

One-Pan Lemon Dill-Chicken (The Kitchn)

My mom forwarded this recipe (thanks, mom!) and it was delicious, despite the unappetizing picture. I didn’t do it any aesthetic favors by serving it alongside a wild rice blend and roasted cauliflower, but it all worked together. For the cauliflower, I dusted it with a handful of shredded parmesan and popped it under the broiler for the last few minutes. It emerged silky with pops of crunchy frico. I would try that preparation again, although it still needed something. Onion perhaps?

Friday, February 21, 2025

Pasta with hamburger cooked in sauce and steamed kale. We had an orchestra concert to get to for our little violinist and this was about all we had time for.

February 27, 2025

Chicken, cooking, family, February 2025, food, recipe, recipes, Soup, turkey, weekly-meal-plan
Valentine

Last week was an absolute blur of kids home sick, after-school activities, science fair projects, and all things Valentine’s Day. The girls exchanged Valentines at school on Friday (thankfully still a thing), and we celebrated as a family in the evening. In keeping with a tradition that my family started years ago, we made homemade pizza and watched a movie. The girls chose The Greatest Showman, which we all thought was wonderful. On Saturday, we hosted brunch to celebrate a couple of family birthdays. I made Smitten Kitchen’s Brussels Sprout and Bacon Frittata. Eating Brussels sprouts at brunch felt so virtuous! I could certainly justify more doughnuts because, you know, balance.

Monday, February 10, 2025

Pork Fried Rice (The Kitchn)

This is one of our quickest go-to weeknight dinners. I especially love this recipe because it does not involve mincing ginger or garlic. It also tastes like take-out and the leftovers are just as good the following day. Make the rice in the morning and store it in the refrigerator, so it’s cold when you need it, and add additional soy sauce to taste. Roasted broccoli and edamame on the side.

Tuesday, February 11, 2025

Chicken and Red Lentil Soup With Lemony Yogurt (New York Times Cooking)

I’m always looking for new ways to get my family to eat more pulses. This soup looked like it had potential with 5 stars and 1,732 reviews. The girls actually ate it, drizzled with the yogurt sauce and a sprinkling of fresh herbs, but it wasn’t their favorite. I thought it was fine. However, I would have added fresh lemon juice directly to the soup to give it a bite of acidity. Roasted squash, warm naan, and salad completed the meal.

Wednesday, February 12, 2025

Ina Garten’s Linguini with Shrimp Scampi (Food Network)

An easy, no-wine-required shrimp scampi recipe. We ate ours with salad, as well as frozen Brussels sprouts and butternut squash roasted on a sheet pan at 425 degrees for about 25 minutes. Nobody wanted those Brussels sprouts except for me. They were all mine. No complaints here.

Thursday, February 13, 2025

Leftovers

Friday, February 14, 2025

Homemade Pizza (Dinner a Love Story)

Sadly my crust didn’t rise, but we made do. The girls made “heart” shaped pizzas and Joel and I stretched ours over a small sheet pan. Our favorite topping is always sautéed sausage with wilted swiss chard. We steamed broccoli to eat on the side and sampled many assorted chocolates.

Breakfast of the Week

Overnight Chia Oats (Alexandra’s Kitchen)

I make this breakfast once a week for myself and get two servings out of it. It’s my favorite weekday breakfast, especially when I have fresh berries and walnuts on hand to top it off. The combination of vanilla, cinnamon, and maple syrup is delicious and the chia seeds leave me feeling full until lunch. Nothing beats opening the refrigerator to a pre-made breakfast.

February 19, 2025

Breakfast, chia-seeds, Chicken, cooking, February 2025, food, health, Pork, recipe, recipes, shrimp, Soup, weekly-meal-plan

All Play, No Work

Valentine