What's For Supper?

That day I bought a waffle maker and bragged about planning to make waffles....we ordered pizza.  I'm such a fraud.   But tonight, waffles are on the menu because the pork shoulder I planned to make is currently defrosting.

So Friday night, is waffle night, no waffling on dinner, just waffles for dinner.  I'll even throw in some bacon for those who like it.

Saturday...the pork shoulder should be defrosted.

That sucker is getting patted down, coated with a sheen of cooking oil, rubbed with brown sugar, kosher salt, black and white pepper, paprika and put in a slow cooker. Then I'm adding two cans of beer and letting it sit all day.

Saturday evening, when we've recovered from the field hockey practice, the cross country meet and before we tackle the Sunday obligations of sitting to sell tickets for the Saint Martin's 90th, mass for all ten of us, and the cross country meet for the Rita, Regina, John and Faith (at noon in Laurel), we will sit down to pulled pork sandwiches, tomato salad or Caesar --their pick, carrots, and french fries.

I shred the pork in a new pan, and take 2 cups of the drippings and add them to a bottle of BBQ sauce.  (Whatever kind you like).  Stir well while heating.  Then slosh the meat and make into sandwiches. Serve each child who likes it, and give them a roll of paper towels for clean up.  Any child who doesn't like it, hand a bowl of cheerios and pray for their souls.  

Sunday has become the Pasta night of the week, with a homemade sauce as long as the tomatoes hold out. I already gave that recipe here.  

Monday: I am liking this planning out the dinner menu...so I'm going to say we're doing hot dogs and hamburgers with french fries and carrots and cucumbers tonight.  Maybe watermelon for dessert.

Tuesday: Soup's on!  I love making soup in the slow cooker and even better, the kids eat it.

What do you need?   TIME....in the morning, before ten o'clock...

A slow cooker.
A piece of stew meat or roast. (I cut it up).
garlic

olive oil

onions (2)

celery (3)

potatoes (4)

carrots (5) 

bag of frozen peas --small.
box of chicken stock 

1 cup of red wine.

1 can stewed tomatoes or diced, preferably large.

1 can pureed tomatoes --large.  

bay leaf

salt and pepper

cooking oil

1) in a skillet, brown the meat.  Transfer to slow cooker.
2) chop up all the vegetables.  Add to slow cooker.

3) saute the garlic in olive oil.  Add to slow cooker.

4) pour in tomatoes, stock, wine and if need be, a cup of water into slow cooker, so everything is covered.

5) crush bay leaf, add to slow cooker.  

6) Add a handful of salt and pepper and the frozen peas. 

7) Most important step...turn on slow cooker.

Cook all day, serve with a salad and french bread.  They eat it.  And for the wimps, I make a pot of pasta and pour it over it and call it sauce.  

Wednesday

I made a nice meal yesterday...what do you mean you want me to do it again today?   They don't have school today so I'm going to make something that makes my life easy.   Meatloaf!  

Again, half the kids like it, half don't.  

Now I make my meatloaf with ketchup as a topper, specifically, the best we ever got was Sir Kensington Ketchup, which is only found in New York. I don't know how we got it the one time we got it, but I've been on the hunt ever since for it, and have had to substitute other ketchups,   The kids who like the meatloaf, have complained that they miss Sir Kensington.   So I've ordered some....

Otherwise, it's meatloaf.  Meat, breadcrumbs, onion, eggs, milk, ketchup, mix.  Form into a loaf. Cover top with more of the Kensington Ketchup.  Put foil over top.  Cook for 1 hour at 325.  Check. Uncover and cook another ten minutes at 425 to crisp the top.

Serve with bread and green beans.

Thursday

Chicken...it's what's for dinner.   But the kids are getting tired of fiejtas. (The horror).   

So I've got to do something different to make it interesting to them again.  Last week I tried panko breadcrumbs --breading the chicken...and that earned universal thumbs down. 

I remain undeterred.  

The kids need newness on the menu.  So this week....we're making schwarma.  I'll serve cucumbers and white rice on the side but they eat pita and narn bread so putting it together shouldn't freak out anyone.  I'm also going to pulse the black olives into a paste, which makes it more kid friendly than looking at one of those olives and thinking...she wants me to eat this?   I'm also preparing for a lot of quotes of Tony Stark.    

Happy week...happy eating....I'll let you know how the schwarma works out.