menu plan obsessions

Tonight's plan was to sit down with the new cookbooks and make a schedule for this week. Goals included: using up everything (vs wasting) and factoring in the busy work week and making food I'd want to actually eat.

The week's menu and cooking plan is:

Monday: Pasta shells with sausage, peppers, and tomatoes.(Going Solo)
Tuesday: Broiled half chicken with root vegetables. (Judith Jones)
Wednesday: Chicken pot pie (using leftover chicken bits) (Going Solo)
Thursday: Stracciatella and ciabatta chicken sandwich (CIA)
Friday: Sausage, spinach, and mushroom pizza
Saturday: Asian chicken noodles (CIA)

Cut, because I do go on FOREVER when I'm animated about things

Just as I was finishing my grocery list, Sarah called and said she was randomly in my neighborhood, and did I want to go to Whole Foods. I don't usually go to Whole Foods because omfg spensive, but I was already thinking about going there because they have a lovely meat counter where you can just buy a link or two of sausage (spicy Italian chicken!) instead of a package. So Sarah came over, waited while I finished my list, then we went on a glorious food shopping adventure. Glorious because Whole Foods is totally empty on a Friday night!! It was perfect, and I stuck entirely to my grocery list and didn't buy 200 Valrhona chocolate bricks! Whee!

As part of my new big organization plan, I have templates for both a weekly menu schedule and also a grocery list. It was actually really nice to see that the biggest column for once was the vegetable column, with only a couple of things on the meat side. I've been trying to eat meat more responsibly, and I was able to buy the most adorable 3lb local whole chicken--organic, responsibly grown, etc. Money well spent.

I tried to pick things for the menu that would repeat ingredients, but not be boring. I'm excited about the recipes, and I'm even excited to spend a good chunk of time tomorrow cleaning out the fridge/freezer and prepping everything for the week. I need to divide the whole chicken into components (1/2 for roasting, the back and one leg for stock, a thigh for the Asian Chicken Noodles, a breast for the Ciabatta Chicken sandwich). Most of the recipes are for just one meal, with maybe enough pasta for one dinner with salad and one lunch; the roast chicken will yield bits for the pot pie.

Ultimately I would love to have a better stocked freezer--with homemade pizza dough, pate brisee, stock, tomato sauce, cream sauce, and pesto to use throughout the month. But --trying to take it slowly.

This is making me want to food blog again. I'm thinking of revisiting my site, even though that weird girl from high school found it. (And proceeded to continue to be weird.) I don't think I have the energy to create a new blog. So, we'll see!

Tomorrow holds the promise of a lot of productivity and I hope I'm able to control my inner slothbeasts.

I'd like to:

- prep foods, make stock
- work on setting up the new pc.
- do laundry
- bake something, anything--I feel like I never bake for ME anymore, and that needs to change

Sunday I get my legs waxed and am going to hang out with Sarah and Tanielle. So it's really gotta be about Saturday.