Weekly Menu May 20

Source: northwudzgirl

I couldn't bring myself to write up my usual silliness today, not with the all the families mourning in Oklahoma. Those children are the same age as my boys, and my heart is breaking. My prayers and tears are with them, and I'll see you all tomorrow. 

This week we have:

Lemon Garlic Chicken

Roasted Cauliflower

Chocolate Cherry Almond Biscotti

Apricot Cream Cheese Scones

Banana Cake with Almond Cream Cheese Frosting

I've been on a mission. I wanted to bake something with bananas. I've done muffins, I've done multiple breads, I wanted something new. I thought about it for 2 weeks, and eventually decided on banana cake. I've never had banana cake, actually. I envisioned something a bit sweeter than banana bread, definitely fluffier, hopefully lighter and prettier. Plenty of banana flavor, but not just banana bread in a cake pan with frosting on top. I searched through dozens of recipes, found one (of many) claiming to be the best, and messed with it, of course! The result is one of my new favorite cakes, a recipe I am head over heels in love with and want to share with EVERYONE!!

Homemade Beef Jerky (With or Without Dehydrator!)

Today I'm sharing a piece of my history. My Mom got this recipe from my uncle Pat long before I can remember. I didn't know him very well, he lived in Texas and as an Air Force family we were always moving around. I do remember his last visit to us, when we lived in Colorado in 1998. I was 13, and he drove up to visit us on his big touring motorcycle. He took us for rides on it, we played games till the cows came home, and I finally felt like I knew my uncle. A few months after he left, he was diagnosed with leukemia, and died after we moved to Missouri in 1999. I've always been grateful that he came to visit us that last time, and that I was old enough to remember him. 

This jerky has become legend in our family. My Mom would make a double batch every summer, for our summer vacations to Utah. One batch for us, and one for her brother Kent, her best hiking buddy. We would hoard and fight over every last piece! Occasionally my brother will still ask Mom to make him a batch and mail it to him. 

I started making it for my family a few years ago. I even made a batch for a friend as she was leaving on a road trip. (And moving away from me!!) I've made bags of it for The Geologist's college field courses, backpacking trips, and our own camping trips. Someday I'll pass the recipe on to my kids, but it will always be Uncle Pat's Beef Jerky. 

Grilled Fish Tacos

The Geologist is obsessed with fish tacos. When we were first married, he was pretty sure he didn't like fish, period. He eventually started adventuring out of his comfort zone, and discovered that he DID like fish! Living in Utah, we were introduced to the famous Rubio's fish tacos. They were just about the best fish tacos you can get away from the Coast, in our opinion! Now, those are fried. I love fried things, and fried fish is my favorite form of fish. Unhealthy, yes, but so yummy! As The Geologist has been traveling for work, to California and Houston, he discovered how amazing grilled fish tacos could be. He's been fantasizing about making them at home for months. I wasn't convinced, but we tried a few different recipes, messed with another, and came up with this one. According to him, these are now just about the best fish tacos you can get away from the Coast. I wish we had their super-fresh fish, but I'll make do with frozen for now! And guess what?? SO healthy!!

Lemon Poppyseed Muffins

Muffins! And lemons!! Two of my favorite things. I'm pretty much sold on anything involving the words "lemon poppyseed". Although sometimes that can get me in trouble...(grossest muffin ever) I figured I'd be safe with this recipe. My first lemon poppyseed muffin, from the first cookbook I have ever bought for myself! All of my cookbooks until now have been gifts or inherited. This was the first book I ever checked out from the library (I renewed it twice), the first one on my Amazon wish list, the cookbook I have been dreaming of for years. And I finally own it!! *eeeee*

Weekly Menu May 13

Source: theperfectcrush

This week we have:

Lemon Poppyseed Muffins

Grilled Fish Tacos

Homemade Beef Jerky

Banana Cake with Almond Cream Cheese Frosting

For today, May 13...

Classic Buttermilk Pancakes

Today was one of those days. I have no excuse, it just was. Tired, unmotivated... not unhappy! But I wasn't in the mood to cook dinner. When this happens, we turn to one of two quick and easy dinners: popcorn, cheese, and apples, or pancakes. And with the discovery/creation of this recipe, pancakes have been winning the battle! We add blueberries, chocolate chips, spices... considering sliced bananas next time... top them with butter or syrup or nothing... they're a cinch to whip together and you probably already have all the ingredients. If you don't, I advise adding buttermilk to the list of things to always-have-on-hand. It has so many delicious uses! These are The Geologist's new favorite pancakes.

Pork Carnitas

I have the most amazing seven-year-old in the world. I don't often go completely gaga over my kids on here (or in public generally, it's just unseemly!) but I just have to share this afternoon with you. With everyone!! After church (where we stayed a bit late so he could help put away chairs) we came home, had lunch, and I sent the boys off for "quiet time", aka, Mom-needs-a-break/nap-time. Stephen was reading on the couch. Just when I was about to doze off... I hear clinking and chinking of plates from the kitchen. Getting all growly and annoyed and frustrated, I stalked out of my room, fully expecting to catch some kid red-handed disobeying some rule or other... I find Stephen unloading the dishwasher. Have I mentioned he's seven?? I ask, still a little fuzzy, "Um... what are you doing?" His face falls.