Little known fact: I used to have a food blog called "Nana's Fabulous Life." It was inspired by my Nana (who was Danish and loved to cook and loved to put butter on every single sandwich) and Nana's recipe boxes, which I've carted around between several apartments and two houses. I started the blog when blogging was like the thing to do. Then I abandoned it, like I often abandon things like shoes, blogs, ideas, hair ties and bobby pins.
But, I never abandoned my love of recipes and cookbooks! Since today was the first day of the rest of our lives (i.e. the first Monday of the New Year), I needed to get our meals aligned! And with all of us at home, endlessly for all three meals, plus 1,000 snacks a day, planning our meals stops the hangry!
And, meal planning is a great excuse to pour over my collection of cookbooks. I have around 60 (maybe 70, I don't know. I am not counting). I love cooking my go-to recipes, but I also love whipping up something brand new!
Here's the stack I poured through this morning:
Magnolia Table, by Joanna Gaines, is a new favorite, gifted to me this summer. Her smoky Poblano soup is heaven; but it is the Chicken Puffy Pastries that I am going to cook this weekend. Then, Ultimate Platters and Boards, is a new acquisition from my husband for Christmas. I am going to give the Dilly Green Beans and Polenta Fries a whirl this week. Six Seasons of Vegetables is also brand-new. I intend to go off-season and make some homemade tomato soup; but cannot wait to follow this cookbook along with my garden produce when the days get warmer! The Beekman 1803 Heirloom Cookbook (I am making the cabbage, water chestnut, bacon and noodle dish), Beach House Cookbook (This week I'll make the black bean soup and corn bread) and Alton Brown Everyday Cook (Broccoli Heroes are on tap for lunch Wednesday) are three of my most beloved and stained cookbooks. I love each of them--they are filled with such great meals and memories!
Whenever I make Alton's turkey sliders, I think of the first time we were snowed in at our house on Eldridge. The Beekman Cookbook reminds me of the first Christmas my son was born and our garden had Brussels Sprouts still growing on 12/25 for our Christmas feast. And the Beach House Cookbook gives me all the feels. It is authored by one of my favorite Southern writers--Mary Kay Andrews--and brings me back to childhood summers at the Jersey shore or down south at Diamond Beach in North Carolina.
Tonight, I am making Miso Maple Salmon--a recipe a friend shared with me. This has become one of my favorite quick weeknight meals. (Also, the container of miso is like enormous and will last 100 years.) We have it with some snap peas tossed with grated ginger and coconut rice. Whenever I make it, I think of my friend Brooke, who gave me the recipe and my other pals--Melissa, Kate and Jackie, who have literally been my constant text therapy since the global pandemic turned us all into food hoarders.
What's on your menu for this week?
Writer's Note: This blog is unedited, unproofed and depending on the day, unfiltered. Grammar police--you can get your fix elsewhere. I am just practicing my craft and crafts are always messy.
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