Weekly Wanderings

Food:
Chicken, Sausage, Asparagus, and Mushroom Pasta - I think I'm making this for my mom for her mother's day dinner.  Possibly with crusty bread and pound cake because my mom is the best mom ever and deserves a great meal.

Raspberry Cheesecake Stuffed Chocolate Cookies - You're welcome.  :)

Gnocchi Mac and Cheese - Mmm...cheese.

Mushroom Bourguignon  - Okay, so maybe this is a fall/winter dish, but it's vegetarian and looks mostly healthy and after I eat the other three dishes I just shared, I'm going to need something moderately healthy.

Everything Else:

Top 10 Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Plan a Weekly Menu – While I will swear up, down, and sideways that menu planning is one of the greatest organizing factors in my life, it isn’t for everyone.  If you are questioning your need to menu plan, finding yourself breaking your menu plan over and over again, or struggling with the concept, this post is a must read.

Wordless – Megg reminds us not to forget about the devastation in Alabama.  Yes, bin Laden is dead, but so are 240 Alabamians.  Please don’t forget them.  You can also read my post about ways to help.

Tuscaloosa Tornado Experience – A terrifying story of one student who survived the storm.  Warning: slightly graphic; have tissues at the ready.

Today’s Best Tweets by Comedians: Osama Edition – Prepare to laugh…hard.  These are terrific. 

Don't forget to check out more of what I'm sharing on my Pinterest boards! 

This post is linked to Friday Favorite Finds.

Food Waste Friday

I didn't have time for a full fridge clean out this week, so I'm thinking that this may not be all of my food waste.  I have a lot of leftovers and a few random vegetables that may or may not still be good.  I guess we'll find out when I get a chance to go through it later today or this week.



I think we can call this week a pretty big failure in terms of food waste. :(

So far I've found some yogurt that had a sell by date of January 31; I'm thinking that it's probably growing some interesting bacteria under the lid.  No telling how I managed not to eat that.  A few spoonfuls of hummus is all that is left in the container, but it's been in there several weeks and developed an interesting (read: gross) smell.  The apples are very upsetting.  I bought those two weeks ago and they're barely passed their date.  I buy these a lot and I've never had them go bad this fast.  Perhaps I got an older bag by mistake?  I hate that I'm throwing out all of them.  Such a waste!

What did you waste this week?

This post is linked Food Waste Friday.

Alabama Tornado Relief

Osama bin Laden may be dead, but so are 240 Alabamians. 

It's been one week since disaster struck in the form of 197 devastating tornadoes.  80 people are still unaccounted for in the Tuscaloosa area alone.  The government is estimating the financial impact of the storms will equal or exceed Hurricane Katrina. 

In short, it was a disaster AND it's still a disaster.  And my state needs your help. 

How can you help?

The best way to help is in the form of monetary donations.  Long after the initial rush of supplies fades, money is still going to be needed to help victims heal and recover.  Some of the best places to give money:

Mid Alabama Region of The American Red Cross - the Red Cross is serving meals, hosting shelters, providing medical care, and passing out much-needed supplies.  Red Cross support in Tuscaloosa.

United Way - United Way supports organizations like the Red Cross and the Salvation Army as well as runs local volunteer organizations.  They are hosting a telethon today, collection supplies, and have a phone bank open to support those in need. United Way assistance in West Alabama.

UA Greek Relief - While there may be lots of criticism of the Greek system, one thing can not be overlooked: their ability to come together and help others.  Philanthropy is a cornerstone of the Greek system and never has that been more evident that at The University of Alabama in the past week.  Fraternity and sorority members have been cooking and serving meals, assisting with cleanup, coordinating donations, and delivering supplies around Tuscaloosa.  They are now turning their attention to fundraising for the city of Tuscaloosa.

UA Acts of Kindness Fund - 6 students at The University of Alabama lost their lives during the storm.  The Acts of Kindness fund will be used to financially support employees and students who were victims of the storm. 

Other ways to help:
Give blood
Ask for your blood to go to victims of the Alabama tornadoes. 


Donate supplies
-The Christian Service Mission in Birmingham has set up an Amazon wish list page that will allow you to purchase and ship much-needed to supplies to impacted areas. 
-Follow James Spann on Twitter or on Facebook for up-to-the-minute needs around the state. 
-Check out this post from Sarah Wendell of Smart Bitches, Trashy Books fame.  She is coordinating mail drop locations for out-of-state folks to mail supplies to Alabama.  Mail drop volunteers (myself included) will be collecting the donations and taking them to distribution areas.  Sarah has provided a list of donation sources and needed supplies. 

Observe a moment of silence today at 5:13 PM CST. 

We will get through this, but can only succeed with your help.  Please consider donating in some way.

"Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the LORD" Pslam 31:24.

Recipe: Quinoa with Spinach and Cheese

Until last night, I had never eaten quinoa, let alone cooked it.  I've been wanting to try it for quite some time, but I was having trouble finding it in my regular store.  I finally bit the bullet and went to Whole Foods to find it (and walked out $50 poorer).  I've heard that quinoa is popping up in regular grocery stores, but apparently it's not yet in normal grocery stores in Alabama.  If you can't find it, try online; Amazon has a good selection.

Quinoa is VERY easy to cook and this recipe would make a great side dish, but is filling enough to serve as a main dish in a meatless meal.  Another great thing about this recipe is that it's easily adaptable.  You can make it with almonds, like I did, but I think that pine nuts would be delicious too.  Any sort of white cheese that melts well can be used, so this dish is a great way to use up cheeses that you have in your fridge. 

Quinoa with Spinach and Cheese - serves four
Print this recipe!

1 cup uncooked quinoa
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/3 cup sliced almonds or pine nuts
6 cloves garlic, minced
2-3 cups baby spinach leaves
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 cup grated gruyere, gouda, fontina, or other white cheese

Soak quinoa in hot water for 5-10 minutes.  Drain through a fine wire mesh strainer.  Bring a pot of lightly salted water to boil and add soaked quinoa.  Simmer for 15-20 minutes, until quinoa is tender.  Drain well.

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Toast nuts in oil for 2-3 minutes.  Add garlic and cook until fragrant, another 2 minutes.  Stir in quinoa and spinach.  Allow the spinach to wilt and quinoa to reheat, then remove from heat.  Stir in lemon juice, cheese, and salt and pepper to taste.  Serve immediately.

-Adapted from Cucee Spouts

Linked to Tasty Tuesday, Tuesday Night Supper Club, and Delicious Dishes

May Goals

1. Budget - Put money into savings.  I haven't been as diligent as I would like when it comes to saving money.  Instead of focusing so much on how much I'm spending, I want to turn my attention to the things I want to save for and actually putting money into my various savings accounts.
2. Food - Cook more.  I feel like I've falling down on cooking lately.  I love to cook and try new recipes so this month that's what I'm going to do!  I've already built some new things into my menu and I plan on cooking smaller portions to help curb any food waste that may occur.
3. Blogging - Blog. Period.  I've made some changes and I have even more changes coming later this month, but my focus needs to remain on providing good content.  As always, let me know if there is something you would like to see me blog about and I'll keep attempting to write natural, personal, and random posts about whatever I can think of.
4. Social - Maintain a balance.  This goes along with cooking more, I think.  I love going out to dinner with friends, but a) it's expensive and b) it stresses me out to be out most every night.  But, I don't need to hide away either.  A good, solid, balance is needed.
5. Personal - Organize my office.  This is the same as last month, because I didn't do it.  And it needs to be done.  I went looking for something yesterday and couldn't find it.  I must fix that before I lose something really important in my mess. 

What are your goals for this month?

Menu Plan Monday

Happy May everyone!  Can you believe it's May already?  I'm SO ready for fresh vegetables that I find at the farmer's market.  I'm most excited about sweet, juicy tomatoes and really good corn.  What in-season fruits and veggies are you most looking forward to?

And on to the menu plan...

This weekend I enjoyed:
Saturday: Girls' Night In Potluck - I served Chicken Divan 
Sunday: Pasta with Mascarpone, Chicken, Sun-Dried Tomatoes, and Spinach

On this week's menu:
Monday: Quinoa "Mac and Cheese"
Tuesday: Leftovers
Wednesday: Chicken and Gruyere Turnovers
Thursday: Cinco de Mayo party - thinking about setting up a taco bar
Friday: TBD

Lunch will be leftovers mostly with the occasional sandwich or cup of soup thrown in.  Since I'm trying to cook more, I'm going to have a lot of leftovers so I'll have to eat it for lunch to prevent having any food waste.  Breakfasts will be blueberry almond muffins, cereal, and yogurt parfaits.

What's on your menu for the week?

This post is linked to Menu Plan Monday.

April Goal Review

1. Budget – Stick to my spending limits! I'm over in three categories this month, gas, groceries, and eating out.  At the point, spending a lot on gas can't be helped.  Gas is expensive and I have to drive.  I don't live in an area that is pedestrian-friendly nor can I walk or take public transportation to work.  I'm trying to batch errands and avoid driving as much as possible, but it's difficult.  As far as groceries and dining out, yes grocery prices are rising, but let's just call this one an overall fail.

2. Food - Stop collecting recipes.  I only printed recipes that I knew I needed (a cookie recipe and something I REALLY wanted to make for dinner) and the rest I either ignored or added to my Pinterest board.

3. Blogging - Set aside time each day to blog.  As I disappeared for a week this month, this just didn't happen.

4. Social - Stay connected.  I was much better about reaching out to people and hanging with lots of different people.  I feel much better about social things this month.

5. Personal - Organize my office.  Um, this didn't happen.  Maybe next month. 

How did you do with your goals this month?