April 5

This blog will be on hiatus until I can finally settle down into damn predictable pattern of life. I will be busy renovating my home for the next 6-9 months.
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Mar 13 Menu

Last week was a blur. I had dinner with some friends on Tuesday, leaving my wife and kids to fend for themselves. On Wednesday, I had to catch Avatar on IMAX 3D (before it moves to video). Again, the wife and kids were left to scrape the bottom of the barrel. Thursday, my wife had a sewing class after work, leaving us to figure out if we were ever going to be able to sit for dinner last week.

This week is shaping up to be the same. My wife will take her turn to watch Avatar. She'll meet with her girlfriends on another evening. I may have to work late.

This week will also have to be improvised. I offered my wife a boiled dinner for the menu this week, but she declined. So without any ideas, I ended up doing my taxes. So, another week with a blank menu - but my taxes are halfway there now.
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March 8 Menu

Sorry folks, we're going to take a hiatus this week. Will be back next week.
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Mar 1 Menu

My friends are always an inspiration. A couple of weeks ago, I perused a photo gallery of their daughter making pizza. It looked like a blast, and later I was told it was just fantastic family time. So, I've ordered a pizza stone, paddle, and wheel - then went to thinking. What else could we do with the pizza stone? And, what other recipes are there that could use the help of my almost 2 year old? Well, I tried my best to find some ideas but I would definitely like some more.

Monday - Pizza
  • We get our dough from the corner pizza bar.
  • Stretch dough, spread sauce, add cheese & toppings, put in oven - at least that's what I think I remember our pizza guy doing.
  • Note to self and wife - pizza stone must be gradually heated and cooled otherwise it will crack; also pizza stone must be washed with warm water ONLY, no soap.
Tuesday - Pita Bread
  • http://teafactory.wordpress.com/
  • I can't assure you that we will have time for this recipe unless I can find ready made pita dough - does it exist?

Wednesday - Soft Tacos
  • Here is the recipe of the tortilla - http://www.abreadaday.com/?p=339
  • For the filling, I usually go with ground beef and a packet of taco seasoning

Thursday - Leftover Day
  • All that cooking of breads, we will eat the leftovers - with butter, my daughter's favorite.

Friday - Baked Bread
  • You know we do take out, but I really want to have some fun with this thing.
  • http://www.thefreshloaf.com/lessons/yourfirstloaf
  • We'll do some pasta on the side.

Grocery List for me:
  • Fruits, Vegetables, Herbs - bell peppers, mushrooms,
  • Meats, Poultry, Fish - pepperoni, deli meat, ground beef
  • Dairy, Eggs - mozarella, ricotta
  • Dry & Cans - pizza sauce, clams, corn meal, basic yeast, vegetable shortening
  • Frozen - ice cream, ready made pita dough?, ready made other dough
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Feb 22 Menu

We had a great weekend with a visit from our NYC friends who brought their 7 month old son up for a playdate. Luckily the weather cooperated and we all had a great time. We also had a lunch date with fellow Cantabrigians and their daughter. It's amazing how well our daughter eats with her friends around - but as soon as they leave, she goes on a hunger stike.

Well, this week, the menu is again, sadly, less than inspiring. Here it goes (and sorry for the late pin-up, it's pretty much useless now, so no grocery list this week):

Monday - Beef and Vegetables (asparagus and carrots)
  • This is pretty much a stir fry menu served with rice.

Tuesday - Kale Sausage Mushroom Stew

Wednesday - Lo-mein

Thursday - Steamed Clams and Pasta

  • this is a trader's joe set-up - they have packaged clams in garlic sauce
  • you only add the noodles

Friday - Leftovers

  • I can only hope there aren't any leftovers and we can go out for pizza.
  • Am I the only person who thinks half a pie of pizza is an adequate dinner?

For those observant followers, you're probably wondering, "what the heck happened to the low calorie nutrient dense diet?" Well, like all fads, it went out with the old as soon as I realized that the only way I would be able to get any of the recipes would be by buying books or memberships to weird alternative life-style websites that dispense vitamins, etc.

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Feb 15 Menu

Sorry, folks. Yes, it is President's day weekend and Valentine's day. We've been given a three day weekend, so of course, being who I am, I procrastinated. And last week was not a stellar menu week. We had left overs from hosting visitors over the weekend. Then we had snowstorm alert which made us go for take-out. I know, I know, excuses - for we will repeat last week's menu, except for the caesar wrap and pasta. We ended up doing the two. The wrap was great, especially the pumpkin seeds. The pasta, well, we ate it.

Tuesday - More Leftovers
  • Yes, again, we had people over for the three day weekend, amassing more leftovers.

Wednesday - Kale Sausage Mushroom Stew

Thursday - Asparagus Shrimp Risotto

Friday - Bon Chon

  • Definitely! Our west coast friends had their KFC run last weekend. So we shall reciprocate.

Shopping List for me:

  • Abbreviated this week: asparagus, kale, risotto
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Feb 8 Menu

It's more difficult than I imagined to get back into the swing. Just a week ago I was watching PBS with my good Japanese friend (yeah, it was a bender of a friday night) and came upon Roy Walford and the low calorie nutrient dense way of life. Unfortunately, he was aiming for over 90 years but his life ended prematurely at 79 as a result of Alzheimers. But, I'm still convinced he was onto something - because it turns out my daughter's meals are practically all low calorie and nutrient dense and she's skinny but healthy overall. So, going forward, in general I will attempt to be "low calorie nutrient dense" conscious as well. And it turns out, my prior obsession with superfoods, dovetails with Roy Walford's high nutrient lifestyle.

At any rate, here's the menu for the week:

Monday - Pasta Alfredo Primavera


  • Can you believe this? I guess all those vegetables balance out all that cream.
  • www.tastebook.com/recipes/539325-Pasta-Alfredo-Primavera
  • I'm sure better recipes abound, but this one sounds so much easier.
  • Oh, and remember to make extra for tomorrow's side and put beans in water. In the morning, but the beans in the slow cooker. OR, just get canned beans.

Tuesday - Chicken Caesar Wraps

Wednesday - Kale Sausage Mushroom Stew

Thursday - Asparagus & Shrimp Risotto

Friday - Thai Take Out

  • Inkling for Roddee, but knowing our friends in Cambridge go on Sundays, we may have to opt for pizza and be a little patient.
Shopping List for me:
  • Vegetables, Fruits, Herbs - broccoli, cauliflower, salad greens, red bell peppers, kale, mushrooms, asparagus, shallot, parsley
  • Meat, Poultry, Fish - chicken tenderloins, italian sausage, shrimp
  • Dairy, Juice - cream cheese, feta, milk, yogurt
  • Breads, Grains - tomato basil tortillas, risotto rice
  • Canned - black beans, navy beans, chicken stock
  • Misc - caesar dressing, pumpkin seeds

Shopping List addtl:

  • Vegetables, Fruits, Herbs
  • Meat, Poultry, Fish
  • Grains - Cous-cous
  • Dairy, Juice - parmesan cheese
  • Misc - white wine
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Feb 1 Menu

It's a lot more difficult than I thought to get back into the swing of the menu again - I've been spoiled with my in-laws in town for the past two months. On top of that, our move to Belmont has required some commuting adjustments between my wife and I - resulting in her beating me home sometimes - which means she gets to yield the chef's knife. So, we're settling into a nice rhythm and the menu will reflect both her and my tastes.

Monday - Fish Teriyaki Over Rice

Tuesday - Gyudon

Wednesday - Tobiko Bibimbap

  • Dice spinach, mix with rice, add tobiko.
  • Drizzle sauce - put onion, carrots, apple, soy sauce, and olive oil in a blender and puree.
  • Garnish with fried egg.

Thursday - Pasta and Clams

  • There really is no recipe for this. You take Trader Joe's Garlic Clams and put it over some pasta - we like linguine and fettucine.
  • Add some salad with beans.

Friday - Take Out

  • Pizza? Bon Chon? Roddee? The options are almost endless because we don't have gogi tacos!
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Jan 25 Menu

Happy new year and belated it is!!! Already almost three months have gone by since we've bought our home, renovated it, and moved in and yet - we still have boxes. Woe is us, the den/guestroom looks like it will perpetually be the storage room. What we really need are visitors that will spur us into action to buy furniture, etc. All that aside, it has been great to see our daughter run around in the new house. And there's nothing better than shoveling snow every weekend. To top it all off, I am now sitting here ready to resume our weekly menus.


For those that are new to this blog, I look to create a weekly menu (usually Monday through Thursday with Friday being an "eating out/ take out" day) for my wife and now 21 month old daughter. I scour the webpages for what I hope are easy recipes that even I could do. I rely on many friends to help me find recipes to put on my weekly menu. I usually post the menus for the week on the Friday or Saturday before the week, complete with a grocery list, so we can do our weekly Sunday shopping.


So without much further ado, the list for the week is as follows.


Monday - Japanese Chicken Curry
  • The old standby which should usually be done at the end of the week with whatever vegetables are left, but we have a chicken in the fridge that needs cooking.
  • Use japanese curry cubes and don't be shy with the vegetables (at least carrots, potatoes, one celery stick). Directions on the box are simple and more than adequate. If you want to get fancy, throw in some fresh apple sauce.
  • Serve with rice and kimchi.

Tuesday - Creamy Shrimp & Broccoli Fettucine

Wednesday - Winter Vegetable Soup

Thursday - Shepherd's Pie

Friday - Whiskey Night!!!
  • The girls may be on their own this night, because the man may have to conquer some scotch and whiskey.
Shopping List for Me:
  • Fruits, Vegetables, Herbs - potatoes, celery, broccoli, garlic, salad greens, leeks, red and white onions, tomatoes, butternut squash, rutabaga, turnips, parsley
  • Meats, Poultry, Fish - 2 lb ground beef, 1 lb beef bones and beef chuck, shrimp
  • Dairy - heavy cream, 6 lb cheese
  • Pasta - fettucine
  • Frozen - green peas, corn
  • Misc - lima beans
Shopping List Addtl:
  • Fruits, Vegetables, Herbs - carrots
  • Frozen - green
  • Misc - beef stock, white wine, worcestershire sauce
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