Sunday Dinner Again

I can't over emphasize the importance of sitting down to a meal together.  Everyone gets a chance to talk at the table and just be in each other's company.  There are no electronics to distract us.  The tradition of the Sunday dinner doesn't have to happen on Sunday, but for us this week it did.

Here's the menu.  I varied it slightly from one I found in one of my many cookbooks.  Really all of this took about 45 minutes from start to finish; except for the polenta which I made ahead of time. I served a Beaujolais Villages as evening's wine.  (I know it isn't Italian, but it was delightful with the dinner.)

My polenta cooling in a pie plate.  Just slice and bake for 20 min in a 350 degree oven

Romano and honey drizzle

Sausage and mushroom gravy

Red wine walnut cake

Enjoy your family and your kitchen.

Bon Appétit et Santé!

Beth 

Why wine?

I love wine. I really do. One of my favorite quotes is "I love wine, sometimes I even put it in the food." - Julia Child.

When you've put the effort into a nice dinner the wine you serve can really enhance the flavor of the food.  My family sits down to dinner almost every night; we have candle light, music and my husband and I have a glass of wine.  It's a relaxing way to end our day.  Many people think that wine is complicated and there is a lot of learning to be done to match the correct wine and food.  Yes, you can do this and I've done much reading over the years and I've forgotten most of it.  Theses days I use the basic rule of a lighter wine with a lighter food and vise versa for a heavier dish.

I do serve a house wine, yes just like a restaurant.  That is the Bota Box. I really like their Chardonnay.  It's inexpensive and has a good body.  I can pair it with most things, chicken, pasta, fish, pork, maybe not a heavy read meet, but almost anything else. They also have bota minis which have 2-3 glasses of wine in a box.  They too are inexpensive and a great way to try different varieties.

For a daily red I would suggest a red Zinfandel.  They can be fruity/jammy delicious sides to most of  the items that I listed above and even the red meat.  Pinot Noir can is also on the lighter side.

Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlots are delightful but tend to be heavier and some people find them bitter. Please don't let that deter you and give theses wines a try too.  They are great with a stew or a steak on the grill.

I really encourage you to buy one or two wines this week.  If you like them write down their names or take a picture with your phone and buy again.  If not toss it; don't drink it.  Try again.  There are so many countries and states that produce great wine so think about giving them a try.

Santé, 

Beth 

Smooth Morning

These are just some of the ways I keep my week running smoothly.  For the breakfasts and lunches it may seem boring, but sometimes it's nice not to think. If you need ideas see my post on weekday breakfasts.  For my morning coffee I use my programmable coffee pot so it is hot and ready when I am.   Of course there is always room for change, something that I'm working on accepting.   I think you'll enjoy your morning much more even if you try one of these ideas for yourself or your children.

A bientôt,

Beth 

Mock the Cesar

My family really enjoys Cesar Salad.  However I really don't want to deal  with the raw egg issue or always make a dressing at the last minute. I don't know where I found this recipe but I've been using it for years and the salad is always gone. My middle child likes to  eat it right out of the bowl.

The ingredients - most of  which are pantry items

Shaking the dressing in a plastic container

Cesar salad, shepherd's pie and of course my French bread.

Enjoy this recipe and stop buying the bottled version.  Mix everything in a container that you can shake.

1/4 c olive oil
2 T lemon juice
2 T red wine vinegar
salt and pepper
1/3 c grated Parmesan cheese
3/4 t dry mustard
1/2 t garlic powder
1/4 t soy sauce

Bon Appétit!

Beth 

Weekday Breakfast

There are all sorts of posts for beautiful weekend breakfasts.  I thought I'd share some of the foods I have for my weekday breakfast.  I'll be the first to say i take about 5-8 minutes to prepare my breakfast and I do sit down and eat it.  This is usually between 6:20-6:40 ish.  The last place I want to eat breakfast is at school on in my car.  

On the top left I have avocado toast. If you haven't tried this yet please do so.  I use almost a whole avocado on 2 pieces of homemade sourdough bread or whole wheat based bread. Just smash the avocado and season with any type of salt ( I like sea salt), pepper and a drizzle of olive oil (I like lemon olive oil). I also had 1/2 a grapefruit.  

Beneath is crock pot steel cut oats.  I have a small 2-3 quart crockpot and make 3-4 servings.  I like to sweeten it with maple syrup or honey.  My kids like brown sugar.  For this picture I served it with pomegranate seeds I had in the fridge and peaches that I caned in the summer. I save the leftovers and serve them with homemade applesauce or non-sweetened applesauce later in the week.  

For the last picture I had my homemade bread (or any artisinal bread) toasted and topped with whole milk ricotta and homemade jelly.  Ricotta cheeses vary greatly so do shop around if you buy one and don't like it.  I love whole milk Bel Gioioso.   I also had a soft boiled egg and of course grapefruit because its winter in Wisconsin.

Many times I also make a quick bread on the weekend and have that during the week along with fresh fruit and topped with some sort of protein.  

I hope I've inspired you to start your day off well.  After all you have one body, why not take care of it?

Bon Appétit!

Beth