Archive for March, 2009

  • 31 Mar

    Posted by
    Jillian Frank


    Category

    Menu for March 30-April 4, 2009

    1

    Like the Weekly Menus?
    You can subscribe to them by RSS or by e-mail!

    Thanks to all who offered suggestions for what I could make this week with my on-hand ingredients. I’m still fleshing out our menu, but here’s what I’ve come up with so far:

    Breakfast
    Oatmeal with Ground Flaxseed, Raw Honey, Raisins, and Cinnamon and/or Cottage Cheese and Fruit

    Lunch/Dinner
    *Quinoa, Corn and Spinach Chowder with Homemade Fresh Bread (chowder recipe from Vegetable Soups from Deborah Madison’s Kitchen)
    *Rice and Black Beans with Fresh Chopped Tomatoes, Cheese, and Tortilla Chips
    *Quinoa with Cumin-Roasted Chickpeas and Sauteed Onion, Green Pepper, Spinach, and Canned Whole Tomatoes (input on additional seasoning would be appreciated)
    *Fresh Tomato and Parmesan Risotto with Homemade Fresh Bread (suggestions for a complimentary vegetarian protein would be helpful)
    *Homemade Pizza with Spinach-Packed Marinara Sauce and Finely Chopped Broccoli

    I think I need at least one more meal that will yield leftovers in order to make it through Saturday. I’m still open to (and appreciative of!) suggestions as to what I can feed my family this week on a very limited budget.

    Want to see someone else’s menu plan for the week? Check out Jenna’s Chive Talkin’ Blog!

    Want more? Check out the Weekly Menus archive.

  • 30 Mar

    Posted by
    Jillian Frank


    Category

    Help Me Feed My Family

    9

    With the economy being what it is, does it surprise anyone when I say that money is a little tight for my family right now? You know the drill… move to a new city for a job; rent out house in hometown; move into apartment in new city; tenants break lease and leave you in the fucking lurch back in hometown; etc. So, that being said, I would like to spend at little as humanly possible on food for the next week or two. And, since I know some of you are fantastic cooks (yes, I’m talking to you, Cassie and Jeanne!), I was hoping you could lend your expertise to my plight.

    I’m not much of a “pantry-stocker” (though I really want to be), but I do have a few things stock-piled (or leftover. whatev…). I’m just not sure what I can make with what I have other than rice and beans. So, in the hopes of not having to eat burritos all week, I offer you a list of what’s in my pantry, freezer, and baking cupboard. Please help.

    In Our Pantry
    brown rice
    arborio rice (approx. 20 oz)
    dried black beans (many!)
    dried kidney beans (approx. 8 oz)
    dried chickpeas
    1 can black beans
    red lentils (approx. 8 oz)
    brown lentils (approx. 4 oz)
    quinoa (approx. 3 oz)
    cornmeal
    popcorn
    whole grain amaranth
    peanuts
    lasagna noodles
    penne pasta (approx. 4 oz)
    bread crumbs
    1 can whole tomatoes
    vegetable bullion cubes
    peanut butter
    water chestnuts
    balsamic vinegar
    extra virgin olive oil
    dried spices: coarse sea salt, table salt, black pepper, garlic salt, basil, bay leaves, paprika, cumin, oregano, dill weed, parsley, chili powder, cayenne pepper, curry powder, mustard powder, red pepper flakes, thyme, rosemary, ground nutmeg, whole cloves

    In Our Freezer
    frozen blueberries, peaches, and strawberries
    1 9-in pie crust
    corn chowder (3-4 servings)
    whole wheat burger buns
    all purpose spelt flour
    all purpose flour
    ice cream (=

    In Our Baking Cupboard
    dark brown sugar
    turbinado sugar
    coco powder
    active dry yeast
    baking powder
    ground flaxseed meal
    oatmeal
    raisins

    I’m open to buying fresh produce (obviously) and other ingredients that I’ll be able to use over and over again (including, but not limited to, dried spices-but not saffron… mama can’t afford saffron!).

    And one more question (because I certainly haven’t asked enough of you already, dear reader(s)): How should I begin to stock my pantry? What are your “must haves?” What spices are a necessity in your home? Again, I say: Help! Please!

  • 29 Mar

    Posted by
    Jillian Frank


    Category

    Letter to Jude: Month 22

    3

    Dear Jude,

    Tick, tick, tick… Do you hear that ticking sound, Monkey? That’s the sound of the minutes ticking by until your second birthday. With less than two months to go, I’ve found myself being especially reflective of all that you’re doing these days. I love watching you grow up!, but at the same time, I worry that our snuggle sessions are on the decline.

    STA70526

    This past month, you began asserting your autonomy in ways you hadn’t before. It’s no secret that you love to WALK! RUN! JUMP! CLIMB! But now, you love to do these thing en route to whatever our destination may be. In other words, Mama’s having an increasingly harder time getting you to willingly ride in the Ergo these days. Nearly every morning, you say, “Outside?” and when I reply, “Yes, in just a bit,” you then ask, “Hands?” because you want to hold my hand and walk… not ride on my back or belly. Lucky for us, it’s usually not a big deal if we turn a 15-minute walk to the library into a 40-minute one. You like to stop and feel each tree we pass. You dislike walking on the sidewalk and prefer to walk in the grass whenever possible. Sometimes I really have to work to usher you across the street because you’re so interested in what’s going on around you that you forget to walk. I love watching you learn.

    Speaking of walks to the library, this past month you’ve really enjoyed reading The Gruffalo, Room on the Broom, and Charlie Cook’s Favorite Book, all by Julia Donaldson. We’ve been going to the library at least once each week, and you’ve started picking out your own books. I don’t think you have much of a system, but I like checking out the books you pull off the shelves and flip through on your own.

    We had a few warm days last month, and we took advantage of them as best we could. One Tuesday afternoon, we made the trek down to our old stomping grounds and spent a few hours at Oz Park with your girlfriend and her mom. You two had a great time digging in the empty flower beds and getting dirty. We’ve taken a lot of walks around our neighborhood. On any given day we might hit the library, the fruit market, the grocery store, one of our local cafes, or of course, the playground! You like riding in the carts at the grocery store and sharing a bagel with me at the cafe. You don’t slow down, at all, when you’re at the playground. At the end of the day, you’re tired, but honestly, I’m tired-er! Keeping up with you is tough.

    On the days we’re stuck inside, you like to color at your new table and play with your new wooden kitchen. You cook pretend meals for us (and the cats, and your stuffed animals), and throw everything in the (play) sink when you’re done. You’ve also taken to RUNNING laps around the house. You’re really fun to watch.

    STA70477

    Again, this past month I listened and watched as your vocabulary grew. You’ve started requesting “a-pasta” at regular intervals and ask for your “cheese” in a “cup” on a daily basis. On our walks you point out every “car(s),” “bus,” and “choo-choo” we see. You (occasionally) tell us when you need to use the potty, and you tell me when you want to “wash”–that is, take a bath.

    STA70402

    So now, Jude, we’ve got two countdowns to concern ourselves with: the countdown to nice weather and the countdown to your second birthday. I’m anxious for the first event to occur but am hoping the second takes it’s time. I love you, Love Bug, and I’m looking forward to our next month together!

    Love,
    mama

  • 26 Mar

    Posted by
    Jillian Frank


    Category

    Gas Leak, House Guests, and A-Pasta!

    2

    For the past week or so, every time I turned on the oven or stove, a strong gas smell would fill the kitchen and adjoining rooms. Yes, I continued to use both appliances.

    About two days ago, I noticed that the clothes coming out of the dryer reeked of gasoline…not natural gas, but gasoline. I texted and called Josh, and since he didn’t smell any gas when he got home that night, we decided to wait until the next morning to call the gas company.

    Twenty-ish minutes from the time Josh got off the phone with the gas company, a worker showed up to test our appliances for a gas leak. It turns out that one of the other apartments in our building is having its floors varnished. Those fumes are combusting every time we use one of our gas-powered appliances. On the upside, there isn’t a leak. Also, our house isn’t going to explode. On the downside, all the clothes I washed and dried over the past three days smell like gasoline and need to be rewashed and hung to dry (because that smell isn’t going to go away until they’re finished with the varnish and it dries completely). Boo.

    In other, less-smelly news, my 20-year-old cousin and his girlfriend are visiting us until tomorrow or Saturday. This is Jude’s first time meeting Sean, and he couldn’t be more excited! He spent the majority of yesterday evening screaming a high-pitched scream (a joyful scream, of course) and laughing big belly laughs. And, what’s even cooler is that in addition to Sean and Sam, Erin (Josh’s sister) and Grant (Erin’s husband) are coming to visit today and are staying until Saturday. Woo hoo for reinforcements!

    So, for dinner tonight, I’m going to make “a-pasta” (Jude LOVES “a-pasta!”), bake some bread, and saute some broccoli. I’m also hoping to try my hand at making bruschetta. I’m really looking forward to having a full house for dinner. And, I’m grateful that we finally have a table to eat dinner on and that our guests won’t have to eat on their laps. Thank goodness for hand-me-down furniture!

    Finally, no. I still haven’t written Jude’s letter or menu planned for the week. Will try to work on one of those tonight. *crosses fingers*

  • 23 Mar

    Posted by
    Jillian Frank


    Category

    Vote!

    0

    Please, please, please consider clicking over to the Cook, Sister! blog and voting for her in the South African Blog Awards. Jeanne’s site is fantastic and she more than deserves this award… check it out!

  • 23 Mar

    Posted by
    Jillian Frank


    Category

    To-Do List

    0

    Today should not have been as tiring as it was. We should have been home by 11am… noon at the very latest. At 2pm, Josh, Jude, and I finally strolled through the front door. We immediately crashed. Jude and Josh slept until 4pm. I was not that fortunate. Jude went to bed closer to 8pm than 7pm, and I worry about what that means for tomorrow.

    My To-Do List for the week is long and involved. My goal is to get my letter to Jude posted tomorrow. I would also like to make up a menu for the week so that I can go food shopping (and get a new “What’s For Dinner?” post published). Additionally, my cousin and his girlfriend are coming to stay for two nights this week. AND, Josh’s sister and brother-in-law are coming for a visit as well (though they’re not staying with us). That means I have a ton of cleaning to do. It’s going to be a long week. And sadly, I’m already tired.

    *zzzzzzzzzz

  • 20 Mar

    Posted by
    Jillian Frank


    Category

    Friday Firsts: First Love

    3

    Friday Firsts: First Love

    (Read about Red’s first over at The Naked Redhead.)

    I remember him vividly. I had just woken up from having a biopsy done in the hospital, and it seemed like some force threw him into my recovery bed. I grabbed him around the next and pulled his dark body close to mine. Then, as I sucked on one of his oversized ears, I fell back to sleep.

    His name was Sammy, and we went everywhere together. I loved him so, so much. I still do, actually. Lucky for me, he’s tucked safe and sound inside one of the Rubbermaid bins that are sitting inside my closet.

    Huh? Oh! No…I don’t have a person stuffed in a Rubbermaid bin! Silly people of the internets. I’m talking about Sammy… my stuffed dog? The one I got when I had my kidneys biopsied when I was little? I never mentioned him before? Oh. Sorry for the confusion.

    You know, if you asked me to write about my first love seven or eight years ago, I might talk about some trumpet player in some ska band. If you asked me to write about my first love ten years ago, I would talk about a wrestler/football player/meatball who was my bestfriend back then. If you asked me to write about my first love twelve years ago, I might mention a boy I met while playing softball in Virginia Beach. (Useless trivia: all three guys had the same first name. Also, they were all losers. Weird how that happened). In each instance, I would have been wrong. I would unknowingly have been telling a lie.

    Josh is my first love. He’s the first guy who, after the initial excitement and passion wore off, brought new excitement and passion into my life. He’s the only guy who, after almost seven years, still makes my heart flutter when he comes home at night. He’s the only person who has ever loved me fully; not only in spite of my shortcoming and quirks, but *because* of my shortcomings and quirks. He’s my first love and my only love. The only love I’ll ever need.

    Want more? Check out the Crossover Blog archive!

  • 18 Mar

    Posted by
    Jillian Frank


    Category

    The Smell of Dirt

    0

    It was beautiful here in sunny Chicago yesterday. The temperature was around 70 degrees and a light to moderate breeze provided some relief to the sun’s hot rays. Jude and I made the 6-mile trek south to our old stomping grounds to hang out with our friends Nori (the mom) and Eleanora (the toddler; also, Jude’s girlfriend).

    Before meeting up with the girls, Jude and I stopped for lunch at our favorite Mexican restaurant in the city–Mamacita’s. We shared some veggie tacos and a small order of rice and beans. I neglected to pack Jude’s bib and fork, so he did his best to manipulate a full-sized fork (he did well!) and keep himself clean (he did a little less than well!). After lunch, Jude took hold of my hand and we walked south on Clark Street, the wind blowing our hair back and sending Jude’s Cubs cap into the middle of the road (many thanks to the young woman who retrieved it for us!). We swung by Nori’s apartment, picked up the girls, and made our way to Oz Park.

    Instead of chasing the kids all around the (extremely busy) playground, Nori and I opted to set up shop in Oz Park’s “Emerald City Garden.” ECG is lined with trees and dotted with flower beds. The flower beds were empty, and Jude and Eleanora thought it would be fun to dig in the dirt. So they did.

    Eleanora came prepared for the occasion. She had with her: 1 pail, 1 rake, and 3 shovels. Jude wielded the rake and 2 of the 3 shovels. Eleanora put up with him.

    By the end of our play date, the kids were filthy and a bit sweaty. After a quick wipe of the hands and face (Jude’s), I strapped the boy to my belly and headed for the El. We arrived home in time for a quick dinner, and then we got straight to bed.

    During our walk to the El (and all night, and up until bath time today), I kept my nose glued to Jude’s head. His hair had that dry, dirt-like smell to it…it was the smell of sun and summer time…it was the smell of baseball and other sports. It was, for me, the one smell that I most associate with nice weather: A smell that says, “Remember me? Remember the warmth of months 5-9? It won’t be long until we’re together again every day. Don’t despair, old friend!”

    …And so, even though the temperature is making it’s way back down to the 40s, I won’t.

  • 17 Mar

    Posted by
    Jillian Frank


    Category

    Success!

    0

    Day 1 of Operation TV Free: Success! I think we just might be able to do this (if the nice weather holds up…).

  • 17 Mar

    Posted by
    Jillian Frank


    Category

    TV Free

    7

    We don’t own a television. We had one when we lived in PA, but we didn’t have cable or even basic, so most of what we watched we streamed online (usually on hulu). When we made the decision to move to Chicago, we also decided that we were going to sell our TV. Neither Josh nor I want Jude to spend his days watching cartoons. Plus, if there was a television show we wanted to watch, we could likely watch it online, and if we wanted to watch a movie, we could use our laptop’s DVD player.

    All was going well. Then, Jude and I got sick. He was miserable and cranky; I was tired and on edge. I went over to YouTube and found some short VeggieTales videos to watch. That’s when the addiction began, and honestly, it has only escalated since then. First it was 5-minute music video clips, then it was 30-minute shows. Next it was the 45-minute movie the Lord of the Beans. Now Jude regularly requests the 1 hour and 20 minute VeggieTales movie Jonah. It makes me sad. I know it’s not good for him and that I’m taking the easy way out.

    So, I’m done.

    Today, as soon as I hit ‘publish’ on this post, the laptop is getting hidden away in my closet. I’ll bring it back out tonight when Jude goes to sleep, but until then, it has to remain out of sight. It’s going to be 70freakingdegrees outside today. We don’t need to waste our time inside watching a movie for the eleventy-billionth time. It’s simply unnecessary.

    So, wish me luck, people of the internets. Hopefully Jude and I will be able to kick the TV habit more easily than I was (un)able to kick my coffee addiction. Cross your fingers.

Page 1 of 3123»