You know those weeks when you feel like a failure? That is how this last week was for me. I have never been so happy for a Monday to come in my life... which is saying a lot because Mondays are usually hard. Between extra work crap, and dealing with insurance crap (see my post about my car accident here), and just life crap, by the end of the week I just felt like cr... oh, you get the idea. So, Monday this week signaled a fresh start for me.
But, despite all of that... I am trying my hardest to be consistent with this blogging stuff because it serves as my sense of catharsis and sanity. I am also trying my hardest to be honest.
So, crap + an attempt at consistency + honesty = this week's Kitchen-to-Kitchen. It represents last week's version of myself very well - stretched thin without much to give. However, there are some gems mixed in to focus on which is the only way to get through some of those hard weeks. I hope you find something to bring from my kitchen, to yours |feel free to leave the "crap" in my kitchen though :) ha!|
Monday
I am not sure what we had for dinner that night - I got home really late from work because I am heading a big fundraiser for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society with a group of my students. If I look back on my Instagram account |sad when that is my only reference point for reality last week!| it appears we had a frozen pizza.
I will spare you the details as I am sure anyone competent enough to navigate their way through a blog is also competent enough to cook a frozen pizza.
Tuesday - Ham and Broccoli Casserole
This guy was... interesting. He tasted AMAZING!! The taste wasn't the issue. It was the texture. I don't know what it is, but any food with a funky texture does not find company in my mouth - tapioca pudding |bumpy|, mushrooms |rubber bands, anyone?|, or egg plant |mushy| are all hard for me to handle.
This casserole was a bit like that, in my opinion. However, the hubby loved it! So, if you don't have hyper-sensitive taste buds like the crazy person on the other end of the keyboard you might like it, too!
I mean, on paper it sounds perfect - cheese and bread cuddling their dear friends broccoli and ham all resting on top of tin foil for easy clean-up. It sounds like match made in Pyrex heaven.
Preheat your oven to 350. Then, line a baking dish with tin foil and a layer of pre-steamed broccoli florets (about 10 oz).
In a medium bowl, whip together 4 eggs, 3 cups of milk and 1 cup of Bisquick Baking Mix. It doesn't look pretty now, but remember... it turns into bread eventually and bread is our friend.
Told you it didn't look pretty - but it TASTED pretty at the end!
Then layer in the pre-cooked ham and the shredded cheese. I was raised by a North Dakotan woman- the land of cheese and casserole hot dishes. My mom's theory was throw cheese on anything if you want it to taste better. And boy was she right. This recipe agreed with her as it called for 2 cups of cheese.
Remember that bowl of mush that I promised would be golden bread later? Pour that all over the top of the cheese, ham, and broccoli. I didn't put a picture up of that because that mixture didn't look any better once you poured it all over this stuff than it did in the bowl in the previous picture.
Put her in the oven at 350 degrees for an hour.
When you open your oven prepare to be engulfed by golden brown, cheesy-goodness. Makes the North Dakota part of my heart go pitter patter.
Wednesday - Friday
We put a valiant effort into getting enough food into our systems simply to stay alive over the course of these 3 days. This involved a lot of cereal for dinner and a run or two to the local Chic-fil-a. Doh.
Since I am here writing this post a few days later, I can guess you can say we succeeded at the whole "living" thing.
Saturday - Tokyo Joe's Fail
So, this day resembles Wednesday-Friday in the sense that it was another crazy busy day where we didn't cook.... sort of.
Brady and I had been craving Tokyo Joe's for the longest time so we decided to swing by. I ordered the item from the menu that was driving my craving - a Teriyaki bowl to go.
Much to my surprise, dismay, frustration, down-right anger I realized, very quickly, they had forgotten the actual Teriyaki sauce. |This wasn't hard for me to deduce considering those fluffy little udon noodles were completely white - a hard task to accomplish when normally doused in Teriyaki sauce.|
As soon as my pity party was over I went into action, and by "went into action" I mean I let Google go into action: "How to make your own Teriyaki sauce?"
I assembled my ingredients in an attempt to salvage my sad bowl and my cravings. Oddly, my taste buds weren't crying out for flavorless pasta or dry vegetables. |Oh, don't act like vegetables aren't just healthy vehicles to get unhealthier, more delicious things into your mouth - dressing, cheese sauce, does the list need to continue?|
More like Tokyo No's
Despite my frustration it was very simple to make. All that you need to do is combine the following ingredients in a sauce pan and let it simmer over medium heat. Watch it closely - it bubbles like crazy very quickly.
1/2 c of soy sauce
2 tbsp. water
2 tbsp. sweet rice wine (I was in panic mode and was very unprepared so I substituted the white wine vinegar I had on hand - seemed to work fine)
2 tbsp. brown sugar
3 tbsp. honey
1 garlic glove zested (I minced it)
1 tsp. fresh ginger (clearly, from the picture above, "fresh" was a bit of a stretch)
Recipe credit: A Cozy Kitchen
You are supposed to let it simmer and reduce for 10 minutes. Ha! When your bowl is sitting their cold, your husband has already inhaled his dinner, 10 minutes seemed like a lifetime. I didn't do that - basically allowed it to get over room temperature and doused my food in it.
It tasted spot on! But was a bit runny, which I know would change if I actually practiced patience and let it reduce.
See the puddle of teriyaki on the plate? A sign it needed to simmer longer.
At least I know a side job I can pick up if teaching falls through - Tokyo Joe's resident teriyaki sauce-maker. |Is that a thing?|
Sunday
In comparison to the other nights, Sunday was relatively calm and relatively successful but still not a day to write home about.
I made us these balsamic steaks. The glaze/marinade was To. Die. For. However, the recipe called for rib eye. Our budget does NOT call for rib eye. We could have gone OUT to dinner, which means no dishes, for the same price as those uncooked slabs of meat.
So, we cut corners and got a cheaper cut of meat.
We ended up paying for this decision anyways. We chomped away until there was no glaze left on those bites of steak and no strength left in our jaws.
And you know what they say - time is money.
For the marinade:
1/2 c balsamic vinegar
1/2 tbsp. water
2 minced garlic cloves
1 tbsp. Oregano
1/4 c extra virgin olive oil
1/4 c original steak sauce
Let the steaks swim in the deliciousness for a minimum of 3 hours.
Throw them on the grill on medium high heat, for about 5 minutes on each side.
Here's to higher quality steaks and higher quality weeks in the future!
Don't forget to stop by tomorrow for the next Sister Sunday post. Get caught up on last week's Sister Sunday, now!
