You may have heard about the cooking day (Plummelo Cooking Club, PCC) I planned with five friends in January. Six of us got together at Kate's house for a down and dirty meal prep day (three hours). We assembled steak fajitas, chicken marbella, turkey and roasted red pepper meatloaf, and a spinach and prosciutto lasagna. We did all of this with minimal prep--but everyone did her part and brought what was on her shopping list. It cost each family $37.50 to take home more than four meals' worth of food. It kept us eating well on busy weeknights for days, if not weeks. (I think there is still a Ziploc of the chicken in my freezer.) It was such a success that we had to plan another one.
In order to gain hall passes from the husbands, we pulled it off as a work day ("What. I'm making dinner!") and assured them they'd benefit.
This past weekend, again at Kate's, a slightly different group got together. Five of us this time, and again four recipes: the same steak fajitas (simple yet classic), garlic-citrus chicken, meatballs, and salmon cakes. We agreed that this round worked us harder, but it was the recipes' fault: they were a bit more involved. The meatballs required browning, the chicken required zesting (of limes and oranges), and, well, the salmon cans required opening. (It also involved squeezing, patting, chopping, slicing, bagging, admiring.) The shocker? Also exactly $37 per person. Awesome.
Cooking days with friends are hard to schedule and a logistical nightmare to organize, but so worth their trouble. Not only do you get three-plus solid hours of quality time with people you love, but also four meals to take home to eat that week ... and think of your friends while enjoying each bite.
You better believe this PCC is pushing on for #3 in May. Stay tuned.
3.22.2010
3.17.2010
Things I Want to Remember
Lindsay, now four days shy of 13 months...
... Tucks her two babies into their "bed" (her rocker ottoman), covers them with her doll quilt my mom made, and gives them plenty of kisses "mmmmwa, mmmmwa"... prays with them (folding her hands), and says "night night" over and over again to them.
... Has discovered balls of all shapes and sizes. Around the house, of course, she has toy balls and talks about them. But this surprised me: This morning we were driving past North Station and she was looking out the window and saw all the stone/cement "balls" that block cars from driving into the building along the curb. "Ball, ball, ball"... she must have said it 20 times as she counted all the balls.
... Somehow climbed into the bathtub yesterday (thankfully there was not water in it).
... Noticed the "choo choo" T train today as we were driving and said "choo choo."
... Today started becoming really interested in feeding herself with utensils. I gave her a spoon to try to get her to eat some of her fruit and veggies (a struggle lately) and she was excited and proud to dip the spoon in the bowl and put some food on it and then put it in her mouth. Also, dipping food. I held a small bowl of tomato sauce for her to "dip" her pasta and broccoli in. She loved it.
... Tucks her two babies into their "bed" (her rocker ottoman), covers them with her doll quilt my mom made, and gives them plenty of kisses "mmmmwa, mmmmwa"... prays with them (folding her hands), and says "night night" over and over again to them.
... Has discovered balls of all shapes and sizes. Around the house, of course, she has toy balls and talks about them. But this surprised me: This morning we were driving past North Station and she was looking out the window and saw all the stone/cement "balls" that block cars from driving into the building along the curb. "Ball, ball, ball"... she must have said it 20 times as she counted all the balls.
... Somehow climbed into the bathtub yesterday (thankfully there was not water in it).
... Noticed the "choo choo" T train today as we were driving and said "choo choo."
... Today started becoming really interested in feeding herself with utensils. I gave her a spoon to try to get her to eat some of her fruit and veggies (a struggle lately) and she was excited and proud to dip the spoon in the bowl and put some food on it and then put it in her mouth. Also, dipping food. I held a small bowl of tomato sauce for her to "dip" her pasta and broccoli in. She loved it.
