MEALS OF THE WEEK (March 19th - 25th)

 

I thought it would be fun to share with you all of the meals that I have enjoyed eating over this past week.  When you are a person that lives on their own there can be a tendency to eat out of tins, or to eat frozen meals.  I don't want that to be my life and if I can inspire one person to also want to cook for themselves, then I think that's a great thing.

My late mother lived all on her own from the age of 54 to 81 when my sister and her partner Dan moved in with mom. By that point mom needed someone to take care of her as she had dementia and was no longer to really care for herself. 

While my mother was able to she always cooked for herself.  Every day she had a meal that she prepared and that she enjoyed. The odd time it might have been a tv dinner or something from the freezer. She loved Big Macs and when they put them on offer, she would buy four or five, have one for her tea and then freeze the other four to have as a treat on another occasion.

She did love to shop at M&M meats and would pick up boxes of chicken breasts and fish from there.  She might have a chicken breast for her supper but she always cooked potatoes or rice to go with it and a vegetable. 

I am a little bit more adventurous myself, but them I cooked for a living for years and am quite used to cooking for a larger family.  Food excites me.  I love to cook. Mom ate to live whereas I live to eat!  That does make a difference in what you choose to eat.

Anyways, I thought I would share with you the main meals that I enjoyed over this past week.  Usually on Sundays I have supper at my sisters with the family and every Wednesday night I go out to dinner with my father and his friends at a local eatery.  Other than that, I cook everything myself.  Food doesn't have to be complicated to taste good. I like to eat a wide variety of things, although looking at the photographs for this week, I did have a very "red" week!

Oh well, some weeks are bound to be like that! Wherever possible I have given links to the recipes!

 

SUNDAY MARCH 19TH - Supper at  my sisters

Cindy had prepared Roasted Spareribs in the Instant Pot, her Stovetop Mac and Cheese, Homemade Baked Beans and oven roasted tender stem broccoli. Everything was fabulously delicious.  I love being included in these Sunday Suppers with my family.

MONDAY, MARCH 20TH - Lamb Chops with Honey, Lemon & Thyme, served with pan fried potatoes and oven roasted tender stem cauliflower.  I had the opportunity to pick up some fresh Nova Scotia lamb and cooked it simply, not wanting to detract from its delicate flavor. This made a beautiful supper for the first day of spring. 

TUESDAY, MARCH 21ST - Small Batch Spaghetti and Meatballs

This gave me enough to enjoy on the day and some to pop into the freezer for another time.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 22ND -  On Wednesday nights I always go out to supper with my father and his friends to a local eatery called The Big Scoop.  The food is always hit and miss. I go for the company and to please my father.  This weeks special was a Hot Turkey Poutine. I decided to have that. It was so/so. My own version is a lot tastier. Hot Turkey Poutine.  Hot chips, covered in chunks of cooked turkey, turkey gravy, stuffing and cheese with a side of cranberry sauce. 

THURSDAY MARCH 23RD - Herbed Cod with Crispy Garlic Potatoes

Crispy buttery garlic potatoes are shingled on a sheet pan and cooked alongside  a fillet of breaded herbed cod fish. The cod is transferred to the potatoes at the end and the whole thing is popped under a grill and crisped up. I served it with a grilled half a tomato and some green beans.

FRIDAY MARCH 24TH - Stone Soup

I found it really chilly on Friday and so thought a bowl of soup would go down well. This is one of my favorites because it uses a bit of this and a bit of that. Its a delicious way to make your budget stretch and fill your tummy up with something hearty and warming at the same time.  Chopped cabbage, onions,  tomatoes, rice, stock, and a few seasonings combined together in a most delicious way!  I enjoyed a lovely bowl of this along with some crackers on the side and a sprinkle of cheese on top.

 

SATURDAY MARCH 25TH - Italian Sausage & Cheese Baked Manicotti

I had my family (Dad, Cindy & Dan) over for supper. Dan had been wanting me to make Manicotti or Stuffed Shells for a while and so I made the Manicotti recipe above from South Your Mouth. I didn't get a photo of it unfortunately.  I served that with  a salad and garlic bread on the side. Then for dessert we had Strawberry Rhubarb Pie with  ice cream or whipped cream. (My dad likes the spray whipped cream.)  

I have to say that this was incredibly delicious. Dan had two helpings, and Cindy took the leftovers home to freeze for another time.  I love recipes like this that use relatively few ingredients and that go together quickly and easily. I did leave out the spinach because I didn't think my father would approve.  Even dad enjoyed it!

I also cooked a Chicken Pot Pie for my dad as I was not sure he would like the Manicotti. He hadn't sounded very enthusiastic when I mentioned it to him! It is sometimes very hard to get someone who is set in their ways to try new things! But overall he does very well most of the time!

And just in case you are wondering, here is my recipe for Strawberry Rhubarb Pie.  It is gorgeous in strawberry season, but in the winter time its a great way to use some of those mediocre strawberries they put out at the shops at a decent price that are often disappointing when you eat them raw. Cooking them helps to bring out their flavor. Combine that with rhubarb and you have a dessert made in heaven!

And those were my meals of the week for March 19th to 25th!  Let me know in the comments section below if you enjoyed this post or not. I may make it a regular thing if you do!

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