Meals of the Week, August 4th - August 10th, 2024

 

Hello all!  I am back again with another Meals of the Week post!  I sure missed doing these while my blog was down.  I missed doing everything and it feels really good to be back up and running and able to share with you again! 

I didn't just rest on my laurels while I was off however. I decided to take on the challenge of doing videos and was trying to learn how to do them and started a YouTube Channel.  Marie Cooks Up a New Life. 

You might wonder why I chose to give it that name.  When I researched English Kitchen on YouTube it came up with about a Bazillion English Kitchens. I wanted my channel to be able to stand out from the rest and so I decided to call it Marie Cooks Up A New  Life, because that is just what I am doing here.  Cooking Up a New life.  I am hoping that it will be a happy mix of all the things in my life which bring me joy.  Food, of course, recipes, my  home, my pets, etc.

So far I only have done three videos and they were a huge  challenge, trust me on this. I am very new to doing videos. They are not very sophisticated, but there is only me here. I have no teenagers to show me how to do things and am very much figuring it out as I go along.  

I am also trying very hard to be authentic. No bells and whistles. No filters.  Nothing fancy. Just me and the food and whatever's going on. When the blog went down I realized my folly in having put all of my eggs into the one basket.  I had suddenly lost all of my income. There is nothing like "Need" to force you out of your comfort zone and into trying new things.  

I could sit down and cry. (Which trust me, I did a lot during that week.) But I could also try something new and so that is what I did with the videos. I am a long way off from being monetized for sure, but I  am hopeful that at some future point I will be able to monetize my channel and then at least I will have more than one feather in my cap to rely on!

Anyways, all worked out well, my page is back up and running as it should.  And I am here sharing another Meals of the Week post with you all. All of the tastiness that I, as a single person, have enjoyed cooking and eating over the past seven days.  

I usually try to stay within budget and not to waste anything. I also try to keep my meals deliciously interesting.   I hope you will be inspired to want to cook some of the things I have cooked and that you will want to try at least a few of them.  

Cooking, whether it be for a group or a small family, need never be boring.  I hope you will enjoy what I am sharing with you this week. I know I sure did!

SUNDAY, August 4th - Sunday Dinner at my Sister's

On Sundays I usually go to my sister's for dinner. This week she cooked a Roast Chicken which we enjoyed with a variety of roasted vegetables.  Sweet potatoes, carrots, Brussels Sprouts, etc.  It was delicious as always. I do so appreciate her including me in the mix!  For dessert we had sugar free jelly with whippy cream!

For a recipe I am sharing my recipe for Roast Chicken with Herbs. You cannot have too many recipes or ways of roasting chicken in my opinion. This recipe is a really good one and comes from the Katie Stewart Cookbook which was published in 1983. 

MONDAY, August 5th - Chicken Dinner Poutine

My sister gave me some of the leftover roast chicken to take home with me and I made myself Chicken Dinner Poutine. I just adore poutine, and its always such a great way to use up leftovers.  This particular version always makes great use of the leftovers from a Chicken tinner.

You get crisp fries on the bottom. (I used frozen fries which I cook in the air fryer.) These get topped with  chicken gravy, cooked diced chicken, cheese, leftover stuffing and cooked peas.  Seriously simple and oh so tasty!

TUESDAY, August 6th -  Pork Chops with Cream Gravy

Red meat is not something that I eat very often, but when I do, I like to make sure that I give it the best treatment possible. I wrap and freeze all of my chops and my steaks, etc. individually. That way I can just take one out whenever I want to enjoy one. I have become quite adept at reducing everything down to one.

This recipe for Pork Chops with Cream Gravy is an special favorite of mine.  I love the tenderness of the meat and that flavor-filled gravy. So delicious with some mashed potatoes and a salad on the side.  This week I made mashed potatoes from scratch as I had something I wanted to do with them later in the week, but most of the time these days I use the instant mash if I am only cooking for me.  Over in the U.K. I would be using the frozen mash pellets. So convenient and so tasty!

WEDNESDAY, August 7th - Dinner out with Dad, Cindy and Hazel

On Wednesday nights I always, or at least almost always, enjoy dinner out with my father, sister and my father's friend Hazel. We usually go to the same place each week. The Big Scoop and Family Takeaway. the food can be a bit hit and miss, but the service is pretty good and when they get it right they get it right.  I have learned not to order anything with bacon on it as I will be disappointed.  You will be playing hunt the bacon as there is never more than a few thumbnail pieces included.  This week I got my old standard Fish and Chips, which you see above. Those are always done very well.

If you would like to try making your own fish and chips at home, I am linking to my own recipe for Beer Battered Cod and Chips.  That batter is superb and the chips are pretty perfect as well.  Such a family favorite!

THURSDAY, August 8th - One Pan Egg Toast Omelet

It was stinking hot and humid on Thursday so not a day I really felt much like cooking. I took the easy way out and made myself a One Pan Egg Toast Omelet.  Oh boy but they are some delicious. Quantities are for one, but you can only really make one at a time anyways.    Breakfast for dinner has always been one of my favorite things to have.

I don't do it very often, but I really enjoyed it on this day. It is like a savory combination of French Toast and an Omelet, with cheese in the middle. Tres delicious. I enjoyed a salad on the side.

FRIDAY, August 9th - Broccoli Cheese Soup, small batch

We had the remnants of that Tropical Storm Debbie hit us on Friday so it was a bit cooler and very rainy. I decided it was the perfect day to enjoy some hot coup and so I made a small batch of my Broccoli Cheese Soup.

This is one of my favorite soups to make and for several reasons. One, it uses fresh ingredients. Two, its very quick and easy to make. Three, it is perfectly sized just for two people, although you could certainly double it to feed more. 

Finally, its delicious!  What more could you ask for in a soup!  This is a recipe I just love, and I am not afraid to shout that fact to the roof tops! 

SATURDAY, August 11th - Spicy Ranch Turkey Burgers

I love turkey burgers. I probably love them even more than beef burgers. No surprise there!  (I am not a huge fan of ground beef.)  Another gloomy rainy day, but I didn't let it get me down, I cooked myself up one of my favorite Spicy Ranch Turkey Burgers.

Always moist and tender, perfectly cooked turkey burgers, with plenty of melted cheddar on top and a creamy ranch coleslaw on the bottom.  Such a brilliant combination. I didn't cook chips to have with it this time. I find that my appetite is no longer what it used to be. In the old days I could have easily eaten a side of chips and they would have been great. On this day, I had just the burger and was full.  I did enjoy a cheeky bowl of vanilla ice cream afterwards however.

So there you have it, my meals of the week. As you can see, once again, I ate really well.  There was no waste and I got in a lovely variety of things.  Some healthy and some maybe not! Hopefully this will give you some ideas of how to plan some meals for yourself!

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