Weekly Roundup: Week 4 – 2023

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Sunday 1.22
It is hard to believe we are already four weeks into 2023. It’s also hard to believe the weekend is already over. That went quick. For lunch today, I just had a roast beef sandwich and a few crumbs of potato chips.

I had saved the gravy from the short ribs I made last week with the thought of making stroganoff. I cooked onion and ground beef in a pan with a little butter and then added the left over gravy. To that I added some sour cream. I served it over egg noodles with a side of roasted carrots. For the carrots, I tossed them in olive oil, thyme, oregano, salt, and pepper. Then I roasted them covered at 400 for about 45 minutes. I gave them a quick broil after that.

I also made some chicken noodle soup. That will be my lunch tomorrow. Look for the picture on Monday. My wife made a banana-chocolate chip oatmeal bread which turned into our dessert. It was so good that I had two pieces.

Monday 1.23
Have you tried Pop Corners? They are kind of like a cross between popcorn and potato chips. They are addictive. I had them for a snack today. I haven’t really snacked much in the new year, but I was starving when I got home from work. On top of that my drive was brutal due to heavy snowfall so I snacked. My lunch was light, some of the chicken noodle soup I made last night.

For dinner I made a fire in the fireplace and cooked fish. I did not cook the fish in the fireplace. I pan seared cod loin and sauced it with lemon, shallot, wine, and butter. I served it over a bed of rice with a side of asparagus. For dessert I had two wafer cookies that my wife’s friend from work sent us to celebrate Chinese New Year.

Tuesday 1.24
I had to run an errand at work, and while I was out, I swung by Brother’s Roast Beef and got a sub. I used to get this all the time at the Brother’s in Malden, roast beef, lettuce, tomato, mayo, and cheese. I also got some Wachusett potato chips and a Gatorade. For dinner, I had the leftover soup that I had made Sunday night.

Wednesday 1.25
It was supposed to snow today. My whole family ended up with a half day because of the forecast. Only one thing, it never snowed. You have to love it when they get the weather completely wrong. We took advantage of the half day and went to Karma for lunch. We got gyoza, which is always good. I got a mai tai. Then we got sushi. Our usual is negihama maki and ebi nigiri. We also tried something new, Spicy Olivia Maki. It is spicy crab meat, avocado, tempura crumb, topped with seared salmon, and jalapeño dressing. We liked it. a lot and would get it again. Amanda was our waitress and she is the best! We also met Lucy, the Wednesday hostess. I guess we never go in on Wednesdays.

I also took advantage of the snow day that wasn’t to make a pot of chili. I use chuck roast, peppers, onions, canned tomatoes, and lots of spices. I do not use beans. I don’t believe in chili with beans. It turned out great. I invited my friend Michael by for a bowl. We also finished the last of the banana-chocolate chip bread, this time griddled.

Thursday 1.26
Sometimes the food I eat isn’t special. That was the case today when I grabbed a burger at Crosby’s, my local grocery store. It’s not a terrible burger and it’s cheap and easy, but it’s pretty inconsistent. Today’s wasn’t their best. I ate it in my car.

For dinner I made pasta for my wife and I with chicken thigh, onion, garlic, green pepper, and parmesan cheese. That was much, much better than the burger. I’m skipping dessert, still trying to get my weight down.

Friday 1.27
My grandmother passed away this morning. She was 90 years old and died in her sleep at home. I’d ask for those who read this to keep her in your thoughts and prayers. I’ll tell a small food related story about her. When I was kid there was a candy drawer just to the left of the sink in her kitchen. The candy I most remember getting from the drawer, candy cigarettes. They were minty white sticks with painted red tips. My grandmother and all my aunts smoked, but despite the many candy cigarettes I ate as a kid, I never picked up the habit.

On to my day, to celebrate my coworker’s birthday, we ordered Korean food from Sharon Korean Kitchen. I was trying to eat a little lighter than my normal kimchi fried rice so I got spicy pork. It was not light, they give you a lot of pork. It was very good, but could have been spicier. I’ll get that again. I also had a bite of flourless chocolate cake. just a bite.

For dinner we went to Forge & Vine in Groton. We started with the shrimp pil-pil. The toast and shrimp were good, the sauce needed more heat and more acid. I got the pork chop for my main, which I have had before. It was not as good as the last time, not as juicy. It came with potatoes and carrots, lots of them. I saved those for Saturday’s breakfast. I also stole some of my son’s french fries and a few bites of my wife’s chicken. For dessert we tried the caramel apple mousse. It was just ok. Overall the restaurant is good, but not one I would rush back to.

Saturday 1.28
I got up this morning and planned to make hash. Sadly the bacon in my fridge had gone bad. I tossed it and went to the grocery store for a ham steak. I also picked up a NY Strip for dinner. For the hash I used last night’s carrots and potatoes along with an onion, the ham steak, and some scallions. I topped it with a fried egg. It was delicious.

For dinner, I had a pan seared strip steak and asparagus with shallots. After that, I had a little pack of mini Nutter Butters.

Roundup
This week has felt as though it was two weeks long. I couldn’t even remember what I ate at the start of the week. The best things I ate were the things I cooked myself. The stroganoff was really delicious and so was the chicken pasta. My chili was great, too bad we ate it in a day. I also really liked my hash this morning. As always, Karma was excellent and Sharon Korean was very good. And I really can’t complain about all the banana bread I got this week, thanks to my wife!

Links:
quick bite: Brother’s Roast Beef
quick bite: Sharon Korean Kitchen
quick bite: Forge & Vine


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