4/27 - 5/3 (Week 7)
Lots of cooking, gardens are in the groove, and sports are over
Home in Chicago for the next month. Getting to the best time of year here so we try to stay local as much as we can until the fall rolls around and trips for football come into play. It’s always nice to have some home cooked meals after traveling and over the past few years I’ve spent a lot more time in the kitchen avoiding takeout, especially delivery. I like to walk and pickup anytime I can too. But I tried a new recipe this week plus going back to some that I really enjoy which are part of my lists at the bottom. I skip over the basic stuff like toasting a bagel, making a sandwich, or heating up some frozen food.
The “creamy” pasta I made had no cheese, eggs, or milk but honestly seemed like it did. I added in some chicken since I’m a firm believer that a dinner needs to include a meat of some sort. But it’s essentially just a bunch of roasted garlic, tomato, and butter beans blended up with spices. First time I’ve ever used butter beans and I’ve actually never even heard of them before.
This week both seasons ended for my sports team - Bruins and Celtics. On back to back days they were eliminated from the playoffs. Both teams exceeded expectations this year during the regular season but the Celtics were a big letdown in the playoffs and lost in pretty embarrassing fashion. Now it’s time to spend less evenings on the couch watching sports and doing something else. Or maybe just replacing sports with a new TV show depending on energy levels.
Made
Food
Dairy-free creamy pasta - sauce made with roasted tomatoes, roasted garlic, and blended with butter beans which I never had before. I couldn’t believe how similar the taste was to recipes with butter, whipping cream, cheese, etc. I guess healthy food isn’t always bad.
Steaks with green beans plus the biggest potato I’ve seen in my life. I’ve been experimenting with different ways to spice up green beans and I added some garlic slices plus cashews to go with Creole seasoning
Raspberry muffins
Meatloaf - even when I make it well, it’s really hard to finish leftovers between 2 people
Bagels - mostly simple ones topped with salt but I added a sesame and everything in the batch
Chicken Cacciatore
Experimenting with different kinds of oil for dipping bread. I like to add fresh garlic with red pepper flakes and some spices plus balsamic vinegar by request of my at-home food critic - Rachel
Creative
A couple more flowers from Adams & Son & Daughter garden center. Plus completing my trifecta of Roma tomatoes to go along with the Cherry and San Marzano I got the week before. The garden I volunteer at in Garfield Park is getting more herbs planted each week and almost at full swing with each of the different beds.
Consumption
Food
Manchurian chicken with Kashmiri pulao rice. I tried this rice for the first time a few weeks back with Chicken 65 but they didn’t have the 65 this time so I audible-d. Not something I’d ever heard of before but it’s delicious with little pieces of dried fruits and nuts
Werewolf coffee - I actually went on back to back days with a cortado the first day and an iced latte the second. Forgot to use a gift card the first day which was great. Guess I gotta keep going back. Really cool spot with the drinks and food being served out of an old food truck inside the shop.
Ava’s Italian Ice - Right off the 606 trail and I’m convinced this is the best italian ice out there. It’s homemade and they’re always serving different kinds of authentic flavors that will have little bits of the fruit in it. Strawberry and grapefuit. Here’s my instagram-style pic walking with the Italian ice on a perfect spring day
Song of the week
Haircut by Noah Kahan. Last week a song by Norah, this week Noah. Mildly interesting co-inkee-dinks?
What do you think❓
What is the most that you will re-listen to a song in one day? When you replay a song 3, 4, 5, etc. times do you want to move onto something else or is there a voice telling you it’s too much and maybe a little weird?
If you’re even someone who will replay songs like that.