So David and I have been in "collapse and recovery" mode since returning from our 600+ mile trip. David is fighting not to drown in a bottomless sea of seminary studies, upcoming papers, sermon preparations, church responsibilities, and other activities. My life is quite a bit simpler than his but still exhausting.
I'm always wracking my brain to think of something exciting I can make for supper that is very cheap and filling and yet very nutritious. It's so hard to get all three of those at once. I'm learning that dried beans and legumes are excellent inexpensive ways to make filling, warm food in the winter. And it's protein! Yay. Tonight I made a yummy thick soup with sausage, lots of vegetables (red bell pepper, zucchini, spinach, carrots, onion, mushrooms), and cannelli beans, seasoned with red wine vinegar, thyme, basil, and so on.
We had dinner guests on Saturday - a homeschool family with six children (ages nine to 7 months). That was a lot of fun! The children played very nicely in our back garden (we have lots of grass and bushes) while we adults visited in the living room.
Here's an amusing story: I knew that there would be ten of us for dinner, so I had prepared a large casserole. It wasn't in a normal 9"x13" pan, but something slightly larger, maybe 10"x14". Anyway, I got the casserole all put together and ready to put into the oven - and it WOULDN'T FIT! It was just barely too big to fit into the oven, no matter which way I turned the pan. I started to panic and called David. You should know that in our house, David is the trouble-shooter and problem solver. He sized up the situation and managed to move the oven rack in such a way that there was just enough room to squeeze the casserole in so that it could bake! Unfortunately, it wasn't quite level, so during the baking process the casserole dripped all over the oven and turned the kitchen into a smokehouse! Then, when it was finished baking, it took such an effort on David's part to pull the casserole dish out because it was WEDGED into the oven! So now I know, for next time, that if we are feeding a crowd, I have to fix a meal in three small casserole dishes instead of one big one! :-D
Tonight is Guy Fawkes Night, and there are lots of fireworks going off even though it's quite wet outside.
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Happy Guy Fawkes Day!!!! Hey, why didn't you just order pizza??? :)
ReplyDeleteKatie, your cooking story cracked me up!! When Jason and I were first married, I used to wake up in the mornings and panic about what to fix for dinner. That lasted for 2 weeks until I decided to make a menu. It really helped me be able to plan out dinner for two weeks and then grocery shop just once every two weeks. The added perk is that I spend less on groceries since I only buy what is on my list, which is only what I need based on my menu. I know that's not possible with the smaller UK fridges (and ovens as you discovered!) Anyways, sorry for the long comment but I'm really enjoying your pictures and stories :)
ReplyDeletePS We had PB and Debi over to dinner and treated them to the whole-smoky-kitchen-made-the-fire-alarm-go-off-twice environment as well :)
ReplyDeleteI have a new cookie sheet that is too wide for my oven. The only way I can use the sheet is to remove the rack and put the sheet along the grooves used to hold the rack. Is this progress?
ReplyDeleteI still think pizza is a failsafe alternative. :D LOL
ReplyDeleteSomeone from the church I attended in Bristol used to make something quite simple to bring to a meal or to feed her, oh, 6 or 8 boys. Ground beef, salt, pepper, and rice. It wasn't gourmet, but as simple as it was, it tastes great. I know, that's probably pretty plain. But it is/was something I really enjoy, and it's simple and relatively cheap.
ReplyDeletethat sounds like you, cheap and simple...haha
ReplyDeleteha, I just figured out who you are. (not you, Katie, but rather your sassy commenter.) We had pizza last night, for the failsafe record.
ReplyDeleteI have been compromised...who was the tattletale??? lol just kidding :)
ReplyDeleteSo you have gained firsthand proof of the failsafe alternative?...There was extra "failsafe" at Fox's last night so I was able to take home 5 slices. That was good since I hadn't had any dinner.
ReplyDelete