Sunday Morning Menu Planning

I have really been slacking lately on the weekend cooking and blogging.   I’ve just been too tired and pressed for time to take extra time to plan meals.  But today, from the comfort of my bed, with Hector curled up at my feet, I’ve had the pleasure to search for recipes.

Yesterday, we went to Winco and bought a few items.  I got some peppered bacon, garlic chicken sausage, oyster mushrooms, and a few other things.  I really haven’t found any recipes online that I want to make, but I do have some ideas of my own.

It’s been a long time since I’ve made a pot of potato soup.  Potato soup is one of those dishes that reminds me of my childhood.  Everyone in my family had their own version of this cheap, stretch your dollars sort of meal.  Potatoes, a piece or two of cured or smoked pig product, an onion, celery, a bit of milk, flour.  Simple and uninteresting ingredients that, once combined, turn into something comforting and rather rich and hearty—robust, even.

So, with my bacon and a handful of potatoes, I’ll make some soup today.

With the sausage and mushrooms, I’ve been thinking about some sort of pasta dish.   Maybe pasta with a spicy, chunky sauce.  Or perhaps the sauce could go over polenta.

I also have some tempeh and bell peppers in the fridge that have been patiently waiting in the fridge for me to use. I had intended to make stuffed peppers–but throwing the tempeh and peppers into a pot of chili sounds even better.

Going into this post, I thought I had a stronger plan.  Hmm.  I may end up making nothing I blogged about.  I think I need another cup of coffee and some time in the kitchen.

Sunday Morning Menu Planning

At 10:15 this morning, I have my second Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga class.  I took my first class on Thursday–a beginner’s class, the website explained.  Beginners?  By the end of the class, everyone was busting out their head stand moves–practically levitating, others were.  Head stands, levitation, chanting in Sanskrit…needless to say (the most useless phrase, isn’t it? If I don’t need to say it, why am I?), the class was a tad advanced.  Needless to say (there I go again), I woke up the next morning, with grumbling muscles I didn’t even know I had.  Back of neck muscles?  Above my elbow muscles?  Pinky toe muscles?

I have class again this morning. I’m trying to mentally prepare myself, by preparing some recipes to cook for when I get back.

Four recipes I’ve come across this week have sounded really good.  Two curries and two noodle dishes.  I couldn’t decide which two I wanted to make, so I decided to combine the two curries into one curry and the two noodle dishes into one as well.

Spicy Soba with Shiitakes +  Curry Spiced Noodles

Red Kidney Bean Curry +  Spicy Vegan Potato Curry

I also plan on making bell peppers stuffed with tempeh and some sort of grain (quinoa, bulgar, rice, etc.).

Sunday Menu

I am really struggling with motivation to cook this weekend.  We really didn’t do much grocery shopping yesterday, either.  I was too intent on getting my middle aged man cat, Hector, from Green Hill Humane Society.

What I did manage to buy from the grocery store:

tempeh, mushrooms, fake sausage, sweet potatoes, bread, and butter

What I already have in the fridge:

bell peppers, carrots, jalapeños, onions, and garlic

So, without motivation, inspiration, or compatible ingredients, I’m getting a little worried that I won’t be able to cook meals for the week.  We may just have to wing it, which means eating out. Every. Single. Night.  Which we can’t afford.  Hmm…

Well, here is one recipe I will definitely make this week, as I have mashed sweet potatoes in the fridge left over from sweet potato yeast bread that the husband made last week:

Sweet Potato Pancakes

Tempeh: something I keep buying that I don’t exactly love, but hope to love one day.

With the tempeh, I may make:

Tempeh Bourgogne

or

Tempeh Fajitas?

Or I may just eat pizza, burritos, and Chinese food all week.

And cuddle with my new cat: