Thursday

I recently had a marvelous and horrid realization - first I love good home cooked food and second my mom will someday pass on leaving me with no place to eat said good food. Then I realized I also need to budget our food bill and plan - I have never been a meal planner, but more of a how do I feel today? So I am experimenting. I want to learn to cook and I am making my 9 year old take the journey with me. In a very interesting turn of events we both just finished watching Julia & Julie - it was quite fitting to watch.

I made my menu over the weekend, made a grocery list and Monday evening - for the very first time - I made Mushroom Beef Tenderloin.Basically Tenderloin steaks w/ Mushroom sauce - I learned not to crowd my Mushrooms, not to cook tenderloins to much and that cream can make an amazing sauce. It was a success accompanied by perogies and steamed vegetables.

Tuesday we had Honey Chicken Stir fry - It was heavenly. The honey added a sweet touch to the chicken. I served it with white rice (which Rosie made!) I learned that if you dry chicken it browns better and you have no weird white pieces..

Wednesday I learned to preread recipes as the chosen recipe had to marinate overnite! It turned into leftover night - live and learn!  Right?

Thursday (which happens to be tonight!) I used the other half of the Tenderloin roast and marinated it in a wonderful sauce after cutting it into steaks. The sauce sounded awful - OJ, Brown sugar, soy sauce, mustard, garlic? It was highly praised but I was skeptical Wednesday night as I set it in the fridge. It was FANTASTIC! The meat after fried in the juice literally fell apart in my mouth. It was not sweet or tart - it was like a combination of all the latter mentioned ingredients yet totally different. It was perfect. So perfect in fact my 3 year old (who only loves chicken nuggets and fish sticks) asked for seconds! I served it w/ garlic shells (kinda like shells and cheese except w/ a cheese sauce) and corn. next time I will up the sides as this main course deserves perfect sides! I learned tonight that a citrus marinade will tenderize (well break down) tough meats - so I will try this on some deer steaks we have acquired (as I had NO idea what to do with them!)  

Thank goodness I have also taken up Zumba with some good friends - I may need it! Rosie and I made a White Chocolate pie also tonight - looks good, but we will find out tomorrow! =-)