Come and Get It!

For more great menu ideas,
be sure to visit Laura at I'm an Organizing Junkie!

I had two disappointments with last week's meals. First, the Sweet Potato Fries on Wednesday weren't crispy. I think that I either used too much oil or else I cooked them too close together. I loved the flavor of the fries and their dipping sauce, so I'll definitely be trying this recipe again, in search of the perfect crisp sweet potato fry. The second disappointment occurred on Saturday night, when I made clam chowder. I adore clam chowder, and I was really looking forward to eating a hot bowl of it with some warm bread. Unfortunately, my first spoonful told me that something was wrong - and we determined that the half-and-half I had used was spoiled. The carton was dated January 15, so I had no reason to believe that it might be bad - and I had just poured it into the pot. I sadly poured the whole pot of chowder down the drain. So disappointing!

Saturday's produce basket from the Bountiful Basket Food Co-op contained the following items, many of which will be incorporated into this week's dinner menus: romaine lettuce, spinach, broccoli, tomatoes, avocados, English cucumbers, radishes, bananas, Fuji apples, tangerines, Asian pears, blackberries, and black grapes. Much of the fruit will be eaten for breakfast, lunch, and snacks. I love blackberries with vanilla yogurt and pecans! I'm also planning to make some Baked Apple Chips this week. Maybe some Fruit Salsa with Cinnamon Chips too.

Here is this week's meal plan:

• Monday - Ramen Noodles with Toppings (bacon, tomatoes, radishes, carrots, green pepper, black olives, and cheese), Black Grapes


• Tuesday - Chinese Chicken Morsels, Rice, Broccoli with Cashews, Cucumber-Radish Slaw


• Wednesday - Caesar Salad, Baked Parmesan Tomatoes, Twice Baked Potato Casserole


• Thursday - Tostadas


• Friday - Fend-for-Yourself Friday


• Saturday - Minestrone Soup, Breadsticks


• Sunday - Grapefruit or Oroblancos, Scrambled Eggs with Ham and Cheese, Cinnamon Bread, Hot Chocolate

Happy eating!