And Now, for Something Completely Different

So far with this blog I've stuck to recipes, some musings, and photos. But it's Sunday, the day before Independence Day... so... I'm trying something new.  Let freedom ring.


I am a planner. I can't get around it. I plan out of neccesity and habit.  Sometimes I'm spontaneous, but if we're being honest, I'm a fan of the plan.  There's always a little wiggle room in plans-- at least, in mine-- but a plan gives you a net, and an outline, and a direction.  Plans give you accomplishable goals.  These are all things I like.  


Hence, the bi-weekly dinner menu.


I found myself at the grocery store, often wont for something to buy.  I'd see something on sale and purchase it and bring it home and gaze at it in my fridge with a glaze to my eye and then eventually throw it away.  Meat, cheese, veggies, fruit... you name it, I trashed it.  Tired of this constant battle of throwing what was once perfectly good food away, I started making  a dinner menu.  


This is helpful in multiple ways-- one, I get to try out new recipes and ensure I have everything I need. I can allot time for different dinners based on other events I've planned through out the week.  Nate knows what he's cooking on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  My grocery list is succinct, I spend less time browsing and less money on things I throw away.  


So, I give you the dinner plans for the first half of July.  I'll try and blog one or two of these in small snippets-- pictures from the cell phone instead of the fancy camera-- and usually just the end results.  I'll still throw in the recipes and the photos on the biggies, or the ones I like to go back to time and time again.  


One thing about putting your dinner menu out there: people can see how boring (or adventurous) you are... and now the secret is out: I love chicken.  

Escapees have taken residence in my mom and dad's backyard.

But without further adieu, here it is, in all it's... it-ness.

As I write this, I've got the tomato-onion-garlic-red pepper flake-salt-olive oil-merlot mix going for my pizza sauce (also to be tossed with pasta on Wednesday) in the oven, pizza dough rising, and a mandolin longing to slice mushrooms.  We've never grilled pizza before so this will be quite the experiment!