pasta with bacon and cauliflower

You will note that the main dish here is not very healthy, but seeing how it tasted like bacon, it was very yummy.

Pasta:  whole wheat spaghetti, cooked according to the box.  half a package of bacon (the other half was used in this breakfast casserole last week - super good).  one package of frozen broccoli and cauliflower cooked for 4 mins in the microwave and then finished according to the Real Simple recipe.   I topped it with some parm and shredded Italian cheeses because we don't have pecorino.

Salad:  lettuce fresh from our garden!!!!!  topped with green onions (also from our garden), cheese, and then to the specific likings of each family member.

Side:  cottage cheese topped with green onion and pepper.  we're big protein people and I wanted to be sure Trav was content.

Overall, I liked the pasta more than Trav, though he still liked it.  Lydia also liked it and ate a lot.  The salad was probably the highlight, though, since it was the first time we were able to harvest it.

meatless friday

Tuna melt, lettuce salad, chips and hummus.

Travis and I have decided to go meatless on Fridays according to the old Tradtion of the Church.  We never really remember to sacrifice anything else, but we want to mark the day of Christ's Passion in some way.  We decided that we'd do what the saints did.  Eat tuna every way possible.

Tuna melt:  canned tuna, mayo, mustard, diced green apple, green onion (from the garden!), pepper, and curry powder.  Scooped onto hamburger bun, topped with American cheese and broiled for 5 mins.  (My first time broiling.  The top of the bun got a little burnt, but nothing a good scraping couldn't take care of.)  Served with lettuce and tomato.

Lettuce salad:  simple and seasoned to preference.

Hummus:  Betty's recipe: 

1/4 C lemon juice

1 & 3/4 Tbsp minced garlic

3 Tbsp tahini

6 Tbsp chickpea water

1 tsp salt

Drain the chickpeas, reserving the water.

In blender or food processor mix salt, garlic and tahini (make sure you mix the tahini in the jar).

Add chickpeas and water.

Add lemon juice and blend well for smooth texture. Add more water if needed for correct consistency.

Taste for salt and lemon juice.

Sprinkle with paprika and enjoy!

post, the first

Here's the thing, I'm not very good at meal planning.  But I love to cook and I love to present the food I've prepared.  I'm not a great chef, and a lot of my meals are very Midwestern, but I'm trying to branch out and challenge myself.  That's a tricky thing to do when you only have $70 a week for groceries and at least $30 of it has to go to diapers and formula.

So I've started this little blog to help me celebrate the dishes I make, and to form a sort of recipe box for myself.  I'll take as many pictures as possible, and include links or recipes for every meal I serve my family.  My hope is that this wee adventure will aid me in goal of planning 5 dinners for every week and adding variety and nutrition to our diets.  (Not that there won't be sweets...)

I called it "the bonnie dinner table" because, well, it's as good as I could get for creative.  And, corny though it may be, I like the play on my name and the adjective "bonnie", meaning "good".  Here's hoping that the vast majority of this food is "good"!

If you have any good meals or recipes please feel free to contact me with them. 
 

 Now here's a picture that shows two things that are very important in my kitchen - mostly because they make me very happy:  the compost bucket and produce from our garden.  Fresh as fresh. 

Wish me luck, for away we goooooo!