Search Results for: blog ask a food blogger how do you create a menu plan

Week Night Menu: Crustless Quiche, Home Fried Potatoes, and Pineapple ‘Muri Sonando’

Thanks to a recent reader suggestion, here is a new feature I’m introducing to the food blog. One reader writes: I have such a hard time coming up with something quick enough to make in the middle of the week. Do you have any ideas? One trick to planning a healthy and complete meal in the middle of the week is planning ahead. You have to have your pantry well stocked, your meals planned, and your prep work done. However, it is possible! To help you, and others, work on your endeavor, I am going to write one blog per … Continue reading →

The Perfect Pie Crust

I am vehemently opposed to reinventing the wheel. So when it comes to pie crust, we use the recipe from The Joy of Cooking. Deluxe Butter Double Pie Crust 2 ½ cups flour 1 teaspoon of sugar 1 teaspoon of salt 1 cup cold butter ¼ cup shortening 6 to 8 tablespoons of ice cold water Start by mixing together your dry ingredients. You can sift them together. . .but I really find it makes little difference. Tip #1 Add the fat very quickly. If you’re using the recipe in this blog, add the butter first (mixing it in as … Continue reading →

5 Reasons We Love Calzones (& the Recipe We Use)

Calzones are often referred to as a stuffed pizza. Think of it as a cousin of the popover. It is basically pizza dough, filled with cheese, meats and vegetables. Marinara sauce is generally served as dipping sauce. In fact, if you insist on putting sauce in your calzone. . .it’s no longer a calzone. So why do we love the calzone so much? Let me give you a few reasons why this is the ideal food to feed to a busy family! #1. This is super easy to make. We most often make our own pizza dough but if you … Continue reading →

What a Good Cook Keeps On Hand

Yesterday we talked about how to make a menu plan and I shared my process of choosing meals for the week. However, everyone knows that a well stocked kitchen will help you make the most of food that’s on sale, and will enable you to pull together a last minute dish. Here is what I consider absolutely essential to have on hand in our house. I keep a list similar to the one below (except organized according to the aisles of our own grocery store) and take it with me every shopping trip to make sure that we don’t run … Continue reading →

Ask a Food Blogger: How Do You Create a Menu Plan?

I’m excited to answer my first food blogger question: I know I would eat healthier and we’d eat more meals at home if I had a weekly menu plan. But how do you go about creating one? You are correct on both counts: menu plans will help you eat healthier, stick to certain goals, and it will decrease the likelihood that you have to get take out for lack of preparation. One thing that can help with menu preparation is recipe software. Most recipe software has grocery list features as well as menu planning features. I have written before about … Continue reading →