a week of meals no. 29
meal plan for the last bit of April/ first bit of May 2024
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Hello all, and happy week-end. How have you been? It’s so good to sit down and write to you for a bit- this week has been such a whirlwind. We’ve been to picnic day, a wildflower hike, little league games, the doctor (twice), visited the river for tea and snack with friends, baked and ate lots, rode the swells of tantrums, and swam in the creek. These last several years as my older children have grown up and have had more and more activities, friends, and things they want to do outside the house, I have found our lives increasingly busy. My children are all quite extroverted, and I, as an introvert, find this incredibly challenging to manage sometimes. In the younger years I worked hard to protect our time together as a family and prioritize the slowness of life that a child’s pace requires. As they get older and their needs have changed, it’s been a learning curve of how to still protect slowness while also still allowing for independence, autonomy and a robust social life- while also accomodating James’ toddler needs. One thing that remains constant is dinnertime- I find it to be sacred as an anchoring point in the day to stabilize and reconnect after time apart while also nourishing our bodies. These days, I often find myself preparing dinner (either prep work, in part, or the whole thing if it is easily reheated) right after breakfast in the little slot of time I have before Joel goes to work. That way, I don’t have to worry so much about dinner being ready at a reasonable hour or being home quite so early to prepare it- and there are less dishes to wash later.
I’ve had a delightful week in books- starting with The Forester’s Daughter by Claire Keegan- like all thing I’ve read by her, it is wonderful. I love how her stories are so slim yet so complex- she truly is a masterful storyteller. I also finally got around to watching The Quiet Girl, a film based on Keegan’s Foster- it’s beautiful and I would reccomend- I watched it with my daughter who also read the book. I’m now concurrently reading two novels, switching depending on my mood: The Promise by Silvina Ocampo, and Francisco by Alison Mills Newman. They are both excellent so far. In poetry, I’ve been reading from Louise Gluck’s Poems 1962-2012, which I read in the mornings with breakfast. What have you been reading?
In food this week, there is lots of sweet potatoes (picked up a large bag of local ones recently), chickpeas, soba noodles, pasta salad, and banana bread with raspberries and coconut (so nice). It is an eclectic mix as usual, to satisfy everyone’s varied palates, while also being wholesome and heavy on veg, legumes, and prioritizing whole grains. I hope there is something in there that you can cook this week, too. Always curious what everyone’s eating if you’d like to share… Also, here are a few meals enjoyed recently:
the meal plan
weekend prep: soak and cook chickpeas, make hummus, cut up broccoli for Monday’s dinner
Sunday: sweet potato falafels- served over a large salad of mixed romaine and arugula with chopped cucumber, carrots, bell pepper, avocado, herbs, and a large dollop of hummus.
Monday: tofu, sweet potato, and broccoli sheet pan dinner with orange-tahini sauce (orange juice and zest, maple syrup, ginger, garlic, tahini, salt, pepper) and brown rice
Tuesday: pasta salad using whole wheat orecchiette, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, feta, chickpeas, a whole bunch of parsley, oregano and shallot vinaigrette
Wednesday: greek chickpea soup ; radish and fava bean salad
Thursday: double ginger and lime soba noodles
Friday: pizza night- pistachio pesto pizza with asparagus and ricotta (topping idea from here) sourdough pizza crust recipe here.
Saturday: dahl with coconut milk, sweet potatoes and cherry tomatoes cooked in. Cilantro and lime to top, spelt chapatis on the side
weekend bake: banana bread with raspberries and coconut- based off this recipe (I have this cookbook, Real Food for Babies and Toddlers by Vanessa Clarkson, which is out of print- but if you can find it secondhand, I highly reccomend it if you are cooking for babies or children. So many good, wholesome, whole foods recipes that are easy and delicious, not only for children!)
midweek treat: spelt blueberry muffins
weekend breakfast: oat waffles with fresh strawberries and vanilla coconut yogurt
cocktail: the old man and the sea
Leaving you with a poem, as always. Wishing you some peace amidst the chaos if you are also in a busy season of life along with me; it is beautiful in its way, and it is not forever xx
The Patience of Ordinary Things It is a kind of love, is it not? How the cup holds the tea, How the chair stands sturdy and foursquare, How the floor receives the bottoms of shoes Or toes. How soles of feet know Where they're supposed to be. I've been thinking about the patience Of ordinary things, how clothes Wait respectfully in closets And soap dries quietly in the dish, And towels drink the wet From the skin of the back. And the lovely repetition of stairs. And what is more generous than a window? Pat Schneider, Another River: New and Selected Poems, 2005
Hi Amanda, would you consider giving us a guide to pantry staples or giving us a tour of your pantry? I’d love to know what you consider essentials to keep on hand. I always look forward to reading your posts, they’re so lovely!
This looks delicious! I will have to try something like the sweet potato falafel next week. This week I have a whole turnip pasta and pad thai as well.as beans and sweet potato tacos on my list. I am looking forwards to it.