My Afflation

Josh carving the turkey. Even though it was only 13lbs, there was A LOT of meat left over. Friday: Make stock Saturday: Finish making stock and eating some of the leftovers. I have missed King's Hawaiian rolls so much. Like, crack. Good thing I don't plan on moving much the rest of the weekend. So much stock. I wonder if I should try Phở? Sunday: Turkey Shepherd's Pie  with sweet potatoes - modified from Paleo Shepherd's Pie. Monday : Turkey (Noodle) Soup Tuesday : Turkey Pot Pie Wednesday : Turkey Waldorf Salad Turkey Waldorf Salad from FoodNetwork.com Thursday - Saturday - someone else is doing the cooking. What are your favorite Thanksgiving leftover recipes?

This week I just asked what everyone wanted to eat. I'm still not sure I remember everything correctly, but two different kinds of curry were asked for. That works for me. Curry is easily and naturally Whole30 (especially now that I have switched to using coconut cream), and free of everything Joy can't eat without massive modification. Actually, everything she asked for this week I can cook without modification. Monday : Curried Turkey Cutlets with Dried Apricots Curried Turkey Cutlets with Dried Apricots Tuesday : Lemon Garlic Chicken Quinoa Pasta Primavera Pasta Primavera Wednesday: Curried Chicken - Indian Style Chicken Curry Thursday: Beef Broccoli   - I really need to pick up some coconut aminos, but the last few times I have made it with just the spices and seasoning have gone over fairly well. Beef Broccoli Friday : Chili Verde Chili Verde Saturday : Strawberry Avocado Chicken Salad Strawberry Chicken Avocado Salad Menu Pla...

I planned this menu last week and never got around to the grocery shopping. We ended up eating whatever I could throw together from the fridge and eating out at least twice. Not good for my budget. Lately, I've had to make even more adjustments to our diet (read that as "lifestyle") and how I cook. In addition to dairy intolerance, tolerable if she takes a Lactaid, my daughter's soy intolerance is a borderline allergy. She can't have anything that contains soy oil (looking at you Trader Joe's snacks), or that has soy lecithin . Did you know that stuff is in practically everything ? I couldn't even buy tapioca for the pie I made (recipe and link coming soon). It tasted so much better than it looks.

I need a sunny outlook this week, so I thought I would theme this week around citrus fruits. Citrus fruit slices (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) Monday : Thai Mango, Pineapple Salad from last week (two items last week made enough for multiple meals). Tuesday : Garlic Lime Chicken with California Style steamed veggies Wednesday : Grilled Pineapple and Turkey Burgers on a bed of arugula Thursday :  Orange Chicken (no breading, just marinated in the sauce ) and broccoli Friday : Casablanca Chutney Chicken  - my apartment will smell divine. Saturday : Leftovers

I admit, I fell off the bandwagon, a few times lately it seems. We've been eating in/out a lot (thanks +EAT24 ), and a lot of rotisserie chicken, and breakfast for dinner, or popcorn for dinner. I just haven't been motivated, you know? So this morning I gave myself a kick in the ass and went through all of my recipes that could easily be converted to dairy-free, soy-free (the hardest part), and gluten-free. I had no idea how many items have soy in them! We're trying out three different butter alternatives right now. I got some ghee at Trader Joe's for myself (going to try Bulletproof coffee - but with k-cups and coconut oil) and two other brands, one explicitly soy-free, the other has soy lecithin, from Ralphs. I also need to find some coconut aminos (soy sauce alternative), but Joy has been OK with me making any Asian meals with the spices and no sauce (like Beef and Broccoli ). I only made it to the C's in Pepperplate (available for iOS, Android, Windows, an...

I must be doing something right. Last week my massage therapist (who sees me every week) said that I was looking slimmer (woot!) and my daughter said I felt skinnier when she hugged me (let's ignore the fact that she's on a growth spurt and that her arms are probably longer). In reality, I think my rather slow detox from my road trip was finally taking effect. At least the bloat is gone and I am back to my pre-trip weight (only 15lbs to go!). However, getting rid of the carb cravings re-created on that trip are something that I struggle with every day ( as I put down the Mrs. Fields triple-chocolate cookie and practice something resembling self-control instead of emo-eating )... I also have been convenience eating or not eating properly at all since it's just myself and really, why should I just cook for myself? Almost 30 years of cooking for other people, I have a hard time cooking for one. Even if I know I will be eating the leftovers for lunch the next day. This week...

At some point in the near future I will remember to hit publish before Friday since I menu plan and grocery shop on Sunday .... This week I realized that in trying to use up all of the meat in the freezer and keep my grocery bill as low as possible (between checks and all that), everything I planned was hearty one-skillet meals. WIN! Less clean up. Also, the grocery bill was $84. It hasn't been that low in months ! It's also the week that my daughter returns to school and I try to get on an earlier schedule for work. So having an easy menu makes for more time for ... homework. Monday : Beef and Bean Chili Verde - super easy because I simply use Fresh & Easy green salsa. It's much spicier than their salsa verde. Bonus, there's enough left overs for both me and Joy to have hot lunches. Tuesday : Blackened (Cajun) Chicken (tenders) over zoodles (with sauteed zucchini) and avocado (sauce). The recipe is here . I improvise for time and kept it in one skil...

Summer isn't over! What do you mean school is starting tomorrow?!?! That's me crying, not my daughter. I actually miss the days when school started the Monday after Labor Day. That makes sense . My daughter is mostly excited that school is starting even though in the last three weeks there was a major SNAFU and I had to pull a miracle out of my ass (with help from the The Teen (who is now the the College Student, stop growing already!) and her dad. But she's enrolled, excited, school clothes and supplies for the first day obtained and I was good and planned the menu yesterday morning so the Teen/College Student could go grocery shopping for me today (Thank goodness for Fresh and Easy Coupons !) because I spent yesterday re-arranging furniture, buying new seat cushions for the dining table and getting a migraine. Then starting 5 loads of laundry. No, I am no insane. Just been busy. And so .... here's dinner. Breakfast will consist of either cold cereal or eggs a...

Kid-tested. Mom approved. This is a very basic casserole dish that can be added to and adjusted in many different ways. My picky 4-yr old niece loves it this way though. Just add veggies on the side. INGREDIENTS * 1 pound ground turkey * 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce * 1 (8 ounce) container sour cream * 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese * 1 (12 ounce) package uncooked egg noodles * 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese * salt and pepper to taste Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 2. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, season and sauté the ground turkey for 5 to 10 minutes, or until browned. Drain the turkey, stir in the tomato sauce, and set aside. In a medium bowl, combine the sour cream and cream cheese. Mix well and set aside. 3. Cook noodles according to package directions. Place them into a 9x13-inch baking dish, then layer the turkey mixture over the noodles. Then layer the sour cream mixture over the turkey, and top with cheese. 4. Bake at 350 degrees F ...