We never did end up having sausage tortellini soup because the Fancy showed us where the skunk poop is by rolling in it while we were attempting to figure out the garden. By the time we got her cleaned off, it was 8 pm, too late to make the soup. At least now we know what to start clearing out first, I guess, but it was still pretty horrible. We had just washed her too and she is now extra soft. This is a picture of her face anytime she finds something horrible to roll in.

We had chicken wonton soup instead that night, made with thin sliced carrots, celery, and fresh cilantro in the chicken broth. We had the homemade wontons in the freezer, so we just boiled them for about 12- 13 minutes. No real recipe, I just threw a bunch of Asian spices in the broth. I also added red chili flakes and it was very, very spicy at the bottom of the pan when the Husband tasted it. I felt bad. He was coughing for the longest time. He recovered though and we had ice cream to help his sore throat.

He also had pork yesterday. I was working late and had store-bought grape leaves and hummus. The pork was marinated in soy sauce, garlic, sesame oil, and Thai sweet chili sauce. He said it was good.

So now for the new recipes that I actually followed! Well, mostly followed…

1- Banana Bread from The Good Housekeeping Cookbook, edited by Dorothy B. Marsh. Section: Favorite Quick Breads. 

Modifications: I added butterscotch chips because it sounded good. The recipe was pretty simple and it turned out good. I was happy to use up my bananas. The Husband doesn’t like bananas, but I think my in-laws do, so I am planning on sharing with them. I’ll send any leftovers in with The Husband on Tuesday too.

2- Italian Chicken Meatballs from Fresh April Flours. http://freshaprilflours.com/2016/01/11/slow-cooker-turkey-meatballs-gluten-free/

Modifications: I used chicken and regular bread crumbs. It called for almond flour and I didn’t have enough time to grind them, as I would have ended up late for work. Also, I used diced tomatoes and a can of tomato sauce. They looked like they would be dry without the extra sauce. There were no directions on seasoning the sauce, just the meatballs, so I added the normal oregano, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and basil on both layers of tomatoes. We had it over noodles, but at separate times of the night. I also forgot to take pictures. Both times that I was eating it, I was in a rush. Next time I will add more spices to the meatballs and sauce. Some of the flavor cooked off in the crockpot.

3- Rosemary Flank Steak from Food Network Magazine, March 2017, V.10, N.2

Modifications: I did not make the arugula salad or use the beans. It would have been just me eating it and I didn’t have either of those things. I’m sure they would have both been delicious. We were a little disappointed in the steak. It lacked a lot of seasoning. The recipe called for you to poke the steak with a fork and marinate it for 10 minutes. That wasn’t long enough. It was pretty bland, unless you happened to get a piece of garlic. If we use this recipe again, I’ll increase the marinating time. We had it with fancy mashed potatoes and a salad. I think I need to work on plating. I don’t like mixing foods though, especially meat, so it’s a struggle. The plate looks a little bare. The Husband volunteered his plate and tried a fancier plating style.

4- Roasted Garlic-Parmesan Mashed Potatoes from Food Network Magazine, November 2016, V.9, N.9

Modifications: I cut back the butter. Shocking, I know, but we did have less potatoes than the recipe called for. It also had shaved Parmesan, milk, and marscapone cheese in it. I thought we might not want to harden our arteries quite that much yet. I bet when we were eating them a cardiologist somewhere got really excited for no reason…

I was excited to roast a whole head of garlic. It felt so fancy and decadent. I smelled like garlic for the rest of the day, of course, but it was so worth it. After roasting it, you add it to the milk to infuse. You were supposed to drain them out, but I didn’t do it. The garlic mashed up just fine. They turned out very rich and creamy. Definitely special occasion potatoes only. We might make them again for Thanksgiving if we host this year.

Here is my separated plate.

I didn’t end up making gelato this week. The bowl still needs to be frozen. I am planning on getting that done tonight at least and we can try it in the next few days.

I was proud that I was able to try four new recipes this week. It reminded me that it just takes a little extra planning to make it work, but that I can do it, even when my week is crazy busy. I am going to try to keep this streak going and do some meal planning this weekend. I will also try to take more pictures!

Speaking of pictures, if Fancy will stop trying to eat her life jacket, I may be able to get a picture of her in it. She now has a lime green one which all the store employees told her she looked wonderful in. Apparently lime green is her color. There could be a boat ride in her future now that she can be safe on the boat. We’re not sure if she can swim, so figured better safe than sorry.

Have a safe and happy Memorial Day, no matter what your plans are!