In the last few days I have heard murmurs of a great idea. Essentially, it’s helping to feed others in honor of the woman who fed you. This Mother’s Day, fill a grocery bag with non-perishable foods and donate it to a local food bank.

This isn’t a formal, advertised event, like the Stamp Out Hunger! campaign. It’s just something I heard about. Individuals on their own, making a decision to help, and sharing that idea.

We are living in some challenging economic times right now. Going to the grocery store can be a distressing experience with the increase in food costs. Just last week, my bill was up almost 20 percent. It was unpleasant and discouraging, but I did feel thankful that I’m able to make some meal adjustments and absorb the increased costs so far. Others are not so lucky.

Food banks need your help now more than ever

News reports tell us that food banks are hard hit. Just when more people need food banks to make it through, donations are down. It’s a vicious circle. The people who used to donate to food banks are now in need of food from the food banks. Food banks – and maybe even your neighbors – need help more than ever.

Now, think about how hard your mom worked to feed you. What was your favorite dish your mom made? My mom made these cookies called Chocolate Crinkles that I still love. What about your grandmother? My grandmother made this awesome ham loaf, and her leg of lamb remains unequaled. It’s a repeating cycle of feeding others, and it’s a cycle that should not be broken.

Of course moms need to be thanked directly, too, but if you have some peanut butter or tuna or canned vegetables in the pantry that you can spare, donate them so that other mothers and kids can eat. This is a wonderful way to show the generosity you learned at your mother’s table.

To locate a food bank in your area, check America’s Second Harvest or look up food banks in your state. There are many other ways you can help the hungry, and these links can also lead you in that direction.

I hope you have a wonderful Mother’s Day.

I’ve been trying to get the family on whole wheat pasta for some time now. The effort has been met with much resistance.

Pleasing the kids

About every other week, I try a new whole wheat or multi-grain pasta. Usually we have pasta twice a week, so this effort has been about a quarter of the kids’ pasta consumption. While I found a brand I liked, apparently I was the only one because the manufacturer stopped making it (Mueller’s Multi-Grain). When I serve any brand of whole wheat pasta, the kids get that dejected note in the voices, “Oh. It’s whole wheat pasta.” They complain that it is too gritty, and some really are.

Additionally, I find it incredibly annoying that the whole wheat/whole grain pastas not only cost more per box, but there is less in the box. And fewer shape choices. Grumble, grumble, grumble.

It was enough to make a mom (almost) give up.

Whole wheat pasta for health

My husband recently had a cholesterol test that didn’t come back quite as good as we had hoped. Oh, it wasn’t bad bad, but it wasn’t great either. Just enough that some small adjustments are in order to get a number down ten points or so. Among those adjustments is a greater commitment to whole grains, and that includes whole grain pasta. We will find a whole wheat pasta for the family, I decided.

At the market on Sunday, I scoured the pasta section for a brand I hadn’t yet tried. Nothing new there. I was about to reach for a marginally acceptable brand when I noted that lower quantity on the box. Annoyed, I went back to the natural foods section at the market and looked there.

After some hemming and hawing, I picked a bag of organic whole grain pasta that had a full pound in it. Yes, it was more expensive than regular pasta, but when I did a little calculation, I realized that it actually cost less per ounce than the whole wheat pastas made by the major brands – and I was getting that full pound (12 ounces just doesn’t cut it to feed my boys). I often think of this section of the market as the most expensive, but that is not always the case.

The best brand of whole wheat pasta

When I made dinner last night, I used this new pasta. It didn’t look as rough as the other whole wheat pastas I’ve tried. When I put it out on the table, the kids didn’t even realize it was whole wheat. When they tasted it, they could tell there was something different about the pasta, but they couldn’t quite identify what. When I told them it was whole wheat pasta, they were surprised – and kept eating. The kids said they liked it. I’ll be buying it again.

The cost of organic and/or whole wheat pasta can be a barrier to eating whole wheat pasta, especially with grocery costs rising so much, but I suspect this is one thing I’ll be willing to pay more for — at least some of the time. The brand? Bionaturae organic whole wheat fusilli.

Prices for whole wheat pastas will vary according to your area and the grocery store, of course, but I hope you will try substituting a whole grain pasta into your favorite pasta dish. It’s a healthy – and yummy – change.

This is the second week of baseball season and we have baseball three nights this week. Wednesday is baseball night for my middle child, but choir night for my older child, so that feels even trickier than a standard two kiddos at baseball night.

Baseball nights went smoothly last week. Phew! As long as I keep that picnic bag ready, we’re in good shape.

Recipes with an asterisk are included below.

Sunday: Chicken piccata, Mediterranean couscous, vegetable, salad. Ice cream with grilled mango for dessert.

A simple family favorite.

Monday: Baseball night! Asian manadarin chicken salad wraps at the baseball field.

I’ll supplement with yogurt, Veggie Booty, and boxed milks.

Tuesday: Pasta with chicken sausage and spinach.

Another family staple.

Wednesday: Choir/baseball night! Leftovers and/or quesadillas for the kids, fettuccine with Brussels sprouts and pine nuts for the adults.

I didn’t used to like Brussels sprouts, but now I love them.

Thursday: Baseball night! Ham and cheese paninis.*

My oldest would prefer pastrami, but it was just a little too salty. Like other nights at the baseball field, we’ll supplement with yogurt, Veggie Booty, and boxed milks.

Friday: Burgers on the grill, with several trimmings, salad.

After a busy week, a simple night.

Saturday: Honey hoisin lamb* with regular couscous, vegetable, salad.

We’ll be out in the afternoon at a birthday party for a dear friend’s son. I’m not sure what time we’ll get back, but this recipe is fairly fast.

Ham and cheese panini

Follow the recipe for Pastrami and swiss panini, substituting ham for the pastrami.

Honey hoisin lamb

2 c reduced sodium chicken broth
1 c shredded carrots
1 c couscous
1 lb lean boneless lamb, cut into chunks
6 tbsp hoisin sauce
2 tbsp honey
2-3 tbsp minced fresh ginger
½ tsp vegetable oil
12 scallions, cut into ½-inch lengths

Bring the broth to a boil in a saucepan. Stir in carrots and couscous and cover. Remove from heat and let sit until liquid is absorbed, about 5 minutes.

Stir together hoisin, honey, and ginger. And the lamb chunks and toss to coat.

In a wide frying pan, heat the oil. Saute the scallions until they are tinged in brown, then remove from the pan.

Saute the lamb and sauce in the hot pan until cooked through. Return the scallions to the pan and toss to coat with the sauce.

Put the couscous in a serving bowl and spoon the lamb mixture over it. Serve immediately.

During the spring and summer, we picnic quite a bit. Between evenings at the baseball field and days and dinners at the beach, we’ve refined our ability to be ready for a picnic quickly.

Tips to being picnic ready

Being ready really is the key. The difference between a successful picnic and a challenging meal outside can be as small as having a dry place to sit and a napkin. To that end, we get a bag ready at the beginning of baseball season, and keep it ready every day through the summer.

• Dedicate a bag or two.
  We have one large canvas bag for most of our picnic supplies and one for transporting the bulk of the food. The supplies bag should be ready and conveniently located – and I often fold the food bag and put it in the supplies bag so I know where it is at all times. Then I carry it up from the basement all together, open the food bag and start filling it.
• Don’t forget the cooler.
  Although I try to keep items requiring chilling to a minimum, you always need a cooler. Ours is medium-sized and perfect for waters, yogurt, boxed milks and the occasional bottle of white wine.
• Reclosable, stackable plastic containers are your friend.
  Putting your food in plastic containers makes organizing your food bag easy, and helps keep the food bag clean. Stack, stack, stack.
• Acquire a waterproof picnic blanket/spread.
  These are available many places but you can even make your own by sewing together some sheet plastic and a sturdy material such as canvas. The waterproof element makes a huge difference.
• Invest in reusable items just for picnicing.
  I have a set of melamine plates and bowls and plastic cups that stay with the picnic bag (aside from cleaning). I have enough for two meals for our family – and often use them all if we picnic on the beach with guests. I also have inexpensive cutlery in a handled caddy, and I have a rotating stash of fabric napkins.
• Don’t forget the details.
  Even though we have fabric napkins, we always seem to need paper towels, so I keep a roll in the bag. If the meal is messy, I moisten several and keep them in a reclosable plastic bag for instant “wipes.” I also keep three plastic grocery bags in the canvas bag – one for recyclables, one for garbage, and one for the dirty dishes and cutlery so I can transport them home without mucking up the canvas bag. If you have bottles of any kind with your picnic, be sure you have a way to open them. Keep a bottle opener and/or a corkscrew with the cutlery caddy. And don’t forget the utensils you might need to serve food — trying to portion out chicken salad with a teaspoon doesn’t quite cut it.
• Do it all over again.
  As soon as you get home from your picnic, wash the bits that need to be washed immediately and replace them in the supplies bag, rotate out dirty fabric napkins and reorganize the bag to be ready for your next picnic. A couple of times a season, I wash the picnic bags, but get them ready again quickly.

With this simple planning, I can get all the elements into the car and ready to go very quickly.

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Another big change in meal planning happens this week; little league baseball season has started. This means that at several nights a week I need to figure out something extremely portable for dinner as many of our meals will be eaten at the ball fields. I have a range of chicken salad recipes that will be showing up over the next several weeks as well as Panini ideas and other extremely fast, throw something together dishes.

The ironic part is that this kind of eating takes even more planning time than standard meals. There are bits that need to be prepared in advance and the picnic blanket and meal supplies need to be prepared and packed daily.

Meals with an asterisk are included below:

Sunday: Grilled marinated steak, grilled veggies*, salad, key lime meringue pie for dessert.

With the weather finally warming, the grill is going to be used more and more. I have a store-bought balsamic marinade that I will use for the steak (on special this week). Key lime meringue pie is easy: substitute lime for lemon in your favorite recipe.

Monday: Mango-mozzarella-chicken salad wraps*

First night of baseball! I’ll prepare all the parts in advance and assemble last minute on the picnic blanket (love those gallon storage bags for tossing salads).

Tuesday: Pasta with red sauce and salad

During baseball season, “off” nights are super simple.

Wednesday: Chicken and guacamole quesadillas, chips and fresh salsa – but maybe white bean and rosemary soup for the parents.

One son has baseball tonight and one has choir. Different parts of town, of course — Luckily, I can make these quesadillas quickly, and wrap them in foil for transport to the baseball field. Depending on how we feel, I might make something else for my husband and me.

Thursday: Spaghetti carbonnara and salad.

Again, simple, simple, simple.

Friday: Barbeque chicken and cheddar panini*, baby carrots straight out of the bag.

Baseball. Like Wednesday’s quesadillas, I can make these in advance and wrap them in foil for transport to the baseball field.

Saturday: Homemade pizza

Maybe we’ll see if the kids want to have friends over that evening.

Grilled Veggies

Zucchini and/or summer squash, in diagonal slices about 1/8″ thick
Peppers of all colors, cored and cut into thick spears
Olive oil
Oregano
Basil
Kosher salt
Pepper

In a large bowl, toss the prepared veggies with a few tablespoons of olive oil and a teaspoon or so each of the oregano and basil. Sprinkle on a little salt and pepper.

On a medium-hot grill, carefully place the vegetable pieces on the grill racks. Close the grill top and let cook for 3 to 5 minutes. Turn the veggie pieces over and cook another 3 to 5 minutes. Repeat until the veggies seem done.

After removing veggies from the grill, sprinkle them with a touch more salt and pepper and serve immediately.

Mango-mozzarella-chicken salad wraps

One recipe Mango-mozzarella caprese salad, with the following variations: cube or use mini-mozzarella balls, tear the radiccio in small bite-sized pieces, and cube the mangoes
1 cup cooked shredded chicken
Large tortillas

Toss the chicken in with the mango-mozzarella salad, and wrap individual portions in large tortillas. You can further wrap the wraps in foil for easy transport.

Barbeque chicken and cheddar panini

Good Italian bread
Barbeque sauce
Cooked thin chicken cutlets, preferrably grilled
Cheddar cheese
Olive oil for brushing the outside of the sandwiches
Cooking spray for the grill pan

Grill pan
Frying pan with a base that will set down into the grill pan
A brick, cleaned and covered with foil

Following the technique discussed last week for pastrami panini, layer the barbeque sauce, cheese and chicken on each side of the bread. Cook, press, flip, repeat.

Annie’s. Ramen. PB&J. Leftovers.

On Saturdays and Sundays, when anyone in the family asks, “What’s for lunch?” I answer either Annie’s, ramen, PB&J, or leftovers. I think the answer range has been the same for half a decade.

If that’s not a rut, I don’t know what is.

It’s not that our standard lunch choices are so awful, but they are just so, so predictable. Every once in a while there will be leftovers that are worth it (Day after Thanksgiving sandwich anyone?), and I do know how to perk up ramen to make it something other than cheap, salty noodles, but generally, lunch is the most uninspired meal of the day. It’s something to get through. It’s necessary, and not much else.

I’ve been scouring my cookbooks for recipes that will inspire me, inspire a new set of staples on the weekly grocery list, are easy to memorize and fast to make. So far, I’m coming up thin. I need things that will be eaten by kids and adults alike without having to resort to the freezer case. There’s a recipe for sesame noodles that looks promising with some variations, but not definite. I’ll try it.

A friend suggested I could be inspired by bento boxes, but after a little research, I felt totally inadequate as a parent. Perfectly balanced little meals decorated to look like Hello, Kitty? Cute to be sure, but way, way too much time for what I am facing.

A Google search on “lunch rut” reveals I am not alone. But is also reveals numerous websites devoted to lunch. There are some wonderful recipes out there; a caprese sandwich sounds delightful to me and my husband (especially with the garden we are putting in), but the boys think they don’t like tomatoes so they won’t touch it.

So I don’t know what I’m going to do. After a mostly fruitless search, Annie’s, ramen, PB&J, or leftovers doesn’t sound so bad, really. I’ll keep looking. Meanwhile, there’s always yogurt and cereal.

Pumped Up Ramen

1 package of ramen soup, your choice of flavors
2 eggs, scrambled
¼ cup mixed frozen vegetables
¼ cup cooked, shredded chicken
chopped scallions

Begin cooking the noodles according the package instructions. About a minute into boiling, add the vegetables and chicken. Allow the soup to return to a boil, let it cook for a minute, then stir in the seasoning packed (I only use half). Finally, stirring continuously, pour in the scrambled eggs. Bring the soup back to a boil, then serve immediately garnished with scallions.

Sesame Noodles

2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp Chinese sesame paste
1 tbsp dark sesame oil
3 tbsp tamari soy sauce
2 tbsp rice wine
1 1/2 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp honey
1/2 tsp chili paste (optional)
1 tsp five-spice powder
1 scallion, chopped
chopped peanuts
mung bean sprouts (optional)
2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped (optional)
8 oz long pasta or soba noodles

Cook the pasta/noodles until al dente. Meanwhile, combine garlic, sesame paste, sesame oil, tamari, rice wine, rice vinegar, honey, chili paste and five spice powder in a blender and puree until smooth.

When the pasta is cooked and drained, toss the pasta with the sauce, then top with scallions, peanuts, and bean sprouts. Serve immediately.

Caprese Sandwich

½ loaf of crusty French bread
olive oil
1 or 2 large tomatoes, sliced thin
fresh basil leaves, chiffonnade
fresh mozzarella slices

Slice the bread lengthwise in half. Brush each side with olive oil. Layer mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil chiffonade, then slice the bread into single portions and serve.

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There’s one carryover from last week to this week. We ended up going out to dinner spur of the moment on Friday, so the Roasted Carrot Risotto moved to this week.

This is a also spring vacation for the boys, so the potential for meals to get jumbled is high. We don’t want to be too rigid on a “vacation” week, even though the adults in the house don’t have vacation time.

Also, I bought a small package of edible flowers yesterday. I think I’ll sprinkle those on the salads for a couple of nights. Spring is springing, in every way.

Recipes with an asterisk are included below.

Sunday: Roasted Carrot Risotto from last week, salad, chocolate chip cookies for dessert.

We will be focusing on yard work during the day on Sunday, so a rich and filling meal seems about right.

Monday: Grilled Bratwurst on sub rolls, salad.

I’ll even get sauerkraut for the boys. I can’t stand the stuff myself.

Tuesday: Pasta with Pancetta and Tomatoes*, salad

Woody has been asking for something - anything - with pancetta.

Wednesday: Grilled marinated chicken breasts, roasted broccoflower*, salad

Since the boys are off of school and most regular activities are suspended, no eating separately tonight. I’ll use up some marinade we have in the refrigerator and we’ll use broccoflower in our favorite roasted cauliflower recipe just for fun.

Thursday: Pastrami Paninis*, salad

You don’t need a panini maker to make paninis. I use a foil-wrapped brick, a grill pan and a frying pan.

Friday: Fondue with various veggies and bread.

This is Alfs’ request. Fondue is often a little too rich for me, but this recipe is made with hard apple cider and I like it very much.

Saturday: Rock Sugar Ginger Chicken, stir fried broccoli, rice, salad.

This is a standby recipe for us.

Pasta with Pancetta and Tomatoes

2 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
generous inch of so of pancetta, chopped into small pieces
1 tbsp parsley, preferably fresh
1large can peeled tomatoes, chopped
1 pound shaped pasta
Parmesan or romano cheese for garnish

Cook the pasta to almost al dente. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large saucepan in medium heat and add the pancetta. Saute the pancetta until the fat starts to render. Add the onions and garlic and sauté for a minute or so. Add the tomatoes and most of the sauce to the pan and let cook for 5-10 minutes to bring the flavors together. Now add the drained almost al dente pasta to the pancetta-tomato sauce and let finish cooking in the sauce for another five minutes ago. Serve with the cheese as a garnish.

Roasted Cauliflower or Broccoflower

One head of cauliflower or broccoflower, cut into bite sized florets
4 tbsp unsalted butter
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp chopped fresh sage leaves
Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Put the cauliflower on a baking sheet or in baking dish with sides.

Melt the butter over medium heat and cook until it just browns and smells nutty. Add the olive oil and sage. Pour over the cauliflower, then season the cauliflower with salt and pepper. Toss to coat.

Roast 30 to 35 minutes, stirring several times. The cauliflower should be light brown around the edges.

Pastrami Paninis

Sliced pastrami in a quantity appropriate to your family/guests
Sliced swiss cheese in a similar quantity
Loaf of good Italian bread, sliced
Dijon mustard
Olive oil for brushing on the outside of the sandwiches
Cooking spray for the grill pan

Grill pan
Frying pan with a base that will set down into the grill pan
A brick, cleaned as well as you can and covered with foil

Spray the grill pan with cooking spray and place over medium heat while you prepare the sandwiches.

For each sandwich, spread mustard to taste (optional) on the inside of each piece of bread. Layer cheese and pastrami on each side, too. I like to have cheese as the outer layer closest to the bread for better adhesion to the bread and meat. I typically use one large slice of cheese and two to three piece of pastrami on each side. Flip one side on top of the other.

Brush olive oil on the top of each sandwich. Flip them over to place them oiled side down in the grill pan. Place the frying pan with the brick inside on top of the sandwiches and press down a bit with your hand to get some good squashing going. You don’t have to continue pressing, but you can if you want. After a few minutes (when you have some good grill lines going and the lower cheese has started to melt, remove the frying pan and brush this side of the sandwiches with oil. Using a spatula, carefully flip the sandwiches over and repeat the pressing process with the frying pan and brick.

Removed the paninis to a cutting board and cut in half diagonally and serve.

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All our meals fell into place last week, so we’re starting fresh this week.

Recipes are included below for meals marked with an asterisk.

Sunday: Pasta with Sausage and Spinach, birthday cake

Sunday is Sunshine’s fourth birthday, so she gets to pick the meal. The girl loves pasta, so she chose pasta with sausage and spinach. And for her birthday cake, blueberries are the fruit of choice.

Monday: Balkan Prosciutto Soup*, salad

My husband will be cooking this night, and this soup is an easy and quick favorite. Sometimes the kids balk at the spinach, so we ladle out their portions before adding it in.

Tuesday: Mandarin Orange Chicken, rice and salad

The frozen Mandarin Orange Chicken from Trader Joe’s is a favorite fast meal solution for us. I have some women coming to the house tonight, so I need to feed the kids fast, fast, fast. While I don’t like to serve meals in this manner too often, every once in a while is fine. Balance and all.

Wednesday: Leftovers or quesadillas for the kids, homemade shrimp California rolls* for the parents.

Our typical Wednesday evening when the kids need to eat first and the grownups will eat later. Nothing beats fresh California rolls. We have a simple sushi rice recipe.

Thursday: Chicken soup (probably canned), salad, bread

My husband can’t eat much this night due to an appointment the next day. We’ll join him in the lighter fare. Family solidarity!

Friday: Caramelized Carrot Risotto, salad

We like risotto in general, and this recipe looks really good.

Saturday: I’m not cooking!

We’ll but at a relative’s home for a nephew’s birthday.

Balkan Prosciutto Soup

1 tbsp butter
2 large shallots, chopped
1 large can (49 1/2 oz) reduced-sodium, low-fat chicken broth
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 c orzo pasta
4 cups spinach, washed, dried, and picked over
2 oz prosciutto, cut into thin slices
1 c sour cream (low-fat is fine)

Saute the shallots in butter in a 5 to 6 quart pan over medium heat until shallots are soft, about 5 minutes. Add the broth, pepper and nutmeg and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and add the orzo. Simmer uncovered until the orzo is tender, 8 to 9 minutes.

Add spinach and prosciutto, and simmer until spinach is wilted, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the sour cream.

Alternately, after the orzo is soft, turn the burner very low and add the prosciutto and sour cream. Server to those not as thrilled with the spinach element, then return the soup to the low burner and add the spinach, stirring and simmering until wilted.

Shrimp California Rolls

The beauty of this recipe is that it can be scaled up or down depending on how hungry you are or how many people you want to serve.

Sushi rice (we usually make a 1/2 recipe for the two of us)
Nori
Cooked, shelled and deveined shrimp
cucumber, julienned
avocado, julienned
carrot, julienned
soy sauce
wasabi
pickled ginger

Rolling California rolls is a little tricky, and takes a little practice. Fortunately, the result is just as tasty whether the final rolls look perfect or not. There are several Internet sites with instructions, for example, here. My general procedure is as follows:

1. Lay out a bamboo sushi mat, and a piece of nori on it.
2. Mush some sushi rice onto about 2/3 of it.
3. In the middle of the rice, lay lines of shrimp, cucumber, avocado and carrot.
4. Carefully, using the mat, roll up the whole thing.
5. Slice carefully. Those ends that aren’t so even are perfect for mid-preparation snacking.
6. Serve immediately with soy sauce, wasabi. and pickled ginger.

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Just one glitch in the plan from last week. The quiche moved from Saturday to Sunday as friends came over last minute and we made pizza for nine.

Recipes are included below for menu items with an asterisk.

Sunday: Quiche, roasted cauliflower*, rice pudding for dessert.

Monday: Chicken and vegetable stir-fry, rice.

It’s my husband’s night to cook and we have enough leftover bits to make a decent stir fry. He has his own sauce he makes when he stir-fries.

Tuesday: Pork with cranberry and orange*, vegetable, salad

We haven’t had this dish for a while, and the kids really like it.

Wednesday: Leftovers for the kids, Italian tomatoes and eggs for the parents

It’s our usual feed the kids first so they can get to their things and the parents eat as a couple later.

Thursday: Foil-wrapped ginger chicken, rice, vegetable, salad

This was a hit when I made it a couple of weeks ago. My husband will cook this night, so we’ll get most of it prepared the night before while we are making dinner for the two of us, and my husband can get it into the oven quickly when he gets home.

Friday: Pasta with store-bought basil pesto, ice cream for bribing purposes.

My husband will be out of town on business, the schools have a teacher work day and it’s the day before my daughter’s birthday party. It will be a day of cleaning and organizing (Oh, the kids will love that. Not.), so a very simple dinner is in order.

Saturday: Take out pizza for about 20, salad, cupcakes and ice cream for dessert.

I’m not about to try to cook pizza for that many, but I can pull together a salad. The cupcakes will be from a local bakery. I’m sure there will be munchies around, too.

Roasted Cauliflower

One head of cauliflower, cut into bite sized florets
4 tbsp unsalted butter
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp chopped fresh sage leaves
Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Put the cauliflower on a baking sheet or in baking dish with sides.

Melt the butter over medium heat and cook until it just browns and smells nutty. Add the olive oil and sage. Pour over the cauliflower, then season the cauliflower with salt and pepper. Toss to coat.

Roast 30 to 35 minutes, stirring several times. The cauliflower should be light brown around the edges.

Pork with Cranberry and Orange

4 boneless center cut pork loin chops (about 1 1/4 lb total)
3/4 c beef broth
1/4 dried cranberries
2 tbsp frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp cornstarch
2 tsp butter
2 tsp olive oil
Orange slices and thyme sprigs fro garnish (optional)

Pound the pork chops flat (1/4 to 1/3 inch thick) between two pieces of plastic wrap.

In a small bowl, stir together the broth, cranberries, orange juice concentrate, mustard and cornstarch. Set aside.

In a wide non-stick frying pan, heat the oil and the butter to sizzling over medium-high heat. Add the pork chops in a single layer. Cook, turning once, until the pork is browned on each side and no longer pink in the center, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a warm plate and cover.

When all the pork is cooked, add the broth mixture to the pan and increase heat to high. Boil, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened, about one minute. Pour over the pork and serve. Garnish with orange slices and thyme.

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We still haven’t had the spaghetti carbonnara. Just one meal glitch from last week, really, but that glitch pushed out the carbonnara meal once again.

I feel confident that we will have the spaghetti carbonnara this week. This week we must address a significant schedule change that will affect meal planning. This is also the first of two major schedule changes with meal-time impact this month, and a third will be upon us in June.

Starting this week, my husband will be picking up the kids - and cooking - two nights per week. At the end of the month, it will go back to one night a week, but that adjustment will coincide with little league baseball season. We’ll get to all that then; it’s not likely to be pretty. In the meantime, recipes with asterisks have the recipe included below.

Sunday: Balsamic-roasted chicken*, roasted carrots and potatoes, salad. Ice cream for dessert.

A good sit-down Sunday meal to start our week off right.

Monday: Spaghetti carbonnara and salad.

Finally!

Tuesday: Alf’s birthday! Burgers, salad, birthday cake.

My oldest son’s birthday is on Tuesday. That meal choice is all his. Also, he gets to pick what he wants for breakfast that morning. He has asked for blitzes.

Wednesday: Chicken quesadillas for the kids, Rosemary and White Bean Soup for the adults

Our typical Wednesday, with the kids needing to eat earlier and the adults having a couples meal.

Thursday: Pasta with red sauce and meatballs, salad.

Now, my husband can cook more complicated meals than this. In fact, he is a better cook than I am. But as we get into this routine change, best to keep things as simple as possible for all of us.

Friday: Chicken Pad Thai Salad*

Saw this one in a cookbook, and it sounded really good! Also, I need to expand our repertoire of salad meals for the change that occurs in late April.

Saturday: Quiche - probably with leftover chicken, peas and cheese, plus salad.

The Science Fair is Saturday. Something fairly simple seems right. I can pick up a prepared pie crust at the market.

Balsamic-Roasted Chicken

1 roasting chicken, 3 1/2 -4 pounds
6 sprigs fresh marjoram or sage
1 lemon, cut in half
1 yellow onion, cut in half
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup dry white wine or apple juice
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
kosher salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Wash and dry the chicken, and carefully loosed the skin around the breast. Place about half the marjoram or sage under the skin. With the chicken breast side up in a roasting pan, squeeze the lemon over the whole chicken. Put the lemon halves and the onion inside the chicken cavity with the remaining marjoram or sage. Pour the vinegar and the wine or juice over the chicken, then rub the olive oil, rosemary, salt and pepper over the chicken breast, then turn the chicken over so it begins roasting breast side down.

Roast 30 minutes, basting occasionally with the pan juices. Turn the chicken breast side up, then continue to roast about another 50-55 minutes, basting frequently with the pan juices. The skin should be golden brown and a meat thermometer should register 180 degrees in the thickest part of the thigh. Juices should run clear.

Let rest 10-20 minutes, loosely covered with foil, before carving.

Pad Thai Salad with Chicken

1/2 pound flat rice noodles
shredded chicken
1/4 snow peas or snap peas, stem ends and strings removed, blanched and julienned
1 2-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and julienned
1/4 small head of savoy or napa cabbage, cored and thinly sliced
2 scallions, minced

2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro leaves
2 tbsp chopped fresh chives
1 cup unsalted roasted peanuts, finely chopped
2 oz bean sprouts or pea shoots

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, optional

Salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup Pad Thai Vinaigrette

Set aside half of the peanuts and half of the bean sprouts for garnish.

Boil four cups of water in a large saucepan. Remove from heat, and immerse the noodles in the hot water. Let them sit in the hot water for about 10 minutes. They should be tender but firm. Drain well.

In a large bowl, combine the noodles with the remaining ingredients. Toss gently with the vinaigrette. Garnish with the reserved peanuts and bean sprouts.

Pad Thai Vinaigrette

2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
2 tbsp Thai fish sauce
2 tbsp tamarind paste
2 tbsp light soy sauce or tamari
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp ketchup
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
Zest and juice of one lemon
Zest and juice of one orange
1 tsp crushed red pepper or chili paste, optional

Whisk together all the ingredients. Use immediately or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1 week.