Don’t say anything at all. That’s what my Grandmother always taught me, and that’s the approach I’ll take now. We started the week with a belated 14th birthday celebration at Kaij’s choice of restaurant. Kaij is partial to white carbs topped with saturated fats and that is exactly what this place serves. Kaij was happy and it was his birthday, so we all were happy too. Enough said.

Meatless Monday Michael and I cleansed our palates with a nice pot of Free Broccoli Soup. This batch of soup wasn’t as free as the name indicates, as I started from scratch by purchasing the broccoli, but with the whole bunch of broccoli costing a whopping $2.50 who’s counting? I didn’t use all of the broccoli and there’s plenty of soup left for lunch later in the week, as well. That “free” soup goes a long way. Goldfish crackers make fun cheesy croutons if you keep those on hand, too.

Tuesday’s international fare wound up being a bit more complicated than I originally intended. The beef fajitas turned into both Steak and Chicken Fajitas because we wanted to break in the new grill that Santa brought Michael for Christmas. As long as we were having a christening, regular old flour tortillas wouldn’t do, either. All of a sudden I found myself making Mexican Gorditas to serve them in. What a pain! Oh well, no pain, no gain. The combination sure was delicious.

Wednesday evening I remembered what my freezer inventory was designed for and actually used it! Once I decided that I was in the mood for chicken (again) the chicken inventory page revealed that some very nice Herbed Chicken Croquettes were awaiting my attention. The freezer also produced a couple of cups of Rich Chicken Stock with which to make gravy. I added some Mashed Potatoes and a side of Roasted Broccoli with Garlic and Lemon and that used up the rest of the broccoli.  Wednesday’s dinner was delightfully full of comfort food but cost next to nothing.  Almost everything came from the freezer or pantry.

Thursday’s dinner was another Mexican fusion, La Marina. I borrowed this recipe straight from one of the restaurants we frequent. It may not be fair to refer to this dish as a “fusion” but I think of it as such because it features grilled fresh veggies and a mushroom sauce rather than the more common refried beans and red sauce. La Marina is much lighter and fresher than the usual Mexican restaurant offering.

We finished out the week with Cajun Jambalaya, minus the shrimp and the photo. Minus the shrimp because Michael was Shrimped-out for the week and minus the photo because it got late and I just forgot to take one. Oh well, use your imagination! Better yet, make yourself a batch of Cajun Jambalaya to enjoy.

We caught a good quote on TV last night, but I sure can’t tell you who said it. Any way,
“THIS IS THE YOUNGEST THAT WE WILL EVER BE.”
Now if you are still in your twenties, that won’t mean much to you, but for the rest of us, go for it!
Be thankful for what life gives you.