We’ve been back over a week now, and I found it hard to get back into the swing of things. When one is privileged enough, or should I say spoiled enough, to spend time in their happy place it can be hard to give it all up and come back to the real world. But here I am!

I’ve been in kind of a rut, cooking wise, so I’ve decided to try something new. what was previously “Tour the World Tuesday” will now become “Try Me Tuesday”. I plan to try a new recipe or ingredient every week.  That may be a challenge!

This past week’s new recipe was Meatball Casserole. I think that recipe could use a little tweaking. Michael thought the meatballs were a little dried out, and I agree. I may try that one again, but instead of layering the meatballs on top I’ll bury them under a layer of pasta and sauce.  They should stay moister that way.

I guess I must have been on a casserole kick last week. Tuesday’s entree was a Chiles Rellanos Casserole. We’ve had a bumper crop of jalapeno and cowhorn peppers this year, so I used those rather than the canned variety. Roasting and peeling all those peppers was a bit of work, but the flavor was excellent, well worth the effort. I think in the future I’ll roast some from the grocery store to prepare this dish if I don’t have any left in the freezer. I had planned to have leftovers from this meal, but we liked it so well that there wasn’t enough left for a full dinner. Tacos were a quick addition.

There’s another new dish on the horizon for Fishy Friday. I had planned to try Zippy Summer Shrimp last week, but Michael wanted his Mexican fix instead. I can’t say he had to twist my arm. Anyway, that recipe is on the menu again this week. That sticker just jumped off the page and onto next week’s calendar. After all, that is what The Sticky Menu Plan is all about.

Be thankful for what life gives you.