2.16.2015 | TI8

MONDAY I ATE

Lunch: Leftover pork with rice and broccoli
Afternoon snack: Coke zero. Chocolate buttercream frosting from the cake I was working on
Dinner: Turkey pot pie and green salad. Celebrating Dad’s birthday
Dessert: Angel food cake with chocolate buttercream frosting.
Frosting recipe from: http://savorysweetlife.com/2011/04/chocolate-buttercream-frosting/. It was good as written, but I found it improved with an extra couple of tablespoons of Special Dark cocoa

2.15.2015 | TI8

SUNDAY I ATE

Morning Snack: A mini Snickers bar grabbed from a booth at AAAS
Lunch: Turkey sandwich with cream cheese and cranberry jelly from Main Street Cafe and Books in Los Altos. It was pretty good, maybe a bit dry.
Afternoon snack: Coke zero
Dinner: Fondue… traditional and a cheddar with apple cider one. That was great, but when it got hot, the cheese got a bit gritty
Dessert: Blackberry pie, made for a Pi day post

2.14.2015 | TI8

SATURDAY I ATE

Lunch: Turkey sandwich with hummus
Afternoon snack: Pie crust, chocolate chips, coke zero
Dinner: Pork loin chops with a Chinese spice rub from the Cook’s Illustrated Quick Recipes
Dessert: Blackberries and ice cream

2.13.2015 | TI8

FRIDAY I ATE

Breakfast: Grapenuts, cranberry juice
Lunch: Leftover Mac&Cheese
Afternoon snack: M&Ms, Coke Zero, also this awesome firecracker chocolate bar from Trader Joes with pop rocks in it!
Dinner: Hot dog from Costco
Dessert: Raspberry Cream heart from See’s Candy

2.12.2015 | TI8

THURSDAY I ATE

Breakfast: Grapenuts, cranberry juice
Morning Snack: Apple
Lunch: Leftover Mac&Cheese
Afternoon snack: M&M’s, coke zero
Dinner: Burger and fries at Boss Burger, a new place in Albany. It’s got a little hole-in-the-wall feel, though it’s clean and hipster. The burger was truly exceptional. Not too big, lots of flavor, great meat. The fries were not to my loving, though they were pretty good. I feel like fries should be skinny to maximize the fried part to the pasty potato inside… these were a little on the wide side. Still, this place is bound to be a favorite.
Boss burger

2.11.2015 | TI8

WEDNESDAY I ATE

Breakfast: Grapenuts mixed with granola with cranberry juice
Lunch: Leftover rice and beans
Afternoon snack: Coke zero
Dinner: Mac & Cheese with Gruyere cheese and ham

2.10.2015 | TI8

TUESDAY I ATE

Breakfast: Granola with cranberry juice
Lunch: Leftover butternut squash risotto
Afternoon snack: Chocolate chip cookie from Aroma. Coke zero.
Dinner: Yellow rice with black beans from Foster’s Market Cookbook.
Yellow rice with black beans.jpg
Dessert: Some heart cookies with Jolly Rancher decoration.

2.9.2015 | TI8

MONDAY I ATE

Breakfast: Granola with cranberry juice
Lunch: Leftover butternut squash risotto
Afternoon snack: York peppermint patties, coke zero
Dinner: Green salad
Dessert: Experimental stained glass cookies

Butternut Squash Risotto

This is one of our favorite recipes. The sweetness of the butternut squash contrasts perfectly with the saltiness of the bacon. It cooks up fairly easily except for the pain of cutting up the butternut squash. If you’ve read my other risotto post, you know that cooking the risotto is way easier than most cookbooks make it out to be.

 

Butternut Squash Risotto with Bacon

Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time45 minutes
Course: Main
Servings: 6 -8
Author: Moose

Ingredients

  • 1 small butternut squash should be about 4-5 cups cubed
  • 1 Onion finely chopped
  • 3 cups chicken broth 2 cans
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 1/4 cup arborio rice
  • 1 cup white wine
  • 6 slices bacon
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

  • Chop the squash in cubes, about 1/2 - 3/4 inch. This can be done in advance and frozen. We discussed grating or mincing a lot of it to ease absorbing into the mix.
  • Heat the broth and water and leave simmering
  • In a big skillet (with a cover), heat some oil or butter and saute the onion until a bit tender.
  • Add arborio rice and saute for a few minutes
  • Add wine and stir until absorbed
  • Dump in about 2-3 cups of the broth along with the squash. Stir well, then slap the cover on and reduce to simmer. See my other post about why you don't need to do that "stir constantly" crap.
  • Microwave the bacon, probably about 6-10 minutes. When it's done, chop into small bits
  • Every so often, stir the rice and add more broth if needed.
  • After about 20 minute, rice will be tender. Mash up the squash. Add bacon and cheese. Add salt and pepper to taste.