Sunday, February 7, 2010

On the Menu

I have been having so much fun finding new recipes to add to my What's for Supper list. But this week I encountered one that will absolutely not make the list. I am not a picky eater at all, except that I despise mayonnaise and anything resembling it, like salad dressing. (And I have no idea what the difference is between the two and why people become grossly defensive about one vs. the other, and please don't try to make me understand. They're both icky.) I also don't like salmon patties, beef tongue or brains, and veal. Besides that, I'll pretty much eat anything. Except pigs' feet and those purplish eggs. And cole slaw, egg salad, tuna salad, and potato salad (but that goes back to the whole mayo thing).

But ANYWAY, this week I made a meal that I actually ended up tossing out. The villain: the Food Network's Calypso Beef Soup. So, okay. When I told a few friends the ingredients to the soup after the fact, they said, "What would possess you to think that would be good?" I had my reservations, I really did. Black-eyed peas, ground beef, sweet potatoes, spinach, and coconut milk: hmmm—definitely sounds suspicious. But the reviews on the site were so convincing! "This is the best soup I've ever tasted...and I don't just hand out that title.... My picky husband even went back for 2nds and said it was his favorite as well" and "Everyone thought the flavors were unique and wonderful and all helped themselves to seconds!" Now I have to wonder: What do these poor people eat normally that they found this to be such a treat?

Not my shining moment in the kitchen. We all ate about a dozen bites and threw it out. I didn't even bring the leftovers over to my parents, who will eat anything (including brains and tongue). Fortunately, we had a good portion of this Buffalo Chicken Wing Dip left from our Cub Scout Blue and Gold banquet the night before. This dip, by the way, is aMAzing!! Please, please try it for your next party!

The General Tso's Chicken was delicious, and I didn't get to my other new recipe. One night we did have our favorite Baked Potato Soup and Randy made Fettucine Alfredo again last night at my Mom's special request, along with Pioneer Woman's Buttery Bread and Roasted Cauliflower.

Coming up next week, we'll be having
Cuban Pork Roast with applesauce,
• chili
• Pioneer Woman's Pasta with Artichokes.

The other nights we have various other dinner plans, so my grocery list this week actually has about 15 items on it. What sorts of interesting things are you eating this week? I hope all your meals are successful—and trust me: don't try the Calypso Soup! Menu Plan Monday , Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, and Balancing Beauty and Bedlam are great places to find more recipes and reviews.

9 comments:

  1. I love the Pioneer Woman recipes! I made her lasagna about 2 weeks ago and it was to die for! I also love roasted cauliflower, yum!

    Have a wonderful week,

    Sherry

    http://educatingemme.blogspot.com

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  2. LOL I love reading the first paragraph. It reads like "I will eat anything except this and this and this and thisandthisandthisandthis... I know that in the grand scheme of things, you don't actually exclude that many foods. But reading that paragraph just made me chuckle. Kind of like that scene from "the Jerk" where Steve Martin is leaving and saying all he needs is his thermos... and THIS! and THIS! and THIS.... :)

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  3. I think the ingredients would have turned me off, but then I am a picky eater. ;-)

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  4. HA! I absolutely hate it when I invest time and money on a new recipe that is a total flop. I'm always lured by exotic ingredients, and I can totally relate to holding out hope for a combination of foods that my own common sense tells me isn't going to work. I keep thinking how COOL it will all be if I can triumph in the face of ground beef and coconut milk. :)

    But, the rest of your recipes sound great. Tonight we had PW's brisket for the superbowl. It was super yummy. Although, I've even made a few of her "no fail" tried and trues that have gone badly for me. I made a batch of her infamous "spreads" (cookies) one night and the whole thing went in the trash.

    I could write a whole book on "when bad recipes happen to good people".......

    Happy cooking this week!

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  5. I love General Tso's chicken! I will have to try that recipe. :D Great looking menu!

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  6. Hi Sarah! So nice to meet you...thanks for stopping by Treasured Chapters! You mentioned that we are alike. I'll have to peruse your blog some more because according to this post, you seem quite comfortable in the kitchen. Which is very UNlike me. But maybe you're just scattered like me...you know, one to ramble, etc., etc. Much like I'm doing now. At any rate, I like you--you're funny, and it appears you are a homeschooler. :-)

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  7. Yeah, I've had my fair share of those failed recipes... I like Menu Monday though, and a lot of the other dishes you mentioned sound good! Love Pioneer Woman. Her Fresh Green Beans One Way are a total family favorite!

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  8. I love trying new recipes, but it can definitely lead to a grumbly tummy. I look forward to reading more of you blog.

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  9. Thanks for all the recipe links. They sound great. Also, thanks for linking your post to Tempt My Tummy Tuesday.

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