30 minute meal?

So, I pulled the ziti out the freezer, and for some reason it didn't store as I expected. I haven't frozen a ziti in years. First, I must say, it's not actually ziti...I use penne and rotelle whole grain noodles - ziti is a little to thick and pudgy for my taste. Oh, maybe that's it, the last time I froze a ziti it was probably prepared with enriched bleached pasta.

The sauce still tasty - turkey Italian sausage, 90% lean ground beef, onions, red peppers, baby bellas, garlic, basil, and lots of tomatoes of course. I did ricotta and a cheese blend - I think provolone, mozzarella, and asiago if I'm not mistaken.

The kids were looking forward to the sauteed broccoli, but it didn't go as planned. My daughter sliced the veggies - ever since her$525 Restaurant School camp and $30 chef knife, she's my sous chef. I got too fancy, tossing the broccoli in white balsamic vinegar before sauteing with tons of garlic. The next mistake was that after I sauteed the veggies, we had to run an errand and reheat the broccoli - the texture was off and unlike the last time when the broccoli was gobbled up quickly, this time it was just OK.

We finished the meal with sweet tea. It sure would be nice to have some apple crostada.

I'm thinking this pan of ziti and pot of soup should hold us until Wednesday...tomorrow promises to be hectic. I haven't driven to the Bronx in two weeks and I'm certainly not looking forward to it. I have lots of stuff to grade and really need to get a jump on these lectures.

Years ago, before grad school and adjuncting, I used to be so organized - I had menus planned and food prepared on the weekends (Grandmom Lou taught me to cook two meals on Sundays back in 1994). Last year we were literally scrambling for food, eating who knows what. This year, insha'Allah, I will be more organized and at least get some good meals in Friday thru Sunday.

I spent the afternoon cleaning...for some reason, this blog has inspired me. I did a bit of organizing in the kitchen and laundry room - I guess I keep thinking about "Julie's" lack of ServSafe standards - it was creepy.

I am looking forward to cooking and sharing food with the people in my life. My husband wants me to start selling carrot cakes again, we'll see about that - maybe for xmas.