What's Cooking March 2022 Part 2

March has been full of variety! The weather has been very cold and pretty warm, have to choose air conditioning one day and heat the next. Life has had more variety too. Some good some not.

Of course I'm still cooking. Trying new recipes, using freezer foods and making some tried and true. I seem to have been on a noodle phase one week, potatoes the next. I just go with it.

I've shifted the plan a lot! Currently this is the deal, but subject to changes.

Instant Pot New England Fish Chowder was delicious. I do not have an Instant Pot, I used my stovetop pressure cooker, but a Dutch oven would work. Leftovers were excellent also.

Creamy Lemon Dill Salmon, Smashed Potatoes and Ground Beef Mongolian Noodles also all good. Only remembered beef picture, cooked broccoli in with the noodles.

Breakfast quesadillas make an appearance. They were filled with cheese and grape tomatoes. Green salsa on top because I love it and had some to use up. Eggs on top.

Shrimp and New Potatoes came from my friend Damon Lee Fowler. I served it over a bed of arugula and tomatoes tossed with a little olive oil and white wine vinegar. Delicious!

Spicy Tangerine Chicken was excellent and also very spicy but some of that was my pepper use. I used 2 fairly big fresh serrano peppers and the full amount of the chili paste. With the peppers I used, half the paste would have been better. But still good and didn't totally destroy taste buds, just be aware of the spice of your pepper. Also the green bell pepper was a great choice. I don't use green bell peppers often but this works.

On Sunday I needed to pick up a few items for a cooking class I had on Monday. I asked husband if he wanted to ride along and maybe stop for fries. I was totally being thoughtful since he missed trying the fries on my first trip to The Dutch. Brunch fries!

After a heavy brunch, I wanted easy and lighter for dinner. I took chicken broth from the freezer, added a bunch of bok choy sliced, broccoli chopped, a few green onions sliced, freshly grated ginger, sambal olek, soy sauce and frozen pork dumplings for dumpling soup. Perfect!

Monday evening cooking class with Girl Scouts. I didn't know the troop or leader, she was referred by a friend of a friend, but I was a Girl Scout and like teaching.

Somehow I thought they were in 4th and 5th grade but they were younger and they did a great job. We rolled pasta dough, cut into fettuccine, made marinara sauce and balsamic dressing. We served fettuccine with or without sauce, salad with or without dressing and had a great time. Everyone did at least taste the dressing since they made it. Choices were made.

No face pictures because of the ages of everyone. But little hands and plates.

The kids have no problems with pictures but all parents were not there. Privacy please!

We had some broccoli cheddar shells from the freezer before class and cheese, crackers and oranges when we got home about 9:30. After dish washing.

In wild life and plant life, my grapefruit trees are growing. I have them downstairs in my craft room. I planted the seeds at the beginning of covid so this is two years.

My cactus has a few flowers but not many. I don't follow any rules for it - dormancy, darkness, whatever, so it's on its own. Calendar is for the pictures, love her work.

I saw my first hummingbird of the year and did not get a picture. They are fast. I left a feeder out all winter just in case and they either returned or were here.

I also saw a hawk and ran onto the deck to get a picture that I was sure I wouldn't get. But I had to try. And this guy stayed for me. So pretty.

Today is laundry, reading my book chapter on hospitality, zoom worship in the evening and a little relaxing. Girl Scouts have lots of energy!