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Thursday, November 18

Chocolate cookies.

This is my standard chocolate chip cookie recipe, with a couple twists. We experiment with Stevia where I work, so I used that instead of sugar. That means the cookies won't spread, which is what gives them their puffy shape. We didn't have chocolate chips so I used cocoa powder. I thought they were pretty good, and the kids aren't picky...wait, yes they are. They liked them, too.

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Wednesday, November 17

Chicken, etc.

Sauteed chicken breast with a fresh apple-cranberry compote (with fresh rosemary and white wine), garlic mashed potatoes and creamed spinach. I actually thought this was really good, even though it was a total experiment.

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Tuesday, November 16

Pineapple.

One of my favorite fruits. Juicy, ripe, really flavorful...just right.

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Monday, November 15

Grapefruit.

Not usually a huge grapefruit fan, at least when it's in segments like this...the membrane is pretty tough but these weren't bad. Really juicy and fresh.

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Sunday, November 14

Macaroni & cheese.

Not macaroni, but some twisty pasta. Turkey and cheese sauce and salt and pepper and hot sauce and sprinkled with paprika...I love mac & cheese. Even if it isn't mac.

Served with tomato.

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Saturday, November 13

Pasta salad.

I don't remember what this pasta is called, but it's a lot like orzo. Tossed with chopped bell pepper, sliced black olives, parmesan cheese, olive oil, salt & pepper. Totes yum.

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Friday, November 12

Turkey salad sandwich.

We had leftover turkey in the fridge (when is Thanksgiving...? haha jk Mom) so I made a really simple turkey salad with ranch dressing and celery salt, and slapped it on some toast with tomato. Served with apple and tortilla chips, this was like the best meal I've ever had. Or I was just really hungry.

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Thursday, November 11

Brownies.

Pretty self-explanatory...this is my standard fudge brownie recipe, I make it a lot so that means they're delicious.

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Wednesday, November 10

Salad.

Avocado, grapefruit, caramelized onions, and Romaine lettuce tossed with a light olive oil vinaigrette. Refreshing and tasty.

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Tuesday, November 9

Toast with avocado.

Simple, but delectable. Smashed avocado on whole wheat toast, sprinkled with salt & pepper, served with tomato.

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Monday, November 8

Cheesy chicken & rice casserole.

Sometimes I make things at work and then it's so delicious I make it at home for dinner. I had that "cheesy chicken and rice casserole, possibilitiiieess" song stuck in my head all day, so that's what I called this. Which works, because it's a cheesy casserole with chicken and rice. And broccoli. And worcestershire sauce and sage.

One Hundred and Forty-Seven

Sunday, November 7

Broccoli & cheese quiche.

My mother is pretty great, and so was this quiche she made. Cottage cheese, cheddar cheese, eggs, broccoli...who knew so many delicious things were also delicious together?

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Saturday, November 6

Raspberry torte.

Have I mentioned lately how much I love Trader Joe's?

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Friday, November 5

Chicken curry.

Chicken, potatoes, onions and plenty of other tasty things in this dish by Mom, served with rice and garlic tandoori naan.

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Thursday, November 4

Fajitas.

Sauteed chicken, bell peppers and onions with chili powder and cumin, in a flour tortilla, with sour cream, hot sauce and cilantro. One of my favorite meals ever, for sure.

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Wednesday, November 3

Apple.

I'm gonna say this was a Fuji. Super sweet and crisp. It was one of the best apples I've had in a long time, so thanks, Costco.

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Tuesday, November 2

Mini tacos.

Thanks to Trader Joe's for these tasty bites. Fried beef tacos, served with sour cream and salsa.

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Monday, November 1

Mint chocolate chip ice cream.

Sam decided we needed to make this, so make it we did. It was a great idea, and would have been a success if I'd bought peppermint extract instead of mint extract...because apparently peppermint doesn't taste like toothpaste. Some people enjoyed it, but according to overdramatic sources, Mike almost threw up. I put mine in a blender with a banana, chocolate syrup, milk and ice. And that was delicious. Knowing what we know now, I think we could make this again and not have any complaints.

And yes, it's pink. Because we could.

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Sunday, October 31

Poached pears.

Fresh pear halves, poached in spiced red wine (cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, rosemary and black pepper), on a bed of baked custard, drizzled with a red wine caramel and sprinkled with rosemary and black pepper. We all thought it was delicious, although the caramel got a bit hard to control the more it cooled. I still liked it, though.

One Hundred and Thirty-Nine

Saturday, October 30

Frittata.

Consisting of apple & gouda chicken sausage, caramelized onions, aged white cheddar and more eggs than I have fingers, this wasn't my favorite. Others seemed to like it (though they may have just been being polite), but it definitely needs some work, texture-wise.

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Friday, October 29

Orange chicken.

Tangy, sweet and tender chicken, served with rice noodles and salad (tossed with an Asian-style vinaigrette). Classic good eats.

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Thursday, October 28

Banana cookies.

First time I've ever made these, and they are now easily one of my favorite kinds of cookies. The recipe called for 1 cup of pecans, but I opted instead for 1/2 cup of walnuts and 1/2 cup of chocolate chips. I didn't regret it.

They have a banana bread consistency and they pack plenty of flavor. Moist, chewy, almost cake-like. So good.