nacho party; sorry, people, I had to crop us out; we did not look good
**Monday's menu** Take-out Chinese. For family day. I made steamed rice too.
**Carrot count** Zero.
**Tuesday's menu** Split pea soup with bacon. And carrots. Bread and cheese.
**Carrot count** Four or five. Not nearly enough.
**Wednesday's menu** Black beans. Baked rice. Tortillas. Cabbage salad with grated carrots. Roasted carrots with thyme. Toppings for beans and rice.
**Carrot count** Lots! They took forever to peel, but they all got eaten.
**We love company** Invited two of my brothers to join us. That was fun.
**Thursday's menu** Carrot/parsnip soup (recipe from a friend). Fried kale (should have added grated carrot; forgot). Baguette. Cheese.
**Carrot count** Two pounds. Success!
**We love company** Albus invited a friend to supper. When I said what was on the menu, he said, "It sounds like something my mom would cook!" Knowing his mom, that is a lovely compliment.
**Dear Parsnip** So much peeling! So skinny! You are not a vegetable I can fall in love with. Maybe we could be friends, but ...
**Friday's menu** Crockpot black bean chili with hamburger. And carrots.
**Carrot count** A few. Starting to feel less panicked about using up carrots -- we've made a good dent.
**Leftovers** This used up three separate containers of leftovers, two of rice (from Monday and Wednesday) and one of black beans. Plus it was quick, easy, and tasted fabulous.
**We love company** Kevin's mother arrived to join us for Book Launch Weekend. She complimented the chili. The chef was pleased.
**Saturday's menu** Sweet potato coconut soup. Fancy cheeses. Baguette.
**Carrot count** Zero.
**We love company** Kevin's mother was with us. My publicist and editor had a bite too, when they stopped in from Toronto just before we all went to the book launch.
**Good reviews** "This is the best supper ever!" "Can I try the stinky cheese?" "I LOVE stinky cheese!" "More stinky cheese!" (The only problem with this: I LOVE stinky cheese too. And it's expensive!)
:::
**Weekend kitchen accomplishments** Four loaves of way-too-rustic-looking bread. Too much whole wheat flour, proportionally.
**No cooking-with-kids this week.
**However** We did have a Nacho Party on Sunday afternoon to use up the massive bag of tortilla chips I'd ordered for the launch. Apparently 5 kg is a helluva a lot of tortilla chips. But I might order that much again, just to have an excuse for another party.
**Recipe for a Nacho Party** Essential ingredients: One giant bag of tortilla chips. Cheese to grate and melt on top. Sour cream or crema. Salsa. Excellent but optional additions: Freshly cooked black beans. Pickled jalapeno peppers (mmmmmm). Cilantro, green onions. (Any more suggestions to add?)Labels: supper, suppers