peas at a party

For 38 years, one of our weekend to-do’s was planning our menus for the week. Through the newlywed stage, the late 1960’s foodie fad, picky toddlers, swarms of teenagers, a peaceful empty nest, and our healthy cooking years, we planned.

Then three years ago, this came to a screeching halt. When Fizzy Meals was launched, our evening meals became all about testing. What might have been considered a rough plan for the week was constantly being “adjusted” when two dishes didn’t work together or a recipe I was counting on was a disaster reject or a recipe needed re-testing before it could be published. There was almost never a night of simple, old faithful dishes that actually went together since there was always something waiting to be tested.

But on December 13, the last weekly issue of Fizzy Meals was posted. After holiday frenzy and holiday travel and holiday celebrations, it was time to go back to planning menus for us. I wanted to test the shopping list and menu planning work sheet for Enough Thyme so that’s where I started. The whole planning thing felt strange at first. As in “Really? No testing?” But it’s like riding a bike. How incredibly easy mealtime is when the menu is posted right on the fridge and the ingredients have all been purchased for the week. Duh. Not a single temptation to run for take-out. Duh, again.

This week has been fun, and cooking has been amazingly stress free. (I know, I know. That’s why people subscribed to Fizzy Meals, but it’s not something I’ve personally experienced in the past three years!)

So what was on our menu this week?

Sunday

• Old Bay Steamed Shrimp
• Whole Wheat Couscous with Sun-Dried Tomatoes
• Garlic Spinach

Monday (ate out for our “big” meal)

• Rustic Tomato Basil Soup
• Gooey Grilled Cheese Toast on Rosemary Bread

Tuesday (New Year’s lunch for guests)

• Lemon Garlic Pork Tenderloin
• Black-Eyed Peas
• Cabbage and Carrot Stir Fry
• Mini Corn Muffins
• Chocolate Chess Pie

Wednesday

• Cheesy Chicken Chowder (a new recipe)
• Spinach Salad with Orange Vinaigrette

Thursday

• Salmon (something Asian–need to find a glaze or rub)
• Asian Green Beans (ala Weight Watchers)
• Green Salad with Sesame Dressing

Many of the recipes were from the cookbook and that turned out to be an unexpected treat—no vague recipes with a gazillion hand-written notes, question marks, and blanks to be filled in. The new recipe turned out way too good. (I’m almost afraid to run the nutrition, but I’ll share it anyway as soon as it’s formatted.)

Don’t get me wrong, I loved publishing Fizzy Meals—the adventure of new recipes and the satisfaction of finding a healthy version of the old classics and the incredible high of hearing from subscribers. But it’s also been a rush to once again experience the simple pleasure of planning menus and cooking dinner.

So what’s posted on your fridge?