March 13, 2021

WEEKLY MENU 03.14.21

We’re spreading the celebration out over the whole week during the Weekly Menu 03.14.21!

Saint Patrick’s Day is here! We’re giving it a nod twice during the Weekly Menu 03.14.21. The celebration is a little different than it was back in the day, but it’s still a fun day to honor all things Irish. The food is good old fashioned comfort, and the cup of cheer served with it sets the mood for a happy, easy party.

I’ve mentioned it before, but I come from a large (eight kids) Catholic family. Mom was German in heritage, and Dad was Irish. A mixed marriage, if you will. The two ancestries hold many of the same traits, but vary in the biggies: Mom was more stoic and reserved, and Dad… wasn’t.

Mom identified her children as either German or Irish, with little mixing of the two. I thought that was bunch of hooey until I had my DNA tested. And found out that instead of being a 50/50 split, my DNA is about 67% Irish. Turns out that Mom was right – at least about me.

I identify as Irish.

My beer of choice is Guinness, potatoes are my spirit food, and my most favorite place in the whole world is Ireland. This week was made for me.

The Weekly Menu 03.14.21 has pieces of our Saint Patrick’s Day Menu in it – but they’re split up a little bit to accommodate a Wednesday feast day. We’re starting with a fabulous full-on “Sunday Dinner” meal. Wednesday, we’re picking up the best ever Rueben Sandwiches from a favorite restaurant. We’re topping dinner off with a home made shamrock shake, which is super simple and delicious – once a year.

How are we filling in from there? We’re using some kielbasa in a nice hearty soup on Monday. (We’re honoring the other side of the family this week too!) Once we sauté the sausage, we’ll add canned beans and some veggies. Biscuits (from a tube, naturally) will round out our dinner.

Taco Tuesday is enchiladas this week. The Chicken Enchiladas Suizas are an easy take on a Mexican casserole. We’ll probably bake the chicken for the filling, but a shredded rotisserie chicken would make a perfect substitute.

It’s still lent.

And Bert’s favorite Clam Chowder is finally on the menu. For years (and years) I tried and discarded recipe after recipe for Clam Chowder. They were either tan (?!?) or gloppy. Once I even made it with fresh clams and included the shells. Yeah. That sounds about as good as it tasted. Then, by chance, I stumbled over this recipe. Not only is it easy, it is SPECTACULAR. No shells or tan broth in sight. And, if you’ve never made homemade crackers, check out the recipe. They’re super easy and a real treat.