To Eat Dinner @ Home: Tortellini & Spinach in Garlicky Broth

I suck at making soup. It usually ends up flavorless, despite having a lot of ingredients. But this one didn't!

To Review: Lessons & Menu as of 24 January

Lessons Learned & Arbitrary Points:

• Ricotta should only be drained 20 minutes for my idea of perfect ricotta +10
• Spaetzel recipe can be halved for dinner for 2 +0 (cause whatever)
• Michael does NOT like too much lemon in his salad dressing -8
• Eat lasagna BEFORE going to meet friends & drink the beers (what am I? an amateur?) -4
• Trader Joe's Orange Chicken is so delightful & even better cold the morning after +7

Drumrolllllllll...................... 5 points! That seems a lot worse than last week's 54. I learned fewer important things, I guess.

Another lesson: clementines in bright bowls make winter better.

Sunday: Beef Stew in a Bread Bowl (Courtesy M.)
Monday: Pesto Ricotta Spaetzel over Lemony Greens
Tuesday: Lasagna with artichoke hearts salad (Lasagna by M; Salad by me.)
Wednesday: Lasagna with artichoke hearts salad
Thursday: Lasagna out of the pan at 10pm after 2 beers
Friday: Frozen Trader Joe's Chinese Food
Saturday: Pork Tacos (Courtesy of M.)

Eating the same thing several nights in a row is a-okay by me. Plus, it's an attempt to save some ca$h since we're traveling to New Orleans next week for my 30th (!!) birthday. Also, I still don't cook that often.

To Review: Lessons & Menu as of January 17th

Lessons learned & assigned arbitrary points:

• Buttermilk isn't scary! +6
• My intuition is all wrong in biscuit making.(Except for one thing)
• I was all like: use your hands! -13
• I re-used the excess dough -14
• I dumped milk in one spot, creating milk blobs. -11
• I did freeze the butter! +8
• I invented delicious garlic butter. +11
• I refused to remember to pay attention to warnings. 0 
• Neutral score because the outcome was still delightful.
• I learned about how Malbec is supposed to be velvety, black fruity & leathery +3
• I lasted one week writing a blog. +64
  

And since we've none basis for comparison yet, we'll call this a decent score. Until next time.

Overview of this week's menu:

• Sunday: Leftover ribs & mashed potatoes, courtesy M.
• Monday: I went out & had ceviche in a strip mall. #burbs
• Tuesday: Mac & Cheese, courtesy of a friend + Caesar salad with homemade dressing by M.
• Wednesday: Freeeeeeeeeeeeee-tata, biscuits, & salad (I made it!)
• Thursday: Brick chicken & creamed kale, courtesy M.
• Friday: Homemade pizza (the dough was homemade weeks ago & frozen) + salad + $5 Malbec
• The pizza had pesto on it. I made that. I will tell you about it soon.

Main takeaway: M should be making this blog, because I cook... never.