Hey Y'all!
While country cookin’ isn’t necessarily a staple in my new and healthy kitchen, I couldn’t resist a little Paula Deen. She’s one of my faves! And she says y’all, which makes me happy since I don’t hear that EVER in NYC. I just wanted to drop by and update you on the poor girl’s gourmet menu I’m whipping up for this week! I’m super stoked for the recipes I’ve found. All of the ingredients can be used and reused throughout the menu. And I always get a kick out of the confused look on my husband’s face when I tell him what we’re having for dinner. Here’s how the dialogue usually goes down between us when he sneaks into the kitchen to see what I’m cooking for dinner:
Hubby: “Mmm, something smells good. What are we having for dinner?”
Me: “Thanks! We’re having a Citrus Chicken and Orzo Salad.”
Hubby: Blank stare. Cricket, cricket. “I thought we could maybe do cheeseburgers tonight?”
Me: “Haha, you thought wrong darling.” (Evil smile on face)
But the funniest part is, even though I basically have to hold his hand and reassure him that what I’m cooking for dinner won’t kill him, he usually loves it and goes back for seconds. Or he could just be a really good actor and doesn’t want to hurt my feelings? Anywho, the shopping trip was a great success today, especially with the hubster’s help! We got all of the necessary ingredients, (and of course some splurge items for the hubby) and came out right around $100, which fits quite nicely into our budget. (Before we moved to NYC we made a budget to stick to during the first year and titled it the “How to Live in NYC and Not Starve Budget.” Catchy don’t you think?)
While groceries in the city are so much more expensive than groceries back home in NC, I still managed to find some great deals today! And a lot of the things we needed to buy for this week’s menu are certain staples that everyone should keep in their kitchen on a day to day basis, (balsamic vinegar, olive oil, various spices, onions, peppers etc.) So without further ado, here is this weeks menu! I hope you find the menu inspiring and I’ll let you know which recipes turn out the best! Also, don’t you just love the cute recipe logos (below) my sister designed for me?
Yummo 
I’ll keep you updated!
