We have been making a few changes around the Simply June household lately. In an effort to get more organized and to tighten our financial belts, we have been coming up with a weekly menu and creating a grocery list based on it. We have seriously cut about $50 off of our weekly grocery bill as a result! Of course from half of you, I'm sure there is a resounding chorus of "Duh!", but we are a little slow to pick up on things around here sometimes. Maybe it is the creative spirit that we have tried to cultivate in our household, but we usually would just "wing it" while grocery shopping (or food shopping to those native to MA - still makes me giggle for some reason). Anyway, we would just sort of wander into the store and follow our cravings. Yeah, bad idea. So, now I add a cookbook to my weekly list at the local library and sit down at the end of the week to flip through the pages and see what strikes my fancy. I have found that choosing recipes from the same author helps in my quest to save money as they are partial to specific ingredients that show up in many of their recipes. How many times have you purchased a package of fresh thyme or a carton of buttermilk only to find them lingering in the back of your fridge a month later because you only needed a Tbsp. or 1/4 cup of their contents? I have also found that we are eating healthier. I know exactly what we are going to be making each night, so I'm not poking around in the kitchen...nibbling on things until I give in and come up with a plan.

So, what is this weeks cookbook you are wondering? "The Food You Crave...Luscious Recipes for a Healthy Life" by Ellie Krieger. So far we have had the Stuffed Turkey Burgers (p. 218) with Garlic "Fries" (p. 265) and Macaroni and Four Cheeses (p. 168). The picture above is of the mac and cheese which is made with two packages of pureed winter squash in addition to the four cheeses. Now the author says "This creamy, crumb-topped macaroni-and-cheese gets its bright orange color and a big nutritional boost from pureed winter squash. Don't tell an no one will ever know. They'll just thank you for making their favorite cheesy comfort meal." So, I whipped up this recipe while the boys were playing astronaut in the living room and served it up without a word. Kolya later looked down at his plate and claimed to have a tummy ache. While Jason was clearly mentally going through this weeks grocery list to discover the mystery ingredient. Yeah, not fooling anyone here. The dish did however get a vote of approval. Yum.

Tea Flowers

I felt a little bit as if I were conducting a science experiment when making an afternoon cup of tea... My parents are in town this week and received this curious teapot and teas for Christmas this year. They brought it along to share. The tea comes in a 1" ball of tied tea leaves and herbs and blooms into a garden in the hot water. This particular tea was a blend of lavender, jasmine and green tea...

200 + 30

200 posts! Hurray!

This weekend we had a little celebration for my husband Jason's 30th birthday. I centered the event around a 1930's theme with Big Band/Swing in the CD player...art deco designs...a black and white color palette for the table...chocolate dipped tuxedo strawberries...and Manhattans at the bar. I love that we have friends that enjoy those little details as much as we do.

My 30th was two years ago. 30 was a wonderful transitional year for me. I don't know quite how to explain it other than I just eased into the comfort of being me. My actual birthday on the other hand was notably one of the most weighty days in our family life. We had started the adoption process that Spring and had a referral for a little boy in Moscow. He was 2 years old...charming...beautiful...sad...soulful... He had grabbed my heart. We knew very little about him other than what we could see in the photographs and video. We thought he must be our son. Our life was in slow motion for weeks. We had chosen not to share this part of our adoption journey. There are too many hard details to share, but those long weeks culminated in a grieving process that began with very hard news on my birthday. But, with every growth in life...every transition and awakening comes some pain... some sadness. So, this year Jason and I celebrated together the transition of 30 and the joys of being a family of 3 with our son Kolya...who was so clearly meant to be ours.

Grilled Chicken with Chimichurri

Last night we had the Grilled Chicken with Chimichurri...a slight variation on Susan Spungen's recipe in Recipes, a collection for the modern cook. This made Jason's top ten list and a must for the next time we have guests. It was fabulous and I prepared Spungen's Potato Tostones and an organic vegetable medley to accompany it. I loved the grilled chicken balanced with the cool chimichurri...perfect for a summer evening meal. Though, I must warn you...major "shallot breath" afterward. Jason and I decided this must be said with a Scottish accent ... picture Shawn Connery...sounds much more sophisticated that way.

Chimichurri...garlic, shallot, parsley, cilantro, oregano, red pepper flakes, kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, white wine vinegar, olive oil

Tea for Two

Nikolai and I are on a baking spree inspired by Jennifer Appel's Buttercup Bakes at Home. It includes over 75 recipes from Buttercup Bake Shop in Manhattan. I popped by the library the day after receiving some heavenly cookies from Levain and had to grab this book off the shelf. Below are pictured the Banana Blueberry Muffins...blueberries fresh from my parent's garden...featuring the subtle zing of lemon zest. Mmm. These are absolutely delectable served warm. (As a side note, I'm beginning to wonder if Nikolai things it is completely normal to take a picture of your food before you eat it. The little guy is always nipping at my heels waiting for a taste of something we have cooked up and I'm futzing with lighting, props, etc. I can just picture him at pre-school in the Fall waiting for his teacher to take a picture of his snack before he eats it... Oh, golly.)

We have also tried the Caramel-Topped Toffee Pecan Blondies...heavenly. With the smell emanating from the oven, these guys just didn't stand a chance of getting photographed. I'm thinking the almond extract stole the show with these.

Nikolai and I have also been working our way through Susan Spungen's Recipes, a collection for the modern cook. Tonight's dinner will be the Grilled Skirt Steak with Chimichurri and Potato Tostones. I prepared the chimichurri last night so that some could be used as a marinade. However, when I took out the steak that I purchased on Sunday it had spoiled. So, I substituted it with some chicken breasts I had on hand. I think the flavors will still work with the chicken. Earlier this week, we made the Little Black Dress Cake shown in the second photograph. This cake features ground hazelnuts and a Sour Cream Ganache as well as a combined total of 18 oz. of bittersweet chocolate. It is decadent to say the least and worth the various steps to make.