consignment

For the month of June and part of July, we enjoyed receiving meals from friends to help with our transition to a new household pattern. I did things a little differently, though, as both Chip and I like to cook, and knew we'd need a bit of creative release, even if it was just a little.

I got the idea from Sassy Radish when she had her baby--she's another who enjoys cooking, but there was no way she had time to prep ingredients. Though our child sleeps through the night, we still went (are? it's still transition time around here... he is 15½ months old) through a major life change, plus killer jet lag.

Sandra organized the meal delivery and I just had to send her links to various recipes that we'd like* with instructions regarding what we'd need purchased and what we would need chopped/cooked/etc. Some were new, some were tried and true, but all had minimal cooking time, so by having the prep work done for us, we could whip up dinner and be able to eat quickly. Mostly, T didn't join us with these meals**, but there are several I'm tucking away for future consumption.

I tried to photo each meal, and had hopes of photoing the delivery, too, but only remembered that twice. There was one I really am kicking myself--it was arranged so nicely in the disposable tin! Anyway, I've included the link to each meal using the title of said food. In general, I followed everything as is, so if I have comments, they're included with the photo below. No comments? The recipe was fabulous.

Chicken Avocado Burritos

Chicken Tator Tot Bake
This is good, but for some reason, I thought I had a different recipe pinned, so it was a little... boring...

Broccoli, Cheddar and Wild Rice Casserole

Honey Lemon Ginger Chicken
This recipe needs some help. I think much tweaking is necessary before I can even say more.

Chicken and Black Bean Skillet
We halved the amount of rice, as 6 cups is a LOT (especially for a small family) and we decided that was perfect. This is one we did share with T and he loved it.

Skillet Lasagna
This is another we shared with T, and 'twas another hit! The actual seasoning thingies are hard to find around here, so we just asked our deliverer to bring us a packet of Italian seasoning. Sorry I don't have a picture of the finished product--we ate this one too fast and I forgot! This friend has a fabulous sense of humor and knows we take food seriously, hence the notes on the bag. It made me smile.

Spin-Art Pasta
Um, our deliverer forgot the spinach, so we made it without. Still tasty, but we obviously need to make it again.

One Pot Andouille Sausage Skillet Pasta

Barley and Vegetable Skillet Salad

Miso-Maple Sweet Potato Tacos



*Not everyone did this for us--some had ideas of what to prepare beforehand, which was fine. But most commented they loved this process, especially as they didn't have to worry if we'd like it or not!
**Introducing new foods slowly...