I needed to be productive this past week. I needed to be organized. Neither of those things happened, even with a determined effort on my part. Internet connectivity became a problem Wednesday, only being resolved today. C’est la vie. I’m working my way out of it right now, literally. I’ll be here for a while, so feel free to say hi.

Tonight when we were grocery shopping in an attempt to salvage at least a portion of our weekend and start the week off right, the bitter cold really got to me, and I started thinking about the 45-degree days in San Francisco last month. When you’re sitting in -12 degrees trying to load a car with four kids and five bags of groceries, 45 degrees sounds absolutely divine. Plus, the peace and calm in this picture from the Japanese Tea Garden is something I need right now as I head into a new week.

Monday – (Repurposed) fish tacos with guacamole, mango salsa and Spanish rice.

Tuesday – Pit beef sandwiches, onion rings, sautéed green beans

Wednesday – Potato leek soup (I’m taking this recipe as a base and running with it) and whole wheat brioche from Healthy Bread in 5

Thursday – Chicken fried rice, ahi tuna pot stickers

Friday – Southwestern pulled brisket (I knew this was going on the menu right after I read it), using the extra shells from the fish taco night with vegetables aplenty to go along with it.

Last week on Food for My Family this week: Basic Baked Beans and Baked Tilapia with White Sauce.