Meal prep and planning...

A friend recommended this recipe to me.  It's a faux lobster roll from @BrianLagerstrom on YouTube using Argentine Red shrimp.  I don't know if they are more tender than other shrimps or if it's the quick poaching method he instructs, but they were very good.  It's a pretty quick meal, and seems special served on a toasted brioche bun.  The dressing recipe calls for mayonnaise, lemon juice, lemon zest, and fresh chives.  I specifically ordered the fresh chives, but the store sent me carrot sticks instead, which I kept for another meal and went without the chives.  :(

These are The Pioneer Woman's Mini Beef Wellington Bites I'll be serving at book club.  I made them for supper a few nights ago to make sure they would work out.  They turned out really good, and really exhausting.  Of course, since I was cooking ahead for a group, I used a larger cut of beef, which involved more cutting, and cooking, and wrapping in puff pastry bundles.  

Aside from the few that I baked for our supper, I froze the pastry and beef bundles, and then once frozen I vacuum sealed them for a few days in the freezer.  I will take them out of the freezer and into the fridge to thaw tomorrow, then on Wednesday they will get brushed with egg wash and baked right before lunch.

The one in the photo above looks well done, but others were more rare.  I know it's supposed to be rare(ish) in this recipe, but not knowing how people at book club might like their steak, I tried to go not quite as rare.

This is Shoyu Chicken done in the slow cooker.  I added some of the carrot sticks that were mistakenly included in the grocery order.  Easy and yummy.  I should have added a little cornstarch to thicken the sauce...next time I will.  And no, we didn't use the chopsticks, I just thought they added something to the photo.  :)

Shepherd's Pie...wow, I hadn't made this in forever.  I made it a lot when the kids were still at home.  It's easy, and it has most of the recommended food groups.  Carey was happy to see it back on the table again.

Cheddar Cheese and Broccoli Soup.  We had leftover broccoli from earlier in the week, so even though it is still near a hundred degrees, I thought I'd make it into soup.