One of the best things to come out of the pandemic is my What’s For Dinner? (WFD) GroupMe. (The best thing I got was…. a husband!)
I started WFD because I was living alone in March 2020, I needed some legit interaction with other humans that wasn’t just be absorbing social media, and dinner was something that continued as everything else halted. This random group text has become one of my favorite spaces to share/celebrate/vent/go for advice and most of the people in it haven’t ever met IRL! I’m happy to report that it’s still active today.
Enjoy some of the spoils from WFD
The Paper Plane
Our mascot is a cocktail called a paper plane.
Dragon Noodles
Katie shared this recipe in the earliest days of WFD and I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve made it since! It’s as easy as it gets when it comes to weeknight cooking. We usually have steamed (read: microwaved) broccoli alongside because weeknight cooking!
Stanley Quencher
Maybe I’m lame for buying a giiiiiiaaant water bottle with a handle, but I don’t care because I drink so much more water because of it! I must say… more than one of us was influenced by one Holly Daws to purchase this.
Crunchy Lentil Tacos
Hannah posted this to WFD and I’ve made it numerous times since then! Something about being able to make tacos on the fly without defrosting meat and straight from the pantry feels like such a meal planning hack.
Nuts.com
Okay, I took a leap on Nuts.com for two reasons: 1) Brooks Reitz sung its praises and he is a trusted recommender 2) I read Grains for Every Season and I needed to bulk up my whole grain pantry!
I have zero regrets on an impulse purchase of nuts and grains because the quality of products from Nuts.com has been SO impressive (these olives were jaw-droppingly good) & some items are cheaper than you can get at the grocery store (I’m looking at you, farro).
Red Chile Chicken Tacos
I made these tonight for dinner after a couple people in WFD said they were really something. See my text to everyone below:
Butcher Box
I am a millennial okay!!! I got got by an Instagram ad and I’m not sorry - Butcher Box has been a dream. I love picking which organic/grass-fed meat or seafood we’ll get for the month and receiving it all at once. Then when it’s time to meal plan each week, I go shopping in the freezer. As with lots of subscription/CSA models, Butcher Box has encouraged me to try some new meats I’ve never cooked before (like brisket, I used this recipe).
Get $30 off your first box with my referral code!
Smitten Kitchen Strawberry Cake
If you have flour, sugar, butter, and strawberries (even ones about to bad!) you can make this cake, love this cake, return to this cake for breakfast the next day. Just like all of us in WFD.
Cabbage and Farro Soup
This is one of those recipes that requires a “JUST TRUST ME” after you recommend it to someone. Sounds sick, but it’s the perfect comfort food. WFD’s original rec is from McFadden’s Six Seasons (I can’t include it here because copyright stuff), but the link above is Smitten Kitchen’s excellent adaptation.
Till next time,