Weekly Menu
It’s been over a month of creating weekly dinner menus, and if you know me, you’re probably in shock. Why? Because it involves knowing how to turn the oven on, grocery shopping, and having the patience to follow a recipe (to some degree).
Spending more time at home this year than ever before has increased my participation in the kitchen. Creating a ‘menu' has allowed me to develop a plan for the upcoming week, which is something the ‘type-A’ in me can get behind. While we haven’t stuck to each ‘meal’ religiously, it’s been great having the ingredients for several meals and cooking up what we feel like on the night.
The inspiration for all of this came from Lauren O’Shaugnessy’s* blog Lolli of the day. Lauren shares that her inspo came from her Grandmother, who consistently posted a weekly menu on the fridge serving as an invitation to anyone who wanted to join their family for a meal. I loved this story! Upon reading it, I immediately wanted to start up weekly menus at Dorge HQ and curate a space that invites guests in for a shared meal, and an extended stay when needed.
*Sidenote, she also has some informative and hilarious videos on tips for cooking. The ‘Don’t cry over onions’ video had me actually laughing out loud.
All of this also got me thinking of my home growing up. The house was always filled with people. British soccer coaches in the summer, my dad's entire soccer roster in the fall, my mom’s gourmet group, exchange students throughout the year and the buckets of friends we trudged through the house.
My parents welcomed anyone who needed a place to stay and never asked questions about their departure date. They never fused about it. No fancy preparations, just the basics. While no formal meal plan occurred (literally my mom’s never even made a grocery list in her life and I find it amazing), there was always a simple meal for everyone. Honestly, I’m still confused how my mom’s weekly pizza recipe seemed to magically make enough despite the quantity of guests in the house. But her weekly pizza and salad have fed a lot of people over the years, and I aim to recreate this meal on our menu each week.
As the days pass by, the weekly menus on our fridge serve as an invitation to anyone who wants to join. while the planning part of meals has been productive, I’m pretty sure the people who decide to join us will be what keeps this new tradition going at Dorge HQ.
