What’s On Your Plate? Trying to Do a Thing Here…

On By Widow BadassIn Adventures in Food, What's On Your Plate

Some of you may remember a couple of posts ago on Ye Olde Blogge, I casually mentioned the possibility of starting a monthly blogging challenge…similar to the most enjoyable #virtualteaparty, hosted by Su and Del. Well, after seeing the positive responses in the comments and having the idea vetted by Su and Del, I have decided to go ahead. And to have a cohost (the lovely Donna of Retirement Reflections) to bring this to life.

The point of all this (for me at least) is to get meal ideas! I look forward to people posting about a particular supper or lunch or breakfast – some meal you made (or was made for you) that was memorable, for that month. And it’s up to you how you define “memorable”…hehehe! And if you want to link to a recipe (or even have it within the post), that would be cool too. Donna and I have also talked about perhaps having a theme for each month (for the ambitious among us). But for now at least, it’s Commenter’s Choice.

We have decided to host this challenge on the 1st Wednesday of each month, going forward…starting on April 7th. What do you need to do to participate, you may be wondering? Well, we are going to start out very simply (and may well keep to this, as we are lazy busy people!). Donna and I will post what’s on our plates for that particular month, and you are welcome to join in, in the Comments section of our respective blogs with a photo and/or link to your particular blog. Or you are welcome to post a photo (or photos) on your Instagram, and use the hashtag #whatsonyourplateblogchallenge so we can find you! Or do it all – blast it out everywhere on Social Media. Just let us know in the Comments section on our blogs so we can find you.

We’d appreciate your thoughts and ideas on this challenge going forward as we lead up to the inaugural date for it. Would you like to see a monthly theme? Such as: type of meal (e.g. breakfast) or type of cuisine (e.g. French) or style (e.g. comfort food). Any other ideas?

Let us know in the Comments below!

And here to get the ball rolling is Donna herself!

What’s on my plate this week? Tex-Mex Flavour Bombs. They are perfect for making quick fajitas, stir frys, chilli…anything that needs a little extra zing (without the last-minute fuss).  Here’s the basic recipe (from Oh She Glows). 

Tex-Mex flavour bombs (page 314)

from Oh She Glows for Dinner: Nourishing Plant-Based Meals to Keep You Glowing by Angela Liddon

  • Categories: Quick / easy; Spice / herb blends & rubs; Cooking ahead; Mexican; American
  • Ingredients: garlic; jalapeño chiles; red peppers; green onions; garlic powder; dried oregano; Sriracha sauce; tomato paste; limes; chile powder; ground cumin; smoked paprika; ground cayenne pepper; ground coriander.

Steps:
1) Process all ingredients in a food processor or blender until smooth(ish).2) Put 1 – 2 tablespoons of mix in silicone mini muffin moulds or icecube tray. Freeze until needed.

Tex Mex Flavour Bombs – easy peasy!

We’re looking forward to reading your ideas and suggestions, and to kicking off this challenge on April 7, 2021!

Rock on,

The WB and Donna (The RR)

106 thoughts on “What’s On Your Plate? Trying to Do a Thing Here…”

  1. Good luck with your challenge. I used to do some of the cooking, but my wife finally won that chess game and has taken over the kitchen completely.

    Those Tex-Mex Flavor Bombs seem to me like they’d go best with a big bowl of ice cream. Or a fire extinguisher.

    Reply

    2. Hi, TG – Thank you for your comment. The flavour bombs are not nearly as spicy as you might think. I am not a big lover of spicy hot. I found these bombs to be just right. On a recent fajita dish and a recent chilit meal, I used 2-3 bombs per 4-6portion recipe. The definitely make last minute dishes much easier. I personally wouldn’t put them on icecream. But icecream for dessert following a Flavour Bomb dish- defintely!

      Reply

    2. Hi, Suzanne – My apologies for the link mess up on this first post. That was totally my fault (a great learning tool :D). As I found this recipe in a current cookbook that I have (Oh How She Glows for Dinner) I have also been conscious of not breaking copyright. The list of the ingredients needed is found on the web so I have included them here. The remaining steps are simply to grind all ingredients in your food processor or blender. Scoop 1 – 2 tablespoons into silicone minimuffin or icecube trays and freeze until needed for making chili, fajitas, etc.
      I am so glad that you are in. I love the idea of open categories. I look forward to reading your food suggestions!

      Reply

    2. Hi, Ally – Thanks for dropping by and for sharing this feedback. I agree that posting this linkup on a specific day of the month makes sense. Deb and I tried not to clash with other linkups that we follow. Fingers crossed these dates work for all!

      Reply

    2. Thanks, Kate – I am always trying to shake up dinner ideas and not get stuck in my same typical food prep rut. I am looking forward to this new inspiration! Hope all is well with you, the cats and the move!

      Reply
  5. hilarymb

    Hi Deb and Donna – sounds like a fun idea … for a girl who loves to cook, but does no more – no need and who travels to friends or places to eat … well obviously not at the moment.
    The Tex Mex ice-cubes sound a really good idea … I’ll be around enjoying the entries – cheers Hilary

    Reply
  7. debscarey

    Oh what fun Deb (& Donna). Himself does all the cooking chez Deb & Himself, but I love nothing more than reading a cookbook, so you can be sure I’ll be perusing your recipe ideas with enjoyment.

    Reply

    2. Hi, Deb – The great thing about this (very open) linkup is that you can post simple links, photos, recipe titles, descriptions…..of any dish that you have enjoyed (even if you didn’t make it yourself). Also, if there is a particular cookbook that you just love, feel free to share that too!

      Reply

    1. Well, if I can figure out how to do that in WordPress for an original recipe of mine, I will try. I see that done on a lot of websites I peruse for recipes. If I can though, I’d rather just link to one of those and then you can click on the link to be taken to the recipe. Thanks, Ann 💕

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    2. Hi, Ann – Thanks for this feedback. We will definitely try to include useful recipe links when we can. In this case, the Tex-Mex Bombs are from a current (2020) print cookbook that I have and I did not want to break copyright. The ingredients were already listed on the web, so I simple used those ingredients as listed online. After that, the instructions simply are: 1) grind all ingredients in your foodprocessor 2) scoop 1 – 2 tablespoons in icecube trays 3) freeze until needed. I absolutely LOVE them!

      Reply

  10. Hi Deb, tonight we’re having Sesame Chicken : Chicken drumsticks with skin on is soaked in soya sauce then coated in a batter and deep fried. I make a soya sauce mix that is thickened with cornstarch. I finish cooking the chicken in the sauce and sprinkle toasted sesame seeds on top. I usually have rice and a salad with it. We’re having among cupcakes for dessert.
    Leslie xoxo

    Reply

    2. Hi, Jill – Thanks so much for dropping by. Flavour bombs could definitely be your answer as you can easily unfreeze them and add them just to your portion of dinner. Win-win! I hope that all is well for you.

      Reply

  12. Fabulous idea! I am always looking for lunch and dinner ideas (probably not breakfast because it’s pretty much oatmeal or nothing around here… unless we have a ripe avocado, then it’s avocado toast!). I’m also happy to share a few of my special creations.

    Reply

  13. WB,
    I’m over from Donna’s, and I’m daring enough to contribute immediately with something that you may never find in a cookbook. Here’s a recipe that I call “Battle Cranberry Sausage Spaghetti.” There is a story to it, but I will let the link explain it. FYI: This is on my old blog of 11+ years. I invite the daring to try this delish dish. https://afrankangle.wordpress.com/2008/12/15/battle-cranberry-sausage-spaghetti/

    Reply

    2. Hi, Frank – What a fun recipe! I am trying my best to imagine all of those contrasting flavours in one dish (nutmet, swiss chard, cranberry juice, sausage, pasta….). I don’t have it figured out in my mind (or in my taste buds) completely, but I have aready added your post to my list of recipes to try (most likely during the Christmas season). Thank you so much for sharing this.

      Reply

        1. We have high bush cranberries here that are ready in September @ the same time that I have oodles of swish chard (which last year became my new favourite garden item!).

          Reply

  14. Hey, Deb! Thanks for the shout out & congratulations to you & Donna for your yummy decision. 👍🏼 👍🏼 Am looking forward to expanding my small dinner recipe box!
    (Would be happy to suggest how to ios prep recipes. 💕)

    Reply

  15. Hi Deb! Where is the photo of the bombs???? While I hoped to see the photo and drool a bit, I’ll probably pass on participating in the challenge. But good for you both for coming up with something you both enjoy and will keep you engaged. ~Kathy

    Reply

    1. Hi Kathy, as mentioned in the post Donna contributed the recipe and the photo…I haven’t made them yet. Try to imagine an ice cube made up of peppers, garlic, herbs and spices. Will that make you drool? Doesn’t do anything for me 😜 but you do you. 😁

      Reply
  17. AJ Blythe

    I guess my comment on how to post recipes without breaking copyright was a lot more significant than I realised! Love recipes so in theory sounds like a fun thing to join in with, but will see how time allows. Of course, my ingredients and ingredient names and metric language will be of no use to most, for example, even our tablespoons are different…

    The unit of measurement varies by region: a United States tablespoon is approximately 14.8 ml (0.50 US fl oz), a United Kingdom and Canadian tablespoon is exactly 15 ml (0.51 US fl oz), and an Australian tablespoon is 20 ml (0.68 US fl oz).

    And green onion?… green onion or spring onion shallot or eschalot

    I’ll probably just confuse everyone!

    Reply

    2. AJ, I know you said it was alright to post a recipe from a cookbook so long as it was in your words, but I am still not comfortable with this (no shade on anybody that does this, though!). I’d much prefer to link to a recipe already online (if applicable). Unless it was my own creation or modified enough by me that I feel it has become my version. 😁 I wouldn’t worry about confusing everyone…we’re a pretty resilient bunch I think, and can figure things out. There’s always Google, right? It might be a good idea though, if those of us who do post a recipe declare what units of measurement we are using or what country we come from. Thanks! 💕

      Reply

    3. Hi, AJ – I greatly appreciate your information on how to share a recipe without breaking copyright. Currently, I have a once weekly dinner date with my niece. We each cook the same recipe from Oh She Glows for Dinner. When we are done cooking, we pour a glass of wine and have our ‘dinner date’. So, I will likely use recipes from that book for the next little while. As the author of that cookbook also has a blog, hopefully I will be able to find most of the recipes already online. Fingers crossed!

      Reply

  19. I like the idea of your monthly “cuisine challenge” and will happily partake, as in, get every idea I can get! I don’t care about the theme. Rather shamefully I admit that I care about simplicity, ie, if the meal’s going to take me 30+ minutes to prepare (this is not counting the cooking) I’m probably not going to use it. Sorry to say, by the end of my writing/teaching day, I want to put something together that’s tastes good, is good for my guy and me, but doesn’t take away from our cheese/cracker/wine time at 6. :–) TMI, I think. Oh, and should I mention that my guy is allergic to GARLIC? (and he’s half Italian, for heaven’s sake). So whatever the recipe, I just don’t include the garlic. What’s for dinner tonight, you’re asking? It’s New England, and March is still winter here. I have a beef stew in the crock pot which includes low-fat stew meat (for those who are not vegetarians) and I blend together a can of mushroom soup, a packet of Lipton onion soup, a half cup of red wine, a cup or more of fresh mushrooms, same with carrots, and tonight, cut up/peeled yam. Cook on high for six hours or so and it’s tasty with some warm bread. I’m kind of scared to share this recipe because it’s so “low end,” but there you have it. <3

    Reply

    1. I’m with you about the prep time and simplicity! It has to be something REALLY SPECIAL to keep me in the kitchen. A half Italian allergic to garlic? Oh dear, that’s too bad for him (and you). I find garlic so delicious! I love stews and am a “clean-out the fridge/pantry and throw it in a crockpot” kinda gal when it comes to them, too. Perfect for those colder days! Thank you! 💕

      Reply

    2. Hi, Pam – Thank you so much for jumping right in. I absolutely love this. I love my crockpot, and I am always looking for a quick and easy meal that I can throw in there. Yours sounds deliious. I will definitely give it a try. Thank you for sharing!

      Reply

      1. As my guy and I indulged last night, I thought “I must tell you that after six hours on high in the crock pot, the “weird stuff” (like mushroom soup and dry onion mix) is simmered into a nice gravy (I do add a little corn starch to thicken). The yams, mushrooms, and carrots are delicious. Also, in the last hour I added a package of frozen peas. Okay, thanks for not thinking I’m super “old school” in my cooking. 🙂

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    2. Thanks, Bernie 💕 Themeless seems to be the way to go! I’m fine either way. Themeless gives the most flexibility and themed might be good for those looking to challenge themselves by trying something different. I used to work with a bunch of women who used any excuse for a potluck work lunch. To liven things up, we decided to add themes to our lunch feasts…which sometimes meant heading to the library to check out cookbooks on Caribbean cuisine (for example) in those pre-internet days….

      Reply

  21. This sounds like a lot of fun. I’m all in. That being said, I don’t know if I’ll ‘share’ but I certainly will read!
    I think an open arrangement of recipes(not like an open marriage!) would be better; less structure.

    Reply

    1. Oh, I’m glad you clarified about the open marriage 🤣. I haven’t experienced one, thankfully – and of the ones I was aware of, none of them really worked out…quel surprise! 😉 I hope it is fun and please feel free to drop in, Suz. Thanks 💕

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  22. Lots of fun ideas to think about here, Deb and Donna. I like how you have set a specific day of the month. You are both regularly sharing food suggestions and recipes and this is a way to possibly organize and collaborate your awesome and fun experiences. I may share a few of my “secret” concoctions.🙂

    Reply

  24. Fabulous idea by two great hosts! Will definitely check it out 🙂 Thanks to Donna for giving your new collaboration a shout-out for #shoutoutSaturday

    Reply

  26. Had a few days to think about this. I was worried your blog/you would be overcome . But you are BA. So next I pondered open or themed and have finally cast my vote for open as this leaves it more fun, spontaneous and maybe ensures more participation. Theme maybe after a year of running it and all the kinks are gone? Then you can have both if possible.
    Sorry I’m late with this but had to try to picture it, as I really love THE WIDOW BADASS as is; but one grows evolved etc. May you have joy and success with this new angle.

    Reply

  27. Well, I allow other people to cook for me more than I cook myself these days, but I still enjoy some cooking so I will look ahead and put this on my calendar. I would vote for open but moderated maybe and you can always change it later if it becomes to difficult.

    Reply

  29. Deb, as always, I’m late to the party. As a food lover, I love this idea. I think keeping it fairly open ended to start is wise. Now, whether I’ll actually get myself organized to post anything on the first Wednesday of the month and link it remains to be seen….

    Jude

    Reply

  30. Pingback: What’s On Your Plate? – Tammy L. Breitweiser

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