Next up for real

Next up for real is dinner tonight. While I mostly want to cook a mountain of baked goods, I realize I must satisfy my husband's meat addiction, and provide us with something reasonably healthy to eat. So tonight's plans:

• On our amazing cast iron grill pan: steak, grilled onions, portabella (google is failing me on this spelling!) mushrooms, and bell peppers with fresh basil
• Salad with a variation of Fran's vinaigrette from For the Love of Cooking
• Update: I made the vinaigrette a bit ad hoc (I doubled--plus a bit extra seasoned rice vinegar). I used much less oil, and used avocado oil from Trader Joe's instead of canola oil. It did not have enough garlic so I threw in some garlic powder at the end. I also added cayenne for some kick. I added fresh basil and a tablespoon of well diced red onions.
• Apple-Cinnamon Granola bread from the Bread Machine Collection cookbook in my NEW bread machine. I am going to try it on the whole wheat setting, 1-1/2 lb loaf. I am using a Kashi GOLEAN Crunch, Honey Almond Flax which has been languishing in my cabinet for over a month, so hopefully that does not affect the bread. I will also use my special walnut oil instead of butter. I will throw in a 1/4 tsp vanilla because it really does make everything better. Hopefully this bread will taste as good as it did in my trusty old bread machine, which I know has gone to a very happy new home.
• Update: It did taste AS good as in the old bread maker, but I like the Hearty Multi Grain Bread I made a few weeks ago (from Allrecipes) much better. I will have to make that again and note all my amendments. I also like the Flax and Walnut Bread better. I think I may be abandoning this recipe in favor of one of these.

This weekend:

See my post about the things I am doing this weekend to jump start my cooking for my sister's party NEXT weekend.

I will also make the very healthy Bran Muffins from Farm Girl Fare. I have made a couple variations of these before, and I like to keep a whole bunch of them in the freezer. They are much cheaper and healthier than the bagels my husband buys if I do not send him to work with these for breakfast (is he spoiled or what?). Since I need to use up my farmer's market apples and cranberries, these are going in this time. I'm also going to try to cut down on the oil. If I have extra cranberries and apples, I might make the recipes I just found for cranberry cookies and cranberry pie from Allrecipes (recipes to come if I make them!)

If you read all of the above, and the linked post with more of my plans for this weekend, you will see how my cooking desires ALWAYS exceed the time I have to cook, and people I have to eat my cooked food! Because what I should be doing this weekend:

• Taking my dog out whenever it is not raining to see his friends.
• Finishing the thank-yous from my wedding (yes, I am not quite done with this).
• Cleaning and laundry? This is most likely NOT going to happen, unless I find out my husband has been re-wearing his socks again.
• Planning my winter trip to another continent!!!!
• And mostly, what I really SHOULD be doing is studying for my midterm and working on research!