APS

From Wickipedia: Advanced planning and scheduling (also referred to as APS and advanced manufacturing) refers to a manufacturing management process (i.e. dinner production) by which raw materials (a.k.a. fruits, vegetables, legumes, grains, dairy products and some seafood) and production capacity are optimally allocated to meet demand (i.e.- twoteensandatween). APS is especially well-suited to environments where simpler planning methods (opening the kitchen cabinets at 5 pm) cannot adequately address complex trade-offs between competing priorities ("I'm hungry" vs. "I'm starving" vs. "What's for dinner" usually all said within 60 seconds of each other as they watch their moms head start to spin).

The family schedules around this house last week were out of control. To say that having the menus already planned out saved us from eating cereal every night is not an exaggeration. Adjustments were made … the Penne Pasta with Vodka Cream Sauce went to our Sunday night guest dinner, now I needed to sub in a different dish for Wednesdays meal. The Black Bean Soup scheduled for Tuesday night shifted to Monday as I realized I was running out of time to execute the Shepherd’s Pie recipe and oh yeah, I wasn’t going to be home for dinner that night anyways (Book Club). The menus are planned, but I am not rigid with them – flip something to another day, sub in something easier for the next. It is a godsend to have clipped to my refrigerator a list with choices, I think I’m realizing that is half my battle to cooking dinners, the figuring out of the what’s for dinner conumdrum. The other half is just getting me in the kitchen and staying there. Well, of course and having to go grocery shopping … upon reflection I’m starting to wonder why Jeff has never really voiced any surprise (or complaint) over how he apparently got “short changed” when he married me. We dated a long time, four years, and in the course of that time he had plenty of opportunity to share meals with my family. My mom is one awesome cook. Growing up it seems like my parents were always entertaining – Gourmet Groups, Progressive Dinner Parties, Bridge Luncheons. As my sister and I moved into our college years and UGA was in it’s glory years with Hershel Walker, they had Sugar Bowl Parties to help cheer on them Dawgs and tailgaters that looked like something out of Southern Living. My mom definitely knows how to put out a spread (with a lot of help from my dad who is very adept at cleaning shrimp as well as setting up round tables for entertaining). Our holiday dinners were fabulous. Mom was always tweaking, trying out new recipes to add to our family favorites, although I’m pretty sure the mashed potatoes remained untouched … sacred ground as my sister and I licked the beaters clean, with enough butter added to put us all on the pathway to future bypass surgery. But Lord those were some good potatoes.

My grandmother, Gran as we all called her, was also a really good cook but different from my mom. Gran was a good downhome cook – many times I’d ask her for a recipe and she’d say “well, I don’t have one, I just make it.” I remember sitting in her unairconditioned kitchen (this was in Richmond, Virginia), the window unit blasting in the next room but barely cooling off the kitchen, and writing down her recipe for Salmon Cakes* as she made them. They were delicious, probably that seasoned iron skillet was the secret ingredient as mine have never tasted as good as hers. Jeff came to visit my grandparents home a few times before we were married, it was on the way to the Naval Academy, and my grandmother never tired of trying to feed him like it was his last supper. The first holiday dinner he spent there was Thanksgiving of his 3^rd class year – he did not travel home to Georgia for some reason that year, so my dad (God love him for this one) actually drove us all up to Alexandria from Richmond, up I-95, the Wednesday of Thanksgiving. We picked Jeff up at a Howard Johnsons parking lot and turned around and drove back to Richmond so that he could spend the holiday with my family. For those of you not familiar with I-95, especially during Thanksgiving, it would be like someone sentencing you to driving hell. If you’re lucky enough to even have the traffic moving at all it would be like having everyone driving at maximum speed bumper to bumper. Looking back I can’t believe my dad actually made that drive to pick up my then boyfriend – he must be biding his time waiting for payback. "I don’t know dad, can we just call it even … all those trips I made by myself in the Suburban up and down the East Coast with three little kids?" Oh damn, you helped me with some of those didn’t you? Mmmm, guess my payback is still coming.

In any case, I digress. The point is if Jeff was thinking by the looks of things, her mom’s a good cook, her grandmother’s a good cook … so therefore – well let’s just say he could probably call foul! False advertising! Where were you when your mom and grandmother were giving out the cooking genes (they all went to my sister). If I had my way, I was outside with my dad, raking leaves, cutting the grass, or  helping my grandfather in his shop … anywhere but in the kitchen.

What I realize is that both my mom and my grandmother are/were planners. They did not wait until 5 pm to figure out what they were having for dinner that night. Something was already thawing for that night’s dinner. As you’re eating breakfast you’d be getting quizzed about what you‘d like to have with “x” for dinner. Maybe I missed that lesson (probably I was out raking leaves), and perhaps I’m a bit slow on the uptake here. I don’t think it matters if you work outside the home or are down in the trenches inside, advanced planning works. Winging it doesn’t. This planning thing is working, even if it calls for flexibility (Wrenn this week: “Why are we having Black Bean Soup on Monday? Your menu plan says we’re having it Tuesday?” They’re guidelines honey, not rules), and it’s keeping me motivated to stay in the kitchen and be … inspired.

Monday – Black Bean Soup – always a hit – three thumbs up

Tuesday – Tuna Salad – made the Med. Tuna Salad from Whole Foods, added Orzo and it was a huge hit. Three big thumbs up.

Wednesday – Pizza with Spinach and Red Onion (used Betty Crocker Pizza Crust Mix, definitely need to double if I was going to use again … but will most likely stick with my tried and true pizza crust recipe in the future). Three thumbs up, but not enough for the twoteensandatween.

Thursday – Roasted Vegetable Curry, Moosewood Cookbook – just o.k. – Wrenn picked out the sweet potatoes declaring “I don’t like sweet potatoes” (really honey, if you’re going vegetarian you just can’t be that picky on the veggies) and Walker, while he did eat everything commented that he likes my Shrimp Curry a whole lot more. Not a repeat.

Friday – Jeff and I had a party to attend and left money for the kids to walk to the restaurant of their choice – Subway, Sbarro. Came home hours later to find out they had popcorn for dinner. No one wanted to walk the five minutes to the fast food alley here on base. There were leftovers in the fridg, they could have picked up the phone and ordered a pizza – none of this apparently occurred to our three children. Popcorn. Mmmmm. What food group does that fall into Dr. Dad? 

This coming weeks menu:

Salmon Cakes with Baby Limas (I’m southern people, I may be the only person at the commissary in Yokosuka who buys them, but I thank my lucky stars they stock them here) and roasted carrots; Split Pea and Rice Soup; Garlic Broccoli with yellow noodles; Spinach artichoke risotto; Med. Veggie Wrap. Tune in next week to see how it goes.

Grans Salmon Cakes

1 can of Alaska Salmon, cleaned – bones and skinned removed

1 small onion chopped

1 small potato, chopped and cooked until tender in water ahead of time

1 egg

chopped parsley

Old Bay Seasoning

Cocktail Sauce

In a bowl, mash the potato and add the egg, chopped onion, about 1 Tablespoon of chopped parsley, 1 tsp of Old Bay, 1/8 cup Cocktail Sauce. Mix together well and add the salmon. Mix and when mixture is evenly moist form into small patties. Best if made ahead and put in refrigerator to set at least an hour before cooking. Heat oil in a skillet and cook patties on medium heat until browned on both sides.