SUNDAY, April 26th - Pan Seared Steak with Garlic Butter 

Normally on Sundays we will go to my sister's for a family dinner. We did not go this week due to back issues. Instead I cooked Eileen and I a tasty dinner at home.  I had a steak in the freezer so we decided to have that. You start with a beautiful New York strip steak, patted dry and seasoned generously with salt and pepper for that essential crust . Once it hits the hot skillet, it sears to a gorgeous golden brown, forming that irresistible caramelized exterior while staying tender and juicy inside Then comes the magic: a bubbling spoonful of butter infused with fresh garlic and rosemary, spooned lovingly over the steak as it finishes cooking . The result is rich, aromatic, and deeply satisfying — the kind of flavor that only simple, well‑prepared ingredients can deliver. 

We enjoyed this with fried mushrooms, vegetables and a salad. I cooked some rice for Eileen to enjoy on the side. It was a really simple, yet delicious meal.

MONDAY, April 27th - Grandmother's Roast Chicken & Gravy

I had a small roasting chicken in the freezer and so I took it out and cooked it. You just can't go wrong with a roast chicken. You get to enjoy it on the day and then there is enough for at least one more meal, or sandwiches, and a soup.

This Grandmother’s Roast Chicken & Gravy is the kind of meal that feels like coming home. It’s simple, comforting, and full of the old‑fashioned flavors that only a grandmother could get just right. A whole chicken is rubbed generously with softened butter mashed with fresh lemon thyme, then seasoned well with salt and pepper and stuffed with quartered lemon for extra moisture and brightness. As it roasts, a splash of good white wine in the pan creates the most beautiful, aromatic juices that later become your gravy. The chicken cooks until the skin is golden and the meat is tender and succulent — the kind of roast that fills the whole house with a Sunday‑dinner aroma. And the gravy? It’s the real deal. You use the pan drippings, a bit of the chicken fat, and flour to make a proper roux, whisking in the juices and stock until it becomes a silky, deeply flavored gravy that tastes like pure comfort.

We enjoyed this simply with some buttery mashed potatoes and the gravy of course, as well as a few cooked vegetables (Broccoli and Cauliflower.)  This was simple and delicious.

TUESDAY, April 28th - Chicken and Stuffing Pie

A simple meal on Tuesday with an easy to make Chicken and Stuffing Pie. If you love chicken… and you love stuffing… this Chicken & Stuffing Pie is about to become your new favorite comfort supper. It’s one of those humble, old‑fashioned dishes that doesn’t look fancy — but the moment you take a bite, you understand why it’s such a keeper.

There’s no pastry crust here at all — the stuffing becomes the crust, baking up golden, savory, and beautifully seasoned with sage, thyme, marjoram, parsley, and a whisper of nutmeg . Mixed with tender sautéed celery and onion, warm chicken broth, and plenty of chopped cooked chicken, it turns into a hearty, flavor‑packed pie that slices like a dream. It's everything you love about a chicken pot pie without any of the fuss involved with rolling out pastry. It might not look like much but it is fabulously delicious and very easy to make.

I made Eileen's favorite creamed peas to spoon over top. She loves those on toast as well. This was the perfect meal. I also sliced up some cucumbers to enjoy on the side.

WEDNESDAY, April 29th - Dinner out with the family

On Wednesday nights we usually go out with my sister, father and his friend Hazel for supper at a local eatery. I took a chance with my back and went as I didn't want to disappoint Eileen. She really loves these outings. My sister and I had fish and chips. (Mine was great, but her's was overcooked and she couldn't eat it.) Dad had a Hamburger Steak Dinner and Eileen had a burger and chips.

I am sharing a recipe for Onion Pan Burgers in the place of Eileen's burger. These are everything a great homemade burger should be — juicy, flavorful, and irresistibly messy in the best possible way. Inspired by a diner‑style technique, the onions aren’t just a topping… they’re cooked right into the burger, infusing every bite with sweet, savory goodness.

You start with simple, well‑seasoned ground steak mixed with a touch of garlic, shaped into hearty patties and seared in a hot skillet. Then comes the magic: a mountain of sliced onions goes straight on top of the burgers, softening and caramelizing as they steam into the meat itself . When you flip the patties, the onions stay underneath, turning golden and delicious while the burgers finish cooking.

A slice of melty burger cheese goes on top, and the buns get a clever diner trick of their own — the tops steam over the cheese while the bottoms warm right on the onions, soaking up all that incredible flavor. These are quite simply fabulous. Everyone always loves them. They go great with potato chips, oven chips or even just a salad on the side.

THURSDAY, April 30th - Chicken Soup with Pastina

I used the chicken carcass to make us a delicious chicken soup on Thursday. Chicken Soup with Pastina. This is the kind of soothing, old‑fashioned comfort food that warms you right down to your toes. Tender pieces of chicken simmer gently with vegetables until the broth becomes rich, golden, and full of homemade goodness. Then in goes the pastina — those tiny round pasta bits that turn every spoonful into something cozy, nostalgic, and deeply satisfying.

The pastina cooks right in the broth, soaking up all that beautiful chicken flavor and giving the soup a silky, almost creamy texture without adding anything heavy. It’s simple, wholesome, and wonderfully nourishing — the kind of soup you make when someone you love needs a little extra comfort, or when you want something warm and soothing for yourself.

A sprinkle of Parmesan, a touch of fresh parsley, maybe a squeeze of lemon… and suddenly you have a bowl that tastes like home, childhood, and kindness all at once.

Eileen had a grilled cheese sandwich with hers, while I enjoyed mine simply with some crackers. Crusty rolls would also go very nicely.

FRIDAY, May 1st - Broccoli Quiche

I went out shopping with my sister on Friday afternoon when we took my dad for his weekly outing with his friend Maryann at the mall. On the way home we stopped at Pelton's, which is a chicken farm up the mountain. We get all our eggs and a whole lot more there. I had only been going to get some eggs and a loaf of their homemade bread, but they had a few homemade Broccoli and Cheddar Quiche's made. Eileen loves Quiche and so I picked up one of those for our supper. They are delicious and taste every bit as good as a homemade one. Probably because they are small batch made, only two or three at a time.

In it's place I am sharing my recipe for Broccoli, Ham & Cheddar Quiche. This quiche is everything a good quiche should be: hearty, flavor‑packed, and wonderfully satisfying. What makes this one special is that it’s more about the filling than the egg — a generous mix of tender broccoli florets, savury cubes of ham, and plenty of sharp cheddar, all held together by just enough custard to keep everything nestled in place. Crisp homemade pastry gets brushed with a thin layer of Dijon mustard before the filling goes in. Onions, garlic, broccoli and ham sauteed until the broccoli is tender crisp, goes in next, topped with a layer of cheddar cheese. A silky egg‑milk‑cream mixture is poured over and topped with even more cheese before baking to golden perfection. Delicious with a salad on the side.

And that's how we enjoyed our broccoli cheese quiche. Simply with a salad on the side. It was sooooo good!

SATURDAY, May 2nd - Jacket Potato with Chili and Cheese

My back was/is still very poorly so another simple supper was in store for us. I was only going to do wieners and beans, but decided to do some chili and spoon it over a Jacket Potato. We both love baked potatoes.

These Jacket Potatoes with Chili and Cheese are the very definition of simple comfort food done right. Each potato is baked the proper way — washed, lightly salted, and placed directly on the oven rack so the skin turns beautifully crisp while the inside becomes fluffy, white, and cloud‑soft .

Once baked, the potatoes are split open and gently squeezed so the steamy insides fluff up even more . A ladle of hot, bubbling chili goes right over the top, sinking into all those little crevices of potato goodness . Then comes a generous snowfall of strong cheddar cheese, grated so it melts instantly into the heat of the chili and potato beneath it. Hearty, filling, inexpensive, and incredibly satisfying. All you need is a salad or a vegetable on the side. Simple.

And there you have it,  these were my Meals of the Week for the past week. I think we ate pretty well. Not too bad for someone who has been in a lot of pain with her back.  What do you think? None of it was very complicated at all. Some weeks are just like that!