A Pinch Of Prime Television Time

Football is BACK, and we’re getting to that point of the year where it feels just as good outside enjoying the weather as sitting in front of the TV(s) for hours of (almost) uninterrupted SPORTS. Where it gets really dangerous is when soccer mornings roll right into football for a long Sunday. All that said, Sundays also are the best time to grab the goods early in the day and prep for the rest of the day… or if you’re like me and a few friends this past weekend – order from one of our favorite spots.

After all the baking and cooking last weekend, this past week was a very light week of meals for a purpose and not too much to show for it. Frankly, I didn’t take a single picture of anything I had all week and weekend.

So tonight’s meal of clean eats for a typical Monday bowl is all I can really share on that front.

The classic roasted chicken with carrots, some cucumbers and tomatoes, over some couscous and finished with some feta cheese. Nothing crazy, but it’ll get me a few meals this week.

As for Sunday’s treats for the long football watch, we turned to one of our favorites in Pizza Plus. The order for a few of us: stellar cheesesteak (I may have finished within a few minutes), very solid plain pie, a great lookin’ burger, mozz sticks and onions rings. Really diving into indulging.

Again, no pictures sadly, so take my word for it and a look at their IG page and their menu because it’s DAMN good.

And if you were wondering what the 1-0 meal was for Thursday night, it was a full Mahalo Hawaiian BBQ plate. A steady favorite mentioned many of times here.

What’s Cookin’ (or Orderin’)

I’ve mentioned before how much I love a good morning/afternoon prep into a nice Sunday meal, and sharing those meals with friends and family are always fun. So what do I have my eyes set on for the next couple month now that we’ve got lounge times ahead?

What to Cook

• Soft Polenta & 8-Hour Sauce from Christian Petroni – this one was clearly posted last week as the mornings got a chill in the air, but a long simmering tomato sauce can lighten up anyone’s mood. Throw that over some buttery polenta, and I can only imagine the pure bliss. A nice switch-up to a Sunday sauce vibe with the usual meatballs, sausage and pasta.

• Beef & Guinness Stew from Dennis Prescott – you’re telling me you could grab some pints of Guinness to both enjoy in a glass and beef up a good stew? Sign me up. Now that’s a good way to roll from soccer into football. Perhaps served with another pint or two. Also, this recipe even has a little bonus use for leftovers with a little shepherds pie.

• Tomato, Stone Fruit or Late-Summer Veg Galette – a summer hasn’t truly lived up to its highest potential if there wasn’t at least one galette made. The fresh fruit and veg are way too good to pass up. Some options: the tomato galette with burrata from Wishbone Kitchen, the stone fruit galette from Ben Siman Tov, or the zucchini galette from Gillie Houston.

What to Order

• Gentili’s Pizza and Steaks – A West Chester mention at first, it’s my family’s current go-to for pizza and sandwiches. Even if I’m ordering to pick up something for lunch as I’m on my way back home. Cheeseteaks, fantastic. Pizzas, done well. Hoagies, loaded and stellar. If I had to guess, they get pretty busy Sundays.

• Farina Di Vita – I’ve only been blessed to enjoy a couple of these sandwiches, but every time I look at the menu, I feel like I could throw a dart and everything would be well enjoyed. Cold or hot is always the question, and typically it depends on if it’s an at-home dig-in meal or a tailgate treat.

• Brazas BBQ Chicken – get yourself a whole Peruvian barbecue chicken from this hidden gem on South Street. In reality, I’m going for the half chicken platters with a side of their macaroni and cheese or fries. And I’d probably get every single one of the sauces if I could. Next time, I’ll be checking out their wings for sure.

• Sarcone’s Bakery – this is a little bonus because it’s a mix. You have to go in to order, and you’re likely getting some bread, whether you’re making sandwiches at home or picking up a tomato pie, which is the real reason you’re going in. 90 years, and they’ve got the formula down. Bring your cash.

All that is just a peak into the many great options around the area, but that’s my shortlist going into the season with plenty more to add on and that we’ll dip our paws into. Soccer is back this upcoming weekend so we’ll really be diving right into the full slate of sports watching. From long runs on Sundays to the long rest of the days on the couch, as recovery of course. We welcome these times fully (all before the fun stress of playoff baseball).

Find your reason to lounge this week 🤘