My Month of Meals

March 27th - April 2nd

2011-04-13T10:35:00.000-04:00

SUNDAY

Pot Roast. Rolls. (Peanut Butter Brownies. Vanilla Ice Cream.)

Peanut Butter Brownies

Adapted from Butterwood Desserts, West Falls, New York via Gourmet, October 2007 (to me via Smitten Kitchen.)

Makes 32 brownies.

For brownies

2 sticks (1/2 pound) unsalted butter, softened

1 3/4 cups sugar

1 cup creamy peanut butter

2 large eggs plus 1 large yolk

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (9 ounces)**

1/2 teaspoon salt, see note**

For ganache (Emily has declared that ganache is her favorite word!)

1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (9 ounces)**

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened

Make brownies: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F with rack in middle. Butter a 13- by 9- by 2-inch baking pan, then line bottom of pan with parchment paper and butter parchment.

Beat together butter and sugar with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until mixture is light and fluffy, then add peanut butter and beat until incorporated. Beat in whole eggs, egg yolk, and vanilla. Reduce mixer sped to low, then mix in flour until just combined.

Mix in chocolate chips (1 1/2 cups) then spread batter in baking pan, smoothing top. (It will be thick, almost like cookie batter.)

Bake until brownies are deep golden, puffed on top and a wooden pick inserted in center come out with some crumbs adhering, 40 to 45 minutes.

Cool completely in pan on a rack, about 1 1/2 hours.

Make ganache: Put chocolate chips (1 1/2 cups) in a heatproof bowl.

Bring cream to a boil in a small saucepan, then pour over chocolate chips and let mixture stand for one minute.

Gently whisk in butter until it is incorporated, chocolate is melted, and a smooth mixture forms.

Spread ganache on cooled brownies and let stand until set, about 15 minutes.

Brownies keep in one layer in an airtight container three days.

MONDAY

Spaghetti. Spinach Salad.

No recipe required.

TUESDAY

White Bean & Chard Stew.

Another family favorite that comes from smitten kitchen. This is what I had planned for Saturday after Emily swam in the Junior Olympics and never got to .... I decided to do it the following week and it was perfect for this day that turned out to be rainy, cold & gloomy.

WEDNESDAY

Eat Out - Goodburger

We were all in the city, so met Rick for dinner. The kids rarely see their Dad through the week and we were at an art exhibition about 10 blocks away and finished at 5:30pm ... we had to make the most of it. Jacob begged for burgers and there's a Goodburger right on the corner near Rick's office. They have a Portobello burger for me, so that's where we headed. The Portobello burger was good, but I think the pesto overwhelmed the mushroom flavor (I love mushrooms) so if we go there again I'll ask for no pesto. The shakes were really good. I was being disciplined & didn't order one, then Jacob burst into tear at the chocolate one we popped in front of him & swore he'd asked for vanilla. We bought him a vanilla and I took the chocolate one - and slurped it down in just minutes. So much for disciplined.

THURSDAY

Chickpea Curry. Basmati Rice. Green Beans

I got this recipe from my dear friend, Margo, about 15 years ago. Even though 2 of my kids are really picky and we have a lot of different preferences between the 6 of us, we all like beans. This works well for us.

2 Tbl oil (I use olive)
2 tsp ground cumin

2 tsp chopped fresh ginger (I usually grate it)
1 tsp turmeric powder
2 Tbl ground coriander
1/2 tsp paprika
1 1/2 tsp salt

2 - 150z cans chickpea's rinsed well
1 - 16oz can tomato sauce
1/2 c. chopped onions
Chopped fresh cilantro for top.

Heat oil in saucepan, add onion (or not) & cumin and saute. Add turmeric, coriander, paprika, salt and ginger. Stir for 1 minute. Add tomato sauce & stir for 1 minute. Add chickpeas and 3/4 cup water. Stir and bring to a boil. Simmer for about 20 minutes. Serve over rice, sprinkled with chopped fresh cilantro. Cook the rice, and chop the cilantro while the curry is simmering, the whole meal will take 25 minutes or so to cook.

FRIDAY

Baked Mac-n-Cheese

Rick & were heading our to a fancy-schmancy work dinner for him, so the kids had mac-n-cheese to eat before family movie night with Bek, who was babysitting.

Baked Mac-n-Cheese

4 cups pasta elbow

1/2 cup butter, divided (leave out 2 Tbsp. for crust)

6 Tbsp. flour

2 tsp. dry mustard

2 tsp. salt

5 cups milk

4 cups shredded cheese (I do plain cheddar if kids are involved, but sharp cheddar would be good too)

4 Tbsp. dry bread crumbs

4Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese

Heat oven to 375. Spray baking dish with cooking spray. Cook pasta and drain.

In a saucepan over medium heat, melt butter (leaving out the two Tbsp.) whisk in flour, mustard and salt. Gradually whisk in milk. Cook and stir until mixture thickens and bubbles. Remove from heat. Stir in cheese until melted.

In dish, combine sauce with macaroni. In a small bowl, melt 2 Tbsp. of butter. Combine with bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle over top of macaroni.

Bake for 17-20 minutes or until top crust is golden. Let stand 20 minutes before serving.

SATURDAY

Chicken Noodle Soup. French Bread.

I never use a recipe for chicken noodle soup. I just use some good organic broth and big chunks of shredded poached or roasted chicken breast. Then I add whatever I have - carrots & celery are a must, sometimes I add barley, sometimes peas. I usually add garlic, some dried onion flakes (rotating that food storage!) and parsley and thyme and fresh ground black pepper and some salt. I let it simmer for about 20 - 30 minutes then add the pasta. Sometimes I use egg noodles but more often use bow ties or small shells (which take a little longer to cook but somehow seem yummier) - just whatever is in my cupboard. When the pasta is al dente we serve it with the bread & gobble it up!

My friend Melissa gave me this recipe for french bread about a year (or more) ago. I even bought french bread baking pans. I have never made it. I always just end up running into the bakery because it's quicker. It's definitely on my "to do" list to get comfortable with this recipe, so it's just as easy as buying it.

I'll include the recipe here ... maybe you'll be better than me.

1 and 2/3 c warm water
1 tbsp dry yeast
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
4 c flour

Slowly add yeast water mixture to dry ingredients in mixer. Mix to sticky ball. Let rise 45 minutes. Dump onto floured board and form into 2 long loaves. Place in oiled and cornmeal sprinkled French bread pans. (Melissa says she just uses cookie sheets). Make diagonal cuts in tops; pat with water. Cover. Let rise for 30 minutes.

Bake at 400 for 30 minutes.

Mango Sticky Rice

2011-03-27T15:00:00.014-04:00

I looked everywhere for this recipe this week to make for my book club (Hotel on the Corner of Bitter & Sweet) even though I think it's more of a Thai recipe than Chinese or Japanese.

I didn't find the recipe and considered making moon cakes instead but had no idea where to get lotus seed paste for the filling and thought you probably needed a mold ..... so served unimaginative marble cheesecake & fortune cookies instead.

I stumbled across it today (isn't that always the way) and am posting it here - mostly for my own benefit, so I can find it gain when I want it!

We love to serve it as dessert on the days I make Thai Lettuce Wraps for dinner.

Oh summer we miss you, hurry back!

Mango Sticky Rice (makes 6 servings)

1 cup glutinous (sweet) rice (available at Asian markets.)
1 can light coconut milk
raw shredded coconut
water
salt
1 - 2 mangoes; diced

Place 1 cup rice in a heavy bottomed saucepan. Add 1 cup of cold water and let soak for 30 minutes to soften.

Make the coconut sauce. Whisk together 1/2 cup of sugar, 1/2 tsp of salt, and 1/2 cup of coconut milk. Whisk until the sugar dissolves and set aside.

Cook the rice, adding 3/4 cup of water, 1/4 cup coconut milk and 1 tablespoon of raw shredded coconut. Stir, then bring to a simmer over medium heat, turn down the heat to low and simmer covered for 15 minutes.

Slice or dice the mango.

After 15 minutes the rice should be soft and sticky - cooked and not crunchy. With a fork, stir in the coconut sauce in two additions. (Pour half and stir it in, then repeat.) Do this while rice is hot, so it really soaks in. It will look kind of soupy, but as it sits it will really tighten up. Let rice sit covered for 15 minutes.

Toast some shredded coconut (in a dry pan) until it's a light nutty brown.To serve, scoop the rice into a mound in the center of a plate. Spoon mango around it & top with toasted coconut. Can be served hot, room temp or cold.

March 20th - 26th

2011-03-26T10:03:00.066-04:00

So this week ended up with a few days of take out and one day of leftovers ... not much in the recipe department, but enjoy what's there.

SUNDAY - Sweet & Sour Chicken. White Rice. Steamed Green Beans.

We tried this recipe from my sister in law, Lacey. We thought it was good and everyone ate it (making it an instant inductee to the regular rotation.) The only thing was I thought it was very, very sweet. Next time we'll cut the sugar in half - or even less than half.

4-6 Chicken Breasts
2 eggs
Cornstarch

Beat eggs together in bowl
Dip each chicken breast in egg
Put Cornstarch in a plastic bag or on a plate and coat chicken
In a frying pan with some veggie oil, brown each chicken breast...only until the coating is golden.

Sauce:
1 1/2 C Vinegar
3/4 C Ketchup
3TBS Soy sauce
2 1/4 C Sugar
Dash of Salt
In a sauce pan bring ingredients to a boil and then simmer until sauce becomes slightly syrupy.
Place Chicken in a baking dish (9x13)
Pour Sauce over Chicken
Bake at 350 Degrees for 45 minutes to an hour.

MONDAY - Leftovers.

Em was home sick throwing up and my stomach felt queasy all day. I didn't feel like eating OR cooking, so I gave the other kids some left over chicken I had in the fridge and served it with corn & cucumber slices. Rick usually gets his own dinner on Mondays (we usually have pasta on Monday's & he hates pasta) so it was quick & easy. Then I left the laundry in piles all over the basement floor, and all the mess everywhere else & went to bed. Sometimes it just has to be that way!

TUESDAY - Ham & Potato Soup. Rolls.

Potato Soup

4 potatoes, cubed
1 T butter
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 tsp. salt
2 cups milk
4 T flour
1/2 lb chopped ham
1 1/2 cups corn

In a deep pot, saute celery, onion and salt in 1 T butter until the onion is clear and soft. Add potatoes and water to cover. Boil and cook 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are soft. In a separate pan, melt 1/2 cup butter. Add the flour and stir until creamy. Remove from heat. Slowly add the milk while stirring. Return to heat until thickened. Add to boiled potatoes. Return to a boil and cook until desired consistency. (I sometimes add a little extra milk.) Add ham and corn and heat through. Serve with french bread

WEDNESDAY - Spinach, Green Onion & Smoked Gouda Quiche. Spinach Salad.

CRUST

6 TBSP butter, softened

2 TBSP 1% milk

1/4 tsp salt

1 large egg yolk

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour

FILLING

1 tsp extra virgin olive oil

1 cup thinly sliced green onions

3 cups fresh baby spinach

1 cup 1% milk

3/4 cup grated smoked Gouda cheese

3/4 tsp salt

dash of grated nutmeg

3 large eggs

I actually don't have the method to this recipe - but you know what to do.
I usually make my pastry in my Cuisinart food processor with the dough blade. I usually also wrap it in plastic & pop it in the fridge for about 1/2 an hour before rolling it out.

Bake about 45 minutes at 350, until firm.

THURSDAY

Em has swimming until 6pm on Thursdays and book club was at my house tonight ... so we had sandwiches. I actually love a good sandwich and we eat them for dinner once a week in summer. My only issue is that Emily & Jane won't eat them. They just have the fillings on plate and then the bread separately. I know. It's weird.

What are some of your favorite sandwiches?

FRIDAY

Pizza Dough

1 ½ cups warm water

2 TBS sugar

1 TBSP yeast

3 cups flour

½ tsp salt

Mix yeast, water & sugar & wait 5 mins. Add flour & let mixer run for 10 mins (with dough hook.) Roll out into a rectangular shape & cut into strips with pizza cutter
Melt 1/3 cup butter in bottom of 9 X 13” pan & place in dough strips
Brush with melted butter & sprinkle with seasoned salt & Parmesan cheese
Allow to rise for 30 mins.
Bake 15-20 mins at 350F

Pizza Sauce

1 large (30oz) can crushed tomatoes

¼ cup olive oil

1 tsp garlic (minced or powder)

1 Tbsp parsley

1 Tbsp basil

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp salt

SATURDAY

Sorry - no recipe again.

Emily swam in the junior Olympics all day .. it was great to be there with her and we are so proud of her accomplishment to have qualified to go. Rebekah had play rehearsal all day but the rest of us went to cheer her on & show our support.

We ended up coming home LATE ... with little kids who needed to go right to bed and me to get bek & myself to the YW General Broadcast, so we stopped at Fairway for pizza. yep, pizza a second night in a row. Fairway pizza is very yummy and it was right on the way home.

I really need to be better at anticipating these kind of nights and making something in advance. (In my defense, the swim coach had assured us we'd be finished by 1pm and I did think I'd be home in time to make dinner!)

Popscicles

2011-03-21T14:50:00.001-04:00

I LOVE Donna Hay and have a lot of her recipe books but I don't get her magazine. It's super expensive to have it mailed from Australia - and the seasons are always off, (you know winter here, summer there) so I don't bother.

I do occasionally check it out online and so I saw THIS ...

You tell me, could you resist those popsicles? They immediately made me wish it were summer & my kids and I were hanging out on our patio after swim team practice eating them .... pure happiness.

I e-mailed my sister, Liesa, and begged her to buy it and send it to me. She said she'd been thinking of something to send for my birthday & happily would!

On my birthday I got a great surprise - she (& my parents) also got me a gift card to Williams-Sonoma for the Zoku popsicle maker. It freezes them in JUST SEVEN MINUTES!

Oh man, we cannot wait to try some of these beauties.

I also got the storage case (for those days when our instant-gratification-selves can't even wait the 7 minutes for them.) And I got the tool kit & extra sticks ....

And who says that popsicles have to be summer only treat anyway! Check out these Christmas popsicles.

Yep, we have big plans for popsicle making this year!

Now I just have to figure out a way to get my hands on THIS ....

Strawberry Huller

2011-03-16T19:41:00.015-04:00

I am kind of a sucker for cool kitchen gadgets, but having our tiny kitchens in the two appartments we lived in in Brooklyn & now our pretty small kitchen here, I have learned that anything I buy really needs to be worth the space it will take up.

I find the OXO brand of kitchen tools very well made, so when I was looking for a new meat mallet the other day and saw this handy little tool, I was intrigued. It is little - so little I decided it was worth a try. Plus, it was only about $6 so no huge amount to be out if it didn't work out.

This baby is AWESOME. I've never even seen a strawberry huller before, and this is so easy to use and pops out the leaves so quickly and easily. The kids could even do it and liked using it.

Dinner this week.

2011-03-12T12:34:00.002-05:00

It's the time of year when I tend to plan meals a week or two at a time - then switch days around as needed. This usually happens in spring (not that we are quite there yet - it snowed this morning) and because the weather in NY is notoriously un-predictable and if I plan for soup & rolls weeks in advance it will undoubtedly be 75 degrees that day!

Also, Corinne requested I be better about putting the recipes on here, and I might be able to manage that better a week at a time.

March 6th - 12th

SUNDAY

Yogurt Parmesan Chicken. Pear & Gorgonzola Salad.

This chicken is a family staple. It's easy, and everyone likes it. I especially love that Rick and the kids can whip it up on a Sunday afternoon while I am taking a nap (that certainly adds to the deliciousness.)

Yogurt Parmesan Chicken

2 C crushed Ritz crackers
3 Tbs Parmesan cheese
2 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp seasoned salt

8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
8oz plain yogurt (I use Greek)
1/4 C melted butter

Combine cracker crumbs, Parmesan cheese, garlic salt and seasoned salt in large large Ziploc bag. Set aside.
Coat each piece of chicken in yogurt, then toss in crumb mixture. (I slice the breasts into strips - about 4 per breast).
Arrange chicken in 9x13 pan and drizzle with melted butter. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes, or until tender.

See the post below this for the Salad recipe.

MONDAY

Linguine with Lemon & Olive Oil.

Super fast, super yummy and super easy. What more could you ask for? We ate this with leftover salad from last night. I followed the basic recipe from smitten kitchen but doubled the ingredients for the sauce (with 1 1/2 lbs linguine) used all the zest from 3 lemons and didn't add any reserved water (it seemed wet enough.) I also added a very scant amount of Parmesan cheese to the finished dish (I've decided that I should try and reduce the MASS amounts of cheese we consume around here!)

We love lemons and this was so yummy & lemony. Mmmmm.

1 pound linguine

Salt

3 lemons

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil , plus additional for serving

1/4 cup heavy cream

1 ounce finely grated Parmesan cheese (about 1/2 cup), plus additional for serving

Ground black pepper

Small handful fresh basil leaves, shredded

Cook linguine or spaghetti in well-salted water to your al dente tastes in a large, wide-bottomed pot. (You’ll have fewer dishes to wash if you use this pot to assemble the dish as well.)

While pasta is cooking, zest lemons until you have a little shy of a tablespoon of zest. Juice lemons — you’ll have anywhere from 1/3 to 1/2 cup lemon juice.

Drain pasta, reserving 1 1/2 cups of pasta cooking water. Dry out your pot, then boil the olive oil, cream, zest and 1 cup of the reserved pasta water together for two minutes over high heat. Return pasta to pot and stir until coated. Add the cheese and 1/4 cup lemon juice and toss, toss, toss everything together. Add more pasta water, 1/4 cup at a time, if you’d like your dish a little looser. Quickly taste a strand of pasta and see if you want to add the remaining lemon juice (we did). Stir in basil or arugula and season generously with salt and pepper.

Serve immediately, drizzling individual portions with a bit of extra olive oil and sprinkling with extra Parmesan. cheese.

TUESDAY

Bronzed Sea Bass with Lemon Shallot Butter

From the Pioneer Woman

6 ounces, weight (to 7 Ounces) Piece Of Sea Bass, With Or Without The Skin On
3 Tablespoons Butter
1 whole Medium-sized Shallot, Minced
1 whole Lemon, Zested And Juiced
3 Tablespoons Canola Oil
Kosher Salt And Fresh Ground Pepper, to taste

Preparation Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Season both sides of the fish generously with salt and pepper.

Heat canola oil in a medium-sized oven-safe pan over high heat for a few minutes to let the oil get nice and hot.

Once the oil has heated up for a couple of minutes, drop the sea bass into place and let it sit there untouched for two minutes. (Don’t overcrowd the pan, as this will kill our ability to create a tasty crust on the fish.) Sear over high heat for 2 minutes, then transfer the pan into the 375-degree oven WITHOUT FLIPPING THE FISH OVER. Set the timer to 8 minutes.

Meanwhile, begin making the lemon shallot butter sauce. Melting the butter over a medium-high heat. Add in the minced shallot and lemon zest. Cook over medium-high heat for a couple of minutes.

When the shallots have become a little softer, squeeze in the juice of 1 lemon. Whisk together and reduce the heat to medium until you’ve got an incredible-smelling sauce. (Skipping the shallots in this process will make a super-simple lemon butter sauce.)

Once the fish has been in the oven for 8 minutes, remove it and let it rest for a moment before serving. Take this time to remove the pin bones if your butcher didn’t do it for you.

This exact method will work well with halibut, salmon, or any other thick fish. Great results every time.

WEDNESDAY

Grilled Chicken & Pineapple Quesadillas

Also from the Pioneer Woman Cooks. I like recipes that can be somewhat individualized, since there are so many varied tastes (AKA picky eaters) in our family. Rick, Jacob & I will eat these just this way. Emily & Jane will have it without the pineapple and Bek will eat hers sans chicken. Everyone is happy & I don't have to work hard to do it. You're welcome family!

8 whole Flour Tortillas
Butter Or Margarine
2 cups Grilled Pineapple, Sliced
3 whole Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
Salt And Pepper, to taste
3 cups Monterey Jack Cheese, Grated
1 whole Jalapeno, Sliced
Cilantro
3 Tablespoons Barbecue Sauce

Preparation Instructions

(To grill pineapple: cut wedges, stick on skewers, and grill over low heat. Cut into slices.)

(To pound chicken, place inside a Ziploc bag and pound with a mallet or large can to flatten to uniform thickness.)

Sprinkle with salt and pepper and Cajun spice (or cumin/cayenne, etc.) Drizzle olive oil on a grill pan and grill on both sides until done, brushing with barbecue sauce. Set aside and slice into very thin slices.

Warm griddle over medium heat and put sizzling butter or margarine in the pan. Slightly warm and toast tortillas on both sides, then remove from griddle and set aside.

To assemble, sprinkle four browned tortillas with grated Monterey Jack. Arrange chicken slices evenly over the surface. Add pineapple slices and jalapeno slices. Sprinkle on cilantro. If desired, drizzle extra barbecue sauce over the top. Add second browned tortilla on top of each one. (You’ll have four complete quesadillas at this point.)

Add to oven to warm, or back to skillet to warm, until cheese is melted. Cut each quesadilla into six wedges. Serve with sour cream, pico de gallo, and lime wedges.

THURSDAY

Jacob was having his 24 hour EEG. I wasn't sure how late we'd be so didn't plan dinner. A friend actually made us pasta, bread sticks & broccoli. The bread sticks were wonderful, so I asked for the recipe. Emily LOVED these &has big plans to try making them herself soon.

Bread sticks.

Makes about 20-25 bread sticks.

1 ½ cups warm water

1 tablespoon instant yeast

2 tablespoons sugar

3 ½ cups flour (I usually use a combination of unbleached all-purpose flour and white whole wheat flour but use whatever you have on hand!)

½ teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons butter, melted (for the baking sheet)

Mix all ingredients (except melted butter) in a large bowl or electric mixer and knead for three minutes. Let the dough rest for 10 minutes. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Spread melted butter onto an 11X17-inch baking sheet. Roll out the bread stick dough about 1/4 to 1/2-inch thick and cut into strips with a pizza cutter. Twist slightly if desired and place about 1/2-inch apart on the baking sheet. Sprinkle with garlic salt, herbs of choice (I vary this depending on my mood but it usually consists of rosemary, basil, or thyme in some form and crushed finely) and Parmesan cheese. Cover with greased plastic wrap and let rise 30 minutes. Bake 15-20 minutes at 375 degrees until golden brown.

FRIDAY

Homemade Pizza

I often make my own dough, but sometimes we just buy it from our local pizza store (they sell rounds of dough for $2.)

The kids love to roll their own and add their own toppings. My favorite is tomato slices, fresh mozzarella and snipped fresh basil. Or my other favorite is fresh mozzarella covered with

thick slices of portobello mushrooms & and chunks of crumbled blue cheese. Mmmmm.

If you want to make your own dough, I love this one.

Emily has been into making pizza dough lately and uses her own preferred recipe. She makes it entirely herself. Honestly. I am usually not even in the kitchen at all and she does a great job! It's a decent pizza dough although a little too "fluffy" for me. I prefer my pizza crust thin and a little crispy on the bottom ... but the kid is making dinner for me, so what can I say?

Emily's Pizza Dough

1 cup warm water

1 Tbsp yeast

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

1 tablespoon oil

3 cups flour

Pour warm water into a bowl. Sprinkle yeast in and let sit for five minutes. Add salt, sugar and oil and 1 ½ cup flour. Mix then add remaining flour and knead well.

* The munchkin prefers to knead this by hand, but I'm sure 5 - 10 minutes in an electric mixer would be easier. The we usually let it rise for about 30 minutes, or while we go to Lacrosse practice, or swimming, or whatever else we have going on that afternoon! When we get back to it, we punch it down & roll it out ... you know how to do the rest.

SATURDAY

We ate out. We were out late running errands & generally cramming everything that we need to do as a family into the one day we are all home .... we ended up at the pet store to get our "Millie" supplies around dinner time. It was right by a Red Lobster....

I've never eaten there before, so we thought we'd try something new. It was OK and even Bek & Em (my non-fish eaters) enjoyed their meal.

Pear & Gorgonzola Salad

2011-01-10T16:47:00.001-05:00

This is my new favorite salad.

I happened upon it when I was bouncing around blogs looking for ideas for a primary lesson I was working on. Yummy!

It is SUPER delicious. I made it for dinner this week - then had it for lunch the next 2 days - then went to Trader Joes to get more salad greens & pears (there was still dressing left & I didn't want it to go to waste.) Seriously, I could eat this for dinner every night.

Here's the recipe.

fresh spring mix salad greens

fresh pears, thinly sliced

toasted pecans

crumbled gorgonzola cheese

Creamy Honey Dijon Dressing

1/2 cup good dijon mustard

1/2 cup honey

1/2 cup cider vinegar

1 tsp. lemon juice

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. fresh ground pepper

2 TBSP sugar

1-1 1/2 cups oil

Mix all ingredients except oil in the blender or food processor. blend until combined. slowly add oil in a slow steady stream until emulsified. serve on the side of the salad.

I found it here.

School Lunch

2010-09-30T13:02:00.122-04:00

Each year for Earth Day, we try try make one significant change in our family to become more eco-friendly. Although I have been using cloth shopping bags for years and even use them at non-grocery stores (Old Navy, Gap, LOFT, Gymboree, Target, Hardware store and even restaurants - much to the horror of my teenager!) we were still pretty big consumers of plastic baggies, especially as my germ-o-phobic personality would never allow me to wash & re-use them as I know some people do. I decided our change for 2010 was to ditch the baggies!

I initially tried 2 types of sandwich / snack bags. Here they are with why I love them ----

Snack Taxi.

My total fave and I am in LOVE. Their sizes are just perfect. The sandwich bag can nicely fit in a sandwich without having to smush the sides, yet not leaving so much room that it comes apart and the filling falls out. I often send a thick slice of homemade bread with a thermos of soup for lunch - and even if they bring the bread home (having not eaten it) it is still nice and soft and not dried out at all.

The snack size are great for a substantial snack and even fit the medium sized rice cakes (the one's that Stew's or Fairway make.) I love all the colors and cute designs. The best thing about these bags? They are completely washable & durable. If they've just been used for crackers or bread or carrots or something NOT messy / wet / potentially cross contaminating - I turn them inside out & wipe them with a damp cloth. They dry in minutes and I pop them right back in the drawer to use again. If they do need a "real" washing I either scrub them with some dish soap & rinse or turn them inside out (attaching the Velcro so it won't stick to other laundry items) and wash them in the washing machine & then air dry. A few have accidentally gone through the dryer and come out fine, but I prefer to air dry them.

In dozens of washings they have never lost their shape, faded or had stitching come undone. We have been using these for 6 month now and they still look as great and sturdy as the day we got them.

The only drawback to these is that they are not really waterproof. Jacob will not eat carrots he deems "old" which pretty much means a tiny bit dry or just not cold & crispy. I try to send them to school in a little bit of cold water to keep them fresh - but the water does soak right through the bags. Easy fix, I bought a few very small BPA free, recyclable plastic containers to send watery carrots or celery in and save the bags for other items.

Lunchskins

Truly, I bought these mostly because of the shark & crab prints knowing how happy it would make Jacob at lunchtime to pull them out.

I have not been as happy with these as I was the snack taxi's. They are very cute and they are more "waterproof" than the snack taxi's - but still not completely. They seal a bit better with the Velcro all the way across the top and they have some really great designs.

The drawbacks to me have been that the "sandwich" size really doesn't accommodate a sandwich. It's a really tight fit. They've been washed a few times too and the darling designs have really worn and they now look pretty beat-up and old.

I do actually like the look of the smaller sized snack bag (for when you just want to send a small snack) but cannot vouch for it as I only bought their bigger size to try.

I send my kids with a thermos of soup or leftovers from the previous nights dinner a lot. Yet, I can't bear the thought of them using plastic cutlery, so I was sending my stainless steel one's. Until I noticed that I was starting to run low on cutlery ....

I know there's a lot of controversy out there over how compostable these items are - but I figure even if it takes them 20 years to break down .... still better than plastic! I think there is probably a range in how Eco-friendly these products really are. I keep meaning to call Stone Barns & see which brand they use in the cafe ... because I'm sure they've already done the research to see which is the best!

I have been running these through the dishwasher (mine heats to 160 degrees) and they have held up well. I plan on washing and re-using as long as we can .... and if they get lost or accidentally thrown in the trash in the school cafeteria I won't be devastated!

So, now I can feel as good about HOW my kids take their lunch to school as I do what they're eating!

siggi's

2010-03-20T18:38:00.001-04:00

This is my new favorite yogurt.

Hands down.

I love yogurt. I eat it more than once a day. I insist my family eat it once a day (Rick and my two older girls aren't huge fans - but my little guys love yogurt.)

I mostly eat Greek yogurt, because it's more like the Australian stuff I grew up on - thicker with much less sugar & a "kick" that gets you in the back of your tongue. I was shopping a while ago & saw this. Icelandic?

The verdict? It tastes FANTASTIC !! The texture is a lot like Greek yogurt and the flavor is kind of subtle, it takes a few bites to hit you.

Here's what else I love -

The milk is from grass fed cows.

No aspartame.

No sucralose.

No gelatin.

No artificial colorings.

No preservatives.

No high fructose corn syrup.

No rBGH

AND - it's made in upstate New York, so for me I don't feel badly about it being transported huge distances leaving a big carbon footprint. Try it if you find it in your store.

YUM.

(pictures from siggisdairy.com)

March Menu

2010-03-01T11:43:00.039-05:00

WEEK ONE

1st -
2nd - Left Overs (we've got lots!)
3rd - Roast chicken. Salad.
4th - Order Pizza
5th - Mac-n-cheese (date night for Mom & Dad.)
6th - Topped baked potatoes.

WEEK TWO

7th - Salmon. Broccoli. Quinoa
8th - Brown Rice Spaghetti
9th - Potato Soup. Wholewheat Bread. Salad.
10th -
11th - Curried Chicken. Brown Rice. Naan.
12th - Homemade Pizza.
13th - Yogurt Parmesan Chicken. Salad. Sunday corn.

WEEK THREE
14th - Creamy chicken, spinach & rice soup. Rolls. Salad.
15th - Vegetarian Lasagne.
16th - Subway Sandwiches
17th - Corned Beef. Cabbage. Boiled new potatoes. Soda Bread.
18th - Panera Bread (after dentist visits.)
19th - Black Bean & Corn Burrito's.
20th -

WEEK FOUR
21st - Honey Baked Chicken.
22nd -
23rd - Lentil Soup. Wholewheat bread.
24th - Salmon. Broccoli. Quinoa.
25th - Lemon Cola chicken. Brown rice.
26th - Chicken enchilladas. Spanish rice.
27th - Chicken & dumplings

WEEK FIVE
28th - vacation
29th - vacation
30th - vacation
31st - vacation

October 2009

2009-10-06T23:58:00.002-04:00

WEEK ONE
1 - Meatloaf. Cauliflower. Steamed Asparagus.
2 - Vegetarian Taco Salad
3 - Apple Picking (pick up something on the way home - or gorge ourselves on apples.)

WEEK TWO
4 - Thai Lettuce Wraps. (Mango Sticky Rice.)
5 - Spinach Fettuccini. Salad.
6 - Homemade Caprice Pizza (using the last of the basil from my garden.)
7 - Butternut Squash & Apple Soup. Wholewheat bread. (Apple Crisp)
8 -
9 - Happy Birthday Jacob (Your choice buddy!)
10 - Family Fun Day in Otis MA! (Take a salad & cupcakes.)

WEEK THREE
11 - Beef Pot Roast. Fingerling Potatoes.
12 - Crock Pot Lasagne.
13 - Potato, Ham & Corn Soup. Salad
14 -
15 - Springtime Rissotto Soup. (I know it's not spring, but I seriously love this soup!)

16, 17, 18 - Rick & I will be gone until the 18th. Hmmmm. Not sure what to do. I'll make something in advance, or leave money for the babysitter to take them out.

WEEK FOUR
19 - Spaghetti. Salad.
20 - Lentil Soup. Wholewheat bread.
21 - Chicken Curry. Naan. Cucumber Salad.
22 - Salmon. Wild Rice. Snow Peas.
23 -
24 - Beef & Bok Choy Hot Pot. (Which we love - but I'm going to figure out a way to make it sans beef. Maybe use the broth and sub tofu for the beef.)

WEEK FIVE
25 - Chicken Gyros. White bean, roasted tomato & chick pea salad.
26 - Pumpkin Ravioli. Green Salad. Breadsticks.
27 - Erin's Creamy Tomato Soup.
28 - Pumpkin & Walnut Soup. Wholewheat bread.
29 -
30 - Pumpkin Pasta with fresh Vegetable Sauce.
31 - Halloween!! (silly food.)

September 2009

2009-10-06T23:34:00.001-04:00

Week One

1 - Sandwiches
2 - Chicken & Rice Casserole.
3 - Salmon. Mesclun Salad.
4 - DUTCH OVEN (camping)
5 - Order Pizza (recovering from camping.)

Week Two

6 - Grilled Mango Chicken.
7 - Outback Steakhouse (kids "back to school" dinner out as a family.)
8 - Sandwiches. Carrot & Celery sticks.
9 - Grilled Salmon. Spinach Salad.
10 -
11 -
12 -

Week Three
13 - Erin's Creamy Tomato Soup. Breadsticks.
14 - Spaghetti.
15 - Subway Sandwiches.
16 - Rotisserie Chicken. Green Salad.
17 - Topped baked Potatoes.
18 - Chicken Enchilladas. Spanish Rice.
19 - Good Luck Daddy! (Mom in Utah.)

Week Four

20 - Honey Baked Chicken
21 - Penne with Pesto.
22 -
23 - Thai Lettuce Wraps
24 -
25 - Vegetarian Taco Salad
26 -

Week 5

27 - Chicken Cacciatore. Rice. Broccoli. (Choc. Chip Cookies.)
28 - Subway Sandwiches
29 - Spaghetti.
30 - Chicken Pot Pie

Cook Books

2009-10-06T23:20:00.002-04:00

A couple of months ago we cleaned out our storage room. I had a ton of cook books stored in there - which was silly, because they were completely inaccessible. I sorted through them, and got rid of almost all of them. All the recipes I use regularly I have on my computer, or in my binder and I get most of the new one's I try from friends, blogs or online searches. I don't think that's unusual anymore, I think the day of the cook book is drawing to a close.

That said - despite a thorough purging of my cook books, I purchased these last Spring

I saw them in Australia on our trip in 2007 - but figured I'd wait until they came out in the US, so I wouldn't have to do the metric conversions every time. Then I kind of forgot about them. I was delighted when I stumbled across them again, and bought them instantly.

I feel the same way about cook books as I do knitting or sewing pattern books - I just can't justify the purchase if there's only one thing in there that I like. I need to like and want to make most of the items in the book to warrant buying the collection. I don't need to love them all, but most of them.

I use these ALL THE TIME.

Donna Hay is probably my all time favorite! I'm not sure if it has anything to do with the fact that she's Australian and her food really takes me home - or if it's just so darn good that anyone would love it. Probably both.

If you're only going to get one - get the salads & vegetables. Everything in there is to die for. My favorite has got to be the white bean, roasted tomato & chick pea salad. I'm not kidding TO DIE FOR!!

I also give high praise to the kids book. While being pretty basic food, it has a good selection with easy to read & follow directions. Emily loves this & can make most things on her own. I also don't think it's a bad start for Em, learning your way around the kitchen with Donna Hay!

April & May Recipes

2009-05-27T16:35:00.000-04:00

Chicken Gyros

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/4" strips
2 Tbsp. finely chopped dill
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 large onion, thinly sliced
a few tablespoons olive oil
juice of 1 lemon
salt and pepper

Place everything in a gallon-size freezer bag to let it marinate. Let the chicken marinate anywhere from 1/2 hour to overnight. (I usually let it marinate for 2-3 hours.)

Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add a little olive oil. Saute the chicken and onions until chicken is cooked through.

To serve--place some of the chicken on the pita, top with tzatziki and a little fresh lemon juice. Fold up and enjoy!

Tzatziki (Yogurt Dill Sauce)

1 large container Greek Yogurt
1/2 seedless cucumber, grated and drained (see note and picture below)
2-3 Tbsp. fresh dill, finely chopped
4 scallions, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed through a garlic press
1-2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
a drizzle of olive oil
salt and freshly ground pepper--to taste

Combine all the ingredients and chill for several hours to allow flavors to meld.
Yields about 2 1/2 cups.

Chicken & Lentil Hot Pot

2 tbs olive oil
6 chicken thigh fillets (900g), trimmed and sliced into 3
1 large onion, finely sliced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 stalks celery, sliced on the diagonal
1 carrot, peeled and sliced
3 cups (750ml) chicken stock
1 cup (200g) brown or green lentils, rinsed well
2 potatoes, peeled and cut into 3cm chunks
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
2-3 sprigs of fresh marjoram
2 cups baby spinach

Heat 1 tbs oil in a large heavy-based saucepan over a medium-high heat. Season chicken and sear in batches for 1 minute or until golden. Remove from pan. Set aside.

Add remaining oil and onion to the pan and fry for 2 minutes. Stir in garlic, celery and carrot, and cook for a further 2 minutes. Stir in stock and 2 cups of cold water. Return chicken to pan with lentils and bring to the boil.

Reduce heat to medium, cover and simmer for 15 minutes skimming off excess oil.

Add the potatoes, tomatoes and marjoram. Cook for a further 20 minutes or until lentils are soft. Remove from heat, stir in the spinach and season to taste.
Serve with crusty bread (serves 6.)

Pacific Ribs
8 lean country-style pork spare ribs
3/4 cup (6oz) tomato juice
2 Tbsp dried minced onion
1 tsp freshly grated ginger
1 Tbsp honey
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp cumin
dash ground cloves

Trim excess fat from ribs & place half of them in slow cooker. In medium bowl, stir all remaining ingredients. Pour half over ribs in slow cooker, than add other ribs and pour rest of sauce over them.

Cook for 5 1/2 hours o high, or on low for 10 - 11 hours - until very tender.

If desired, transfer ribs to foil lined cookie sheet and arrange in a single layer. Bast with cooking liquid and broil 6" from heat source for 3 - 5 minutes, or until just browned. Baste again before serving.

Slow Cooker Lasagne

1 pound lean ground beef (7% fat)
1 small onion, chopped
1 medium garlic clove, minced
28 ounces canned crushed tomatoes
15 ounces canned tomato sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon dried basil
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1 ½ cups part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded
6 dry no-bake lasagna noodles
½ cup shredded parmesan cheese

Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef, onion and garlic; cook, stirring frequently, breaking up meat as it cooks, about 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, salt, oregano, basil, and red pepper flakes; simmer 5 minutes to allow flavors to blend. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, stir together ricotta cheese and 1 cup of mozzarella cheese. Then spoon 1/3 of beef mixture into a 5-quart slow cooker. Break 3 lasagna sheets in half and arrange over beef mixture; top with half of ricotta mixture. Repeat with another layer and finish with remaining 1/3 of beef mixture.

Cover slow cooker and cook on low for 4 to 6 hours. Remove cover, and turn off heat. Sprinkle remaining ½ cup of mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese over beef mixture. Cover and set aside until cheese melts and lasagna firms up; about 10 minutes.

Yields 6 servings. This is a weight watchers recipe, points value – 8.

May

2009-05-08T13:23:00.024-04:00

WEEK ONE (+)
1st -
2nd - Baked Macaroni & Cheese
3rd - Honey Baked Chicken. Steamed Broccoli. Grilled Zucchini.
4th - Spaghetti.
5th - Cinco De Mayo, eat out - Burrito Poblano (our favorite family Mexican place.)
6th - Marinated Salmon. Peas. Carrots. Broccoli.
7th - Vegetarian Soft Taco's
8th - Pre-school International Dinner (take sausage rolls.)
9th - Camilla's Quincinera for R, R & I (kids to have ham & cheese sandwiches.)

WEEK TWO
10th - Soup. Biscuits.
11th - Slow Cooker Lasagna
12th - Springtime Risotto Soup. Homemade Wholewheat bread.
13th - Chicken & Lentil Hot Pot.
14th - Chicken Ranch Taco Salad.
15th - Pizza Bread.
16th - Jane's Choice (3rd Birthday, I'll ask her that day as 3 yr olds can be particularly fickle.)

WEEK THREE
17th - Grilled Chicken. Grilled Vegetables (portabello mushrooms, zucchini, and red peppers.) Cous cous. (Blueberry Pie. Vanilla Ice Cream.)
18th - Spaghetti.
19th - Spinach & Ricotta Triangles. Roast Tomato, Chick Pea & White Bean Salad.
20th - CRAZY DAY (really, this day will be insanely busy) - order out / get drive through, etc.
21st - Vegetable Stir Fry. Steamed Brown Rice.
22nd - Curried Chicken Salad in Romaine wraps. Fresh Pineapple.
23rd - Lamb & Mushroom Kabobs. Watermelon.

WEEK FOUR
24th - Chicken Gyros. Cucumber salad. (Dessert?)
25th - Memorial Day - haven't decided; Eat out? BBQ? Invite someone over?
26th - Pea & Zucchini Risotto.
27th - Lime & Ginger Salmon Salad.
28th - Beef & Bok Choy Hot Pot.
29th - Grilled Mango Chicken. Simple romaine Salad. Wild Rice Salad.
30th - Tomato & Dill Quiche.
31st - Pacific Ribs. Baked Sweet Potatoes. (Fresh Pineapple / Fruit Salad.)

Eco Products

2009-05-08T13:06:00.001-04:00

I had wanted to do this post for Earth Day - but just didn't get around to it ... so here it is better late than never (which seems to have become my motto in life. Sigh.)

Last year for Earth Day I pledged to myself to use only organic gardening methods - which has worked out quite nicely. I also pledged to slowly switch over to using only eco-friendly products. We're not all the way there (the laundry detergent is going to be my hold-out; I'm way too OCD about laundry.) We are using mostly eco-friendly products now, and after a conversation with Corinne about some I love and some I hate - I thought I'd share my opinions.

First up; the only thing I can truly say I hate. Palmolive eco dishwasher detergent. Part of the problem is that I didn't do my due diligence on this one. I took it at face value, without reading the ingredient list. (It was one of my first switches, and it was cheaper than the other eco friendly products.) After using it for a while, I noticed that the inside of my soap dispenser in the dishwasher had a white coating. I tried to clean it off, but it wouldn't budge - then I realized it was actually starting to corrode. Yikes. That was when I read the label and realized that this "eco friendly" product was full of bleach. Bleach. Yeah, it's really earth friendly to be sending that down the drain, not to mention the damage it did to my dishwasher. I had a few bottles in the storage room, so I returned them all to Target.

I don't really like the Method products. I tried several, they work OK, but not brilliantly, and although they have become much better about listing what's in their products, and are phosphate and paraben free, they cold be better - and I just think all that added color and fragrance isn't really necessary. Why would I want to be adding that to the ocean? So Method is not for me.

I do make an exception for this candle - which I really love & keep in the downstairs bathroom. Soy wax, and in a glass jar - which I figure can be recycled. I actually rarely light it, it's a small room so the fragrance just diffuses out.

I won a Watkins giveaway on Lindsey's blog, and was excited to try their products - this is what I ordered.

So next I tried the Watkins citrus dishwasher detergent. It worked well and has good ingredients, but was actually pretty stinky. It had "earth salts" in it - maybe that's what made it smell. Also, not available at Target, and really I am probably not really going to go to the effort of ordering online - plus the cost of shipping, etc. Not for me.
That's when I returned to my longstanding favorite brand. Seventh Generation. These guys didn't just jump on the bandwagon - they started it rolling. Have been around for ages, and are totally reliable. This works well, smells great (I love the grapefruit) is available at Target, and leaves no residue in my dishwasher or on the dishes. We have a winner! I just wish they would sell it in bigger bottles - which would be more convenient for me and would use less plastic. Or maybe they could sell those refill bag things ... I should write to them.

I really like their rinse aid too.

So, while I'm still talking about dishes - here's a review of the dish soap I've tried.

I do love the Watkins, it works really well, smells GREAT and is available at Target. But it is more expensive, than the Seventh Generation, which is also great (about a dollar more for the 24oz bottle.) So I usually buy some of each.

OK, a few more that I feel strongly about, then I'll stop.

The Watkins Citrus Tub & Tile cleaner. Our main bathroom (and only full bath) is the only room in our house we haven't renovated. We also live in a very humid place, so I'm battling mildew all the time. Plus, six people use it every day - it's going to get dirty, and fast. I had such high hopes for this product. I was disappointed. First up - it doesn't small at all like citrus. It smells like tea tree oil - which is a good natural antibacterial, but is a potent smell. It did clean - but it also took off the caulking around the sides of my tub - so it's not for us (back to the Seventh Generation.)

For areas other than the bathroom, I want a good all purpose cleaner. This one I LOVE.
It smells yummy (I like the lemon,) wipes off easily without leaving any residue and does a good job cleaning. I use it on the glass shelves in my fridge all the time, and many times a day on the counter tops. I haven't tried it on the windows, but do use it on the mirrors and it's great.

I like these too (I ordered the first pack online, but have bought subsequent one's at Target.) I like the lemon, and the green tea one equally. I'm trying to reduce our use of wipes in favor of re-usable cloths, but sometimes you just need a wipe - I know all the mother's out there can instantly think of at last a dozen situations where they would really need one), so I keep a pack of these in the car for emergency "there's no water or cloth around" situations.
OK, so there's my belated Earth Day review.

My pledge for this year? To stop using paper towels. I use a lot of terry cloths for cleaning, and have started to gather a bunch of micro-fiber one's. I have many for glass, stainless steel and dusting - but am still looking for a good multi-use one that comes in a pack of several. It seems they all come in multi-packs with other kinds that I do not want or need....

I've heard the "blue wonder" is great, had anyone tried it?

If you have a favorite micro-fiber cleaning cloth, let me know!

April Menu

2009-05-08T10:23:00.014-04:00

I have a harder time meal planning in April and May, the weather here is just so unpredictable! When the weather starts to get warmer, I crave light food, salads, fruit, sandwiches, and just can't wait to fire up the grill. I may plan for that, and then it will snow that day - or have planned to make soup, or a lasagna and it will be 80 degrees! So, in spring I often just plan a week at a time, and try to remain more flexible.

Also, this April we left for England on the 3rd, and my Mum was here watching the kids - I wanted to make it a little easier on her, so the menu from the 3rd to the 10th was made up of things that I had pre-made & frozen, or were just really easy to make.

WEEK ONE
1st - Thai Ginger Salmon. Edamame. Wild Rice.
2nd - Black Bean & Corn Burritos.
3rd - Topped Baked Potatoes.
4th - Order Pizza.

WEEK TWO (make ahead week.)
5th - Hawaiian Haystacks.
6th - Spinach Tortellini.
7th - Chicken Pot Pies.
8th - Carrot Soup. Bread.
9th - Chicken & Broccoli Casserole. Rice.
10th - Order Pizza.
11th - Thai Ginger Salmon. Edamame. Wild Rice.

WEEK THREE
12th - (EASTER) Roast leg of Lamb. Steamed Asparagus. Roast Potatoes. Roast Carrots. Bread Rolls. Salad. Lemon Meringue Tarts.
13th - Baked Macaroni & Cheese.
14th - Carrot Soup. Wholewheat Bread (because Mum had used leftovers the week before instead of soup.)
15th - Chicken Pot Pies. Steamed Broccoli.
16th - Ham & Cheese Quiche. Spinach Salad.
17th -
18th - Order Out. (American Bistro.)

WEEK FOUR
19th - Pot Roast. Mashed Potatoes.
20th - LeeAne's Tomato Soup.
21st -
22nd - Chicken Cacciatore. Rice.
23rd - Shrimp Scampi. Angel Hair pasta.
24th - Vegetarian Soft Taco's.
25th - BENTON BROOK FARM. (take cookies & salad.)

WEEK FIVE
26th -
27th -
28th -
29th -
30th -

Snacks

2009-05-07T21:04:00.002-04:00

I like my kids (all of us really) to eat yogurt every day. Jacob, Jane and I love it - so we eat it every day for a snack between breakfast and lunch. I instituted this with the bigger girls too - but haven't been able to maintain it after they go to school. (When we eat pancakes for breakfast I make them with yogurt - so at least that's something!)

The other typical snack we have is after school. I have to say that recently I have all but eliminated this snack - it really does seem to take the edge off dinner. We eat dinner around 5:30 every day (sporting activities allowing.) After school snacks are usually around 3 or 3:30 - I think it's just too close. If they don't eat enough dinner they wake up even earlier than usual, because they're hungry - which kills me! So the snacks have been nixed.

That said - there are days when we just need them. Maybe we're at a late swimming class, T-ball practice, playing late at the park because it's a beautiful day, or some other reason dinner will be later. So, I have decided that when they have an afternoon snack, it needs to be something that I don't mind taking the place of part of their dinner, that way I'm not as bothered if they eat less at mealtime.

Here are some of our favorite snacks -

Sliced bell peppers.

Celery with peanut butter or cream cheese.

Apples with peanut butter. (The only form of fruit Emy or Jane will eat.)

Crackers and goat cheese (or any kind of cheese.)

Hummus with carrots or pita chips.

Snow or snap peas.

Any bean (black beans are our favorite, but we also love small red, or chick peas.)

Broccoli, cucumber or carrots with ranch for dipping.

Popcorn
(OK, not alright with this taking the place of dinner - but it's an easy and yummy snack and not too filling, so sometimes we get away with it.)

Jacob will also eat any fruit - watermelon, berries or a banana are his favs. Of course, my little girlies won't touch the fruit. Sigh.

What are some of your favorite snacks?

Picky Eaters

2009-05-04T11:03:00.007-04:00

When Rebekah was a baby and toddler she was the GREATEST eater. She ate everything, loved vegetables, and would choose an apple over a candy bar any day. We ate a lot of vegetarian food, and spicy food, and a wide variety of food and she downed it all.

I was quite pleased with myself. I was absolutely convinced that my great parenting choices had created her habits. I thought that parents who complained about picky eaters were just pandering to their children. I was of the opinion that kids would eat what you wanted them too, once they got hungry enough - so only offer them good food.

Then I had Emily.
Oh boy, did pride ever goeth before a fall!

While Jake will eat just about anything you put in front of him and Rebekah is still pretty good - Jane and Emily are very picky. I have parented them in much the same way, breastfed them all exclusively, made my own baby foods, and followed the same habits as I introduced solids (not a day before 6 months old.) It has produced very different results.

When Jane won't stay in her seat and eat her food, she has to sit in the highchair.
It's not pretty.

You'd think we were beating her the way she wails.

She tries to get out - and often comes pretty close.

It's tough on the heartstrings too - though my frustration by this point has usually reach a level that gives me way less compassion for those tears!

So here's what I've decided - some kids are born great eaters, and others are born picky. The only thing we can do as parents is offer them healthy food, model good choices (still working on that one) and not beat ourselves up about it. The occasional treat (aka bribe) is probably OK too.

Jacob Eats

2009-04-15T23:02:00.000-04:00

I have often commented to friends that our Heavenly Father knew I needed Jacob in between Emily & Jane. In so many ways he is the "hardest" child - but when it comes to eating he saves my sanity!

Jacob LOVES to eat.
He relishes it. He makes small approving noises.
He tries almost anything new. He eats fruit. He eats large portions and second helpings.

Meal times are not social events for Jacob, he stops talking as he picks up his fork. His head goes down and he is focused on eating and nothing else until his plate (or 2) are cleared.

When we recently ate out Jacob asked me where we were going for dinner, and what would I eat? I told him it was somewhere I hadn't been before - but it was Greek, so there'd probably be fish, and lamb. Also grape leaves, yogurt, lemon and olive oil. He said "MMMMM" and smacked his lips - then said "Please will you bring me something."
We got an order of baklava to go, and he had it for breakfast the next morning.

Jake feeding you is a joy and a pleasure!

Element Cake

2009-04-03T01:34:00.005-04:00

It's Rebekah's chemistry teacher's birthday and she wanted to make him a cake.
This was her idea - I think it was brilliant.

His initials are R. R. R. (R3), he is Irish (the colors), he's turning 28, he was born on 04/04/81, and she has a double period of chemistry during 2nd & 3rd period or 8th & 9th depending on the day.

Maybe for graduation she'll do the whole periodic table.

Waiting for Something New?

2009-03-03T01:41:00.003-05:00

I'm taking a break from posting menu's and recipes for a while.

Partly because I'm crazy-busy-overwhelmed, and partly because I'm off to London tomorrow with Rick and Rebekah for a week. But mostly, because I'm bored. It always happens around this time of year - I start getting sick of the stew & soups I relished in fall and through January. I don't want to cook. I crave salad and sandwiches. Or anything with pesto, made from basil picked from our garden ...

I'll make up a new menu starting in May with all our spring and summer favorites, and I'll take some time to post about other food things I've been mulling over.

Happy Spring!

February

2009-03-01T08:55:00.000-05:00

Here's what we did in February ....

WEEK ONE
1st - Chili & Biscuits (Superbowl party)
2nd - Spinach Tortellini & Salad
3rd - Tomato Soup & French Bread
4th - Omelets
5th - Baked Halibut, corn, green beans
6th - Order Pizza
7th - Dinner at our friends house.

WEEK TWO
8th - Beef Strogonoff. Wide noodles.
9th - Vegetarian Lasagne.
10th - Chicken Pot Pie.
11th -
12th - Chicken Stir Fry.
13th - EMILY"S NIGHT (Taco Soup)
14th -

WEEK THREE
15th - Hawaiian Haystacks.
16th - Take Out
17th - Carrot Soup. Wholewheat rolls.
18th - Lemon Baked Halibut. Broccoli. Wild rice mix.
19th - Chicken Enchiladas. Brown rice.
20th - Birthday Trip
21st - Birthday Trip

WEEK FOUR
22nd - Honey Baked Chicken. broccoli. rice. (birthday Cake)
23rd - Spaghetti
24th - Lentil Soup. Wholewheat bread.
25th - Teriyaki Tofu Stir Fry. Brown Rice.
26th - Chicken & Broccoli Casserole.
27th - EMILY"S NIGHT (stuffed baked potatoes)
28th - Tomato Soup. Grilled Cheese Sandwiches.

January Recipes

2009-01-14T20:52:00.035-05:00

I thought I'd try a slightly different format, and list the recipes by week, which might make them a little easier to find, if you're looking for just one. Some of these have been featured before (since part of the function of a monthly menu is to repeat), but I'll list them again, so you don't have to scroll through old posts.
Here you go.

WEEK ONE

Roasted Chicken. Roast potatoes. Asparagus.

Back when I had time to read magazines, I had a subscription to Martha Stewart Living. I loved her 101 series, and learned a lot from them. In fact, when I moved to NY I recycled all the magazines, but ripped out the 101 sections & those little perforated pages that were called "What to Have for Dinner" - those were great. I think I may still have a bunch of them - a main meal, a side dish a dessert. Anyway, this is her Roast Chicken 101 with directions lifted directly from Martha's website. I've been making my roast chicken like this since 1997 with ne'r a bad one. The other 101 posts are great too, check them out here.

How to Truss a Chicken
Trussing helps the chicken keep its shape and cook more evenly during roasting. Although traditional trussing involves tying the whole body of the chicken together, it is much easier just to tie the legs together with kitchen twine.

Serves 4 (will feed my family of 6)

1 six-pound roasting chicken
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 medium onions, peeled and sliced crosswise 1/2 inch thick
1 lemon
3 large cloves garlic, peeled
4 sprigs fresh thyme
1 cup Homemade Chicken Stock, or canned low-sodium chicken broth, skimmed of fat

Directions

Let chicken and 1 tablespoon butter stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Remove and discard the plastic pop-up timer from chicken if there is one. Remove the giblets and excess fat from the chicken cavity. Rinse chicken inside and out under cold running water. Dry chicken thoroughly with paper towels. Tuck the wing tips under the body. Sprinkle the cavity of the chicken liberally with salt and pepper, and set aside.
In the center of a heavy-duty roasting pan, place onion slices in two rows, touching. Place the palm of your hand on top of lemon and, pressing down, roll lemon back and forth several times. This softens the lemon and allows the juice to flow more freely. Pierce entire surface of lemon with a fork. Using the side of a large knife, gently press on garlic cloves to open slightly. Insert garlic cloves, thyme sprigs, and lemon into cavity. Place chicken in pan, on onion slices. Cut about 18 inches of kitchen twine, bring chicken legs forward, cross them, and tie together.
Spread the softened butter over entire surface of chicken, and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Place in the oven, and roast until skin is deep golden brown and crisp and the juices run clear when pierced, about 1 1/2 hours. When chicken seems done, insert an instant-read thermometer into the breast, then the thigh. The breast temperature should read 180 degrees.and the thigh 190 degrees.
Remove chicken from oven, and transfer to a cutting board with a well. Let chicken stand 10 to 15 minutes so the juices settle. Meanwhile, pour the pan drippings into a shallow bowl or fat separator, and leave onions in the pan. Leave any brown baked-on bits in the bottom of the roasting pan, and remove and discard any blackened bits. Using a large spoon or fat separator, skim off and discard as much fat as possible. Pour the remaining drippings and the juices that have collected under the resting chicken back into the roasting pan. Place on the stove over medium-high heat to cook, about 1 minute. Add chicken stock, raise heat to high, and, using a wooden spoon, stir up and combine the brown bits with the stock until the liquid is reduced by half, about 4 minutes. Strain the gravy into a small bowl, pressing on onions to extract any liquid. Discard onions, and stir in the remaining tablespoon of cold butter until melted and incorporated. Untie the legs, and remove and discard garlic, thyme, and lemon. Carve, and serve gravy on the side.

Instructions & photo's via MarthaStewart.com

Tomato Soup & Grilled Cheese

Here's my favorite tomato soup in the whole world. I could eat this every day! I like it left chunky, the kids like it pureed. For the grilled cheese, I like to use Trader Joe's Tuscan Pane with thick slices of mozzarella. I brush the outside of the bread with canola oil, and then grill on low heat. Crunchy on the outside, gooey on the inside - nothing better or more comforting in this frigid weather we are having. If you don't live near a Trader Joe's, I think a good ciabatta would be delicious.

Erin’s Hearty Cream of Tomato Soup

1 Tbs olive oil
1 Tbs butter
1 ½ C minced onion
3-4 cloves garlic, minced or crushed
½ tsp salt
1 tsp dill (or more to taste)
lots of freshly ground black pepper
1 12oz can crushed concentrated tomatoes
2 cups chicken broth
2 Tbs maple syrup
½ cup heavy cream (more or less to taste)
2 medium sized fresh tomatoes, diced small

Heat olive oil & butter in a duct oven or kettle. Add onion, garlic, salt, dill and black pepper. Stir over medium heat for about 5-8 minutes, or until the onions are translucent.

Add canned tomatoes, chicken broth, maple syrup. Cover & simmer over low heat for 20 – 30 minutes. With mixer, blend until smooth, or leave chunky.

About 5 minutes before serving whisk in heavy cream and stir in diced fresh tomatoes. Serve hot, topped with freshly minced herbs.

Baked Mac-n-Cheese

4 cups pasta elbows (I also like mini penne, which I just discovered)
1/2 cup butter, divided
6 Tbsp. flour
2 tsp. dry mustard
2 tsp. salt
5 cups milk
4 cups shredded cheese
4 Tbsp. dry bread crumbs
4Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese

Heat oven to 375. Spray baking dish with cooking spray. Cook pasta and drain.

In a saucepan over medium heat, melt butter (less 2 Tbsp.) whisk in flour, mustard and salt. Gradually whisk in milk. Cook and stir until mixture thickens and bubbles. Remove from heat. Stir in cheese until melted.
In dish, combine sauce with macaroni. In a small bowl, melt 2 Tbsp. of butter. Combine with bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle over top of macaroni.

Bake for 17-20 minutes or until top crust is golden. Let stand 20 minutes before serving.

WEEK TWO

Roast Turkey. Yams. Green Beans. (Pumpkin Pie)

Turkey & Barley Soup. Wholewheat rolls.

Broiled Salmon. Wild Rice. Edemame.

This is another one I don't really have a recipe for. I place the salmon in a baking dish, lightly brush with canola oil, and sprinkle lemon pepper seasoning over it. Pop it under the broiler for about 15 minutes. I usually use a mix for the wild rice - one from Trader Joe's, or the "Near East" brand. If I've recently been to my favorite store in Brooklyn, or Whole Foods, I might make my own mix. I just use a long grain rice, with the wild rice mixed in (about 2/3 long grain - 1/3 wild) and toss in a few spices. The Edemame I just heat, and toss with butter & some kosher salt. I figure that the butter & salt are on the outside of the pod, and don't really make it into our mouths in large doses, so it's OK.

Chickpea Curry. Rice. Naan. Cucumber Salad.

CHICKPEA CURRY

2 Tbl oil (I use olive)
2 tsp ground cumin

2 tsp chopped fresh ginger (I usually grate it)
1 tsp turmeric powder
2 Tbl ground coriander
1/2 tsp paprika
1 1/2 tsp salt

2 - 150z cans chickpea's rinsed well
1 - 16oz can tomato sauce
1/2 c. chopped onions (I leave them out - Rebekah hates them!!)
Chopped fresh cilantro for top.

* Heat oil in saucepan, add onion (or not) & cumin and saute. Add
turmeric, coriander, paprika, salt and ginger. Stir for 1 minute. Add tomato sauce & stir for 1 minute. Add chickpeas and 3/4 cup water. Stir and bring to a
boil. Simmer for about 20 minutes. Serve over rice, sprinkled with chopped
fresh cilantro. Cook the rice, and chop the cilantro while the curry is
simmering, the whole meal will take 25 minutes or so to cook.

Serve over steamed brown rice, with naan (I buy naan at our local Indian Restaurant.)

CUCUMBER SALAD
Peel and seed two cucumbers. Dice. Mix in 2 Tbsp. plain yogurt, a dash of lemon juice, salt & pepper.

Beef & Bok Choy Hot Pot

2 1/4 cups water
3/4 cup low-salt beef broth
1/3 cup rice vinegar
1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 pound beef stew meat, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 1/4 cups chopped green onions
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon minced peeled fresh ginger
2 cups thinly sliced bok choy
1 1/2 cups thinly sliced carrot
2 cups hot cooked wide rice noodles

Combine first 6 ingredients, stirring with a whisk; set aside.
Heat vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat; add beef, browning on all sides. Add broth mixture, green onions, garlic, and ginger; bring to a boil.
Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 1 hour and 30 minutes or until beef is tender. Stir in bok choy and carrot, and cook 5 minutes or until tender. Serve beef mixture over noodles.

Topped Baked Potatoes.
Just bake several potatoes (enough for your family.) Then I prepare dishes of different toppings - shredded cheese, sour cream, chopped fresh chives, chili, steamed broccoli, etc. to make a "baked potato bar." Each person puts together what they would like. Super easy, super quick!

WEEK THREE

Yogurt Parmesan Chicken. Steamed Green Beans. Sunday Corn. (Lime Chiffon Pie)

Yogurt Parmesan Chicken.
2 Cups crushed Ritz crackers
3 Tbsp. Parmesan cheese
2 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp seasoned salt
8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
8oz plain yogurt
1/4 cup melted butter

Combine cracker crumbs, Parmesan cheese, garlic salt & seasoned salt and set aside (I like to do it in a gallon sized ziplock bag.) Place chicken breasts & yogurt in a bowl, mix to coat (I like to cut each breast in 1/2 lengthwise, to make the pieces smaller. This prevents them from being a little dry, and are better sized for my little people.) Dip each yogurt covered piece of chicken in the cracker crumbs and coat completely. Arrange in a 9x13 baking dish. Drizzle chicken with melted butter (I leave off the butter.) Bake in oven at 350F for 45 minutes, or until tender.

Golden Winter Soup

Serves 8

2 Tbs butter
5 cups (1/2 inch) cubed peeled butternut squash (about 1 1/2 lbs)
2 cups (1/2 inch) cubed peeled russet potato (about 12 oz)
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 cup sliced leek (about 2 medium)
4 cups fat free, less sodium chicken broth
1 cup half-and-half

12 oz baguette, cut into 16 slices
3/4 cup (3 oz) shredded Gruyere cheese
3 Tbs chopped chives

Melt butter in a large Dutch Oven over medium high
heat. Add squash, potato, salt and pepper to pan; saute three min.
Add leek; saute 1 minute. Stir in broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat
and simmer 20 minutes or until potato is tender, stirring occasionally.
Place half of potato mixture in a blender. Remove center piece of
blender lid (to allow steam to escape); secure blender lid on blender.
Place a clean towel over blender opening (to prevent splatters). Blend
until smooth. Pour into a large bowl. Repeat procedure with
remaining potato mixture. Stir in half-and-half. Cover and keep warm.

Arrange bread slices in a single layer on a baking sheet. Sprinkle
evenly with cheese. Broil bread slices 2 min or until golden. Ladle
1 cup soup into each of 8 bowls; top each serving with about 1 tsp
chives. Serve 2 bread slices with each serving. Garnish with freshly
ground black pepper, if desired.

Chicken Enchilada's. Rice.

WEEK FOUR

Lamb Stew. Crescent Rolls. (Lemon Meringue Pie.)

Lentil Soup. Wholewheat bread.

Thai Ginger Salmon. Wild Rice. Edemame.

White Bean Chicken Chili. Cornbread.

CHILI

1 large onion, chopped
3 tsp. cumin
3 15oz. cans white beans
½ tsp. oregano
5 cups chicken broth
6-8 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups cooked chicken, shredded
1 cup sour cream
3 cups shredded Monterey Jack Cheese (1/2 lb.)

Bring onion, beans, and broth to a boil, reduce to simmer for 10 min.
Add chicken, simmer another 20 minutes.
Add spices and garlic, simmer another 30 minutes.
Just before serving, add sour cream and shredded cheese.
Stir to melt, then serve. Very good the second day, too. Freezes well.

CORN BREAD

1 1/4 cups flour
3/4c. cornmeal
4 Tbl sugar
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 c. milk
1 egg, beaten
3 Tbl safflower oil

Sift dry ingredients. Add milk, egg and oil. Beat well, and bake in an 8” greased pan 400F, for 30 - 40 minutes.

2009-01-08T20:45:00.000-05:00

Our fridge was seriously empty!
I don't think it was even this bad after our big summer trip.

The kids kept looking in there. Hoping for a miracle, perhaps?

A little work with this ...

Plus this ....

Ta-Da! We're happy again!
Really, if we have milk, apples, yogurt and cheese we're OK.

Now that I've taken care of the task of feeding my family, maybe I'll get to blogging about feeding my family & post those recipes!

January

2009-01-08T00:01:00.013-05:00

Sorry about December - we left on the 17th and all meals to that point had but one theme - quick and easy! I may do a mega cookie post in honor of December - but for now lets get going on January.
All I have right now in my fridge is a 1/2 gallon of milk, a 1/2 gallon of light silk chocolate soy milk, the dregs of some apple sauce in a jar, and teriyaki sauce. We've been home for 36 hours. My kids are getting hungry - time to go shopping, and that means a meal plan.

I still have a few to fill in - I want to look through my vegetarian cookbooks again. Also, Corinne gave me "The Joy of Cooking" for Christmas. Can you believe I didn't have it? I've been wanting it for ages. I'll probably have a flip through that and see what looks good too.

This is pretty much how I do most months. Fill in the regulars, then anything that sounds good - it's very cold & rainy today so lots of soup & stew ... then something new or fun with the remaining days.

** Update - I filled in the remaining days. I'm trying a few new things. Check the list below for the additions. Yummy.

WEEK ONE - (the remainder)

6th - Order Pizza (jet lagged, no food in the house)
7th - Chicken Pot Pies (that I already had in the freezer)
8th - Roasted Chicken. Roast potatoes. Asparagus.
9th - Tomato Soup & Grilled Cheese
10th - Baked Mac-n-Cheese for kids (date night)

WEEK TWO
11th - Roast Turkey. Yams. Edemame. (Pumpkin Pie)
12th - Spaghetti & Salad
13th - Turkey & Barley Soup. Wholewheat rolls.
14th - Broiled Salmon. Wild Rice. Edemame.
15th - Chickpea Curry. Rice. Naan. Cucumber Salad.
16th - Beef & Bok Choy Hot Pot (Birthday Cake.) (bek's birthday dinner)
17th - Topped Baked Potatoes.

WEEK THREE
18th - Yogurt Parmesan Chicken. Steamed Green Beans. Sunday Corn. (Lime Chiffon Pie)
19th - Eat Out (skiing)
20th - Golden Winter Soup. Wholewheat rolls.
21st - Leek & Gruyere Quiche.
22nd - Chicken Enchilada's. Rice.
23rd - Savory Mushroom Pie.
24th - American Girl Cafe & movie treats (Emily's Birthday Party)

WEEK FOUR
25th - Lamb Stew. Crescent Rolls. (Lemon Meringue Pie.)
26th - Herbed Goat Cheese Ravioli.
27th - Lentil Soup. Wholewheat rolls.
28th - Thai Ginger Salmon. Wild Rice. Edemame.
29th - Chicken Pot Pie.
30th - White chicken chili. Cornbread.

November recipes

2008-11-17T11:00:00.000-05:00

photo & recipe from the amazing Cafe Johnsonia

Butternut Squash Soup with Apples and Fresh Sage

2 butternut squashes
1 onion
2 tart apples, such as Granny Smith
2 Tbsp. fresh sage
heavy cream (I used 2 cups, but less is fine)
chicken stock (probably a quart--depending on how thick you want the soup)

Cut the butternut squashes in half lengthwise. Remove seeds. Line a
cookie sheet with foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Place
the butternut squashes cut side down on the foil. Roast at 400
degrees for about an hour--maybe less. A knife tip should easily go
through the squash when it's ready.

Let the squash cool for a few minutes. Remove the skin, or turn the
squash over and scoop out the flesh.

You can do one of two things next:
1. Saute the apples and onion in a couple tablespoons of butter
until everything is soft.
2. You could also roast the apples and the onions with the squash.

Now, some grocery stores sell peeled and cut butternut squash. That eliminates roasting them whole. In that case, toss everything with a little olive oil and roast in a 400 degree oven until everything is soft. You could also peel and cube the squash yourself, though roasting it whole is much quicker and easier, in my opinion.

Me? I peel and core the apples and chop them into large chunks. I also roughly chop the onions. It all gets pureed at the end, so it doesn't matter much about how big or small the pieces are.

Once the squash has cooled a bit, I place the squash, the sauteed/roasted apples and onions in my blender or food processor. Add a little chicken stock at this point to thin it out. You will probably have to work in batches.

Pour all of the puree into a large pan and thin it out a bit with more chicken stock. Bring it to a simmer and right before you serve it, add some cream and the fresh sage. Season with salt and pepper. (You may not need salt if the chicken stock is salty.)

I'm not sure exactly how much this makes, but it's enough for a crowd.

My Note; I peel the squash with a sturdy veggie peeler and then cube it (like when I make pumpkin soup.) I use 1 butternut squash, 1/2 an onion, 2 apples and add 2 whole cloves of garlic. I toss it all in olive oil & then roast in a 9x13 pan.

Creamy Italian Chicken

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
¼ cup water
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 envelope dry Italian salad dressing
1 8oz pkg cream cheese
1 4oz can mushrooms

Place chicken in crock pot. Combine salad dressing and water & pour over chicken. Cover and cook on low for 3 hours. Add cream cheese, undiluted soup and mushrooms and cook for 1 hour more or longer – until chicken juices run clear. Serve over rice or noodles.

WHITE BEAN AND CHICKEN CHILI

1 large onion, chopped

3 tsp. cumin

3 15oz. cans white beans

½ tsp. oregano

5 cups chicken broth

6-8 cloves garlic, minced

3 cups cooked chicken, shredded

1 cup sour cream

3 cups shredded Monterey Jack Cheese (1/2 lb.)

Bring onion, beans, and broth to a boil, reduce to simmer for 10 min.

Add chicken, simmer another 20 minutes.

Add spices and garlic, simmer another 30 minutes.

Just before serving, add sour cream and shredded cheese.

Stir to melt, then serve.

Very good the second day, too. Freezes well.

November

2008-11-16T10:54:00.008-05:00

1 - Topped Baked Potatoes
2 - Creamy Italian Chicken, rice, steamed broccoli
3 - Eat Out
4 - Eat Out
5 - Eat Out
6 - Spinach Ravioli, Salad, bread
7 - BBQ Chicken Sandwiches, Rick's corn, green beans.
8 - Eat Out

9 - Yogurt Parmesan Chicken, (Pumpkin Pie)
10 - Spaghetti, salad, rolls
11 - Pumpkin Soup, wholewheat bread.
12 - Cauliflower & Celery Pot Pies
13 - Chickpea Curry, rice, cucumber salad.
14 - Golden Winter Soup
15 - Mac-n-cheese for kiddo's - Grown-ups Eat Out (10th anniversary!)

16 - Beef Pot Roast, Mashed Potatoes, roast carrots (Chocolate Hazelnut Cheesecake)
17 - Vegetarian Lasagna, salad, rolls.
18 - Butternut Squash Soup with Apples & fresh sage, wholewheat bread.
19 - Chicken Pot Pie
20 - Chicken Enchiladas, spanish rice.
21 - Tomato Soup & Grilled Cheese sandwiches.
22 - White Bean Chicken Chili, corn bread.

23 - Thai Ginger Marinated Salmon, wild rice, edamame (Lemon Meringue Pie.)
24 - Spaghetti
25 - Lentil Soup, wholewheat bread.
26 - Homemade Pizza.
27 - Thanksgiving.
28 - Leftovers.
29 - Turkey Soup.
30 -

Chili Cook Off

2008-11-14T00:15:00.005-05:00

Just before Halloween each year our ward has a Chili cook-off & trunk or treat. Rick has won the pie, and placed in chili in years past. Rick's chilli's always contain many kinds of meat, and no beans. This year I decided to try a vegetarian one.

I didn't win the cook-off but I did win the people's choice - which I felt pretty good about. Then Rick confessed he put my name in twice. Well, that's OK I told myself, I thought it was pretty good chili. I hadn't voted & I would have totally voted for myself.

As we pulled in the driveway at the end of the day I asked "Babe, you just voted twice right, not 30 times." He promised he had. Then Emily piped up from the back "I voted twice for you too Mom!"

Great! I totally cheated. Well, it was darn good chili anyway.

Here's the recipe if you're interested.

As Rick passed this show of my efforts he said "If only that was beef, veal, pork, bacon..."

Sauteing the onion and peppers in the olive oil. Yum.

OK, no pictures of the rest. I dumped it in the crock-pot & raced off to finish sewing Emily's Halloween costume - forgot to take a picture of the finished product too!

I like lots of beans in chili. I like it to be spicy, but not so much that you can't taste the flavors of the other things in it. This was just about right - the kick hit you after a few mouthfuls & it wasn't too overwhelming. A bit too spicy for my kids, so I won't be making it on a regular basis, but I sure loved it.

Vegetarian Chili

Ingredients:
1 Green Pepper
1 Red Pepper
1 Yellow Pepper
1 Orange Pepper
1 medium Yellow Onion
1 Can Stewed Tomatoes
1 Can Diced Tomatoes with Green Chilies
1 Can Dark Red Kidney Beans
1 Can Small Red Beans
2 tbs.. Roasted Pepper Flavored Olive Oil

Seasonings:
1 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Crushed Red Pepper
1 1/2 tsp. Chipotle Chili Pepper powder
1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp. onion powder
1 1/2 tsp. Chili Powder
1 Dash Cayenne Pepper
½ tsp Oregano
dash of Black Pepper
dash of Paprika

Combine all seasonings in a bowl and set aside.
Dice up all the peppers and the onion.
Sauté the vegetables in a large skillet in using the flavored olive oil.
Add the bowl of spices to the skillet, Stir well.
Let simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally then transfer to a slow cooker.

Add both cans of tomatoes - do not drain.
Drain the cans of beans and add them, mix well.
Cook in crock pot on low for 6 – 8 hours.

Behind ....

2008-11-13T21:17:00.003-05:00

This is what our house looked like for the first week in November while we had the dining room and bathroom re-plastered & painted. We had to go out the front door and down the driveway to get to the basement. We turned the kitchen into a makeshift bathroom & bathed / showered at the neighbors.

We ate out. I was late doing the menu.

I'll try and post over the weekend - but it's our 10th anniversary and stake conference, so I'm not sure how much time I'll have....

October Recipes

2008-10-12T09:31:00.027-04:00

Beef and Bok Choy Hot Pot
from Cooking Light

2 1/4 cups water
3/4 cup low-salt beef broth
1/3 cup rice vinegar
1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 pound beef stew meat, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 1/4 cups chopped green onions
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon minced peeled fresh ginger
2 cups thinly sliced bok choy
1 1/2 cups thinly sliced carrot
2 cups hot cooked wide rice noodles

Combine first 6 ingredients, stirring with a whisk; set aside.
Heat vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat; add beef, browning on all sides. Add broth mixture, green onions, garlic, and ginger; bring to a boil.
Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 1 hour and 30 minutes or until beef is tender. Stir in bok choy and carrot, and cook 5 minutes or until tender. Serve beef mixture over noodles.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups beef mixture and 1/2 cup noodles)

BLACK BEAN CHILI
from THE GREENS COOK BOOK by Deborah Madison and Edward Espe Brown - again, I got it from Margo.

2 cups black beans, soaked overnight
1 bay leaf
4 teaspoons ground cumin
4 teaspoons dried oregano leaves
4 teaspoons paprika
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 or 3 tablespoons chili powder
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 medium yellow onions, diced into 1/4 inch squares
4 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 lbs ripe or canned tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped; juice reserved
1 to 2 teaspoons chopped chipotle chili
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
4 tablespoons cilantro, chopped

Rinse the black beans well, drain, and place in a pot. Cover them generously with water and let them soak overnight. Next day, drain the beans, cover them with fresh water by a couple of inches, and bring them to a boil with the bay leaf. Lower the heat and let the beans simmer while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
Heat the oil in a large skillet, and sauté the onions over medium heat until they soften. Add the garlic, salt, and ground herbs and chili powder, and cook another 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, their juice, and about 1 teaspoon of the chipotle chili. Simmer everything together for 15 minutes, and then add this mixture to the beans, and if necessary, enough water so the beans are covered by at least 1 inch. Continue to cook the beans slowly until they are soft, and hour or longer (could be several hours). Keep an eye on the water level and add more, if needed, to keep the beans amply covered.
When the beans are cooked, taste them and add more chipotle chili if desired. Season to taste with vinegar, additional salt if needed, and the chopped cilantro. Serves 6.

Margo's Note: for garnishes we use cilantro, diced sweet red bell pepper, feta cheese, and olives. Chopped hot chilis are on the table in a separate bowl for those who want them.

CHICKPEA CURRY
(from my dear friend Margo, who has known me since I was but a babe.)

2 Tbl olive oil
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp chopped fresh ginger (I usually grate it)
1 tsp turmeric powder
2 Tbl ground coriander
1/2 tsp paprika
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 - 150z cans chickpea's rinsed well
1 - 16oz can tomato sauce
1/2 c. chopped onions
Chopped fresh cilantro for top.

* Heat oil in saucepan, add onion & cumin and saute. Add turmeric, coriander, paprika, salt and ginger. Stir for 1 minute. Add tomato sauce & stir for 1 minute. Add chickpeas and 3/4 cup water. Stir and bring to a boil. Simmer for about 20 minutes. Serve over rice, sprinkled with chopped fresh cilantro. Cook the rice, and chop the cilantro while the curry is simmering, the whole meal will take 25 minutes or so to cook.

CHICK PEA AND PUMPKIN SOUP (MOROCCO)
from NORTH AFRICA The Vegetarian Table, by Kitty Morse (but I got it from Margo.)

1 pound Mediterranean, butternut, or acorn squash, or sugar pumpkin
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, finely diced
3 cups vegetable broth
1 15 oz can garbanzo beans, liquid drained and reserved
2 tablespoons tomato paste
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
12 fresh cilantro sprigs, minced

Last time I made this I added cumin (Margo's note.)

Preheat the oven to 375. Place squash in an ovenproof dish and cover it tightly with aluminum foil. Bake until tender, 50 minutes to an hour. Let cool, then peel and seed the squash and scoop the pulp from the shell. Set the pulp aside.
Meanwhile, in a large saucepan over medium high heat, heat the oil and cook the onion, stirring occasionally until tender (6 to 8 minutes).
In a blender or food processor, puree, in batches if necessary, the squash, onion, broth, reserved liquid from the chick peas, and half the chick peas. Return the puree to the pan. Stir in the tomato paste, salt, pepper, and cayenne. Heat the soup and add the remaining whole chick peas. Before serving, sprinkle with minced cilantro.

Chicken Curry

2 - 3 chicken breasts, cooked & shredded (I usually poach or cook in crock-pot - any other way you like.)
1/4 C olive oil
1/4 C onions, diced
1/2 C. green pepper (Capsicum), diced
1 garlic clove, minced
3 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp thyme
28 oz can stewed tomatoes
salt & pepper to taste

Saute onions & green pepper in olive oil. Add spices & cook 2 minutes. Mix in canned tomatoes (& juice) and shredded chicken. Simmer for 20 mins. Serve over rice. Serves 6.

Note; I like to have peanuts, golden raisins & coconut on the table for people to add if they like. As a time saver I like to cook a whole lot of chicken all at once, then shred it all & freeze in smaller batches. It makes meals like this, enchiladas, Hawaiian chicken, etc a snap.

Erin’s Hearty Cream of Tomato Soup

1 Tbs olive oil
1 Tbs butter
1 ½ C minced onion
3-4 cloves garlic, minced or crushed
½ tsp salt
1 tsp dill (or more to taste)
lots of freshly ground black pepper
1 12oz can crushed concentrated tomatoes
2 cups chicken broth
2 Tbs maple syrup
½ cup heavy cream (more or less to taste)
2 medium sized fresh tomatoes, diced small

Heat olive oil & butter in a duct oven or kettle. Add onion, garlic, salt, dill and black pepper. Stir over medium heat for about 5-8 minutes, or until the onions are translucent.

Add canned tomatoes, chicken broth, maple syrup. Cover & simmer over low heat for 20 – 30 minutes. With mixer, blend until smooth, or leave chunky.

About 5 minutes before serving whisk in heavy cream and stir in diced fresh tomatoes. Serve hot, topped with freshly minced herbs.

Honey Baked Chicken

1/3 C. Butter, melted
1/3 C. Honey
2 tsp dijon mustard
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp curry powder

Arrange chicken in shallow baking pan. Combine ingredients & pour over. Bake at 350F for 1 hr, basting occasionally.

Note; I usually use split breasts (bone in, skin on) for us and a few drumsticks for the kiddos. The baking time may vary, depending on the type of chicken pieces you're using. Check on it, and take out when internal temp is 165F.

Lentil Soup
adapted from The Joy of Cooking

I swiped this right from Lindsey's blog. If you don't regularly visit her blog, you really, really should. I haven't tried it yet, but if Lindsey says it's good - it is. So, I'm abandoning my usual lentil soup recipe & going with this one this month.

1 lb. lentils, picked over and rinsed well
8-10 cups water, chicken, or vegetable broth (more or less depending on your preferred thickness)
3 Tbsp. olive oil
3-4 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4" pieces
3-4 stalks of celery, rinsed well and cut into 1/4 " pieces
1 large or 2 small onions, roughly chopped
4 garlic cloves
1, 28 oz. can whole plum tomatoes plus juice, chopped
1/2-1 tsp. dried thyme
1-2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper, to taste

Heat the olive oil in a large stockpot. Add the vegetables and cook on medium heat until tender, but not browned. Add the lentils, water, tomatoes, and dried thyme. Simmer for about 30-40 minutes, stirring often to prevent the bottom from burning.

Before serving, add balsamic vinegar. Taste and add more salt if needed, and pepper, to taste.

Makes enough for 8-10 people. Serve with warm bread (or biscuits) and salad.

Pumpkin Walnut Soup

2 Tbsp olive oil
2 medium onions, diced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
600g pumpkin, peeled and diced (use a whole good sized sugar pumpkin)
4 cups water (thin it with a little more water if needed)
2 vegetable stock cubes
4 tsp tomato paste
4 Tbsp chopped walnuts

Pour oil into soup pot and saute onion and garlic over medium heat for about 2 minutes. Add all other ingredients, bring to boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, for about 30 minutes, or until pumpkin is tender. Blend or process until smooth. Soup can be made a day ahead, and frozen for 2 months.

My Note; I've been making this soup for years, and it is one of of my favorites. It always tastes so "earthy" to me - perfect for this time of year, and really couldn't be easier.

Taco Soup

1 pound ground beef (I use ground turkey.)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 pkg mild taco seasoning
16oz can corn
16oz can small red beans (can use kidney, or other pone you like.)
16oz can stewed chopped tomatoes
16 oz can of tomato sauce
tortilla chips
grated cheese

Brown meat in heavy saucepan, drain off fat. Saute onions, add to ground turkey / beef. Stir in taco seasoning, corn, kidney beans and tomato. Simmer for 20 – 30 minutes. Serve topped with tortilla chips and grated cheese.

My Note; This is the super-easiest recipe I have. I feel like it's a night off from cooking when we make this.

Yogurt Parmesan Chicken

2 C. crushed Ritz crackers
3 Tbsp. Parmesan Cheese
2 tsp garlic salt
2 tsp seasoned salt

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
8oz plain yogurt
1/4 cup melted butter

Combine 1st 4 ingredients & set aside. Dip each piece of chicken in yogurt, then in cracker mixture. Arrange chicken pieces in 9x13 baking dish. Drizzle chicken with melted butter. Bake in 350 oven for 45 minutes, or until coked through. Serves 8.

My Note: I cut the breast into strips about 2-3 inches wide, otherwise the center of a whole breast can be bland, because there's not enough crumb mixture. I usually use the fat free Ritz, but have also used the whole wheat and they are both fine. I use garlic powder - and only 1tsp of it, instead of garlic salt. I find it's too salty if I use the garlic salt.

October Menu

2008-10-12T09:14:00.011-04:00

Week One
1- Chickpea Curry, Rice, cucumber salad
2 - Roast Chicken, corn, grilled zucchini
3 - Taco Soup, corn chips
4 - Vegetable Bread, chicken soup

Week Two
5 - Lamb & Mushroom Kabobs, green salad,
6 - Vegetarian Lasagna
7 - Erin's Hearty Cream of Tomato Soup
8 - Spinach Pie
9 - Jacob's Choice (birthday dinner)
10 - Pirate Party (party food)
11 - Baked Potato Bar

Week Three
12 - Yogurt Parmesan Chicken, carrots, steamed asparagus
13 - Spaghetti
14 - Lentil Soup
15 - Lemon Baked Tilapia
16 - Chicken Curry, Rice, cucumber salad
17 - Homemade Pizza
18 - Vegetarian Soft Taco's

Week Four
19 - Honey Baked Chicken, Pilaf, Broccoli
20 - Spinach Tortellini
21 - Chick Pea & Pumpkin Soup
22 - Beef & Bok Choy Hot Pot
23 - Chicken Pot Pie
24 - Chicken Enchiladas
25 - Black Bean Chili & Corn Bread

Week Five
26 - Beef Pot Roast, steamed veggies, rolls
27 - Spaghetti
28 - Pumpkin Walnut Soup, homemade bread.
29 - Thai Ginger Salmon, Wild Rice, edamame
30 - Pumpkin Pasta with fresh vegetable sauce
31 - Halloween (- we'll eat finger foods at our neighborhood parade.)

September Recipes

2008-09-21T15:43:00.010-04:00

Here's a listing of the recipes from September, in alphabetical order.

Baked Ham

Fully Cooked (Ready-to-Eat or -Serve) Bone-In Ham
As there are many types of ham available, be sure to check the label to ensure you've selected a fully cooked variety.

REMOVE rind (if necessary) and score. Place in a shallow foil-lined roasting pan.

SCORING
Scoring a ham allows basting sauce or glaze to penetrate the meat, adding flavor. Use a paring knife to make shallow, even slits diagonally across the top of the ham in one direction, then repeat making slits in opposite direction to form diamond shapes. After scoring, insert cloves where the cuts meet.

INSERT ovenproof meat thermometer in thickest part of ham without touching the bone and bake at 325°F for 15-20 min./lb. of ham or until thermometer registers 140°F. Remove from oven. Allow ham to stand 10-15 min. Standing allows juices to settle before carving.
GLAZE with your favorite glaze recipe during the last half hour of cooking. Glaze a ham during the last 30 minutes of its cooking time. This allows the flavor to penetrate the ham without burning the glaze, which usually contains some form of sugar. Before glazing, garnish with pineapple slices or maraschino cherries, if desired. Be sure to discard any leftover glaze used to baste.
CARVING
To carve the shank or butt half, cut along the length of bone across to end of ham, using a fork to hold ham as you cut. Cut downwards through top half of roast to make slices. Repeat with remaining roast.

Orange-Pineapple Dijon Sauce for Ham

Makes: 3/4 cup sauce for basting and about 6 (2-Tbsp.) servings of sauce for serving with sliced ham
1 can (8 oz.) pineapple slices, un-drained
1 cup orange marmalade
2 Tbsp. GREY POUPON Dijon Mustard

DRAIN pineapple, reserving liquid. Mix reserved pineapple liquid, marmalade and mustard until well blended. Reserve 3/4 cup of the mustard mixture to brush on a ham during the last 30 minutes of baking time.
POUR remaining 3/4 cup mustard mixture into small saucepan; cook on medium heat until heated through, stirring occasionally. Serve over ham slices. Use pineapple slices to decorate ham before baking or serve pineapple slices with sliced baked ham.

Cranberry-Pineapple Sauce for Ham

Makes: 1 cup sauce for basting plus about 11 (2-Tbsp.) servings of sauce for serving with sliced ham

1 can (16 oz.) whole berry cranberry sauce
1 can (8 oz.) crushed pineapple, un-drained
2 Tbsp. GREY POUPON Dijon Mustard

Place all ingredients in blender or food processor container; cover. Blend until smooth. Reserve 1 cup of the cranberry mixture to brush onto a ham during the last 30 minutes of baking time.
Cook remaining 1-1/3 cups cranberry mixture in small saucepan on medium heat until heated through, stirring occasionally. Serve over sliced ham.

** My Note - I use a simple glaze of brown sugar, balsamic vinegar & a little water. I don't measure - sorry. Just use about a cup of br0wn sugar, add balsamic vinegar to a thick paste, then add enough water to make it just spreadable. It's the best out of any I've tired. I don't put cloves in the scoring - my kids don't like the flavor it creates. My sister, Liesa has a good mustard cream recipe for ham, I'll get it from here and add it here later.

Black Bean Burrito Bake

1 (7oz) can chipotle chilies in adobo sauce
½ cup reduced fat sour cream
1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed, drained & divided
1 cup whole-kernel corn, thawed
4 (8”) flour tortillas

1 cup bottled salsa
½ cup Monterey jack cheese

• Pre-heat oven to 350.
• Remove 1 chilli from can. Chop finely. (save rest for another use)
• Combine sour cream and chilli in medium bowl, and let sit for 10 minutes.
• Place ½ the beans in a food processor; process until finely chopped.
• Add chopped beans, remaining beans and corn to sour cream mixture.
• Spoon ½ cup bean mixture down the center of each tortilla, roll and place seam down in baking dish.
• Spread salsa over tortillas & sprinkle with cheese.
• Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Serve with yellow rice.
• Serves 4.

** My Note - I do not want to wash the food processor for 1/2 a can of beans! I just use 1 bowl. I smash 1/2 the black beans with a potato masher, then add all the other stuff into that same bowl. I don't add the salsa before baking. When we serve them, I serve them over a bed of shredded romaine lettuce, then we add salsa as desired. I use 7" whole wheat tortillas.

Chicken Curry Salad

3 cups cooked chicken breast
1 1/2 cups grapes , cut in halves
1 small can crushed pineapple, drained
2 Tablespoons grated onion
1 can water chestnuts, chopped (I left these out)
1/2 cup silvered almonds

Dressing
1 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon curry powder

Refrigerate overnight (not really necessary.)

** My Note - This is one I discovered this spring, and a new favorite for us. I serve it on soft whole wheat rolls, with a green salad as a side.

Deanna's Peach/Apple Betty

Ingredients:
4 cups Pared tart apples or 2 1/2 cups sliced and drained apples or peaches.
1/4 cup orange juice
1 cup Sugar
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. Cinnamon
1/4 tsp. Nutmeg
Dash of Salt
1/2 cup butter
2 Tbl. Corn Starch

Instructions:
Combine apples or peaches in a large bowl and sprinkle with orange juice and 2 Tbl. or cornstarch for thickening.

Topping--
Combine sugar, flour, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt.
Cut in butter until mixture is crumbly.
Then Scatter mixture over apples or peaches.
Use a 6x12 pan. Bake at 375 degrees for 45 min. or until apples/peaches are done and topping is crisp.

Serve warm with cream or ice cream
Make 6 servings.

** My Note - This was a little too much for me (although Rick polished his off!) Next time I make it I will reduce the butter to 1/4 cup, and the sugar to 3/4 cup.

Pesto

1 and a half cups of basil (Whole leaves, packed down.)
2 cloves garlic
1/4 c pine nuts
3/4 c Parmesan cheese
3/4 c olive oil

Wash the basil and pat dry.
Add all the ingredients except the olive oil into a blender/food processor and mix. Drizzle the olive oil in a little at a time and continue mixing. Toss over warm pasta.

** My Note - I toss this over warm penne, then add halved cherry or grape tomatoes and pine nuts. We usually serve it with green salad & bread.

Potato, Ham & Corn Soup

4 potatoes, cubed
1 T butter
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup chopeed celery
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 tsp. salt
2 cups milk
4 T flour
1/2 lb chopped ham
1 1/2 cups corn

In a deep pot, saute celery, onion and salt in 1 T butter until the onion is clear and soft. Add potatoes and water to cover. Boil and cook 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are soft. In a separate pan, melt 1/2 cup butter. Add the flour ans stir until creamy. Remove from heat. Slowly add the milk while stirring. Return to heat until thickened. Add to boiled potatoes. Return to a boil and cook until desired consistency. Add ham and corn and heat through.

** My Note - I got this recipe from my sister Sara, who got it from my sister Corinne, who uses her sister-in-law Kristin's adapted clam chowder recipe! We have lots of recipes for soup like this, but this is one of the best I've tasted and is super easy to make. My kids GOBBLE bowls full on it.

SUMMER VEGETABLE QUICHE

September Meal Plan

2008-09-07T22:17:00.002-04:00

Week One

1- Penne with homemade pesto (take to BBQ at Blair's)
2- Eat Out (Vacation catch-up, last day of summer break)
3 -Turkey, Munster & spinach on spinach & garlic wraps. Grapes. Watermelon.
4 - BBQ chicken sandwiches. Corn on the cob. Spinach salad.
5 - IKEA (looking for trundle bed & new desk)
6 - Baked Mac-n-Cheese (for kids, big people are fasting.)

Week Two

7 - Hawaiian Haystacks
8 - Tri-color Alphabet pasta, tossed in butter & fresh parmesan. Salad. Garlic bread.
9 - Grilled Turkey & Swiss sandwiches. Corn chips & guacamole. Grilled zucchini (from our garden - yum.)
10 - Chicken Gyros. Cucumber Salad. Fresh peaches. Limeade.
11 -
12 - Pesto & Tomato Pizza on Wholewheat crust (homemade.)
13 - Eat Out (school shopping at outlet mall.)

Week Three

14 - Summer Vegetable Quiche. Green Salad. Rolls. Deanna's Peach Betty & Vanilla ice cream.
15 - Spinach tortellini.
16 - Sandwiches (Salami, swiss & spinach)
17 - Thai-Ginger marinated Salmon. Wild Rice Mix. Edemame.
18 - Vegetarian Soft Taco's.
19 -
20 - Curry Chicken Salad on Wholewheat Rolls. Mixed Baby Greens. Pineapple.

Week Four

21 - Milk Poached Tilapia with Chive Cream. Baked Potatoes. Broccoli
22 - Spaghetti with Marinara. Salad. Garlic Bread.
23 - Sandwiches
24 - Black Bean & Corn Burrito Bake (on a bed of lettuce) with salsa & sour cream.
25 - Chicken & Rice Salad, with Mango & chickpeas.
26 - Taco Salad.
27 -

Week 5 (or what there is of the week.)

28 - Baked Ham. Mashed potatoes. Green Beans. (Unseasonal, but needs to be used from freezer.)
29 - Spaghetti with Marinara. Salad. Garlic bread.
30 - Ham & Corn chowder. Cibbatta. (Use leftover ham from Sunday.)

** There are still a few blank days that I'm deciding on. I'll fill them in when I know what I'm making.

How to Get Started

2008-09-07T21:37:00.000-04:00

Once I create my month, I often repeat it the next month or make only a few changes.
Each week when I go grocery shopping, I just look at my list of meals and I know what to buy. Along with staples of course. I think it cuts down on last minute trips to the store and impulse buys, helps us to eat well & a little healthier, and most of all (the reason I do it) reduces stress and the work load for me. Knowing what I am making ahead of time really helps me out. I know if I need to take something out of the freezer, or use the crock pot. I avoid being stressed out in the kitchen during the time of day that all my kids are home and the little one's are starting to melt down. It wouldn't work for everyone - if you like food spontaneity, you'd hate this - but it works pretty well for us.

So, several people who know that I do this have asked for a copy of the meals we have, plus recipes. Which, of course, I am happy to share.
However, unless you have people in your family with the same likes/dislikes as us - which is unlikely - it's better that you understand the process of how I make our meal plan, and then you can use the principles to custom make your own.

STEP ONE
Make a list of all the meals your family likes. I like to have mine divided into 2 types
Spring/Summer or Fall/Winter.

STEP TWO
Get a blank calendar page for the month. I use iCal now I have my Mac, but I just used a blank printed out page from Outlook when I had my PC.
I like to look at the whole month at once. I think it gives us more balance. If I'm adding a Mexican themed meal, and notice that we've had something like that 3 times in the previous two weeks, I can change things around. I also do a lot of repetition (especially on Mondays & Tuesdays) and it makes it easy to just add those meals to all Mondays at once, etc.

STEP THREE
Fill in any days on the calendar that have events planned already. Is it going to be someones birthday & they'll choose the meal that night? Are you going to be out & the babysitter will order Pizza? Will the whole family be dining out? Is it Fast Sunday the next day, and you'll be making a simple dinner on Saturday night just for your kids? Having people over & you'll need to make something that's good for a crowd? Add any holiday meals - the obvious one's are Christmas, Thanksgiving & Easter.

STEP FOUR
Decide what your food philosophy is. Are you looking to make mostly things that will be very easy to make? Cater to a picky eaters? Stay within a particular budget?

These are my "meal goals" -
* Work around our family schedule; this means that I try to have more simple meals on our busiest days in the week. For example, I try and have something that can be made ahead or done in the crock-pot on Wednesdays when we have a late piano lesson. I always do something that's a little nicer on Sunday's and plan for dessert then too. I make sure I don't forget a treat on Monday nights.
* Have Three Meatless Meals per Week; Rick complains he's "practically vegetarian" compared to how he used to eat, but I would like to do better. My kids love vegetables (it's fruit Emily & Jane have issues with) so why not? It's better for us, and better for the planet. I don't always make it the 3, but sometimes I get 4 or more meatless meals in the week, and then I'm super-happy!
* No Meals that Take More Than an Hour to Prepare; Dinner is only 1 of three meals and two snacks per day that I am preparing. We are always busy with Pre-School, swimming, soccer, ballroom dance, piano, play-dates, drama club, errands, etc.
I have 4 kids. Two of whom are Pre-Schooler's and my husband works insane hours - need I say more?

STEP FIVE
With my goals in my head, and my preplanned days already marked off, I start filling in the calendar. Here's how it works for us.

The kids & I LOVE spaghetti, but Rick hates it. Since he doesn't eat dinner with us through the week anyway (he gets home late, so we save his) we came up with a plan - we have pasta every Monday. Usually once a month it's spinach tortellini - and then I'll tell Rick and he'll eat that. Otherwise, he knows to grab himself an alternative on Monday nights on his way home, or eat leftovers from the fridge. We've been doing it this way for several years, and so far every one's happy.

Tuesdays are one of our busier days, and the day the house is cleaned from top to bottom. There's NO WAY we are eating anything with rice, or shredded cheese on Tuesdays. In fact, in the summer we eat outside on Tuesday. I'm OCD - I know- but I just have to go to bed one night in the week knowing my floor is clean! Tuesdays in the warmer months are always for Sandwiches - easy, not messy and fun to eat outside. In colder months we have soup. Yum! Often also hot homemade bread - or I grab some from the bakery if needs be. I can usually make the soup early in the day and reheat just before dinner. Soup simmering on the stove is wonderful to come home to when we're tired and cold.

Fridays I do something pretty casual. If Rick and I are stealing away for date-night it's easy for the kids and if we're home we often like to have a family movie night, and then we all feel like something easy. Often we make pizza. Homemade pizza is so yummy, and the benefit for us is we can all make our own kind (sausage & pepperoni for Rick, vegetarian for me, etc.)

All the other days I just plug in - trying to make sure we don't have fish more than once a week, or something Mexican, or curry more than once a week, etc.

So, there you go. Easy.

Let me know if you make one yourself ....

Emily's School Lunch

2008-09-07T20:37:00.000-04:00

I don't really want my kids to buy school lunch. It's really not a good option. In Emily's case, it's really just not an option at all. Although I think she is a very healthy eater, she is also very particular. There's non way the school could cater to her preferences, so I do. She doesn't eat any kind of fruit, which is always such an easy thing to toss into a lunch box. She also doesn't like too much repetition, and I was getting tired of trying to come up with things for her each day. We came up with the perfect solution - a meal plan, just like we use for dinners. She has a rotating weekly schedule. She gets a variety of foods she likes to eat, and I don't have to think about it anymore (other than to make sure we have in the foods she likes - which we almost always do anyway.)

I have this pretty much memorized, but it's also printed out and stuck inside the pantry door as a reminder.

She has to take a snack every day (they eat it in class in the morning.) She also takes 2 SIGG water bottles - one in her lunchbox & one to keep at her desk.

Monday
Cream cheese mini bagel
cucumber slices

snack - crackers

Tuesday
Spinach & goat cheese salad
honey whole wheat pretzels

snack - baby carrots

Wednesday
Cheese sandwich (on wholewheat, no condiments) in warm weather
Thermos of soup (& oyster crackers) in cold weather

snack - broccoli (or other raw vegetable) & ranch dressing

Thursday
Crackers & brie
baby carrots

snack - snow peas (sometimes raw green beans)

Friday
Order school lunch

snack - we're going to see if we can get away with a cookie (even though they're technically not allowed.)

Why a New Blog?

2008-09-07T20:31:00.000-04:00

Lots of people have asked about my meal plan. I'm not sure if it's because they are genuinely interested in making one themselves - or just can't believe that someone could be this type-A.

I have wanted for some time to put how I do it on my family blog - but just never seemed to get around to it. I have been working on our new fall / winter menu's recently, and thought I'd take the opportunity to do it now.

So here is my separate blog - which will probably be short, and not updated all that much. Hopefully it will help anyone wanting to plan their meals, or find new recipes.

Bon Appetit!