Imaginary Sea

Recipe: Banana Waffles

2012-01-08T10:02:00.000-08:00

This weeks waffles made use of our many mushy bananas. I love making a batch of waffles on Sunday and freezing them for the week. It makes breakfasts so much easier later.

1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
3 mashed bananas
3 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 egg - lightly beaten
1 cup milk

Heat waffle iron
Mash banana in a large bowl
Sift in flours, baking powder, spices and salt
Pour in milk and egg and stir
Pour 1/4 cup into waffle iron and cook according to waffle iron directions

Makes about 15 waffles

These are pretty dense and not very sweet waffles, but since they usually get topped with butter and syrup our house I don't want the waffle themselves to be too sweet.

Meal Plans: Week 2

2012-01-07T13:12:00.000-08:00

I've decided to just come up with a list of meals for the week and not assign days to them. 8 meals - the week's dinners plus lunch on Sunday.

Chicken enchiladas and couscous
Potato Soup, leftover BBQ sandwiches
Pasta and meatballs with salad and toast
Slow cooker roast with bulgar wheat and dried fruit
Sloppy Joes, kale and sweet potato salad
Grilled Chicken over salad
Homemade pizza and salad
Baked Salmon, salad, steamed kale and couscous

Lots of salad this week. I'm craving the leafy greens!

Grocery Budget: Week 2

2012-01-07T13:06:00.000-08:00

This week we tried shopping at Trader Joe's. I both like and dislike TJ's. It's handy (right in my neighborhood) but almost everything is heavily packaged and I don't love that. Plus I always end up buying more than I planned - it is even worse when I bring the whole family, which I did this week.

Organic applesauce: $2.29 (Trader Joes)
Organic white bread: $2.99 - hardly a good bread choice, next week it is back to whole wheat! (TJ)
Sliced almonds: $2.49 (TJ)
Apple/Carrot pouches: $2.99 - for G's lunch (TJ)
Cereal bars: $1.79 - (TJ)
Coconut oil: $5.99 (TJ)
Sweetened condensed milk: $2.49 (TJ)
2 bags golden berry dried fruit: $6.58 (TJ)
Buffalo jerky: $4.99 (TJ)
Organic baby spinach: $2.49 (TJ)
McCann's Irish oatmeal: $5.99 -.50 coupon: $5.49 (TJ)
4 Organic sweet onions: $2.49 (TJ)
Organic kale: $2.29 (TJ)
Organic romaine: $2.69 (TJ)
1lb Organic carrots: $.89 (TJ)
Packaged peppered turkey slices: $4.99 (TJ)
Packaged rosemary han slices: $2.99 (TJ)
Organic Fiji apples: $2.07 (TJ)
Lunch at Oklahoma Joes: $22.30
1/2 gallon local milk plue bottle deposit: $4.99 (WF)
3lbs Ground beef: $9.24 (WF)
Chuck roast: $6.18 (WF)
Salmon Filet: $6.62 (WF)

Tax: 5.65

Total spent so far: $114.47

Amount left: $5.73

Plus rollover: $29.08

Still need to buy:

dozen eggs
more milk

Why I don't coupon more

2012-01-06T09:50:00.000-08:00

Last year I was a couponer. I got the Sunday paper, cut things out, watched the sales, I even had a binder complete with Velcroed on calculator. It was intense. I thought I would be saving us tons of money, but the truth was it didn't. Not for us anyway. I was spending more and yes, buying more - but it wasn't stuff we really needed. Plus we were eating tons of processed foods and just a lot of junk that I knew we shouldn't be eating but since it was such a "good deal" I let it slide. Looking back it was NOT a "good deal" at all in terms of taking care of my family.
So I no longer worry about coupons. Yes, I still have an envelope of them in my purse in case I see a really good deal on something we already use. Sometimes I leave coupons in the store for other people to use. But for my family, we get a better value without coupons.

Note: The bad for us hot dogs and tater tots we ate last night came from my freezer and couponing days.

truth time: Week 1

2012-01-05T15:27:00.000-08:00

I have not stuck to our meal plan.

Tonight we are eating hot dogs and tater tots that I had in the fridge. UGH!
Aside from tonights festival of nitrates we've been doing okay.

New reality. I just need to make a list of 7 dinners and 7 lunches, have all the items for them and not worry about cooking meal A on Monday and meal B on Tuesday. At the end of the week I don't want food going to waste and I want us to be eating better in general.

Now I'm off to cook up some tater tots!

Grocery Budget: Week 1

2012-01-01T11:04:00.000-08:00

$120.00 a week. Any extra rolls over throughout the month. At the end of the month any extra goes into our vacation fund. Budget includes eating out.

2 1/2 gallons of local dairy milk (plus bottle deposit): $9.98 (Whole Foods)
4 lbs ground beef: $17.96 (WF)
.25 lbs wild rice: $1.56 (WF)
1.25 lbs fair trade organic cane sugar: $2.43 (WF)
1 package deli turkey: $5.99 (WF)

1 Dozen Free-Range Eggs: $3.50 (Farmer's Market)
2 scoops cinnamon: $2.00 (FM)
1 scoop granulated garlic: $1.00 (FM)
1 scoop smoked paprika: $1.00 (FM)
1 turnip: $0.50 (FM)
3 lbs bananas: $1.00 (FM)
1 loaf fresh brioche bread: $7.00 (FM)

Picnic Lunch from Quiznos: $13.08

Loaf local bread (although white and fluffy and not very good for us): $2.59 (McGonigal's - small, local family owned grocery store)
Block of cheese: $3.99 (MG)
Bag of shredded cheese: $2.99 (MG)
Blue Sky soda (6-pack): $3.99 (MG)
Whole Chicken: $5.67 (MG)

Tax: $7.69

Total spent so far: $90.92
Amount left: $29.08

Waffles!

2011-12-31T16:44:00.000-08:00

My days of yellow Eggos are over! After having my waffle iron sit on a shelf for nearly 5 years I pulled it out this morning and made waffles from scratch and it was SUPER EASY. Really, they we simple, yummy and they have to be a million times better for us and no Yellow #6 in sight.

I'm going to make another batch later in the week to perfect my recipe then I'll post it here.

Recipe: Wild Rice

2011-12-30T19:54:00.000-08:00

Tonight I made wild rice for the first time and it was a hit. I think I'll be adding it to the rotation. It is high in protein and fiber, and gluten free too.

Here is how I prepared it and the tweaks I'll make next time.

Bring 3 cups of liquid to boil - I used 1 cup each of Water, Beef Broth and Apple Juice
(Next time I'll only use 2 cups)
Added 1 cup Wild Rice and returned to a boil
Reduced heat, covered and let simmer until most of the seeds had popped I could see the white
Drained the excess water and returned to the burner
Added 1Tbs butter, 1/4 cup slivered Almonds and 3 dried apricots finely chopped
Stirred until butter melted and served

Meal Plans 4-9 (100 Day Challenge)

2011-12-30T07:23:00.000-08:00

Day 4
Breakfast: Cereal and Milk with Bananas
Lunch: BBQ Pork Sandwiches, Kiwi and Chips
Dinner: Spagetti Squash and Marinara with Zucchini and Spinach Salad

Day 5
Breakfast: Mango Lassi and Toast
Lunch: BLT's, Wild Rice and Quinoa
Dinner: Chicken Breasts, Brussel's Sprouts with Almonds, Bacon and Raisins

Day 6
Breakfast: Oatmeal and Toast
Lunch: Sandwiches or Leftovers
Dinner: Potato Tacos

Day 7
Breakfast: Eggs and Toast
Lunch: Taco Salad
Dinner: Chicken Alfredo Pasta, Salad

Day 8
Breakfast: Cereal and Milk
Lunch: Leftovers or Sandwiches
Dinner: Hamburgers, Carrots and Parsnips, Wild Rice

Day 9
Breakfast: Waffles
Lunch: Leftover Burgers
Dinner: Chicken Pizza

Recipe: Easy Quinoa

2011-12-29T15:57:00.000-08:00

For Alexa

Bring 1 and 1/4 cups liquid (water or broth) to a boil.
Add 1 cup rinsed Quinoa and give it a good stir.
Let Boil for about a min, then cover and reduce heat to simmer.
Let simmer for about 20 min or until water is gone.
Then add a little butter and fluff with a fork.

Meal Plans #1-3 (100 Day Challenge)

2011-12-28T21:14:00.000-08:00

Day 1
Breakfast: Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal (Totally a winner! Although next time I'm going to try it with half milk and half water.)
Lunch: Chicken Tacos, Quinoa, Spinach Salad and Mandarin Oranges
Dinner: Open-faced Steak Sandwiches, Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Day 2
Breakfast: Overnight French Toast (Not good. Used orange marmalade per several recipes and it just tasted like orange peel - yuck! I will now work on creating the perfect Overnight French Toast recipe!)
Lunch: Leftover Delight! Instead of eating out with friends we will be making sure nothing goes to waste.
Dinner: Pork Roast and Wild Rice

Day 3
Breakfast: Homemade Waffles
Lunch: Lunch Out (We got Quiznos and had a picnic in the park! It was great fun!)
Dinner: Sausage Jambalaya, Swiss Chard

Eating Well in 2012: 100 Day Challenge

2011-12-28T13:47:00.000-08:00

It seems like I do this every year. I vow to eat better, on less money and then I don't. But after several years of failing I have at least figured out the flaw in my system. The flaw? Not having a clear system! When I make the grocery list, the meal plan and then do the prep work, we do great. If I don't do it, then we end up eating frozen pizza and watching produce go bad and that is just throwing money away - something we can't afford to do. So for the next 100 days we are going to work hard to eat better.

There are several blogs out there focusing on "Real Food" and eating better. I'm leaning on them for ideas. This one has some clearly defined rules for the challenge (read them here), but I read through them and while I would love to fully move into that, I know myself and my family. We need to move a little slower.

So here are the rules for our family:

Refined while flour, sugar etc. will be limited as much as possible.
Soda will be limited to 1 can a day or less. (Michael gave up soda cold turkey on year for Lent, it wasn't pretty and I promised not to make him do that again.)
Limited packaged foods to those with only REAL foods listed - nothing I can't pronounce.
Make a meal plan and stick to it.
Plan lunches: Lunch is where it all falls apart for me. I need to plan it out.
Make a thorough grocery list and only buy the listed items.
Stick to the budget of $125.00 a week
Eat more veggies!

You can check out the rules my friend Laura planned out for her family here.

First Spring Meal Plan of 2011!

2011-03-21T18:53:00.000-07:00

It is finally warm out! We have the windows open and have been playing outside. I LOVE IT!

This week my meal plan challenge was to only use what we had in the house. This is actually the 2nd week in a row that we've done this. I haven't been to the store for more than Milk, Eggs and Deli meat in 2 weeks!! Although I will have to go on Thursday as we are running low on produce.

Turkey Burgers with Guacamole, Spinach Salad and Mandarin Oranges
Grilled Chicken over Spinach Salad with Mandarin Oranges. Chips and Salsa
Eggs in Sauce over Polenta
Ham and Veggie Soup (May end up doing Corn Chowder with Ham instead)
Sausage Jambalaya
Grilled Salmon and Alfredo Pasta
Pizza Night for the boys while I have a Girl's Night Out!

Not very Spring-y, but next week I'm busting out some great spring-time recipes!

For Serious - It's a meal plan and I'm sticking to it!

2011-02-27T11:48:00.000-08:00

Last week we all got sick. Michael had the flu, I had a sinus infection, Greyson had a cough. It was no good. In the week when we should have been eating healthy things to help our bodies, we ate total junk instead. I was just too tired to cook, and we weren't even home for 2 days (my wonderful mother-in-law cooked for us - so we had 2 days of good food).

Basically this week I wanted good and good for us food. Even Michael agrees. When he SUGGESTS a salad - it is REALLY time for a salad.

So here is our meal plan for the week:

Asparagus Soup with Bacon, Parmesan Cheese and homemade Croutons
Salad
Apple Slices with Cheese
(I make this soup at least a few times each Spring, when asparagus is cheap and in season. It is so good, and I leave out the cream - it doesn't need it.)
Citrus Marinated Chicken over Salad
Mango and Kiwi
Pasta Bolognese (ground beef, carrots, spinach in tomato sauce)
Salad
Cheese Toast
Hot Pizza Dip
Bread-sticks for dipping
Salad
Cuties and Banana Slices
Ground Beef Burritos (Spinach, Carrots, Cheese)
Rice
Mango
Avocado
Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole (with Broccoli)
Salad
Mixed Fruit
Bread Pork Chops
Sweet Potatoes
Asparagus
Apple Slices

Holy Moly - A meal plan!!

2011-02-19T19:48:00.000-08:00

I've been posting our weeks meal plan on the dry erase board in our kitchen, but I've been terrible about posting them here. So here is the plan for this week:

Baked Chicken with Carrots, Potatoes and Biscuits.
Cheesy Turkey Meatloaf and Mashed Potatoes
Pork Chops with Apples and Baked Sweet Potatoes
Chicken, Spinach and Rice Casserole
French Toast and Sausage
Pasta and Spinach Salad
Pizza and Salad

Laptop Lunch: For Mother and Son

2011-01-10T08:11:00.000-08:00

Black Box: Mom
Light Blue: Tri-color pasta with ground turkey and red sauce, topped with broccoli slaw
Dark Blue: Triscuit Thin Crisps
Just in the Box: Clementine

Blue Box: Greyson
Large Dark Blue: Tri-colored pasta and broccoli slaw
Lime Green: Triscuit Thin Crisps
Small Dark Blue: 2 mini gherkins
Purple #1: Red Sauce
Purple #2: Ground Turkey

Cook Ahead Night: January

2011-01-09T08:12:00.000-08:00

I'm trying to get in the habit of spending one night a month cooking/preping ahead. I'd love to make a bunch of freezer meals so when May Baby arrives we don't have to work too hard to keep our family fed.

Last night was my first attempt. I didn't make any full meals, but I still think it's a good start. Here's what I made:

- 28 chicken breasts, marinaded and frozen in packs of 2.
- 5 packs with a brown sugar and soy mix (http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Marinade-for-Chicken/Detail.aspx) only I used balsamic vinegar instead of red wine vinegar.

- 3 packs with a spicy lime mix (http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Crazy-Chicken-Marinade-Grilled-Chicken/Detail.aspx)

- 3 packs with a lemon, orange and garlic mix (no recipe, just throwing stuff together)

- 3 packs with a balsamic mix (there was a recipe - but I can't find it now)

- 3 quart bags of shredded chicken thighs poached in broth and Italian seasoning (about 15 chicken thighs)

- 1 ham and cheese quiche plus 4 muffin-cup quiche (perfect for breakfasts on the go)

- 2 9 x 14 pans of apple crisp. Today I'm going to divide it up and freeze a cups worth at a time. It is the prefect addition to oatmeal or pancakes, or just warmed up and poured over ice cream.

Meal Plan: Januray 8th - January 14, 2011

2011-01-08T07:12:00.000-08:00

This week my grocery store was running an AMAZING DEAL on the chicken breasts we like. I have to admit that chicken is something we are really picky about. And while I love these chicken breasts they can be so expensive! This week they were half-price. So I bought 14 packages of 3 breasts. Considering a single chicken breast usually feed our family of three this is enough chicken for awhile. I've been putting 2 breasts in bags with marinade and putting them in the deep-freezer.

I'm excited to have this ready to go!

So on to the meal plan for the week:

chicken breast over salad with havarti cheese
pork roast with apples in the crock-pot
bbq sandwiches with sweet potato fries and apples slices
roasted chicken with rice and mixed veggies
ham and egg casserole
cottage pie
leftovers or frozen pizza night!

Meal Plan: January 3rd - Jan 7th

2011-01-01T21:16:00.000-08:00

On the menu this week in no particular order:

Pot Roast and Veggies over Quinona
BBQ sandwiches, Sweet Potato Fries and Apple Slices
Chicken Enchiladas with Rice, Corn and Avocado
Grilled Chicken over Spinach Salad
Pasta with Meat Sauce, Cheese Toast, Spinach Salad

Meal Plan: December 27th through January 2nd

2010-12-31T12:56:00.000-08:00

Okay, so deciding specific meals for specific days just didn't work for our family. So this week I just made a list of meals, made sure we had everything we needed to make them and then we just decided what we wanted to eat on that day.

Here is the week's meal list:

Roasted Chicken with Veggies
Chicken Jambalya, Cheese Toast and Salad
Frozen Pizza and Salad
Pot Roast with Carrots and Potatoes
Barbecue Beef Sandwiches, Salad and Fruit
Spicy Sweet Potato and Chicken Stew

First Laptop Lunch for ME!

2010-12-31T07:47:00.000-08:00

After making lunches for Greyson I finally got a box for myself for Christmas! Here's what I made for my first lunch. It was yummy!

Light Blue: Chicken Jambalaya with Carrots and Corn
Green: Romaine Salad topped with Broccoli Slaw
Tiny Blue: Tuscan House Dressing
Purple: 3 kleiner cookies
Plus a Clementine

Recipe: Cheesy Turkey Meatloaf

2010-12-22T19:11:00.000-08:00

Earlier this week I made this meatloaf.

Only being me, I just used it as a jumping off place and changed it to suit our families tastes and they ingredients we had on hand. So here's what we did.

1 pound ground turkey
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup whole wheat Saltine crackers ground fine
1 egg
1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup finely grated carrots
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
6 ounces shredded Colby Jack cheese
2 slices of bread
1/4 cup ketchup
2 Tablespoons barbecue sauce
1 Tablespoon brown sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
In a bowl, mix the milk, cracker crumbs, seasoning, pepper, carrots, onions, garlic and eggs.
Fold the ground turkey and shredded cheese into the mixture
Place bread on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet. Top the bread with the turkey mixture and shape into a loaf.
In a small bowl mix ketchup, barbecue sauce and brown sugar. Top the loaf with mixture.
Bake 1 hour in the preheated oven or to an internal temperature of 170 degrees.
Cover with foil and let rest for 5 to 10 min.

It went over well. Greyson in particular loved it! He ate a slice and a half.

Recipe: Spinach and Pepperoni Pizza

2010-12-18T17:12:00.000-08:00

While I was searching the inter-webs for dinner ideas I came across this: http://blog.superhealthykids.com/giveaways/2010/12/17/spinach-pizza-and-no-whine-with-dinner-giveaway/

It sounded great and I'm always looking for a way to get more spinach into my family so I gave it a try. I made some tweaks based on what I had on hand, and instead of a stuffed pizza I just made it as a regular pizza.

It was so yummy and beautiful to boot! Too bad I didn't take a photo of it!

1 10 ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed
1 TBL extra virgin olive oil, divided
2 packages of Jiffy pizza crust mix (which I then prepared)
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
About 10 slices deli pepperoni (they were large slices) cut into thin strips
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
Freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 425°. Drain the spinach in a colander. Press with the back of a large spoon and pat with paper towels to remove excess moisture. Set aside.
Prepare the Pizza Crust as directed on the box.
Place 2 tsps. of the oil in the center of pizza pan. Roll the dough until it’s completely coated. Use your fingers to gently stretch the dough (or unroll it) until it covers the entire baking sheet. Pre-bake for 3 min.
In a bowl, stir together the spinach, mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, pepperoni, garlic powder, Italian seasoning and a few cranks of pepper until well combined.
Spread the spinach mixture evenly over the wider bottom half of the crust, leaving a 1/2 inch boarder.
Bake until the crust is golden brown, about 15 minutes.

Serve with Pizza Sauce for dipping!

(Greyson LOVED this and ate nearly 2 slices!)

Back to Meal Planning!

2010-12-10T19:48:00.000-08:00

We fell off the meal planning wagon AGAIN! Sigh.
So here's my attempt to get us back on track.

	Breakfast	Lunch	Dinner
Saturday	Blueberry Pancakes and Yogurt	Turkey and Cheese Sandwiches, Apple and Kiwi Slices	Cranberry Pork Roast Baked Potatoes, California Mix
Sunday	Eggs and Toast	Pulled Pork Sandwiches, Apple Slices and Carrots	Chicken and Rice Soup
Monday	Bagels, Yogurt	Soup or Pork Sandwiches	Meatloaf Pie
Tuesday	Cereal	Almond Butter Sandwiches, Apple Sauce, Pretzels	Taco Bake
Wednesday	Oatmeal with Fruit and Yogurt	Ham and Broccoli Roll-up, Mandarin Oranges, Yogurt	Chicken Fried Rice
Thursday	Waffles with Almond Butter	Taco Bake	Spicy Sweet Potato Stew
Friday	Cereal	Fried Rice or Stew	Coconut Salmon, Twice Baked Potatoes

Laptop Lunch At Home!

2010-12-10T18:37:00.000-08:00

Last week I couldn't find my camera after I packed Greyson's lunches :(
But yesterday we made a laptop lunch at home. Greyson LOVES eating out of it. I like to seeing all the different containers is a great reminder to put VARIETY in our meals.

Large Lime: Green Giant Antioxident Blend. (Broccoli, Peppers and Carrots in a light butter sauce)
Dark Green: Shells and Cheese
Small Lime: Peach Yogurt
No Container: Whole Wheat Saltine Crackers

Ready to chow-down!

Laptop Lunch #2 - Easy Lunch For A Two-Year-Old

2010-12-01T04:30:00.000-08:00

Dark Green Container: String Cheese and a Granola Bite
Lime Green Container: Almond Crackers
Purple Container: "Before and Afters" (Sliced Organic Grapes and Golden Raisins)
Light Blue Container: Sliced Deli Turkey

Verdict: G ate almost everything! Just a little bit of turkey and some raisins were left.

Our First Laptop Lunch!

2010-11-29T16:26:00.000-08:00

I just packed Greyson's first-ever "school lunch". He starts Parent's Day Out tomorrow. I'm a little nervous, but super excited to start packing him a lunch twice a week!

Here is his first lunch!

Dark Green Container: Pasta Shells and Chicken Breast Bites.
Lime Green Container: Granola Bite (My Granola Bars baked in a mini-muffin tin)
Purple Container: Triscuit Thin Crisps
Light Blue Container: Mandarin Oranges

I'm also sending a container of milk so he has some dairy in his lunch.

Verdict: G barely touched the pasta and chicken - which I expected. He ate everything else though. They mentioned that he ate all the oranges first! Of course - he LOVES oranges!

Recipe: Banana Bread

2010-11-07T12:10:00.000-08:00

Greyson and I LOVE this bread. The first time I made it we ate a whole loaf in one afternoon. By the next morning both loaves were gone. YUM!

Ingredients

2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup vanilla yogurt
1/2 cup cinnamon applesauce
3 very ripe mashed bananas
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup cane sugar (I did 1/2 white sugar and 1/2 organic cane)
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Spray one 9x5 inch loaf pan with non-stick spray coating.
Blend together the eggs, yogurt, applesauce and bananas.
Sift together the sugars, flour, baking soda and salt. Add to banana mixture. Mix well.
Pour into prepared loaf pan and sprinkle chocolate chips over the top.
Bake 1 hour and 20 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.

This Week's Meal Plan

2010-10-15T17:53:00.000-07:00

- Saturday -
Breakfast: Oatmeal with Golden Raisins
Lunch: Hot Dogs, Carrots
Snack: Banana Bread
Dinner: Harvest Pork Stew

- Sunday -
Breakfast: English Muffins with Ham and Cheese
Lunch: Frozen Pizza and Salad
Snack:
Dinner: Chili and Corn Bread

- Monday -
Breakfast: Almond Butter and Jelly on Toast
Lunch: Chili and Tortilla Chips
Snack:
Dinner: Spinach Fritatta

- Tuesday -
Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs with Ham and Cheese
Lunch: Turkey Sandwiches, Chips
Snack:
Dinner: Ham Steak, Pineapple, Smashed Potatoes

- Wednesday -
Breakfast: Cereal
Lunch: Turkey Sandwiches, Chips
Snack:
Dinner: Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese

- Thursday -
Breakfast:
Lunch: Turkey Sandwiches, Chips
Snack:
Dinner: Baked Potatoes with Bacon, Cheese and Broccoli

- Friday -
Breakfast:
Lunch: BLT's, Chips
Snack:
Dinner: Bacon and Havarti Salad

A Full Week's Worth of YUM!

2010-09-19T11:05:00.000-07:00

- Sunday -
Breakfast: Buttered Toast and a Banana
Lunch: Leftover Sausage Pasta
Snack: Banana Wonton Bites

These were GROSS!! I was so disappointed.

Dinner: Steak and Rice (I'm tweaking this recipe and will post my final recipe if it's good!)

Sadly, this was not a stellar recipe either. Greyson liked the rice and sauce, but no one really like the meat. So, not going into the keeper pile, nor am I going to try to salvage a recipe. Sorry.

- Monday -
Breakfast: Oatmeal and Eggs (From this month's Everyday Foods Magazine)

I was too tired to make this so we had bananas and English Muffins instead.

Lunch: Leftover Steak and Rice or Turkey Sandwich
Snack: Banana Wonton Bites

Nope. Opted for cereal instead! Oh and banana chips - we've been eating a lot of banana chips.

Dinner: Grilled Brats and Potatoes, Mandarin Oranges and Kiwi

- Tuesday -
Breakfast: Cottage Cheese Pancakes and Black Berries

Michael woke up early and we ended up making eggs and English Muffins instead. It was good!

Lunch: Leftover Brats and Potatoes
Snack: Rice Cakes with Almond Butter and Jam
Dinner: Chicken Curry over CousCous

I attempted to make brown rice instead of couscous, as I'm trying to improve my rice cooking skills. It's only came out so-so. Why can't I make rice?!

- Wednesday -
Breakfast: Pancakes and Berries!
Lunch: Leftover Chicken Curry
Snack: Crackers with Cream Cheese and Raisins
Dinner: Pasta Bake (Made last week and in the freezer), Cheese Toast and Spinach Salad

- Thursday -
Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs with Spinach and Cheese
Lunch: Leftover Pasta Bake
Snack: Apple Slices and Yogurt
Dinner: Turkey Tacos with Spinach, Avocado, Cheese and Bulgar-Carrot Pilaf. Chips and Salsa.

- Friday -
Breakfast: Oatmeal with Berries
Lunch: Turkey Burritos
Snack: Granola (time to make a new batch!)
Dinner: Soup Night! (What's left in the fridge and what can I make with it?), Bread and Spinach Salad

- Saturday -
Breakfast: Bacon and Eggs
Lunch: Leftover Delight!
Snack: Granola
Dinner: Sloppy Joes (with shredded carrots), Pineapple and Quinoa

Working on this week's meal plan...

2010-09-19T10:44:00.000-07:00

I'm trying to do my whole weeks meal plan today. I just did a freezer/fridge survey and we've got a lot to work with this week. It think the only things I'll need to pick up at the store is some spinach, a butternut squash and tortilla chips. Oh, and some M&M's for Michael's Trail Mix.

Here are a few of the recipes I'm interested in working into the plan this week.
http://mealmakeovermoms.com/recipes/vegetable-side-dishes/bulgur-carrot-pilaf/
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Steak-and-Rice/Detail.aspx

Yum! 9/19/10

2010-09-19T09:12:00.001-07:00

Breakfast: Buttered Toast and a Banana

We stayed up WAAAAY to late last night and this was all I could muster. Starting a movie at midnight is a HORRIBLE IDEA when your child wakes up at 6am no matter what.

Lunch: Leftover Sausage Pasta

3:00 Snack: Apples and dip (yogurt and caramel almond butter)

Dinner: Grilled Brats and Potatoes, Mandarin Oranges and Kiwi

Yum! 9/18/10

2010-09-18T08:51:00.001-07:00

Breakfast: Bacon, Scrambled Eggs and Toast with Jam (Thanks to Michael!)

We've been getting our eggs from Campo Lindo Farm and while they are a little more expensive then the store brand white eggs, they are worth it! I love knowing that the hens are able to roam, and that we are supporting a local family farm. Plus in every dozen there is a little note from the farm!

Lunch: Hot Dog, Chips, Kiwi and Banana Slices

This seems to be our typical, unhealthy Saturday lunch.

(10:30 &) 3:00 Snack: Almond and Rice Crackers, Deli Turkey and Sting Cheese

These crackers are really good! Light, just a hint of salt and a little nutty. YUM!

Dinner: Blanc Burgers with Friends before going to WATERFIRE!

Yum! 9/16/10

2010-09-16T07:21:00.000-07:00

Breakfast: English Muffin with Almond Butter and Blueberry Jam

Lunch:

3:00 Snack: Sweet Apple Chicken Sausage and Grapes

Dinner: Apple Cheese Burgers, Sweet Potatoes and Spinach Salad

Yum! 9/15/10 (An Apple Edition!)

2010-09-15T08:59:00.000-07:00

Breakfast: Cottage Cheese Pancakes with Unsweetened Applesauce

These pancakes were okay, not fantastic, but a great way to get some added protein. We topped them with unsweetened applesauce. I made a big batch and froze the rest for later.

Lunch: Sweet Apple Chicken Sausage with Egg Noodles and a Plum

I thought this sausage was great! Sadly, the plum was kind of mealy.

3:00 Snack: Granola and Applesauce

Dinner: Pork Chops, Spinach Salad with Quinoa and Baked Apples

Yum! 9/14/10

2010-09-14T06:01:00.000-07:00

Breakfast: English Muffin, Hard-boiled Egg, Banana

Lunch: Leftover Stroganoff

3:00 Snack: Grapes and Crackers with Cream Cheese

Dinner: ~~Baked Pork Chops with Apples, Asparagus and Salad~~

Well we were without water yesterday so we just cooked a frozen pizza and ate on paper plates.

Yum! 9/13/10

2010-09-13T05:00:00.000-07:00

Breakfast: Hard boiled Eggs and English Muffins

Lunch:
For Greyson: Turkey, Grapes, and Cheese
For Morgan: Asparagus, Leftover Deconstructed Turkey Pot Pie and Kiwi
For Michael: Turkey Sandwich, Apple and Chips

3:00 Snack: Granola Bars!

Dinner: Ground Beef Stroganoff, Spinach Salad with Carrots and Raisins.

Per Request: Spinach Salad with Carrots and Raisins
Soak Raisins in a Cup of hot water, while they are soaking grate 2 Carrots with a Box Grater. Drain water from raisins and pat dry. Top Baby Spinach with shredded Carrots and Raisins. It couldn't be easier!

Yum! 9/12/10

2010-09-11T21:26:00.000-07:00

Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs and toast

Lunch: Hot Dogs, Watermelon, Grapes and Chips

Last week Greyson couldn't get enough Watermelon, today he wouldn't touch it. He is such a toddler! He did LOVE Grapes today. He ate his share and mine!

3:00 Snack: Yummy Homemade Granola Bars (Today's batch made with 3/4c Unsweetened Coconut, 3/4c Shelled Pumpkin Seeds, 1c Mini Chocolate Chip and 1 1/2c Mixed Dried Fruit)

These are always a huge hit over here. I know the chocolate chips and the sweetened condensed milk doesn't make these the healthiest granola bars out there - but they are quick, easy and everyone loves them. Greyson stuffed his cheeks full and then signed for more!

Dinner: Deconstructed Turkey Pot Pie (Mashed Potatoes, Turkey and County Gravy) with Asparagus and Watermelon

This was a dinner that didn't come together as planned. I cooked the Turkey in the crock pot on Friday, but it was such a weird day that we ended up going out to eat. So then I planned to do Turkey and Sweet Potatoes for dinner only to find I had just 1 sweet potato - not enough for 3 people. So regular potatoes it was. Then I made gravy, which is very unlike me, but the turkey and potatoes needed something to bring them together. It turns out that mixing the turkey, potatoes and gravy together was delish! I just wish I had added some corn. Oh well, we had asparagus to round things out. Greyson only ate one piece of asparagus, but it is a start.

Yum! 9/10/10

2010-09-09T18:23:00.000-07:00

Breakfast: Oatmeal and Apples

Lunch: Taco Soup and Cornbread

3:00 Snack: Cornbread and Jam (really it is unsweetened fruit spread)

Dinner: ~~Crock Pot Turkey Breast, Sweet Potatoes and Salad~~

We ended up going out to eat, so the Turkey has been packed in the fridge for another day.

It's starting to feel like autumn and I'm craving the flavors of fall!

Yum! 9/9/10

2010-09-09T04:30:00.000-07:00

Breakfast: Hard-boiled Eggs and Toast with Jam

Well Greyson is a mess this morning. When he woke up at 5:45 this morning we didn't let him go back to sleep. So he's a tired and grumpy monkey. Which meant that eating breakfast didn't go so well. I like it though.

Lunch: Leftover Pizza and Breadsticks

3:00 Snack: Rice Cakes with Almond Butter and Blueberry jam

Dinner: Turkey Taco Soup, Avocado, Cornbread and Mango

The soup was only okay. Even after hours of cooking the rice was still a little crunchy...

Yum! 9/8/10

2010-09-08T04:30:00.000-07:00

Breakfast: Oatmeal with brown sugar, mixed dried fruit and yogurt

This was a hit with Greyson! He wasn't sure at first and did a few fake bites (taking the spoon to the edge of his mouth, but not putting it in) before taking a bite - then there was no stopping him! He ate his whole bowl full and asked for more.
Hooray for oatmeal day!

Lunch: Sausage and Tomatoes (from last night), Salad, Watermelon

Well, I sent Michael to work with both leftover sausages. So I'm eating a weird, but strangely good lunch. A "sandwich" made from ham and leftover cauliflower gratin sandwiched between 2 whole-wheat crepes! It was surprisingly yummy!

3:00 Snack: Almonds and Yogurt

Yummy snack. Vanilla yogurt with a spoon of blueberry jam, some almonds and some graham crackers!

Dinner: Ordering Pizza for Michael's Birthday! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Yum! 9/7/10

2010-09-07T04:30:00.000-07:00

Breakfast: Watermelon, Crepes with Jam and Ricotta Cheese

The Crepes were only okay. I still haven't mastered the art of a really thin crepe. Also, as much and I want to like Ricotta in things for the boost of protein and calcium, I'm still really "meh" about it. Greyson ate 1/2 of his and them tossed his plate on the floor. Great.

Lunch: Grilled Chicken (from last night) wrapped in a tortilla with broccoli slaw, watermelon and chips (for the adults, almond crackers for G)

So this lunch didn't happen. Well it did, I just left it at home. So I bought a salad at work. Boo. Since I didn't eat it for lunch it became my 3:00 snack (minus the watermelon and chips) since my work salad wasn't that good.

3:00 Snack: String Cheese and Deli Turkey

Nope. See above.

Dinner: Baked Sausage with Grape Tomatoes (from the garden), Cauliflower Gratin and Watermelon

No real surprise that I was the only one who liked the cauliflower. I thought it was great. G put a bite in his mouth for all of a second before spitting it back out. Michael took 2 begrudging bites.

Yum! 9/6/10

2010-09-06T09:38:00.000-07:00

Breakfast: Scrambled eggs with black forest ham and cheese, avocado and whole wheat toast with blueberry jam

Lunch: The boys are having lunch with M's parents, but I'm having Turkey Sandwich (Honey Mesquite Turkey, Romain lettuce, Honey Dijon Mustard, Avocado, Broccoli slaw, Laughing Cow Creamy Swiss cheese), Watermelon and some Cheetos (guilty pleasure)

3:00 Snack: Rice cake with Almond butter and blueberry jam, watermelon

Dinner: Basil Marinated Grilled Chicken breasts, Green Salad (with Dried Apricots, Avocado, Broccoli slaw and Caesar Dressing), Grilled Grape Tomatoes (from the garden) and Watermelon

Dinner was great! The chicken was really moist and Greyson ate everything on his plate except for the lettuce (I just gave him 1 piece to try) and the tomatoes. He put the tomato in his mouth, but quickly took it back out.

Thursday's Dinner (8/26/10)

2010-08-26T15:03:00.000-07:00

Tonight is stir-fry night!
Yum!
Chicken Thighs
Zucchini
Onions
Sweet Potatoes
Carrots
Broccoli

All stir-fried together with fresh garlic and ginger and served over brown rice and crispy noodles.

Monday's Dinner (8/23/10)

2010-08-23T08:18:00.001-07:00

Tonight I'll be making Balsamic Sausage and Tomatoes with Tri-Color Pasta and Rainbow Salad.

Mid-Week Meal Plan

2010-08-10T20:12:00.000-07:00

Tuesday Dinner: Grilled Bacon Cheese Burgers, Grilled Peaches, Side Salad

Wednesday Lunch: Burgers and chips
Wednesday Dinner: Grilled Chicken over Salad

Thursday Lunch: Chicken Salad Sandwiches
Thursday Dinner: Tacos with Brown Rice

Friday Lunch: Tacos
Friday Dinner: Eggs in Sauce over Toast, Salad

Saturday Lunch: Sandwiches
Saturday Dinner: Something with chicken....

Recipe: Crock Pot Chicken Tagine

2010-08-06T17:07:00.000-07:00

I loved this dish - the balance of sweet and heat was great!
I used this recipie as my jumping off place: http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/chicken-tagine/Detail.aspx

But in true little m fashion I did not really follow the recipe. Here's what I ended up doing

3 small chicken breasts
1 container of plain yogurt
3 TBS Patak's Mild Curry Paste
1 chicken bullion packet
1/2 cup cherry or grape tomatoes (I used a mix of red and yellow)
6 dried apricots cuts into strips
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1 large sweet potato cut into bite sized pieces
3 carrots diced into coins
1/2 onion chopped and slightly caramelized
Squeeze lemon juice (maybe a TBS)
1 inch piece of fresh ginger diced

Marinade the chicken in the yogurt overnight or for at least 3 hours. (I just laid the chicken on a plate and topped it with the yogurt, covered it with plastic wrap and put in the fridge 1st thing in the morning)
Put carrots on the bottom of the crock pot and top with chicken (still coated in yogurt) and then add the onions, sweet potoates, apricots, cranberries and tomatoes.
Wisk the bullion, lemon juice, ginger and curry paste with one cup hot water and pour over everything.
Let cook on low for 6-7 hours or until the veggies are soft and the chicken shreds easily.
Serve over couscous.

Meal Plan: 7/25/10- 7/31/10

2010-07-24T11:14:00.000-07:00

Wow, I haven't done a meal plan in a LONG time. Because of that our food budget, and attempts to eat well have taken a hit in weeks past. So, no more! I am getting this family back on track!

Sunday Lunch: Turkey Sandwiches with Lettuce, Tomatoes from the garden and Carrot strips. Apple slices and Chips
Sunday Dinner: Stuffed Ricotta Chicken Breasts, Purple and Yukon Gold roasted potatoes, Salad

Monday Lunch: Chicken and Potatoes, Salad
Monday Dinner: Beef Stir Fry and Soba Noodles (Veggies in Stir Fry: Broccoli, Green Onion, Red Pepper, Carrots, Sweet Potatoes, Summer Squash and Water Chestnuts)

Tuesday Lunch: Stir Fry
Tuesday Dinner: Turkey Burgers, Sweet Corn on the Cob, Salad with Grapes and Apples

Wednesday Lunch: Turkey Burgers or Chicken Salad Sandwiches
Wednesday Dinner: Bacon and Tomato Pasta with shredded Carrots and Squash, Cheese Toast and Salad

Thursday Lunch: Pasta
Thursday Dinner: Beef and Corn Bread Casserole

Friday Lunch: Casserole
Friday Dinner: Eggs in Sauce over Toast, Salad

Saturday Lunch: French Toast Cheese Sandwiches and Sweet Potato Fries
Saturday Dinner: Clean out the Fridge - Leftover Delight!

Workout: 7/1/10

2010-07-01T17:55:00.001-07:00

Wii Fit: 18 min (I'm hoping to pick-up a few more min. this evening)

Yoga: Palm Tree, Downward Facing Dog, Sun Salutation, Half Moon

Strength Training: Torso Twists, Jack Knife

Balance Games: Rhythm Parade, Obstacle Course

Workout: 6/30/10

2010-06-30T19:44:00.000-07:00

Wii Fit: 25 min

Yoga: Tree, Palm Tree, Downward Facing Dog, Sun Salutation

Strength Training: Torso Twists, Jack Knife

Balance Games: Rhythm Parade, Lotus, Bubble

Workout: 6/29/10

2010-06-29T18:31:00.000-07:00

Wii Fit: 20 min

Yoga: Deep Breathing, Palm Tree, Downward Facing Dog, Sun Salutation

Strength Training: Torso Twists

Balance Games: Big-Top Juggling, Bird's-Eye Bulls-eye, Rhythm Parade

Workout: 6/28/10

2010-06-28T07:41:00.000-07:00

Wii Fit: 24 min

Yoga: Tree, Palm Tree, Downward Facing Dog, Half Moon

Strength Training: Torso Twists

Balance Games: Big-Top Juggling, Obstacle Course, Bird's-Eye Bulls-eye, Balance Bubble, Tilt City

Meal Plan: 6/27 - 7/3

2010-06-28T07:24:00.000-07:00

Sunday
Lunch: Chicken Sandwiches, Chips
Dinner: Beef and Veggie Stir-fry

Monday
Lunch: Leftover Stir-Fry
Dinner: Pasta with Meat Sauce and Shredded Veggies, Side Salad, French Bread

Tuesday
Lunch: Leftover Pasta
Dinner: Parmesan Tilapia (I use Ranch Dressing instead of Mayo), Orzo and Veggies

Wednesday
Lunch: Sandwiches, Chips, Fruit Slices
Dinner: Brats on the Grill, Asparagus, Kiwi

Thursday
Lunch: Brats, Chips and Applesauce
Dinner: Ham and Cheese Quiche

Friday
Lunch: Quiche or Sandwiches
Dinner: Baked Potatoes with Bacon and Cheese

Dinner Tonight: Beef Stir-Fry with Veggies over Quinoa

2010-06-27T14:42:00.000-07:00

I love stir-fry, but sometimes it doesn't turn out right. The beef is tough, the sauce is weird, something is just "off". Luckily tonight it worked out and was yummy! Here's the recipe.

- 1.5lbs beef strips marinated for 5 hours
Marinade: (sorry no measurements) some soy sauce, some honey Dijon mustard, Worcester sauce, garlic powder and powdered ginger.
- 1/2 lb of asparagus cut into 4 inch pieces
- 3 carrots cut into matchsticks
- 3/4 cup chicken broth
- 2 tbs soy sauce
- 2 tbs balsamic vinegar
- 2 tbs orange juice
- 1 tbs brown sugar
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp powdered ginger
- corn starch to thicken

Stir fry the beef strips until almost done then set aside on plate.
Drain off any liquid in pan and then added veggies and cook until tender-crisp.
Add the beef and the next 7 ingredients, toss to coat.
Push beef and veggies to the side of the pan and add corn starch to thicken the sauce.
Coat beef and veggies with sauce and serve over quinoa.

Aiming for 30 days!

2010-06-27T14:31:00.000-07:00

So today as an early birthday gift I got the Wii Fit Plus. I'm loving it already. I did a 20 min workout, a combo of yoga and strength training with a few balance games tossed in. I'm setting a goal of working out for 20 to 30 min everyday for the next 30 days. Hopefully it will become habit and I'll keep it up so this time next year (when I'm about to turn 30!) I'll be in great shape!

Meal Plan 6/13/10 - 6/19/10

2010-06-13T11:06:00.000-07:00

Sunday
Lunch: Hot Dogs and Chips
Dinner: Corn and Potato Soup, Salad

Monday
Lunch: Turkey Sandwiches
Dinner: Grilled Turkey Tenderloins, New Potatoes and Green Beans, Pineapple Custard

Tuesday
Lunch: Turkey Salads
Dinner: Monte Cristos and Sweet Potato Fries, Sliced Kiwi and Grapes

Wednesday
Lunch: Sandwiches
Dinner: Turkey Burgers, Cole-slaw, Apple Slices

Thursday
Lunch: Turkey Burgers
Dinner: Sausage, Pepper and Spinach Pasta

Friday
Lunch: Sausage Pasta
Dinner: Parmesan Tilapia, Rice, Steamed Veggies

Recipe: Baked Veggie Wrap

2010-06-11T18:48:00.000-07:00

I had some veggies that I needed to use as well as a container of crescent rolls that needed to be used so here's what I made. Much to my surprise everyone like it!

1 Large Sweet Potato
1 Baking Potato
1/2 Onion
2 Carrots
1 Cup Fresh Broccoli Florets
1/2 Cup of Ricotta Cheese
1/2 Cup Shredded Italian Cheese Mix
2 TBS Honey Dijon Mustard
1 tsp Italian Seasoning
Salt and Pepper
1 container of Crescent Rolls
Dice up the veggies (except the broccoli) and saute them until tender crisp. In a large bowl mix all the ingredients together and place in the middle of the rolled out crescent roll. Pull the edges of the crescent roll over the veggie mix and seal. Spray with cooking spray and bake until browned. Slice and serve.

Recipe: Oatmeal Balls

2010-06-06T12:08:00.000-07:00

I got the recipe from another mom on a messages board, but modified it for my little guy!

There are no measurements - It's all done by feel. Maybe next time I'll try to measure...maybe.

Quick Cooking Oats
Pureed Fruits or Veggies
Black-strap Molasses
Spices
Ground Flax Seed or Baby Oatmeal
Pour the pureed fruits and veggies into a large mixing bowl. I used 1 container of babyfood squash and one of carrots plus about a 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce. Heat in microwave for 45-60 seconds until hot enough to "cook" the oats.

Start spooning in quick cooking oats and stirring until it becomes a sticky paste.

Add about 2 Tbs of molasses and spices. I used a good shake of Pumpkin Pie Spice. At this point I also added a few TBS of ground flax seed.

If it ever feels needed put the bowl back in the microwave for 30 sec to really get the oatmeal cooked. I did this a few times.

Then start rolling the mixture into balls and then rolling in ground flax seed, baby oatmeal or a mixture of both. The mixture will be VERY sticky, but the oatmeal/flax makes it better. I rolled them into tablespoon sized balls, but next time I will make them the size of gumballs, it might be easier for him to eat.

You can serve these raw or bake them for a few min at 350 to firm them up. We like them better baked.

These balls make a great snack and help get some whole grains, omega 3s, iron and some fruits and veggies into my toddler. I'm already thinking about all the variations I can make.

Recipie: Turkey Pot Pie - The Easy Way

2010-06-01T16:09:00.001-07:00

I love a good Pot-Pie. And given the time and ingredients I can make a real, from scratch Pot-Pie. Tonight, however, I did not have that kind of time - or ingredients. So instead I made a Turkey Pot Pie - The Easy Way!

2 cups (approx) cubed cooked turkey (Really what ever turkey/chicken you have leftover)
1 bag frozen frozen veggies (I used this one and pulled out the Snap Peas)
1 cup frozen corn
1 package Country Gravy (prepared)
1 pie crust (I only had one, but it would be better with two)

Heat oven to 350 combine all the ingredients in casserole dish and top with pie crust. If you have 2 crusts then place on the bottom as well as the top.
Bake until the crust is browned.

So easy, so yummy!

Meal Plan: 5/22/10-5/28/10

2010-05-22T19:28:00.000-07:00

Saturday
Lunch: Frozen Pizza
Dinner: BBQ with work team

Sunday:
Lunch: Brunch at Perry Grandparents
Dinner: Turkey Burgers, Corn on the Cob, Zucchini & Potatoes

Monday:
Lunch: Turkey Burgers, Chips
Dinner: Pork Kabobs with Pineapple, Onions and Sweet Potatoes, Rice

Tuesday:
Lunch: Sandwiches
Dinner: Tacos, Rice and Corn, Chips and Salsa

Wednesday:
Lunch: Burritos
Dinner: Cob Salad - Bacon, Avocado, Chicken

Thursday:
Lunch: Sandwiches
Dinner: Ricotta Chicken, Salad, Small Baked Potatoes

Friday:
Lunch: Chicken wraps
Dinner: Eggs in Sauce with Ricotta, Cheese Toast

So, how are things going with the "less stuff"

2010-05-05T12:27:00.000-07:00

Well, looking around I'd say not so well.

We have too much stuff! Ahh! It's so overwhelming!

Meal Plan: 5/1/10 - 5/7/10

2010-05-03T18:41:00.000-07:00

Saturday
Lunch: Lunch at March for Babies!
Dinner: Baked Eggs in Sauce, Garlic Toast, Salad

Sunday:
Lunch: BBQ Pork, Chips
Dinner: Pasta Bake, Salad, Breadsticks

Monday:
Lunch: Pasta Bake
Dinner: Monte Cristos, Chips and Salsa/Guac, Mandarin Oranges

Tuesday:
Lunch: Pasta Bake
Dinner: Jamie Oliver's Hunter's Chicken and Lightly Smushed Potatoes

Wednesday:
Lunch: Chicken and Potatoes
Dinner: Ham and Potato Frittata , Kale Chips

Thursday:
Lunch: Frittata
Dinner: Jamie Oliver's Cauliflower Risotto with Chicken

Friday:
Lunch: Risotto or Chicken
Dinner: Sausage and Kale Calzone

Recipe: Eggs in Sauce

2010-05-02T17:08:00.000-07:00

Every time I make this we say "why don't we make this more often?" It's so good and easy!

2 cans tomato sauce (enough to cover the bottom of large saute pan about 3/4 inch)
4 eggs
2 Tbs Ricotta cheese
Italian Seasoning
Pour tomato sauce into skillet, season and heat. Once heated through crack eggs into sauce, spaced around the saute pan so each egg has space to poach. Cover and cook until eggs are cooked through.

Serve eggs with sauce and a dollop of ricotta. Great with cheese toast!

Recipe: Pasta Bake

2010-05-02T16:31:00.000-07:00

Pasta Bake is always a big hit here - I started out just using meat, sauce and pasta. Now I add veggies, because the more veggies I can get into my family the better!

1 jar pasta sauce (I use Prego Traditional)
1 box Piccolini Wagon Wheel Pasta
1 small yellow onion - diced
1 zucchini - grated on the large holes of a box grater
2 carrots - grated on the large holes of a box grater
1 cup shredded Italian cheese
Italian Seasoning
Parsley - finely chopped
2 pounds ground beef or 1 pound ground beef and 1 pound ground turkey
Put a little oil in a large skillet and add the onion then the beef. Cook until meat is browned then add sauce and shredded veggies. Stir to combine. At the same time cook the pasta according to directions on box.
Combine pasta and sauce mixture. Pour into 2 casserole dishes. Sprinkle cheese, Italian Seasoning and Parsley over top of both dishes.

Bake one at 350 until the cheese is melted and a little crispy. Cover the other and freeze for later!

Two meals at once!

Meal Review: Breakfast For Dinner!

2010-04-27T18:19:00.000-07:00

We did breakfast for dinner tonight and it got rave reviews from Michael! I think it was the best received meal I've made in a long time.

Menu:
Sausage Quiche
Skillet Potatoes
Pioneer Women's Cinnamon Toast

Sausage Quiche
5 eggs
3/4 cup milk
1 cup shredded Swiss Cheese
6 Maple Sausage Links cut into 6ths
Salt and Pepper
Paprika
1 store bought pie crust

Cook sausage in skillet until cooked through. Mix everything together and pour into pie crust. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 min then turn down to 350 and cook for another 30 min.

Skillet Potatoes
6 BB sized Red Potatoes diced
1 TBS of oil
Salt and Pepper
Paprika
Dash of Chipotle Pepper
Sprig Rosemary

Heat oil in skillet over med-high heat. Add potatoes and spices. Stir and cook until done, about 30 min.

It was such a yummy meal, maybe not the healthiest but yummy none the less!

Five Stars! *****

Recipe: Crock Pot Sloppy Joes

2010-04-24T17:12:00.000-07:00

I modified this Sloppy Joe Recipe today and really liked how it came out. It's an easy meal and went over really well with my 16 month old, who ate just as much of it as I did!

1 pound ground turkey
1/2 yellow onion - diced
1/2 red bell pepper - diced
2 cloves of garlic - crushed and chopped
2/3 cup ketchup
1/3 cup barbecue sauce
1 tbs honey dijon mustard
chili powder to taste (I used about 2 tsp.)
shake of worcester sauce
pepper to taste
2 tbs quick cooking oats
1/2 cup water
In a skillet with just a dash of olive oil (or Pam) brown the ground turkey, onion and pepper. When almost browned add garlic. Transfer turkey mix to crock pot and add all put the last two ingredients.

Return the skillet to heat and deglaze the pan with the 1/2 cup of water. Add the oats and cook until soft. Pour the oats and water into crock pot. Stir well and let simmer on low for 3-4 hours.

Serve on whole wheat hamburger bun with 1/2 slice of provolone cheese.

Not only was this really good, but it makes for a budget friendly meal too!

Meal Plan 4/24/10 - 4/30/10

2010-04-24T11:51:00.000-07:00

Saturday
Lunch: Pasta or Hot Dogs
Dinner: Sloppy Joes, Sweet Potato Fries

Sunday:
Lunch: Ham or Turkey Sandwiches
Dinner: Homemade Sausage Calzones with Red Peppers,

Monday:
Lunch: Calzone and Salad
Dinner: Salmon on the Grill, Asparagus

Tuesday:
Lunch: Sandwiches
Dinner: Roasted Chicken, Roasted Garlic Caulifolwer

Wednesday:
Lunch: Chicken Wraps
Dinner: Brats, Scalloped Potatoes and Kale Chips

Thursday:
Lunch: Brats
Dinner: Crock Pot Pork, Lightly Smushed Potatoes

Friday:
Lunch: Soft Shell Pork Tacos
Dinner: Breakfast fr Dinner: Sausage Quiche, French Toast

How We Did: 4/17/10 - 4/23/10

2010-04-24T11:36:00.000-07:00

Saturday
Lunch: Pizza -Yep.
Dinner: Grilled Cheese Burgers, Chips and Corn - Yep, the burgers were yummy!

Sunday:
Lunch: Sandwiches, Apple Slices and Tortilla Chips -Yes! We actually had a picnic at the zoo. Yummy sandwiches with carrots, lettuce, ham, turkey and cheese.
Dinner: Brats and Mac and Cheese with Broccoli - The broccoli at least made it feel more healthy...

Monday:
Lunch: Brats - yep.
Dinner: Meatloaf Patties and Veggie Pancakes - The veggie cakes were a great big FAIL! But the meatloaf patties were great.

Tuesday:
Lunch: Ham and Turkey Sandwich - Michael had a sandwich and I had leftover meatloaf. Yum!
Dinner: Grilled Chicken Salad - It was great with, grilled chicken, hard boiled egg, almonds and Havarti cheese

Wednesday:
Lunch: Ham and Turkey Sandwich - Yup.
Dinner: Pasta and ~~Meatballs~~ - I just made meat sauce, not meatballs. I added carrots, onions and parsley to the sauce.

Thursday:
Lunch: Pasta - Yep.
Dinner: ~~Ham and Broccoli Roll-up, Salad~~ - I ended up doing a chicken and broccoli roll-up with swiss instead. It was really good. Michael had a frozen pizza...

Friday:
Lunch: ~~Roll-up~~ - Pasta and Meat Sauce
Dinner: ~~Very Veggie Calzone~~ - We ended up doing McDonalds on our way to a play. Dinner Fail!

Meal Plan: 4/17-4/23

2010-04-19T13:54:00.000-07:00

Saturday
Lunch: Pizza
Dinner: Grilled Cheese Burgers, Chips and Corn

Sunday:
Lunch: Sandwiches, Apple Slices and Tortilla Chips
Dinner: Brats and Mac and Cheese with Broccoli

Monday:
Lunch: Brats
Dinner: Meatloaf Patties and Veggie Pancakes

Tuesday:
Lunch: Ham and Turkey Sandwich
Dinner: Grilled Chicken Salad

Wednesday:
Lunch: Ham and Turkey Sandwich
Dinner: Pasta and Meatballs

Thursday:
Lunch: Pasta
Dinner: Ham and Broccoli Roll-up, Salad

Friday:
Lunch: Roll-up
Dinner: Very Veggie Calzone

How We Did: 4/10-4/17

2010-04-17T19:24:00.000-07:00

Saturday
Lunch: BBQ sandwiches (with leftover pot roast), Chips and Strawberries Yummy! BBQ made from left over Pot Roast is always delish.
Dinner: Dinner Out!

Sunday:
Lunch: BLT with S&C (Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato with Spinach and Cheese), Fruit Salad I added a little Ranch Dressing for some zing and they were great. The fruit salad was fantastic.
Dinner: Monte Cristos, Asparagus Soup I love this meal. Asparagus Soup was a hit. Both Greyson and Michael ate it without complaint.

Monday:
Lunch: Jambalya or Chicken sandwich (leftovers from weekend), Fruit Salad I think I ended up with a chicken wrap.
Dinner: Roasted Chicken, Salad with Hard Boiled Eggs, Carrots and Cucumber This was a great salad.

Tuesday:
Lunch: Chicken Wraps, ~~Fruit Salad~~ The fruit salad didn't last this long :)
Dinner: Chicken Alfredo Pasta with Veggies and Veggie pasta Adding Broccoli to the Alfredo was a great way to get extra veggies in.

Wednesday:
Lunch: Pasta or Sandwiches Leftover Pasta - it reheated better than I expected
Dinner: ~~Turkey Burgers, Herbed Red and Yellow Potatoes~~ Instead we made Turkey Tostadas with Chicken Taco seasoning. It was really good. Also Corn and Couscous.

Thursday:
Lunch: ~~Turkey Burgers~~ Sandwiches and chips for me, leftover Tostadas for Michael
Dinner: ~~Ham and Broccoli Roll-up, Salad~~ Dinner out. Etufee at the Jazz

Friday:
Lunch: ~~Roll-up~~ Leftover Shrimp Etufee
Dinner: ~~Beef Tacos, Chips and Guacamole~~ Pizza

We started out strong....

Recipe: Easy and Yummy Granola Bars

2010-04-11T17:41:00.001-07:00

We downed these bars! Even Greyson loves them. Little chewy, a little crunchy, all yummy! Plus, I can't eat store bought Granola Bars, so this is a great find.

3 cups quick-cooking oats
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk (skim or fat-free works great)
1 tablespoons butter, melted
3 to 4 cups "mix-ins" (nuts, dried fruit, coconut, chocolate chips)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a 9x13 inch pan with Parchment Paper. Put sealed can of sweetened condensed milk in dish of hot water while preparing everything else.

2. In a large bowl, mix together the oats, warmed sweetened condensed milk, butter and "mix-ins" until well blended. Press flat into the prepared pan.

3. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, depending on how crunchy you want them. Lightly browned just around the edges will give you moist, chewy bars. Let cool for 5 minutes, cut into squares then let cool completely before serving.

How Does Your Garden Grow?

2010-04-11T08:26:00.000-07:00

We have a very small backyard, and therefore a very small garden. I have two raised beds that are a foot and a half wide by 8 feet long. (I'm hoping to get one more) I also have 2 pots for herbs and I may get one or two more pots before the summer is over. In this small space I have crammed A LOT!

Starting in the far left hand corner are Carrots (seeds in the ground), Spinach (seeds in the ground), Butter-Crunch Lettuce, Parsley, Cilantro, 2 Red Leaf Lettuces, 2 Green Leaf Lettuces, 4 Cauliflowers, 4 Onions, 4 Broccoli plants, Basil, Sage, Brussel's Sprouts and 2 Zucchinis.

On the Patio we have Mint and Oregano in one pot and Rosemary and Thyme in the other.

If I can get a 3rd raised bed built this year I'll put Tomatoes, Peppers and Cucumbers in there. I'm also hoping to get a Potato Box built.

I'm excited to growing our own food this year.

Meal Plan: 4/10/10 - 4/16/10

2010-04-10T20:20:00.000-07:00

Saturday
Lunch: BBQ sandwiches (with leftover pot roast), Chips and Strawberries
Dinner: Dinner Out!

Sunday:
Lunch: BLT with S&C (Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato with Spinach and Cheese), Fruit Salad
Dinner: Monte Cristos, Asparagus Soup

Monday:
Lunch: Jambalya or Chicken sandwich (leftovers from weekend), Fruit Salad
Dinner: Roasted Chicken, Salad with Hard Boiled Eggs, Carrots and Cucumber

Tuesday:
Lunch: Chicken Wraps, Fruit Salad
Dinner: Chicken Alfredo Pasta with Veggies and Veggie pasta

Wednesday:
Lunch: Pasta or Sandwiches
Dinner: Turkey Burgers, Herbed Red and Yellow Potatoes

Thursday:
Lunch: Turkey Burgers
Dinner: Ham and Broccoli Roll-up, Salad

Friday:
Lunch: Roll-up
Dinner: Beef Tacos, Chips and Guacamole

How We Did: 4/3/10 - 4/9/10

2010-04-05T17:34:00.000-07:00

Saturday
Lunch: We actually had the Tacos planned for Dinner for Lunch because I had a work event that was going to have us out of the house for dinner.
Dinner: ~~Tacos (Pork and Turkey), Cheese, Avocado, Salsa, Carrot slices~~ So instead of Tacos for Dinner we had Honey Seared Chicken over Brown Rice from Pei Wei and Crab Wontons - that we ended up inhaling on a bench on the way into my event.

Sunday:
Lunch: Easter Brunch Brunch was fantastic and I ate WAY TOO MUCH. I had Ham, Turkey, a Roll, Mashed Potatoes and Corn, a Pickle, a Cheese Straw, some Asparagus, Strawberry Cake and way, way too many Jelly Beans. I felt sick I was so full.
Dinner: Quesadillas with Spinach, Pork & Turkey and Cheese, Chips and Guacamole - Yup, and it was YUMMY!

Monday:
Lunch: Ham or Turkey Sandwich (from Easter Brunch) I ate Ham all day long. It was great!
Dinner: Grilled Chicken, ~~Asparagus~~ and Sweet Potatoes - Instead of Asparagus I decided to grill the last zucchini from last week. Zucchinis are one of my favorite veggies, but this batch turned out so badly that I had to spit it out! It was bitter and just gross. So I didn't serve it to the family and instead and added a quick ceaser salad for our greens.

Tuesday:
Lunch: ~~Ham or Turkey Sandwich~~ - Actually we had enough chicken leftover to do Chicken Sandwiches. Well I had Chicken and couscous with guacamole.
Dinner: Chicken Pot Pie Bundles - These turned out pretty well, I can see how kids would love them. I tweaked the recipe a little and used sweet potatoes, red potatoes, carrots and turnips as the veggies.

Wednesday:
Lunch: Pot Pie Bundles - They re-heat really well. This would be great to make a double batch and freeze for easy lunches.
Dinner: Pot Roast - Potatoes and Carrots - I had dinner out for S&T's birthday but the rest of the family enjoyed Pot Roast. I love my crock pot!

Thursday:
Lunch: ~~Pot Roast Sandwiches~~ - I had leftovers from my dinner out.
Dinner: ~~Jambalaya~~ - We switched Thursday and Friday Dinner, so tonight was Lasagna and garlic bread.

Friday:
Lunch: ~~Jambalaya~~ - Hot dogs :(
Dinner: ~~Spinach and Beef Lasagna~~ - Jambalaya with added corn, red pepper, carrots and sweet potatoes. I thought I was cook Italian Sausage (what the label said) turns out it was Bratwurst. We still ate it, but it was weird.

Meal Plan: 4/3/10 - 4/9/10

2010-04-03T05:48:00.000-07:00

Saturday
Lunch:
Dinner: Tacos (Pork and Turkey), Cheese, Avocado, Salsa, Carrot slices,

Sunday:
Lunch: Easter Brunch
Dinner: Quessildillas with Spinach, Pork & Turkey and Cheese, Chips and Guacamole

Monday:
Lunch: Ham or Turkey Sandwich (from Easter Brunch)
Dinner: Grilled Chicken, Asparagus and Sweet Potatoes

Tuesday:
Lunch: Ham or Turkey Sandwich
Dinner: Chicken Pot Pie Bundles

Wednesday:
Lunch: Pot Pie Bundles
Dinner: Pot Roast - Potatoes and Carrots

Thursday:
Lunch: Pot Roast Sandwiches
Dinner: Jambalaya

Friday:
Lunch: Jambalaya
Dinner: Spinach and Beef Lasagna

How We Did: 3/27/10 - 4/2/10

2010-04-02T19:58:00.000-07:00

Saturday
Lunch: Hot Dogs and Chips
Dinner: Dinner out - it's Date Night!

Sunday:
Lunch: Awesome Everything Sandwiches, ~~Kiwi and Bananas~~ - Had Pita Chips instead of fruit. After cutting up the apples, pears and carrots in the sandwich I had my fill of fruit for the day.
Dinner: BBQ at friends house!

Monday:
Lunch: Mini-Meatballs Subs, ~~Garlic Bread~~ - Decided Bread and the Rolls was overkill.
Dinner: Meat Sauce over Veggie Spiral Pasta, Ceaser Salad, Garlic Toast - This was really yummy!

Tuesday:
Lunch: Turkey or Ham Sandwiches
Dinner: ~~Pork Apple and Potato Cakes~~, Baked Corn - Total dinner FAIL! The Pork and Apple Cakes wouldn't stay "caked", they stuck the pan and basically created a grey mess. I tossed it out and we had Brats instead. Also we weren't a fan of the Bake Corn, which made me sad since it got such good reviews.

Wednesday:
Lunch: ~~Baked Corn and Brats~~ - Since we had the brats the night before this ended up as a sandwich day.
Dinner: ~~Roast Chicken Breast, Carrots and Herbed Potatoes~~ and Salad - It was really nice out so I grilled chicken breasts and zucchini. I also made Crispy Oven Fries which turned out great! We did enjoy a salad as planned.

Thursday:
Lunch: Chicken and Avocado in Tortillas - YUMMY!
Dinner: ~~Sausage and Cheese Quiche~~ - Just wasn't in the mood for quiche so we did Sausage and Red Pepper Pasta instead.

Friday:
Lunch: ~~Sausage and Cheese Quiche~~ - We started today off badly. Since there was no quiche or leftovers we had Hot Dogs and chips. I know, twice in 1 week. gross! If it helps at all they are all-beef franks...No, I didn't think so.
Dinner: ~~Cob Salad with Chicken, Avocado, Cheese Cubes and Hard-Boiled Eggs~~ - Yeah this was a FAIL - There wasn't any chicken leftover and I had to work late which meant I ran through Sonic and picked up fast food. Bad!

Recipe: Mini Meatball Subs

2010-03-29T19:12:00.000-07:00

I was searching the net looking for a good meatball recipe and found this one. It looked good so I gave it a go - with some modifications.

1 pound Ground Beef
1/4 cup Diced Onion
1/4 cup Diced Red Pepper
1/4 cup Fresh Parsley
1/2 cup Bread Crumbs (5 Ritz crackers, the rest toast)
1 Egg
1 Tbs Worcestershire Sauce
A good shake of garlic powder
A few grinds of Sea Salt
A few grinds of Pepper
Jar Pasta Sauce
1/4 cup mixed Mozzarella and Parmesan Cheese
4 Hawaiian Sweet Rolls cut in half

Pre-heat oven to 350. Mix first 10 ingredients and form into meat balls. I got 12 balls from this recipe. Place in 9x13 baking dish and bake for 20 min. Heat pasta sauce in large skillet and stir meatballs to sauce. Cook for another 20 min. or until cooked through.

Push down in the center of both halves of the Sweet Rolls forming wells. Fill wells with a little sauce a sprinkle of cheese. Add Meatball to 1 side of each roll. Place rolls on baking dish and bake for 5 min. or until the cheese is melted. Place top of the roll on the meatball and press down. The Meatball is incased in the roll now.

This reheats great!

I took the rest of the sauce and meatballs an stirred them up to make meat sauce for the next day.

Recipe: Awesome Everything Sandwich

2010-03-28T17:34:00.000-07:00

This is a favorite sandwich of mine. It does take a little time to make, but it is worth it. It is a little different every time because I base it on what ever we happen to have in the fridge. Here is what was on the sandwich today.

A thinly sliced Apple, Pear and Carrot - I just use a veggie peeler and shaved off strips
1/2 Avocado for 2 sandwiches
1 slice Peppered Turkey Breast per sandwich
1 slice Brown Sugar Ham per sandwich
1 slice of Colby Jack Cheese per sandwich
1/2 slice Swiss Cheese per sandwich

Assemble all ingredients on whole wheat toast brushed with a little, tiny bit of olive oil.

No need for mayo or mustard because all the flavor is in the fruits and veggies. I try always to do avocado and apples. This was the first time I'd used pears and it turned out well. Sometimes I add lettuce, cucumber or tomato. It all depends on what is one hand. It's always a winner.

Meal Plan: 3/27/10 - 4/2/10

2010-03-27T07:47:00.000-07:00

Saturday
Lunch: Hot Dogs and Chips
Dinner: Dinner out - it's Date Night!

Sunday:
Lunch: Awesome Everything Sandwiches, Kiwi and Bananas
Dinner: BBQ at friends house!

Monday:
Lunch: Mini-Meatballs Subs, Garlic Bread
Dinner: Meat Sauce over Veggie Spiral Pasta, Ceaser Salad, Garlic Toast

Tuesday:
Lunch: Turkey or Ham Sandwiches
Dinner: Pork Apple and Potato Cakes, Baked Corn

Wednesday:
Lunch: Baked Corn and Brats
Dinner: Roast Chicken Breast, Carrots and Herbed Potatoes and Salad

Thursday:
Lunch: Chicken and Avocado in Tortillas
Dinner: Sausage and Cheese Quiche

Friday:
Lunch: Sausage and Cheese Quiche
Dinner: Cob Salad with Chicken, Avocado, Cheese Cubes and Hard-Boiled Eggs

Recipe: Lightly Smushed Potatoes

2010-03-22T19:03:00.000-07:00

This is a quick, easy and fairly healthy way to prepare potatoes. Plus with BB sized Potatoes on sale for 59 cents a pound they are really budget friendly.

Bring a pot of lightly salted water to boil
Wash 8 BB sized Potatoes. I do 4 each of reds and yellows
Cut Potatoes into 4ths (leaving the skins on) and add to water
Boil until fork tender
Drain Water and return to stove
Add 1 tbs Butter, a drizzle of Olive Oil and a few grinds of Sea Salt and Pepper
Stir until the edges of the Potatoes are roughed up and serve

The hands on-time for these spuds are much less then the mashed variety and the final product is just as tasty.

Recipie: Sweet Tomatoes and Sauages

2010-03-22T16:11:00.001-07:00

I watched Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution today and was inspired to check out some of his recipes. The only meat in the fridge today was Italian Sausages so I decided to make this: Jamie's Sweet Cherry Tomato and Sausage Bake.

I didn't really have all the ingredients so I made my own version, based on what I had on hand. So here is my "Sweet Tomatoes and Sausages" recipe:

Preheat the oven to 375.
In a small dish mix a few shakes of Thyme and Oregano, a few grinds of Sea Salt and Pepper and 2 cloves of minced Garlic.
In a 8x8 baking dish lay out 3 Italian Sausages and pour a pint of grape tomatoes over them.
Then drizzle with Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar, tossing to coat.
Sprinkle Herb mixture over the Sausage and Tomatoes and bake in the oven for 30 min.
Turn the Sausages over and give everything a good stir.
Bake for another 20 min. then remove from oven.
Remove Sausages from pan and put the Tomato mixture over the burner and cook while stirring until the juices thicken up to desired consistency.
Pour the Tomato mixture over the Sausages and serve with Lightly Smushed Potatoes.

This was a seriously good recipe. I've never baked Sausages before, but they were great! I also used a different brand of Sausage and was pleased to find these weren't too greasy. The sweetness of the Tomatoes mixed with the Balsamic was the perfect accompaniment to the Sausages. Even Michael seemed to like it and it featured tomatoes not in Salsa form.

Meal Plan 3/20/10 - 3/26/10

2010-03-20T13:19:00.000-07:00

Saturday
Lunch: Hot Dogs and Chips
Dinner: Crock-pot Chili, Sweet Rolls and Herbed Corn

Sunday:
Lunch: Ham Sandwiches, Chips and Carrots
Dinner: Beef and Turkey Tacos topped with carrots, Herbed Corn

Monday:
Lunch: Beef and Turkey Quesadillas
Dinner: Sweet Tomatoes and Sausages, Lightly Smushed Potatoes

Tuesday:
Lunch: Chili or Sausage
Dinner: Philadelphia Farmhouse Chicken Dinner (will be modified)

Wednesday:
Lunch: Ham and Cheese Sandwich
Dinner: Bratwurst and Sweet Potato Fries

Thursday:
Lunch: Brats or Chicken
Dinner: Frozen Pizza and Salad

Friday:
Lunch: Pizza
Dinner: ~~Baked Dijon Salmon, Quinoa Pilaf with Olives and Tomatoes~~
Dinner didn't happen, instead I picked up a burger for Micheal and a cup of soup and a salad for me.

Meal Plan: 3/13/10 - 3/19/10

2010-03-13T13:04:00.000-08:00

Saturday
Lunch: Hot Dogs or Sandwiches
Dinner: Breaded Pork Chops, Roasted Red Potatoes and Onions, Salad

Sunday:
Lunch: Pork Chop Sandwich
Dinner: Taco Skillet with Corn

Monday:
Lunch: Taco Skillet
Dinner: Slow Cooker Chicken, Sun-Dried Tomato Polenta, Asparagus

Tuesday:
Lunch: Chicken Tortillas
Dinner: Salad with Havati, Apricots, Strawberries and Sugared Bacon, Biscuits

Wednesday:
Lunch: Turkey Sandwiches
Dinner: Chicken Pot Pie

Thursday:
Lunch: Chicken Pot Pie
Dinner: Pasta and Meatballs, Salad

Friday:
Lunch: Meatballs Subs, Salad
Dinner: Baked Eggs in Sauce with toast

Recipe: Turkey Burgers

2010-03-10T06:24:00.000-08:00

I want to start by fessing up. You may have noticed that Turkey Burgers make the meal plan often - but yesterday was the first time I've actually made them! It seems that about once a week we have one meal that gets kicked out of the rotation for one reason or another, lately it's been the turkey burgers. Probably because they are really best grilled and until this week it has been too cold to grill.

I started with this recipe from Martha Stewart. Then I changed it to fit our tastes and what I had on hand.

I started with about 1/2 cup shredded swiss cheese, 1lbs ground turkey breast (normally I'd do the plain ground turkey, but I had a coupon), 3 green onions chopped into coins, 2 cloves of garlic chopped up, Honey Dijon Mustard, Salt and Pepper. In the bowl is one hot dog bun crumbled up. I never have bread crumbs on hand, so I just made my own.

I just mixed all the ingredients together. I don't think I used anywhere near 1/4 cup of mustard, I just made a few squiggles of it over the rest of the mixture.

Next I made the patties. We have this patty maker that I adore. It makes every burger cook evenly and with turkey burgers it really helps them to keep their shape. This batch made 4 good sized burgers and 3 mini burgers for Greyson

I tossed them on the grill. I grill pretty much everything on the second rack. Make sure to oil the grates, it makes flipping them later much easier! Each sides get 3-4 min to cook, then the burgers are moved further from the flames for another 10ish min, until they reach 165 degrees.

I served them with sweet potato fries (from frozen this time, not homemade...) and a spinach salad.

I thought they turned out well. Flavorful and with a good consistency.

Meal Review: Pasta, Cheese Toast and Salad

2010-03-07T07:49:00.000-08:00

If there is one meal that I know will make everyone in the house happy with minimal effort om my part - this is it.

1/2 box pasta - we've taken to using this, because the smaller size is easier for Greyson to pick-up.
1 jar of Prego Traditional - I have tried every sauce on the shelves and this is the only one that both Michael and I like.
1 pound ground beef or turkey - this time it was both, actually it was left-over from taco night.
3 slices of Cheese Toast - I get the Hy-vee brand these days and like it better then the name brands.
Some Baby Spinach

Volia, Dinner!

Super easy, everyone likes it and as long as I remember to pre-heat the oven at the same time as I put the water on to boil, it always comes out perfect.

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5 stars ***** for ease and consistently good results!

Meal Plan 3/6/10 - 3/12/10

2010-03-06T14:03:00.000-08:00

Saturday
Lunch: Lunch out
Dinner: Pasta, Cheese Toast, Spinach Salad

Sunday:
Lunch: Hot Dogs and Chips
Dinner: Grilled Chicken Breast, Rice, Spinach Salad

Monday:
Lunch: Pasta Bake
Dinner: Bacon Wrapped Fillets, Grilled Polenta, Spinach Salad

Tuesday:
Lunch: Beef Burritos, Chips and Salsa, Avocado
Dinner: Turkey Burgers with Swiss, Sweet Potato Fries, Side Salad

Wednesday:
Lunch: Turkey Burgers
Dinner: ~~Chicken Pot Pie~~ Cottage Pie

Thursday:
Lunch: Cottage Pie
Dinner: ~~Chicken Fried Rice~~ Dinner with M's parents

Friday:
Lunch: Tomato Soup and Salad
Dinner: Fish and Chips

Morgan's Chicken Curry

2010-03-05T07:19:00.000-08:00

I don't know if this qualifies as a "recipe" as I didn't measure anything, I don't have cooking times, etc. This is an entirely "by feel and temperament" process.

Here's how it goes:

Over the weekend I prepped this first step. So the chopped onion (about 1/4 of one since Michael doesn't like onions) and pepper (1/2 red bell pepper) were tossed into the skillet with a little oil. I sauteed them for a while and then added the bite sized pieces of chicken breast (also cut up over the weekend - approx one and a half large breasts).

Then I added 2 large spoonfuls of curry paste.

In my opinion this is the BEST curry paste out there. It's warm, but not too hot. You can taste all the spices along with a little tomato that really makes it pop. Unfortunately I can only find it at World Market these days. So I bought two jars this week just in case it get even harder to find.

Let simmer until the chicken is cooked through. Then add some coconut milk. I've done it with a whole can, but this time I used what was left in the can after 1 cup was used for the rice.

Then I added some chopped up carrots, a few sprigs of broccoli and a can of sliced water chestnuts and 1/4 cup water and simmered until the veggies were tender-crisp and the sauce was thickened.

Serve with Rice and enjoy!

Meal Review: Chicken Curry and Coconut Rice

2010-03-05T07:08:00.000-08:00

What a difference having good curry paste makes! Seriously, I've been lamenting the lack-luster curries I've made over the past months and it all came down to having the right curry paste. I've been using the powder lately, which is great for adding a kick to soups, but not good for a straight up chicken curry.

I thought dinner was great, the veggies were still tender crisp and the chicken was still moist. The rice improved leaps and bounds after reheating with a damp paper towel over it. It looked and tasted like regular brown-rice but with a hint of sweetness.

Micheal wasn't too thrilled as it contained onions and peppers. Greyson also wasn't enamored with it the first day, but loved it when I blended it with some rice and plain yogurt to a paste consistency. It was easy for him keep on the spoon and was yummy! (He's trying to spoon-feed himself now.)

Overall rating: 4 out of 5 stars ****

Meal Review: Cornmeal-Crusted Tilapia, Avocado and Roma Tomatoes, Coconut Rice

2010-03-01T18:29:00.000-08:00

Sadly, this is one I won't be making again. The Tilapia was bland, the rice didn't come out right and while I liked the avocado and tomatoes - no one else did.

Tilapia- It's a bland, pretty much flavor-less fish. When prepared right it can be great, but the cornmeal breading, even with it's copious amounts of paprika just didn't give it any zing...at all. On the up-side, Greyson liked it, he ate a whole fillet himself and then some. Michael and I only got through it by dipping it in ketchup - never a good sign.

Coconut Rice - Normally a winner, this time it ended up not even being ready by meal time. I was out of jasmine rice, or any long-grain white rice for that matter, so I subbed in short-grain brown rice. It didn't really work. I forgot to take into account the longer cooking time of brown rice, hence it not being done in time for dinner. I packed it in a container and hopefully it will be passable tomorrow.

Avocado and Tomatoes - Personally I like this. It was just an avocado cut up with a little lime juice and a roma tomato. Nothing fancy, but nothing exciting either. I should have just made guacamole :(

Over all rating: One Measly Star *

Saturday Prep-work

2010-02-27T19:25:00.000-08:00

I find the hardest part of making meals for my family is finding the time to cut everything up. So today while Greyson was napping I pulled out this week's veggies and chicken, some containers and a sharp knife and cutting board and got to work.

First I peeled 6 carrots and cut 3 of them into sticks and put them in two containers for snacking and to take to lunch on Wednesday. Then I cut the other three into coins and put them into container A for Jambabyla on Sunday.

Then it was on to the Bell Pepper. I diced it up and half went into container A and half into container B for Tuesdays Chicken Curry in a Hurry.

Next came the onion. Half sliced and added into container B, half wrapped up and put back in the fridge.

Then I cut up 2 heads of broccoli. A few florets were added to the carrot stick containers for snacking. A handful added to container A and the rest put in another container for baked potatoes on Friday.

I added a cup of frozen corn kernels to container A, then sealed them all up and put them in the fridge.

Finally I cut up 2 chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces that I put into one more container. Now I can just pull out 1/2 for Jambalaya and the other half for Curry.

I'm hoping all this prep-work will make for speedier and easier meals later in the week.

Morgan's Slow-Cooker Beef Stew Recipe

2010-02-27T18:51:00.000-08:00

I pulled out a recipe when making beef stew this week, but ended up not following it at all. I didn't have all the ingredients and I wanted to use up some other things. So, here is what I did:

1 small chuck roast cut into 1 inch cubes (I originally planned to make a pot roast)
4 strips of bacon
1/2 onion cut into chunks
Most of a small bag of baby carrots, cut in half
4 small yukon gold potatoes cut in 1/4's
3 cloves of garlic, pressed and chopped
Flour
Salt & Pepper
Italian seasoning
Garlic powder
1 cup frozen corn
1 can crushed tomatoes
1 can beef broth
1/4 cup small pearl tapioca

Fry up bacon, blot with paper towels and crumble into slow-cooker. In a zip-top bag put a few spoonfuls of flour, salt & pepper and a shake of garlic powder. Then add the beef cubes. Shake them up until the beef is coated, then working in batches brown the beef in the pan of bacon grease. Layer onions, carrots, potatoes, garlic and beef. Pour in the can of crushed tomatoes, the can of beef broth, the tapioca and add a few shakes of Italian seasoning and a little more salt & pepper. Cook on low for 6 hours, then add frozen corn, season to taste and cook for 30 min more.

It's a fairly soupy stew and I served it over wide egg noodles the first day. It would also be good over mashed potatoes or polenta.

Meal Plan: 2/27/10 - 3/5/10

2010-02-27T13:57:00.000-08:00

Saturday
Lunch: Grilled Cheese Sandwiches and Chips and Salsa
Dinner: Beef Stew, Broiled English Muffins with Havarti

Sunday:
Lunch: Bratwurst, Chips and Side Salad
Dinner: Jambabyla with Chicken Breast, added Corn, Broccoli and Red Peppers, Cheese Toast

Monday:
Lunch: Bratwurst, Chips, Apple Slices
Dinner: Cornmeal-Crusted Tilapia, Avocado and Roma Tomatoes, Coconut Rice

Tuesday:
Lunch: Leftover Jambalaya, Cheese Toast
Dinner: Chicken Curry in a Hurry, leftover Coconut Rice

Wednesday:
Lunch: Tomato Soup, Hot Dogs, Carrot Stick and Dip
Dinner: Turkey Burgers with Avocado and Swiss, Sweet Potato Fries, Side Salad

Thursday:
Lunch: Burgers and Pear Slices
Dinner: Beef Tacos and Jicama Salad

Friday:
Lunch: Taco Bowl
Dinner: Baked Potatoes with Broccoli and Bacon, Tomato Soup

Budget Overview: Jan. 2010

2010-01-30T18:43:00.000-08:00

This was the first month we really set a budget and tried to stick with it. We actually did really good! Michael clocked a few extra hours so we had a little extra money and we were actually UNDER budget, even without the little extra. Yippee!

Over all we are able to put $141.00 extra into paying off our debt this month. I'm so excited that we are actually sticking to it, and honestly it's not hard. We've even given ourselves some extras this month too!

I re-tooled the budget for February a little bit, hopefully we will do this well next month too.

Meal Plan 1/30/10 - 2/5/10

2010-01-30T18:36:00.000-08:00

Saturday
Lunch: Turkey, Apple and Cheese Sandwiches and Chips
Dinner: Chili and Corn Muffins

Sunday:
Lunch: Quinoa and Veggies, Sandwiches
Dinner: Monte Cristos and Sweet Potato Fries

Monday:
Lunch: Chili and Corn Muffin
Dinner: Crock-Pot Pork on a bun, Chips

Tuesday:
Lunch: Shredded Pork Burritos with Quinoa
Dinner: Roasted Chicken and Sweet Potatoes

Wednesday:
Lunch: Pork/Chili/Chicken (leftover delight)
Dinner: Sausage Jambalaya, Cheese Toast

Thursday:
Lunch: Sausage Jambalaya
Dinner: Chicken Pot Pie

Friday:
Lunch: Chicken Pot Pie
Dinner: Corn Chowder

Grocery Cost this week: $65.0o

Meal Plan 1/23/10 - 1/29/10

2010-01-23T14:04:00.000-08:00

Saturday
Lunch: Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup
Dinner: Dinner with Grandparents

Sunday:
Lunch: Sandwiches
Dinner: Sauteed Chicken, Zucchini and Onions over Pasta with Alfredo

Monday:
Lunch: Sandwiches and Chips / Leftover Pasta
Dinner: Beef/Turkey Burritos with Quinoa and Corn

Tuesday:
Lunch: Burritos, Chips and Salsa
Dinner: Chicken and Veggie Curry with Coconut Rice

Wednesday:
Lunch: Curry and Rice
Dinner: Quinoa Pilaf with Chicken, Sweet Potatoes and Carrots

Thursday:
Lunch: Leftovers or Quiche
Dinner: Baked Potato Soup

Friday:
Lunch: Baked Potato Soup
Dinner: Leftovers or Frozen Pizza

Grocery Cost this week: $62.54
Includes Beer and 2 12-packs of soda

Cleaning the Office Closet

2010-01-18T06:20:00.000-08:00

If there is one place in our house that just collects thing it is our office closet. For the past 6 months just opening the door to out the ironing board was a hazard. Not so any longer!

While Greyson was taking a nap yesterday M and I tackled the mess and were victorious! Our garage sale pile has grown and I vowed never to enter a fabric store again, because, as M puts it "there is already an entire fabric store in here!". There is some truth to that...I have a lot of fabric.

Next up. the Hall Closet.

Meal Plan 1/16/10 - 1/22/10

2010-01-16T08:53:00.000-08:00

Saturday
Lunch: Sandwiches, Chips and Salsa
Dinner: Salmon with Veggies and Rice

Sunday:
Lunch: Homemade Mac and Cheese with Broccoli and Squash
Dinner: Pasta Bake with Zucchini and Spinach, Cheese Toast

Monday:
Lunch: Mac and Cheese, 1/2 Sandwich
Dinner: Beef/Turkey Burritos with Rice and Corn

Tuesday:
Lunch: Pasta Bake and Beef/Turkey
Dinner: Steak and Roasted Veggies

Wednesday:
Lunch: Steak Sandwiches
Dinner: Sausage Jambalaya

Thursday:
Lunch: Sausage Jambalaya
Dinner: Roasted Chicken Breast, Broccoli Rice and Potatoes

Friday:
Lunch: Chicken wraps
Dinner: Leftovers or Frozen Pizza

Grocery Cost this week: $106.06
Includes laundry detergent and dog food, stocking up on shredded cheese

The joy of breakfast

2010-01-11T06:33:00.000-08:00

I'm sad to say that breakfast is a much neglected meal in our house. It tends to be a blurry-eyed rummage through the cabinets culminating in the grabbing of whatever is close, or skipping it all together. This is not a good way to start a day. Lately I've been making an effort to eat something, and something healthy every morning. Making breakfast for Greyson is helping in this challenge. This morning I enjoyed a cinnamon raisin bagel and tea while Greyson had banana pancakes, his favorite! I made a large batch on Sunday that should see us through the next week or two.

Sipping a warm cup of tea, listening to my baby happily flip through books, what a great way to start the day.

A midwinter cleanout

2010-01-10T12:46:00.000-08:00

Yesterday in the spirit of "less things" we started going through our cabinets and making a garage sale pile. Yes, I realize it is below freezing and the streets are covered with snow, but I like to start early. In cleaning out the kitchen alone we amassed a HUGE pile of things to pass on to others. I just don't need these things anymore and I want them out of my house and life.

I think it will take us all winter to properly purge the house of all the unnecessary extras. I'm really looking forward making room in our house for more life and less stuff.

Meal Plan 1/9/10 - 1/1/15/10

2010-01-09T11:18:00.000-08:00

Saturday
Lunch: Sandwiches and leftover Mac and Cheese
Dinner: Parmesan Tilapia, Cheesy Veggies, Rice

Sunday:
Lunch: Sandwiches and Chips
Dinner: Shrimp Gumbo (add Peppers, Water Chestnuts and Corn), Cheese Toast

Monday:
Lunch: Gumbo
Dinner: Baked Chicken, Scalloped Potatoes, Spinach Salad

Tuesday:
Lunch: Chicken Wraps and Rice
Dinner: ~~Squash & Corn Chowder, Corn Bread, Spinach Salad~~ Tostadas

Wednesday:
Lunch: ~~Chowder and Sandwich~~ Leftover mexican food
Dinner: ~~Shepard's Pie~~ Frozen Pizza

Thursday:
Lunch: ~~Shepards's Pie~~ leftover pizza
Dinner: Cheeseburger Soup, Spinach Salad

Friday:
Lunch: Cheeseburger Soup
Dinner: Leftovers or Frozen Pizza

Grocery Cost this week: ~~$54.98~~ $70.34
We had to run back out late in the week for baby wipes, baby food, tortillas, sliced turkey and something else that comes out the the grocery budget...