New Year, New Meals . . . thanks to Betty!!

I don't know if you heard, but for Christmas Betty bought me 6 months of a meal planning service.  She chose the "Mediterranean Plan" for me, and she chose very well!  THIS IS AWESOME!!!!  I have already made a delicious and easy "Italian fish stew", and a pasta with roasted cauliflower that was right up my alley.  I couldn't be happier!!  :)  I will put an * next to meals that are on the plan, and you guys can feel free to ask me to post a recipe if it looks good to you too.  I am very excited to breath some life into our menu plan!!!

WED:  crock pot beef over egg noodles, peas, salad
THURS:  *pineapple glazed salmon, couscous with chickpeas
FRI: Really Good Chili (the plan had a chili recipe, but I love mine!), biscuits from this month's          Eating Well magazine
SAT:  *cheesy sausage-onion pizza
SUN: * chicken spaghetti, arugula and apple salad
MON: fish, hashbrowns, greens, corn
TUES: *baked penne with mushrooms (I'm adding raw veggies and dip/hummus as a side)

Happy New Year to everyone! 

Love,
Kathy

Just scraping by . . .

Well, I don't know about you guys, but I am eagerly awaiting my favorite holiday of the year . . . the day after Christmas!  :)  Hmmmm, is that sacrilegious?!  I am just getting worn out with all the "weeks before Christmas" hooplah.  The thought of grocery shopping and cooking puts me over the edge!  I'll try to keep it simple this week . . . I owe cookies to several classrooms . . . so there will be more "baking" than "cooking" in the house this week.  I know 4 kids who will be plenty happy about that!!  :)  Hope you're all having a great week . . . Ann Marie, I hope your kids (and you!) are over all their bugs.  Dad entertained me with Andrew's top bunk vomit story.  I'm so sorry!!!!

Tues: nacho platter that we didn't get around to making last week
Wed: my speciatly: "fish from the store" :), hashbrowns, spinach, 7-layer-salad
Thurs: baked chicken, beans, veggies and dip
Fri: breakfast for dinner
Sat: Dinner to be named later . . . maybe with Mom and Dad?
Sun: lasagna, salad

Merry Week Before Christmas!
Love,
Kathy

*UPDATE*:  This is what we will ACTUALLY be eating this week, supplemented with a chicken from the freezer and some really questionable looking cod I grabbed from the store as I ran through at warp speed.  After having lost a whole morning of work that needs to be done while the kids are at school . . . because I was at the doctor with Luke who now has an ear infection . . . I decided the grocery store run could be put off indefinitely with a few hastily grabbed staples.  If I make it through this week and still retain my beautiful, calm , youthful demeanor (hahahahaha), it will be a true CHRISTMAS MIRACLE!!  :)  :) 

Peanut Butter Cookies

OK.  I have to share a recipe, along with a disclaimer.  The disclaimer is this:  I am normally NOT A FAN of trying to hide "nutritious things" in dessert.  ie, I am not the mom bragging that my kids ate the pureed spinach that I snuck into the brownies that were, by the way, made with black beans.  (I hear black bean brownies are very good, by the way, but I just cannot bring myself to do it!)  I would rather work on getting my kids to *enjoy* delicious spinach and black beans for DINNER, and then eat a decadent chocolate and sugar-filled dessert. 

That being said, I have sick kids at home.  They all have to take Tamiflu, which has to be taken with food.  They have no appetites.  So I am pulling out all the stops to try to get them to eat ANYTHING.  Even milkshakes only met with partial success.  So I decided to make same cookies, but I really wanted them to have SOME nutrition for these sick kids!!  Enter the 100 Days of Real Food peanut butter cookie recipe.  I added chocolate chips because I WANTED THE KIDS TO LIKE THEM, and I left out the peanut chunks . . . but the rest is the same.  I also used sprouted whole wheat flour because I ordered some off the internet just to try a few weeks ago.  (Tastes the same as WW flour.)  These cookies are delicious.  We all love them!  Try them immediately!  :)

1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup natural peanut butter
1 stick of butter, softened slightly and cut into chunks
1 egg
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup unsalted peanuts (I substituted about a cup of chocolate chips.  Can't be too healthy!) :)

Preheat oven to 325.  In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt.  In a stand mixer fitted with a whisk (oops, I used the paddle.  It worked!) thouroughly mix the peanut butter, maple syrup, butter, egg, and vanilla.  Mix until almost smooth . . . some small butter chunks is OK.

Turn the mixer to low and slowly add flour mixture until well combined.  Do not overmix.  Stir in peanuts (or chocolate chips) by hand.

Drop by spoonful onto ungreased cookie sheet and make until light golden brown, about 15 minutes.  

Insert Snappy Title Here

I just want you all to know that I will never ever ever make it another 20? 30? 40? years of meal planning.  I am soooooo burned out.  Writing this weeks plan was like pulling teeth!  I need to know how to make chicken adobo, since I have never even had it . . . and it is a staple in your house, Jennifer.  And I need to know how to grill tri-tip, Ann Marie . . . I am afraid!  :)  I get stuck in a rut, and then on the weeks when I try to get out of my rut I am frustrated because I spend all day in the kitchen "trying a new recipe", and then if it is no good, what a waste!  Anywho . . . here's this week's attempt!

Tues: Salmon, mashed sweet potatoes, sauteed kale, (frozen) beans from our garden
Wed:  Steak, mushrooms, roasted red potatoes, (frozen) Farmers' Market corn, salad
Thurs:  Homemade chicken "nuggets", roasted butternut squash, peas, carrot sticks
Fri:  Pesto pasta with broccoli  (gee, never had THAT before)
Sat: breakfast for dinner
Sun: Huge "nacho platter": chips, black beans pureed with lime and cumin, cheese, veggies, guac
Mon:  Mussels, quinoa salad, sprouted whole wheat rolls (my latest "new" thing), veggies and dip

The big excitement in my kitchen is that my blender broke (again . . . this happens every 3-4 months) and I wanted to replace it with a "good" one.  I have heard Blendtec blenders are awesome . . . but with the price tag of 400-some dollars.  Yikes!  I was excited to find a "refurbished" one for 200, with a 7-year warranty included.  (I did the math.  With the 40 dollar one breaking every 4 months, we'll pay this one off way before the warranty ends!)  :)  It just showed up at my door . . . so I will see what all the fuss is about!

Hope you are all having a good week!

Love,
Kathy

Repurposing leftovers

Hola,

I was surprised to see new menus up for the blog this week.  We are swimming in turkey, sweet potatoes, pancit, adobo, stir fried bok choy with persimmons ... I hadn't even thought to cook something new.  Leftovers, that there are multiple boxes throughout the house of things that need new homes and a little Monica on the verge of walking ... haven't had the energy to be original.  Reheat please.

Ann Marie-- Glad everyone is feeling better.  I will write my mom's recipe/scribblings for you for the adobo and salmon.  It's all about when things bubble...  My mom LOVED the ka-bo-cha squash and ginger snap crust pie.  She found it light and thinks you a genius.

Kathy--  Thanks for the cake recipe.  Cake turned out fantastic.  We might have beaten the maple syrup frosting too much such that it was runny.  We used it with blueberries for in between the layers and a lemon cream cheese frosting for the top and sides.  Ann Marie McGee helped decorate while I was working on stir frying veggies.  Thanks to Mrs. McGee I have some photos which I hope to turn into a blog post this weekend.

So here's how we are upcycling for the week:

Tuesday:  Hatch chili pepper and bell pepper with turkey soup

Wednesday:  Turkey quesadillas with persimmons

Thursday:  Salmon with asparagus

Friday:  Chicken adobo (defrosted after being frozen last weekend) with stir fried veggies

Saturday:  Kale and butternut squash lasagna

** Also roasted a spaghetti squash, shredded it and added olive oil, lemon, chili flakes and some parmesan as a back up side.

Have a great week!

*Jennifer

Post Thanksgiving, who needs food??!!

Monday:  leftover chicken, farro, corn, roasted cauliflower
Tuesday:  beef and bean burritos, guacamole, fruit
Wednesday: fish (whatever looks good at the store!); cheddar, brussel sprouts, and rice bake
Thursday:  hamburgers with homemade buns, oven fries, raw veggies and dip
Friday:  pork, apple, and sage pies (from an Organic Gardening magazine), peas, salad
Saturday:  breakfast for dinner
Sunday:  broccoli soup, grilled cheese sandwiches, grape tomatoes
Monday:  chicken divan, salad, rolls

Back for more!

Kathy,
I'm dying to know, what do the smiley and frowney faces at the bottom of the recipe denote? In all seriousness though, it sounds like a great recipe, the yogurt addition sounds good!  Although, our November is becoming a little like July at your house.  We are caked-out and here comes Christmas...oh boy.

I hope you are able to post some pictures of the birthday bash that we missed Jennifer (and am still guilted and bummed about doing so!)  What a great Thanksgiving it was, and thank you for hosting all of us!  We seem to avoid day-time vomiting, Kathy, but trade it for night-time vomiting from Joey's coughing episodes.  While we initially doubted our decision to head home early, being able to address the issue with a washing machine close-by was a good thing.  Hope we made it out with all of our germs.  

I tried to absorb some tips from your mom on Adobo making, Jennifer.  I think I've got the prep down, but am guessing there are some important secrets in the cooking process as well.  Tried to emulate her salmon, but used Parsley instead.  She would probably find some humor in my Americanized attempts!  :-) You have great folks and we enjoyed visiting with them again.

Hope your weeks go well, ladies.  Can it be 3 weeks until Christmas?  Ah!

Love,
Ann Marie

**I sent Steve on a run to the produce stand.  So, I'll ad-lib a vegetable each day from what he brings home.

Saturday: Broiled Salmon with ginger and (substitute parsley for cilantro), pesto pasta, sauteed pea pods with ginger and garlic, salad

Sun: Fajitas, salad, veggie

Mon: Grilled tri-tip, salad, veggie, baked beans, corn bread

Tues: take-out night due to CCD

Wed: Beef and white bean stew with kale, rosemary dinner rolls, salad

Thurs: Steve's work Christmas party, pizza or leftovers for the kids

Friday: Hamburgers, homemade buns, salad, veggie

Cake recipes for Monica :)

I highly recommend the above cake.  Its simple and good . . . and you can make lots of fluffy and delicious whipped cream frosting with very little sugar.  Whipped cream frosting all over the face makes for great First Birthday photo ops . . . you know, for the baby book!  :)

As a matter of fact, a new favorite frosting that I stumbled upon doesn't even have sugar . . . just a little maple syrup.  It would be awesome on this cake!  Here's the recipe:

With an electric mixer, (starting on low and gradually increasing the speed to avoid splatters) whip the following ingredients for several minutes, until thick and creamy:
2 cups heavy cream
One 8-ounce package of cream cheese, at room temp (room temp is very important, trust me)  :)
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

I love this frosting!

GOOD LUCK!!
Love,
Kathy

P.S.  In the cake recipe, I never used "superfine sugar", just plain white sugar, and it worked fine.  I also usually use grapeseed oil as the oil . . . I think I used olive oil once and it did change the flavor a bit.  

Eating humble pie, yum yum

It has been a rough month.  This is not an excuse for completely refusing to acknowledge any of the November birthdays.  I really really hope that your birthday was wonderful Jennifer (and Ann Marie, if she reads this!).  Who else did I overlook?

I am very jealous of your Thanksgiving week!  I hope everyone is healthy (I heard poor Monica has been through the ringer!!) and you have a wonderful celebration.  I can't wait to see the blog post about all the fun!

We are suffering through the world's worst flu bug.  I am not even sure we are going to be able to attend Mom's big Thanksgiving dinner.  Luke, Sean, and Liam had it last week . . . Luke threw up every day for the entire week.  Now Katie has it.  I am afraid I might have to bring her in for IV fluids today.  She's been vomiting since Sunday afternoon and can't keep any fluid down.  She also had a high fever all day yesterday.  She's just miserable.  The fact that Grace hasn't had it yet makes me very wary about bringing her to a house full of people who have to travel home.  This is NOT the flu to share!! 

We also had some bad news about Sean . . . turns out he is pretty severely allergic to, well, pretty much everything airborne.  Dust, mold, pollen, trees, grass, pet dander, etc etc.  He still has welts on his back from the allergy testing last Friday.  He's on steroid drugs to try to clear out his nose, ("I don't think he has been able to breath through his mouth his entire life" was the lovely "Mom-guilt-inducing" quote from the doctor) and we have been instructed to rip out every shred of carpet, wash all the curtains weekly, mop the floors and dust daily, etc.  Yea, that's likely.  Oh, and install a very expensive house-wide air filter, never open the windows, etc.  Good times.    

Anyway, we'll keep plugging along and see what the rest of the week shall bring.  

(Well, it appears I am using the menu-planning blog to vent about the last couple weeks. Ooops!  Sorry to dump it here, but now I feel better.  :)  Without further ado, here is the highly exciting meal plan for the week . . . last week's was modified a bit due to the aforementioned flu.  Luke vomited all over my beautifully roasted garden brussels sprouts, for example.  We had PB&J that night . . .)

Monday:  broiled salmon, roasted new potatoes, sauteed mushrooms and pea pods, citrus salad
Tuesday: waffles and fruit
Wednesday:  spaghetti and meatballs (never had it last week)
Thursday: hopefully Thanksgiving feast at mom's!  I am contributing a derby pie.  :)
Friday: Grilled ham and cheese, corn (Pat and Dave's 50th anniversary dinner out.  My babysitter had to cancel, so I am going . . . Liam will take the kids to the local tree-lighting festivities.  I am sorry to miss it!)
Saturday:  homemade pizza
Sunday:  oven fried chicken, roasted sweet potatoes, broccoli, sauteed kale

I hope you all have a wonderful celebration this week!!

Love,
Kathy

Post-celebration week menu

We did a bunch of eating out last week since we made a 4 day weekend out of Veteran's Day (Belated THANKS Liam, Kathy, Mark, Steve, Ann Marie, Tom, Mom & Dad ... did I forget anyone? ... oh an their supportive families-- now that is all inclusive!) and had a birthday celebration that lasted well into the weekend.  We ate well and schemed a few recipes.

I did a bulk cookout Sunday afternoon so we'd have meals to heat up during this week.

The Tschanzgiving West 2014 menu is brewing.  I'll post that once finalized!

Love,
Jennifer


SUNDAY
Steak, boiled brocolli & cauliflower, and baked eggplant with ricotta & tomato sauce (casserole from my colleague).

MONDAY
Broiled salmon, bok choy with garlic in siracha sauce, and rice

TUESDAY
Modified chicken divan -- we added parmesan and some carrots and cauliflower

WEDNESDAY
White bean, sausage and kale soup

THURSDAY
Leftovers

FRIDAY
We had this meal at the restaurant that catered our wedding last week.  I'll let you know if it tastes as well.  They made their tomato sauce from Marzano tomatoes they had grown over the summer so there was a nice sweetness to the sauce.
Quinoa meatball (falafal and quinoa mixed) with zucchini pasta (going to borrow my coworker's gizmo that will slice the veggie into spirals) in tomato sauce with a drizzle of some funky olive oil.
If it doesn't work out, we'll order out!

SATURDAY
Pizza

Brrrrrr . . .

OK, so winter has arrived.  I just got back from a run . . . 10 degrees, windchill -3.  This is not fun.  So as I am working on my menu plan, I am full into "winter comfort food" mode.  Bring on Mom's chicken and noodles!!  :)

Mon: Salmon, stuffed squash (recipe below!), steamed broccoli, salad
Tues: Roasted veggie pasta (Brussels sprouts and red onion from the garden!) with shrimp
Wed:  breakfast for dinner
Thurs:  Chicken and noodles, peas, salad
Fri:  Ham and bean soup, Irish brown bread, salad
Sat:  Rump roast with potatoes, carrots, and onions; salad
Sun:  Spaghetti, garlic/cheese rolls, salad

Have a great week!

Love,
Kathy

Another one to try . . . :)

Stuffed Carnival Squash with Wild Rice, Cheddar, and Apples

• 1 large carnival squash (or acorn squash), cut in half horizontally and seeds scooped out
• 1 cup cooked wild rice
• 1 apple, chopped
• 6 oz cheddar cheese, cut into 1/8" cubes
• 1/3 cup whipping cream
• salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Season cut side of squash liberally with salt and pepper. Put in a baking dish, cut sides down. Roast for 40 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine rice, chopped apples, cheddar, and whipping cream in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Scoop the filling into the center of the par baked squash, piling it up a bit if necessary.

Return to the oven, and bake for another 30-40 minutes, or until the top is golden and the cheese is bubbling up. Let the squash sit for 5 minutes before serving.

To serve, you can either quarter each half and serve it that way, or scoop out the filling along with some of the flesh of the squash.

Jennifer . . . maybe? (from 100 Days of Real Food)

Spaghetti Squash + Roasted Tomato Sauce

Serves: 4 to 6

Ingredients

• 1 large spaghetti squash (about 4 pounds)
• 3-4 pounds of roma tomatoes, sliced in quarters
• 1 large onion, peeled and sliced
• Olive oil, salt and pepper for roasting vegetables
• 1 tsp oregano
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 garlic clove finely diced
• Parmesan cheese, grated (optional topping)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and line two baking sheets with aluminum foil. Add the onions and tomatoes to one pan, lightly drizzle with the olive oil, and sprinkle with salt & pepper. Stick them in the oven for 30 minutes while you start to work on the squash.
2. Wash the squash well, dry it, and then poke a few holes with a fork to allow air to escape. Place it in the microwave for 4 to 5 minutes on high heat. This will soften the skin enough so that you can easily slice a knife through it.
3. After the squash cools for a few minutes, slice it in half length-wise, scoop out the seeds, and discard them. Place it skin side down on the other baking sheet.
4. Meanwhile, check on the other veggies. Remove the onions when the edges are slightly blackened. Then put the tomatoes back in the oven along with the squash and cook them both for another 30 minutes. The edges of the squash will start to brown and the "noodles" should be easy to shred when ready. The tomatoes may need to go an extra 10 or 15 minutes. If they start to brown on the edges a bit; this is ok - it gives the sauce a wonderful flavor.
5. Add roasted tomatoes, onions, garlic, oregano and salt to high-speed blender. Pulse two to three times, being careful to not over-blend and puree too much - some chunks in the sauce are good!
6. Once the squash has cooled enough to handle, shred with a fork by scraping away from the skin. Plate the "noodles" and top with the sauce and Parmesan cheese, if desired. Serve warm and enjoy!

We can taste again!

We have mostly recovered from the colds that knocked us out for 2 weekends.  During that time we lived on casseroles and chicken broth or miso soup.  So far the making a bunch of things ahead of time to reheat during the week has been helpful.  We are also transitioning Monica to eating table food so some of our meals have veggies that are soft!

Last week, my colleague and I swapped a casserole.  She is Lebanese and we swapped a lasagna for kefta kabob.

Sunday:  Tuscan white bean soup with kale and sausage ... and challah

Monday:  More Tuscan white bean soup with kale and sausage ... and challah, and steamed brocolli.

Tuesday:  Lasagna with asparagus

Wednesday:  Leftovers

Thursday:  Kefta kabobs
-- It looks/smells like she made beef patties with oregano, thyme, parsley, mint and all spice and placed them atop thinly sliced tomatoes and onions.  Add a can of tomato sauce and some water so the pan is halfway filled.  Popped it in the oven at 350 for 30-45 minutes until the potatoes are soft.

Friday:  Crock pot chicken-- debating BBQ or lemon

Saturday:  Looks like Steve and Ann Marie will be here ... so who knows?! Maybe some chicken adobo!  As for the adobo photo recipe-- it's coming.  We realized the photos are spread on different cameras (one of which is my dad's) so I hope to combine them when I have some free time ... ha!


-->  I also have a pumpkin, spaghetti squash and kabocha squash sitting on the counter that need to be transformed into something other than a play toy for Monica

Yee Haw

Monday: Poached salmon steaks, hashbrowns, steamed broccoli, roasted cauliflower, salad
Tuesday: TACO TUESDAY!
Wednesday: breakfast for dinner
Thursday: Ribs in the crock, grits 'n greens, carrot sticks
Friday: Spaghetti, garlic rolls, salad
Saturday: Roast chicken, brown rice and gravy, roasted butternut squash, salad
Sunday: Pesto pasta with shrimp

The rest of the week

I really wanted to peruse my Eating Well magazine for this week's ideas, but alas it has not come.  So I got one idea from Oprah (thanks) and one from the trusty internet.  We'll see how that goes!

Friday: school Halloween party where really bad pizza and packaged dessert is part of the deal.  Yay.
Saturday: Grilled lemon chicken with tomato and feta, kale and apple salad, farro, steamed brocolli
Sunday: Really Good Chili, cornbread
Monday: Leftovers or breakfast for dinner
Tuesday: Dental appointments and Basketball eval day . . . when I thought Liam was going to be home, but he's working.  Probably have to swing through Panera . . .
Wednesday: Pappardelle with chard, bacon, and gruyere, salad if I get the time

Have a great weekend . . . Jennifer, hope the heat has abated a bit!

Love,
Kathy

Back to Reality

Today calls for a quick store run to get us through the next few days . . . its busy trying to get back into the swing of things after vacation!!

Mon:  Salmon on the grill, sauteed garden kale, mashed sweet potatoes, roasted cauliflower, salad
Tues:  Homemade chicken "nuggets", roasted butternut squash, peas, pepper/corn/bean salad
Wed: Nachos with leftover chicken, black beans, guacamole, corn, tomatoes, lettuce, etc etc
Thurs: Lasagna, garlic rolls, salad

Have a great week!

Kathy

P.S.  I am trying to start making salads again . . . its my weak point (who has time to make a salad?!).  Maybe this time I'll stick to it . . .

Heat Wave Menu

Greetings from a warm San Diego-

Mark has deemed the temperatures too hot to cook/bake in the house as the residual stove/oven heat lingers well beyond meal time into bedtime.  Additionally, Mark will be on the wards which means he could be home early (let's hope so) or home late (more likely).  With that in mind, I prepped a couple of things and will cook tomorrow morning (morning off) so we can have options to assemble on plates or in tupperware in the upcoming week.  So perhaps I should re-title this week's post:  A week of assembled leftovers.

The first week of daycare was abbreviated-- Monica came home day 2 with a runny nose and then spiked a fever that kept her out of daycare for 2 days.  Thank goodness for local grandmothers experiencing babysitting withdrawal.  My mom and Monica were happy to be reunited.  We'll try again this week.  I pray Monica will be able to nap there this week.

Kathy and Ann Marie-- I am working to obtain recipes for you (both the chicken adobo and the hot oil herb salmon).  Mark and I have tried the written recipes she gives, but we lack the technique so I asked my mom to take notes.  The secret to chicken adobo is in the simmering ... and you do so by sight!  Maybe I should work on getting some pictures or vides.  Gimme a wee bit of time.

Breakfast food
-- Mushroom and pepper frittata
-- Steel cut oats to be topped with dried coconut, blueberries, almonds, and dark chocolate chips
-- Boiled eggs

Dinner/leftovers for lunch
-- Cucumber, tomato, carrot and tofu salad over cold soba noodles.  Two dressing options for variety:  avocado - cilantro and balsamic vinegar.
-- Lasagna  - or may convert to a less intensive baked pasta dish
-- Stirfry #1:  Brussel sprouts, carrots and grapes - lemon
-- Stirfry #2:  Bok choy, green beans and peppers - rice wine
-- Crock pot beef for tacos
-- Garlic chili shrimp
-- We have 2 fuyu persimmons out of 9 (darn squirrels), some mangos and some tomatoes from the garden to incorporate too.

Safe travels Kathy.  Hope you have a chance to recover from this big weekend.  Have a wonderful week everyone.  Hopefully we all have an upcoming 3 day weekend to enjoy!

Love,
Jennifer

Eats for the week

Sorry for the haste of this weeks post.  You can ad-lib something from my vegetable drawer and salad with each entree.  Custer SD sounds awesome, Kathy!  Is that the Little Big Horn Battle Field?  I remember visiting there as a kid.  Is this fall break or are you pulling em out (like we will do next month to visit you all!)  Jennifer, I know how stressful getting into a new routine can be, especially the first few days at a new daycare.  It's amazing how fast the kids adjust to the routine though, faster than us I think!  I hope it's all that you were hoping for (did you finally get in on base or is it out in town?)  Steve is requesting your Chicken adobo recipe when you have the chance.  Beats ours out of my Asian cookbook!

Tuesday: Stuffed Peppers, salad
Wednesday: Shrimp Pasta with Herbed cream sauce (basil and parsley), salad, steamed broccoli
Thursday: eat out!
Friday: Chili Lime Tilapia (didn't get to last week), roasted veggies, broccoli soup, salad
Saturday: meat loaf, potatoes, some sauteed veggie, salad

Last week before VACATION! (Custer, SD here we come . . . )

Wednesday:  Grilled salmon, sauteed kale, roasted cauliflower, leftover pesto pasta
Thursday: Baked potato "boats", (Baked potatoes topped with leftover ham, broccoli, cheese,
        sour cream . . . with a little sail on a toothpick which makes the kids laugh), crock pot baked
        beans
Friday: Chef Salad
Saturday: MEYERS-TSCHANZ-MILLER-CORTEZ football extravaganza BBQ  
Sunday: leftovers or breakfast for dinner
Monday: Spaghetti and meatballs, salad
Tuesday:  Baked chicken legs and thighs, hashbrowns, raw veggies and hummus/dip

Wednesday:  LEAVE FOR CUSTER and 15 hours in the car with children . . . AAAAHHHH!!!

Thank goodness for mothers

Hi all!

CONGRATULATIONS Ann Marie and Steve!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY Joey!
HAPPY 20th Kathy!  I am on the fence to attend mine this October since most of my friends won't be attending.

Truth be told:  I did no planning in advance this week.  I'm a little discombobulated from the trip and was very blessed to have help from my mom.  We picked her up on the way back down from Tahoe and she had a cooler of goodies that have helped with our dinners the last few nights.  She did the meal planning ...

Monday:  I don't know what to call it but my mom bakes a salmon with chopped garlic and ginger, then tops it with herbs (this time:  cilantro), then pours hot oil on top + Pancit + stir fried Chinese brocolli & Japanese eggplant (how political!)

Tuesday:  Chicken adobo + stir fried brocolli & peppers & green beans

Wednesday:  Leftovers ... uber late day for both Mark & me

Thursday:  Potstickers + Farmer's Market salad

Friday:  Out for tavern food to celebrate a friend's birthday.

Saturday:  Gonna try grilling a pizza!

Sunday:  Not sure yet!  Day will likely include roasting a chicken and seasoning meat and tofu.

Tonight is a Farmer's Market night and I hope to use this weekend to re-stock and plan meals for next week to include Monica's daycare meals. Transitions...

This weekend's planning dream:
I like the idea of making a giant quinoa salad for next week's lunches and investigating this new trend of making zucchini and cucumber "pasta" noodles.

Love,
Jennifer

PS:  Kathy-- How do you like the Eating Well magazine?  A colleague was going to give me the last 2 issues to review.

Grayslake Eats

Another week of meal planning . . . yippee skippee.  Happy Anniversary, Ann Marie (and Steve) and Happy Birthday to Joey!  I can't wait to see the cake!!  :)  :)

Wed:  Fish Tacos
Thurs: Out to Dinner (We are pulling the kids out of a half day of school to do *something*.  Long story, but it is the school fundraiser assembly, which is always terrible, so we were planning on taking them out to go to the museums downtown.  Unfortunately, we have a mandatory First Reconciliation meeting at 7 PM, and are worried we might get stuck in rush hour traffic on the way home and miss it.  It is also supposed to be 75 and sunny . . . not a museum day!  We may just take the train downtown to walk around Millennium Park and have a picnic, or something.)  
Fri: My 20-year high school reunion!  Babysitter's coming . . . mac and cheese casserole and fruit
Sat: Kale, sausage, and white bean stew, thanks Ann Marie for the idea
Sun: Hamburgers, grilled butternut squash, oven roasted potatoes, salad
Mon: Pesto pasta ala fridge, to include brocolli
Tues: breakfast for dinner or leftovers

Pretty straightforward week with a lot of "in a rut" meals . . . hamburgers, pesto pasta, tacos . . . hope to do better next week!  (Maybe my new Eating Well magazine will appear . . . )

Love,
Kathy

P.S.  If I can make it to the Farmers Market after Sean's orthodontist appointment this afternoon, you can add fresh corn on the cob to Friday's meal as well as a nice big bowl of my favorite summer quinoa salad for my lunch all week!  :)

Birthdays, Anniversary, galore

It's a celebratory week at our house, so hopefully the menu will not disappoint.  Steve and I took our semiannual date night last weekend and went to dinner and a play to celebrate our 9th year.  We seriously need to get out more often, but it did make it that much more sweet to have a night to ourselves.  We saw "Of Mice and Men" and the acting was great.

Speaking of getting out more, we are so lucky to have found a church here with a plethora of activities for young families.  We're starting a marriage series by Damon Owens titled "God's Plan for a Joy Filled Marriage."  Ever heard of it?  I wish you were all close and could come too, especially to take advantage of the child care 2x per month:-)  I'll let you know if it's good!

On to the menu for the week:

Tuesday:  Chicken tacos, veggie, salad
Wed (Anniversary!:-)  Tri-tip and grilled eggplant and squash
Thurs: leftovers
Friday: Kale, Beef and White Bean Stew
Saturday: Chili Tilapia, butternut squash, veggie, salad
Sunday (Joey's 5th B-day): Hamburgers with homemade buns!, corn on the cob, veggie, salad,
"Lego men rowing across the Mississippi River Cake"  Got to love random creativity (let's hope I have some to design this thing!)

Have a great week!

Love,
Ann Marie

Back into the swing of things

I know I just posted, but here is this week's menu!  :)

Tonight: TACO TUESDAY!  :)
Wed: Whatever I can find at the Farmers Market . . . my plan is sausage or brats of some kind, corn on the cob, and watermelon
Thurs: Beer Can chicken, roasted butternut squash (from the garden, I'm excited!), sauteed chard or kale, steamed brocolli
Fri: Spaghetti and meatballs, salad
Sat: We'll be up in Monroe for the 100th Cheese Days Festival!  :)  If we are home for dinner, I'll throw together chicken salad sandwiches with the leftover beer can chicken.
Sun: Ham (I have one in the freezer, thanks for reminding me Ann Marie!), sweet potatoes, garden greens, whole wheat popovers
Mon: leftovers or breakfast for dinner
Tues: Risotto with shrimp

Have a great week!
Love,
Kathy

P.S.  Have a nice trip this weekend, Jennifer . . . good luck to Mark! 

Bun Recipe

Hello all,

I am a little behind in my posts because of my quick trip out to Lemoore . . . but I am very glad to have this blog back for ideas for the coming week.  :)  Here is what we did last week.  (Liam chose nights Thursday through Saturday when I was gone!)  Now I have until tomorrow's trip to the store to plan the coming week . . . I think I will just pick one or two things from each of the last posts . . . :)

Wed: Beef brisket in the crock pot, homemade buns (I'll have to share my newly found recipe for homemade hamburger and hotdog buns.  It is so easy, and so much better than the bagged versions, that I may never go back!)  :)   carrot and apple slaw, sauteed chard

Thurs:  Tortillini soup, Irish brown bread
Fri: Lasagna, leftover bread
Sat: Hamburgers, garden veggies
Sun: leftovers or breakfast for dinner
Mon: grilled fish, homemade mac and cheese, beans, caprese salad

Good luck with your crazy day, Betty!  I see you make homemade rolls a lot.  Do you have a "go-to" recipe?

Love,
Kathy

Homemade Hamburger Buns

Using a stand mixer with a bread hook attachment makes this even simpler, but you can easily follow these same directions using a wooden spoon to combine everything and then knead the dough by hand.

4 teaspoons active dry yeast 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons warm water (110° to 115°)
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon salt
3-1/2 – 4 cups all-purpose flour  (I substitute at least 1 cup of whole wheat flour, sometimes more . . . if I have white whole wheat flour I just use 100% of that . . . )

In the bowl of a stand mixer, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add oil and sugar; let sit for 5 minutes. Add the egg, salt and 3 1/2 cups flour, and mix on low speed with the dough  hook attachment to form a soft dough.Continue kneading in the mixer on medium-low speed until smooth and elastic, about 3-5 minutes.  Divide into 10 pieces; shape each into a ball. (To make hot dog rolls, roll each ball of dough between your palms until you get it to the desired length.) Place 3 in. apart on greased baking sheets, and using the palm of your hand, flatten each ball into a flattened disk.Cover and let rest for 20-25 minutes. Bake at 425° for 8-12 minutes
or until golden brown. Remove from pans and let cool on a wire rack.

PDX menu

Hello ladies,

Thanks for reviving this blog!  I missed it and like Ann Marie, this will give us an indication of someone growing their family 😀

This is what I'm feeding my crew this week. Since school started, I am finding myself needing to be super-organized.  Especially Mondays...Nathan in school by 7:55, Elizabeth at her preschool at 8:30, Erin in gymnastics at 9, Elizabeth pick-up at 11:30, Nathan pick-up at 2, swim lessons at 3, and soccer at 5 with dinner at 6:45.  Oh and naps in there for good measures too.

Now I see why we must limit our kids' activities!

Here goes:

Sun fish tacos with homemade fresh salsa, grilled eggplant,
Mon spaghetti and meatballs, breadstick, salad
Tues stuffed chicken breasts, Mexican bean salad, spinach salad
Wed stuffed peppers and tomatoes, lemon pasta, homemade crusty bread, salad
Thurs leftovers
Fri roast lamb kabobs, grilled veggies, garden salad, fruit salad
Sat steak fajitas, garden fresh salsa, corn dip,
Sun grilled salmon, risotto, salad, oatmeal herb rolls


Love
Betty

Chiming In

Hi ladies,

No promises I will be able to post anything weekly, but I will chime-in as much as possible .  I often plan my meals on the fly after seeing what meat is on sale in the store.  But, this often ends up drab and I enjoy adding in your ideas.  However, I am definitely going to start wondering the minute Jennifer stops posting....HA!

Jennifer, I would love your Chili Tilapia recipe.  I was sold on the 15 minute part, and I can never think of any exciting way to cook Tilapia!  Please share when you have the time.

Kathy, we eat char and kale weekly here.  Mostly because I am lazy, I usually saute with garlic and chicken broth.  Easy and the kids actually like it a lot.  I know, my kids are not normal!:-)  Did I mention I don't feed them anything else?

My recent shopping gripe is the exorbitant price of lunch meat that I often throw out because it goes bad before a week.  So, tonight I am cooking a ham (1/3 the price per pound) with the hopes of lots of sandwich-making leftovers!

Monday: Ham, rosemary dinner rolls, sauteed kale, salad

Tuesday: Lentil and rice stuffed peppers, salad

Wednesday: Teriyaki pork with Asian slaw

Thursday: leftovers

Friday: Brazilian Black Bean Stew over rice, salad

Saturday:  Pizza ala Kathy's dough recipe

Have a great week!

Love,
Ann Marie

Pizza Dough

Hey Jennifer!  I actually do my meal planning based on Liam's schedule . . . I really really hate grocery shopping with kids and I will do anything in my power to avoid it.  I also prefer to shop AFTER our weekly Wednesday Farmers Market, so recently Thursday has been my go-to day.  But it changes all the time!  :)

Here's the dough recipe that I use almost every time.  Its pretty resilient . . . can rise for really whatever amount of time you have!  :)  Then I just plop the dough onto the tray (with a little cornmeal) and spread it out with my hands, no rolling/stretching required.  If I do it on the grill, I just make really small (individual size) pizzas so that I can handle it.  This recipe makes one regular tray of pizza. 

1 1/2 cups bread flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon yeast
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup lukewarm water
1-2 tablespoons olive oil

In food processor, combine flours, yeast and salt.  Mix water and olive oil together and add while the machine is running.  Run machine until dough is elastic (2-3 mins).

Knead a couple of times when you take it out until it is a smooth ball.  Put in olive-oil greased bowl and turn so all sides are coated.  Cover with plastic wrap and let rise til doubled, or whenever you need to cook it!  :) 

Pre-bake at 475 for 7 minutes, add toppings and bake for another 7.  (On the grill, I put it on for a few minutes until browned, then turn it over and add toppings.  It seems to go much faster on the grill!)

Good luck!

Love,
Kathy

Second draft

This attempt is my second for this week's meal plan.  It's probably not Ann Marie China Lake hot, but it has been hot.  This sweet old house collects heat continues to leave us with 85-95 degree temps by 5pm  (and 80-88 degree temps at 8pm).  Opening the doors welcome buggies and flies so I look like a loon trying to keep them away from food.  Needless to say, I have little motivation to turn on the stove, much less to make dinner.  I'm going to see if prepping pasta and chopping veggies on my off day (today) will help reduce my evening cooking.  I am also trying to get clear our fridge and pantry before heading out to Tahoe next week so this week may not be very interesting.  

Sunday:  Thai take out at dinner at the last Coronado Concert in the Park ... sigh

Monday:  Leftover bean thread noodles with tofu and black bean sauce with sauteed veggies

Tuesday:  Chicken salad:  lebne, paprika, olives, celery, lemon and grapes with the chicken ... over greens and tomatoes.

OR:  Chicken with pasta, sundried tomatoes, brocollini and olives ... depends if I can prep the pasta in the morning!

Wednesday:  Chili lime tilapia with rice and Japanese eggplant with mushrooms  - this meal can be cut and cooked in 15-20 minutes.

Thursday:  Hamburgers and salad

Friday:   Leftovers

Saturday:  Pork tenderloin with grilled corn and tomatoes.  Didn't have a chance to do it last week.

Sunday:  Grilled pizzas-- whatever is in the veggie drawer

Kathy-- Can you please share your dough recipe?  We are experimenting.  I didn't realize you meal planned in the middle of the week-- maybe I can try that.  I plan around grocery shopping on my roving day off from work.

We'll see how this week goes!

XO-

Jennifer

More Garden Fare

This was an interesting week . . . I guess I am not back into the swing of making lunches, because we ran out of EVERYTHING by my "grocery store day"!  I resorted to canned mandarin oranges in the lunch boxes . . . and PB&J sandwiches made on hot dog buns.  Ooops!  :)  Out of desperation, I sent Sean to the Farmers' Market (by himself!!) yesterday with 20 bucks and a wagon, and told him to buy some fruit for lunch.  He came home with the biggest watermelon I have ever seen.  :)  So we made it one more day . . .

I also couldn't find the pound of ground beef that I KNOW I HAD SOMEWHERE IN THE FREEZER, so we had to put off our hamburger night until later this week.  Luckily, I had a couple frozen steaks (oh darn) that were very nice with grilled garden veggies.  Not bad!  Here we go for another week:

Thursday:  Shellfish paella
Friday: Hamburgers! Corn on the cob, caprese salad
Saturday: Shish kabobs, sauteed greens, homemade flatbread (good for lunches!)
Sunday: Baked chicken legs/thighs, Greek salad
Monday: leftovers or breakfast for dinner
Tuesday: Pork tenderloin, mashed potatoes, peas, grilled garden veggies

Have a great week!

Love,
Kathy

P.S.  The kids were NOT impressed with the grilled eggplant/red onion/bruschetta pasta that I made to go along with the steak.  I have a lot of leftovers to eat for lunch!! 
P.P.S.  If you have any good Swiss chard recipes, please share.  We are building a (small) deck off the side of our house (the 2 x 4 "temporary" steps from our addition are rotting away . . . ) and my row of chard is in the way.  We need to eat it before the permit gets approved . . . !  :)

Here's our week, Jennifer! :)

Wednesday - Pesto lasagna, Farmer's Market bread, fruit

Thursday - Grilled salmon, "stackers", brown rice ("stackers" are my favorite summer garden food . . . slice and grill eggplant, zucchini, summer squash, onion, and pepper and then stack with fresh mozzarella, sliced tomato, and basil . . . drizzle with olive oil and balsamic.  YUM!) 

Friday - Beef and mushroom tacos, melon

Saturday - We are off to Milwaukee for the Meyers' wedding . . . kids get hot dogs, corn on the cob, fruit

Sunday - Farmers Market corn chowder and grilled cheese

Monday - over to Aunt Anne and Uncle Tom's new house for dinner!  :)

Tuesday - leftovers or breakfast for dinner

Wednesday - Hamburgers, garden veggies, grilled sweet potatoes

Pretty easy week!  You will notice that around this time of year when the garden produce is in full swing, that the menu is basically garden veggies with some twist . . . for example, "stackers" and "garden veggie pasta" are basically the same thing . . . just served a different way.  Tacos tend to be "taco meat" with grilled and chopped garden veggies.  Rinse.  Repeat.  The kids get tired of it, but I NEVER DO!!!  :)

Good luck with the menu planning! 

Love,
Kathy

Back to the blog!

Back to work! Back to school!  Back to the blog for dinner ideas!

Here's to hoping we can make a plan and stick to it ... and minimize last minute trips to the store on an empty stomach that inevitably end in gelato purchases and forgetting to purchase the ingredient that was the reason for the trip.

All recipes subject to change if it is too hot to cook in the kitchen.

Love,
Jennifer

Sunday:  Out to dinner

Monday * Labor Day * Must grill on the "last (HOT, HOT ... we hope) day of summer"!
Chili pork tenderloin with charred corn and okra salad (ala Sunset September 2014 p.96)

Tuesday
Spicy scallop salad with green beans, bok choy and red peppers

Wednesday * School Night * Our official Crock Pot Night
Black bean and chicken tostadas
"Extra" chicken for chicken salad with kefir or hummus, grapes, olives and walnuts/almonds/chopped celery for lunch sandwiches

Thursday
Miso cod with stir fried brussel sprouts, mushrooms and Japanese eggplant (if the squirrels haven't taken them)

Friday
Grilled pizza with whatever veggies are left in the kitchen

Saturday
Grilled shrimp with pesto pasta salad OR Burgers