Meal Planning: Week of November 2nd

Review from last week:

I was super intrigued when I saw the recipe for this butter nut squash "Alfredo" pasta.  I made it with some brown rice and quinoa pasta I had from Trader Joe's.  I think it would have been a LOT better with regular pasta.  Worth a try, the sauce was good.

One of my favorite go to meals: tomato soup and arugula salad with prosciutto and goat cheese.  Fantastic.

One of my favorite food bloggers, Chrissy Teigen (sodelushious) is finally blogging again (and writing a cookbook).  I was interested in this recipe for One Pot Rice Pilaf and Lemon-Caper cod.  It was really good!   

 

The rest of the week was leftovers and stuff from the freezer.  Light cooking week!

Plan for next week:

Sunday: Slow Cooker Beef & Broccoli


Monday: Leftovers (and will make this soup for the week: Slow Cooker Moroccan Lentil Soup)


Tuesday: Blue Apron Meal: Salmon Pastrami on Rye with Red Cabbage & Green Apple Slaw

Wednesday: Blue Apron Meal: Baked Sicilian-Style Rigatoni with Lacinato Kale & Ricotta Salata

Thursday: Blue Apron Meal: Jamaican Jerk Chicken & Maduros with Stewed Collard Greens & Charred Lime

Friday: Chicken with Sun-Dried Tomato Cream Sauce

Saturday: I'm heading out of town for the weekend (Saturday and Sunday) so no cooking for me :)

Week in photos: School crafts, soccer and a birthday party!

Ben is the sweetest, most affectionate 4 year old on the planet.  I hope this lasts a lifetime.

Making crafts at school - which are turning into fantastic decor around the house!

 

 

  

More fun at school - Spanish Class!

 

Cuatro!

Pumpkin carving (cheating) at home:

Hung out with Maureen and Rachel last weekend, both of them trying to recover from a cold that had stuck around too long.  I made them try Ben's nebulizer ;)

Checking out the new McMenamins that opened in Bothell.  So much fun that I've been twice in their first week!

Greg had a beer tasting Groupon that was about to expire, so Ben and I kept him company.

And took photos:

 

Soccer is wrapping up - only one week left!  Ben has really enjoyed soccer!  If anything, the practices might be a tad too long - he is usually "ready to be all done" after about 45 minutes of playing.  Next week, all the kids get to come in their costumes so that should be completely crazy and adorable.

Ben's best friend from school, Freya, had a birthday party this weekend.  It was at The Nest in Woodinville.  We had never been and it was really fun!  They led a music class for them that had them running around like crazy.  It was a blast.  It was great, too, because several kids from Ben's class where there so I got a chance to meet some other parents.  Fun!

With the birthday girl.  (They REALLY love each other).

This is what Freya's mom posted on my FB wall one morning they had school together: :)

Lisa and Evan stopped by to bring me a birthday gift (COOKBOOKS - yay!) and I made them try on their Halloween costumes for us - Tetris pieces!  So funny.

Dinner at Shauna and Brandon's.  I failed to get any other pictures, but I did get one with Alivia.  Such a sweet baby.

Meal Planning: Week of October 26th

Review from last week:

The stuffed pepper soup was good (with or without the rice).  Very easy and made for a good lunch:

The slow cooker Korean beef was money.  A great recipe find that I'm sure to make over and over again.

We made this lamb/lentil dish (with mint and feta) that Greg loved so much from a few weeks ago.  So easy!

Crock Pot Picadillo

Plan for next week:

Soup Sunday: Creamy Tomato Basil


Monday: Butternut Squash Alfredo Pasta

Tuesday: Leftover Picadillo from Sunday

Wednesday: Fish and rice pilaf (Birthday dinner for my mom)!

Thursday: Chicken Enchiladas (from the freezer)

Friday: Chicken Soup (from the freezer)

Saturday:  Halloween!!! We are having some friends over to join us for trick-or-treating, so I'm going to make a big batch of Lagered Chili (with ground sirloin instead of the turkey the recipe calls for) for us.  I'm also going to make a batch of Pumpkin Cookies.  I can't believe it's the end of October and I have not made them yet - it's my favorite Fall treat.

Week in Photos: Our 8th anniversary, my 34th birthday, and a haircut!

At Ben's dentist appointment last week, we were surprised to see Myles in the waiting room at the same time!  The boys had their teeth cleaned right next to one another :) I definitely think it helped Ben stay motivated to be a good patient seeing Myles so well behaved in the next chair.

Saturday, October 10th was our 8th wedding anniversary!  It is crazy that 8 years have gone by.  We can't wait to head back to Hawaii next year - we had always talked about going for our 5th anniversary, but having a 1 year old at that time, it wasn't in the cards.

This past year has been pretty great :)

 

We spent our anniversary morning at soccer practice with Ben.  

 

During his scrimmage, he was goalie for part of the time.  You probably can't tell from this picture, but he was excellent ;)

 

We then grabbed some breakfast, as we had an hour to kill before school pictures, which he nailed ;)

 

A few months back I made reservations at one of our favorite restaurants, Staple & Fancy, for our anniversary.  Then last month, in an attempt to coordinate a night out with Jamie and Collin, we decided to just combine our night out and change the reservation to 4!  It was really fun to spend the evening with them (plus when you go with 4 people, you get to try SO much more food).  Win.

 

These two are expecting a baby girl in February - so fun catching up with them and hearing all about their preparation for their expanding family :)

Ben also got a haircut this week:

 

A few pictures from school:

I took my birthday off from work so that I could spend a fun day with Ben.  We spent the morning at the zoo:

 

Just minutes after we walked in, Ben spotted these 2 little girls, so we spent the majority of the time walking around with them and their mom :)

Ben was our tour guide:

 

  

 

Ben has been extremely affectionate lately.  No fewer than 150 kisses every day and he is constantly telling me he loves me.  He was giving me a series of kisses on my face - not a bad birthday present!

Also arriving on my birthday in the mail, our tickets to Hamilton!  A few weeks ago, I become obsessed with the soundtrack to this musical.  On our anniversary, Greg and I were talking about trying to get away next year for a long weekend.  NY has been on our bucket list for awhile.  The stars (and our vacation budget) aligned and we decided to book a trip to go in February!

Then for dinner, Greg grilled up some fillets and shrimp and made me the most amazing birthday dinner :)

We finished the night off with a few games of Sorry:

 

And finally, a picture of the Halloween display I put together this weekend.  I was totally inspired from a Better Homes and Garden's craft they featured last month.  I'm happy with how they turned out!

Meal Planning: Week of October 19th

Review from last week:

These chicken lettuce wraps are so great.  I made them with chicken breasts and not the ground chicken, per Greg's request, and we both liked them a lot better.

On Wednesday night, Kristin came over and we had Hoisin Meatballs and the rest of the chicken lettuce wraps.

Greg made me the BEST birthday dinner on Friday - grilled fillets and tequila lime shrimp :)

Chicken Paillard.

Plan for next week:

With the change in weather, I've been craving soup for lunch - so I'm back to Soup Sunday, where I will make a big batch that lasts me the better part of the week.

Last week, I made Turkey Sausage, Kale and White Bean Soup that I had for lunch Sunday - Wednesday.  So filling and great with a little Parm on top. Perfect.

This week's soup: Stuffed Pepper Soup


Monday:  Slow Cooker Korean Beef with rice


Tuesday: Leftovers

Wednesday: Spaghetti and meatballs (from the freezer)

Thursday: Lamb Sausage with lentils, mint and feta 

Friday: TBD

Saturday: We are heading to the Broady's for dinner and I'm bringing a big batch of Chicken Enchiladas (and while I'm at it, I plan to make a second batch to cook and freeze).

Sunday: Crock Pot Picadillo

Meal Planning: Week of October 12th

Review from last week:

Last Sunday, on what we thought was Marcia's last night, we went all.out. with filets and crab cakes and Lost River Western Red (so good - find it at Total Wine).

Due to the crazy weather South Carolina is having right now, (flooding - luckily not in her house), Marcia was able to extend her stay until Thursday!  Which meant I got to make her try this Thai Shrimp Soup that I made :)  It was hilarious watching her skeptically watch me make this - the ingredients (coconut milk, red curry, lemon grass, etc) are definitely not found in her household, but she really liked the finished product!  Win.

 

Make. These. Enchiladas. I have been obsessively watching The Pioneer Woman lately.  These enchiladas were featured on an episode focused primarily on stocking the freezer.  They were so, so delicious.  These will be made again.

 

First Blue Apron in awhile!  And we loved it - especially Greg: Lamb sausage (huh?) with french lentils, feta and mint.

Seared salmon with farro salad & brussels sprouts and apple.

Our last Blue Apron meal wasn't our favorite, but I think it was poorly executed.  Chicken with carmalized onion and fennel.

Plan for next week:

Monday: Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Tuesday: Cod tacos with Chipolte cream sauce, slaw, rice and beans.

Wednesday: Burgers and Salad

Thursday: Hoisin Asian Meatballs 

Friday: Flank steak (seasoned with blackened seasoning, rub with love's BBQ seasoning, garlic and onion powder, and steak seasoning)

Saturday: Out to dinner!

Sunday: Chicken Paillard with Lemon, Capers and Olives 

For the Caper, Olive and Parsley garnish:
 
1.5 T capers
1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives, quartered lengthwise
1/2 cup pitted green olives, quartered lengthwise
2T lemon juice
1T minced shallot
1/4 cup minced flat leaf parsley leaves
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
Fresh ground black pepper, to taste


For the Chicken Paillard:


4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1/2 cup lemon juice
2t minced garlic
2T minced shallot
1/2 cup plus 2T organic canola oil
1/4t black pepper
sea salt
2-3 cups baby arugula or spring mix
EVOO


To make the Caper, Olive and Parsley Garnish


In a medium bowl, combine the capers, olives, lemon juice, shallot, parsley leaves and olive oil.  Fold the ingredients together and lightly season with black pepper to taste.  Set aside to allow the flavors to blend.


To make the Chicken Paillard:


Pound the chicken breasts lightly and evenly with a meat mallet until the chicken is 1/4 inch thick.  


Whisk together lemon juice, garlic, shallot, 1/2 cup canola oil and black pepper in a large baking dish.  Add the chicken, turn to coat and marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.


Preheat a large saute pan over medium-high heat and add 2T of canola oil.  Remove chicken from marinade, season lightly with sea salt on both sides and pan fry 2-3 minutes per side, or until golden brown and just cooked through.


In a large bowl, toss the arugula with a light drizzle of EVOO and season with sea salt and black pepper.  Plate each paillard on a plate with a spoonful of the garnish and top with the arugula salad.  Serve immediately.