Friday, October 28, 2016

Meal Planning: Week of October 31st

Review from last week:

Tomato soup and grilled cheese.
 

Loved this dish: these noodles were slow cooked in sauce (white wine and chicken stock) and they were full of flavor.  Delicious.


Blue Apron was great this week.

Beef skewers and roasted butternut squash.

Chicken and broccoli stir fry.
 

Cod sandwiches and endive salad:


Plan for next week
 

Saturday: Burgers

Sunday: Crockpot Chicken Gnocchi Soup

Monday: Sticky Garlic Chicken Bites and Cauliflower Rice

Tuesday: Leftover Soup

Wednesday: Slow Cooked Jerk Pork

Thursday: Leftover Pork

Friday: Pizza

Friday, October 21, 2016

Meal Planning: Week of October 24th

Review from last week:

Friday after work Greg made panko battered cod - so delicious.  I always like mine over a bowl of caramelized onions and mushrooms along with some cabbage slaw.


I made gyros and our favorite lentil/carrot salad.


I also have to say that Freshly was pretty good!  I loved the turkey and quinoa stuffing dish the most.  Not sure I prefer it over blue apron (where you get to cook yourself), but it was great not having to cook and still having fresh meals for a few nights.

Plan for next week:

Saturday: No cooking for me tonight - the boys are on their own for dinner

Sunday: Crock pot tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches.

Monday: Leftover soup and salad

Tuesday: Blue Apron Meal: Cod Sandwiches with Endive and Radish Salad

Wednesday: Blue Apron Meal: Spicy Hoisin Chicken & Broccoli with Garlic-Ginger Rice

Thursday: Blue Apron Meal: Spiced Beef Skewers with Shokichi Squash and Garlic Rice

Friday: Paprika White Wine Bucatini

Week in Photos: Ben's Arts & Crafts, 9 Year Anniversary, and my 35th Birthday

Taking a little stroll through the neighborhood on the last sunny day before many, many days of rain.


Ben has been showing an interest in drawing pictures and I love it so much! Not only are the pictures he draws often hilarious (and creative), it also is a nice, quiet activity for him to do :)


This one I found to be particularly hilarious: I asked Ben why he had a sad face.  He told me that he is sad "because dad is tooting" (see picture of dad - he is wearing a golf hat).  Still not sure why I am smiling about it...


Freya and her parents came over for dinner one night and brought these super fun haunted ginger bread houses for Ben and Freya to decorate.  So fun.


Fun at school!





Greg and I went out to dinner and movie to celebrate our 9th anniversary!  :)



My 35th birthday will definitely go down in (our) history as a memorable one!  Back when Greg turned 35, I threw him an epic (if I do say so myself) surprise party at a brewery we loved.  I am pretty sure this planted the seed for Greg that he would want to return the favor for mine.  

Over the years, I thought I had been pretty clear that I wasn't into being surprised....I think I said "take me on a trip instead"!  I am not sure where this comes from, other than liking to be in control of all the things ;)

And an important side note, I have somehow managed to really hurt my back between Disneyland and now.  Something is pinching a nerve and the whole right side of my body is being affected.  (SO FUN - I'm visiting doctors and resolving it, but it's affected my mood as well)!

The Tuesday before my birthday, I started pressing Greg about what the plans were he had in store for Saturday.  So far, I know he had arranged for my mom to watch Ben while we went out for lunch and massages - but then some sort of "dinner surprise" was in store.  I was in pain that night, and started to get really annoyed when Greg wouldn't share his plans with me.  

The results was a full on meltdown, with Greg eventually telling me EXACTLY what he had in store: A SURPRISE PARTY.

It took me a few minutes to relax and be grateful for everything he had been working on with my friends, but then I got SO EXCITED for it to happen.  Turns out I do like surprise parties!  Or at least I enjoy all of my friends getting together for food and drinks (AND HAMILTON) without my having to plan or be concerned with any of the details.

To all my friends who came, you made my birthday so special and I am SO LUCKY to have you all and a husband who tried his best to surprise  me :)  I felt very loved!

Here are some pictures from the most amazing birthday party I've ever had!  The best food (and jello shots) prepared by Rachel, Lisa, Maureen, Callie and my mom (and maybe even more people I'm unaware helped)!  And the most epic Hamilton photo booth made by Erica!















Thursday, October 13, 2016

Meal Planning: Week of October 17th


Review from last week:

I made a batch of  clam spaghetti (one of my all time favorite meals) for our anniversary.  
 

I spotted this dish in a magazine and wanted to try it.  The recipe called for harissa, which is something I'd never heard of and couldn't find at the store, so I found a recipe for harissa and made that from scratch.  It tasted really great on the steak! 


I also made the chicken enchiladas (delicious, but Greg complained there were too many onions) ;) 

Plan for next week:

Friday: Cod tacos

Saturday: Out to dinner

Sunday: Gyros with the lentil/carrot part of this recipe.  I'm also going to bake these chocolate chunk pumpkin muffins.

Monday: Spaghetti and Meatballs

Tuesday: Leftovers

Wednesday: We received a free trial from my friend Layne of Freshly, so we will do that tonight: Grilled Flat Iron Steak with Potato Hash and Creamed Spinach

Thursday: Freshly: Holiday Turkey with Quinoa Stuffing

Friday: Lasagna

Friday, October 7, 2016

Meal Planning: Week of October 10th

Review from last week:

I failed to take pictures of the chili or my chicken pot pie, but let's just say I was well fed for lunch all week long.

We did Blue Apron this week.  Greg cooked the Pimento Cheeseburgers with a side of collard greens and carrots - delicious, particularly the salad!


I somehow managed to burn the outside of the chicken for this dish, while much of the inside remained undercooked :/  Something about panko bread crumbs always seems to screw me up.  But the part of the chicken that was edible was delightful over the potato, Brussels sprout, celery and mustard salad.


I forgot to take a picture of the cod and noodle dish.  Greg like it quite a bit, but I thought it was just alright.

Plan for next week:

Saturday:  Out to dinner for our anniversary!

Sunday: Chicken Enchiladas

Monday:  Clam Spaghetti

Tuesday: Leftovers

Wednesday: Leftovers

Thursday:
Harissa-Rubbed Steak & Carrot Salad

 

Friday: Out to dinner

Wednesday, October 5, 2016

New York 2016 Video



Hawaii 2016 Video




Disneyland 2016 Video

The new iPhone operating system makes these really fun videos for you based on what location your photos are tagged in.  I had to post the ones they made from our trips this year.  Here is Disneyland's:


Monday, October 3, 2016

Week in Photos: Karaoke Bingo, Laryd's Football Game and a Donut Date

FALL IS HERE and I'm absolutely thrilled about it.  Grandma and Grandpa Ingle got Ben this awesome new big wheel for his birthday, so we took it to the park for a ride :)
 

Ben at school:



Fun with bubbles:
 

In his new Lightening McQueen rain jacket from Violet playing his new drum set from Auntie Karen!


We went to Laryd's football game over the weekend. Ben wanted to make him a sign and proudly held it up for most of the game:





After hearing all about karaoke bingo from Kristin and Craig, we had to join them - and it was pretty amazing!



Greg sang performed "When Dove's Cry" and brought down the house:


We had a donut date with Lisa and Evan at General Porpoise and had the most amazing donuts and coffee.  I can't wait to go back here.