Meal Planning: Week of January 2nd

Review from last week:

I didn't execute the pork tenderloin dish as well as I could have, which resulted in it getting overcooked in order to cook the inside of the roll up well enough.  Flavor was awesome, but I should have pounded it thinner before I cooked it.

 

I failed to get a picture of Christmas dinner, but that was probably because we were all too busy enjoying it!  We made Marcia's lasagna recipe (complete with her sauce from scratch - yum).  Lisa brought a vegetarian lasagna that had spinach and nuts in it - and I absolutely loved it!  I had it for dinner the next night with the leftover green beans my mom made.

 

 
I made a white wine sangria that was pretty :)

 

We also did Blue Apron:

Steak, kale and potato wedges.  While I love some all of the recipes they send that contain unique ingredients I would never think to use on my own, I really like when they include recipes that have very basic ingredients.  It has taught me how to perfectly saute kale to make it taste amazing, and how to get potatoes cooked just right.

Blue Apron very rarely repeats recipes, and when they do, it's at least a year later and they typically switch up a few ingredients.

We had made this cod dish cooked in parchment a few years back, and it was tasty the second time around as well.

 

Plan for next week:

Saturday: Blue Apron Meal: Sesame Chicken with Bok Choy & Jasmine Rice

Sunday: Chicken & Kale Caesar-Style Salad

Monday: Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas

Tuesday: Leftovers

Wednesday: Blue Apron Meal: Spicy Guacamole Burgers with Roasted Red Onion & Sweet Potato

Thursday: Blue Apron Meal: Spicy Shrimp & Korean Rice Cakes with Cabbage & Furikake

Friday: Blue Apron Meal: Seared Chicken & Couscous with Broccoli & Lemon-Yogurt Sauce

Week in Photos: Office Holiday Party, Slumber Party with Rawls, and SNOW!

We had a blast decorating the office this year.  Since we were having a big open house/holiday party, we really went for it with a huge Christmas tree :)

Our party was a big success, and I'm so glad it's over now ;)  Greg agreed to be a bartender (beer opener) along side my friend Shauna whose winery we had provide the wine pourings.  

Me and the team:

Raleigh joined us for a sleepover a couple weeks ago.  I moved Ben's bed around just in case the boys wanted to sleep in the same room (They didn't.  We determined nobody would have slept).  But we discovered that:

a) Ben's room is ENORMOUS with the bed in this position, and;

b) It's fun to sleep in a rocket ship tent.

It SNOWED, and the schools closed on a Friday.  Bonus!  So much fun getting out in the snow - even if it was just a little bit.

Ben and Grandma baked Christmas cookies!

An amazing rainbow Ben and I tracked all way the way to his school.

Putting together a lego car:

Drinking wine and watching Home Alone.

Being goofballs.

One of our clients makes drones - and they just happen to have offices down the street from ours!  The VP had attended our holiday party and I asked if we could come by some time and fly drones with them - and 2 days later we were there!  So awesome.  Here is a picture the drone took of us :)

JI: Drone Operator

Meal Planning: Week of December 26th (and Christmas)

Review from last week:

Trying as best as we can to eat light dinners to make up for all of the treats we are eating throughout the day!

Another batch of chicken in tomato-chipolte sauce.  Love love LOVE this dish:

 

I had a kale caesar salad with a side of mashed sweet potato one night.  (PS 1 sweet potato, cooked and mashed with EVOO or coconut oil, salt and pepper, will last me for 3-4 meals as a side.  Who knew)?

 

Grilled chicken with green beans and sweet potato:

Tried out a fun cocktail called "The North Pole" to see if it might be a good Christmas Eve or Christmas drink - delicious.

Plan for next week:

Saturday: Pork Tenderloin "Rosa di Parma" and salad.

Sunday (CHRISTMAS): We are having an Italian feast for Christmas dinner!  Greg and I are making a meaty lasanga, caprese salad and Christmas Sangria. 

Monday: Leftovers

Tuesday: Leftovers

Wednesday: Blue Apron Meal: Cod en Papillote with Freekeh & Spinach


Thursday: Blue Apron Meal: Steaks & Green Peppercorn Sauce with Kale and Roasted Potato

Friday: Going to the Christensen's for dinner

Meal Planning: Week of December 19th

Review from last week:

Greg made jambalaya and it was delicious:

I made Mediterranean Beef Stew (that had almost a bottle of red wine in it) and YUMMMMMMMMMMMM.  Make this dish.

I didn't end up making either of the chicken dishes due to us having so much leftover food from my work meetings this week.
 
Plan for next week:

Saturday: Burgers with caramelized onions

Sunday: Pan-Seared Chicken with Mashed Sweet Potato

Monday: Skillet Chicken in Tomato-Chipolte Sauce

Tuesday: Leftovers

Wednesday: Paprika White Wine Bucatini

Thursday: Out to dinner


Friday:  Out to dinner

Meal Planning: Week of December 12th

Review from last week:


Skinnytaste is responsible for most of the recipes that we make and LOVE (and then continue to make over and over and over).  This new chicken dish in tomato-chipolte sauce was fantastic and I can't wait to make it again! 

Blue Apron again!  I'm always scanning their weekly menus to sign up for the ones that sound the best.  This shrimp and kale pasta was as great as I expected.

Chicken skewers, also delish.

Sauteed beef, potato latkes and roasted carrots and beets.

Plan for next week:

Saturday: Jambalaya

Sunday: Mediterranean Beef Stew 

Monday: Leftovers

Tuesday: Leftovers

Wednesday: We have our office holiday party this night, so not planning anything.

Thursday: Chicken Kale Caesar-Style Salad

Friday: Pan-Seared Chicken, Roasted Veggies and Mashed Sweet Potato

Vancouver BC Trip!

Earlier this year, Ben's best friend from school Freya's mom asked if we would be interested in taking the train up to Vancouver with them for the weekend!  She had heard about a few Christmas events going on in December and thought it was be a fun trip for them to take together :)

It was Ben's first train ride - and I must say, train travel is the way to GO.  So much more enjoyable thank being stuck in a car for a few hours.

On the first night, we went to an event called "Enchant", which apparently is the biggest Christmas light maze in the world (or so they said).

Before we went in the maze, they got matching face paint:

The only bummer about the evening was that it was super rainy, and once the kids had eaten the treats we bought them, they were DONE being cold and wet.

We decided to go back to the hotel and hang out in their room for a bit.  We had bought them matching jammies, which was obviously a big hit :)

The next morning after grabbing breakfast, we walked down to the waterfront to go to a German Christmas Market.  On the way, we stopped at the convention center to ride on "Flyin' Over Canada", which is essentially "Soarin' over the World" at Disneyland, except, well, Canadian destinations.  It had a Christmas spin to it, where at the end it visited the North Pole, and you got to see all of the Elves working and it was super adorable.

The Christmas Market had a carousal:

And cookies:

It was a fun way to spend the weekend and get into the holiday spirit!