Meal Planning: Week of September 8th

Review from last week:

On Saturday night we went out for dinner as planned.  It was fun to sit on the patio while Ben watched all of the cars and trucks going by.  There currently is a LOT of construction going on in Downtown Bothell - I'd love to catch an early dinner or HH here sometime because Ben would go nuts watching all of the construction trucks during work hours.

On Sunday we made chicken and mashed sweet potatoes.  I'm on a mission once again to get Ben eating more of what we eat.  Sometimes it's impossible, but I think it's so important to get him more interested in REAL food and not giving in to toddler food all of the time.

Not pictured, but we had soup and grilled cheese on Monday night.  For all of you moms who have kids that are picky with vegetables, these veggie blend-ins are really quite amazing (and more important, convenient).  When I make grilled cheese sandwiches, I will shred the cheese and mix a packet of butternut squash in and Ben consistently tears it up.

We had tarragon chicken with green beans and Trader Joe's naan.  (The frozen kind.  Makes great pizzas for Ben's lunch, also).

Side note - I'm reading a really great book my mom recommended called The Kitchen Counter Cooking School written by a woman chef (Kathleen Flynn) from Seattle.  It's her story about how she helped 9 women who felt completely hopeless in the kitchen and relied on boxed dinners and ultra-processed, unhealthy foods.  She taught them all cooking basics like seasonings (or as she calls them, "flavor splashes"), all the ways to cook vegetables, what types of knives to use, how to make bread, how to break down an entire chicken (and what to do with each and every piece).  I am finding it completely inspiring.  

Anyway, her chapter about vegetables make me realize that roasting is not the ONLY way to cook them - so I picked up some green beans and cooked them "the French way", as Julia Childs would say (i.e. boiling them for 5 minutes then draining and dumping them into ice water).  They come out so crisp and BRIGHT green that way.  Fun.  (Wow, I'm obsessed). 

We did the vegetarian Blue Apron plan this week, and our first meal was delicious.  Rose romaine salad with cucumber, plums, and toasted red walnuts tossed in a honey/vinegar vinaigrette with a side of tasted brie baguette.  Yum.

The second meal was Japanese Okonomiyaki.  I'm telling you, based on the ingredients and preparation, this is NOTHING either of us would ever think to order at a restaurant or cook at home.  As I was cooking it, Greg and I were both a little skeptical, but we reminded ourselves to keep an open mind because we have had only a couple Blue Apron dishes turn out bad.  

And SURPRISE - it was freaking awesome.  It was essentially a vegetable pancake (made with whole wheat flower) and I plan to eat it all the time now.  YUM.

Plan for next week:

I busted out an old cookbook from my hippie days (when I did yoga teacher training), The Kind Diet.  I thought I would try out a few recipes this to see if any would stick in my family.  Stay tuned.

Friday: Tonight is the last of our Blue Apron meals, Fresh Cavatelli & Sun Gold Tomatoes.

Saturday: End of summer BBQ at Becca and Jess's house!

Sunday: Pan-Seared Chicken & Sauteed Bulger with Tomato salad & Creamy Lemon-Yogurt Sauce.  I'm also going to make Quinoa with Basil and Pine Nuts for lunches (The Kind Diet) for lunches for a few days.

Monday: Sweet Potato-Lentil Stew (from The Kind Diet).

Tuesday: Potato Leek Soup.  Will also make a batch of Red Radish Tabbouleh for lunches(from The Kind Diet).

Wednesday: Leftover soup (and we will freeze the rest).

Thursday:  I have a work event Thursday evening, so Greg and Ben will probably have meatballs and grilled cheese sandwiches. 

Friday: Lisa and Evan are coming over for dinner!  Making Smoky Swiss Chard & Black Bean Tostadas

Saturday: Southern-Style Shrimp and Grits with zucchini, corn and cherry tomatoes.   

Sunday: Eggplant Parmesan with Chia Seeds

The last 2 weeks

The weekend before last, we had the entire day on Saturday free of plans.  I had wanted to go down to Ikea to pick up some frames and photo ledges, so we decided to look for a park down in Renton to visit on the way.  Yelp told me that Gene Coulon Memorial Beach Park was THE place to go, and it was soooooo much fun.  This place has everything: a beach, an enormous play structure, a boat launch, a lonnnnng running path right on the water, a fishing dock, and even an Ivar's!  We got there early and spent a few hours there taking turns running on the path, playing with Ben, and enjoying the beautiful morning.  We will definitely be back before summer is over.

When we returned home, Greg and I hung the shelves that I'm using as a book shelf (and a cheap/colorful decoration on a wall that needed something).  This blog has so many fun decor ideas that I'm always using in our house.

Ben and I hit up Trader Joe's (OH how I'm wishing a store would open up in our neighborhood).  The entire time I was shopping he was grabbing things from the cart to make truck ramps - and then driving his little firetruck down them until it fell onto the floor (about a hundred times).  That was fun for both of us.... 

When we got to the checkout stand, Ben was quite helpful handing groceries over to be scanned.  At one point, the checker asked if he should just pretend not to see him and see how long he would hold something out for him, (gotta love messing with your toddler) and we just laughed and laughed as Ben eagerly held out this bag of chips :)  And he was SO happy when the guy finally took it.  LOL.  

Our lives consist of trucks, trucks and more trucks.  The first thing Ben said the other day when he woke up was "Monster trucks are so. awesome".  His favorite thing to do is to hook up the iPad to our Apple TV and recreate the monster truck videos with his own trucks.  It's so adorable.  We are ABSOLUTELY taking him to the Monster Jam when it comes to town in January.

We went to the library to renew our library cards and get my kindle set up to borrow books.  Ben really does not understand the concept of "shhhhhh".  Like, at all.  I swear he talks even MORE when I ask him to talk quietly.  This was his reaction when I had to take him outside.

We have had a few days of boot weather.  And it's amazing.

Blurry picture of Laryd and Ben. 

Even blurrier picture of them + me and Jeannette.  Greg needs a photo-taking workshop.

Sunday night of Labor Day Weekend was spent relaxing at home.  We splurged and opened up a bottle a couple bottles of the better wines we had in our cabinet and enjoyed a fun night at home.

Pics of the boys at dinner in Downtown Bothell.

17

Meal Planning: Week of September 1st

Review from last week:

I made a turkey breast in the crock pot (same recipe I used for Thanksgiving last year) and it came out juicy and delicious again.  

The first night we had it with spiralized zucchini and squash, and sauteed with onion and garlic.

The second night we had it reheated and topped with steamed lentils, bruschetta sauce (both from Trader Joe's) and a sprinkle of feta cheese.  I wish I could have captured the look on Greg's face when I told him that is how I was repurposing the turkey.  It was a mix of disgust and annoyance.  BUT - he absolutely loved it when he tried it and even went back for more lentils.  So, Jessica for the win.

I literally ate lentils/bruschetta for lunch every day this week.

The cilantro I had went bad, so we modified the chorizo tostadas a bit and just had it over lettuce with lime-crema sauce.  This wasn't my favorite, partially due to the fact that I had just watched "Forks over Knives", a documentary about the benefits of a plant-based diet, and I was feeling pretty guilty about the amount of meat we have been consuming.  I'm such a sucker - I really should avoid watching stuff like that...

Plan for next week:

Friday: Going to the Christensen's for fish tacos!

Saturday: Out to eat!  We are in a Cabo state of mind - and there is a little Mexican place in Bothell we have been wanting to try.

Sunday:  Naan pizzas or Trader Joe's spicy beef and broccoli.

Monday: Labor Day!  Grilled tandoori steak and veggies to celebrate the end of the weekend (and the unofficial end of summer).

Tuesday: Tomato-Basil Soup and sandwiches (BLT's or grilled cheese).

Wednesday: Blue Apron Meal: Japanese Okonomiyaki with Dried Mizuna and Garlic-Lemon Sauce.  Whaaaaa?  I went for the vegetarian plan this week, so there are several ingredients I've never heard of before.  

Thursday: Blue Apron Meal: Rose Romaine & Painted Oak Lettuce Salad with Plums, Cucumber and Toasted Brie Baguettes.  Seriously, click on this link and tell me how delicious that looks!

Friday: Blue Apron Meal: Fresh Cavatelli & Sun Gold Tomatoes with Basil-Seed Ricotta & Opal Basil.

Meal Planning: Week of August 25th

Review from last week:

Mahi Mahi fish tacos, but instead of making the chipolte sauce, we just used the jalapeno/cilantro hummus from trader joes.  I had mine over cabbage in a bowl (my new lower-carb option go-to).

BBQ chicken.  The shredded chicken from Costco (Jack Daniels pulled BBQ) is amazing!  Just as flavorful as the pork was, but much healthier.  And you can cook it in the microwave in 4 minutes - perfect for a week night.  Greg and Ben had theirs on a pizza, I had mine with - what else - cabbage.  I also tossed in some roasted brussels sprouts.  Yum.

Not pictured, but seriously, if you have not tried this tomato soup yet you are MISSING OUT.  I finally measured, and I only use 1/4 cup heavy cream instead of the 2 cups the recipe calls for.  It is still creamy and delicious and an extremely low calorie yet filling soup.  The boys had their with some Italian-Style meatballs from Costco.

The stuffed chicken breasts were great, as usual.  This is definitely in our top 10 meals.  And look how easy it is.  Pound the chicken, top it with ingredients, roll up and dip in breadcrumbs, and bake.

I'll be making the pasta tomorrow night and we can have that for 2 days :)  Tonight I'm headed to enjoy take out and wine with Rachel and Raleigh!

Plan for next week:

Monday: BBQ Chicken Quinoa Salad

Tuesday:  Crock Pot Turkey Breast with roasted carrots and Brussels Sprouts.

Wednesday: Leftover turkey with Sauteed Julienned Summer Vegetables.

Thursday: Trader Joe's Spicy Beef and Broccoli

Friday:  Chorizo Tostadas with Pickled Red Onions, Lime Crema and Queso Fresco - possibly made salad-style over cabbage to keep it slightly healthier (served with margaritas, of course = 3 DAY WEEKEND)!

Saturday: Naan pizzas - I picked up some frozen naan from trader joes and thought we could have a little make-your-own-pizza night.  Something kid-friendly for Ben, but for Greg and I, something delicious, like this fig, prosciutto, and goat cheese pizza recipe I came across on my favorite wine blog, Wander & Wine!

Is it FALL yet?

Around mid-late August, I'm always completely over the warmer temps and ready for all things FALL.  It's without a doubt my favorite time of year.  My favorite holidays, favorite weather, favorite types of clothing (boots! blazers!) and not to mention the excuse to drink a few more extra-hot lattes and bake treats.

Since I'm feeling a little annoyed at the 10-day forecast still being in the 80's, here are a few of the reasons why I'm excited for the upcoming months!

• Ben's 3rd birthday!!  We are finally throwing our little guy a legit birthday party, and I cannot wait to see his face light up when he realizes it's all for him!

• A (family) trip to Cabo in October to celebrate our 7th anniversary!  Here is a pic we took when we were there back in 2009!  I cannot even count the number of buckets of beer + chips & guacamole that were consumed on that vacation, but I cannot wait to park it on the beach each afternoon and recreate this memory.  Just this time, imagine a little blonde boy with a shovel and a bucket digging away under that yellow umbrella :)

• Upon our return home, Greg's mom is coming to visit us for 2 weeks!  It will have been over a year since we have seen her last, and I'm SO excited for her to see Ben and all of his new tricks - i.e. TALKING!  And she doesn't know this yet, but I'm hoping we can make it a team effort and tackle potty-training together if Ben hasn't mastered it by that time.  (Help, Marcia)! :)

• My favorite candle at Bath and Body Works made its return this week:

• While I have never been a Pumpkin Spice Latte fan, I AM always waiting each year for Trader Joe's to release their pumpkin pancakes and waffles!

• Long walks in the crisp Fall air with Ben wrapped up tight in the stroller.

• Bear hats and bear suits.  Seriously, I'll be on the look out for something bear-related every year until Ben enters High School.  #tryandstopme

• Carter's Microfleece Pajamas - I'm slightly concerned that these only go up to 5T, considering Ben is already moving into 4T and we lovethemsomuch.

• And while I have continued to make some of our favorite dinners throughout the summer, there is nothing better than a hot soup or chili on a cold evening.  Here are a few of our favorites:

Southwest Chili

• 1 lb beef eye of round (I usually use beef stew meat or turkey meat - it's good with any type of meat)
• 1 15 oz can of spicy chili beans
• 1 can garbanzo beans
• 1 14.5 oz can petite-cut diced tomatoes, DO NOT DRAIN
• 1 16 oz jar thick and chunky salsa
• 1 8 oz can whole kernel corn, drained (or frozen corn)
• 1 tbsp sugar

Spray inside of the slow cooker with cooking spray. Combine all ingredients and mix well. Cover and cook on low heat for 8-10 hours or high heat for 4-5 hours. Garnish with cheese,  sour cream, green onions or tortilla chips if desired.

245 calories, 3.9 grams fat, 27 grams carbs, 5 grams fiber, and 25 grams protein.

Sausage and Shrimp Jambalaya

Creamy Crockpot Tomato Basil Soup

Layered Chili

Layered Chili (from the cookbook, Kitchen Revelry)

3T chili powder
2T ground cumin
1/2t dried red chili flakes
1/4 cup EVOO
3 cups chopped onion
2 cups chopped seeded green bell peppers
6 garlic cloves, peeled and minced - (or if you are like me, buy an enormous jar of minced garlic from Costco and forget about mincing your own.  1t = 1 garlic clove)
2 lbs ground turkey meat (or ground beef)
1T dried oregano
1T cocoa powder or 1 ounce dark chocolate, chopped
1 12 ounce bottle lager beer
1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes
2 15.5 ounce cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed

Mix the chili powder, cumin and chili flakes in a small bowl.  Heat a heavy large nonstick pot over med-high heat.  Add the chili powder mixture to the pot and stir for 30 seconds to 1 minute until fragrant.

Add the oil to the pot, then the onions, bell peppers, and garlic and saute until beginning to soften (about 5 min).  Add the meat and saute until no longer pink (about 5 min).  Add the oregano, then the tomato paste, salt and cocoa powder; stir 1 min.  Add the beer and simmer 5 min.  Add the diced tomatoes and the beans.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to med-low and simmer slightly covered until the flavors develop, (about 30 min).

Chicken and Potato Florentine Soup (Olive Garden Recipe)

Chicken Tortilla Soup

INGREDIENTS

• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 (15 oz) can kidney beans
• 1 (15 oz) can black beans
• 1 (15 oz) can whole kernel corn, drained
• 1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
• 1 (12 oz) can beer  (or 1 can chicken broth)
• 2 cans diced tomatoes with green chilies, undrained
• 1 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning
• 3 whole skinless, boneless chicken breasts  (1lb of chicken tenders)
• shredded Cheddar cheese
• sour cream
• tortilla chips

DIRECTIONS

Place the onion, kidney beans, black beans, corn, tomato sauce, beer or chicken broth, and diced tomatoes in a slow cooker.  **Add taco seasoning, and stir to blend.  Lay chicken breasts on top of the mixture, pressing down slightly until just covered by the other ingredients. Set slow cooker for low heat, cover, and cook for 5 hours. 
 

Remove chicken breasts from the soup, and allow to cool long enough to be handled. Stir the shredded chicken back into the soup, and continue cooking for 2 hours. Serve topped with shredded cheese, sour cream, and tortilla chips

Marcia Ingle's Chicken and White Bean Chili

1 lb Chicken Breast (cut up)

2 tsp olive oil

Salt and Pepper

(Brown the above ingredients in a pot)

Pour 2 cups of chicken broth on top of the chicken.

Add:

2 Tbl chopped onion

1 can green chilies

4 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp oregano

1 can diced tomatoes

3 cans northern white beans (drained but not rinsed)

Simmer 1/2 hour

Top with shredded cheese and sour cream.

Mean Mug Round 2

Remember this?  Still going strong.