the eensy weensy spider

Thanksgiving 2011 prep/cooking schedule

2011-11-21T17:44:00.000-08:00

Proving yet again that I'm more Type A than I care to admit.

Monday:

make the Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes that everyone liked last year
clean part of kitchen
make Pomegranate-Cranberry Sauce, put in fridge in jars
have epiphany that this is more jelly-like and that the cranberry eaters like a more relish-like sauce
decide to have the pom-cran sauce this year anyway, but vow to make a low-sugar cran-orange relish next year
make Butternut Squash Puree, freeze flat in ziploc bags
dice celery & onion, put in containers in fridge
worry that the fridge is already looking full

Tuesday:

more kitchen cleaning
wash and trim Brussels sprouts
move Halloween items to garage
pull pie crust out of freezer, put in fridge to thaw
pull pumpkin puree out of freezer, put in fridge to thaw
pull turkey breast out of freezer, put in fridge to thaw
pull turkey stock out of freezer to use in stuffing, put in fridge to thaw
have Sage do more vacuuming

Wednesday:

locate matching placemats & napkins
mix up turkey brine, brine to boil, cool
wash gravy boat
more vacuuming
scrub out brining cooler

Wednesday night:

make pie, leave on kitchen island covered with tea towel
prep herbs for turkey and roasted pears, leave on counter work area
put new stick of butter in butter dish
make sure there is enough butter in fridge for stuffing
measure out butter for Roasted Balsamic Pears, put in container in fridge
put can of green beans (hey, they were requested that way!) on counter work area
pull blueberry sweet rolls out of freezer, put in fridge to thaw (if possible -- otherwise leave in freezer & use alternate cooking instructions)
put jar of honeyed almonds on counter work area
pull bag of Butternut Squash Puree out of freezer, put in fridge to thaw
brine turkey breast overnight

Thursday morning:

drain brine out of cooler, pat turkey breast dry, but leave in cooler
scramble eggs, bake sweet rolls, turn on Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade
pull out side dishes to come to room temp
put bottles of cranberry juice and Spicy Cider in fridge
eat breakfast
preheat oven for turkey breast

After breakfast:

put turkey breast in oven
set starters/snacks on table
dot potatoes with butter
toss Brussels sprouts with olive oil and salt, put on baking sheet
put Butternut Squash Puree in casserole dish, dot with butter
put cornbread stuffing together
start making sausage/apple/mushroom stuffing
preheat toaster oven to 350F

After turkey is finished:

set turkey breast on top of stove, tent with foil, turn oven up to 375F.
put sprouts, mashed potatoes, and squash in oven
put cornbread stuffing in toaster oven
warm gravy, add stock if needed

After sides finish:

turn oven up to 425F
heat green beans in microwave
put rolls in oven
have Sage set table
pull beverages out of fridge

After rolls finish:

turn off oven, put pie in oven to warm
pull butter for pears out of fridge
EAT!

When ready for dessert:

pull pie out of oven, turn oven on 400F
roast pears
enjoy dessert

Wow, that's a crazy list. At the same time, I'm wondering what I left out. I tried to simplify things this year, and yet it still complicated itself.

how strange!

2011-07-22T14:00:00.001-07:00

For some reason all of my previous posts have been pushed to a different page rather than appearing below. I wouldn't think too much about it if I hadn't been making some recent posts, and now my blog looks pretty empty.

Odd. Anyone know why this happened?

EDITED TO ADD: Never mind! I removed a picture from the last post and it all looks fine now!

to do today

2011-07-22T13:17:00.000-07:00

make Sticky Chicken for tonight's dinner
work on/finish paper for Marine Biology
gather remaining paperwork for SFSU
work on field trip questions for Monterey Bay Aquarium field trip
menu plan for next week? (may wait till tomorrow night - schoolwork taking priority today)

Maybe that's it for now.

to do

2011-07-17T15:41:00.000-07:00

Hello, neglected blog.

Today:

roast the lemon-rosemary-bay brined chicken (no recipe, just based it off of this formula for brining and added chunked up lemons and some rosemary to the brine)
pull chicken off of the bones, set aside in 3 cup portions
do some research for my marine biology paper
clean some more off of my desk
prep veggies for the week - snap ends off of beans, trim kale & broccoli, wash lettuce, scrub carrots
pack lunch for the week (already have 2 packed, will be doing a picnic lunch on Thursday)
print out form for SFSU
clear at least 23 things out of the kitchen cabinet
throw away 23 things off of the kitchen table
finish menu planning for the rest of the week

Menu Planning Monday: Jan 10 - 16

2011-01-10T22:57:00.000-08:00

Classes started again, so I'm short on time. Here's this week's menu plan:

Monday: pernil, sweet potatoes, broccoli
Tuesday: Tuscan Chicken and White Bean Stew (from the freezer, but I got the recipe from The Working Mother Cookbook), baguette (from Costco)
Wednesday: BBQ pork sandwiches, macaroni & cheese, sauteed cabbage
Thursday: Leftover Buffet
Friday: cheese ravioli (from Treasure Box) with red sauce, Italian sausage, green beans (or something from the CSA box)
Saturday: Chicken & Rice Casserole, CSA veggies (something green)
Sunday: tomato basil soup (from Angel Food Ministries) and grilled cheese sandwiches

For more menu planning ideas, check out the Menu Planning thread at I'm An Organizing Junkie!

Menu Planning Monday: Jan 3 - 9

2011-01-03T20:12:00.000-08:00

(I thought I posted this days ago! I guess something went wrong?)

Monday: turkey rice soup (made from leftover turkey, turkey stock, chopped up veggies from the NYE veggie tray, and brown rice), cheese & crackers
Tuesday: meatloaf (made from a mixture of ground beef and leftover ground roast turkey), roasted veggies, Romanesco cauliflower
Wednesday: crockpot corned beef, cabbage, carrots, potatoes
Thursday: Peppercorn Chicken with broccoli (the original recipe calls for spinach, but I think broccoli will do)
Friday: Leftovers Buffet
Saturday: Sticky Chicken, roasted veggies
Sunday: spaghetti with red sauce & meatballs, green beans

Menu plan for Dec. 26 - Jan. 1

2010-12-29T15:32:00.000-08:00

Oh, dear.... it's Wednesday again, isn't it? I guess this is actually "Menu Planning Wednesday" instead, but I don't have a graphic with the right title.

Here's what we had and will have:

Monday: roast turkey, roasted sweet potatoes, Spanish Green Beans
Tuesday: beef barley vegetable soup (made from leftover prime rib meat, stock made from the prime rib bones, and frozen veggies), blueberry muffins
Wednesday: BBQ turkey pizza (based off of this recipe), fruit (lots of fresh fruit leftover from Christmas)
Thursday: turkey enchilada pie (based off of this recipe)
New Year's Eve: our traditional NYE meal of appetizers/party food - taquitos, veggie tray & dip, pizza, chicken nuggets
New Year's Day: kielbasa, fried cabbage, pierogies
Sunday: Leftovers Buffet (or turkey chili, depending on what's left)

For more menu planning ideas, go to I'm An Organizing Junkie!

Christmas Week Menu

2010-12-22T00:00:00.001-08:00

It's been so busy, I've neglected sitting down and plotting out a menu. Same old story. So here's what's in line for the rest of this week:

Earlier tonight (Wednesday): Roast Sticky Chicken, waffle fries, and green beans
Thursday: hamburgers, waffle fries (we have 10 lbs of them -- seriously!), stir fried carrots and bok choy
Christmas Eve: shrimp cocktail, spaghetti with meatballs & Italian sausages, garlic bread, salad, grape juice
Christmas breakfast: quiche made with ham, cheddar, and broccoli, orange juice
Christmas dinner: roast prime rib, baked potatoes, rolls, green beans, mini dessert cups (found at Costco)

For more menu planning ideas, go to I'm An Organizing Junkie!

The Shortest Day

2010-12-21T23:54:00.001-08:00

And so the Shortest Day came and the year died
And everywhere down the centuries of the snow-white world
Came people singing, dancing,
To drive the dark away.
They lighted candles in the winter trees;
They hung their homes with evergreen;
They burned beseeching fires all night long
To keep the year alive.
And when the new year's sunshine blazed awake
They shouted, revelling.
Through all the frosty ages you can hear them
Echoing behind us - listen!
All the long echoes, sing the same delight,
This Shortest Day,
As promise wakens in the sleeping land:
They carol, feast, give thanks,
And dearly love their friends,
And hope for peace.
And now so do we, here, now,
This year and every year.

~ by Susan Cooper

Thanksgiving cooking/prep

2010-11-23T01:40:00.000-08:00

Here's the cooking/prep schedule:

Saturday: pick up turkey, stick in cooler with plenty of ice

Sunday: dice celery and onion for stuffing, put in containers in fridge
mix up green bean casserole (minus the onion topping) in oven safe dish, put in fridge
cut up sugar pie pumpkin, saving the seeds
bake pumpkin pieces, scoop cooked pumpkin out of the shell
make pumpkin puree for pie, put in cheesecloth lined colander in the fridge

Monday: make the Make-Ahead mashed potato recipe found on the Pioneer Woman website
put drained pumpkin puree in sealed container in fridge
buy bread for Thursday (rolls for dinner, gingerbread bagels for breakfast)
clean part of the kitchen
realize the probe thermometer is broken & there is no way to properly cook the turkey without it

Tuesday: more kitchen cleaning
wash & trim Brussels sprouts
pull apple pie filling out of the freezer and put into the fridge to thaw
pull pie crusts out of the freezer to thaw
move things from family room to the garage
get Munchkin to vacuum the front room
clean off island in kitchen (I hope?)
buy a new probe thermometer

Wednesday: locate matching placemats and napkins, wash if needed
scrub out big 5 gallon beverage cooler (used only for turkey brining)
mix up turkey brine, bring to a boil, let cool
locate & wash gravy boats
get Munchkin to vacuum family room

Wednesday night: make pies, leave on island to cool, cover with tea towel
cut up squash, save seeds, put squash pieces in container in fridge
unwrap & rinse off turkey, put giblets in container in fridge
put turkey brine, turkey, and ice in the brining cooler
mix up frittata for breakfast, put in fridge
prep mushroom filling ingredients for pastry shells
gather aromatics for turkey, place on counter near work area
put new stick of butter in butter dish, put jar of cranberry-apple butter next to butter dish

Thursday morning: make breakfast frittata, toast bagels, turn on Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade
pull out side dishes to come to room temperature, preheat oven to 500F
put sparking juice and Spicy Cider in the fridge
drain brine from cooler, pat turkey dry, put on rack in roasting pan (with turkey neck in pan underneath the rack)
steep turkey aromatics in microwave, stuff them in the turkey, rub turkey with oil
roast turkey for 30 mins
toss pumpkin/squash seeds with oil and roast in toaster oven, salt to taste
eat breakfast using paper plates

Thursday, after breakfast: turn oven down to 350F, then leave alone until turkey reaches 161F.
after turkey has roasted for an hour, rub squash with olive oil and roast in toaster oven for an hour
set appetizers/snacks out on table
dot mashed potatoes with butter, top casserole with onion topping, toss Brussels sprouts with olive oil in a baking dish

After the turkey is finished: set turkey on top of the stove to rest, tent with foil
place mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, and Brussels sprouts in the oven
warm mushroom gravy, make turkey gravy
make the mushroom filling
heat green beans (not casserole) in microwave

After side dishes are finished: turn oven up to 400F
Put rolls and pastry shells in oven
Have Munchkin pull beverages out of fridge and set table

After rolls & shells are finished: Turn off oven
Fill pastry shells with mushroom filling, call people to table
put pies in still warm oven to hold while everyone eats
enjoy Thanksgiving dinner!

I'm sure I've left out something.

Thanksgiving dinner menu - 2010

2010-11-23T01:32:00.000-08:00

Here's what we're eating:

Snacks/appetizers to munch on while waiting for the main meal to finish cooking

marinated asparagus & roasted red peppers
crackers with assorted cheeses
hummus and pita crisps and/or carrot sticks
sweet potato chips
roasted pumpkin seeds (maybe)

Main meal

turkey
mushrooms in puff pastry shells (for the non-turkey eaters)
stuffing
mashed potatoes (2 batches - one vegan, one dairy)
gravy (2 batches - one turkey, one vegan mushroom)
green bean casserole (for the ones who think Thanksgiving will be all wrong without it)
green beans (for the ones who don't like green bean casserole)
roasted Brussels sprouts
baked Sweet Dumpling squash
orange-cranberry sauce
buttermilk rolls with cranberry-apple butter (or just plain butter -- or both!)

Desserts

apple pie
dairy-free pumpkin pie
possibly a raisin pie if I have time or room for leftovers
vanilla ice cream and vanilla bean coconut milk ice cream to go with the pies

Drinks - sparkling cranberry-cabernet juice or TJ's Spicy Cider

We've taken a few shortcuts. The vegan potatoes and gravy were purchased, but I might do them from scratch in the future (the potatoes look pretty simple... potatoes, olive oil, vegetable stock, salt & pepper). The fresh orange-cranberry sauce is also purchased; I can make this from scratch, but this one tastes exactly like it would if I made it and saves me a little time. The rolls are a higher end brown-n-serve variety. The stuffing base is a seasoned mix (but not Stove Top!) that I'll enhance with sauteed vegetables and stock. The pies will be a bit of a contradiction -- while I know how to make pie crust, I'm using purchased frozen pie crusts this time. On the other hand, all of the pie filling is made from scratch (including from fresh pumpkin).

Tawny Pumpkin Pie

2010-11-21T00:39:00.000-08:00

This is the pumpkin pie I've made for Thanksgiving for decades. It's from one of the Farm Journal cookbooks.

Tawny Pumpkin Pie

1-1/4 c. cooked mashed or canned pumpkin
3/4 c. sugar.
1/2 tsp. salt.
1 tsp. ground cinnamon.
1/4 tsp. ground ginger.
1 tsp flour.
2 eggs, slightly beaten.
1 c. evaporated milk.
2 tblsp. water.
1/2 tsp. vanilla.
1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell

Combine pumpkin, sugar, salt, spices and flour in a mixing bowl.
Add eggs.
Mix well.
Add evaporated milk, water and vanilla.
Mix well.
Pour into pie shell.
Bake in 400 degree oven for 45 to 50 minutes, or until knife inserted near center comes out clean.
Cool on rack.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

long time, no blog... and needing some menu suggestions

2010-10-27T12:32:00.001-07:00

Hello, little blog. I've thought of you often, yet I've had a hard time stopping by to talk with you. Life always seems to get in the way. I know, I know... you've noticed that I've been hanging out a lot with the little blue bird, but he doesn't require much of my time. Mere seconds, really. But I do need you, dear blog. Life seems to run so much better when I remember to visit you more often and discuss my weekly plans.

That being said...

I need some help figuring out menus for the next month. I feel as if I've fallen into a rut and I'm using a lot of the same things over and over again. I have several things that I need to use up, especially since we're trying to empty out one of our freezers so we can unplug it.

Here's what I have to work with:

4 lbs. chicken leg quarters
3 lbs. whole split chicken
1.5 lbs. boneless pork roast
1.5 lbs. beef tips in gravy (I'm worried that it's more gravy than beef... might have to stretch it by adding veggies & using it in a stew)
1.5 lbs. boneless turkey breast
1.75 lbs. fully-cooked breaded party chicken wings
1 lb. beef hot dogs
20 oz. steak fajitas (I think this is a mixture of beef strips, pepper strips, and sliced onions... so it won't go terribly far among 5 people. What can I do with this other than making fajitas?)
1 lb. battered fish pieces
1 lb. ground beef
several lbs. of breakfast sausage links
several lbs. of smoked sausages
1 lb. frozen green pepper and onion mixture
3 lb. frozen green beans
1 lb. frozen peas & carrots
several lbs. frozen corn
20 oz. frozen shoestring fries
1.5 lbs. frozen rice with red & green peppers
4.5 lbs. frozen potato medley (diced potatoes, carrots, celery, and onion... definitely a soup/stew mixture)
1 lb. dried 16-bean soup mix
several lbs. of pinto beans
several lbs. of black beans
several lbs. of rice
corn muffin mix (as well as other flavors of muffin mix)
several boxes of mac & cheese
3 lbs. sweet potatoes
2 heads of cabbage (1 red, 1 green)
lots of fresh apples
lots of potatoes (both red and smallish white or Yukon)
lots of carrots
lots of onions
lots of beets
This is by no means an exhaustive list of what we have in our freezer/fridge/pantry. There's also the usual pantry staples like cans of soup, tuna, powdered milk, pasta, etc.

Any tips? I welcome any and all suggestions (although the simpler the better).

The Growing Challenge

2010-03-14T12:32:00.000-07:00

I signed up for the Growing Challenge at One Green Generation's blog. The main rules for the challenge are (copied from the website):

#1: Grow one additional type of fruit or vegetable than you did last year, and grow it from seed.

#2: If rule #1 is not enough of a challenge for you, you may make your own rules.

#3: Post about gardening once each week. This could be a post about researching different plants, ordering seeds, buying pots, digging beds, planting the seeds, pruning, adding compost, all the way to preparing

a meal that includes the food you grew.

#4: Check In. Every week [she] will write a check-in post at 1 Green Generation. Please come comment and let everyone know what you’re up to – this is a really great way to learn from one another!!

#5: When signing up, make sure to include your zone and where you’re located. (Find your zone: U.S., Australia, Canada, Europe, South America, China.)

#6: Let [her] know in the comments [below the original post] if you’re joining in the fun!

Last weekend we started this year's garden. We've tried container gardening before and had very minimal and disappointing crops, but everything I had read lately seemed to indicate that starting from seed (rather than with pre-sprouted plants) might be more successful.

We built our 4'x4' raised bed for our garden and then mixed in soil and compost (the girls had a lot of fun with that part). Then we sectioned off square foot sections of the bed and planted seeds in each section according to information we had found on square foot gardening.

I'll be thrilled if even 50% of this grows... that'll be more than we've ever gotten from a garden! I'm still surprised at how many plants we might have in such a small space. In all, we planted 8 tri-color beans, 18 Easter Egg radishes, 12 butter lettuces, 36 beet medleys (red, gold, and Candy Stripe), 20 rainbow chards, and 16 red onions. The only vegetables out of the bunch that we've grown before are lettuce, and never that variety.

Crossing our fingers!

Christmas Week - Menu Plan Monday

2009-12-21T17:01:00.000-08:00

Finally, the week we've waited for all year! It seems like each year the month of December gets shorter and shorter, and we end up not having enough time to do it all. I keep reminding myself to slow down, to not worry about doing everything, and to just focus on the important stuff. The presents will be shipped out late, we won't get to all of the holiday activities in town, but that's ok... we'll enjoy time together as a family and have a couple of really nice days with each other.

And to ensure that the next few days are a little less hectic, here's the menu plan for this week.

Breakfasts
scrambled eggs w/ bacon or sausage (we're using up the powdered eggs in my pantry), assorted toasts (might be frozen waffles, bagels, etc.)
Christmas morning: Breakfast Bread Pudding (from Dream Dinners), sausage, orange juice

Dinners
Winter Solstice: turkey medallions w/ cranberry sauce, apple-sausage stuffing, green beans
Tuesday: chicken with roasted root veggies (beets, rutabagas, turnips, carrots) and leeks
Wednesday: Leftovers Buffet
Christmas Eve: shrimp & crab cocktail*, spaghetti and meatballs, sourdough bread (shaped like a Christmas tree!), salad, grape juice
Christmas: prime rib roast (Dream Dinners), roasted potatoes with rosemary, green beans, chocolate cheesecake
Boxing Day: homemade chicken vegetable soup, sourdough bread, applesauce
Sunday: Leftovers Buffet or chicken fried rice and orange segments

* - Growing up, we always had fish, bread, and grape juice on Christmas Eve. I tried carrying on this tradition as an adult and we had a similar meal for several years. A couple of years ago I realized that most of the family disliked fish and actually dreaded the meal. We decided to instead have spaghetti each Christmas Eve and we've all been happy with the new tradition. All the same, I try to have some kind of seafood on Christmas Eve in homage to my childhood traditions. ;)

jFor more menu planning ideas, go to I'm an Organizing Junkie!

this week's menu plan (posted on Sunday, but called Menu Plan Monday)

2009-08-09T21:27:00.000-07:00

Monday: beef stir-fry -- sliced beef, Napa cabbage, peppers, carrots (and possibly some mushrooms that have been hiding in the pantry) -- and rice, egg rolls (from the freezer)
Prep tonight: soak beans for tomorrow's dinner; pull Monte Cristo Chicken from freezer, put tray in fridge to thaw
Tuesday: crockpot chili -- ground beef and ground pork (really need to use up the pork), beans, canned tomatoes, peppers and onions (from CSA basket), spices, other veggies -- and leftover rice from yesterday
Prep tonight: Pull corned beef out of freezer, put in fridge to thaw
Wednesday: Monte Cristo Chicken (Dream Dinners entree... we haven't made any new entrees there in a while; still using up the freezer stash!), green beans
Thursday: MUNCHKIN COOKS DINNER -- meatballs (from freezer) and spaghetti, homemade garlic bread, peas (she picked out this menu by herself)
Friday: pot roasted (in the crockpot) corned beef with root veggies (carrots, potatoes, beets), onion, and green beans
Saturday: leftovers or quick homemade soup
Sunday: lentil & rice tacos (with shredded lettuce or cabbage, salsa, avocado, etc. -- this feels like it needs a side dish, but I'm stumped. If we load the tacos up with veggies, do we *need* a side dish?

Wednesday and Friday are busy days, so I hope I've planned accordingly. I've posted the little reminders so I remember to pull stuff out of the freezer in time!

Breakfasts: toast/eggs, baked oatmeal, yogurt & fruit parfaits*, cold cereal (with almond milk)/scrambled eggs

* - (tricky since we seem to be becoming lactose intolerant, but we need to use up the yogurt & are crossing our fingers with the hope that we'll be ok with yogurt -- we aren't ok anymore with glasses of milk or heavy cheese dishes)

Lunches: English muffin pizzas, soup & peanut (or almond) butter sandwiches, sliced chicken sandwiches, hummus vegetable wraps, green smoothies & hummus with tortilla chips

For more menu planning ideas, see I'm an Organizing Junkie!

Menu Planning Monday (need better titles for these posts)

2009-08-02T22:22:00.000-07:00

In a hurry tonight (baby needs my attention soon), so here's this week's menu plan without the usual chatter that I like to include. We're out of the house a lot this week, so some of the meals are ones that can be quickly prepared or don't require a lot of attention.

Dinners
Monday: oven fried chicken, green beans, spoonbread
Tuesday: teriyaki meatballs with stir-fried veggies and rice
Wednesday: stuffed pork chops, mixed veggies
Thursday: no one at home -- some of us will be at a wedding and having dinner at the reception, the rest will be eating elsewhere
Friday: Hawaiian chicken with jasmine rice (Dream Dinners entree), broccoli
Saturday: leftovers
Sunday: Breakfast for Dinner - scrambled eggs, sausage, English muffins, fresh berries... or maybe we'll get industrious and make red flannel hash with eggs (we've got beets that we don't know what to do with this week!) and serve them with the English muffins and some applesauce

Breakfasts (the ones during the morning): eggs & English muffins, eggs & waffles, eggs & cold cereal (there was a really good sale on eggs this week), yogurt and berries

Lunches: peanut or almond butter & jelly sandwiches, cioppino (Dream Dinners), leftovers, frozen "TV dinners" from the back of the freezer (not sure how long they've been there & they need to be eaten!)

For more menu planning ideas, join in this week's fun over at The Happy Housewife!

camping out with Menu Plan Monday

2009-07-26T20:52:00.000-07:00

We're going camping in Yosemite tomorrow! This means I had to plan the menu for this week a little more carefully, taking into account the meals that have to be eaten at the campsite (dinner on Monday, all of Tuesday's meals, and breakfast on Wednesday) and cooking after we get home. We're having some of the leftover ham from last Saturday's dinner for a few meals and making use of some of our dehydrated foods. Since I know we're likely to be tired when we get home, we're relying on one of our freezer meals for an easy dinner after traveling back.

I'm also planning on making a big green smoothie to drink before heading out and another when we get back since we're not going to have a lot in the way of fresh produce while camping. I'll also be taking a few packets of Greens To Go along with us.

Camping Day Meals
Monday: [B] eggs, toast, fruit [L] peanut butter or almond butter & jelly sandwiches, canned peaches, pickles [D] BBQ pork sandwiches, green beans
Tuesday: [B] scrambled eggs, ham, grits [L] cheese, crackers, ham, apple slices [D] baked beans, hot dogs, blueberry applesauce, green beans
Wednesday: [B] bacon fried rice, [L] burgers at Sonic on the way home, [D] chicken enchiladas (Dream Dinners entree), summer squash

The remaining dinners
Thursday: chicken vegetable soup with butternut squash ravioli (added instead of noodles)
Friday: sloppy joes, CSA veggies (no idea what's coming yet)
Saturday: Cornflake Crusted Chicken (Dream Dinners entree), buttered potatoes, CSA veggies
Sunday: all the fabulous leftovers!

For more menu planning ideas, go to I'm an Organizing Junkie!

another Menu Planning Monday!

2009-07-20T20:26:00.000-07:00

Here's what we're having this week...

Monday: ham & beans, sliced beets, corn
Tuesday: hot dogs, sodas, cotton candy (we're going to the beach boardwalk for their 75 cent night)
Wednesday: Honey Garlic Orange Chicken (Dream Dinners entree), rice, carrots
Thursday: teriyaki pork tenderloin, rice, stir fried veggies
Friday: spaghetti & Italian sausages, garlic bread, Zucchini Moons

Saturday: Christmas in July! - ham, green bean casserole, glazed carrots, sparkling apple cider, pumpkin pie with whipped cream, Christmas cookies
Sunday: all the awesome leftovers

Breakfasts: eggs & toast, eggs & cereal, smoothies
Lunches: leftovers, bean & rice burritos, egg salad & crackers with fruit, PB&J, canned soup

For more meal planning ideas, check out I'm an Organizing Junkie!

green smoothies

2009-06-22T23:38:00.000-07:00

Everyone's talking about green smoothies lately, and I have to admit I've hopped on the bandwagon. Not only do they help me to use up the produce in the fridge before I have to toss it in the compost, but I actually feel better on the days that I drink them.

Yeah, I know. It sounds like propaganda, right? It's just vegetables, fruit, and sometimes water!

Maybe it's the chlorophyll content in the vegetables. After all, a mango-banana smoothie doesn't make me feel the same way... adding some spinach or kale to that combination makes a big difference. Maybe it's the vitamin content, or maybe there's more oxygen in the leafy greens? Maybe it's all in my head?

Either way, it's been getting me to eat more vegetables and that's always a good thing.

Here's a few of my favorite green smoothie combinations:

kale, apples (1 or 2, depending on how sweet they are), and a big handful of mint *** #1 FAVORITE ***
pineapple, collards, and banana
green grapes and celery
cucumber, tomato, avocado, and celery (savory smoothies are still good! Think gazpacho)
pomegranate-blueberry juice, pineapple, spinach, banana, and blueberries
parsley, pineapple, apple

Sometimes I add ice, but usually just 1/2 a cup of water in the bottom of the blender (unless I use juice in the smoothie) is enough.

Weekend at the farm + Menu Plan Monday

2009-06-21T21:22:00.000-07:00

We had a nice, relaxed couple of days this weekend. Saturday we went to our CSA's community day at the farm. This was Chickadee's first visit to the farm, although Munchkin has visited there several times. We got to see their new baby goats, pick blackberries, meet the farm dogs, and the kids climbed all over the straw bale forts. Chickadee had a great time pulling handful after handful of straw out of the bales!

Father's Day breakfast was the traditional cinnamon rolls and orange juice, and the girls presented Daddy with a bound picture book titled "Daddy's Adventure Book" (inspired by the scrapbook from the movie Up!). The book showed pictures of him with the girls (mostly Munchkin since Chickadee is less than a year old, and has had fewer years to accumulate pictures) from 2001 to the present. He cried and said it was the best present ever. :)

The rest of the day was spent dismantling Munchkin's bed and rearranging her room in preparation for her new bed arriving tomorrow morning. She has slept in one of those lofted beds with a ladder and a slide for the last 6 years, but she's a bit too big for it now. While she's going to miss her old bed, she's pretty excited about the new one.

Breakfasts:
eggs & cold cereal/toast/waffles, sausage or bacon, radish hash browns

Lunches: leftovers, green smoothies, tuna salad and crackers, Monterey Chicken quesadillas, cioppino (maybe... we have some in the freezer and only two of us like it, so it's a better lunch option than one for dinner)

Monday: pulled smoked pork w/ BBQ sauce, collards, cornbread
Tuesday: linguine with chicken & Alfredo sauce, salad or broccoli
Wednesday: veggie chili (from freezer), salad or broccoli
Thursday: Teriyaki Tomato Rice & Beef, zucchini
Friday: Leftover Buffet or grilled sausages, peppers and onions
Saturday: Blackberry Balsamic Chicken (Dream Dinners entree from freezer), salad, cornbread
Sunday: soup (canned or a simple homemade veggie soup) & grilled cheese sandwiches

For more meal planning ideas, go to I'm an Organizing Junkie!

This week's menu

2009-06-08T20:17:00.000-07:00

Kind of an odd week -- trying to use up things in the freezer, so we have to make sure we schedule enough time for thawing. We're seeing Up! one night this week (thanks to Diaper Days at Camera Cinemas) and I have a meeting on Friday, so we also have to schedule around those events.

Monday: Italian sausages and hotdogs, sauteed mushrooms with peppers and onions, carrots
Tuesday: pizza (from the pizza place next to the movie theatre)
Wednesday: Orangey Asian Chicken (from freezer - never got around to this last week), rice, stir fried asparagus with onions and mushrooms
Thursday: stuffed shells (from freezer), summer squash, garlic bread (if there's any left in the freezer)
Friday: leftovers? (or dinner out, depending on length of meeting)
Saturday: Monte Cristo Chicken (from freezer - Dream Dinners), veggies
Sunday: Breakfast for Dinner (using waffles and sausage from freezer)

For more menu planning ideas, go to I'm an Organizing Junkie!

Finally - Menu Plan Monday!

2009-06-01T14:06:00.001-07:00

It's been a while (again) since I posted a menu... for the past few weeks we've kind of followed one that was hurriedly jotted down on paper, but I'd rather get back into the habit of posting these again.

Monday: Corned Beef Casserole (minus the cheese and potato chips), summer squash
Tuesday: ham & beans (from freezer), sauteed greens, cornbread
Wednesday: turkey soup with rice & vegetables (made with meat and stock from $0.49/lb. organic turkey backs that I bought on Christmas Eve and cooked over the weekend), fruit
Thursday: steak (cut from $1.49/lb. beef tenderloin purchased 2 months ago, sauteed fava beans & carrots (a variation on this recipe), Israeli couscous
Friday: Orangey Asian Chicken (frozen Dream Dinners meal - and yes, it's really spelled that way!), rice, stir-fried mei qing choi (similar to bok choy) & whatever other vegetables we need to use up
Saturday: The elder child keeps asking for pizza, and I may just give in. We have a couple in the freezer that I could pull out.
Sunday: canned soup & grilled cheese sandwiches or Leftovers Buffet

Breakfasts: frozen waffles (because they're taking up a lot of room in the freezer), eggs & toast, corned beef hash (made with radishes instead of potatoes)

Lunches: tuna salad or PB&J sandwiches, frozen veggie "chicken" nuggets with ketchup, leftovers from dinner; apples or chips or pretzels on the side

For more menu planning ideas, visit I'm an Organizing Junkie!

long time, no menu!

2009-04-19T18:24:00.001-07:00

I did it again. I got too busy to make a menu, but found that the week(s) ended up even more hectic without one. I'm still pretty busy, but I'm going to try to post SOMETHING so I have some sort of a guideline.

The temperature was in the 90s today and it's expected to stay pretty hot for the rest of the week, so I'm gearing meals towards using the oven as little as possible.

Breakfasts:
smoothies
quiches (we have several single serving quiches from Trader Joe's)
blueberry bran muffins with yogurt (or another smoothie)
French toast (freezer) or waffles (freezer) with yogurt

Lunches:
Salads
Salads
Salads (chicken salad, tuna salad, egg salad, green salad, fruit salad, etc.)
smoothies with hummus and crackers
sandwich (PB&J, meat or egg salad, veggie, etc.) with yogurt

Dinners:
Beef Carbonara with noodles (Dream Dinner entree from freezer, make in crock pot)
Carrot Top Soup
Subway $5 footlong sandwich (evening activity at the school, so we're having dinner out)
steak tacos (cook steak on Foreman grill, slice, saute vegetables in skillet)
Brown Rice Vegetable Risotto (substitute broth for the wine)
BBQ Pork Sandwiches (Dream Dinners)
leftovers

For more meal planning ideas, go to I'm an Organizing Junkie!

Happy Easter!

2009-04-12T19:28:00.000-07:00

My two girls wish you a happy Easter (ok, I do too)!

slightly late Menu Planning Monday

2009-03-23T14:23:00.000-07:00

Since I was out of town last weekend, I didn't have a menu plan. Once again I was reminded of how much easier the week flows when I do have one!

Monday: hot dogs, mac & cheese, assorted leftover veggies
Tuesday: Hoppin' John, greens
Wednesday: Steak & Onions with Potatoes (from the freezer, Dream Dinners meal), asparagus
Thursday: Chicken Parmesan (Dream Dinners), garlic bread, salad
Friday: lentil & rice tacos, corn, carrot sticks
Saturday: leftovers
Sunday: frittata, salad or other veggies (depending on what produce we have left by then)

Breakfasts - Amish Baked Oatmeal and bacon or eggs, frozen breakfast sandwich, biscuits & sausage gravy with eggs

Lunches - egg salad, baked tofu, PB&J or corned beef sandwiches (made from last week's leftover corned beef), yogurt or cottage cheese and soup, cheese & cracker plate with fruit

See what other people are planning for their menus this week at I'm an Organizing Junkie!

OUTSIDE!

2009-03-20T14:42:00.000-07:00

Baby + outdoors = happiness

Chickadee is quite fond of the camera

2009-03-20T10:24:00.000-07:00

Mountain Pie

2009-03-09T20:59:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure why it's called this, but we had this a lot when I was growing up. It's good with canned peaches, fruit cocktail... and probably just about any other kind of fruit that comes in a can!

MOUNTAIN PIE

Melt 3/4 stick of butter or margarine in a baking dish or pan.

Mix a batter of:

1 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
3/4 cup milk

Pour the batter over the butter in the baking dish.

Pour a 16-20 oz. can of fruit (including juice) over the batter.

Bake at 350F until well browned, approximately 45 minutes.

Menu Planning Monday - better late than never!

2009-03-09T20:36:00.001-07:00

We're going out of town Sunday evening, so I only have to plan this weeks menu from Monday to Saturday.

Monday: pumpkin ravioli, oven fried chicken, sauteed greens
Tuesday: cheese manicotti (from freezer), garlic bread, sauteed greens
Wednesday: Oven Fried Pork Chops, roasted beets, sauteed cabbage, applesauce
Thursday: "Breakfast for Dinner" - sausage links (from freezer), waffles, applesauce
Friday: Bacony Lentil Stew (I have a bunch of bacon ends that I need to use up), sauteed cabbage, Mountain Pie
Saturday: leftovers

Breakfasts: yogurt, cereal; eggs, toast
Lunches: nori rolls (avocado, carrot, rice, nori), teriyaki meatballs; leftover oven fried chicken, fruit; PB&J/ham & cheese sandwiches, tortilla chips or pretzels; Crock Pot Falafel, hummus, pita chips, carrot sticks and/or cucumber slices; smoothies, popcorn

it's coming...

2009-03-08T22:52:00.000-07:00

I've had a busy day and am now too tired to type out this week's menu plan (although I did finish it). I promise, it's getting posted tomorrow!

Coconut Rice

2009-03-03T15:01:00.001-08:00

This works well for a breakfast dish or a dessert, although some people serve it on the side with a spicy curry. It's quite nice with slices of fresh mango, but it's good on its own as well. This is an especially nice treat for those who are avoiding gluten and/or dairy.

Coconut Rice

2 cups white rice
2 cups coconut milk or cream
1 cup sugar (I prefer either raw or brown sugar)
2 tsp. salt

Cook rice. While rice is cooking, combine coconut milk or cream, sugar, and salt in a pan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Stir well and set aside.
When rice is cooked, remove from heat; pour coconut mixture over hot rice and stir well. Let sit covered at least 30 minutes to allow rice to absorb mixture. Do not refrigerate.

Sloppy Joes

2009-03-03T14:50:00.001-08:00

I'm not sure where I originally found this recipe... maybe the Better Homes & Gardens cookbook, or the Betty Crocker cookbook? In any case, around here we like it better than sloppy joes made from Manwich sauce -- plus it's a whole lot cheaper!

Sloppy Joes

1 lb. lean ground beef
1 cup ketchup
2 tbsp. yellow mustard
1 tsp. soy sauce
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 tbsp. dried onion

Cook beef in a skillet over medium heat 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally until beef is browned.
Drain.
Stir in remaining ingredients. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve on buns or over cooked noodles.

Sloppy Janes/vegetarian variation: Rehydrate 1 cup TVP with 7/8 cup boiling water or vegetable broth. Let stand until liquid is absorbed. Substitute the TVP for the browned ground beef.

Curried Beans & Rice

2009-03-03T14:44:00.000-08:00

(I'm posting some of my recipes so I'll have easy access to them later.)

Curried Beans & Rice

2 cans baked beans
1 diced onion
1 tbsp. curry powder (more or less to taste)
1 tsp. cumin
1/2 tbsp. honey (if you think the beans are sweet enough already, leave it out)
1 bag frozen broccoli
cooked rice
sliced almonds (0ptional)

Saute the onion, cumin, and curry powder in a little oil until onions are translucent and aromatic. Add bag of broccoli to skillet; cover and cook for 2 minutes. Add baked beans and honey; stir and simmer for another 5 minutes. Serve with cooked rice, garnished with sliced almonds.

Grocery Outlet bargains

2009-03-02T16:33:00.000-08:00

We stopped by the Grocery Outlet on the way home today in hopes of finding some green chiles. We didn't find those, but we did find a few good bargains, including:

Stonyfield Farms organic Caramel Underground yogurt cups - $.50
Stonyfield Farms organic blueberry Greek yogurt cups - $.50
1/2 gallon Silk unsweetened soy milk - $1.99
Purely Decadent dairy-free ice cream single serving cups (chocolate obsession, cookie dough, pomegranate chip, and cherry nirvana) - $.50

There were lots of other yogurt bargains, both soy and dairy (including Rachel's Exotic Yogurt), but I only have so much room in my fridge right now. I also got a few cartons of shelf-stable organic unsweetened soy milk, but the refrigerated Silk was by far the better bargain.

time for Menu Planning Monday (with recipe links)

2009-03-01T17:11:00.000-08:00

Our schedule has been shuffled around this week -- my class on Thursday has been cancelled for the week, but Munchkin won't be riding in her usual carpool to class on Friday! Just when I thought there'd be a little extra free time, I find it's being traded elsewhere. Oh, well!

DINNERS

Monday: white chicken chili, tortilla chips, broccoli
Tuesday: leftovers
Wednesday: Hamburger Barley Stew, muffins
Thursday: Turkey Medallions with Savory Cranberry Sauce (Dream Dinners meal from freezer), stuffing, green beans
Friday: lentil & rice burritos with salsa, lettuce, and cheese
Saturday: pumpkin ravioli (from freezer), oven fried chicken tenders, green beans
Sunday: frozen or homemade pizza, veggies

BREAKFASTS:
quiche (from freezer)
muffins (freezer) and eggs
sandwich made from English muffin, sausage patty, and fried egg
smoothies (to use up the browning bananas)
cereal and eggs

LUNCHES:
yogurt and bacon & cheese muffin
PB&J or ham sandwich
leftover chili
smoothie
things from freezer like burritos, pot pies, etc.

See what other people are planning for their menus this week at I'm an Organizing Junkie!

...and we're back! Menu Planning Monday

2009-02-22T16:47:00.000-08:00

I certainly missed having a menu plan last week! From Wednesday on, every night I had to figure out what we were having for dinner. Planning it out in advance certainly makes it easier.

Dinners -
Monday: roast chicken, roasted root veggies (sweet potatoes, rutabagas, beets)
Tuesday: Breakfast for Dinner - since it's Fat Tuesday/Pancake Day/Mardi Gras for much of America, having pancakes for dinner seems like a fine idea! Pancakes, sausage, yogurt and fruit smoothies
Wednesday: black bean & vegetable soup, corn bread
Thursday: "Pizza Fondue" (pizza or spaghetti sauce and mozzarella cheese melted together) with meatballs, Italian sausage slices, mozzarella sticks, and garlic bread as dippers
Friday: Mango Glazed Pork Chops (from freezer), rice pilaf, carrots or sweet potatoes
Saturday: homemade chicken soup, crackers, fruit salad or smoothies
Sunday: leftovers

Breakfasts - scrambled egg burritos, smoothie and hard boiled eggs, breakfast sandwiches (the remaining pre-made ones from the freezer plus fried egg/cheese/toast sandwiches), cereal and eggs, waffles (from freezer) with sausage and eggs

Lunches - salmon burgers (from freezer), soup with bacon & cheese muffins (modified from this recipe), yogurt with bacon & cheese muffins, ham & cheese sandwiches or PBJ, grilled cheese sandwiches with tomato soup, hummus with tortilla chips & veggies

For more meal planning ideas, visit I'm an Organizing Junkie!

short menu week - Menu Plan Monday

2009-02-08T20:16:00.001-08:00

We won't be home from Friday to Monday, so it's a short menu this week.

Monday: burritos, Spanish rice, caulflower, greens
Tuesday: Thai ginger beef kabobs (freezer), rice, broccoli
Wednesday: spaghetti with meatballs, green beans
Thursday: crockpot chili, tortilla chips, corn

We have lots of yogurt and cottage cheese to use up before we leave, so they'll be included in this week's breakfasts and lunches. I haven't planned much beyond that!

For more menu planning ideas, go to I'm an Organizing Junkie!

Anyone have any suggestions for eating in hotel? The hotel's restaurants are EXPENSIVE. There are restaurants nearby, but I'll only get a chance to leave the hotel once a day (maybe). I might be able to eat from the hotel's continental breakfast selection, but it's mostly just starch and sugar. Technically they don't want us to cook in our rooms, but I've used a crock pot and a rice cooker in this hotel before... I just have to use them in the bathroom so the fire alarm doesn't go off. As it is, I'm not sure if I'm taking these appliances or not; we don't know if we're going to be able to get a fridge or not.

Monday

It's time for Menu Plan Monday!

2009-02-01T21:28:00.000-08:00

It's been confirmed -- with the busier schedule now that I'm back in school, the menu plans really help.

Breakfasts

eggs and toast/bagel/English muffin (with butter or butter & Marmite)
homemade breakfast burritos (salsa, scrambled eggs, bacon, and cheese in a tortilla)
Jimmy Dean breakfast sandwich
eggs and hot cereal
monkey bread and eggs (probably weekend morning)

Lunches

cottage cheese (we have a lot!) and soup
ham sandwich, fruit
PBJ (or something equivalent made with cashew butter) and yogurt
chicken nuggets (from the freezer, I swear!), mixed veggies
taco salad (I'm hoping to make a batch of it sometime this week)

Dinners

Monday: homemade tacos, mixed veggies
Tuesday: Poppy Seed Chicken casserole, green beans
Wednesday: leftovers
Thursday: pork chops with raisins and apples (from freezer), roasted Brussels sprouts
Friday: chili dogs, corn, fruit cocktail
Saturday: roast chicken, rutabagas
Sunday: Soup & Bread Night -- hamburger soup, cornbread or scones

For more meal planning ideas, go to I'm an Organizing Junkie!

I forgot the breakfasts and lunches!

2009-01-26T01:06:00.000-08:00

I typed out the plan for this week's dinners, but I forgot to add the breakfasts and lunches... right after I had just said I was planning those out too! Fortunately I can type up another post and link it to the original. ;) The dinner portions of the weekly menu can be found here.

Breakfasts

eggs and toast (with butter or butter & Marmite)
Jimmy Dean breakfast sandwich (found a few boxes of them from the grocery salvage outlet for less than I could make them from scratch)
eggs and cereal
banana bread, eggs, and bacon or sausage (probably Saturday)
repeat one or two

Notice a theme here? If I don't have eggs for breakfast, I can really tell later in the day. I'll get tired and cranky, and I need all of my energy right now.

Lunches

tuna melt, tomato soup
salmon burger patty (frozen), tartar sauce, mixed vegetables
enchilada (frozen), mixed vegetables
cheese and crackers, canned soup, fruit
dinner leftovers

Menu Plan Monday -- Back to School Week!

2009-01-25T23:54:00.001-08:00

This week I go back to college for the first time since the baby's birth in September. I'm only going to be away from her for an hour and a half, but it's going to be so hard!

Wednesdays are probably going to be my long days; I'll take her in with me on those days, but I'm not sure yet what the schedule is going to look like. Wednesday dinners will probably become my "simple meal" day (like this week). I'm also going to start planning out breakfasts and lunches again (not sure how often besides Wednesdays that I'll need to carry my lunch, but it will make it easier here at the house to have something planned ahead of time).

Monday: Hamburger stir-fry with Bejing Vegetables (frozen veggie & sauce combo from Trader Joe's), mandarin oranges
Tuesday: Hungarian Paprikash (frozen), noodles, beets
Wednesday: Breakfast For Dinner -- scrambled eggs, turkey sausage (frozen), waffles (frozen), juice and milk
Thursday: Chicken enchiladas (frozen), green beans or corn
Friday: leftovers
Saturday: baked beans, macaroni and cheese, greens
Sunday: PIZZA NIGHT!! -- pizza (either frozen or homemade), mixed vegetables

For more meal planning ideas, go to I'm An Organized Junkie!

ETA: I forgot to list the breakfasts and lunches! I typed up a second post and included them here.

things I need to restock in the pantry/freezer/etc.

2009-01-20T17:26:00.000-08:00

vanilla
white vinegar (although some more apple cider vinegar would be good too)
bleach
TVP
dried chopped onion
some more canned fruits and vegetables
nuts
soy sauce
ibuprofen
toothbrushes
cold/flu meds
fluoride rinse for the Munchkin
chili powder (we're running pretty low!)

I'd also love to get some more butter, eggs, and ground beef.

the (usually) posted on Sunday "Menu Plan Monday"

2009-01-19T18:51:00.000-08:00

I'm a bit behind this week. We took a long hard look at our finances last night... I won't get into all the ugly details, but we're going to continue to eat more from our pantry and freezer for a while. Our last session at Dream Dinners (for a good while at least) is this Saturday, so that's worked into the this week's menu.

Monday: white chicken lasagna (from freezer), cauliflower
Tuesday: pork fried rice (made with boneless pork ribs leftover from Sunday's dinner), mandarin oranges, green beans
Wednesday: sausages (freezer), sauteed peppers (freezer), butternut squash
Thursday: Soup & Bread Night -- turkey chili (in the crockpot), cornbread, peaches
Friday: Chicken Mirabella (from freezer), broccoli -- the chicken dish contains capers, so our resident non-caper eater will have some leftover entree
Saturday: "Dream Dinners Surprise" (one of the entrees made at Dream Dinners today... possibly Steak and Onions), roasted beets
Sunday: leftovers

For more meal planning ideas, go to I'm An Organizing Junkie!

A few words about Dream Dinners: This is a company that supports the OAMC idea by doing all the shopping and prep work for you ahead of time. You choose which meals you want to make from that month's list, schedule an appointment, and assemble the meals on your scheduled day. It does cost more than if I were to buy and prep all the ingredients myself, but it saves HOURS of time and is still less expensive than going to a restaurant. We first started using them right before the baby was born and found them to be tremendously helpful. Unfortunately we're going to say goodbye to them for a while so we can trim a bit off of our budget, but I'm glad they were there when I needed them!

Menu Plan Monday

2009-01-11T20:33:00.000-08:00

This week's menu may get shifted around depending on how soon that turkey finishes thawing so I can roast it!

Similar to last week, this menu is based around emptying the fridge and freezer. We also get veggies from the winter CSA drop this week.

Monday: roast turkey, stuffing (from freezer), green beans
Tuesday: fajitas (from freezer), tortillas, broccoli
Wednesday: turkey vegetable soup with barley (made from Monday's turkey)
Thursday: leftovers
Friday: chicken parmesan (from freezer), rosemary bread (from freezer), CSA veggies
Saturday: ham beans (from freezer), cornbread, CSA veggies
Sunday: teriyaki pork rice bowls -- made from boneless pork ribs (freezer), teriyaki sauce, carrots, broccoli, and rice -- and canned pineapple

For more meal planning ideas, go to I'm An Organizing Junkie!

the best laid plans...

2009-01-10T18:10:00.000-08:00

We had planned to roast a turkey today. It was pulled out of the freezer on Thursday and placed in a coolerful of turkey brine.

It's still frozen. :(

things I need to use up in my pantry

2009-01-07T21:17:00.000-08:00

Thanks to careful shopping and couponing over the summer and fall months (as well as holiday sales), my pantry is fairly well stocked right now. I also have several things in there that have been sitting on the shelves for a while because I didn't know what to do with them. Over the next few weeks, I need to make an effort to use up these items:

"cream of" soups
other soups (vegetable, chicken noodle, etc.)
stuffing mix
pie filling
spaghetti sauce
baked beans
olives (mostly black, but a few "exotic" ones too)
dried mushrooms
crackers
cold cereal
boxed macaroni and cheese
canned fruit
random sauces/toppings that I don't know how to use (olive tapenade, portabella mushroom relish, red pepper spread, etc.)

cheerful girl

2009-01-05T18:56:00.000-08:00

Just thought I'd share a few moments of my happy daughter. :)

something new -- Menu Plan Monday

2009-01-04T23:08:00.000-08:00

Lately I've been making an effort to rotate the foods in my pantry and freezers. I have a bit of a backstock built up and want to make sure it is used rather than just hoarded. I think planning out the weekly menus will help with this (not to mention it will help to eliminate those "what the heck am I having for dinner?" moments), so I'm going to be participating in the Menu Plan Monday carnival that's hosted on the Organizing Junkie's blog each week.

Monday: Chicken tetrazzini (from Dream Dinners)
Tuesday: Baked beans and assorted sausages/hot dogs
Wednesday: Assorted leftovers
Thursday: Frozen pre-packaged noodle based meals from the freezer (those "just add chicken" things)
Friday: Orange Chicken (frozen, from Trader Joe's) and Bejing Vegetables (frozen, also from Trader Joe's)
Saturday: Assorted "leftover New Year's Eve junk foods" -- mini tacos, flautas, etc.
Sunday: Chicken pie (from Costco)

For more meal planning ideas, go to I'm An Organizing Junkie!

You're probably looking at this list and thinking, "There's a lot of pre-packaged convenience stuff in that menu." You're right. Some of them are things that I found on sale somewhere and then were buried in the freezer and forgotten (except for the orange chicken and the Bejing veggies... we just like them and they're cheaper than going out to eat!) for a very long time. They're taking
up precious freezer space and really need to be used up.

the tradition of resolutions

2009-01-01T12:38:00.000-08:00

So here it is... another new year, another new beginning.

At the beginning of every new year, like many Americans, I make new resolutions. I resolve to exercise more, to eat better, to blog more, to read more, to spend less, etc. Somewhere around the 2nd week of February (or even earlier) I get frustrated/bored/annoyed with my resolutions (or rather my lack of resolve) and go back to my old ways.

Will this year be different? I don't know. I hope so. I haven't chosen any resolutions yet, mostly because I want to make worthwhile ones. There's no point in making them if I'm just going to break them.

There's some conflicts between some resolutions I'd like to make... I'd like to live more simply and frugally, and I'd like to make better food choices. At the same time I've got several things in my pantry that are, well, poor choices. Should I throw all of that away? That seems like the wrong idea, yet what's the point of having it take up space in my cabinet if I'm not going to eat it? I could argue that other people in the house might eat it, but do I want them to eat stuff I think is bad? And let's face it -- if it's in the house, I'll end up eating it at some point.

Stuff to think about.

Happy 2009!

chicken salad croissant bento

2008-12-09T17:42:00.000-08:00

(I made this bento on April 9, 2008.)

When I got to school, I realized I had forgotten to take a picture of my bento. Even though the contents had shuffled a little, I took this picture shortly before eating it.

Left section: apple slices, chicken salad and lettuce on a mini croissant, and mini tomatoes (yellow and red) as gap fillers.

Right section: Newman's Own hi-protein mini pretzels, a small cup of Pub Cheese, rumaki (water chestnuts wrapped with turkey bacon) on toothpicks, a round of Babybel cheese (hiding under the pretzels), and a few more tomatoes.

Classroom bento

2008-12-09T17:32:00.000-08:00

(I made this bento on April 6, 2008.

Left section: teriyaki-pineapple meatballs, steamed broccoli, clam alfredo linguine

Right section: homemade white grape juice gelatin cup with strawberries, grape tomatoes, Babybel cheese round, edemame skewers
I bought the meatballs, the cheese, and the edamame (already steamed and shelled) from Costco.

I made a batch of the juice gelatin cups on ahead of time so I'd have them ready to stick in a bento. The pasta was leftover from dinner a few months before. Using a tip from the Lunch in a Box blog (as well as the tip about the gelatin cups), I froze the pasta into bento sized portions.

yesterday's bento

2007-03-20T17:25:00.000-07:00

(This was originally posted in a bento community on 4/25/06)
Bottom tray: Green beans, 2 pieces of Daim chocolates (Swedish chocolate toffees), foil cup of macadamia/almond/cashew nut mix.
Small green cup (to the right of the bottom tray): Vitamins.
Top tray: Chicken L'Orange, container with extra orange sauce.
Right of top tray: Instant miso soup.

two for the price of one!

2007-03-20T17:14:00.000-07:00

(This was originally posted in a bento community on 4/20/06)

Two bentos today!

Top row: Little green container with vitamins, package of instant miso soup, small blue container with toppings for salad.
Upper tray: Spring salad mix with little container of Garlic Italian salad dressing.
Lower tray: Mixture of cashews, almonds, and macadamia nuts, and 1/2 of an almond butter and blackberry jam sandwich.

My daughter had testing in school today, so she had some snacks to enjoy during the breaks.

Purple tray: Hot dog coins with ketchup for dipping.
Red tray: Goji berry blend dried fruit mixture.
Yellow tray: Roasted peanuts.
Green tray: Hardboiled egg, fig bar, and sea salt (for the egg).
Sitting on the blue lid: Hello Kitty wafer cookies.
Drink: Water.

chicken salad bento

2007-03-20T17:04:00.000-07:00

(This was originally posted in a bento community on 4/19/06)

Bottom tray: Smokehouse Almond Thins crackers, a Dove chocolate egg, and some Smokehouse almonds.

Upper tray: Chicken salad on spring salad greens with a flower made from red leaf lettuce, calendula blossoms, and borage blossoms.

Little blue container in the center: Blue-green hardboiled Easter egg.

Sitting on top bento box lid: Packet of sea salt for the egg.

Drink: Bottle of MetroMint peppermint flavored water.

I really liked the way the flower turned out, but unfortunately the close up picture (on the right) doesn't do it justice.

child's bento lunch

2007-03-20T16:55:00.000-07:00

(I've been catching up... this was originally posted in another blog on 4/18/07)

This wasn't my lunch, but my daughter's. Her bento box is one of the Laptop Lunch boxes.
Bottom left tray (purple): 2 mini whole wheat pita pocket halves with peanut butter and blueberry jam.
Bottom right tray (red): Honey roasted peanuts.
Top right tray (yellow): Goji berry blend dried fruit mix from Trader Joe's.
Top left tray (green): Purple hard boiled Easter egg, packet of sea salt, a "This Fig Walks Into A Bar..." fig bar, and a packet of Hello Kitty sugar wafers.

She also had a bottle of water (which you can see to the right of the yellow tray).

miso soup bento for tomorrow

2007-03-20T16:49:00.000-07:00

(This was originally posted in another blog on 9/18/06)

I wanted something simple but satisfying for tomorrow, plus I've been dying to use my new bento bowl for weeks.

Top section of bowl: packet of miso (foil pouch), blue packet of miso soup seasonings (contains freeze-dried scallions, wakame)
Bottom section of bowl (left): sliced green beans and carrot flowers
Middle lidded compartment: sliced egg, matchsticks of roast pork

When I'm ready to eat, I'll mix everything together in the bottom section of the bowl, add hot water, and eat!

falafel bento

2007-03-20T16:40:00.000-07:00

(This was originally posted in another blog on 9/7/06)

It's really difficult to make little brown and green balls look appetizing in a picture, especially when the sun has gone down and the natural lighting is gone for the day.

:(

Tomorrow is my 9am-2pm film class, so I wanted to pack a substantial lunch.

Larger bento box: Falafel with container of tahini sauce, assorted veggies (cucumber, tomato, pickled turnip, oil-cured olives).

Smaller bento box with pink lid: Hummus (topped with chopped parsley and a spicy red sauce), strawberries and kiwi slices.

With the exception of the fruit and some of the veggies, these were all leftovers from tonight's dinner from Falafel's Drive-In. I'm planning to use the veggies as dippers for the hummus and use the tahini sauce (and maybe some of the hummus) on the falafels.

First day of classes bento!

2007-03-20T16:17:00.000-07:00

(This post was originally made in a different blog on 9/16/06)

My fall semester classes started today. It seemed like a good time to pull out my Kiddy's Dream bento tray that I bought at the beginning of the summer.

Top left: smoky roasted aubergine dip (covered with Glad Press n' Seal so it doesn't leak)

Top right: whole grain crackers

Bottom left: oil-cured olives

Bottom center: roasted almonds

Bottom right: tomatoes (from my garden) and green beans

Second bento

2006-04-18T00:12:00.000-07:00

Lower tray: Carrot pennies and egg salad (made from leftover Easter eggs!) decorated with a flower made from calendula petals, lettuce, and a borage blossom.
Upper tray: Smoked Almond Nut Thins crackers, pepper havarti cheese slices (wrapped in violet colored cling flim), 2 cut up pieces of sugar-free Twizzlers, and one foil wrapped Earth chocolate.
Cup: Raspberry lemonade powder (I wish I trusted the cup to not leak while lying on its side. Anyone ever use one of these?).

The closeup of the flower egg salad turned out a little overexposed.

First bento

2006-04-18T00:03:00.000-07:00

I recently purchased my first bento box and packed lunch in it for the very first time.

Lower tray: Cubes of leftover meatloaf and a little bottle of ketchup.
Upper tray: Steamed spinach with sesame seeds and lemon, a little nori maki rice cracker, and Fuji apple slices.
Cup: Instant raspberry iced tea powder (I added water to it at lunch).

The bento box says "Puti Fresh" and has a green grape design (another view of the same bento box). It unfortunately didn't include a band to hold it all together; I've been using a thick rubber band until I can get a real one. Everything came in a cute matching cloth bag, but I have to keep the cup on its side in the bag in order to get it to fit. This makes me a little leary of traveling with liquids inside the cup, but powdered drinks will work for now.

About that blogger o' mine...

2005-02-11T00:39:00.000-08:00

I got the account months ago, but I've been terrible about posting in it! Feh.

I'll have to remedy that. No point in having an empty blog.

first post

2004-07-01T13:14:00.000-07:00

I broke down & got a blogger account.