Week 51 - Christmas Traditions

I don't have a meal plan to share this week since we've basically just been making the rounds to family gatherings.  It's been a BIG week of eating!!   So many delicious dishes... I'm related to a lot of great cooks!

We're probably all a little too full to talk much about food this week but it would be mean of me to not share this.

Honey Cranberry French Toast with Brie

The one meal I did prepare this week was our traditional Christmas breakfast.  This is at least the 8th year that we've had this and from the minute I have my last bite I start to anticipate having it again the next year.   It's so tempting to have it at other times but I resist because it would take away from the specialness.  I know this is being posted too late for you to have it on Christmas morning but if you're looking for a special New Years breakfast look no further...

Honey Cranberry French Toast with Brie

 I knew when I was taking this picture that it wasn't going to be my best work, but you get the idea... layers of french toast, sweetened cranberries, brie cheese and a drizzle a real maple syrup.  Seriously, how could that be bad??

Turkey Leftovers

And for those of you who hosted turkey dinner.... What are you doing with the leftovers??  I love to make toasted turkey sandwiches with leftover dressing and cranberry sauce.  Hot turkey sandwiches and turkey soup are some other typical uses.  Last year I was on the ball and made slow cooker stock.  I don't have leftovers his year but I have a turkey in my freezer I'm planning to cook in the next few weeks so I'd love to hear some ideas!


Sandra

Week 44 - Cook Once, Eat Twice (or three or four times!)

Printable Version of Meal Plan

After a hectic week last week I was looking to relax.  So on Saturday night I put my feet up and without digging out the computer or magazines I made a meal plan with some food that's been on my mind lately.  The result was a laid back week with lots of "double duty" meals/sides that I was quite impressed with and anxious to dig into.  But once again for a variety of reasons we did quite a bit of juggling things around.  I'm posting the menu as I had planned it because I think the flow was better the way it was planned as opposed to how it was executed.  A few meals have been pushed off to the weekend but we have a long weekend coming up so this in fact worked out well for us.

Recipe Quick Links

Overnight Oats, Marin Mama Cooks
Spaghetti Squash Tacos, Marin Mama Cooks
Corn Tortillas, 100 Days of Real Food
Broccoli Lemon Pasta, Marin Mama Cooks
Chicken Meatballs, Chatelaine
Kale Chips, 100 Days of Real Food
Whole Wheat Tortillas, 100 Days of Real Food
Whole Wheat Pizza Dough, 100 Days of Real Food

Week in Review

Because we didn't follow the meal plan exactly I'll just highlight a few things...

Ham Dinner - We cooked up a HUGE ham this weekend and had some family over for supper.  For some reason I always forget how many servings we get from these ham!  I sent our guests away with leftovers and we still had plenty for the days ahead.  I'm all hammed out to say the least.  We've had it for breakfast, lunch and supper... with mashed potatoes, steamed veggies, salad, on sandwiches, and just to snack on.... This is a true cook once eat for a week meal!  My fave was a grilled ham and havarti sandwich.  Yum.

Pizza - This is on the menu for Friday but Dave and Marin had a special Daddy/Daughter day on Tuesday so I made up the dough Monday night to give them a fun meal to prepare together.  And supper was on the table when I got home - sweet!  And the leftovers were packed up for the lunches the next day so I had the night off - double sweet!  We're loving pizza these days and it's a great one to get the kids involved!

Personalized Pizzas

Overnight Oats - Nope, not my usual no-cook overnight oats.  It's getting chilly here so I gave "cooked" overnight oats a try.  I'm a fan of hot cereal so I might just have to shelf my cold oats for warm oats for the next few months.  I made enough for two mornings.  The first morning I reheated them in the pot, second morning in the microwave.  Microwave worked fine.  First morning was blueberry, banana and maple syrup.  Perfectly good, but predictable.  Second morning was a spoonful of peanut butter and a drizzle of maple syrup.  This was "you've got to try it" good!  The peanut butter melt and blends in and it becomes a creamy, peanuty bowl of deliciousness.  I've found my latest obsession.  Oats tend to just be a "me" thing in our house but I think my PB loving family will enjoy this version.

Overnight Oats with Blueberry, Banana and Maple Syrup

Brocolli Lemon Pasta - This is another one that got juggled around.  I ended up making enough for only one day since the mid-week salmon didn't happen.  But I think the plan of doubling this recipe and switching it up with a little leftover salmon is a good one!

Chicken Meatballs - I've been wanting to try this recipe for the last few weeks.  I had planned on this being a "prep ahead" meal but ended up making them during the suppertime rush.  They actually came together pretty quick.  A couple of short cut tips:

1. I read the recipe through earlier in the day so I was mentally prepared - that might sound silly but I do find that helps alot! 
2. I used my KitchenAid Stand Mixer for hands free mixing
3. I used a melon baller to scoop the chicken instead of rolling with my hands - they weren't perfect but that was ok by me.
4. I had two frying pans going so I could cook them all at once instead of in batches.

Dave liked these, I thought they were just ok.  Marin turned her nose up at them but after forcing her to take a bite she admitted they were good.  But then she went on to take about 1/2 hour to eat one meatball!  So you might have to try this one for yourself.

Chicken Meatballs

Spaghetti Squash - I substituted spaghetti squash for the pasta to have with the meatballs so to make sure the extra squash didn't go to waste I decided to put Spaghetti Squash Tacos on the menu.  This is one of the meals that got pushed off to the weekend so I can't review it but I'm excited to give it a try and really excited to make some corn tortillas.  They've been a bit overshadowed lately by the flour tortillas but they have not been forgotten!

We were also snacking on Pumpkin Buns which I highly recommend.  I substituted half of the white flour for whole wheat and couldn't tell the difference.  They're really moist and mild tasting and easy to make!  And this morning I pulled a couple of Spelt Pumpkin Muffins out of the freezer and they were just as good defrosted as they were fresh.  A well stocked freezer is a beautiful thing!


Happy Friday!

Sandra

Week 41 - What Happens When Life Gets in the Way of Grocery Shopping

Printable Version of Meal Plan

We were away last weekend for Thanksgiving and arrived home Monday with no grocery stores open.  I was prepared for this and was able to put to the test one of the make ahead slow cooker recipes I had in the freezer.  I am now a believer!  But then it turned out I couldn't get out Tuesday night either so I took another look at our supplies and got us through another day.  Wednesday night Marin went to my parents house for a sleepover and Dave and I found ourselves with an unplanned date night... so again, no groceries.  By this point I felt it was a personal challenge to NOT get groceries for a full week.

This was manageable given that last week I had over planned a bit and had some leftovers.  So I actually started the week with enough milk and some fruit and vegetables.  I did make a trip to a pharmacy on Monday evening and picked up a loaf of bread ($2.50) and mid-week at Costco we picked up a couple of other items for about $18.00.  So $22.50 was my total spent on grocery items for the week!!  Hurrah!  This was also possible in large part to my freezer re-org.  This may sound a little dramatic (or maybe a lot) but having clean, organized freezers has changed my life....ok, maybe not my life but at least the way I meal plan. 

Here's what we managed to find to eat....

Breakfast - We mainly alternated between toast and cereal but I did squeeze in an overnight oatmeal - I can't help myself.

Corn Chowder (Mama Loves Food) with Tea Biscuits (100 Days of Real Food) - I prepared these last week to take with us for the weekend so we were cleaning up on this.

Lentils & Rice (Chef Michael Smith) - This recipe takes only a few ingredients that I almost always have on hand.  It also takes only about 5 minutes of prep time to make two days worth of lunches.  A great recipe to have in your back pocket.

Slow Cooker Coconut Chicken (Kojo Design) - This was prepped and frozen a few weeks ago with this very day in mind.  I knew I would need to have something that didn't require a trip to grocery store for the Tuesday after the long weekend.  Oddly none of us were over the moon about this one the night of but I finished up the leftovers a couple of days later and loved it!  I'd almost recommend making it a day in advance because it seems to take that long for the flavors to really blend.  I served it with couscous though which Marin did love.

Greek Nachos from Palladium Family Restaurant - I'm throwing this out there for anyone from the HRM area.  If you love Greek food they serve some of the best in the city in my opinion.  Maybe not the most romantic setting for a date night but we loooove the food.

Stir-Fried Beef w/ Roasted Vegetables - this was totally one of those meals that was thrown together with whatever odds and ends I could find.  We had cauliflower, carrots, parsnips, beets and onion - which are all vegetables I love roasted.  Then I stir fried some strips of beef I had frozen with a bit of an Asian twist - sesame oil, ginger, soya sauce and honey.  It was actually pretty good.

Squash Soup with Grilled Cheese - I thawed some squash soup and served it with grill cheese.  A fun idea would be to cut the grilled cheese into bite size squares for homemade "Croutons". 

Personal Pizzas - I had whole wheat pizza crusts in the freezer, just enough cheese and toppings to manage a pizza!  Another pizza Friday.

Homemade Chicken Fingers (Rachel Ray) w/ Roasted Potato Coins - I stock up on boneless skinless chicken breasts whenever they go on sale so I had some on hand.  On Friday's I like to do "convenience" food and while these chicken fingers aren't out of a box they don't take much effort either.  I like to mix the breadcrumbs with grated Parmesan cheese.  For the potato coins I simply microwave the potatoes and then slice them into rounds about a 1/4" thick.  Brush both sides with oil and bake at 450 until nice and crispy.  We still had carrots and celery to have on the side too!

Smoothie - Marin's smoothie love continues - this week was Strawberry & Banana (both from the freezer), Kiwi & Kale (both leftover from last week and in need of being used up), coconut water and honey.  One of our best yet!

Your kids don't like eating greens?  Maybe they'll drink them!

Parmesan Popcorn -- Remember last week I said I wanted to try a new popcorn recipe?  Well I found a winner.  Baking the popcorn gave it a nice crunch.  I packed the leftovers as a lunch snack and it was still crunchy the next day.

Chocolate Zucchini Muffins - I had four of these gems from last week stashed away in the freezer.

So not too bad for only $20 in groceries!  I didn't even have to break out the KD.  But now I really, truly am out of food!


What are your go-to meals when life gets in the way of grocery shopping?

Sandra

Week 39 - Prep Ahead Meals

Printable Version of Meal Plan

I actually didn't plan on a theme this week but turns out most of my suppers were ones that I could prep ahead.  And I love a meal that's mostly done when I walk in the door!  It frees up time in the evening to prep supper for the next night... brilliant!!

Before we get into the details of the week I stumbled upon a link I thought I'd share.  My google stats are consitently showing that people are finding me with the term "Kid Friendly" so it would seem that feeding kids is a common struggle.  I thought this was a good article...Today's Parent: 10 Surprising Ways to Get Kids Eating Healthy.  This is us practicing #4...

Marin assembling the perfect bite.

 

Recipe Quick Links

Sushi Sandwich, Weelicious
Pumpkin Pie Overnight Oats, My Whole Food Life
Simple Turkey Chili, All Recipes
Whole Wheat Tea Biscuits, 100 Days of Real Food
Salmon Cakes,  Source Unknown.  See Tuesday of Week 14
Kale Chips, 100 Days of Real Food
Quinoa Burgers, Eating Well Living Thin
Thai Peanut Noodles, Iowa Girl Eats
Kale Salad, Marin Mama Cooks
Tortillas, 100 Days of Real Food
Almond Milk, Oh She Glows
Granola Bars, Weelicious
Apple Pie Dip, Cookin' & Kickin'

Prep Ahead Tips

To stick with the theme I thought I'd skip the usual Week in Review and instead add some notes from each supper on what can be done the night (or even days) before to save time during the supper time "rush hour".   How much prep you decide to do can depend on how busy (or tired!) you are in the evening vs. how quick you have to get supper on the table.  I find doing even just a couple of simple things while I'm packing lunches can save time and cut down on mess while I'm trying to get supper ready.  Sometimes it's just the little things, like pre-measuring spices, that can help big time.


Chicken with Beet & Goat Cheese Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette - This was a simple meal.  I cut the chicken breasts into cutlets and panfried them in coconut oil.  While they were cooking I assembled the salad - Arugula and kale mix for the greens, shredded beets and carrots, crumbled goat cheese and pumpkin seeds.  I made my standard balsamic for the dressing but added a little maple syrup to sweeten it up a bit.  I think roasted vegetables would have worked really well in this salad as well (I'm thinking beets and squash) but shredded made for a quick meal. 

Prep Ahead Options:

• Prepare the Vinaigrette in a small mason jar and store in the fridge
• Shred the beets and carrots
• You could even make the chicken ahead of time... this Maple Dill Chicken is a great recipe for a tasty chicken that works well cooled, diced and tossed in a salad. 

Reinvent the leftovers:  There was enough salad leftover that I was able to toss it with some tofu and black rice (previously prepared and frozen) for lunch the next day.


Simple Turkey Chili - I Googled 'Simple Turkey Chili' and found this truly simple (and tasty) recipe.  We agreed that we preferred the ground turkey to ground beef.

Prep Ahead Options:

• Pre-measure the spices and store them in a container next to the stove
• Put the canned goods and can opener next to the stove
• Make the Whole Wheat Tea Biscuits, if you're having them on the side
• Optionally the chili could be made the night before and simply reheated

Or... use your slow-cooker and come home to a warm bowl waiting for you.

Reinvent the leftovers:  I made some macaroni and mixed it in with the leftovers to make a Chili Mac for the next days lunch.  We topped with shredded cheese and a dollop of sour cream.


Salmon Cakes w/ Green Beans and Kale Chips - I've posted this recipe before, it's our favorite - mostly for the dipping sauce.  I used canned salmon this week and they turned out great.  The only step I did ahead of time was making the dipping sauce but as a shortcut I used the tube of cilantro (about 2 tsp) instead of fresh.  It's typically found in the produce section.

Prep Ahead Options:

• Make the dipping sauce, which is also used to mix in with the patties. 
• You can assemble these to the point of forming the patties and then simply fry them up at suppertime.

Quinoa Burgers on a Portobello Bun w/ Sweet Potato Fries - I've tried many a quinoa burger recipe, even making a few up as I go.  I liked this one for the consistency.  The mixture was pretty wet but when they cooked up they stayed together nicely but weren't at all dry.  I would suggest some fresh herbs and/or feta to give them a flavor boost though.  For the sweet potato fries I simply tossed them with olive oil, salt & pepper and roasted them at 425 until they were crispy.  I cooked the portobello mushroom caps with the fries and made a simple aioli for dipping using plain Greek yogurt, mayo (ratio 2:1) and minced garlic.

Quinoa Burgers

Prep Ahead Options:

• Make the Quinoa... you could also make some extra for these brownies.  Just sayin'.... I mean you're making the quinoa anyway right??  Making the quinoa is a big time saver and the recipe actually calls for it to be cooled.
• Shred the cheese, grate the carrot and chop the green onion
• Pre-measure the spices
• Cut the Sweet Potatoes

Reinvent the leftovers:  This recipe made a lot so we had leftover patties with a Kale Salad for lunch.


Chicken Fajitas! - Marin likes Mexican food so much that she literally had a melt down last week because I wouldn't make her nachos for supper.  Like I'm talking one of the biggest meltdowns I've witnessed in her 4 1/2 years of life.  I seem to have at least one Mexican meal a week lately but it's just such a crowd pleaser I can't help myself.  Everyone enjoying supper makes for a nice kick-off to the weekend too.  Plus I just really, really love to have an excuse to restock my tortilla supply.

Freshly made tortillas

To make the fajita filling I slice the chicken into strips and fry in a lightly oiled pan until no longer pink.  Remove the chicken and then saute sliced onions and peppers.  When they are almost done I add a spoonful of Mexican Spice Blend and a little salsa.  Add the chicken back in and stir it all up and continue cooking until the veggies are soft and everything is heated through.  Then we start with a tortilla and pile on the fillings! 

Prep Ahead Options:

• Premix spices - Make extra and store in an airtight container for months.  I keep Mexican Spice Blend in my cupboard at all times.
• Slice onions and peppers
• Make tortillas - ok, ok, this is optional... you can buy tortillas I know.   But it just wouldn't be the same.  Trust me.  Tortillas can be stored in the fridge for a couple of days or in the freezer for longer periods... but they'll only stay there for about a week or two tops.

Marin always likes to assemble her own quesadilla, nacho, fajita... and always puts a cherry tomato on top.  I told her last night we'd be having fajitas for supper so she set aside the last cherry tomato from her plate to have with her fajita.  I'm telling you this girl is serious about her Mexican food!

Tonight's Masterpiece

Happy Weekend!

Sandra

Week 38 - From Freezer to Table

Printable Version of Meal Plan

Happy Birthday to me, Happy Birthday to me!  Some people like to avoid their birthday, I on the other hand like to advertise it.  It's the one day of the year that's all about me... what's to avoid?  In fact I love my birthday so much I typically try to stretch it into a week.  So I've pretty much taken this week off.  We were out of town until Monday, Tuesday was my birthday and Wednesday I had a work function that provided breakfast and lunch.  So I thought what a great week to use some of the awesome food I've been stowing away in my newly cleaned and organized freezers.  As a result this was the ultimate easy week and my grocery bill was a grand total of $60!

Recipe Quick Links

Nut Free Nutella, Weelicious
Slow Cooker Honey Rosemary Chicken, Kojo Designs
Lacinato Kale Salad, Marin Mama Cooks
Coconut Curry Squash Soup, 52 Weeks of Meal Planning (Week 37)
Pumpkin Pie Overnight Oats, My Whole Food Life
Pumkin Spiced Latte, Farm Girl Gourmet
Whole Wheat Tea Biscuits, 100 Days of Real Food
Baked Apple Chips, Taste, Love & Nourish

Snack Highlights

Cinnamon Rolls - I made a batch of Whole Wheat Tea Biscuits and split the dough.  I used half to make cinnamon rolls.  I rolled out the dough into a rectangle (fairly thin) and spread melted butter, a sprinkle of cinnamon and a generous sprinkle of brown sugar.  I rolled that up lengthwise and cut into 1" rolls and bakes along side the tea biscuits.  yum.

Baked Apple Chips - I've been seeing this recipe everywhere lately.  I gave it a try this week and LOVED them!  Will attempt the bananas next time too.

Apple Chips

Week in Review

Monday was my Birthday eve and we were just back from a weekend away.  I was not even capable of defrosting anything... we had a Take and Bake pizza from Costco.

Tuesday was my special day!!!  I booked the day off of both work (I vowed last year I would never work on my birthday again) and cooking.

Happy Birthday!

Nut Free Nutella & Banana on Tortilla - I made this simple "faux"-tella with Almond Butter (so my version was not nut free) and spread it on a tortilla that I had frozen from last week with sliced banana.  Absolutely as delicious as it sounds.

Slow Cooker Honey Rosemary Chicken with Rice and Kale Salad - A couple of weeks ago my sister-in-law sent me a link to freezer slow cooker recipes.  I've seen this idea before but never really "got it".  When I include a slow cooker recipe in my weekly plan I simply prep it the night before... so I never saw the benefit of prepping farther ahead.  But the timing of seeing this link made the light bulb go off.  I knew I was going to be away this past weekend and it occurred to me that if I had some complete meals ready to go in the freezer I wouldn't have to get groceries the instant I got home.  A few other things I liked about these particular recipes... they use "real" ingredients, are mostly all recipes that have little or no additional steps the day of cooking, and can be left for 8 or more hours.  This recipe was good but because it met all the above criteria I'd rate it great.  I have one other recipe from this site waiting to be cooked and I plan to try more.  The rice was also from the freezer and I made the Kale Salad the night before to make this a completely effortless meal.  Marin loves this salad by the way (I skip the red pepper flakes for her), so don't be afraid to put it on the "kid-friendly" list.

Wednesday only Dave required lunch because I had a work event. We had just enough leftovers of the chicken - sweet!

Pork Chops, Brussel Sprouts & Coconut Curry Squash Soup -  I had bigger plans for this meal but got stuck in traffic so in the interest of time I modified the plan - same ingredients, different method of cooking.  I basically just cooked the pork chops & brussel spouts (trimmed & halved) and in a skillet with olive oil, a diced onion and seasoned with salt & pepper.  I also thawed a serving of Coconut Curry Squash Soup from last week.  I was pleasantly surprised with the results of this speedy meal.

Thursday was back to the old grind.  To get myself into the groove I treated myself with a Pumpkin Pie Overnight Oats for breakfast.  Another fall hit!

Turkey, Cheese and Avocado Wraps - I used up the last of my tortillas for these wraps... will have to restock this weekend! I try to stay away from deli meats but once in a while I'll splurge on a package of the Naturals, just can't beat the convenience.  I rolled up the turkey with cheddar, slices of avocado, lettuce and a little mayo.  Really good... and quick.

Whole Wheat Flour Tortillas

Shepherd's Pie - Yet another toss together meal that turned out pretty darn good if I do say so myself.  I browned the beef and added soya sauce, organic pasta sauce (awesome Costco buy by the way) and a little brown sugar.  The topping was sweet potato and parsnip mashed with milk and butter.  I assembled and baked it for a few minutes to get it heated through and a little crunchy on top.  So good!

Happy Friday!!  I started my day with a Pumkin Spiced Latte.  I do a modified version of this recipe from Farm Girl Gourmet.  Mine makes a single serving and takes a couple of shortcuts to make it easy to pull off in the morning.  And a tip for the pumpkin - I use canned pumpkin puree.  Last week after making the Pumpkin Buns I spooned the leftovers onto a cookie sheet into about 2T servings and put it in the freezer.  Once they were frozen I moved them to a freezer bag.  One "blob" is just right for both oats and lattes.

2 cups milk (any % you choose)

4 tablespoons canned pumpkin puree

2 tablespoons white sugar

2 tablespoons vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1/2 cup strong coffee or espresso

Read more at http://www.farmgirlgourmet.com/2012/11/pumpkin-spiced-latte.html#WC3b4uzEHjWBil1m.99

Pumpkin Spiced Latte (Modified from Farm Girl Gourmet)

2 cups milk (any % you choose)

4 tablespoons canned pumpkin puree

2 tablespoons white sugar

2 tablespoons vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1/2 cup strong coffee or espresso

Read more at http://www.farmgirlgourmet.com/2012/11/pumpkin-spiced-latte.html#WC3b4uzEHjWBil1m.99

1 Cup milk
2 T pumpkin puree
1 T maple syrup
1/4 t vanilla (I recently switched to Kirkland brand and find it strong so I tend to go light)
1/4 t pumpkin spice

Combine all ingredients in a blender (I like to use the Magic Bullet for this recipe).  Pour into microwave safe mug and microwave on High for 1 1/2 mins (careful it doesn't foam up and overflow).  Slowly add espresso - I prepare a Tassimo espresso directly in the mug. Top with whipped cream (optional but recommended!)

** This is a recipe that you might have to play around with to adjust to taste.

Supper, Use up Loose Ends - I have a few things that need to be consumed so we're having a supper surprise!  Grilled cheese?  Goat cheese omelettes?  Loaded Baked Potatoes?   We'll see what inspiration hits.

Happy Weekend!

Sandra

Week 37 - Back to School Series, Part 4: Double Duty Meals

Printable Version of Meal Plan

So if you've been hanging around here you know I often have leftovers for lunch. All of my lunches this week are based on leftovers from the night before... with a little twist to make them not just the same meal two days in a row. The thing I like most about this is that it really forces me to make lunches right after supper.  I mean when supper is done there's really no point in packaging up the leftovers just to take them out again later to repackage them into lunch is there?  Then I finish cleaning the kitchen and I'm done for the night!  Sweet!  I find this especially great in the fall when I want to get in my cozy clothes, curl up, watch new TV and knit.   

Recipe Quick Links

Apple Pie Overnight Oats, Oh She Glows
Fish Tacos, Canadian Living
Corn Tortillas, 100 Days of Real Food
Sticky Chicken, Canadian Family
Kale Salad, Marin Mama Cooks
Potato Chips, Canadian Family
Cold Chicken Noodle Salad, Canadian Living
Re-fried Beans, 100 Days of Real Food
Whole Wheat Tortillas, 100 Days of Real Food
Pumpkin Buns, Today's Parent

 

Week in Review

 

Make Ahead Snack

Pumpkin Buns - These "buns" I would actually consider more of a muffin.  They were quick and easy to make and turned out real moist and mild tasting.  I find a lot of pumpkin recipes call for cinnamon or pumpkin spice but these were just pumpkin and small amount of sugar, nothing too overpowering.  A nice little fall lunchbox treat!

Pumpkin Bun

Monday

Apple Pie Overnight Oats - So you may have noticed I'm a bit of a fan of the overnight oats.  I'm also a big fan of Oh She Glows so when I saw this post for Apple Chia Jam Overnight Oats I had to try... it sure made my Monday morning!!  This was overnight oats meets the fall.  It was a bit like having apple pie for breakfast, hence I'm referring to this as "Apple Pie Overnight Oats".  I used homemade almond milk (another favorite Oh She Glow's recipe) but I used Steel Cut Oats instead of rolled oats.  I did finally try the rolled oats and as suspected I was not a fan of the texture.

Squash Soup - I'm sure this was inspired by a recipe I saw at one point but I wouldn't remember where.  I made a batch of this soup on the weekend instead of the curry I had been intending to make.  I wanted to use up leftover squash and also stock my freezer with some soup for easy lunch options in the weeks ahead.  I roasted the squash first and I have to say it looked and tasted so delicious coming out of the oven it almost didn't make it in the soup.  I'll estimate it was 2lbs of diced squash.  While the squash was roasting I heated some oil in a large pot and sauteed a chopped onion and 2 chopped apples with curry powder (~1T), garam masala(~1t) and cumin (~1t).  When the onion was translucent I added chicken broth (~2 cups) and the squash and simmered until all the veggies were super soft.  Then I pureed the soup using a hand blender and stirred in a can of coconut milk.  Yummy!

Fish Tacos - I actually tried a slightly different version than the one I'm linking here but this one is still my fave.  The recipe I followed used green apple in the salsa instead of mango, which given the time of year you might prefer.  I also made corn tortillas which pretty much have to be made fresh, but they are super easy to make and if you have the time are definitely worth the effort!!

Corn Tortillas

Tuesday

Fish Lettuce Roll-ups - The extra fish and apple salsa were rolled up in lettuce leaves for lunch.  My original plan was to use rice wrappers but I went with the lettuce leaves thinking they'd be easier to work with.   In the end they didn't stay together that well so I'd recommend the rice wrappers for a more portable lunch.  I mixed sour cream with a little regular jarred salsa for dipping.  Messy but good.

Sticky Chicken w/ Kale Salad and Potato Chips - Loved, loved and loved.  This chicken was super easy to make and really tasty.  A winner!  I used boneless skinless chicken breasts and marinated them the night before.  I put 2 extra pieces on without the marinade to use in tomorrow's lunch.  And this kale salad is old news around here but I happened to find a different variety of kale I wanted to try.  Around here you usually find "curly" kale but I finally found the variety that has a flatter darker leaf.  It was a bit better, although I wouldn't turn down a bowl made with the curly kale either.  I also made potato chips which were a big hit with Marin!  I skipped the rosemary but that does sound delicious.  I don't have a mandolin slicer (hmmm.... perhaps Santa is listening again??) but was able to slice the potatoes thin enough with a sharp knife.

Wednesday

Cold Chicken Noodle Salad - Meh.  Didn't love this.  My last few attempts at salad with vermicelli noodles have not been overly successful.  The noodles are always too chewy.  Perhaps the package was open too long?  Anyone know the secret to cooking vermicelli?

Steak, Grilled Veggie and Goat Cheese Salad -  Stretching grilling season out as long as I can!!  It was a beautiful day so we did the steak and a mix of peppers on the grill.  That was layered on top of lettuce with cherry tomatoes, goat cheese and balsamic vinaigrette.

Thursday

Goat Cheese and Grilled Veggie Omelettes - Goat cheese and grilled veggies automatically make me think of omelettes.  The veggies were leftover from supper so this was a really quick lunch to prepare.   Not sure why I've never thought to pack omelettes for lunch before??  I had it with a Pumpkin Bun and Coffee. 

Re-fried Beans on Whole Wheat Tortillas with Cheese, Sour Cream and Guacamole - I made the tortillas the night before and I have to say I'm still blown away that I can make tortillas.  Watching them puff up in the pan is one of the most exciting things ever.  Fresh, warm, chewy tortillas topped with homemade re-fried beans and the fixin's...  I really can't think of anything better.  Except for maybe fresh, warm, chewy tortillas topped with.... well pretty much anything.  And it was on the table within 10 minutes of walking in the door.  AND instead of having to threaten time-outs and no dessert to get Marin to eat, she literally inhaled this and asked for more.  This meal scores a 10 out of 10 in my books!

This is around the time I start to get excited!

The finished product.  Don't they look delicious!?

All loaded up!

I wasn't the only one super excited about this meal.

Friday

Layered Nacho Dip - It's the first thing to go at a pot-luck so why not make a meal out of it??  Use re-fried beans as a base layer and it's a filling (and fun!) lunch.  I served it with a baggie of Blue Corn Tortillas chips.

Grilled Apple & Cheese Sandwiches with Ginger Lime Thyme Jelly - Easy and delicious.

Hello weekend!

Sandra

Week 36 - Back to School Series, Part 3: Fast Fix Suppers

Printable Version of Meal Plan

This turned out to be one of my favorite weeks so far.  The food was good but mostly meal prep just had a nice flow to it.  There was no rushing in the door and feeling frazzled trying to get a meal put together AND we managed to eat at a decent time each night (ie. before 6pm).  That was really one of the main goals of my meal planning resolution.  Then most nights I'd spend about an hour in the kitchen, cleaning up from supper, packing lunches and doing any advanced prep I could do for the next night's supper.  It all made me feel pretty in control!

One thing about this week though was that we had a few unexpected things come up.  For one, I had planned on packing lunch for Dave all week but he ended up only needing lunch two days.  Also, Wednesday night the kitchen was pretty much off limits while the new dishwasher went in.  So I juggled things around a bit.  I left the menu as it was intended and instead of the my typical food review I'm summarizing what to do each evening to help you breeze through the week!

Recipe Quick Links

Pizza Lunchable, 100 Days of Real Food
One Pot Pasta, Marin Mama Cooks
Chickpea & Butternut Squash Curry, Best Recipes Ever
Naan, Budget Bytes
Colorburst Chicken Salad, Chatelaine
Southwest Beans on Toast, Chatelaine
Whole Grain Fruit Bars, Weelicious
Whole Wheat Tea Biscuits, 100 Days of Real Food

Week in Review

 Sunday Evening

• Prepare lunch (Pizza Lunchable) -- Cut the pita into triangles, spoon the pizza sauce into a small container,  shred and package cheese and wrap the pepperettes.  This would be a prime lunch for divided containers!
• No prep required for Monday supper... enjoy a relaxing Sunday evening before the craziness of the week begins!

Monday Evening

Scallops & Arugula Salad

• Make Supper (Scallops & Arugula Salad).  Saute the scallops in butter & garlic with a twig of thyme.  While that's cooking, wash the arugula, drizzle with olive oil & lemon and toss.  Top the salad with Parmesan, salt and pepper.  Done!
• Note:  My backup plan for supper was Salmon that I would have simply baked with lemon, salt & pepper.  Fish cooks fast and doesn't require a lot of fuss, so a good choice for a quick meal!
• Prepare lunch (Tuna Salad Sandwiches) - Make the sandwich and whatever snacks and sides you'd like.  Veggies & Dip go great with a Tuna Sandwich.
• Prep for Tuesday Supper (One Pot Pasta).  While you have cutting boards out for lunch prep, also slice red onions, halve cherry tomatoes and slice garlic for Tuesday supper.   This will save 5-10 minutes when you get home.

Tuesday Evening

One Pot Pasta

• Make Supper (One Pot Pasta).  Toss all the veggies you chopped the night before in a pan with the rest of the ingredients.  Bring to boil and set timer for 9 minutes.  Toss the pasta while it's cooking.  That's it!  Supper's ready!  Goes well with garlic bread!
• Make Lunch (Chickpea & Butternut Squash Curry & Naan).  This is the one meal on the menu this week that requires a bit of time.  I actually pushed this off to the weekend because of our lunch requirements changing.  I plan to modify this recipe a bit, roasting the squash and making it on the stove top instead of the slow-cooker.  The Naan is also optional, but I did make this on Thursday night and it's similar in effort to making pizza dough.  This dish would pair well with basmati rice.  If you're looking for a quicker and/or nut-free recipe I'd suggest Lentils and Rice as a substitute.  This recipe requires very little effort and makes enough for at least two days.
• No prep required for Wednesday supper... unless you have take chicken out of the freezer.  This is by design in case you are going to go with a more involved mid-week lunch.

Wednesday Evening

• Make Supper (Colorburst Chicken Salad).  Heat a skillet and coat with a small amount of oil (I use coconut oil).  I use boneless skinless chicken breasts and slice them in half to make cutlets so that they fry faster.  While the chicken is cooking prepare the salad.  Note: I made substitutes for the things I didn't have (eg. Peppers instead of Beets & Radish, Pomelo instead of Orange).
• Lunch is already packed!  See wasn't that worth the extra effort the night before??
• Prep for Thursday Supper (Slow Cooker Pot Roast).  Fill a container or Ziploc bag with the veggies.  I added potatoes, mini carrots, turnip (I bought it pre-cut), celery, onion and a couple of bay leaves. 
• Optionally make Whole Wheat Tea Biscuits to go with your roast.

 

Thursday Morning

• Prep the Slow Cooker.  Place veggies in the slow cooker and top with the roast.  Pour in about 1 cup of beef broth and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover and turn on low.

Thursday Evening

• Make Supper (Slow Cooker Pot Roast) - Turn off the slow cooker.  Dinner's ready!!  Seriously, there's nothing better.
• Optionally you could make gravy.  I prefer to pour a little juice from the slow cooker over my plate... mainly because that's easier.
• Make Lunch (Beef & Cheddar Wraps).  Use the leftover beef to make wraps for lunch.  I shredded the beef and mixed it with a little prepared horseradish.  Then I spread the inside of a Pita with mustard and filled with the beef, cheddar, lettuce and peppers. 
• No prep required for Friday Supper.  By the end of the week I'm running out of steam...

Friday Evening

Southwest Beans on Toast with Tex Mex Salad

• Make Supper (Southwest Beans on Toast) - Make the salad and set aside.  The last time I made this recipe I simple heated the beans in a skillet with a small amount of oil and a sprinkle of Mexican Spice Blend.  Keep that warm and make the garlic bread. 
• Confession... this is not what I made for supper.  I was so excited to try the Naan I did Mexican Style Naan Pizza (Naan topped with salsa, avocado, black beans, tomato and cheddar).  And it was really good!!

Wasn't that easy?

Also, I've updated my Favorites page, added an Index to the top and jazzed it up a bit with some pics. Check it out!

Sandra

Week 34 - Back to School Series, Part 1 and The Freezer Reveal

Printable Version of Meal Plan

I'm super excited about this weeks post.  First, it's the big freezer makeover reveal which was a huge success!  Second, this is the first of a four part "Back to School" series.  More on that in a minute...

Freezer Makeover - After

Let's talk about my freezers.  They were a mess and long overdue for a major cleanup.  We have the standard freezer on top fridge and one of the biggest challenges I have is finding things that get pushed to the back.  So I took a trip to the Dollar Store to buy some cheap baskets to act as drawers.  I'm using them to store loose bags of fruits and vegetables and snacks such as apple sauce and yogurt tubes. The rest is labelled and stacked nicely.  The door is now only holding freezer packs, electrolyte freezies and "Boo-Boo Bags" ( or little cold packs for tending to boo-boo's).  I highly recommend them if you have basic sewing skills and little ones.

Fridge Freezer - After

Fridge Freezer Door - After

The deep freezer was a much bigger job.  I followed these instructions for defrosting, using the hurry up and wait method.  As the ice started to melt I'd break off big pieces so they didn't thaw in the freezer leaving me with a big puddle to mop up.  Sadly most of what was in there ended up in the green bin because I could no longer identify it.  But the freezer is now sparking clean and housing our boxes of blueberries and a few other things.  My plan is to keep extra servings of meat and well packaged leftovers here, while the fridge freezer will get the snacks and items I need while cooking.

Deep Freezer - After

Now that that job is done I vow to clearly mark everything as it goes in!!  If this has inspired you to clean out your freezer I'd love to hear about it in the comments below!

Back to School Series

So what's this back to school series all about??  As mentioned, I love back to school time - new year, fresh start!  But for me back to school also means the end of summer hours (I get off work 1/2 hour earlier in the summer) and an end to easy breezy commutes.  This is what my summer commute looks like some days...

Halifax Waterfront from the Dartmouth Ferry

This means I get home about an hour later every day so I'm dealing with getting supper on the table, cleaning the kitchen and packing lunches for the next day with less time.  It's a bummer.  But... staying organized helps.  So I thought that "Back to School" was too big a topic to cover in just one week and therefore it's turned into a four part series, all designed to make meal time easier at this hectic time of year.

Part 1 - Freezables
Part 2 - Healthy Lunchbox
Part 3 - Fast Fix Suppers
Part 4 - Double Duty Meals


The freezer cleanup and theme this week was very much inspired by a recent post on 100 Days of Real Food - Real Food Tips: 10 Recipes to Freeze for School Lunches.  For those of you who have kids heading back to school this post (and blog) is full of great ideas!

Freezable items on the meal plan this week

Hamburger Buns - I never use a full pack of hamburger or hot-dog buns, leftovers always end up in the freezer and can be taken out individually as needed.

Soup - Soup is a perfect thing to big batch.  I had always been freezing leftovers in one big container so I could never thaw just one serving.  Lisa Leake from 100 Days of Real Food freezes individual servings in mason jars.  My sister-in-law freezes hers in freezer bags that she lays flat so that they stack nicely.  I'm leaning towards the bags so that I can "file" them in a basket, taking up less freezer space.  And now that I've had this "a-ha!" moment of freezing soups, chili, spaghetti and meatballs, etc... in single servings I can see myself big-batching these things more often.  This week I had a Sweet Potato and Peanut Soup on the menu which is absolutely delicious.   However, not peanut free obviously.  If this is a concern for you just substitute your favorite soup.

Rice - Brown Rice takes almost an hour to make so sometimes I'll make a double batch and freeze leftovers in single serving sizes.  It freezes well, thaws quick and is very versatile for easy last minute lunches.  Some ideas...

• Mix rice with black bean, shredded cheese and salsa and roll in a tortilla.
• Saute vegetables and whatever protein is leftover from supper. Stir in rice, a scrambled egg and some soya sauce for a quick "fried rice".
• Serve it with a stir-fry
• Make sushi rolls or a Sushi Bowl
• Make rice patties such as Tex-Mex Rice Cakes

Berries - I often buy frozen berries, they're perfect for smoothies, mixing in with yogurt, adding to your cereal and for baking.  You can also freeze fresh berries if you're not able to use them right away.

Nuts - If I buy nuts in bulk I store them in the freezer to keep them from going rancid.

Herbs -- I don't know how many times I've bought a big bunch of herbs only to use a small amount and have the rest go bad.  I've used the ice-cube tray method before but find the herb cubes don't work well for all recipes.  A friend recently gave me a great tip - wash the herbs and dry well, chop and place in a freezer bag.  When a recipe calls for fresh herbs they're all ready to go!  Another "a-ha!" moment here!

Pancakes - If I make whole wheat pancakes on the weekend I'll toss the leftovers in a freezer bag.  I pop them right in the toaster to defrost and reheat.  If I had a waffle maker I'd freeze those too!  Maybe Santa is listening??

Tortillas, Pita or Naan - I'm still blown away that I was able to make tortillas and I've recently come across a recipe for naan that I'm going to try soon, but these don't have to be homemade.  If you buy a pack of tortillas, pita, naan, etc... stash leftovers in the freezer so they don't go bad.  They can be used for wraps, quesadillas, pizza, cut into triangles and toasted (or not!) for dipping, etc, etc, etc...

Smoothies - This week I froze both "smoothie packs" and "smoothie pops".  In each smoothie pack (freezer bag) I put strawberries, banana and spinach or kale, enough for a single serve smoothie -perfect for a quick grab and go breakfast.  While I had everything out I made a smoothie with these same ingredients plus plain yogurt, avocado, milk and honey.  I poured it into Popsicle molds for little after daycare treat.  They've been a hit this week!

Hamburgers - Either homemade or boxed... I loved having burgers on hand for an easy supper.

Muffins - I rarely get through a whole batch of muffins before they start to get mouldy so extras can be tossed in a freezer bag in the freezer to be used as an easy snack.  I've got a Blueberry Spelt Muffin in my lunch today!

Recipes

Chicken & Avocado Salad
(from The Australian Women's Weekly Cookbooks)

Citrus Chicken & Chickpea Salad

This is a recipe I stumbled upon years ago and use to make often.  I haven't made it in ages but it's a good one!

Ingredients:

• 4 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
• 1 Tbsp each lemon & lime rind
• 300 g can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1 Medium Red Onion, finely chopped
• 2 Medium Tomato, chopped
• 1 Tbsp Fresh Cilantro, chopped
• 1 Medium Avocado, chopped
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice

Directions:

• Combine chicken with lemon and lime rind, cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.  I left them overnight.
• Combine remaining ingredients and mix well.
• Grill chicken until cooked through.
• Spoon Salad into bowls and top with slices of the cooked chicken.

Whole Wheat Cheddar Crackers (Weelicious)

I mentioned last week that Marin had an epiphany that we should add feta to the Cheddar Crackers.  So we made a batch this week and I replaced about 1/2 cup of the Cheddar with Feta.  As expected - delicious!  She thought she quite the little genius.

Whole Wheat Cheddar Crackers

What are your favorite freezables?

Sandra

Week 33 - Freezer Makeover - Before

Printable Version of the Meal Plan

We were out of town last weekend for an overnight getaway with friends.  We had a blast at Upper Clements Park on Saturday and then took our time working our way back into the city on Sunday.  We didn't get home until suppertime and I was Tired (yes, with a capital T) so my plan was to get groceries Monday night.  However, at around 7pm I realized that I was donating blood Monday night... so I literally threw together a meal plan with the help of the awesome September issue of Canadian Living and reluctantly headed out the door to get some grub.

There was no real theme this week, my only goal was to fill our bellies with as little effort as possible.  But by mid-week I started to think about some of the back to school articles I've been reading.  I still have one year before Marin starts school but I've been working at a University pretty much since I left University so to me September is the real New Year... I always get excited for a fresh start!

In particular I was feeling inspired by a post from 100 Days of Real Food re freezable lunches.  I have a confession... I'm 33 weeks into my meal planning resolution but my cupboards, and especially my freezers, are a mess!  I'm not really one to freeze meals in advance or stash leftovers.  Instead I tend to cook my meals fresh and make enough for just the servings I require for that week.  But this whole idea of having a stockpile of things like soups, pizza dough and muffins in my freezer to make at least one easy lunch a week is really appealing!  I mean come on... freezing individual servings of soup in mason jars - brilliant!!  So in the spirit of back to school I'm cleaning out the freezers!  Think of it as my New 'School Year' Resolution. 

 

Freezer Makeover - Before

I can't believe I'm posting this because it's super embarrassing but here are the before pics...

Fridge Freezer - Before

Fridge Freezer Door - Before

Deep Freezer - Before

This project is apparently long overdue!!  I'll post after pictures next week... and now that I've put it out there I really have to follow through!  Eek!

Let's talk about the food...

Lasagna - This is note-worthy because it actually came from the freezer!  Before leaving town last weekend I realized I had 2 pieces of the 'Easiest Lasagna Ever!' frozen.  It was the best feeling in the world to know that I wouldn't have to make lunch on Sunday night.

Orange Chicken Salad - This was one of the life-saving recipes I found in Canadian Living last Sunday night.  Just what we needed after not eating the best for a couple of days.  I used the PC Organic Field Greens with Herbs Mix and added a little feta.  Marin was loving the feta and said excitedly "Mom, I have a great idea!  We can make the cheese crackers and add feta and mix it all together!!!  That's what I'm talking about!".  I think I have a little foodie on my hands.

Orange Chicken Salad

Tomato and Chickpea Salad - Another Canadian Living recipe.  I enjoyed and it was a very easy and packable lunch.

Grilled Steak and Salad - We marinated the steaks (see the Favorites/Salad Dressing & Spice Mix section) and grilled them.  To go with them I did up a foil pack with mushrooms, onions, zucchini and butter and made a super simple salad using the rest of the salad green & herb mix, tossing it with olive oil, lemon juice and honey.   A quick, easy meal that we could eat anytime!

Homemade Tortillas -  I'm (almost) speechless... I made whole wheat tortillas!!  I figured if corn tortillas were easy and worth the extra effort than flour tortillas were probably worth a try too.  I took the time to read the recipe and they actually sounded like a breeze to make.  I'll admit they take a bit of effort but they were far from difficult (thanks in big part to my KitchenAid Stand Mixer) and I think it's a recipe that will get quite easy once I make it a few more times.  And the results... totally worth the effort!!  For me the best part of eating at a good Mexican restaurant is the fresh, chewy tortillas... and now I can make them myself!!  We made a cheese quesadilla as a snack to test them when they were hot out of the pan and they were divine!  Then we had them as part of our lunch for the next 2 days (Quesadillas on Day 1 and Chef Salad Wraps on Day 2) and even on the second day they were perfect.  Plus... you can freeze them! Another item for my freezer! Hurrah!  This was the highlight of my week.

Fish Casserole - I had an idea in mind of what I wanted here.... I was thinking white fish, rice, creamy sauce and Frenches Fried Onions crumbled on top.  I couldn't find a recipe anywhere so I made one up.  I basically used a Scallop Potato recipe but with fish (I used cod) instead of potatoes.  Once the fish cooked I used a fork to break it up and added the rice and shredded mozzarella.  Once that was all bubbly I topped with the Frenches onions and put it back in the oven for a few minute.  The results - delicious!!  It was kind of like Cheesy Scallop Potatoes meets Green Bean Casserole.  Just what I was looking for.  Dave loved it too, Marin not so much.  You win some you lose some...

Fish Casserole

Slow Cooker Chicken Gyros (Recipe from Six Sisters' Stuff ) - Slow cooking in the summer is awesome - there is just nothing better than coming home on a hot day to a cooked meal.  I'm pretty excited to get home tonight to try this one out!


Now I'm off to clean my freezers!

Sandra