Week 35 - Back to School Series, Part 2: Healthy Lunchbox

Printable Version of Meal Plan

Whenever I talk to Mom's about back to school I commonly hear about two things - the crazy school supply list and the dreaded packing of lunches.  I've said it before and I'll probably say it again... I look forward to packing Marin school lunches.  I know, I know... file it away so you can say "I told you so" but the way I see it is that whether I'm packing it the night before or making it the day of, ya gotta eat!  And I pack a lunch for Dave and I every day so what's one more?

The Inspiration

Here's some great links I've come across while doing my "research" this week:

100 Days of Real Food, 10 Recipes to Freeze for School Lunches
100 Days of Real Food, 21 Ways to Plan Ahead for School Lunches
Top Lunch Tips from Weelicious
Weelicious School Lunches on Pinterest
Canadian Family, 15 School Lunches They'll Love
Kraft What's Cooking, Simple Lunch-Box Ideas

And very exciting news... the Weelicious Lunches Cookbook is out!  I love the original Weelicious Cookbook (highly recommend it and not just for wee ones!) and can't wait to get my hands on this one!

And don't forgot to follow 100 Days of Real Food for daily lunch inspiration.

Recipe Quick Links

Overnight Oats, Kath Eats
Tex Mex Rice Cakes, Weelicious
Sticky Honey Sesame Chicken, Canadian Living
Fish Sticks, Attach of the Hungry Monster
Sushi Bowl, 101 Cookbooks
Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese, Women's Health
Dinner Dippers, Canadian Living
Whole Grain Fruit Filled Bars, Weelicious (via Two Peas in Their Pod)
Hummus, Carrot and Avocado Wraps, Weelicious (via ewg.org)

Lunch Snack Ideas

For me the bigger challenge with lunches is the snacks.  I always pack our main lunch the night before, but I rarely prepare the snacks ahead of time.  Instead I just grab 2-3 things on my way out the door.  Some mornings end up being rushed and that just doesn't end up happening.  As a result we're either starving when we get home or grabbing unhealthy (and expensive) snacks during the day.  Individually wrapped granola bars, pretzels, etc... are fantastically convenient but I have to say since I've become more of an ingredient reader I'm finding them less appetizing.  I'm continually irked by how many (seemingly healthy) things have artificial color!!

Here's a few of our favorite snacks to have on hand.  Sometimes you just need some fresh ideas!

Cheddar Crackers - surprisingly simple and delicious!
 

Muffins - Blueberry, Banana, Pumpkin, Zucchini.... the possibilities are endless!!  Tip - I almost always replace the oil with apple sauce and can never tell the difference.

Homemade Pop Tarts - can be frozen and definitely a welcome lunchbox treat!

Granola Coins - nut free and super quick and easy to make!  A perfect granola bar replacement.

Apple Sandwich - use a seed butter to make this a nut-free treat

Fruit cut into fun shapes using cookie cutters.

Nature's Bakery Fig Bars - one of the things I do buy (at Costco) in single serve packs.

and a few more ideas...

Whole Grain Fruit Bars - This was a Weelicious Lunches sneak peak that I found and tried and they are pretty easy to make and very tasty.  I made the mistake of pressing down a little too much on my top layer and as a result squeezed out most of the jam... but even the jamless ones are good.

Apple Sauce - another thing I sometimes buy pre-packed.  Just beware of ingredients because some have added sugar and artificial color.  PC Brand Just Apples is... just apples!!  It's also really easy to make and great way to use up old-ish apples.

Popcorn Snack Mix - In place of popcorn you can use a puffed cereal such as Puffed Rice or Puffed Kamut (or as Marin calls it "Puffy Popcorn") and whatever add-ins you like such as chocolate chips, pumpkin seeds, rainsins and pretzels.

Yogurt & Berries - I put frozen berries in a single serve container, top with plain yogurt and maple syrup or honey to sweeten.  The berries thaw by the time I eat it.  I was actually never a yogurt fan until I started eating it this way.

Fruit - We each take at least one piece of fruit a day.  I always core and slice my apples and pears (with a corer/slicer tool).  I wrap in Saran, either fit it all back together including the core or I remove the core and replace it with a spoonful of peanut butter.

Cheese & Crackers - Cheddar and Triscuits are our standard choices in this category.  I love cheese strings for the grab and go convenience.

Smoothie Pops - I've been making smoothies and freezing them in popsicle molds.  It's been a great after daycare treat to have on hand!

Check out my favorites tab for even more ideas!

Week in Review

Monday

We were actually just getting back from the cottage on Monday so we didn't make either meal on the menu.  But since this was a themed week I though I'd throw in a couple of ideas.  Another Weelicious Lunches sneak peak too!

Tuesday

Lunch - Tex Mex Rice Cakes.  If you've gotten this far you now know I'm a huge Weelicious fan.  I've made these many times... love them!  I actually used quinoa in place of the rice this week and I reheat them at lunch but they could most definately be eaten cold.  You could round out this lunch with some veggies and dip.  One of my favorite dips is Ranch... you can premix the spices and then just stir them in with some sour cream and mayo when you're ready or prepare the dip to store in the fridge for a few days.

Tex Mex Rice Cakes
 

Supper - Sticky Honey Sesame Chicken.  Remember when I was looking for the perfect Honey Garlic sauce for meatballs a few months ago?  Found it!  The recipe calls for drumsticks, I used boneless skinless breasts instead and I think meatballs would work great too. 

Wednesday

Lunch - Quesadillas.  The idea was to use up leftover chicken in the quesadillas... but there were no leftovers.  That's what happens when you find a tasty recipe!  So they became cheese quesadillas with some orange pepper and onions.  I used packaged tortillas that were in the freezer - from before I found out I was capable of making tortillas!!  I reheat these at work but would happily eat them cold as well.  I mixed sour cream and salsa for dipping.

Supper - Fish Sticks w/ Sweet Potato Fries.  I first made this recipe in Week 7 and it was a huge hit but I've been so busy trying new recipes I haven't had a chance to make it since.  Happy to report we still like it.  I pre-cut the sweet potato into sticks the night before, boiled them for a few minutes and then tossed them with olive oil, salt and pepper and roasted at 450 until they were nice a crisp! 

Thursday

Lunch - Sushi Bowls.  I love sushi but admittedly it's a bit of work.  This sushi bowl recipe was much easier to put together.  I loosely followed the recipe because the orange I bought for the sauce was rotten in the middle.... grrr!  I made the Asian Sesame Dressing from my salad dressing cheat sheet instead and replaced the avocado with orange pepper and mango because that's what I had.  Dave email'd at lunch to say the rice tasted like sushi... I'm not sure if he liked it but at least he recognized it.  I'm going to call it a success.

Sushi Bowl
 

Supper - Dinner Dipper with Veggies and Crackers.  Another find from the September issue of Canadian Living!  Well it was a find for me because I liked all three dips.  Marin and Dave both ate but were less enthused.  Seriously... I have a kid who will eat fish and kale with no problems but turned her nose up at a pink dip that was sweet enough to almost be considered dessert!!  It makes no sense.

Dip Trio
 

Friday

Lunch - Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese.  This was ok... the sauce was less creamy and more clumpy than I had hoped but the taste was good.  You would never know there was squash hidden in there so a good way to sneak in some vitamins if you happen to be the sneaky type.

Supper  - Steak and Salad. Have to get some grilling in while we still can!


I realized at the end of this week that I might be in a lunch rut... Patties, Quesadillas... not exactly new to me.  Going to review my links above and see if I can switch things up in the next few weeks.

What are you packing for lunches and snacks??

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

Week 31 - Lighten Up

Printable Version of Meal Plan

We're just back from a week at the cottage and arrived home Monday evening with grocery stores closed for the holiday.  So... I drew up my meal plan in the car knowing I wouldn't be able to get a grocery order until the next evening after work.  That made Tuesday a challange since the fridge was completely void of everything except for the odd jar of this or that.  Marin was starring into the fridge after daycare on Tuesday and declared 'Wow, we're out of A LOT of things!'.  We picked up bread and milk at a corner store and that got us by.  My main goal this week was to lighten things up... nine days of chips and sweets had me craving a good old salad!

I'm posting a regular Monday to Friday meal plan but for us this was actually Tuesday to Saturday.  We were so low on everything that I wanted to make sure we had enough to get us through the weekend.  And since I'm still trying to get back into the swing of things my post is again taking on a different format.  No grocery list and instead of "Quick Links" and "Week in Review" I'm trying out what I'll call "Meal Reviews", which will include all the appropriate links and any notes I think are worthwhile.  Who knows... this might stick.  Let me know what you think.

Meal Reviews

No-Cook Overnight Oats -- Have you tried this recipe yet??  I have my sister hooked - she loves it for camping.  Some of my favorite add-ins are mango, peaches, fresh figs, coconut and pumpkin seeds.  What are yours?  Note:  I make mine with Steel Cut Oats, even though the recipe says not to.  One of these days I'll try it with regular oats.

No-cook Overnight Oats

Slow Cooker Deli Style Chicken with Tomato & Zucchini - this was the perfect quick and light meal for the first night back from vacation.  First of all, the slow cooker takes no more than five minutes to prepare in the morning and then you come home to a fully cooked, delicious, moist chicken... and no need to turn on the oven on a hot summer day!  For a side we had slices of orange and red tomatoes and yellow zucchini, drizzled with olive oil and balsamic and a crack of salt and pepper.   Yum.

Whole Chicken in the Slow Cooker

Mexican Chicken Wraps - for lunch the next day I diced up the leftover chicken and made kind of a chicken salad with a mexican twist.  I added shredded cheese, mexican spice blend, lime juice and plain yogurt. I would have used salsa if I had it but I was out.  I packed some raw veggies to have on the side.

Grilled Steak with Arugula Salad - Loved this meal!!  Dave wasn't feeling well this night so I was on grill duty and I have to say... I did a bang up job.  I had picked up a couple of really nice striploin steaks so I let them speak for themselves adding just a little salt and pepper.  The salad was one my brother-in-law's partner introduced us to last week and this is totally going to become a regular thing.  Arugula, drizzle of olive oil and fresh lemon juice, crack of salt and pepper and shaved parmesan... that's it!  Simple and delicious.  And because this came together so quickly Marin wasn't quite ready to eat so I ate in peace, on the deck, drinking a spritzer while flipping through a magazine.  Aaaahhhhh... almost as relaxing as drinking my morning coffee on the deck at the cottage.

Chickpea and Avocado Salad - I had a pop-in on my Facebook Page from a fellow Maritime food blogger.  I went and checked out her blog (http://www.thefrillyapron.com) and my eye instantly caught a recipe for chickpea and avocado salad.  Chickpeas? Avocado? Yes, please!  Her post was very convincing that this salad was worth a try and that it was.  A very hearty, tasty and packable lunch.  And I totally agree with her that it's very customisable.  Start with the chickpeas, avocado and slaw mix and then go nuts (no pun intended) with whatever dressing and add-ins you feel like. 

Marinated Tofu, Greek Salsa and Tzatziki - had I been on the ball I could have prepped most of this meal the night before but I was not very on the ball this week.  C'est la vie.  I get home decently early in the summer so I whipped up some Greek dressing, marinated the tofu for about 20 minutes and then crisped them up in the frying pan with some olive oil.  I made a Greek salsa (tomato, cucumber, red onion, yellow zucchini, orange pepper, feta and dressing) with tzatziki on the side.  I don't typically enjoy homemade Tzatziki all that much but this recipe was a good one!  Greek food never disappoints in our house.  The salsa was so colorful I had to take a picture...

Greek Salsa

Cajun Shrimp and Orzo Salad & Indian Spiced Yogurt Marinated Chicken -- Because we're not actually following this plan Monday through Friday I haven't actually tried these recipes yet.  I am looking forward to them though!  Both are compliments of Canadian Living Magazine.  And if you don't subscribe you might want to pick up the September issue -- it's full of great recipes that I can't wait to try!


What are you all cooking up this summer?

Sandra

Week 24 - Everyday Potluck

Printable Version of Meal Plan and Grocery List

Have you ever noticed when you go to a potluck that everything tastes so good!  So why don't we just cook like that all the time?  The thing with potluck food is that it's typically something you can big-batch, has global appeal for picky eaters and travels well... perfect for everyday!  So all the lunch/supper options this week are potluck friendly.  Just in time for all those summer barbecue's!

Recipe Quick Links

Fish Tacos with Mango Avocado Salsa, Canadian Living
Honey Garlic Meatballs, Edesia's Notebook
Avocado Corn Salad, Sobey's Inspired
Thai Chicken Skewers with Peanut Dipping Sauce, Life's on Fire
Lemony Red Pepper and Asparagus Salad, Canadian Living

Week in Review

Monday

Lunch - Quinoa Lentil Salad.  This recipe came from my sister, Jo-Anne.  She brought it to a family BBQ a couple of weeks ago.  She likes to make the base (quinoa, bulgur, lentils, feta and dressing) in a big batch on the weekend and then she just adds the veggies as she goes through the week.  The lentils in this salad make it a filling lunch.  I prepared 1 cup of quinoa (reserving enough for breakfast later in the week), 3/4 cup bulgar and 1 cup of lentils.  This made generous servings of lunch for Dave and I for two days.  I added tomato and cucumber to our individual servings.

Dressing for Quinoa Lentil Salad
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 tsp oregano
1 tsp mint
1 tsp dill
Salt & Pepper
**Note: I made the amount of dressing as described here but found it to not be enough, so I made more based on 1/8 cup olive oil.  How much dressing you need will depend on how much salad you make and personal taste.

Supper - Fish Tacos with Mango Avocado Salsa.  I made these a few weeks ago and they are so good!  I will say I made one mistake this time... I got lazy and bought corn tortillas instead of making them fresh.  It really did make a difference.  I think these would be awesome for a potluck.  When I make my own corn tortillas they're typically pretty small so you could have a platter with a stack of tortillas, crumbled fish, and the salsa and yogurt in dishes.  I think it would look really pretty and impressive and one little taco would be just right size when you're taking a little bit of everything. 

Photo by Jim Kim/TC Media, via http://www.canadianliving.com

Tuesday

Lunch -- Quinoa Lentil Salad.  I didn't switch it up, this was an exact repeat of Monday's lunch.  It was really nice to have something easy to pack on Monday night!  My sister will big batch this to have more than twice in the week.  For me two times of anything is typically enough... by the third day it's lost it's appeal.

Supper -- Honey Garlic Meatballs and Rice.  Ever been to a meatball free potluck?  Nope, me either.  I've never made honey garlic meatballs so I browsed Pinterest looking for a recipe.  I typically stay away from ketchup based sauces because, well... they're just too "ketchup-y".  But it seemed like every recipe I found for honey garlic sauce was this recipe.  Given it's popularity I thought I'd give it a try.  The verdict?  It was too "ketchup-y"!  I was looking for a bit more honey and bit more garlic.  When I said I wasn't crazy about it though Marin said (with a full mouth of food) "mmmm... I think it's perfect already".  So it got the kid stamp of approval.  If anyone has a meatball recipe they'd like to share I'm still looking for "the one".

Wednesday

Lunch - Dave didn't need lunch and I had a lunch date with my bestie!

Supper - Fajita Chicken Stirfry and Avocado Corn Salad.  I was planning to barbecue the chicken but it was raining cats and dogs so at the last minute I decided to do up the chicken as if we were having fajitas... chicken, peppers, onion, Mexican spice blend and salsa.  This is the second time I've had this Avocado Corn Salad on the menu and I made it for our family gathering last weekend as well.  This is best with grilled corn but I've made it plenty of times using frozen corn and it's still really good.  The last time I made it I skipped the salsa and hot pepper in consideration of some dietary constraints and actually preferred it that way so I skipped them again.



Photo from Sobey's Inspired - http://www.inspired.ca

 

Thursday

Lunch - Honey Garlic Meatball Pita Pizza.  I used up the leftover meatballs on a pita pizza, using the honey garlic sauce in place of pizza sauce.  It was pretty good.  I like when I can reinvent leftovers.

Supper - Thai Tofu Skewers with Peanut Dipping Sauce with Basmati Rice.  I think these would be great for a summer barbecue as an alternative to meat.  This recipe is from the cookbook "Life's on Fire - Cooking for the Rushed" but substituting tofu/veggie skewers for the chicken.  The recipe is copied out in the Week 6 file (linked above).  I mentioned this cookbook a few weeks ago and this is by far the recipe that I've made the most.  I think the Tofu version turned out great but then again, anything dipped in this peanut dipping sauce is going to be good.  I could eat have eaten it by the spoonful.  And you might not think of Tofu as kid-friendly but in our house it most definitely is!  It was one of Marin's first finger foods and she's always loved it.  I find this recipes needs a pretty plain side so we had it with basmati rice.

Friday

Lunch - Lemony Red Pepper and Asparagus Pasta Salad and Deviled Eggs.  Pasta Salad and Deviled Eggs - two more potluck classics.  I first tried this pasta salad at a girls night potluck and instantly fell in love with it.  It's really light and full of flavor, the perfect summer pasta salad.  This made enough for 2 days so we'll clean up on it on the weekend.  And confession time... I left deviled eggs in the menu because of the theme, but I was too lazy by the time I packed our lunches so we just had plain boiled eggs.

Photo by Joe Kim via http://www.canadianliving.com

Supper - Layered Nacho Dip.  Saving the best for last!  Isn't this always the first thing to go?  And is it just me or do you usually eat it and think "mmm... I could totally park myself in front of this dish and make a whole meal of it!".  Well we did... and this isn't the first time either!  Dave was regrettably out at a staff party but Marin will be super happy with this one!  I blend equal parts of cream cheese and sour cream, topped with salsa, optionally some veggies such as tomatoes, peppers and avocado and finally a layer of shredded cheese.  Easy peasy and delicious! 

Happy Father's Day weekend!

Week 19 -- May Magazine Week/Quick Weeknight Meals

Printable Version of Meal Plan and Grocery List

I wanted to concentrate on quick weeknight meals this week.  The weather is so nice these days I've been wanting to maximize outdoor time in the evenings.  Canadian Living and Chatelaine both have monthly quick & easy recipes so that’s where I started my hunt for meal ideas.

Recipe Quick Links

• Orange Glazed Pork Chops and Hazelnut Green Beans, Canadian Living 
• Tofu Noodle Stir-fry, Canadian Living
• Salmon Cakes, Source Unknown (see Tuesday on Week 14)
• Fruity Creamy Crostini, Chatelaine (Sept 2012)
• Very Berry Muffins, Weelicious

Week in Review

Monday

Lunch – No lunches.  I had lunch plans and was out Sunday night for supper club with the girls (Brooklyn Warehouse – excellent!) so I passed on packing a lunch for Dave and took the night off.  I finished off a bottle of wine and watched the season finale of Amazing Race instead.

Supper – Pork Chops with Hazelnut Green Beans.  This meal was quick, on the table in under 30 minutes.  It was also easy in that it didn’t require any advanced cooking skills.  However, it did require a bit of chopping, measuring, tending to… and for me that coincided with Marin wanting a movie and snack and to tell me all kinds of important things.  And to be honest I don’t think the sauce for the pork chops added much to the meal.  The green beans were good, always nice to have a new way to dress them up.  Marin found them too ‘spicy’ though (garlic). 

Orange Glazed Pork Chops with Hazelnut Green Beans. 
Photo by Ryan Brook/TC Media via http://www.canadianliving.com

Tuesday

Lunch – Tofu Noodle Stir-Fry.  Again this meal was quick and easy to prepare but required constant hands on time.  No biggie because I was making it in the evening when I was happy to be cooking but keep that in mind if you’re preparing it for a supper.   I wouldn’t rant and rave about this dish, I’ve made Asian salads and stirfrys I prefer.  But it was good.  I typically use peanuts, the cashews were treat.

Tofu Noodle Salad
Photo by Ryan Brook/TC Media via http://www.canadianliving.com

Supper – Springtime Colorburst Chicken Salad.  This was the winner this week.  Dave and I both really loved it.  This is another quick, yet hands on meal but at a more relaxed pace than the Pork Chops.  I got the chicken on the grill and then Dave arrived home just in time to keep an eye on that.  Then I poured a glass of wine and assembled the salad.  It was a really nice light meal.   Unfortunately Chatelaine appears to have started putting some recipes in a protected area on their website (you need an account to log in).  So I’m copying out the recipe but unfortunately this might be one of the last Chatelaine featured recipes.

Springtime Colorburst Salad

·         Pound the thickest part of 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts until they are even thickness.  Brush with 1 tsp of olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Grill on medium heat.  Let stand for 5 minutes and then slice into strips.

·         Dressing – whisk ¼ cup of olive oil with 3 Tbsp of lemon juice, 2 Tbsp Dijon mustard (I would start with 1 Tbsp and then adjust to taste), ¼ tsp sugar

·         Arrange salad with arugula (I used spring mix), chicken, thin slices of beet, shallots (used green onion) and radish, segments of naval oranges,  slices of avocado and sprinkle of pepitas (pumpkin seeds).  Drizzle with dressing.

Springtime Colorburst Salad
Photo by Roberto Caruso via http://www.chatelaine.com

Wednesday

Lunch -- Asian Stir-Fry.  Leftovers.  Since I had no lunch to prepare Tuesday night I made a batch of Very Berry Muffins.  They are "berry" good!

Supper – McHappy Day!  Yup, you read that right.  We went to McDonald’s for supper.  It was beautiful outside, I was late getting home and it was McHappy Day… so I juggled the menu around and we headed over to support Ronald McDonald House.  And I’ll gladly admit I enjoyed every bite!

Thursday

Lunch – Steak Salad.  This was part of the juggle.  Steak was on the menu for Wednesday night and I wanted to grill it while it was nice out because the forecast was calling for rain, rain, and more rain in the days ahead.  So we grilled the steak and threw it on a salad for lunch.

Supper – Salmon Cakes and Zucchini Fingers.  This is not the first time I’ve had these salmon cakes on the menu.   I’ve tried a few salmon cake recipes and I keep coming back to this one.  What I really love is that it’s easily prepared ahead of time so it makes for a great week night meal.   For the zucchini – I sliced it into fingers, dipped each finger in egg (slightly whisked) and then panko and baked at 450 for about 20 minutes.  I threw a few mushrooms on too – prepared the same way.  The zucchini was good with the dip from the salmon cake recipe.

Friday  

Lunch – Ham & Cheese “Lunchmate”.  One of my all-time favorite lunches!  Ham slices (I buy Maple Leaf Naturals), Havarti cheese, Triscuit's (low-sodium to offset at least a little bit of the sodium in the ham!) and lots of veggies and dip.  This is a quick to prepare lunch and I just really enjoy it. 

Supper – Fruity Creamy Crostini & Salad.  I thought this looked like an easy supper that would fit the “Convenience Food Friday” bill.    It was definately easy, took less than 20 minutes to throw together and I have to say it was pretty good too.  For the salad I did mixed greens and herbs, beets, plums, pumpkin seeds and leftover dressing from the spring salad.  The crostini would make a great appetizer for a dinner party or potluck.

Fruity, Creamy Crostini
Photo by Roberto Caruso via http://www.chatelaine.com

Week 12 – March Magazine Week

Printable Version of Meal Plan

Magazine week again!  I like this one… makes meal planning fun on Sunday because I get to flip through my favorite magazines again.  It also take the pressure off having to photograph my meals… not my strength in case you haven’t noticed!

Recipe Quick Links:
Tuna Melt Calzones, Today’s Parent
Whole Wheat Pizza, 100 Days of Real Food
Beef Milanese, Canadian Living
Zesty Roasted Broccoli, Today’s Parent
Skillet Sweet Potatoes and Beans, Canadian Living
Stewed Kale & Lentils, Canadian Living
The Best Breakfast for Dinner Sandwich, Chatelaine

Week in Review

Sunday we were using up leftovers… I added it to the meal plan in case you have similar leftovers you’re trying to use up.  Havarti grilled cheese were using up the leftover havarti from the “lunchmate” lunch last week.  Hot turkeys were using up some of the turkey and gravy leftover from “Winter Favorites” week.  We made homefries too… mmmm….

Monday – Monday’s lunch was a slightly modified version of the Tuna Melt Calzones from Today’s Parent.  I substituted the frozen pizza crust for the whole wheat pizza dough recipe from 100 Days of Read Food.  These were really good!  The recipe also says they freeze well so this would be a great one to big batch ahead of time.  Supper was Beef Milanese which was really just panko crusted and fried beef strips.  The first couple of bites I was thinking that anything coated in panko and fried was a-ok with me.  About half way through though I started to find it too greasy.  Might be my fault – I went a little heavy on the oil.  The Zesty Roasted Broccoli however was delicious!  I added cauliflower as well.

Photo Source:  http://www.todaysparent.com

Tuesday – Tuesday’s lunch was calzones again but stuffed with pizza toppings this time.  They reminded me SO much of pizza burgers I use to eat ALL the time when I was in high school.  These would make a great school lunch.  Summer was just a simple pork chop that I didn’t do anything special to and a side of Skillet Sweet Potatoes and Beans.  If you precut your veggies the night before this side dish cooks up quick and was pretty tasty!

Wednesday – I had a green salad with chickpeas on the menu for Wednesday’s lunch but I just wasn’t feeling it.  I had this quinoa cakes recipe from Marin Mama Cooks on the brain but didn’t have a computer handy to look it up.  So I came up with this little number and I thought it was really good… reminded me a bit of Mac & Cheese.  Highly recommend!

Quinoa Mac & Cheese
Ingredients:

• 1/2cup quinoa – prepared as directed on package
• 1 egg, scrambled
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp onion powder
• 1 c shredded mozza
• 1 tbsp oil

Heat oil in skillet.  Mix remaining ingredients well and fry until cooked through and cheese is getting crispy.  Enjoy!

For supper we had Stewed Kale and Lentils.  I didn’t have golden raisins so I substituted diced dried apricots.  I’ve never had this with the raisins but I really liked the flavor the apricots added.  Dave looked at this and reluctantly headed to the table with his bowl.  He admitted later that it was much better than he anticipated.  I liked it but think it should definately be served with rice if making a meal out of it.  Or have it as a side.  It’s just a bit too much on its own.  Marin didn’t like it and left the table in tears.  She eventually came back and picked out the walnuts.

Photo Source: http://www.canadianliving.com 

Thursday – lunch was leftover lentils… with rice.  Much better!  Supper was not magazine inspired.  I decided to go with something simple and “safe”.  I pan-fried a few chicken cutlets and spread pesto on mine and Dave’s, served with a side salad.  No tears! 

Friday – Lunch was chicken salad on pita.  Again this was not magazine inspired.  I had actually just gotten my Epicure order and was anxious to try out my Mango Curry seasoning.  I mixed up the dip as recommended on the jar and mixed it with diced chicken, celery, grapes, apples and green onion.  Not bad!  If you don’t have mango curry epicure dip you could just mix a little curry powder with mayo and/or plain yogurt.  Supper was “The Best Breakfast for Supper Sandwich” from Chatelaine.  I don’t know about “the best” but anything with bacon is just fine in my books!



Photo Source:  http://www.chatelaine.com

As I type this up I realize we had a lot of greasy fried foods this week – even if they were home cooked I’m feeling the ‘blah’ that comes with that.  I’ll be lightening things up next week!

Week 8–February Magazine Week

Printable Version of Meal Plan and Grocery List

I have a confession – I’m a bit of a magazine addict.  I subscribe to three – Chatelaine, Canadian Living and Today’s Parent and I flip through each of them quickly so that I can devour the food pages.  I always dog ear pages with recipes I want to try but then they get tossed in the magazine rack and I sometimes forget to go back to them.  So, I thought a monthly magazine week was in order!   So consider this your test kitchen!

Recipe Quick Links:
Salmon & Cauliflower Colcannon, Canadian Living
Sesame Beef Salad, Canadian Living
Maple Cider Chicken and Nutty Quinoa, Chatelaine
Healthier Refried Beans, Today’s Parent

Monday – We never did get to the egg salad this weekend so it got carried over to lunch on Monday.  I packed Wisecrackers (Costco) and veggies and ranch dip.  Not a bad little “munchy lunch”.  Supper was Salmon and Colcannon (Canadian Living).  Admittedly I had no idea what Colcannon was (fyi, it’s a traditional Irish dish made from potato and kale)  This meal was ok… I’d give it a 3/5 – I really liked how creamy the Colcannon was but I found the leeks were a bit overpowering.  This was my first time cooking with leeks so perhaps I didn’t cook them enough or used too much for the recipe.  I also used frozen kale since I couldn’t find fresh and I substituted trout for the salmon since it was cheaper.  Salmon, fresh kale and less leeks would likely have bumped this up to a 4/5.


Photo source:  http://www.canadianliving.com

Tuesday – I often use leftover salmon in salads for next day lunch and always enjoy it, so I made extra trout for a pasta salad.  I made a dressing using lemon juice, olive oil and grated parmesan.  Have to tell you…. not good.  The trout was really “fishy”.  I choked it down but Dave admitted he chucked it and went to the food court.  Like I said, I’ve done this kind of thing before, not really sure what made this one such a flop – either the trout or the dressing or both.  And supper was another flop… what a day!  We made Sesame Beef Salad from Canadian Living.  I’d only give this a 2/5 at best.  First, I much prefer a marinated and grilled steak over a pan-fried one (although I will say it was tender) -- I’d say save your beef for the BBQ and substitute tofu – cheaper too!  And the dressing for the noodles, while easy, was not as good as other sesame dressings I’ve tried.  I think cutting back on the rice vinegar would help.  Or just make my Pad Thai recipe from Week 1 instead!


Photo Source:  http://www.canadianliving.com

Wednesday – Since the noodles were a flop Tuesday I didn’t have leftovers as planned.  Then I got pretty lazy on the couch and almost didn’t pack a lunch at all, but at the last minute I decided to make an easy Greek Couscous.  Couscous cooks up in 5 minutes so it’s a good no-fuss option when you’re feeling too tired to cook.  I added Kraft Greek dressing, cucumber, red pepper, green olives (I prefer them over black) and chickpeas.  Definitely an improvement over Tuesday’s lunch, was just missing a little feta which I was unfortunately out of.  Supper was Maple Cider Chicken with Nutty Quinoa.  This was good, I really enjoyed the chicken, very moist.  This meal is really filling but I did miss having a veggie.  I’d serve it next time with something like steamed brocolli.  Overall a 4/5.


Photo Source: http://www.chatelaine.com

Thursday – We had just enough chicken leftover to make one lunch which worked out perfectly because I was home with a sick Marin. So Dave took the chicken and I just had an English Muffin with peanut butter and apple slices.  Supper was a slow cooker refried beans recipe.  This wasn’t my first time making refried beans in the slow cooker and the only difference between this recipe and the one I normally make (this one from 100 Days of Real Food) is that you fry the onions first and you spice with cayenne instead of a jalapeno.  Both versions are very similar although I’d say this one had a little less kick.  Both versions I found dried out a bit so don’t be shy with the water and if they do happen to dry out just add a little water when you mash.  Either way this recipe is a winner and WAY better than canned – in fact not even comparable.  So even if you’re not a fan of canned refried beans I’d say give this a shot.  We typically have this meal with corn tortillas and the regular fixin’s but this time we did the nachos as suggested in the magazine.  Again, either way, you can’t go wrong.  Mexican is always a hit in this house so obviously a 5/5.  Yummy!


Photo Source:  http://www.todaysparent.com

Friday – I had the day off so I didn’t pack lunches.  Supper was leftovers.  Gotta love easy days!


While there were a few misses this week it’s always fun to try new recipes – never know when you’re going to find a gem!  It was also a super cheap week – I spend less than $120 in groceries and that included $20 in chicken for the freezer.