A New Favorite

This past spring I made a carb-less meal from Annie's Eats, Asian Lettuce Wraps. They were really tasty (I think Bryan's face said WTH is that, but his mouth said FEED ME), but I had to buy a bunch of new ingredients. The ingredient I learned I really like is the Sriracha Hot Sauce (found in the Asian food isle). It's hot without being overpowering. It gives a really nice spiciness without making my lips burn.

In addition to the lettuce wraps, I also like this recipe that I've used for kabobs (I've told you of my love of kabobs, right?). I don't actually know which magazine I took this from, but it was for grown-up ladies. I put this marinade on the chicken, then add some olive oil, Mrs. Dash, and sriracha sauce to the red peppers, onions, and zucchini. Mix with some brown rice, and you've got yourself one tasty meal - one with some yummy spiciness.

Mix:
3 Tbsp ketchup
1/2 Tbsp soy sauce (reduced sodium)
1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tsp sriracha hot sauce

I usually have to double this recipe to cover the chicken. Skip the sriracha on the veggies if you aren't a fan of heat or you don't think your kids will eat it. Anna eats it, but she eats strange things for a kid.

Today I am thankful for:

1. it's Friday!


2. Cracker Barrel biscuits and dumplins for dinner


3. it's Friday!

Favorite Warm Weather Meals

I don't know if everyone is like this, but I have specific foods for warm weather and another set of foods for cold weather. Some of that is because I have a grill available in the warm weather, and some of it is because hot comfort foods are great when it's cold and not so great when it's warm. Anna has swim lessons until 5:00, so we aren't getting home until 5:15 which is later than during the school year; these are my simple and easy meals for the summer:

1. Strawberry and Peach Yogurt Smoothies: I put about half a bag of frozen strawberries, a quarter of a bag of frozen peaches, and half a large vanilla yogurt container into the blender and mix until all the big chunks are broken up. Sometimes I add a little fruit juice too. This is the perfect dinner when it is really hot outside and real food sounds like too much because the frozen fruit is like little chunks of ice and is a perfect cool treat. We usually eat toast or something else easy with the smoothies.

2. Kabobs: I marinate cut up chicken breast in chipotle-lime marinade (if I was being good I would use Annie's Eats' marinade that is somewhere on this blog, but I am lazy and just use the store bought stuff). I cut red peppers and onions into big chunks, and then mix with olive oil and Mrs. Dash chipotle lime spice mix. I put the chicken on chicken only kabobs and alternate peppers and onions on the other kabobs, and then throw them on the grill until the chicken is cooked through. I serve with Uncle Ben's long grain brown rice. Don't forget to soak the kabob sticks in water overnight so they don't burn off in the grill.

3. Cheeseburgers: I use Laura's Lean Beef to make the patties, add a little salt and pepper, then throw them on the grill. We've been eating our burgers on 100% whole wheat thin sandwich buns (they have a real name, but I can't think of it now). We also like Alexia's french fries and sweet potato fries (again, if I was being good I would make my own fries, but I'm not).

4. Sweet Corn: Anna and I head to the little farmer's market near our house on Saturdays for sweet corn, cucumbers, and tomatoes. I bake our corn in the oven at 350 for 30 minutes. I leave the husks on during baking. It takes longer than boiling, but the corn tastes great and the husks pull off really easily. We usually eat the corn with chicken on the grill.

5. Bacon Sandwiches: I use the Oscar Meyer lower sodium bacon. I cook it in the oven at 400 for 10-12 minutes. This method still makes the house smell like bacon, but the air isn't filled with smoke and I don't have to stand over the burner getting splattered with grease (the pan does get very greasy though). I like my bacon crispy, but Bryan likes his rubbery, so I just cook some of it longer. I like to use my farmer's market tomatoes to make BLTs for Anna and me, but Bryan likes Turkey Bacon clubs.

Today I am thankful for:

• 
  
  
  Bryan fixed the computer



• 
  
  
  an easy trip to the store



• 
  
  
  Words With Friends on the iPad

Real Food

I was browsing a parent magazine when I saw a feature on a mom that started a blog, 100 Days of Real Food, about her family's journey switching to all real food after reading one of Michael Pollan's books. I can relate to her thoughts on food because she felt like she was doing the right things, but realized that maybe she wasn't doing all she could for the health of her family. After reading through her posts I feel like I can do a few things to improve our food choices, but I'm not going all in on the challenge. I don't have the time or the desire to spend the extra money on the organic and locally raised food right now; I might this summer, but not now.

Some changes I can make:

• Triscuits (low salt) instead of crackers with lots of questionable ingredients


• Using 100% whole-wheat flour in my breads, biscuits, and pizza dough


• Trying Lara Bars for a healthy lunch or snack


• Trying some of the recipes


• Not buying anymore granola bars that Anna fills up on but don't have much nutritional value


• No artificial sweeteners


• I bought this book of healthy lunches and meals at Kohl's yesterday. I'm going to have to make Anna's lunches when she's at LHSC. She likes variety, so hopefully I'll find some things she likes.

My kind-of-real-food today (I didn't use organic produce or locally raised beef): Beef Fajita Nachos from PW. I don't know if we are going to do the nachos or just serve with brown rice and grilled peppers and onions. I'm hoping it's delicious.

Today I am thankful for:

• smoothies (I just use vanilla yogurt, frozen strawberries, and frozen peaches...yum)


• a 3-day weekend


• time in the sun


• 2 good movies this weekend: No Strings Attached and I Am Number 4


• A week's weather forecast with NO RAIN!!!

What A Week.

This has not been my favorite week. It started with Anna having the stomach bug last Friday through Monday. Then Bryan got it on Wednesday, and he's still in recovery mode. I'm crossing my fingers and toes I don't get it.

Then I had to do a Math in Focus Parent Night. It went well, but it's stressful planning and mentally preparing for talking to a room full of parents. I felt much better once it was over.

Add the full moon in with all this, and you get a room full of wild first graders doing ridiculous things. One of my boys came back from the bathroom yesterday with this story: "Mrs. Rosier, there was a toilet in the bathroom full of poo. Then an older boy locked me in and dared me to flush the poo." I asked if it was the older boy's poo, and he said, "no, it was someone else's poo." I told him I was sorry he had such a traumatic experience in the bathroom, but I don't know if he believed me because I had tears running down my face because I was laughing so hard.

Now for the good news: We tried a new recipe last Sunday, Baked Penne with Roasted Vegetables, and Bryan liked it even though it was meatless (I know, it's supposed to be Meatless Monday, but it's easier to make a new recipe on a Sunday). It made enough for us to freeze for another night. I will make it again for sure, and even add more veggies than I did this time. I have all the ingredients to make these Baked Southwestern Egg Rolls. I'm just waiting for my family to feel well again.

Today I'm thankful for:

• another sunny day to spend outside
• $40 Kohls Cash to spend
• 80s movies on ABC Family today - Can't Buy Me Love and 16 Candles

Meatless Mondays?

I watched one of my taped Oprah shows about her staff taking the Vegan Challenge for a week. I've seen the Veganist author, Kathy Freston, on her show before. She is a little too extreme for me. I'm OK eating animals. Tofurky doesn't call my name, however a nice juicy cheeseburger does. I was seriously getting more grossed out by the "meat and dairy substitute" products than by the slaughter house scenes. Tapioca cheese - can you think of anything more disgusting? Plus her tiny 2-4 portion bag of "chicken substitute" probably costs more than my Sam's Club bag of Tyson frozen chicken that feeds us for a month.

I can get on board with another guest's ideas, Michael Pollen, author of Food Rules (which I think I mentioned in another post). He argues that we should be more mindful of the foods we put in our bodies. He has many ideas about growing and processing food, but I like the "eat more natural foods", so that's what I'm going with here. I'm guessing that free range meat is a better choice (health, taste, and environmentally), but I haven't been able to stop buying the economical meat choices (see Sam's Club reference above). I do get on board with his eat more natural grown foods rather than over processed foods. Sometimes it's hard though. It's hard meeting everyone's (yes, it's only the 3 of us) taste preferences in new recipes. It's hard finding time to make new foods. It's hard getting everyone excited about a new and maybe weird recipe. BUT, that's what I've been wanting lately - new HEALTHY recipes. Eating healthy meals is important to me, and I've felt in a cooking rut recently.

To get out of my rut, I think I might try Meatless Mondays, which will not include Tofurky or any other "meat substitute". Meatless Mondays can include dairy and cheese products because it's only natural that cows be milked and chickens lay eggs (even if they are being inhumanly housed - but why sweat the details?). They will be meals that are heavy on vegetables, beans, and whole grains, or maybe just pancakes when I can't find anything that sounds appetizing.

A few blogs/websites with Meatless Mondays recipes:

• Ezra Pound Cake
• Meatless Monday

This is all I've had time to search for tonight - bedtime is calling me (you know, kind of like a juicy cheeseburger).

This will take some time for me to be a good commitment so maybe if we are getting some more crappy snow this weekend, I will research recipes, then share what I/my family likes.

Today I am thankful for:

• snicker doodles
• another calm ride home with Anna
• cereal for dinner - that's meatless too!

A New School Year and a Few Recipes

After working all last week and a very long day today, I am finally ready for the school year to begin. My classroom is set up - a new arrangement that I'm liking very much, we had meet the parents/kids/teacher tonight - a great first meeting with almost everyone in attendance, and plans are ready and copies are made for days 1, 2, and 3.

I love the beginning of the school year. I like the clean room and new school supplies (Mine stayed nice ALL year. Bryan had a few crayon nubs after the first month). I like the anticipation of learning new things and meeting new friends. I like a fresh start to do better and be better than the year before. I can't wait to get to know the personalities to go along with those sweet faces - oh, how they change in a year.

Now for the recipes...
I had been boycotting Annie's Eats because her over-achieverness was irritating. I mean, did you see the birthday party she had for her son? I think all Anna got in terms of decorations were some balloons, Mylar, but still. I decided to forgive Little Miss Perfect for being able to do many things presumably well on very little to no sleep (I'm guessing) and check out some recipes again. I've tried several of her recipes and enjoyed all of them, so I'm back on the bandwagon. Just don't expect a themed birthday party from me unless I can buy all the stuff at Target - already made.

These are the recipes we tried and enjoyed:

• Chicken Parmesan
• Chicken nuggets - I just do the same prep for the chicken Parmesan without the sauce and cheese.
• Pizza Dough
• Cherry Tomato Salad
• Chicken Enchiladas

Maybe you'll like them too.

Today I am thankful for:

• team lunch at Saul Good
• changes at school that I'm looking forward to
• past students that came to say 'hi'
• new students with smiles on their faces
• copy moms
• air conditioning
• talking to Anna on the phone - seriously cute
• I don't have to make my lunch for tomorrow

Tried one and liked it

So I adapted this recipe from Annie's Eats for dinner tonight, and it was mighty yummy.

For the chicken marinade I used:
the zest and juice of one lime (no lemons)
2 cloves of garlic
3 T. olive oil
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp chipotle chili pepper (for a little spice)
1/2 T sugar
1 tsp salt
couple of turns of black pepper

I also did the peppers and onions mixed with olive oil, salt, and pepper.
Anna liked her chicken (no spice), and B and I liked ours. It's a keeper.

more recipes to try

From Ezra Pound Cake:
Alice Waters’ Strawberry Shortcake with Cream Biscuits. Hello, Lover.,
Hunk-a-Hunk-a Peanut Butter and Banana Cream Pie,
Frozen Orange Balls. The retro party food with the unfortunate name.,
Hummingbird Cake. Because it’s Mayyyyyyy, the lusty month of May.,
Instant Tamale Pie. Perfect for a pantry raid.,
Roasted Zucchini and Tomato Pasta. Because the Zucchini Invasion cometh.,
Rattlesnake Sliders (snake not included),
Roasted Garlic, Poblano and Red Pepper Guacamole,
Buttermilk Bacon Pralines. A Southern-Style Amuse-Bouche.