*Just a note, this will only be regarding our family dinners, as Kevin works and Rusty attends daycare...I don't have lunch with them.
Sunday, May 1st, 2011-Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
I decided this would be a relatively easy one to start with. I chopped up some carrots, celery, onion, and mushrooms and threw them into a pot of chicken stock. I then added some chicken I had baked and finished it off with some egg noodles. The egg noodles did come in a package...the NO YOLK noodles but since I am just starting I figured this was ok. I don't really know how to make noodles from scratch! I'll figure that one out another time.
 |
| Tasty Soup, Simmering Away! |
Monday, May 2nd, 2011-Baked Salmon, Roasted Baby Potatoes and Corn
I know that salmon is a super fish. It is so very good for my son's growing brain with all of its omega 3s and it also tastes so delicious! Today I made my way to the store and the wild sockeye salmon was on sale, so it inspired me for dinner. I bought some, as well as some fresh baby red potatoes and made my way home.
I mixed up a brown sugar and lemon juice marinade for the salmon. The recipe called for butter too, but I left that out and it was still delicious. Kevin requested that next time I add more lemon to it, but Rusty went crazy for it! He was literally shoveling it into his mouth, which made this mama a happy camper!
 |
| Rusty's Plate, Ready for Devouring! |
Corn is Rusty's favorite, so that topped off the list of food. Overall this meal was really delicious and there was enough salmon leftover for both Rusty and I to have for lunch tomorrow. Kevin was ok with not having it for leftovers, but he did say I could make it again, so I call it a success! I have to admit, tonight it felt so wonderful to see my guys eating such good, healthy food and to know that none of it was processed. It made me feel good to know that they were eating food that was fuel, not just there.
Tuesday, May 3rd, 2011-Grilled Steaks, Mushroom Risotto, and Fresh Cut Pineapple
Tonight's meal was DELISH! I love a good steak. Growing up on the farm, we raised our own cattle and we always had a freezer full of meat that was excellent. We knew exactly what had gone into that meat, and my dad's uncle was even a butcher that did all of that for us. Talk about home grown! That meat was amazing and I was really spoiled on it growing up. Having steak was really no big deal, just run down to the freezer and grab a packet!
Now I try to find good steak that isn't too expensive. Kev says it doesn't matter much, it's all in the marinade. He loves my marinade. I always basically pierce the meat with a fork on both sides and rub in some spices. I use sea salt, pepper, some garlic, and whatever else catches my eye-and palate! I then place the steak on some olive oil in a glass dish and let it sit in the fridge for at least a few hours. Part way through that time I flip the steak over. Kev has become a master at grilling and perfectly cooks it each time. Last night's steaks were tender, juicy, and amazing! Part of the reason I chose to do this challenge in May was because I knew that we could probably grill often, making it easier on me!
 |
| The Grill Master |
I tried a new recipe for risotto. I had some orzo pasta on hand, had just bought fresh mushrooms, and had the rest of the ingredients in the fridge. The thing I liked was that it was so easy! I had to chop up mushrooms and onions and saute them in butter for about 10 minutes. I then added the pasta and cooked it on low until it was light brown. After that I had to add three cups of chicken broth, 1/2 a cup of sherry-I did not have this so I substituted 1/4 cup of vinegar, 2 teaspoons of brown sugar and 1/4 of water, and then just stir it and cook it for about 10 more minutes. The last thing was to add about 1/2 a cup of Parmesan cheese. This risotto was delicious! It was creamy and rich. Rusty loved it-except the mushrooms but we got him to eat at least a few! Kev said he preferred the steak, but that didn't surprise me!
 |
| The Risotto in Process |
 |
| Hard at Work with my Trusty Companion |
I had been shopping at Costco earlier that day and found pineapple on sale. We love pineapple but rarely have it because it is usually expensive. The pineapple I chose was perfect and so delicious! It was perfectly ripe. Rusty chowed down on that and we will probably have some more tomorrow. All in all the meal was quite a hit. It looked and tasted delicious!
Wednesday, May 4th, 2011-Apple/Craisin Chicken Salad Pitas, Bananas, and Peas
This meal was a nice fresh one. I made up a yummy chicken salad. First I baked two boneless, skinless chicken breasts and then shredded the meat. I then chopped up an apple into mini chunks and mixed those two items with about 2/3 cup of craisins and 1/4 crushed almonds. I added in some basil and pepper, as well as a dash of the amazing nutmeg my mother-in-law got me in the Caribbean. The next part I am a bit bummed about. I wasn't really thinking in advance and didn't have anything to mix it all together except for Miracle Whip. In that sense I guess that I wasn't exactly not using a processed food. In hindsight I would have tried to find something I could use on the Internet, some fresh mayo recipe or something. Other than that, the chicken salad was REALLY good, tasted fresh, and in the whole wheat and flax pita pockets I got it was especially tasty. Rusty declared it YUMMY!
For the side I kept it simple, some peas and some cut up bananas. Rusty loves bananas, as do Kev and I, so it was the something sweet we needed. I thought I was going to have an issue when Rusty looked at the peas and said, "I don't LIKE them!" (I thought we were over this with peas?!?!?) but I just ignored it and next thing I knew he was scooping them up. Whew!
This meal is one that is especially good as leftovers, and it made for a really easy packed lunch for Rusty for school the next day. I will definitely make this again, and next time look for that homemade mayo recipe before hand!!
 |
| Chicken Salad Pita, Peas, and Banana |
We eat spaghetti a lot in this household! It is one of the staples, the go to meal when we aren't sure what else to eat. I always have a big package of whole wheat spaghetti noodles in the pantry, and we keep jars of spaghetti sauce on hand as well. Making spaghetti usually consists of browning up a package of hamburger and then adding the jar of sauce to it, followed by putting that on top of the noodles.
While this is tasty and easy, it's also processed. Thus, not fitting into what I'm trying to do. The jarred sauces contain a lot of extra sodium and sugar, which we don't really need in our food. Right? So, I went for it...I made my sauce completely from scratch. I was a little afraid, I have to admit. I have never made tomato sauce from scratch and thought for sure it would be really difficult. I was so surprised at how easy it really was.
I bought 7 tomatoes, garlic, onions, and ground turkey and used fresh mushrooms and peppers that I had on hand. I pulsed the tomatoes in my food processor and then threw them into a pot. I added a pinch of sea salt and a cup of water and let it boil on a medium heat for about an hour. I got a little worried, because the sauce was looking pretty runny. I had stirred it often and after the hour I drained some of the liquid and then added about 3 tablespoons of whole wheat flour. I turned the heat way down on it, and then started browning the additions. I chopped up half a large onion, crushed several cloves of garlic, chopped up a few peppers and mushrooms and sauteed all of them in some olive oil. I then added the ground turkey and browned it. We don't often eat ground turkey, but I know that it is much better for us than ground beef. I'm not going to completely eliminate ground beef from our diet, but when I can substitute it in things like this, why not?
Once the additions were all cooked, I threw them into the pot with the sauce and added some basil, oregano, and pepper. I let it simmer on a super low heat for about two hours. It still seemed a bit runny, but was getting a lot better, so I put it in the fridge for about an hour. When my boys came home I threw it on the stove again and heated it up and it seemed to be perfect consistency! I boiled up some noodles and voila, we were ready!
I bought a loaf of whole grain crusty french bread at the store. I do have a breadmaker and hands and could have made bread from scratch, but this bread was so fresh that it was still warm to my touch when I bought it, so why make it myself! Yum, doesn't this meal look good?
 |
| Spaghetti with Turkey/Veggie Tomato Sauce from Scratch |
I didn't serve any veggies, which I was okay with because there were veggies in the sauce and the boys liked the sauce. Kev said, "This sauce looks different." I asked him to just try it and after he did told him I had made it entirely from scratch, even the tomatoes! His response? "I can really taste the difference!" Yes! Success! He liked it, Rusty liked it-and even ate the peppers woo hoo!-and the meal gave us just enough for lunch leftovers the next day. That is one the things I am really loving about this challenge. Most days I have a great, healthy lunch that I am able to send with my boys, which means they are getting not just one good meal, but two each day! I think that I have changed the way I make spaghetti forever! No more jarred sauces for me!
Friday, May 8th, 2011-Slow Cooker Roasted Chicken, ADB's Mac and Cheese, and Banana Blueberry Loaf
Tonight's meal was one of my favorites. I was feeling a bit exhausted from all of the new types of cooking and overwhelmed with all of the new preparation procedures, so for our lazy Friday night I went with two dishes that I have made many times before and I know like the back of my hand.
I never used to cook a whole chicken. I was a little afraid of it, to be honest. Then a friend told me a way to cook it in my slow cooker and I was hooked. It is so easy! I just wash up the chicken, half a lemon and chop an onion into quarters. I shove those into the chicken, sprinkle it's skin with various herbs and spices, and then throw it into the slow cooker on a little olive oil. I then chop another lemon into quarters, as well as another onion, arrange them around the chicken and done! I let it cook on low all day long and then we have a perfect, tasty, juicy chicken ready at dinner time.
The mac and cheese is a family recipe. Well, sort of. It came to us via my big sister, who got it from her grandmother-in-law. Her in-laws are Southern through and through and while this mac and cheese can't necessarily be called heart healthy it IS completely from scratch and soooooooo good. It's macaroni, eggs, sharp cheddar, milk, butter, salt and pepper. Yum. I mean doesn't that sound good? You layer the macaroni and shredded cheese, then you beat four eggs into 2 cups of milk and pour that mixture over the top. Dot the top with butter, sprinkle with salt and pepper, then cook at 350 for about 40 minutes. Look at it...don't you want to dig in???
This meal is one that is very popular with my husband and of course Rusty LOVES homemade mac and cheese. Who wouldn't? The leftovers are so tasty the next day, and I also plan to use whatever chicken is left in some chicken enchiladas for Saturday night. BAM two meals in one, I love it!
We finished our meal off with a tasty banana blueberry loaf that I was trying for the first time. It was a vegan recipe using whole wheat flour, applesauce, agave nectar and all that good stuff. I wasn't sure if I would like it, but we LOVED it. The best part is that Rusty thinks it is cake! HA! If you are interested in trying it, you can get the recipe HERE.
Overall, this meal was comfort food and extremely delicious. It was super easy, tasty, but still fit within my "make it mostly from scratch" parameters.
Saturday, May 7th, 2011-GO CANUCKS, GO!!! Chicken Enchiladas, Mexican Rice, Guacamole and Chips
Toot toot! I can't help it, that is me tooting my own horn on this one. It was A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!!! The best part was how my husband kept saying (in front of our company!!!) how amazing it tasted and how good it was and there was just something so fresh about it! Yes!
We had some of our dearest friends over to watch the Canucks take on the Predators and I kept racking my brain for a good meal that I could make from scratch ahead of time and pop in the oven when they came. We had orginally planned to grill burgers but the rain cancelled that idea out. Finally I thought of enchiladas. I have never actually made them at all, and knew that there were easy ways using canned sauces, but I was determined to not get off the "make it mostly from scratch" train. I can't say this recipe was the easiest one I have done, because my sink looked like this when I was done, but it was worth it.
I then made up some fresh guacamole. Two avocados, mashed, half an onion, chopped, fresh cilantro, chopped, and fresh tomatoes, chopped. Mix it all together and what do you get? My husband-who normally does NOT like avocado-saying, "This guacamole is amazing!!" We had FOOD SHOULD TASTE GOOD flax vegan chips with the guacamole.
The last thing was mexican rice. This was easy peasy. Chop up some onion, peppers, and mushrooms and throw them in a large skillet with a cup of long grain rice and olive oil. Let it brown for about 3 minutes and then add 2 cups of chicken broth. Bring it to a boil and then let it simmer, covered, for about 20 minutes. At the end add fresh chopped tomatoes.
The meal was divine, I tell you. Even the two little guys wolfed it down. The left over enchiladas were just as amazing two days later! The only bad thing??? The Canucks lost.
Sunday, May 8th, 2011-Happy Mother's Day Grilled Steak, Cheesy Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Corn
I don't have pictures! It was Mother's Day and we had Kev's parents over for dinner. This is a meal we have made a bunch of times, so I forgot to take a picture. The steaks were marinated in olive oil and some spices. The potatoes were baby reds that I boiled with three cloves of garlic and then added fresh shredded cheese, a bit more garlic, some basil and a few other spices like pepper. I mixed them all up in my Kitchen Aid mixer and YUM!
It was delicious and we are learning that Rusty loves steak! He devoured his and ate his leftovers for lunch the next day! Dessert was not from scratch. Usually when I make a cake these days I DO make it from scratch but hey, it was Mother's Day and I was tired so I whipped up a boxed cake...it was still delicious!
Monday, May 9th, 2011-Chicken Fajitas
Tonight I was tired. I hadn't planned my meals for the week yet and was at a loss. What to make? What would be quick and easy and still fit into my parameters? That is what I am learning...this make it from scratch stuff takes advance planning because you don't really use stuff you have "on hand." Fresh items don't really last on hand, know what I mean???
I did, however, have some fresh peppers and avocado in the crisper and chicken in the freezer that I could thaw. I also had onions on hand and the spices needed-cumin, chili pepper, etc-to make fajitas so I had Kev stop at the store on the way home and get flax tortilla wraps and mushrooms. I whipped up a quick batch of fajitas-no packaged mix, just regular spices I have!-and they were great! We had some freshly cut apples on the side and it was a quick easy meal.
Tuesday, May 10th, 2011-Dinner at East Side Mario's with my Hubby!
Tonight was date night for the hubby and I, so I actually had a break from the challenge. Nana kept it going by feeding Rusty chicken and rice while they babysat him, and Kev and I enjoyed a wonderful meal at East Side Mario's. YUM.
I had the fettucini alfredo and tons of salad and bread, and Kev enjoyed the penne napolitana with soup and bread. We ate slowly, talked a lot, and just enjoyed being together. It was a nice break from the prep, and wonderful to have some one on one time with Kevin!
Wednesday, May 11th, 2011-Veggie Frittata and Rice
I was feeling uninspired tonight, and didn't have a lot of stuff on hand. I did, however, have eggs, peppers, and mushrooms as well as rice so frittata it was! It was pretty tasty. I added some pepper and garlic, as well as some basil. I baked it up and it was nice a fluffy. I then cooked up some long grain white rice. I know, brown is better, but my boys LOVE their sticky white rice! If anyone has found brown that cooks up exactly the same I am willing to try it!
Thursday, May 12th, 2011-Pancakes and Scrambled Eggs
We LOVE pancakes in this house! It is something that Rusty will always eat, and Kev and I enjoy too. I used to always make them from a boxed mix, but one day found a killer recipe for pancakes online. It is DIVINE. You can use whole wheat flour instead of regular and they cook up just as well. I also add one teaspoon of vanilla to mine to give them that extra flavour. Last night I made Rusty a Mickey Mouse one. He loved it!
I find that scrambled eggs go well with pancakes, and they are an easy side. Yes, eggs two nights in a row, but that rarely happens. They were yummy, so I don't worry too much!
Friday, May 13th, 2011-Grilled Chicken Breast Burgers, Basil Lemon Pasta
Tonight we had a lot going on. Rusty was going for a sleepover at Papa's house so we went with something easy. Grilled chicken breasts are a favorite in this house once the weather turns nice. These I marinated in olive oil, pepper, and basil. I cut up a tomato and onion to top them off and we had them on whole wheat buns.
For the side I tried a new basil lemon pasta dish I had found in a cookbook on hand. It required whole wheat angel hair pasta, garlic, lemons, basil, Parmesan cheese, olive oil, and milk. I made it exactly as instructed, and we didn't love it. I definitely won't be making that again. I usually like those flavour together but to me this pasta just seemed like an ooey, gooey mess. I was looking for something fresher and less, I don't know, sticky?
The meal served its purpose, we all ate. Nothing great though!
Saturday, May 14th, 2011-Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, Apples
Saturdays tend to be all about being easy around here. Rusty LOVES grilled cheese and Kev is the master of cooking it. He says it is all about how thick you cut the cheese. Today we had ours on whole wheat bread, with marble cheddar cheese. Kev uses a tiny bit of butter on the bread and cooks them on the pancake griddle. They are so, so good. I have tried to make them, but I just can't compare to him. His are perfection. We sliced up some apples on the side, and it was all good. Saturday night meals are usually pretty light in this house!
Sunday, May 15th, 2011-Burgers, Blackberries and Corn
Oh my word...with all that is within me let me say YUM!!! I am a bit embarrassed to admit it, but I have never made burgers from scratch. Kev and I just always bought the predone frozen ones from Costco. Let me say, I won't be doing that anymore! Last night I made my first ever burgers from scratch and they were AMAZING! Kevin said they were WAY better than those pre-made ones. No kidding! I used fresh ground beef, a few eggs, some salt and pepper, garlic, basil and water and it was sooo good! Kev grilled them up and we topped them with homemade guacamole and freshly sliced marble cheese. Oh yum...yum, yum, yum! On the side we didn't need much, so we had corn and blackberries we had picked up at Costco. Rusty ate a lot! SUCCESS!
Monday, May 16th, 2011-Chicken and Rice, Blackberries and Peas
Tonight I decided to try out one of my favorite childhood dishes. I LOVE chicken and rice. Being a farm girl, I grew up on casseroles and hearty dishes like that. It is just what we needed to survive. My mom was a pretty good cook-and still makes the best prime rib I have ever tasted!-but being a busy mom of four kids working on the farm too she often used things like Campbell's soups, etc in her casseroles. Tasty for sure, and very easy, but there is the sodium factor that I am trying to avoid. Yesterday I searched the Internet for a chicken and rice recipe that was assembled from scratch and also didn't seem totally time-consuming and difficult. I came up with this one. I was surprised that since I had some fresh veggies on hand, I actually had everything I needed for this recipe with the exception of cream...my hubby picked it up after school and brought it to me.
This recipe was actually pretty easy to make and quite quick. It was also really tasty! I loved how fresh everything tasted. The mushrooms I used were these baby bella ones from Costco that are just so stinking good. I have been using them in everything lately. They have this slightly earthy flavour to them and also add a salty flavour to the food without all of that extra sodium. I think this dish earned an A+ because once again, Kev was willing to take the leftovers to school for his lunch the next day. Rusty wasn't so sure about the mushrooms in the dish, but he did end up eating all of his chicken, all of his rice and most of his peas. He was rewarded with the rest of the blackberries that we had left from yesterday's meal, which he LOVED, of course.
I will certainly be making this one again, and have put it in my recipe folder online. One note is that I did use boneless, skinless chicken breast rather than thighs like the author did and I did not deglaze the pan with sherry. It was still amazing! Oh, and I cooked all of the veggies and chicken together after the chicken had browned a bit and then poured the entire mixture into the rice and broth/cream mixture and stirred it all up. It cooked up amazingly. Another hit!
Tuesday, May 17th, 2011-Creamy Chicken Lasagna, Corn on the Cob, and Strawberries
With all that is within me I say YUM! Oh my word, this was one of the best things I have made so far. I took it from Lindsay Dianne's recipe here and sort of tweaked it...I added my own spices etc. The thing I loved the most?? How EASY it was to make the white pasta sauce from scratch! Who know? Butter, milk, flour and spices? EASY PEASY! It was amazingly and incredibly delicious. I used chicken, peppers, and mushrooms for the filling and put cheddar and mozza cheese on top. Kevin was very excited to take leftovers of this one for lunch and I couldn't wait to try them either!
We added some corn on the cob-first of the season but not local, boo-on the side and fresh strawberries too. Probably in the top three of the meals for this month for me. Rusty LOVED the corn. As he was eating it he would pause and say, "Yum! Yummy!" So cute!
Wednesday, May 18th, 2011-Dinner at Mom S.'s THANKS!
Mom S. had the boys and I over for dinner because Daddy was at the Canucks game-watching them SMOKE the Sharks, I might add! She made us some yummy salmon fettucini pasta and corn, followed by ice cream! Rusty had seconds on the pasta! I just enjoyed eating food I hadn't made!
Thursday, May 19th, 2011-Grilled Herb Chicken, Corn on the Cob, Roasted Baby Red Potatoes
Tonight I was uninspired, so I just went with the basics. I marinated some chicken breasts in olive oil, some herbs, and then Kevin grilled it up. It was very moist and tasty, but just your basic meal. Rusty really loves chicken, so it is always good to cook it on his behalf. He ate the leftovers up for lunch.
We also finished off the corn on the cob from Tuesday and the rest of the baby red potatoes that I had. I roasted them the same way that I did in a previous post. Not the most inspiring meal, but healthy and tasty, nonetheless!
Friday, May 20th, 2011-Grilled Cranberry Turkey Burgers, Sticky Rice, Brown Sugar Glazed Carrots
Today I hummed and hawed all day. I had no idea what I wanted to make, hadn't planned ahead, wasn't sure what to do! Even when Kevin got home at 3:30 I still wasn't sure. Thankfully, it was a gorgeous day! I put Rocky in the stroller and we walked to the nearby grocery store to see what we could do! I kind of browsed the aisles and finally decided upon turkey burgers!
I bought some ground turkey, whole wheat buns, and fresh tomatoes. I also picked up a bag of organic carrots that looked really tasty, planning to make fresh, brown sugar glazed carrots. When I arrived home, I mixed the turkey with about a tablespoon of olive oil, one egg, two handfuls of craisins-this was a few too many, I would have done just one handful another time, some basil, pepper, and other spices. We liked them, but Kev said they needed a little something more...I'm not sure what. I thought they were pretty tasty! We topped them with tomato and avocado. I love anything with avocado on it! YUM!
Sticky rice, as we all know, is always a hit with my boys. Rusty chows down on the stuff...see?
The last item on the plate was brown sugar glazed carrots. They were so amazing! I had three helpings. The BEST part about the carrots? Rusty loved them! He hasn't really enjoyed carrots so far. Yes, I know they had sugar on them, but not much and they were sooo good! I put in some brown sugar, a cup of water, two tablespoons of butter, and chopped fresh carrots. Rusty looked at them and said, "I don't like carrots!" I told him he had to try them, so he did, and finished them all! One of my most exciting things of this challenge has been seeing Rusty try so many new things. I used to think he wouldn't or not give him much credit about what he would feasibly eat. I am learning that I just need to get him to try it! Yay for Rusty eating CARROTS!
Saturday, May 21st, 2011-Spaghetti, Zucchini Muffins
Wow. Today was just one of those days. Rocky, the wee one, is working on teeth or has a little bug or something. Basically he was fussy all day except when he was sleeping, which wasn't that often. Poor little guy. We had our big guy home, of course, because it was Saturday, so in between the crying we were having a great time playing with Rusty. He was in an awesome mood all day. My favorite moment of the day was the dance party we had just before dinner...the boy has got some SERIOUS moves. I digress, on to dinner.
With a day like today, it is one that I for sure would have gone to a frozen pizza or boxed mac and cheese in the past. Tonight, I opted for the easy version of "make it myself." I did my FIRST repeat meal of the month...spaghetti. Again, I made the sauce entirely from scratch. I had picked up a bunch of tomatoes yesterday thinking I just might need them, I'm glad I had them on hand. I also used up the mushrooms in the crisper drawer and added some onion, hamburger and spices. It was as good as last time, except I might have strained off TOO much of the liquid on the tomato sauce this time. I think I will leave a bit more next time and maybe add one or two more tomatoes. I'll get this figured out!
I was totally uninspired for a side dish, so Rusty had an Activia yogurt on the side. We give him one most days because it helps our guy stay regular. We didn't have anything on the side, we simply had spaghetti. For dessert though, I had made some super tasty zucchini muffins! I also picked up zucchini yesterday at the store. I found a great recipe using agave nectar and whole wheat flour on WEELICIOUS. They were quite tasty! I added almost a teaspoon of this amazing nutmeg my mother-in-law bought me on one of her cruises just for a different taste. It was the perfect amount! You can taste it, but it isn't overpowering. What I really love is that Rusty is getting healthy zucchini in his diet without even knowing it! I guess we are too...I loved the muffins, in fact, I think I will have one as my before bed snack now! YUM!
Sunday, May 22nd, 2011-Turkey Sandwiches, Carrots, Cottage Cheese
Well, this day was a busy one. We were out in the morning and out in the afternoon and I just lost all motivation to make something amazing for dinner. My hubby pulled through on this one. We were planning a picnic with some friends in a park the next day so we were getting all of the food ready. I was baking, and Kevin ran to get the stuff for the turkey breast sandwiches we wanted to make. He got enough so that he could make us each a sandwich that night! He is a master sandwich artist, and they were AMAZING. I gave us some of the carrots I had cut up for the picnic, and plopped some cottage cheese on the side! It was actually delicious!! He put some turkey on fresh buns with honey mustard, mayo, avocado, lettuce and tomato. YUM! Yes, it IS a white bun...he said they looked so good! We had whole wheat the next day. :)
Monday, May 23rd, 2011-Picnic in the Park and Pancakes
It was Victoria Day and we had made plans to picnic at a park near the water with some friends. We packed up our cooler-a great Christmas gift from Kev's brother, Craig-and made our way to the water. Our cooler had chopped pineapple, turkey sandwiches, carrots, homemade guacamole and FOOD SHOULD TASTE GOOD chips, and home baked banana blueberry bread. So yummy! Rusty LOVED having a picnic in the park and asked if we could do it again very soon! We agreed! It was an awesome time with our friends and the food tasted great.
Last night we were tired, but I knew I had to keep going with the challenge, so I did my second repeat meal of the month and made pancakes. I put blueberries in them this time and they were as tasty as ever. We had scrambled eggs on the side. As always, the boys ate them right up. I had Rocky in the carrier as I was making the pancakes and he kept smacking his lips...poor little guy...he wants big people food SOOO badly!
Tuesday, May 24th, 2011-White Sauce Sun Dried Tomato & Chicken Alfredo, Salad, Pineapple
After a long weekend I was feeling drained. Rocky hasn't been sleeping great and I was about to lose my motivation. I fired off a message to Lindsay Dianne and said, "HELP!" She suggested making the easy white pasta sauce again with some chicken. I did and added sundried tomatoes and parmesan cheese as well. It was really tasty and we had a fresh salad and pineapple on the side. Rusty even ate the sundried tomatoes, which I didn't think would happen! Yay!
Wednesday, May 25th, 2011-Zesty Orange French Toast and Oranges
I haven't made french toast in years and after tonight I'm not sure why! It is so easy! I whipped up some eggs, milk, orange zest and cinnamon, dunked in thick slices of whole wheat texas toast and done! It was tasty, easy and the boys loved it! I will be doing this again VERY soon!
Thursday, May 26th, 2011-Date Night with my Hubby!
Tonight Kev and I enjoyed a time away together. Nana and Papa graciously watched the boys for us-including little Rocky who has a bit of a Mommy attachment right now and they even managed to get through all of his tears, God bless them! We went to White Spot and enjoyed some tasty burgers. I splurged and got the amazing yam fries. They were totally tasty. I love their yam fries! Maybe it is the chipolte sauce that I enjoy so much...regardless, the food was amazing and I especially enjoyed some time to just talk with my husband. He's so interesting, and I love sitting and hearing his thoughts.
Friday, May 27th, 2011-Steak, Baked Potatoes, Carrots and Fruit
We had two steaks leftover in the freezer from the last time we grilled them. I thawed them and marinated them with some new spices that I received from Epicure. They, along with a little bit of olive oil, were so juicy and tender. Kev again grilled them to perfection.
The carrots from last time were so delicious, that I decided to make them again! We rounded the meal off with baked potatoes and pineapple and strawberries. Because we only had two steaks, I had Kevin grill up some chicken for Rusty, and we used the leftovers from that for our meal the next day!
Saturday, May 28th, 2011-Chicken Quesadillas, Corn and Fruit
I had some of the grilled chicken and shredded cheese leftover from yesterday's meal, so I shredded the chicken, heated some olive oil in the skillet, and made some chicken and cheese quesadillas. Rusty loves quesadillas, and is always willing to gobble it down! We had some corn on the side, and finished off the pineapple and strawberries from the day before. I forgot to take a picture, but I figure everyone knows what a quesadilla looks like!
Sunday, May 29th, 2011-Turkey Sandwiches, Guacamole and Multigrain Chips
I was so fried tonight...I couldn't think of what to make, I was exhausted, and nothing sounded good. We wandered the aisles of the grocery store at 5:30 wondering what to get that would be good. My hubby could tell that I had absolutely no ambition towards making dinner, so he took over and offered to make his tasty turkey sandwiches again. We get fresh whole wheat Portuguese buns, some fresh on the vine tomatoes, avocados and deli turkey. When we got home he whipped us up some tasty sandwiches and I made my guacamole. We are addicted to the stuff right now. It was such a good meal, and I was thankful to Kev for taking over!
Monday, May 30th, 2011-Sloppy Joes, Peas, and Raspberries
Mmmm! Today I called Kev asking him what he wanted for dinner. He requested sloppy joes. He loves them, and has been requesting them since we were married! I knew that the old way of making them was definitely not healthy-so much sodium and excess "stuff" in the sauce. I knew I could find a sauce that could be made from scratch online, and I did! It was easier than I thought it would be and so delicious!
I started with some tomatoes, pureeing them and boiling them. While that was happening, I chopped up carrots, onion, and celery and sauteed them in a bit of olive oil. I then mixed those with the tomato sauce and pureed them a bit more. I then browned up the hamburger and added the tomato mixture to that, along with some ground pepper and worcestershire sauce. It was A.MAZ.ING! So much better than the packet mix! I can't believe I haven't made it this way before. Kevin thought it must have been too much work, but it really wasn't that much more effort than regular...just chopping up a few veggies. I cooked up some peas, and then we added some raspberries that Kev had bought on sale at the store. So tasty and Rusty gave it a thumbs up! One more day to go in the challenge!
Tuesday, May 31st, 2011-Slow Cooker Roast wtih Potatoes, Carrots and Celery
I decided to finish it off with something easy and that I have done a million times. I LOVE my slow cooker...LOVE it! It is amazing and can make my life so much easier by throwing yummy food into it the night before and letting it cook all day long!
The roast is so easy. I rub some spices into it, add some broth, and throw in potatoes, celery, onions, and carrots. Done! Easy and tasty! Rusty has had it so often that it is one of those go to meals that I actually know he will eat!
And that's it! This challenge is done!
