the { wanna-be } foodie in me

Ever walk away from a meal & feel awesomely stuffed?

How often is that meal a salad?!

Enter the Spinach Salad with Chicken, Avocado and Goat Cheese

 

{adapted from recipegirl.com}

SALAD:
chopped spinach
1 cup halved cherry or chopped tomatoes
1 1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken
1 large avocado, sliced
1/3 cup crumbled goat or feta cheese
1/4 cup sliced almonds
DRESSING:
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar (I only had white cooking wine)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
dash of sugar, to taste

Andrew & I both agreed it was de-lish and this may be a regular menu item. Although I must say, I should have at least doubled the dressing! And this is one of the few times I fudged and the kids ate just chicken with a side of potatoes & veggies.

A couple of other firsts this week:
freshly-squeezed lemonade - big thumbs up! Everyone might know this, but if you slice the lemons in half and then microwave them, you'll get much more juice from them.
Homemade chocolate syrup. I do like a little chocolate sauce with my ice cream, oh yes I do. This recipe was so simple & easy, I don't think I should ever need to buy it again. And not that we're going for healthy here, but it definitely it is better for you than the store-bought kind. :)
Mac & Cheese - This wasn't too bad - the sauce was definitely yummy! It's pretty dense and Graham wouldn't touch it. :-/ Isn't it crazy when you make something from scratch and your kids just want something from a box?! Ah well, we'll see....the verdict is still out on this one!

So thank you Pinterest, Pinterest, Pinterest & Pinterest, whatever would we do without you? =)

pricematching.

I have to admit something that truly pains me a little bit. It's hard to believe, but Walmart actually made me a tiny bit happy this week. I know, hard to believe.

But one word sums it up: pricematching.

You've probably seen their commercials over the past few months and may have even figured that, like many advertisements, there was a lot of fine print involved. So I've been giving it a try once in a while over the past few months........and well, I must say, I've been very pleasantly surprised. Not one hassle. Not one argument. They simply adjust the price.

Their marketing technique may even work brilliantly if it continues.

I was one who being fed up with such horrible customer service & long lines had said

see ya Wally's and hello Trader Joe's & Target.

And I love my TJ's & Target there is no doubt.

But I also have this thing called the Bottom Line and for us right now, every single penny counts.

So I save the ads that come in the weekly circulars and write down all the best prices I see. (It works easiest for me to write them all down in a list so I can easily tell them at the register instead of digging through 4 circulars.)  

Aldi's & Bottom Dollar are the ones that work best for me. Aldi's doesn't have brand names, Bottom Dollar has some....but where I have scored so big is in the produce!

We seriously go through the produce. I have paid close to $20 a week sometimes.

Produce can be so expensive, but A & BD throw out some really great deals.

(btw, I was also able to do deals on bacon, sausage, toilet paper & sugar as well)

Here's some of my happy produce deals:

 cantaloupe & pineapple: 99 cents each

3 lb. bag of onions: 89 cents/bag (yes, that's 7 onions!)

5 lb. bag of potatoes: 1.68

sweet potatoes: 29 cents/lb.

4 lb. bag of oranges: 1.97

strawberries: 1.68

bananas: 39 cents/lb

baby carrots: 97 cents

All in all, my total for produce was 11.66.

Without pricematching, it would have been 23.37.

And so that, my friends, is significant enough in my book to occasionally drag myself back. =)

So now you know why my shopping day essentially takes up my entire day {around taking care of the kiddos}. I do my 2-week meal plan, write my list, plan my pricematching, manage coupons.....thankfully I only have to do this every 2 weeks. :)

Here's what we'll be eating the next 2 weeks:

{I'll let it go without saying that fruit/veggies will be obvious sides.}

T: sweet & sour chicken/rice - 'cept changing the sauce

W: Ham/Cheese Sliders - trying this for the first time!

Th: Carbonara Pizza

F: doing a restaurant review for the Momtourage

{Bd's Mongolian Grill!}

S: Hamburgers on the grill/potato wedges

S: dinner at friends for Easter

(making homemade crescent rolls & dessert)

M: Omelets/Bacon

T: Ricotta/Tomato/Basil Pasta

W: Chicken fajitas

Th: homemade bbq meatballs/mac & cheese

F: tuna sandwiches/sweet potato fries

S: chicken/bacon/tomato/avacado quesadillas

S: Sloppy joes

M: Quick Quiche

T: Chicken parm/pasta

Also going to try some homemade ranch dressing, since Graham goes through it like it's going out of style.

And now, I think I need a snack. =)

A fresh buttermilk oatmeal muffin should do!

Buttermilk Oatmeal Muffins

I'm always looking for good breakfast foods that are fairly quick & simple, since my kids want to eat when they get up.

Like.Right.Now. 

And Andrew needs to get out the door.

Like.5.Minutes.Ago.

We like this recipe, it's tasty, healthy & filling. They make great snacks as well!

Buttermilk Oatmeal Muffins

• 1 cup quick-cooking oats
• 1 cup buttermilk (add 1 tbsp. of lemon juice to regular milk and let it sit for 5 minutes, if you don't have buttermilk on hand.)
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup apple sauce
• 1 cup all-purpose flour (whole wheat flour also works)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

In a bowl, soak oats in buttermilk for 15 minutes. Stir in egg, sugar and apple sauce. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; stir into oat mixture just until moistened. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups three-fourths full. Bake at 400 degrees F for 16-18 minutes or until muffins test done. Cool in pan 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack.              

Happy Thanksgiving!

Today is Andrew's last work day for this week and then he is off for the next 5 days - yippee!

My parents, sister, and grandma arrive tomorrow for 4+ days - SO excited!

We have lots of fun plans including carriage rides downtown, Christmas parade on Saturday, hittin' the Strip District, dinner at a local favorite, I'm sure a rousing game of loaded questions, and who knows what else?! Sure to be fun!

And I'll be in the kitchen a lot over the next few days! I surely don't mind especially when I have someone to entertain the kiddos for me and volunteers to help with the dishes. :)

Here's some of what I'll be whipping up:

Chicken-Lentil Soup with homemade biscuits

Salad with bacon & feta

Spinach/bacon/egg quiche

Apple-pumpkin muffins

THE dinner - turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes, sweet potato souffle (something I picked up from the southern family I joined!),  sauteed green beans w/ onion, sourdough stuffing with sausage/apples/cranberries, & fruit

Cinnamon scones & homemade yogurt

Monte Cristos (I have a super yummy Rachael Ray recipe but can't find it online) with pineapple slaw

granola bars

Thankful that they are bringing some of the desserts with them which will be very helpful.

So I guess I better get crackin' on what can be made ahead!

Have a blessed Thanksgiving, we surely are.

 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Colossians 3:15-17

power soup

This is one of my favorite soups! I admit, I'm a Betty Crocker gal.....I use my BC cookbook all.the.time!
I have often made this for a new mom as well since I think it's a great comfort soup.
I made some last week and then Eden ate leftover soup most of the week. This made me very happy because it has so many great nutrients in it!

Slow Cooker Italian Chicken-Lentil Soup                   

1  lb boneless skinless chicken thighs (I usually use chx breast)

1  medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)                                           

1 medium zucchini, chopped (2 cups)                                          

4 medium carrots, sliced (2 cups)                                            

1 cup dried lentils (8 oz), sorted, rinsed                                            

4 1/2 cups chicken broth                                          

1/2  teaspoon salt                                           

1/4  teaspoon pepper                                           

1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms (opt.)                                          

1 can (28 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained                                           

1/4  cup chopped fresh or 1 tablespoon dried basil leaves                                           

Shredded Parmesan cheese, if desired                                            

•  In 3 1/2- to 4-quart slow cooker, mix onion, zucchini, carrots, lentils, broth, salt and pepper. Add chicken.
• Cover; cook on Low heat setting 5 to 6 hours.
• Remove chicken from slow cooker. Use 2 forks to pull chicken into shreds. Return chicken to slow cooker. Stir in mushrooms and tomatoes. Cover; cook on Low heat setting about 15 minutes longer or until thoroughly heated. Sprinkle with basil. Serve with cheese.

Whip up some Baking Powder Biscuits and you have an easy, super yummy dinner!

homemade granola bars

I didn't attempt to make granola bars for a long time because they always seemed complicated and involving many ingredients that I didn't keep on hand. Sunflower kernels....toasted wheat germ....flaxseed......I just don't. :)
But then I came across this recipe and knew it was one I could attempt! I've made a few tweaks for what works for us.
 I now usually make them at least once a week (because they disappear!) and they literally take me about 10 minutes. You can adapt them all different ways.........my current batch has peanut butter chips and Trader Joe's orange flavored cranberries!

Peanut Butter Granola Bars

* 1 1/2 cups crispy rice cereal

*1 cup other cereal (grape nut flakes or kashi go lean are good ones)

* 2 cups old-fashioned oats

* 2/3 cup packed brown sugar

* 2/3 cup honey (note: this gives them a very strong honey flavor. I usually use 1/3 c. honey and 1/3 c. maple syrup or another liquid sweetener instead.)

* 1/2 cup peanut butter

* 1 tsp vanilla extract

* 1/4 tsp cinnamon

* 1/2 tsp salt

Optional add-ins:

* 1/4 c. chocolate chips (put these in freezer before adding or the chocolate will smear)

*1/4 c. raisins or dried cranberries

*1/4 c. slivered almonds

*1/4 c. coconut

Directions: Grease or line a 9×13 inch pan.

Mix brown sugar, honey and peanut butter in a small sauce pan. Stir over medium heat until just boiling. Add in the vanilla right at the end.

In a large bowl combine the cereal and oatmeal, cinnamon, salt, and any other add-ins (minus the chocolate chips).

Add the hot mixture to the dry ingredients and stir to combine. Lastly, stir in the frozen chocolate chips.

Pour into the prepared pan. Press flat using a spatula or aluminum foil (which doesn’t stick at all!). Stick them in the freezer for 30-60 minutes. Set aside to thaw, then cut into bars. Makes 15 bars.

TIPS:

* Bars taste great if frozen…. Once thawed they retain the chewy texture however I would avoid refrigerating the bars as this seems to dry them out.

* To keep fresh store at room temperature in a sealed container.

Other “Add-Ins” to experiment with:

 M&M’s, peanut butter chips, butterscotch chips, dates, dried apricots, peanuts, pecans, walnuts, flax seed, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, toffee pieces…

homemade yogurt

We have now added a 4th yogurt eater in our home and I started doing the math.....realizing I could easily spend $12-15 a WEEK just on yogurt. To the rescue: my friend Joy who recently started this yummy food blog. Come to find out out...........you can make yogurt in a crockpot!

super simple.

super yummy.

super healthy.

super cheap.

do I need more reasons?

Homemade Yogurt
Ingredients:
4 cups nonfat milk (you can use whatever milk you want for a higher-fat-content yogurt. Purportedly, this even works with soy and other non-dairy milks.)
1/4 cup dry nonfat milk solids (optional)
1/4 cup plain yogurt (with active cultures - to start, this basically just means some kind of recently purchased store yogurt; it should say on the side whether it has active cultures or not. Once you've made yogurt at home, you can just use that.)

Slow-cooker Method:
1. Mix the dry milk (if using) with 1/4 cup of the liquid milk in a small bowl, making sure there are no lumps. Pour into 3.5-4 qt. slow cooker and whisk in remaining milk.
2. Turn slow cooker to high for 1.5 hours.
3. Turn slow cooker off for 2 hours, or until milk is lukewarm.
4. Remove 1/4 c. milk and mix with yogurt. Stir the mixture back into slow-cooker. Replace lid, and cover with an opaque dish towel (if your lid is transparent).
5. Wait 6-8 hrs. or until thickened and then put your quart of yogurt in a container in the fridge (don't eat until it's been refrigerated at least 4 hrs).

I did not use the dry milk, so that may make it a tad thicker. I have found that is thicker if you use whole milk, more runny the less the fat content in the milk. You can also put it through a strainer to make super yummy Greek yogurt! However, it does not make much quantity once you do that!  It definitely is not sweet, but it's super good and if needed, a tsp. of honey or jelly or some mixed-in fruit would probably do the trick! It certainly could not be easier (or cheaper!) to make.

I'm a convert. =)

A little diversion...and a new love

So, it's been a while since I bought ground beef. We usually prefer to go the ground chicken or turkey route. But sometimes my hubby like a nice big beef burger, so I went to pick some up. $4 a lb. What?! Did I miss something? Last time I purchased it, it was around $2 a lb. And this was at Wal-mart, not a butcher shop. Wow. ok, sorry, honey. No beef for you!! So, I stuck to my turkey & chicken ($2 or so). But I knew I needed to step something up to wow his tastebuds.


First try: turkey burgers. I am thinking a little dry, a little tasteless, hmmm, definitely need something. I decided a nice, fresh salsa on top would probably help. So I hunted through my produce and came up with onions, garlic, tomatoes, and mango. Sauteed all these together in a little olive oil and threw on top of the burgers. SUCCESS. Very, very tasty!!

Second try: Chicken burgers. Mixed the meat (pre-cooking) with a packet of dry onion soup mix. This gave the meat a great flavor. I happened to have a loaf of home-made bread from my neighbor, so after cooking the burgers, I put them on 2 slices of bread, topped with provolone cheese and BBQ sauce, and then back in the pan to toast up the bread. SUCCESS. Very, very tasty!!


So if your hubby likes his burgers too, this is something to try. I promise, if my husband didn't even miss the beef, your's probably won't either!

Food for Thought

There is nothing like being entrusted with a little blessing to make you stop. and think. about a lot of things! Would I watch this if my child was here? Would I say this if he could understand me? And, today's big question, would I allow my child to eat this?!!

***

I began giving our diet a little make-over a couple of years ago. (I had to do it subtly so Andrew wouldn't find out) :) :) I don't think we ate terrible before that, but I found making a few small changes could make a big difference!
I think it seriously began the year before we were thinking of starting a family. I first got this book, Eating Well When You're Expecting, from the library, and then bought it for myself. (I also had to remember to hide it when anyone came over) :) :) And while it is geared towards pregnancy, it is absolutely applicable to everyone and I highly recommend it as a good nutrition guide. It's loaded with recipes as well.
The first small changes I tried to make was switching to whole-wheat pastas & brown rice, always using whole-grain bread, steering away as much as possible from processed foods & high-fructose corn syrup, and getting our 5+ servings of fruits & veggies each day (which my budget doesn't always allow to happen!) I love to bake, but I try to incorporate a fruit or vegetable as well as oats or wheat flour as much as possible, making things like pumpkin muffins, cherry cobbler or carrot cake. Now for those thinking, oh, she must be one of those nut jobs!! I wish I were worthy of the title. But alas...you will find ice cream in my freezer, an occasional soda in my fridge, and a stash of chocolate for EMERGENCY situations! We also are absolutely not picky when it comes to eating with others. We have no problem eating whatever is served! We LOVE pizza and probably could eat it 2 or 3 times a week! Now I know it's usually considered a "junk food", however, when I have a freshly-made whole wheat crust and pile it with tomatoes, green peppers, & onions, I do NOT consider it bad for us! In fact, I think it's quite healthy! Am I wrong??! I also try to keep the hubby happy and if he wants a double-chocolate peanut butter delight...well, sometimes it's good to indulge him! Sometimes.
Now I try to make as much as possible from scratch and read labels before I purchase. I admit it makes me stinkin' mad that whole-grain bread is more expensive than white, and you can purchase a box of Little Debbie's (bad snack) for $1 and a bag of granola (good snack) for $3! %^#@!$*&
One of the sneakiest culprits is juice. While the label screams 100% (vitamin C) and looks like the best stuff in the world for you, the 2nd ingredient is often high fructose corn syrup! Oh, those tricksters!
My little guy is just getting to the age where he is starting to eat some of our table foods. Oh, this is going to make making baby food so much easier!
I love it and he loves it! He loves food. This is his typical pose when waiting for food - arms out, legs out, mouth open!
Now I'm getting even more particular! I would love for him not to have soda or a potato chip until he's 5, though I doubt that will happen. :) In fact, I'll probably be the one who gives it to him!
But I am definitely feeling the responsibility of setting him on a path of good nutrition at an early age!
Any particular tips as he begins eating a more expanded diet?

***

This book, The Baby Food Bible, is another goody from the library from which I've learned a lot.
She does tell you which particular fruits & vegetables should especially be organic for babies. And... it's MOST of them! While I would love to do that, I don't know if my budget can handle it! Does anyone else go by these "rules" and is it imperative that I do as well?

***

Each family is different. What works for me might not work for you and vice-versa. As a SAHM I have the luxury of food prep being a part of my "job"! For a woman juggling a 40 hour work week, or going to school, or a newborn or multiple children, you have to do whatever works for you. I have been there and KNOW (at least for me!) it did not include made-from-scratch dinners every night! Does a can of biscuits popped in the oven count as fresh-baked?? Absolutely!!
I think it's all about moderation & making as many good choices as possible whenever you can!
***
So tell me, are there little "tweaks" that you have found made a big difference in your family's eating habits?
***
Now...where's that candy I stashed? :)

in the kitchen...

Last night Andrew walked into the kitchen and said "it smells like fall in here"! why? because I (HEART) Pumpkin and decided to whip up some tasty pumpkin treats in...gasp...June!

So here's the yummy pancakes we enjoyed for dinner...
Pumpkin Pancakes
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 egg
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons vinegar

if that looks good...check out the recipe here

**note** - I double this recipe and put LOTS of pancakes in the freezer. So for the next month or so, whenever we want a hot breakfast, I pull a couple of the freezer, pop in the microwave, and there it is! (when I double I use 2 c. white flour and 2 c. whole-wheat flour for a little added nutrition)

If you buy the BIG can of pumpkin (29 oz), you'll have just enough pumpkin leftover to make these other tasty treats!
Pumpkin Wheat Honey Muffins
1/2 cup raisins
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
3/4 cup canned pumpkin puree
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

and the complete recipe is here

**note** I skipped the raisins & nuts and used cinnamon, all-spice, & cloves instead of the pumpkin pie spice.
I also used a full cup of pumpkin instead of 3/4. Also note, these aren't going to taste like cupcakes as we sometimes expect our muffins to be, but they are a good hearty breakfast!

I like these recipes because they take some yummy foods and put a few little nutritional tweaks on them - such as whole wheat flour, honey instead of white sugar, and of course the pumpkin! but still delicious, in my humble opinion! So if you dare to open the pumpkin this summer...happy cooking (&eating).

what could be next? fudge in July...?? :-)