Menu of the Week

I haven't done one of these in a long time. I've been stuck in a bit of a rut, making the same dinners over and over. There's nothing really wrong with that, as most of the dinners are healthy and enjoyed by all, but I do like to mix it up every now and then. I get bored, and I especially want to make sure my boys are game for trying new foods. I somehow managed to spend a bit of time looking through some of my old magazines, and I found a few recipes to try. Here's what went down last week...

Spicy Black Bean Soup
Winner! First, I love soups. They're warm and yummy in the winter, the boys generally do well with them, and they're an easy vehicle for veggies. But I hadn't tried a new one in a long time. Nathan likes black beans, so I thought I'd give this a shot. The main reason why this was a success was that he helped me make it. It was his first attempt at cooking on the stove, and he was extremely proud. I was a little worried that it might be too spicy, so I only included 1/2 of a jalapeno - I could've added more. But it was easy, super yummy, and healthy! The boys agreed that adding chopped avocado as a garnish is the best - they said sour cream made it taste too much like chili. Absolutely a keeper!

Parmesan Chicken with Mushrooms and Brussels Sprouts, Potatoes
Not super exciting, but another success overall. I don't eat chicken, so I had a salad with the roasted veggies. And I took the leftovers with me for lunch.

Seared Fish with Beets and Broccoli, Beet Greens, Rice
I used cod for this, and it was okay, but I think I've determined that I prefer a flatter fish such as flounder for this type of dish. I loved the veggies, though. I had never cooked a fresh beet, and it was pretty easy - will definitely do it more from now on, because after loathing them as a kid, I now rather enjoy them. I also sauteed up the greens with some garlic and olive oil - yum!

Red Leaf Salad with Roasted Sweet Potatoes
This is my favorite winter salad.  Kevin and Aaron had leftover chicken with it; Nathan had a plate of sweet potatoes, walnuts, green beans, and cheese.  Works for me!

A Few Things...

Love Bill Nye.

A few interesting reads for this week...

This fake movie trailer is hilariously perfect.

I very much enjoyed this interview with Lucy Kalanithi in the NY Times. "When Breath Becomes Air" is next up on my to-read stack.

UN Urges Global Move to Meat and Dairy-Free Diet. Interesting to think of the global view. I already eat very little meat, but it would be extremely difficult for me to do without cheese.

Speaking of vegetables, I want to make this stew.

America Dumbs Down. This article makes me sad.

White Privilege is Not Something to Feel Guilty About. Here's What It Does Mean. Important information to know and understand.

How Rich Parents Can Exacerbate School Inequality. Our town falls somewhere in the middle of the extremes discussed here, but it's something that has been on my mind for a long time. I wish there was an easier way for us to support schools in lower-income areas.

An interesting perspective. Makes you think about the things you really want and what you're willing to do to get them.

Newport has started their lineup announcements!  Every week or so between now and July, I get to receive a little jolt of excitement from the good people of the Newport Folk Festival. Lucky me!

Menu of the Week

Lemon-Pepper Shrimp Scampi, Rice, Broccoli - An easy weeknight meal that my boys love. 

Sweet Potato, Kale, and Corn Chowder - As always, blogland is a source of great meal inspiration. I found this one via The Bottom of the Ironing Basket, and it's a keeper. Both boys whined and moaned when I told them what we were having for dinner, and both of them cleaned their bowls. I love soup weather - it's a great way for me to fit in a meatless and veggie-heavy meal option. The use of coconut oil and cinnamon in this recipe make it a little sweet, and I used the blender a bit more than called for so that the kale was broken up into small pieces - this made it easier for the boys. (Personally, I would've loved to keep it chunky.)

Pesto Orecchiette with Chicken Sausage and Green Beans - I was about a week too late and lost about half of my basil to frost (winter's coming!), but I still managed to make a good-sized batch of walnut-basil pesto this weekend. I am going to use the first portion to make this orecchiette. I leave the sausage out for me and Nathan, and sausage it up for Kevin and Aaron - I love meals where it's easy to keep the meat separate.  

Other nights: Kevin and I are going out (weeknight date night! crazy!), so Aaron is going to make grilled cheese and tomato soup.  Friday nights with soccer practice have mostly become pizza nights.

Menu of the Week

I haven't done a menu post in quite a while. This is largely due to the fact that I haven't tried many new recipes this year. I'm starting to get my groove back, though, and while I will continue to rely on our standard go-to meals, I like incorporating a new dish every now and then as well. 

Here are a few of the recipes we've enjoyed recently. Most are ones we've tried before, with a new one thrown in for good measure.

Pasta and Grilled Vegetables with Goat Cheese - I left the radicchio out of this, because who really likes radicchio? I also forgot the artichoke hearts, which I'm sure would've made a nice addition. I added a yellow squash and more pepper, and it was good. This is more of an "inspiration" recipe, though - not really one I'd ever follow to the letter. But grilled vegetables (whatever you have), pasta, and goat cheese will always be a good combination.

Tortilla and Black Bean Pie - This is one of my favorites. The boys always complain when I tell them what's for dinner, and then they clean their plates. It happens that way sometimes. The only negative about this dish is that it requires my handling a jalapeno, and apparently I can't do that without getting it on my fingers and then rubbing my eyes and going blind for a while. Still, totally worth it.

Arugula Salad with Grilled Chicken, Corn, Tomatoes, and Blue Cheese - Another summer favorite. I enjoy without chicken, and we leave the arugula out for the boys. Sometimes dinners must be deconstructed to each diner's tastes, and I'm okay with this if it means I can still eat big salads for dinner. *NOTE:  This is what I put on the menu, but for some reason, I didn't make it happen. I opted for "that chicken" from Dinner: A Love Story, corn on the cob, and sauteed kale. I had all that corn, and I could tell the boys wanted to have it on the cob this time.

Shrimp Kebabs with Lemon and Cilantro, Rice, Green Beans - Super easy and fast. A perfect weeknight dinner, especially when Kevin is out of town and can't complain about having shrimp for dinner. 

Corn Chowder with Zucchini and Orzo - This is the new recipe of the week.  There are good news and bad news here. The bad news is that it was somewhat messy to make and rather bland. Perhaps I didn't quite get enough corn off my cobs, but it turned out pretty thin. I replaced half of the water with vegetable broth, and yet I still had to add a good amount of salt and pepper. The good news? It's healthy, and the boys inhaled it, cleaning their bowls without a fuss. I probably won't make it again, but it was worth it this time!

A Few Things...

I know, I know...I haven't posted here in so long. I am definitely out of practice, and the longer I go without posting here, the harder it is to do for whatever reason. I will find my rhythm again, though. For now, I thought I'd share some of the links I've bookmarked recently. 

Happy Patriot's Day!  Today is the Boston Marathon, Patriot's Day, the unofficial start of Spring in New England, a morning Red Sox game, a vacation day for most...and even though it is cold and rainy today, it's still one of the most beautiful days of the year. 

Sara's on Design Mom!

Exhaustion is not a status symbol.  No it is not. Taking breaks, acknowledging your accomplishments, setting boundaries...these are good things!

What ISIS really wants.  This article made my head hurt, but I do try to read things that make my head hurt from time to time. I may have to go back and re-read this one - it's so difficult to get my head around it all!

How one stupid tweet ruined Justine Sacco's life.  An incredibly important article for our time. When the time comes for my boys to start their internet life, I hope I can make sure they understand the responsibility that comes with it.

A growing divide.  This article made me sad and frustrated. What else can we do to help?

Another post by my cousin Krista, this time reflecting on her own childhood experience with divorce.  It is very similar to my own, and I appreciate her honesty, as always.

This article on parenting cracked me up.  It's so refreshing.

Essential movies your child must see before they turn 13.  I'm so excited to share more of these classics with my kids.

I'm intrigued by this app and may start monitoring my own phone use. I definitely want to do
what this author did and place limits on when and how I use my phone. I am so sensitive to the fact that my boys are always watching me.

An interesting Harvard Business Review article about navigating the tradeoffs in a dual-career marriage.

Meals like this are probably my favorite part of Spring.

Weekend Recap and Making Plans...

I was recently reminded about Waterlogue.  So fun, and yes my house still looks like this. It's supposed to be relatively warm this week, so I expect the mounds will start to get smaller, gradually. We set our clocks forward over the weekend, and it was light outside as we ate dinner last night. Summer is coming!

I had a pedicure and lunch with a friend of mine over the weekend. We've been friends for over 15 years now - long enough to have "do you remember when?" conversations, which is always fun. She's also one of those friends that can really make me laugh - as in, really belly-laugh. It feels so good to do that. We should all do it more. She has three (!) boys now, and she handles everything with such grace; I will forever and always be in awe of her. I adore having such inspiring and uplifting friends in my life. 

The boys were both invited to a birthday party on Saturday evening. A movie-themed party at their house, which is just genius. Kevin and I enjoyed a free date-night, going out to dinner at a new Spanish restaurant in town. On Sunday, we split up - Kevin and Aaron got one last day of skiing in, and Nathan and I puttered around the house, cleaning and laundry and a trip to the grocery store. As annoying as those tasks are, I must admit I had a really nice time hanging out with my little helper all day. We mixed in some coloring and baking to increase the fun factor. (We used up our overripe bananas the way we always do. These banana bars are soooooo good!)

Kevin's 40th birthday is next month - finally, it's his turn! We booked a long weekend away to celebrate, and although we were originally intending it to be a kid-free vacation, Kevin decided that he wanted the kids to have a break from the cold as well. So we will all be heading to the Dominican Republic for a few days. I can't wait! I even bought a new bathing suit and tried it on and didn't cringe at the mirror. (JCrew bathing suits never fail me.) I can't wait to lounge in the shade while the boys play in the pool or the sea. As I look outside at the melting snow, I will be looking forward to this...

From snow and mud to this.  Can't wait!  Picture via here.

A Couple New Recipes...

Since going back to work, I've mostly relied on our dinner standards, in addition to going out to eat and getting take-out more often than I'd like. I recently decided to go through my giant stack of food magazines, and in doing so, I identified a couple new recipes to try. It was time.

This easy meatless manicotti was good. It's very similar to spinach lasagna. I was worried about how my boys would do with it, but they both loved it! I served with a wheat baguette, salad, and a bottle of red wine. It's a high-maintenance meal, so it's reserved for Sundays, but it makes enough for a leftovers night during the week too.

I had saved a recipe for shrimp curry with coconut rice, but then I couldn't find it or didn't have one needed ingredient. I looked online and decided on this one instead - Coconut-Curry Shrimp. I think the reason I've failed with curry dishes with the boys is that I've typically only included veggies. They are pretty good with veggies, but I thought perhaps I'd have better luck if I tried something different. And it worked!  They both LOVED this dish as much as I did. It was easy, too. I used cilantro instead of basil, because that's what I had, but I otherwise made it exactly as written and served with broccoli. Definitely a keeper!

A Few Things...

source unknown

I just love the above picture.  That is exactly what I want to do right now.  Put on my cape and mask and sit down with a glass of wine.  Like the badass I am.

I survived the first week back at work.  I am more exhausted than I've been in a long time, and my head is spinning.  But we all made it.  Similar to my first week at home, I realize that I need to relearn how to do everything again.  Getting used to a new routine can be daunting.  I am also so conscious of the fact that I do not want to fall back into the same habits and work routines that I had before.  I am focused on finding the right balance.  (We talk so much about balance - I almost wish there was a different way of talking about it, but I think it's the one everyone understands.)  Much more to come as I settle into our new phase.

This weekend, I plan to sleep late, get some exercise, play with my boys, eat some apples, bake something pumpkiny, watch a movie, and mentally prepare myself for what is sure to be an exhilaratingly busy second week of work.

I've had a few things bookmarked along the way...

The One Word Men Never See In Their Performance Reviews.  I've never had this word used to describe me, but I do know people who have received it in reviews.  It's interesting to think about how men and women are evaluated differently.

My cousin, Tiffany, created a fabulous new web site.  It contains her inspiring blog but also so much more!  Check it out!

Another Weekly Menu Idea.  I'm getting used to my new dinner planning routine, too.  Planning on Saturday, or Sunday morning, shopping on Sunday (along with everyone else - I forgot how crowded the grocery store is on Sundays!).  I brought my headphones with me last week and got it done quickly, so it wasn't too bad.

I want my local pizza place to start using these boxes.  Genius!

I'm digging this online yoga challenge.  So far, most of the sequences have been rather short, so they're great for before or after another exercise session, or good for doubling up.  It's totally free, so if you have any interest, sign up and you'll get them in your inbox!

I then went on to sign up for the myYogaPro membership.  I know there's plenty of free stuff on youtube, but these are great classes, and it's so well-organized.  I think it'll motivate me to do more yoga.

Letters from husband to wife.  I just love this.  A sense of humor is the #1 thing that will keep a relationship thriving.

I loved seeing his old post on Cup of Jo.  And this one that Design Mom linked to today.  It brought me right back to Amsterdam, and I love the memories I have of such a cool city and good friends.  I totally miss the bikes!  I found myself in an REI last week, gazing longingly at the bikes.  Someday, one of them will be mine.

Steve Jobs was a low-tech parent.  Interesting.  This has been on my mind quite a bit lately.  I think we're doing okay, but I feel my son trying to push his limits.  It makes me want to tighten up even more.

My First Day...

I am back at work.  I was home for two years and yet it feels like it happened so quickly.  Time is weird.  Anyway, yesterday I woke up early, did a quick workout, showered and got dressed up, and took the train into the city.  I realized I hadn't taken the train for work since before the kids were born, and it felt like a luxury.  A half-hour of quiet thought.  After a quick stop at Starbucks, I made it to the office, met about a hundred people, forgot most of their names (I wish I didn't suck so bad at that), and spent the day getting set up. 

It felt good. 

At the end of the day, I also found out where I will be assigned, and I'm happy with the opportunity.  It starts next week, and preparations have begun, so work will pick up speed quickly.  That's definitely the best thing for someone who's been out of practice for a while.  I need to jump in with both feet as quickly as possible!

On the homefront, my husband has taken over the morning duties, and I will cover the evenings.  He will have breakfast with the boys, make lunches, and drop them off at school.  I will handle dinner, baths, bedtime, and preparing for the next day.  It feels like a good balance for now (after 1 day - ha!), and I hope it lasts. 

The boys are handling it all in stride, although my heart did ache a bit when Aaron decided to rank all the caregivers in his life by how much time he spends with them.  He said, "teacher, sitter, dad, mom".  WHAT!?  So I helped him with the math and clarified that if I'm home before 5:30, it goes "teacher, MOM, sitter, dad".  If I'm home after 5:30 then the sitter beats me, so you better believe I'm going to make it my mission to be home before then every night. 

So that's my update.  I'm in a new phase, meeting new people and learning new things.  It's exciting, and I'm choosing to remain optimistic that we're all going to be able to balance everything.  Here goes nothing.

A Few Things...

Just a few random things for your reading pleasure...

This salad.  My garden is very full of romaine lettuce and kale at the moment, so I searched my pins to find a new way to use them.  I chose this salad recipe and holy cow is it good!  It has pretty much been my lunch for the last two weeks, and it will most likely continue to be for a while.  I tried adding apple, which was okay, but the next day I added an avocado and some brown rice....perfection.  Seriously.  Sooooo good.

A Conversation With Neil Degrasse Tyson About Cosmos, Race, and Celebrity.  I love Neil Degrasse Tyson.  He's such an interesting person, and every time I listen to him, I want to go out and learn something.

Pixar's new movie.  It's called "Inside Out" and won't be released until next year.  It sounds fascinating, though, and I'm already looking forward to it.

An Important Post About How to Prepare Your Teen for Certain Situations.  I appreciated this post.  I'm still several years away from having to deal with most of this stuff, but I find myself looking forward, preparing myself for the harder conversations.  Helping my kids navigate the teen years.

Conor Oberst performing at NPR's Tiny Desk.  If you haven't listened to his new album yet, check out this sweet little concert.

A beautiful last article by Rick Reilly, a popular sportswriter.

Six Things You Should Know About Spotify.  I spend a lot of money on music.  If I joined Spotify, I would most definitely save money, but I don't think I could ever do it.  It just seems wrong somehow. If I'm spending less, it must mean the artists are getting less, and they're already not getting much from album sales.  I find myself buying t-shirts as much to support the band as to wear.  Do you use Spotify?  Or rely on Pandora for your music?  So many of my friends don't buy music at all anymore, and it makes me sad.

The Newport lineup is complete.  And awesome.  Now I just need the schedule so I can strategize.  I think I'm most looking forward to seeing J. Roddy Walston & the Business - I think they will be a ton of fun to see live.  And The Oh Hellos.  And Jack White.  Have you listened to Jack White's new album?  Really, really good.  Oh and Shovels & Rope!  Man I hope the schedule is conducive to my wishes.

photo by Carli Nicole

Menu Planning

pictures via Martha Stewart, Real Simple, MyRecipes, Bon Appetit

I haven't gotten completely organized yet, but I do feel like dinner is back under control.  The first step I took was to collect all of my online recipes into this post!  Looking back through previous menus and saving the recipes that my family liked was a simple exercise, and now I have an easy place to look for inspiration.  This list contains all recipes that we've eaten more than once and will definitely make again.  I was surprised to see how many dishes we already had in our rotation!

I will still like to add new dishes from time to time, and there are other meals not included here that we eat quite frequently that don't require recipes.  Part of me would still like the organized binder, but being able to pull these up on the iPad in the kitchen works just as well.  It'd be fun if someone else out there got a benefit from this list, but mostly I'm doing this for me.

Poultry
Turkey Mini-Meat Loaves
Ginger-Soy Chicken Thighs
Chicken Parmesan
Turkey Burritos
Marinated Chicken
Almond-Stuffed Chicken
Baked Chicken in Creamy Tomato Sauce
Turkey Burgers with Oven Fries
Pulled Chicken Sandwiches
Turkey Reuben Sandwiches
Chicken Tenders
Grilled Chicken and Vegetable Quesadillas
Spicy Chicken Cakes
Chicken Breasts stuffed with Artichokes, Lemon, and Goat Cheese
Chicken Lettuce Wraps with Peanut Noodles
Roast Chicken
Sloppy Joes
Arugula Salad with Grilled Chicken, Corn, Tomatoes, and Blue Cheese

Seafood
New England Clam and Corn Chowder
Maple-Dijon Salmon
Fish Tacos
Sauteed Tilapia with Honey-Scallion Dressing
Lemon-Pepper Shrimp Scampi
Lemon-Tarragon Crab Cakes
Panko-Crusted Fish Sticks
Easy Baked Fish Fillets
Sauteed Scallops
Shrimp Kebabs

Pasta
Pasta Primavera
Pasta with Goat Cheese and Asparagus
Spaghetti & Meatballs
Turkey Bolognese
Baked Ziti
Penne with Shrimp, Peas, and Pesto
Pesto Orecchiette with Chicken Sausage
Macaroni & Cheese with Butternut Squash
Summer Ziti
Spring Risotto
Happy Pasta
Grilled Chicken and Pesto Farfalle
Rigatoni with Roasted Sausage and Broccoli
Lemon Spaghetti
Pasta with Pesto, Potatoes, and Green Beans
Baked Pasta with Sausage, Tomatoes, and Cheese
Linguini with Spring Vegetables
Penne with Vodka Sauce

Soup
Vegetarian Chili
Broccoli-Cheddar Soup
Corn, Potato, and Leek Chowder
Summer Squash and Corn Chowder
Corn and Butternut Squash Chowder
Butternut Squash Soup with Parmesan and Fried Sage Leaves

Veggie
Black Bean Quesadillas with Corn Salsa
Southwestern Salad
Vegetable Frittata with Roasted Potatoes or Potato-Onion Frittata
Red Leaf Salad with Roasted Sweet Potato
Roasted Corn and Goat Cheese Quesadillas
Tortilla and Black Bean Pie
Black Bean Burgers with Mango Salsa
Double Bean Burgers with Avocado Basil Cream
Sweet Potato, Corn, and Kale Chowder
Grilled Eggplant with Tomato and Feta
Thai Vegetable Curry
Poached Eggs in Tomato Sauce with Chickpeas and Feta

Sides
Corn and Avocado Salad
Feta-Rosemary Potatoes
Sauteed Kale

Menu of the Week

photos via Martha Stewart

Every now and then, I complain about the energy it takes to decide what to have for dinner every night.  I hate eating the same things all the time, and I want to continue to find healthy meals that both the kids and I enjoy; so I like trying new recipes.  At the same time, I've been doing this for years now, so I do have a pretty good collection of tried and true recipes.  The problem is, they are all over the place.  I have a binder where I keep recipes clipped from magazines.  I also have plenty of cookbooks, a recipe box containing some family favorites, and I obviously also look to blogs and pinterest for inspiration.  My favorite strategy is searching this blog to see what we ate in the same month a year ago.  I'll probably still do that at times, but I'd love to pull our favorites offline.  Clearly I have plenty of ideas - my problem is figuring out a new strategy for organizing them.  Or at least...organizing the recipes that are already in my rotation.

When deciding on a week's menu, I typically choose a poultry dish, seafood, pasta, a meatless dish or two (such as soup, stir fry, eggs...), and Friday nights are almost always either Mexican (burritos, quesadillas) or pizza.  I typically plan five meals, counting on leftovers at least one night, and one night of going out or a "quick and easy" dinner (fish sticks, mac & cheese, grilled cheese...), especially if Kevin's not home for dinner.  It changes, because our schedule changes.  Baseball nights require something fast, Kevin goes out of town or has work dinners, etc.  So I need to organize our recipes into those categories so I can strategize before each week.  I'm thinking a new binder.

In the meantime, here's a peek at what we've been eating this week...

Marinated Chicken, Rice, Grilled Asparagus
Grilling season is here!  The patio table is out, and we had our first night of dinner outside.  It was awesome.

Penne with Shrimp, Peas, and Pesto, Salad, Baguette
Sometimes categories mix, like this pasta with shrimp - which category would you put it in?  Hm.  Both boys love this and ate every single bite.  I'm thinking that makes it a 'pasta', which are often sure things.  

Cream of Broccoli Soup, Grilled Cheese
My love of veggie soups continues.  The boys did well with this, although it's not a favorite.  I want to try this one next time.  

Vegetable Frittata with Roasted Potatoes and Garlic
I actually didn't have green beans, so I used asparagus instead.  I also cooked this in the afternoon so it was ready to go for our early before-baseball dinner.  It was still good for Kevin's after-baseball dinner.  

Homemade Pizza, Salad

Menu of the Week

Marinated Chicken, Kale-Brussels Hash, Oven Fries
This week's new recipe, from Dinner: A Love Story.  Wonderful marinade that results in moist, flavorful chicken.  As I've said before, I'm not a huge chicken fan any more, but I liked this one a lot. The hash recipe is from the same place, and it's a good and different way to cook kale.  The boys didn't eat it, unfortunately - they stuck to carrot sticks and pepper slices instead.

Homemade Pizza, Salad
Easy to pull together and perfect on a Saturday night after a day on the slopes.

Pesto Orecchiette with Chicken Sausage, Salad
This has always been popular, but I undercooked the green beans and accidentally bought the wrong kind of sausage.  Ah well...it was alright, but this is typically a dish everyone gets excited about.

Potato, Corn, and Leek Chowder, Salad
A long-time favorite.  The kids actually said "Yay!" when I told them it was for dinner.

Turkey Burritos, Yellow Rice, Black Beans
Veggie burritos for me and the little guy.

Menu of the Week

photos from Cooking Light and Martha Stewart

Red Leaf Salad with Roasted Sweet Potatoes
After a weekend that included lots of eating out, Kevin was craving a dinner salad.  This is one of my favorites.  I may have overdone the garlic/vinegar in the dressing a bit this time - it's a tricky balance - but this is such a great winter salad.  The boys ate the sweet potatoes, walnuts, and green beans along with some fish sticks.  

Almond-Stuffed Chicken, Asparagus, Roasted Acorn Squash
An old favorite.  Aaron especially loves this chicken.  Nathan especially loves the squash.  

Penne with Creamy Pumpkin Sauce, Salad
I thought I remembered enjoying this pasta, but either I did something wrong this time, or I remembered incorrectly.  It wasn't bad, but it wasn't great.  I probably won't make it again.

Potato and Onion Frittata w/ Asparagus, Salad, Toast
This is my starter recipe when making frittatas.  I added the leftover asparagus and a little cheddar on top.  So good, and a very easy veggie dinner option.

Vegetarian Chili, Cornbread
We had this awesome chili at a friend's house, and since we liked it better than the vegetarian chili I usually make, I asked for the recipe.  It's adapted from a recipe that she clipped from a magazine years ago, and I'm documenting it here so I have it saved.

2 tbsp vegetable oil
3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 red pepper, finely chopped
1 cup of scallions, finely chopped
1 cup of cilantro, chopped
2 cans petite diced tomatoes
2-4 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, minced
1 tbsp chili powder
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
1 can black beans, rinsed
1 can pinto beans, rinsed
1 can small white beans, rinsed
1 box/bag frozen corn, defrosted (can go light on the corn and add an extra can of beans - personal preference)
2 1/2 cups of vegetable broth
 
Heat oil in pan over med.  Heat - add garlic, pepper, scallions.  Cook until tender (~8 - 10 min.).  Add tomoatoes, chipotle pepper, chili power, cumin, salt, cook 2 more minutes.  Add all beans, corn, veggie broth and bring to a boil.  Once boiling, turn down the heat to a simmer and cook and additional 30 min.  Remove from heat and stir in cilantro.  

Menu of the Week

photos from Cooking Light, Dinner: A Love Story, and Martha Stewart

One way I start to feel more on top of things is to get the weekly meal planning under control.  It should be an easy thing, but I swear it takes so much energy to come up with that list of meals!  I have a decent list of standards at this point, but I get bored of them sometimes.  I also want to make sure the boys are exposed to a wide variety of foods.  My goal is to include one new recipe every week, and that's exactly what I did last week.

Roasted Corn and Goat Cheese Quesadillas, Black Beans, Yellow Rice
This one never fails.  Members of the "clean plate club" all around.  

Baked Chicken in Creamy Tomato Sauce, Penne, Sauteed Kale
Aaron ate all his kale!  Without complaint!  Woohoo!  It's amazing how much joy that gives me.  Nathan at least tried his, but he opted for carrot sticks and pepper slices instead.  That's okay too.

Burgers (Turkey for Aaron and Kevin, Veggie for me and the little man), Oven Fries, Salad
I cut the potatoes thin this time, and I only used olive oil, salt, and pepper on them.  Baked until they were nice and crispy.  Soooooo good!  Clean plate club members again!  (The boys ate the veggies from the salad, minus the greens.)

Butternut Squash Chowder, Baguette
Nathan adores this soup, and I adore having homemade soup in the freezer.  Being able to pull it out, warm it up, and serve it quickly after coming home from piano....priceless.  

Vegetable and Tofu Pad Thai
This was my new recipe for the week, and it was mildly successful.  I added some snap peas, because I had them and because I thought it could use more veggies.  I also think it could use more sauce - I'd increase it if I made it again.  It also really needs all the extras - the scallions, peanuts, cilantro.   Nathan did well with his, with lots of peanuts on top.  Aaron started out strong, then decided he wasn't really a fan.  I think I may need to accept the fact that my boys aren't huge fans of Asian foods.  Hmpf. 

Menu of the Week

photos via Cooking Light and Martha Stewart

We've had a lot going on lately, so we've had more meals out than usual.  So this group is less a "menu of the week" and more a few of the recipes I made the last couple weeks.  I still like posting these every now and then, because the menu creation and planning is honestly the hardest part about putting food on the table every night.

Macaroni & Cheese with Butternut Squash, Green Beans
One of my favorite Fall recipes, because I love butternut squash, and because the boys both eat this with gusto.  

Potato, Corn and Leek Chowder, Whole Wheat Baguette
A family favorite.  Again....because it's healthy and the boys love it.  

Spaghetti & Meatballs, Salad
We hadn't had this one in a while.  Always a winner.

Chicken Stir-Fry Wraps, Sauteed Bok Choy and Broccoli
My sister reminded me that I hadn't tried too many new recipes from a cookbook she got for me, Everyday Food: Great Food Fast.  It's a great book, and I love that it's organized by season.  I do try to eat what's in season, especially now that the boys are a little older and are more willing to eat different foods.  So this is one of the Fall recipes I chose.  I ate them with the lettuce wraps, but I served it over rice for the boys.  They weren't keen on bok choy but ate the broccoli, and I served raw red peppers for them as well.  Those kinds of minor tweaks are ones I'm totally fine making, if it means they eat more veggies.

Tortilla and Black Bean Pie
Holy cow, this is good.  This is absolutely going to be in the regular rotation from now on.  Everybody ate tons of this, and it's just as good the next day.  So yummy!

A Few Things...

source unknown

I feel like I haven't had much to write about lately.  It's been a quiet time, settling into Fall and shorter days and cooler weather.  I've found myself doing more reading than writing.  Taking things in rather than letting them out.  I thought I'd share a few interesting things I've read recently.

Is Music the Key to Success?  A very interesting article discussing the link between music training and success in other fields.  I'm going to practice some piano today.

Six Words You Should Say Today.  Like the author of this blog post, I had recently read the article discussing what makes good sports parents, and I was similarly affected.  I am so happy I read this at the right time - just as my kids are starting to get involved in activities.  I have found myself saying "I love listening to you play piano", "I love watching you run", "I love watching you read."  And it's obvious that it's what they want to hear.  I will continue to remind myself of this as they progress in sports and music and other activities.

What does your favorite yoga post say about you?  My favorite is the pigeon pose.  I love the feel of stretching my hips, those spots that rarely get stretched outside of a good yoga session.  "Working the edges", as they say in the article.  What's your favorite?

I'm not ambitious, and that's okay.  I very much related to the author of this article.  It's nice to hear from someone more in line with myself.  Someone who's honestly not interested in being at the top.

15 Recipes Every Parent Should Know.  A good post by my favorite food blog.

Interview with Malala Yousafzai.  I just wanted to make sure you all saw this.  Hopefully you know who Malala Yousafzai is, but even if you don't, check out this interview.  You'll be astonished this teenage girl is as poised and articulate and compassionate and mature as she so obviously is.

Menu of the Week

photos via Martha Stewart, Cooking Light, and Real Simple

Turkey Burgers, Sweet Potato Fries, Peas
Simple and quick, and everyone liked everything.  Sometimes I have to go for the low-maintenance option.

Panko-Crusted Fish Sticks, Rice, Sauteed Zucchini
A family favorite.  Takes a little longer to prepare, but it's easy, and I often have fish in the freezer, so this is a meal I can pull out quickly, even when we're running low on food.

Broccoli-Leek Soup, Cheddar Cheese Toasts
Well, they can't all be winners.  I really wanted to like this soup - I was hoping to find a broccoli soup that wasn't so full of cheese.  It wasn't bad, and the boys ate it up with no complaints; but the flavor was pretty onion-y, and let's just say that the flavor stayed with me for a long time.  My system wasn't so happy about this one.

Ravioli with Kale Pesto and Roasted Carrots
I wanted to find something new to do with all the kale still coming from the garden, and I thought this recipe had a shot of introducing more of the kale to the boys.  It worked!  Aaron, who hates carrots, had cherry tomatoes on his instead.  I actually think the dish could use more carrots, because their sweetness helps balance out the more tart flavor of this pesto.  I really enjoyed this one, though, and will make it again.

Pulled Chicken Sandwiches, Tomatoes, Potatoes & Onions, Corn on the Cob
I am not a huge fan of chicken any more.  Ever since I was pregnant with Nathan, I've had a slight aversion to it.  However...there are certain ways that I still enjoy it, and this recipe is one.  The flavors in the sauce are awesome.  It was also fun to have the opportunity to light up the grill and enjoy corn on the cob again before the colder part of Fall arrives.

Menu of the Week

pictures via Martha Stewart and Cooking Light

Grilled Salmon, Rice, Sauteed Kale, Broccoli
My garden is still producing!  I was surprised to see how much kale was there, so we enjoyed another wonderful dinner.  Grilled salmon is now one of our family favorites, too.  Both boys are now eating it with gusto, and they love it when a food they like is a super food.

Baked Ziti, Salad, Baguette
An old family stand-by.  As much as I love summer food, I love moving with the seasons.  Fall food is wonderful, too.

Corn and Butternut Squash Chowder, Baguette
Super easy and the boys love it.  I made it during the day and was able to just add the cream and warm it up after baseball.  

Potato & Onion Frittata, Honey-Glazed Carrots, Sauteed Zucchini
I start with this frittata recipe and modify as desired.  I added some cheddar on top this time.  I've tried adding more veggies to it - zucchini, peppers, etc. - but I've found that the boys like it better just as it is, and they do fine with veggies on the side.  That is just fine by me.  

Roasted Corn & Goat Cheese Quesadillas, Yellow Rice, Black Beans
Another old stand-by, but one I haven't made in a while.  We do burritos or quesadillas a lot, and I like adding this variety into the mix.

Menu of the Week

photos via Cooking Light (1, 3) and me (2)

I had to post one of these.  It's been a while, and I've realized how much I enjoy looking back on posts from the previous year for inspiration as I'm meal-planning.

Summer Squash and Corn Chowder, Multigrain Baguette
I thought I'd make this just one more time before the end of summer.  It's so easy, healthy, and the boys eat it all up and ask for seconds.  Hard to argue with that.  Aaron is excited for butternut squash chowder, though, so that'll be on the menu soon.

Cheeseburgers, Grilled Potatoes and Onions, Corn on the Cob, Salad
Grilling up a bounty from the farmer's market while we can.  I think the boys are actually sick of corn on the cob now, which means I've done my job.

Summer Ziti, Multigrain Baguette
I had to make this one last time, too.  Our garden produced enough tomatoes for this, and it makes the house smell so good.  I loved having the leftovers for lunch all week too.  

Grilled Chicken, Corn on the Cob, Caprese Salad
Wait, now they are really sick of corn on the cob.  

Turkey Mini Meat Loaves, Mashed Potatoes, Sauteed Kale/Broccoli
It's funny - Nathan, my non meat-eater, has started to enjoy some meat now and then.  He never ate these before but asked to try them this time.  He declared them AWESOME and had thirds.  The boys had broccoli from the garden, and we had kale from the garden.  The garden is almost empty now - just a few tomatoes and squash left.  

Homemade Pizza
A Friday night favorite.  Whole-wheat dough from the grocery store, topped with our favorite toppings.  Cheese for the boys (Aaron will sometimes ask for black olives); spinach, mushrooms, black olives, and onions for us.