Photos of the Day and a New Tradition

Take a look at our new Thanksgiving tradition - the soup can turkey.  I went on our holiday trip armed with little activities and diversions in an effort to keep the big boy engaged.  One of the things we did was this soup can turkey, and I am pretty confident it will be an annual tradition from now on.  We had a great time making him, and he looked so cute as our table centerpiece.  He didn't want us to give the turkey a name, so he was simply called "turkey".  Fine by me. 

The little boy kept himself entertained.  He received this stuffed Cookie Monster as a gift, and it hasn't stopped cracking him up yet.  When we got home and were busy unpacking and settling back in, he played on the dining room floor for about an hour.  I guess the boy doesn't need more than a bag of cars and trains. 

Thanksgiving Recap and Goals

This year's version of the soup can turkey.  His name is Tommy.

What a nice long holiday weekend.  I adore Thanksgiving.  It's the only holiday with no cards or gifts or expectations outside of spending time with family, eating good food, and being thankful.  Awesome. 

A few highlights:

*I love family traditions.  The soup can turkey (see above).  Inspired by Sara, I think next year we'll either do a gratitude tree; or if we stick with the turkey, perhaps we'll have everyone write what they're thankful for on the turkey feathers.  Love it!

*Food.  My favorites:  cheese plate, celery sticks with chive cream cheese, bread bowl with veggie dip, honey-glazed carrots, fresh cranberry sauce, and leftover turkey sandwiches.  My big boy eats them the same way I do:  cold turkey, wheat bread, mayo, salt/pepper, dipped in cranberry sauce.  Yum.  (Shh...don't tell anybody, but I didn't eat any turkey on Thanksgiving Day - I waited for the leftovers.)

*Great weather.  It allowed us to get outside to take walks and ride bikes a lot.

*The family bake-off!  I made a chocolate-pistachio torte, and my sister-in-law made a spicy pumpkin cake with cream cheese and coconut frosting.  She won.  I'm still not sure how, because I personally preferred my own, but I must concede that she got more votes.  I think it was the frosting.  I will say, though, that mine was just as good on day 4.

*A night out.  We left the kids home with Grandma and went out with my husband's sisters and spouses.  We went to quite possibly the best burger place I've ever been to.  It definitely was the best veggie burger I've ever had.  K's burger had gorgonzola, bacon, and arugula.  Oh, and the fries had this dipping sauce that must have some addictive drug in it, because I found myself wanting to lick the container it came in.  We went out for dinner and drinks, and we had a fun night.  It's very rare that we all get to go out like that, and it made the weekend extra special.

And now the countdown to Christmas has begun.  We decorated the tree yesterday, and my big boy has begun his daily requests for candy canes.  Before Christmas, though, we have a 5th birthday to celebrate!  There is much to be done. 

A few goals for the week:

1.  Extend the feeling of gratitude that Thanksgiving brings and carry it throughout the season.

2.  Buy pinata fillings.  Find a good recipe for yellow cake with chocolate frosting.  And other birthday party preparations.

3.  Exercise.  Remove some of the jiggle I added last week. 

4.  Start the holiday cards. 

5.  Pick out cookie recipe contenders.  Do you have a favorite? 

And So It Begins...

It's December, and I'm a little stunned by this fact. Thanksgiving is behind us, and the holiday season has officially begun.

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving, with a little exhaustion and stress mixed in.  I guess that just goes with the territory when you cram a house full of family. My low point came about 5 minutes before the big meal, when my kids started whining about not wanting to sit at the kids' table. That in and of itself wouldn't have bothered me so much, but those crucial minutes when you're trying to get everything on the table - and preferably warm - at the same time are stressful enough without listening to whining on top of it. So I did what I sometimes do - I yelled. And this is how our Thanksgiving celebration began, I'm ashamed to admit.

Thankfully, I regained my composure a couple minutes later, and we pulled stools up to the table and crowded everybody around.  I read the feathers on our soup can turkey, on which everyone listed things for which they are grateful. That's a nice way to start a meal. Largely due to the little-kid factor, the meal itself seemed to last about 10 minutes.  I'm looking forward to the day when we are able to leisurely enjoy conversation around a big table. But of course when that day comes, I bet I'll look back fondly at the chaotic holidays with little kids. That's the way it goes...

Overall, we enjoyed several fun days together. We played in the snow, went sledding, watched movies, played games, and we even got a kid-free night out at a Bruins hockey game in the city. It flew by, and now the house feels a little too empty, too quiet.

What seems too quickly, we turn our attention towards the remainder of the holiday season.  We decorated the tree, watched Elf and Charlie Brown, we discussed lists and presents and New Year's plans.  We went back to work today, with a full long weekend behind us, a beautiful month in front of us, and memories with us forever.

There's not much more exciting than getting the sled out for the first time.

Football in the snow.  That's an awfully cute huddle.

The annual soup can turkey.  So much to be thankful for.

Giving Thanks...

I've been doing it all week, and it's been wonderful.  I woke up early on Thanksgiving morning to attend a yoga/boot camp class at a yoga studio right down the street from my house.  What a glorious way to start an otherwise gluttonous day.  I earned that cheese!  and wine!  and pie!  As the sun was rising, I was doing my pigeon pose to stretch out my hips after doing what felt like a million squats.  I was ridiculously sore the next day, and it felt so good.  I was reminded to give thanks for my body.  My strong, healthy body that takes me where I need to go and allows me to do everything I want to do.  

The rest of the day was spent in the kitchen, where I cooked a feast.  A fresh turkey from the farm, roasted acorn squash, green beans, salad, garlic and sage mashed potatoes, stuffing, and cranberry sauce.  I was reminded to give thanks for good food, and the ability to fill my plate with it.  

Kevin's mom, sisters, and brothers-in-law all came for the day.  We had a wonderful time hanging out, catching up, playing games.  The boys wanted to play numerous rounds of checkers and connect four, and they even got outside for a bit to play football on a really cold day.  Family is what the day is really all about.  My sister-in-law is due to have her first baby any day now, and we give thanks for an uneventful pregnancy so far and hope for a smooth delivery as our family continues to grow.  

The boys and I put together our annual soup can turkey, and he had a lot of feathers this year.  Aaron asked everyone what they were thankful for, and he wrote the answers on each feather.  A nice family, health, good food, Buzz Lightyear, everybody here, Woody, baby Alex, cute boys, good music, a warm house, a nice brother, friends, Uncle John…  A great list of things for which to be thankful.  (Can you tell which are Nathan's contributions?)  

After the big day, we got our Christmas tree and decorated the house.  We watched A Charlie Brown Christmas as we decorated our tree, as we do every year.  And Aaron had Grandma's help making the paper chain for the tree this year.   I'm thankful for traditions, and I'm hopeful that the boys will cherish them as they get older.  

My Sweet Boy

*This is from a different night, but you can't capture everything on film. This is from a night that Aaron wanted to help get dinner ready, and he ate a ton that night!

After dinner, as I'm unbuckling Aaron from his booster seat...

Aaron: "Why are you sad, Mommy?"

Me: "You didn't eat very much dinner, Sweetie. I don't like it when you don't eat."

Aaron puts his hand on my cheek and then reaches over to grab his fork off the table, and he puts one more bite into his mouth. He eats it, and then says...

Aaron: "Be happy, Mommy."

Oh my goodness I love this kid!

********************

Another dinner-related exchange....this one is from last night.

Aaron and I are both a little under the weather. When I picked him up from day care, he hugged me and said, "Let's go home, Mommy, and let's have some tea." (Reminder: He's 2!) Later, at home...

Me: "Sweetie, what would you like to have for dinner?" I was expecting a response such as "pretzels and whipped cream", and I was fully prepared to give him whatever he wanted.

Aaron: "Um......(15 seconds of serious deliberation).....soup. and grilled cheese. please."

Me: Stunned. "Okay, hon, you got it."

Later, after our soup (vegetable even!) and grilled cheese...

Me: "What else would you like to eat?"

Aaron: "Can I have some berries, please?"

Me: "I love you. You're fabulous. And yes, of course you can have some berries."

What To Make for Dinner...

photos via here, here, here, and here

...when you don't know what to make for dinner.  I'm sure we all have a list of these.  Stand-by meals.  The ones we always have the ingredients for, the ones we make when we're feeling lazy or just don't have the energy to pull something new together.  Here is what's on my list:

• Quesadillas - I always have tortillas, black beans, and cheese (I keep shredded cheese in the freezer) on hand.  I add to that whatever I might need to use up - half a red pepper, cilantro, corn... 
• Pasta - This is on everyone's list, right?  There's nothing easier than pasta and sauce.  When I make sauce, I try to freeze half.  Also another easy dish in which to throw any extra veggies.
• Soup and Grilled Cheese - I always freeze half of my homemade soups, so I often have soup I can pull out to enjoy, but I am certainly not above opening a can of Progresso either.  Tomato Basil is a favorite of my boys.
• Breakfast - My husband is not a fan of breakfast for dinner, but my boys and I often enjoy eggs or pancakes when he's traveling. 
• Pizza - I always used to make my own pizzas, but I've chosen to enjoy ordering pizza as an easy way of taking a night off of cooking dinner for the family.  We do this once or twice a month.  Although...I've also recently enjoyed making mini-pizzas on whole wheat english muffins.  Top with a little sauce, fresh mozzarella, and any veggies you might need to use up.  
• Paninis - Hot sandwiches (ham/turkey and cheese, tuna melt...) are another easy option.  I've made these more often since I got a nice big grill pan.  Serve with fresh fruit or soup.
• Pierogies - I often have a box of these in the freezer.  I typically serve with cinnamon apples, so I usually choose this when I have a few apples that need to be used up.  And peas, which brings me to vegetables...

It is easy to keep lots of fresh veggies in the house in the summertime, but I find it to be more difficult in the colder months.  I always have potatoes, onions, and carrots; and the three veggies I always keep in my freezer are corn, peas, and chopped broccoli.  They are super easy to microwave and add to any of these quick meals.  They are also vegetables that my boys will eat.

So now I'm curious...What's on your dinner stand-by list?

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

photo by Sophie at The Littlest Things

It has been several long months without a kitchen.  I've done okay, but I will admit that we've eaten at restaurants or ordered pizza more than we typically would.  We've also gotten into a bit of a rut, sticking to the easiest options, and as a result, my little guy is getting pickier about what he'll eat.  I needed to break the routine and start mixing things up again, so I tried to put together a menu like the old days (you know....when I had a kitchen).  We still had pizza, hot dogs, and ate out at a restaurant over the weekend, but I'm doing the best I can.  Here's a look at a few of the recipes we've been enjoying recently:

Zucchini Patty Sandwiches, Apple Slices
I keep trying to find more veggie meals that my family will eat.  This is a good one, because it's somewhat less conspicuously green.  They are patties, and my kids like pita bread.  However, they didn't love it.   Aaron summed it up nicely when he said, "It tastes kinda good, but it's kinda mushy so I'm not sure if I like it or not."  He liked the mint, though, and he did eat more than half of his sandwich.  I liked it, but I will admit I added a bunch of lettuce and cucumbers to add more texture to it.  

Pasta with Zucchini, Tomatoes, Bacon, and Feta (via Real Simple August 2012)
This was a definite hit.  Aaron ate two bowls, and even decided that zucchini can sometimes taste good.  Woo!  Obviously this could be made vegetarian by leaving the bacon out and cooking with olive oil instead.  

Summer Squash and Corn Chowder
This is a favorite of mine, and Aaron does well with it too.  Nathan doesn't generally eat any soup except tomato, but we'll keep trying.  The bacon can easily be left out of this one as well.   Update:  Nathan ate his whole bowl!

Salad Nicoise
All I really want to eat on these hot days, especially not having a kitchen, is a great big salad.  My boys, however, require something else.  This salad is a good compromise, because they can pick out what they like.  Aaron likes tuna, olives, tomatoes, potatoes.  Nathan loves green beans.  I like it all!

Dessert:  Peach-Blueberry Tart
I am incredibly proud of the fact that I managed to make a dessert last week.   I loved this idea that Sophie posted, and it looked pretty simple, so I decided to give it a shot.  I baked it in the toaster oven, and it turned out great!  The hardest part was actually preparing the puff pastry, because I have no idea where my supplies are!  (No flour, no rolling pin...)  But I managed, and I was happy to use some of our hand-picked peaches to make something extra yummy.

Menu of the Week

images from Dinner: A Love Story, Smitten Kitchen, and Epicurious

Turkey Burgers, Zucchini Fries
This was a big hit.  The burgers were very flavorful, thanks to the addition of a single tablespoon of barbecue sauce to the ground turkey.  My husband had to ask whether or not they were actually turkey burgers!  Awesome.  And the zucchini fries were good.  Nathan ate all of his, and he even ate all the leftovers with his lunch the next day!

Broccoli-Cheddar Soup, Warm Crusty Bread
I can't remember the specific recipe I used - I'm pretty sure I just looked at a bunch of them and went for it.  They are all very similar.  The keys are to use vegetable broth instead of chicken, grate the carrots, and use good sharp cheddar (don't think adding a bag of already-shredded mild cheddar is going to get you the flavor you want).  It's soooo good, and the boys love it too!  Aaron declared this his favorite soup ever, right after clam chowder and corn, leek, potato chowder.  Oh, and I made this a few weeks ago and froze half of it, so this week I got to pull it out on baseball night.  Hooray!

Baked Chicken in Creamy Tomato Sauce, Brown Rice, Red Leaf Salad with Carmelized Walnuts,  Cranberries, and Apples
This is a really easy chicken dish.  It needed a little added salt, but it was very good.  Aaron loved it.  Nathan wouldn't eat it, but he's not a meat guy anyway.  I served corn and peas for the boys instead of the salad.  Not sure if this will stay in the regular rotation.  Mostly because it calls for a few tablespoons of mascarpone cheese.  Now I have the rest of the container, and it won't last long - what do I do with it?  (Update:  I had some on my toast this morning, topped with orange marmalade - Yum!)

Sweet Peas & Shells Alfredo, Salad
This is the first recipe I've tried from my other new cookbook, The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook.  It's very simple, and it looks just like the Annie's Macaroni & Cheese the boys love so much.  I always serve their mac 'n cheese with peas too, so this really was just a homemade version.  It calls for a little lemon zest as well, which is a nice addition that brightens the flavor up.  Definitely a keeper.

Black Bean and Corn Burritos, Guacamole, Tortilla Chips
This is one of our typical Friday night meals.  Can't go wrong.  

Thanksgiving Highlights

We brought our camera with us but somehow never pulled it out.  Thank goodness for my phone for capturing a few highlights from the awesome weekend...

A couple new additions to the house/fire station/garage, making it even cooler.

An unbelievably long line that was totally worth it at the local cheese shop - 

I may have overdone it just a tad.

Roasting s'mores over a fire in Aunt Amber's fireplace.  The perfect first-night dessert.

The annual soup-can turkey.  

I loved the addition of having Aaron write what we are all thankful for on each feather.  

I especially loved that one of his feathers says "my brother" on it.  

One of Nathan's says "dump trucks".  Love.

Quality outside time, climbing a tree.  

Menu of the Week

Photo from Real Simple (Christopher Baker)

Tomato Soup with Roast Beef, Cheddar, and Arugula Panini
Okay, so the boys didn't love this.  They are too used to soup from a can, I'm afraid.  This soup is much more delicate, and I really enjoyed it.  After several weeks without any meat besides seafood, I also enjoyed a little slice of roast beef on my sandwich.  The boys stuck to grilled cheese.  

Chicken Breasts Stuffed with Artichokes, Lemon, and Goat Cheese, Rice, Sauteed Zucchini
A long-standing family favorite.

Salmon with Gingery Green Beans and Bok Choy, Rice
Super simple and delicious.  Nathan is even starting to warm up to salmon, although he ate more green beans than anything.

Tortellini with Butternut Squash,  Mushrooms, and Fontina
This was really easy and very good.  The boys asked for some tomato sauce on their pasta and wanted the veggies on the side - Nathan ate squash and Aaron ate mushrooms.  Works for me!  Kevin and I enjoyed it as written.

Poached Eggs on Garlicky Kale, Latkes, Homemade Applesauce
Well, I had to modify a bit here too, but it's good when there is flexibility.  The boys just wanted regular scrambled eggs, so they ate them with latkes and applesauce.  Aaron tried a little kale, but Nathan looked at me like I was crazy.  I liked all of it!

I Love Boston #6: Clam Chowder

*Image from Legal Seafoods

Reason #6 Why I Love Boston: Clam Chowder

As our temperatures continue to drop, and our days get shorter, our need for warm comfort food increases. So, too, does my need to focus on the reasons why I love living here despite those short, cold days.

So bring on the chowder! I can't believe there are people out there who think clam chowder should be tomato-based. Really? I mean, I love New York and all, but come on? Chowder is white and creamy, thank you very much.

I've never made this at home, but I haven't needed to - almost every restaurant you go to around Boston offers a good chowder. Here's a list of some of the best. Legal Seafoods is the one you might've heard of - it's the most famous, anyway - but there are lots of good places. If you're visiting Boston, I'd suggest either the Union Oyster House or The Barking Crab. The Barking Crab is a fun place - shared picnic tables and lots of napkins for the mess you'll inevitably make. Skipjack's is another solid restaurant - just as good as Legal, but a little less expensive.

If you don't live in New England, you can still enjoy a good warm soup. Here's the recipe for Skipjack's clam chowder. Now that I know how easy it is, I might just have to make some at home.

I Love Boston RECAP:

#1: Apple picking

#2: The New England Aquarium

#3: New England Micro-brews

#4: The Red Sox / Fenway Park

#5: Head of the Charles

It's Time for Squash (and Kale)

I've been meaning to post a "Menu of the Week" for a while but haven't managed to make it happen.  I haven't really been making too many new dishes anyway, but rather sticking to old favorites.  We've made the transition into cool-weather comfort foods - think roast chicken, meat loaf, baked ziti...

One new recipe that I simply must share, though, is my new favorite way to prepare kale.  Seriously, I could not get enough of it.  Aaron even ate a little bit and said it was good!  It's more than good.  It's awesome.  It's also a perfect side dish for any of these squash dishes.

We've had a lot of butternut squash this season.  I managed to grow a few in our garden this year, and my mother-in-law brought me a couple from hers as well.  I thought I'd share a few of our favorite squash recipes here.

Corn and Butternut Squash Chowder - This is probably our favorite squash chowder recipe.  We've had it twice already this Fall.  The curry gives it an interesting flavor, and the corn keeps it sweet.  Both of my boys do really well with it.  (Although they prefer it to be pureed all the way through.  I usually puree most of it, but I enjoy the chunks, so I save some for me.)

Macaroni and Cheese with Butternut Squash - We've made this one a couple times as well.  The first time I substituted cream cheese for the ricotta, and it was great.  The second time I used the ricotta as specified, and it was great too!  Some reviewers noted that it was dry.  I used less pasta than it called for (about 12 oz), and I watched the clock carefully.  It didn't need to cook as long as the recipe indicates.  All my boys love this one too!

Butternut Squash Risotto - This is a favorite of mine, but alas, I haven't made it in years.  My little boys still won't eat risotto.  There's something about the texture they just do not like.  It's a great dish, though, and I will look forward to making it again as the boys get older.

Winter Squash Soup with Gruyere Croutons - This is a soup that highlights the squash, and I love the addition of the thyme and sage (I tend to favor the sage).  I can rarely find creme fraiche, so I sometimes top with a little sour cream, and some chopped apples for texture.

*Photos 1 and 2 via MarthaStewart.com.  3 and 4 by Stephmodo.

Menu of the Week

photos via cooking light and real simple

Chicken and Vegetable Kebabs, Rice
Love grilling season!  I had red onion, yellow peppers, portobello, cherry tomatoes, and chicken for the kebabs.  Easy and good.

Pesto Orecchiette with Chicken Sausage, Bread
This is a great recipe.  It makes a lot, it's super simple, and everyone loves it.  I finished up the last bit of my homemade walnut-pesto and now can't wait to plant my herb barrel so I can make more.  Sooooo good.

Mustard-Maple Salmon, Rice, Roasted Asparagus
An old and popular stand-by.  Love asparagus season too!

Potato, Corn, and Leek Chowder
I knew we were going to get some cooler and rainy days this week, so I thought a soup would hit the spot.  The boys love this one.

Other meals:
Pierogies, Cinnamon Apples, and Broccoli
Pizza with friends

Menu of the Week

I wanted to capture some of the recipes I tried over the holidays.  We had one loser - this almond torte, which will forever be referred to as "burn-mush".  It wasn't completely inedible, but it was close.  Everything else, however, was really really good.  I already told you about our Christmas Eve/Day meals, and they were great.  Here's a look at what we ate the week after Christmas.

Before my guests arrived, I spent a day cooking a few make-ahead items, and I was so happy that I did.  It made several meals completely stress-free, and it helped me prepare the big Christmas feast as well. 

Butternut Bisque - This was one I made ahead and had in portions in the freezer.  We started off our first day enjoying this soup for lunch.  It is very good - the red pepper gives it a little kick, and serving with a dollop of sour cream is the perfect balance.
Vegetable Enchiladas - Another one I made ahead and froze.  I don't think the recipe makes quite enough sauce, so I added a can of enchilada sauce to it.  Next time I'll double the sauce.  These are really really good.
Baked Ziti - A good-old standby.  Mini-penne, mushrooms, onions, garlic, cottage cheese, mozzarella, and sauce.  Topped with a layer of cheese, cooked until bubbly, served with a salad, good crusty bread, and a couple bottles of wine.  Perfect.  
Turkey Reubens - This is always a favorite, and it was a special request made by my sister, who can't get rye bread in Spain.
Roasted Chicken, Asparagus, and Potatoes - No, asparagus is not in season, but it's one of the few green vegetables my son will eat in any real quantity, so we eat it quite a bit. 
New Year's Eve menu:  Lamb chops, arugula/mint salad, mashed sweet potatoes, and a good bottle of Italian wine. Yum, yum, yum, and yum. 

Expect a separate post on this year's desserts.

Now that the holidays are over, I'm back to cooking for my boys.  I must tell you, they are definitely less fun to cook for, but I'm always on the hunt for healthy food they'll enjoy.  It's an effort, but I'll keep working at it. 

*I will definitely update my favorite recipes list with some of these!

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

images (clockwise from top left) via martha stewart, real simple, cooking light, and cooking light

I haven't posted one of these in a while.  I go through phases, as I'm sure we all do.  After a gluttonous holiday, I felt ready to get back to cooking healthy dinners.  These are all recipes we've had before, with the exception of the rigatoni.  I love feeling prepared for dinners.  It just makes the week that much calmer.

Panko-Crusted Fish Sticks, Rice, Corn and Peas
Always a hit.  Coming back from being out of town, we had almost nothing in the fridge.  But I usually have fish and veggies in the freezer, so I was still able to come up with a good dinner.

Quesadillas (finished up the leftover turkey), Yellow Rice, Black Beans
Never fails.  I made Nathan cheese quesadillas, veggie for me, and turkey/cheese for Aaron and Kevin. Easy to please everybody this way.

Rigatoni with Broccoli and Sausage, Salad, Crusty Bread
This was a new one, and it was a definite hit.  Also allows flexibility, which I love.  Nathan doesn't eat much meat in general, so he didn't want the sausage.  He ate lots of pasta and broccoli.  I left the sausage out of mine as well and added some walnuts to it.  Aaron and Kevin ate it all.  

Potato, Leek, and Corn Chowder
The boys are doing well with soups, so I feel like I need to try some more soup recipes.  This is an old one, but it's a good one that's full of veggies.  

Stuffed Shells with Spinach and Ricotta
This is on the menu for the weekend.  Not really sure how it's going to go over.  You'd think it would be a sure thing, but then I thought that about lasagna too.  They may balk at the green, they may think it's too cheesy...you just never know.  But I know I love this dish, so they can deal.

Menu of the Week

When my husband is out of town, I like to keep dinners simple.  At the same time, I want to serve some variety to my boys.  I'm okay serving scrambled eggs and toast, soup and grilled cheese, or other super easy items, on occasion, but I also want them to eat their vegetables.  Here's a look at some of the recipes we've enjoyed recently:

Baked Pasta with Sausage, Tomatoes and Cheese - All my boys love this one.  It's a good one to make on a Sunday night - it makes enough to have leftovers during the week.

Chicken Cutlets with White Wine and Garlic, Steamed Carrots, Sauteed Mushrooms - I like any recipe that demands I open a bottle of wine.  My big boy actually cleaned his plate, carrots and all!

Roast Pork with Squash and Onions - I really liked this.  It's easy, and the squeeze of orange along with the sage creates a really nice flavor.  My big boy loves pork tenderloin and onions, and my little boy mostly filled up on squash.  Now if I could get them each to eat everything on their plate....but hey, I'll take what I can get.

Linguine with Spring Vegetables - Pasta, vegetables, cream, tarragon....yum.  Add a little parmesan on top and I am sold!  I used regular shelled peas instead of snap peas in order to make it easier for my little ones.  These are three of the most palatable green vegetables for my boys, so I was optimistic that they would eat this, and they did! (although, full disclosure: they did mostly pick out the zucchini)  Hooray.

Menu of the Week

photos via cooking light and cd kitchen (links below)

A few meals we've enjoyed recently...

Pasta Primavera, Whole Wheat Baguette
My favorite Spring dinner.  I always look forward to fresh asparagus so I can enjoy this one.

Broccoli-Cheddar Soup, Whole Wheat Baguette
I sort of used this recipe as an outline.  I used vegetable broth and may not have followed it exactly, but this is the general idea.  It's so good, and the boys continue to do well with veggie soups, so I keep making them.

Grilled Shrimp Skewers, Brown Rice, Honey-Glazed Carrots, Steamed Broccoli
We enjoyed awesome shrimp over at a friend's house, so we asked him what he used.  The shrimp is marinated with lemon juice, garlic, onions, olive oil, salt and pepper.  I think that's it, but man oh man are they tasty.  That they are the easiest and fastest thing ever is just a bonus.  My little man doesn't like shrimp, so he doubled up on veggies.

Black Bean Burgers with Mango Salsa, Sweet Potatoes, Cucumber Slices
Okay, so these really might be my new favorite black bean burgers.  I know I keep saying that, and I keep trying more, but really.  They have some cheese in them, which helps bind them, but I think they would probably do okay without it.  They are also baked, which definitely helps keep them together.  They held their shape really well, and all the cilantro and jalapeño and yummy goodness inside actually gave them flavor!  The star, of course, was the mango salsa, which is out of this world good.  I froze a couple of leftover burgers to enjoy another time.  Definitely a keeper!

Grilled Chicken and Pesto Farfalle, Salad
An old favorite.  Nathan and I enjoyed the pasta on its own, and I grilled a chicken breast for Aaron and Kevin to add to theirs.  

Menu of the Week

*Images from Cooking Light

Turkey Burritos, Black Beans - My little boy ate three gigantic plates full of this.  He just kept asking for more.  It's a very easy recipe - just need some ground turkey and cheese, which I often have in my freezer, and the rest of the ingredients are pantry staples.  Great for a Friday night. 

Creamy Squash and Apple Soup, Whole Wheat Baguette - The boys did okay with this, but they didn't gobble it up like I had hoped.  Personal preference - since the apple and onion are left whole, I'd prefer dicing them, or even mashing or pureeing them instead of slicing.  It's a good recipe, but I've had better butternut squash soups/chowders. 

Roast Chicken, Mashed Red Potatoes, Green Beans, Salad - I'd be okay being a vegetarian, and I could do better at it than I did when I was younger.  I love all kinds of vegetables, and I already try to incorporate some meatless days into our family meal plans.  That said, if I ever did go back to being a vegetarian, I would miss the smell of roast chicken. 

Baked Haddock, Corn on the Cob - Enjoying the last of the season's corn while we can, and taking advantage of being able to buy fish straight from the harbor.  I made the fish and corn and utilized leftovers.  I had fish, corn, mashed potatoes, and green beans.  The big boy had fish, corn, and a burrito (strange combo but whatever - he ate it all!).  The little boy had a burrito and corn.  They both stole green beans off my plate, which is just fine by me.

Chicken and Strawberry Salad - Inspired by this recipe, I used some of the leftover chicken to make a dinner salad.  I loosely followed this recipe, except I used feta and walnuts instead of blue cheese and cashews.  The boys ate it without the lettuce and did really well with it.