Meal Plan and Food for Thought

Pam got a cookbook for me with Swedish recipes this week and so I'm going to try some of those.  I'm excited to see how they turn out.  Again, my meal plan will vary depending on what I choose from my pick 5 veggie thing I'm doing.  Last week I chose watermelon, zucchini, tomatoes, corn and cucumbers.  I got a food steamer last night too.  I'll have to let you know how I like it.

Swedish Meatballs, egg noodles, vegetable
Stuffed Cabbage Leaves, 4 bean salad
Egg Foo Young (I saw on Rachel Ray), brown rice, salad
Sloppy Dawgs (I saw on Rachel Ray), steamed broccoli
Shrimp or scallop and cherry tomato skewers (I haven't decided if I'll use scallops or shrimp), broccoli fritters
Fish, vegetables
Vegetable paji

Here's a quote that made me think this week:

use it up
wear it out
make it do
do without

Green Eggs and Apples?

This morning Paw Paw was watching Gwen and letting me sleep in a bit.  (THANK YOU) and left the table for a split second and Gwen decided to give herself some decoration with her green marker.  I came downstairs to discover her eating green slices of apple.  The marker from her hands went onto the apple.  So much for no artificial colors.  It made me laugh.  She is so cute!

Cinnamon Roasted Chicken with Pumpkin-Sage Grits

Yeah, I know it sounds gross... but it's not.  I tried it tonight and was surprisingly pleased.  It smelled like cinnamon toast in our kitchen and you think you're going to bite into something sweet...but no, it's savory.  Although I didn't eat the grits, I already had them on the shelf and they got rave reviews.  We had it with whole wheat tortillas and hummus and green beans.  Enjoy!

Oh, and I doubled the recipe because I have several people to feed here.

4 skinless boneless chicken breast halves
Pam spray
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 1/2 C water
2/3 C instant grits
1/2 C canned pumpkin
1 T snipped fresh sage or I used about oh, 1 tsp dried.  (I eyeballed it)
1/3 C shredded cheddar cheese

1.  Preheat oven to 400.  Spray pan with pam spray.  Then put the chicken in and spray the chicken with the pam spray.  Then sprinkle 1 tsp of the salt, the cinnamon, and black pepper over the chicken on all sides.  Roast for 20 minutes.  (Make sure your chicken breasts aren't too thick or they will take more time)
2.  Meanwhile, in medium saucepan bring water to a boil, stir in grits and pumpkin and sage and 1/2 tsp salt.  Get it off the heat and stir to thicken.  Stir in the cheese.
3.  To serve, spoon grits onto plate and slap on a chicken breast.

On Becoming Eccentric

I think I'm becoming eccentric.  I used to think that buying organic food was a bunch of hogwash and basically a waste of money.  Now though, I'm starting to turn a corner where I want my own yogurt maker, my own wheat grinder and want to buy local produce or grow my own.
 
I also have started on the recycling thing.  Now we have a tub in our garage for everything to be recycled.  I have one for glass, one for paper, one for plastic and one for cans and aluminum.  I unplug all chargers unless they are in use.  I've started taking shorter showers.  What is happening to me?  I'm still not on the cloth diaper band wagon, but I want to be.

How are you guys becoming eccentric?  Maybe one day I'll be the one wearing gold shoes.  I always tell my mom that when you are a certain age that if you feel like wearing bright metallic gold shoes you just do.  You get gutsy with age I mean.  The trouble with me is that just when I think I'm secure in who I am, something happens and I realize I'm just as insecure as I always was which is terribly annoying!  Ok, so maybe not as insecure as middle school ok?  I'm proud to say I've moved on from there.  You see people, this is how a discussion goes with me.  Just ask Beki.  Poor thing... I've talked her ears off I think lately.  After all... she is my therapist. ;)  (for those of you who don't know, she's studying to be a therapist)

Just Livin'

Here are some photos I've taken in the last few days that I like.  Here's Ben feeding Zeke some carrots.  He's such a good eater.

What an adorable little boy!

Here's my baby girl eating cereal with her famous smile.  :)  She is so funny.

Something I've learned recently... not to pull carrots up until the greens are huge.  Talk about small carrots!  I'm getting green beans now and squash.  I'm just WAITING for my tomatoes.  Can't wait for my tomato sandwiches.  er... tomato lettuce wraps?  Well... you can't have it all can you?

Meal Plan

When we have company I just have to have a list of ideas for dinner if it's going to happen.  Now that I'm on this diet thing, I just personally omit any starch like the brown rice or corn that the rest of the family eats.  Also, I may add some green beans or salad to my meal to round it out.  On nights when we have things like pizza I just will eat the salad with grilled chicken and veggies.  Did you really need to know all that?  um.. maybe?  A lot will depend on what I get from the local farmer's too.  I'm doing this program starting Saturday where I go and pick 5 items from local farmers and pay a certain amount.  I could get 5 of the same fruit or veg, or get different.  I'm picking it up at the grocery store near our house instead of going to the farmer's market.  It makes buying local much more convenient for me.  Here's my ideas for this week.

orange roughy, sweet potatoes, steamed broccoli, 

ground turkey patties, sweet pot or squash from garden, salad

shrimp w/ garlic and lemon, linguini, cucumber slices

tilapia (baked), Indian cauliflower (aloo golbi without potatoes)

homemade pizza, salad

cinnamon chicken with pumpkin-sage grits (a recipe I tore out of a magazine at the gym), green beans

zucchini boats, corn on cob, salad

Quick Oatmeal Raisin Pancakes

ok... so I'm not having these right now since I'm on this diet thing, but I've been meaning to share this recipe.  I made these a few weeks ago and I thought they were great.  They are like oatmeal in pancake form.  Gwen loved them with a tiny bit of real maple syrup.

2 C quick-cooking oats
2 C buttermilk
1/2 C egg substitute
2 T canola oil
1/2 C all-purpose flour (I used whole wheat pastry flour)
2 T sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 C raisins

1.  In a small bowl, combine oats and buttermilk; let stand for 5 minutes.  Stir in egg substitute and oil, set aside.

2.  In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.  Stir in the wet ingredients just until moistened; add raisins.

3.  Pour batter by heaping 1/4 cupfuls onto a hot griddle coated with cooking spray; turn when bubbles form on top.  Cook until second side is golden brown.

*2 pancakes equals 274 calories, 7 g fat

Zeke Benjamin- 6 months

Here are some photos I took of Zeke yesterday.  Tomorrow he will be 6 months old.  What a sweet little boy he is.  I can not express in words what I feel for my little gorgeous.

Can anyone say PRECIOUS???

and just in case you can't get enough of this boy like me.. here's a video.

Meal Plan

Here's what we've been having this week.  This is late..but better late than never I suppose.

fish, zucchini fritters
salami pasta salad, turkey burgers
taco salad
stir fry with chicken, brown rice
lasagna, salad
chili, cornbread muffins
slow-cooked curry chicken
sloppy joe muffins, cantaloupe
Mom's 15 min bean soup, rosemary foccacia

*steel cut oats
*baby food- I made pears, carrots, sweet potatoes and bananas so far.

Holidays

I'm so grateful Ben had a day off today.  This was a photo of him this morning with the kids.  He helps me so much. :)  I am officially weaning Zeke now.  It was a very hard decision for me and one I have cried many tears over, but I decided to start taking medicines for my arthritis.  I have psoriatic arthritis and it was affecting my knees and making them swell.  The swelling isn't good for them and could cause damage to my joints apparently.  That is what my rheumatologist said.  It was hard to go up and down the stairs and do about anything.  The problem is that the meds for this condition do not go with breastfeeding... so I had a decision to make.  I decided I'd start the meds and also diet more aggressively and that would be a relief to my joints also.  I'm on a program that my brother has been doing called "medifast" and he has lost 82 lbs in 6 short months.  It is a very limited plan, but it works.  I'm going to miss peanut butter and oats a lot.  :)  I'll give some updates on here sometimes.  

Here is a summer squash I picked this afternoon.  Isn't it beautiful?  My first one I've harvested.

Summer Time

Paw Paw is here for another visit and Zeke decided to drop in on him while he was taking a nap.  That boy is GORGEOUS!!!

Last night we went to our neighbor's house for a grill out dinner.  It was great.  We brought over our slip and slide and the girls had a good time.  Here is Gwen and her friend Katie Beth.

Will she ever smile normally?  :)

Gwen got a backpack from one of her friend's for her birthday.  We have started putting diapers and stuff in there and she carries it everywhere.  Cute!

She's starting to get curls in the back of her hair.  You know I'm lovin' that!

June Fun

Here's Ben and Zeke.

Beki and I took the kids to an animal show today.  I had high hopes that it would be really awesome.  Well... it was just ok.  The presenters were saying technical things about the animals instead of just showing the animals.  We had a discussion when we got home about if Jesus was the presenter what animals would he have shown.  We decided he'd probably have shown us a whale suspended in air... just cause he could.  Also... we decided he'd be awesome because he could control your kids too.  Fantastic.

Here's Aunt Beki and Gwen.  Boy, was I glad she was there.  Even the cookies I packed along weren't enough to stop the fits near the end.

I thought they were going to pull out a hawk or something awesome..but no... a turkey.  It still was pretty.

hedgehog

snake

No matter how hard we try we can never get one photo with both kids looking at the camera.

There was a one room school house on the property there and it was very interesting.  Take a look at these rules. :)

Gwen trying out the desk.

Trying out the outhouse.  That's the nicest outhouse I've ever seen.  Uh, and yes, I've seen a few and not of the port-o-potty type.

Gwen in the old timey potty.

The Kids

Gwen playing "golf"

Aunt Beki and Zeke in his "koala" hold.  Isn't he a doll?  She's pretty cute too. :)

In the Land of Pee and Poop

My writing has been sporadic this week because I am now in the trenches of potty training Gwen.  She really has decided this all on her own... to which I encourage it all that I can.  The idea of her going to the potty instead of diapers is a triumphant one for me.  She is in the stage now where she wants to do everything, I mean everything, by herself.  She wants to dress herself, get in the van herself, buckle herself in and make her own lunches.  She has a lot of meltdowns lately when she realizes that things do not always go like that and that she must receive help sometimes.  She is not 100% on the potty yet, but she's learning to listen to her body and tell me she needs the potty.  She is just now 2, so I'm not stressing over it or pushing her....but I actually do have a 3 lb bag of gummy worms that I use as rewards.  I don't give that stuff out much, but pooping in the potty gets a big ol fat gummy worm... and she loves it.  :)  Any tips you parents have I would appreciate!!

The Garden

Here are some pictures from my garden.  Here's a baby green bean.

One of my carrots.

Tomatoes

summer squash, cantaloupe, butternut squash and strawberries.

My garden helper and her famous smile.

Gwen helped me pick these tonight.  This is what we got in one night!  What a bounty!

Zeke's First Meal

It's like this boy was born to eat!  He is soooo cute and cuddly.

Meal Plan

cilantro-pesto chicken, grilled zucchini, steamed broccoli
quick oatmeal raisin pancakes, strawberries from garden
homemade pizza (fresh mozzarella and basil this time), salad
grilled shrimp, cous cous, cucumber slices
pork chops, broccoli fritters (can't get enough!), asparagus, leftover melon and pineapple from party
mom's 15 minute bean soup, rosemary faccacia

*blueberry-citrus muffins
*cinnamon granola bars- made them and they are already gone.  Gwen loved them also.  Going to make again maybe tonight if I have enough energy.
*steel cut oats

*indicates breakfast items

This week at the whole foods market I bought whole wheat pastry flour which I've never tried before.  I'll use it in the blueberry-citrus muffins.  Also, I bought stone ground whole wheat flour (love it!) and my steel cut oats.  My next post has to be about my garden.  It is doing so well.  We are getting a steady harvest of strawberries now and the squashes are growing like you wouldn't believe!  The green beans have flowered and are doing their thing and I have even found oh, maybe 7 carrots that didn't float away in the storms.  So I'm excited to see how everything does.  The cucumbers are looking a little unhappy, but I'm sure with all the rain we've been having that they will perk up in time.  See how gardening makes you so happy?  Not that I want to be a farmer, but seeing all those crops come up that you planted must be so satisfying.

Oat Obsession

Cinnamon Granola Bars- made these tonight and liked them very much.

1/4 C butter, softened
1/2 C packed brown sugar
1 egg
2 T ground flaxseed
2 T honey
2 C old-fashioned oats
1 C whole wheat flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 C raisins

In a large bowl,  beat butter and brown sugar until crumbly.  Add egg, beat well.  Stir in flax and honey.  In another bowl, combine oats, flour, cinnamon and baking soda.  Stir into creamed mixture just until blended.  Gently stir in raisins.
Press into an 11X7 in baking dish coated with cooking spray.  Bake at 350 for 18 min or maybe a few minutes more if you like crunchy granola bars.  Cool and then cut into bars.

Gwen's Party- 2

Gwen's Party

Today we had Gwen's second birthday party.  What a fun time we had!  Here is Gwen helping to prepare for her party.  Aunt Beki handed her both beaters to lick... hummmm.

This morning in her princess bathing suit and "flashing shoes."

She also helped prepare by filling up the swimming pool.  Her infamous "smile."

She had such a good time on the slip-n-slide.

Stopping for a drink of water.

Little Atharv.  Can you see the slip-n-slide in his eyes?  What a cutie!

Caleb.  What an angel.

This picture might be my favorite of the day.  Gwen doing her "smile" with her friend Katie Beth in the background.

Ben rigged up a really fun slide in the pool thing.  I knew I married a smart man!

I can't leave my gorgeous out of this.  Here he is.

Ben tested the slip-n-slide and managed to receive a pretty nasty grass burn on his chest as a result.

He also tested the slide into the pool.  I'm not sure of the results of this maneuver.

Remember my Christmas pinata?  Well, I was just too pregnant and tired to do it at Christmas time, so we did it today.  They didn't question it at all that it was a Christmas tree.  We put gummies and super big marshmallows in it.  My brother Preston thought it was prefilled and when he saw the giant marshmallows in zip lock bags he thought that the pinata was "ghetto" until I told him I put the marshmallows in there thank you very much.  By the way, they didn't wack it with a stick.  We pulled the ribbons on the bottom and it had a trap door that opened it.

Opening presents.  She got so many wonderful things.

Me with Katie Beth and Gwen.  After this picture was taken, Gwen fussed and wiggled out of my lap.  I looked over at Katie Beth and said "well, at least your happy."  :)  Wouldn't you know on the day of her party Gwen wakes up before 6am?  LOVELY!  videos to follow.