Back on the Wagon

Merry Christmas! I hope you enjoyed a weekend filled with joyful times and love.

I don't know about anyone else, but my body is screaming for me to get back to better nutrition. The amount of junk I have consumed over the past 5+ days is completely cringe-worthy. I had my last bite of leftover dessert yesterday. We still have a half a pecan pie left on the counter so I'm going to have to exercise some serious willpower. (Does anyone else's family overdo the desserts for holiday dinners? More on that later…)

This morning, I woke up ready to start fresh. It's not January 1st yet but there is no harm in starting a few days early! I resolve to eat wholesome foods and exercise regularly (because did I mention there hasn't been much of that, either?!) and get my body to like me again. 

Two meals in, and we are doing well. Baby steps, right? Breakfast consisted of coffee (duh), sprouted cinnamon raisin bread, and almond butter. Lunch was avocado toast with a squeeze of lemon, and cucumber and red pepper slices. 

And lucky for me (said with sarcasm), the weather is looking dreary again this week (read: no running), so the girls and I will be putting some On Demand or old exercise DVDs to use. They need to get some energy out as much as I need to get moving! Who's with me?

How do you feel after the holidays? Did you let yourself indulge or did you abstain from overdoing it? Join me in a fresh start so that by the time January 1st comes around, you already feel better! It's amazing what even just a few days of healthy living will do.

Weekly Meal Planning for December 13-20

The closer it gets to Christmas, the less inspired my meal planning seems to be. I'm just trying to survive the afternoons and early evenings while crossing off to-do list items! Am I the only one feeling this way these days? In any case, here is our plan for this week:

Sunday: dinner at FIL's
Monday: southwestern vegetarian chili with quesadillas
Tuesday: crockpot whole chicken with potatoes and green beans 
Wednesday: spinach and mushroom lasagna
Thursday: leftover chicken and veggies
Friday: leftover lasagna
Saturday: Christmas party
Sunday: Christmas party

What's on your menu?

Christmas Cookies

It's time to start baking Christmas cookies! We don't generally do the traditional sugar cookie shapes and decorations, (though I'm sure my kids would love to). But we do have some regulars that end up in the cookie jar year after year. We don't have cookies or dessert around all the time so this is a big exception for me! But it's something my husband grew up with and we started baking cookies annually before we even got married. Here are a few "Christmas cookie" staples at our house:

One of the easiest is the cranberry-white chocolate. We LOOOVE this cookie. This year, I mixed in some chocolate covered toffee bits in about a third of the dough, too. It's a great base with so many options!

The next favorite is one that my mother-in-law used to bake, and I got the recipe from her. This one is very similar to her recipe. I love this cookie, as it has a lot of different flavors and depth. But it takes a little more effort and time to bake. 

Here is another one my mother-in-law used to make, one of my favorites and this is great with some afternoon coffee or tea. It's a simple recipe with a couple of different steps. My husband and his brothers grew up calling these "butt cookies" - mature, right? ;) They're called Baci di Dama cookies, or lady's kisses. This David Lebovitz recipe is very similar except I usually sub almond for the hazelnut.

This is one of my husband's favorites. It's the classic peanut butter blossom cookie. There are so many different ways to make it but the version we make is usually this one.

These aren't baked at my house, but my mom usually makes at least one batch of Iraqi cookies called kletcha. They're more savory than traditional American Christmas cookies but my girls and I love helping out, and having some. I have a handwritten recipe that I jotted down as she made them several years ago, but this one is very similar.

Which cookies do you bake during the holidays?

Weekly Meal Planning for December 6-12

Since apparently staying busy in "real" life means completely neglecting this blog, I thought I'd try to get a few posts going in this next week. We had a wonderful fun-filled week of Thanksgiving, and a great start to the Advent season last week. I came up with this week's meal plan on a whim at the grocery store, as I had very little inspiration! But here we go:

Sunday: black bean nachos
Monday: beef stew
Tuesday: a meal delivery trial whose food I sampled on Saturday 
Wednesday: leftover chili before my youngest's preschool Christmas program
Thursday: white bean and kale pasta
Friday: at a Christmas party
Saturday: leftover pasta

What's on your menu this week?

*Locals, want to try Real Meal Delivery? Use this referral code for 50% off: http://i.refs.cc/IKhoF0u4
Full disclosure: I will earn "reward" points for the first order you place.

Thanksgiving Favorites

Are you planning your Thanksgiving menu yet? Do you pick new recipes to try every year or stick to your tried-and-true ones? Truth be told, we don't normally host. I think I have hosted a total of two times ever. And I've only made a turkey one of those times. We normally have Thanksgiving lunch with my family at my mom's house, and Thanksgiving dinner with my husband's family at my sister-in-law and brother-in-law's house. We do make several dishes between the two meals though! 

We have some dishes that we see year after year for Thanksgiving. And then there are some that we have made for non-thanksgiving meals because we like them so much! For our dinner meal, there is usually some sort of theme and many new dishes to try. 

To start, I always like a sparkling wine drink. For thanksgiving and the holidays, I love drinks with pomegranates, similar to this one: 
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ellie-krieger/pomegranate-champagne-cocktail-recipe.html

And an appetizer easy to grab with one hand while you're finishing up cooking is necessary, too! We love this twist on bruschetta: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/portobello-bruschetta-with-rosemary-aioli-104179

Sides are just as, if not more, important than the turkey and stuffing! Most people go back for seconds of sides, not as much for turkey. Aside from the usual green beans and potatoes, this is a favorite:
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/cauliflower-and-brussels-sprout-gratin-with-pine-nut-breadcrumb-topping-350452

And to finish off a filling meal, what better way than to indulge in a rich pie?! This makes a showing at least once a year. It's my husband's favorite. http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/chocolate-bourbon-pecan-pie

I hope you take some time to enjoy making the food, and spending time with people you love. Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!

New York, New York

It's no secret that I like to eat. I enjoy going out to eat even more than I enjoy eating at home! ;) I like posting about where I eat when I travel. It gives me a sort of recap and closing of the trip. And I refer back to it when someone asks for recommendations (or places to steer clear of!). New York City is saturated with amazing food. Truth be told, if you ask five people for NYC restaurant recommendations, you will get 20 different answers! There are very few places I have been to there that I feel like are "steer clear of" worthy over the years. 

This year, we knew we were going to have a couple of nights of late dinners. We had reservations at several different places and really only narrowed down and finalized at the last minute. (There was some map-app confusion on the location of a business event on Saturday night.) It ended up working out though, because the restaurant we ended up at that night was my favorite of the weekend! 

We had heard rave reviews about Il Mulino so we opted to try the Trattoria (straight from the airport!) on Friday night. Aside from the first 10-15 minutes of completely being ignored (it was the weirdest thing!), the service ended up being great and the food was so tasty. The capellini pasta with arugula pesto, black pepper and pistachio was creamy, full of delicate flavors that didn't overpower. The very simply grilled branzino was tender, moist, and perfectly seasoned. It was the perfect lighter meal for a late night dinner. To end the meal, we decided on an old favorite with a twist - limoncello tiramisu. Enough said?

The next day, we had a late breakfast, a late lunch, and a late dinner. We opted to have granola and pastries for breakfast at Le Pain Quotidien, a favorite of ours in London. While the granola wasn't the exact same as it is in London, it was very good. I also enjoyed a seasonal cinnamon latte (twice) during the weekend! We love the simple, communal atmosphere and the quality of the food there. 

After walking up and down 5th and Madison, we ended up at one of the Via Quadranno locations for our late lunch. It had been recommended to us, and was packed with locals even at 3 in the afternoon. We thought that was a good sign, and were not disappointed. The sandwiches were simple with few ingredients but very tasty and filling. Oh and did I mention we got dessert? The nocciola mousse cake was ah-mazing. And the lemon sorbetto with prosecco was a light ending to a late lunch. 

Our last meal of the evening was the one we decided on at the last minute. We found our way to Liberty Room at Aureole. What a meal! The service was exceptional. The options were plenty but not overwhelming. We start with a couple of oysters each, topped with a mignonette dressing. They knocked our socks off. Two of the three entrees were recommended by the server and they did not disappoint. I had the skate wing with cauliflower, crushed potatoes, marcona almonds, and verjus. It was a perfect amount of food, perfect flavors all together, and perfectly cooked. The crust of the fish was just browned enough, the inside filled with melt-in-your-mouth tenderness, and lightly seasoned meal married well with pickled cauliflower, almonds, potatoes and the verjus. To end our meal, we enjoyed a donut. Yep, a donut. Not just any donut though. One with chocolate mousse, salted caramel, and a praline crunch. We enjoyed it tremendously, obvi.

So do yourself a favor and get up to NYC for a food weekend, if nothing else! 

Weekly Meal Planning for November 9-14

As the rainy gloom continues here, there is very little I want to eat (or even plan to eat) other than comforting soups and foods. But sometimes the rain prevents me from wanting to go to the farmers market to get good ingredients and I end up just making breakfast for dinner. That's what's happening tonight. 

I also just got back from a weekend trip to NYC during which I ate some amazing meals so I'm feeling like it's okay to take it easy this week!

Monday: scrambled eggs with spinach and tomatoes, pumpkin muffin
Tuesday: chicken tortilla soup
Wednesday: beef stroganoff 
Thursday: leftover soup
Friday: leftover stroganoff
Saturday: school festival, depends what time we get home afterwards 

Vegetarian White Bean Chili

I made this chili on Saturday for our neighborhood Halloween party, and we had leftovers Sunday evening. It was especially perfect on Sunday since it was a dreary, rainy day. We all loved it and my youngest asked me to make it again. It was very simple to make. I didn't have much time so I just tossed all the ingredients into a crockpot on Saturday morning, and by early afternoon, it was ready. 

Ingredients:

5 cans white cannelini beans, rinsed and drained

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced 

1 green bell pepper, chopped 

1 can of green chiles 

1 10 oz bag of frozen corn 

4 cups broth 

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp chili powder 

Salt and pepper to taste

Juice of one lime 

Optional toppings:

Avocado 

Sour cream

Cheddar cheese, shredded

Lime wedges

Red onion, chopped

Cornbread

Hot sauce 

1. Place beans, chopped onion, chopped pepper, minced garlic, chiles, and corn into the crockpot. Top with spices and salt and pepper. Pour broth over the contents of the crockpot. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. 

2. With an immersion blender, blend about a third of the chili to thicken it. Don't blend all of it. Add more spices to taste (I added more chili powder and cumin at this point, but didn't measure). Squeeze lime juice into the chili, mix well, and serve with toppings. 

Weekly Meal Planning for November 1-7

Happy November! I hope you all survived the sugar highs and crashes that may have accompanied your Halloween festivities. This week will be a short cooking week for me as I'm heading to NYC with my mom and sister on Friday. So I asked each member of the family to pick a meal and I would cook it this week. Here's what they came up with. 

Sunday: leftover white chili

Monday: some sort of pasta (husband's choice)

Tuesday: beef tacos (oldest daughter's choice)

Wednesday: chicken nuggets, red pepper strips, fruit (youngest daughter's choice)

Thursday: leftovers 

Friday, Saturday, Sunday: they're on their own!

Weekly Meal Planning for Oct 25-31

For some reason, I'm feeling uninspired this week. Honestly, I would be completely fine with different types of soups all week but I don't think my husband or kids would be so into that! So with chili and lentil soup on the menu, I need to add some variety with other types of meals. We have some zucchini from last week's farm box, so I will make some sort of pasta using it. I have some root vegetables coming in this week's farm box so I will use those in some manner as well.

Sunday: Chipotle takeout 
Monday: kubba, lentil soup, green salad
Tuesday: kubba stew with zucchini and spinach 
Wednesday: tomato soup
Thursday: roast chicken, roasted root vegetables, salad with pears  
Friday: leftover chicken and veggies
Saturday: chili at our neighborhood Halloween party 

Are you being inspired by cooler temperatures? What's on your menu this week?

Healthier Halloween Snacks!

It's that time of year when I feel like everywhere I turn, my kids are being handed some sort of junk food because "It's Halloween season!" Ugh. On Halloween, we let our kids eat candy. We don't exchange what they get from trick or treating for "healthier" options. And yes, they hold onto a couple of things to eat in the following days. But in all honesty, the novelty pretty much ends a couple of days later. I end up chucking a whole lot of candy (or hauling it to a dentist's office). Because I certainly don't need - or even want! - it around. 

But, I digress. This post was going to be about healthier Halloween options! So here are some options that aren't just straight up sugar:

Green monster popsicles (or smoothies): these are easy to make and if you have a popsicle mold, easy to freeze too. Just toss in two bananas, two handfuls of spinach, and some milk. These are great for play dates and even smaller classes - just take the smoothie already mixed up and pour into small, clear cups. The kids can decorate the monster "faces" on the cups before you pour the smoothies. 

Clementine or applesauce jack o lanterns: either draw a jack o lantern face on a clementine, or tape an orange circular piece of paper on top of an applesauce cup and draw a jack o lantern face on that. I took the applesauce cups to my (then 3 year old) daughter's preschool class and they loved them!

Sugar cookie jack o lantern: bake sugar cookies, cut up fruit into small pieces, and have the kids make the faces on the cookies before eating them

Trail mix: popcorn, pretzels, cheerios, nuts (optional), and candy corn mixed together. We are sending little baggies of these for my oldest's class on Friday.

Pretzel ghosts: dip one end of a medium pretzel stick into melted white chocolate, dot with two mini chocolate chips for eyes, lay on wax paper to cool and harden.

Pretzel spiders: use a one inch piece of banana as the "body" and stick thin pretzels into it for the legs. 

What healthier halloween treat ideas have you had or served that were big hits?

Weekly Meal Planning for Oct 18-24

I was on a retreat weekend so I am throwing a few things together this week. I have some random food items to eat in my fridge before they go bad! 

Sunday: hodgepodge leftovers 

Monday: tomato bisque and apple-grilled cheese

Tuesday: yellow squash and black bean enchiladas

Wednesday:  pork chops with apples, green beans, mashed potatoes 

Thursday: leftoves

Friday: at a football game

Saturday: dinner party 

What's on your menu this week?

It's Apple Time

We went to a local apple orchard last weekend and have a bushel (or is it a peck?) of apples on the counter! We have a nice variety - four or five different ones - and the girls quickly came up with a couple of things to do with them (aside from eat them as is!). 

The first thing we did was make an apple crisp. We were having my mom over for dinner, and what better dessert to have than a homemade apple crisp with fresh-off-the-tree, local apples? A warm, cinnamon-spiced dessert with a scoop of vanilla ice cream? Yes please! I used the recipe from 100 Days of Real Food and it was a hit. 

The next thing we made was applesauce. I looked around for some easy recipes as we had never made it at home before, though both girls had at school. The one that kept jumping out was super simple and required very few ingredients: apples, cinnamon, water, salt, and juice from a lemon. Oh, and it gets cooked in a slow cooker. It can't get much simpler than that! It was very delicious and we will be making more later this week!

We had chicken salad for lunch on Monday with apples, celery, avocado, and sunflower seeds. I had a neighborhood meeting in the evening to which I took baked brie with apples and walnuts. And I served grilled cheese and apple sandwiches with soup Monday night.

Lastly, I have bookmarked a roast pork recipe to try later this week. It calls for a few apples and cinnamon. Fingers crossed that this one is as good as the others!

What are your favorite apple recipes?

Pumpkin Spice Creamer and Smoothies

Happy Fall Monday! The girls are off today, and in celebration of this long weekend and not having to wake up at , I decided to make some homemade pumpkin drinks. WITH REAL PUMPKIN. The girls enjoyed a delicious pumpkin smoothie, based off the 100 Days of Real Food recipe. And the Mr. and I enjoyed a yummy pumpkin spice creamer, based off of the Against All Grain recipe. They are both VERY easy to make.

Pumpkin Spice Smoothie
2 cups of raw spinach leaves
1/2 cup of vanilla almond milk
1/2 cup of pumpkin puree 
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 frozen banana
1/2 teaspoon vanilla, optional (we did not include)

Blend spinach with milk, pumpkin, and spice until smooth. Add banana and blend until no more banana chunks.


Pumpkin Spice Creamer
1/2 cup vanilla almond milk
1/4 cup half-and-half
1/3 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Combine all ingredients in a jar or bottle. Shake vigorously until well mixed. Pour desired amount into coffee. Refrigerate the remaining creamer for up to five days.

Weekly Meal Planning for Oct 11-17

We have several afternoon/evening commitments this week, so the meals have to be easy "make-ahead and reheat" or easy to throw together! My oldest daughter has requested tomato soup and grilled cheese night so I'm making that one day. And it's been a while since we've had a breakfast-for-dinner night! 

Sunday: zucchini stew over rice
Monday: chicken noodle soup and toasted apple-cheese open faced sandwiches
Tuesday: leftover beef chili nachos
Wednesday: frittata with spinach and apple sausage 

Thursday: out for a fundraising dinner 

Friday: tomato bisque and toasted apple-cheese open faced sandwiches

Saturday: daddy/daughter weekend

Weekly Meal Planning for Oct 4-10

Now that we are officially in October, all I have on my mind are hearty meals! It helps that it's been cloudy, rainy and dreary here. And I've been a bit under the weather. So I want comforting meals.

Sunday: dinner at FIL's

Monday: lentil soup

Tuesday: roast chicken with brussel sprouts and bacon, zucchini tots, lemon roasted cauliflower

Wednesday: curried carrot soup 
Thursday: leftovers
Friday: out to eat at a concert
Saturday: beef chili

Weekly Meal Planning for Sept 27-Oct 4

Now that it's officially fall, we can talk roasts, soups, stews, chilis, and more! It has been raining for several days now. And while it's not really cold, it's cool and damp and just all around blech that screams for a comforting, warm meal. My farm box contents are starting to be less summer harvest and more fall vegetables, so I will slowly work on moving into heartier meals. For this week, we have a couple of crazy nights (soccer and spirit night) but otherwise, things should be pretty open. 

Sunday: eggplant fetti, green salad
Monday: pesto zoodles with shrimp scampi

Tuesday: slow cooker pernil with cabbage slaw
Wednesday: school spirit night 
Thursday: leftover pernil with slaw
Friday: cauliflower soup
Saturday: pot roast, potatoes, green beans, rainbow carrots

Weekly Meal Planning for Sept 20-26

Since we got thrown back into the grind, I'm kind of just coming up with ideas as we go. I did NOT make a plan while I was still in Italy on Friday or Saturday. ;)

I'm incorporating some Whole30 compliant meals this week, as I've done one before and slowly tiptoeing my way back into one. We are going out for a ten year anniversary dinner on Thursday, though, and I certainly want to be able to eat whatever I want. 

So…here is what we have for the week:

Sunday: at a birthday party
Monday: turkey bolognese over spaghetti squash
Tuesday: lemon rosemary roast chicken with sweet potatoes and broccoli, green salad with avocados, tomatoes from the garden, and cucumber from the garden (probably the last summer harvest!)
Wednesday: leftover turkey bolognese spaghetti squash
Thursday: out to dinner for anniversary, leftover chicken + veggies for the kids
Friday: chicken and vegetable soup, quesadillas
Saturday: at a fundraising football party

Hiatus is over

Our nice little reality break in Italy is over. Thanks to our *village*, my husband and I were able to take a long-awaited trip overseas without our kids. We had never left them for more than a day or two before, so the planning for them, as well as the trip, took up a lot of time! We are so appreciative of the help we received and without those people, this trip would not have been able to happen! We had a wonderful, amazing time in Italy and ate REALLY well. Now, we are back to the grind and I will be posting regularly once again. For now, I leave you with this:

Weekly Meal Planning for Sept 6-10

It was a Labor Day weekend spent celebrating a birthday and enjoying some lake time. And this week is crazy as we prepare to head out of town. Really,  Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday nights are the only meals I need to plan. Lucky for me!

Sunday: my oldest's birthday and she planned the menu - hot dogs, sausages and sautéed veggies, kale/spinach salad with apples and blue cheese, watermelon

Monday: at a friend's lakehouse 

Tuesday: pasta with marinara, peas, and leftover sausage 

Wednesday: baked chicken wings, celery sticks, sweet potato wedges 

Thursday: leftover wings n things 

Grab n Go Egg Cups!

These are a simple make-ahead breakfast for those mornings when you don't have time to do anything but heat something up. I slightly modified the recipe from Real Food Whole Life based on the vegetables I have and it turned out great! I let the egg cups cool, put them on a wax sheet, and placed them in the freezer. I will put them in a ziploc freezer bag once they are frozen.

I even had a little helper. :-)

Weekly Meal Planning for Aug 30 - Sept 5

To me, this upcoming week is the true last week of summer. The week before Labor Day. After that, BRING ON FALL. In my farm box, I'm getting three different kinds of squash, lettuce, slicing tomatoes, cucumbers, mixed sweet peppers, and peaches. Those items all scream "summer!!" to me. So I'm going to plan a lighter fare menu.

Sunday: Dinner at my mom's
Monday: Dinner at my sister's (my oldest daughter and nephew have back-to-back soccer practices)
Tuesday: Greek tacos
Wednesday: Grilled salmon with peach and avocado salsa, roasted squash and potatoes
Thursday: leftovers 
Friday: BLTs
Saturday: not sure yet…we may be at a football game

Fall Vegetable Gardening

While we have grown summer vegetables for several years, we haven't ever planted a fall garden. This year, it's on the agenda. I'm in the process of researching how to go from late summer blooms to early fall seedlings. I don't want to get rid of everything yet but I will need to start seeds for fall vegetables soon! 

I still have peppers, some sort of squash plant (that has flowered but has not produced fruit yet...), very few green tomatoes, string beans, and herbs growing. The melons are dead. The zucchini and yellow squash plants died before giving us anything we could eat. And the cucumber plants have pretty much shriveled up. 

On my list for a fall garden are Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, broccoli, spinach, beets, carrots, and different lettuce varieties. I need to start sowing seeds soon for an October harvest! 

Have you ever grown vegetables in the fall? What's on your fall gardening to-do list? Share tips and tricks!

ALL THINGS PUMPKIN…or just pancakes

My youngest found a can of pumpkin in my pantry the other morning and she asked for pumpkin muffins and pancakes. A lover of all things pumpkin, I happily obliged (after a quick hesitation because it's not even September!). Not having a ton of flour left after the batch of pumpkin muffins, I quickly mixed together a mini batch of pancakes to add to her breakfast of yogurt and fruit, and maybe one or two other breakfasts this week.

Here's what I did:

1/2 cup whole wheat flour 
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 egg
1/4-1/2 cup milk (or half & half…I had run out of milk)
1/2 cup pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
1/8 cup maple syrup

Whisk all ingredients together, add more flour or milk to get desired consistency
Heat butter or coconut oil over medium heat in a pan until sizzling
Using a ladle, pour some pancake batter into the pan
Cook until bubbles form or edges are dry, 2-3 minutes
Flip once and cook 1 minute longer
Remove from heat, plate in oven safe dish (and place in oven heated to 200 to keep warm)
Repeat with remaining batter

Serve warm!

Weekly Meal Planning for Aug 23-29

We are still in the middle of figuring out afterschool schedules so this may change this week. But so far, here's what's on our menu:

Sunday: ribs and things at my FIL's

Monday: kale + tomato egg scramble

Tuesday: chicken fajita salad, refried black beans

Wednesday: leftovers

Thursday: grilled italian sausage and andouille, eggplant, carrots, and potatoes 

Friday: grilled salmon and lemon garlic shrimp skewers over pesto zoodles and linguine, green salad

Saturday: out to eat

Here we go…soccer (and other sports) snacks

As the beginning of soccer season looms over us, I'm reminded of the anxiety of being the "healthy" snack provider for the team. I was told the other day that a big highlight for the 4-5 year old teams (on which my younger daughter will be playing) is the donuts that show up after their 30 minute practice/30 minute "game" every week, during which they maybe get 15 minutes of vigorous activity. And I cringed. Yes, many will say "but it's just ONCE a week!" and "one donut won't hurt" but is it really just that occasional? Not for my kids, it seems. Everywhere they (we) turn, there is yet another offer of junky food, junk food used as a reward, or in my case, another reason to amp up the healthy offerings at home to make up for the junk they get elsewhere. 

So what can we do? We can try to change the culture, change it back to when we were kids and there were no "Here's a capri sun, a bag of oreos, and a bag of cheetos!" after sports (or any) activities. We can start small, and set an example. We can bring fruit, bottles of water, and throw some yogurt in there if you feel strongly about having more than just fruit. We can ask the coach, the athletic director, the team parent (or volunteer for one of those roles!) to send out a "please bring fresh fruit and water as snacks". I have emailed a coach and received no response. None whatsoever. It was a bit disheartening but I moved on. And I still brought the fruit-and-water when it was my turn.

This season, at my oldest daughter's school, I sent an email to the athletic director asking that the snack policy be changed. The end-of-the-year survey showed that parents weren't happy with the lunch food offered in the school cafeteria. I'm serving on the lunch committee to revamp the cafeteria food offerings. And since we are doing that, I thought it would be a great time to re-vamp the snack policy after sports activities. I'm hoping for a positive change. If nothing else, I will ask the same of the coach, and of course, at the very least, bring my fresh-fruit-and-water snack when it's my turn. 

Does your league or team have a healthier snack policy? 

Examples of school lunches

Now that school is back in session for many of us, I've had some questions about what to pack for lunch. So, I decided to do a post of several days' worth of lunches.

Day One:

Slice of deli turkey 

Piece of cheddar cheese

Yogurt squeeze

Cucumber and yellow bell pepper slices

Figs and peach slices

Hummus

A few bunny cookies 

Day Two:

Two slices of sausage/bell pepper pizza 

Cucumber slices

Papaya cubes

Day Three:

Rice cake

Yogurt squeeze

Baby carrots

Cantaloupe cubes 

Two slices of deli ham 

Day Four:

Rice cake

Raspberries

Frozen peas

Three small pieces of Gouda 

Olives

Day Five:
Pineapple chunks
Sliced cucumbers
Two boiled eggs
Crackers

Day Six: 

Pita pocket with lebni (kefir spread) and olives

Sliced cucumbers 

A slice of deli turkey 

Blueberries and peach slices 

A few mini bunny cookies 

Day Seven: 
Leftover zucchini enchilada topped with chopped tomatoes
Pineapple cubes and peach slices
Blue corn tortilla chips

What are your kids' favorite lunches?

Weekly Meal Planning for Aug 16-22

As summer slowly winds down, I am dreaming of cooler evenings and heartier meals. We will still be grilling often, while thinking of simmering soups and chilis on the stove without getting overheated while the temps are still in the 80s-90s! (I *may* toss in a grilled cheese and tomato-bisque in the next few weeks.) I'm also really looking forward to flavorful Sunday roasts and pumpkin EVERYTHING.

Now to next week's menu…I'm getting kale, mushrooms, zucchini, green bell pepper, cucumbers and beets in my farm box. So, here's what I'm thinking, and I'm going to be flexible because we have a cousin from London visiting us. So we will probably eat out once (or twice or three times???).

Sunday: pizza from the pool
Monday: kale and mushroom pasta
Tuesday: zucchini enchiladas (a crowd favorite)
Wednesday: leftover pasta 
Thursday: grilled balsamic chicken breasts, roasted beets, cucumber and feta salad
Friday: out to eat
Saturday: dinner at my mom's

What's on your menu?

Do you drink bone broth?

Arguably the newest old-fashioned "fad" in food, bone broth has been re-gaining popularity in the last few years. Most people probably remember their mothers and/or grandmothers making broth at home instead of buying containers or cans of it from the grocery store. Chicken noodle soup was a staple for many people and made the way it was back then, it did have properties to help you feel better! Studies have shown that it does actually have anti-inflammatory effects. While no studies have looked specifically at bone broth, there are studies that have looked at the ingredients and elements it contains. Gelatin, collagen, and vitamins & minerals all have documented health benefits.

More people are moving away from the store-bought shortcut for several reasons. It's easy! And cheap! I started cooking whole chickens fairly regularly about five years ago. And that's when I began making homemade broth, too. It has more benefits for me. Now, in full disclosure, we aren't a "cup of broth a day" family. But when I make it, I freeze it in either 2 cup jars or 1/2 cup muffin tins (then in large freezer bags). That way, it lasts for a long time, and I almost always have some on hand. 

The key to easily making it at home is to use up whatever you have (carcass/bones, veggies, herbs), add water, and slow cook. I started my slow cooker last night and it's still going. There is some debate on whether or not you should use a little apple cider vinegar to help leach some of the nutrients out of the bones, but it's an easy thing to do if you have that in your pantry. While the mixture simmers, the bones break down. They release gelatin, collagen, and vitamins & minerals into the broth. After 18+ hours simmering, just cool, strain with a fine-mesh strainer, and voila! You have bone broth. The best way to tell whether your bone broth is *good* is to refrigerate it. It should gelatinize in the refrigerator (and then will become liquid again once it's heated).

For people who are struggling with inflammation related issues, regular bone broth consumption is worth trying. It's not so liquid gold with which you need to be replacing your meals, however, adding it in as a supplement is indeed the way to go. Continue eating a healthy, balanced diet.

So, have you tried it? Will you try it? According to Kobe Bryant and his team nutritionist, regular bone broth consumption helped him bounce back from potentially career-ending injuries a couple of years ago. Give it a shot! And let me know what you think. I may try to convince my husband to start drinking a cup a day to try to avoid rotator cuff surgery. 

Happy Simmering!

Weekly Meal Planning for Aug 9-15

Happy last weekend before school starts!! Monday is the first day of school for my oldest (while the youngest has 4+ more weeks of summer!). Next week, we get back to our school year routine. I'm going to plan some easy meals to get me through! The girls have requested a fig pasta, so that will be on the menu. And I'll plan on making a casserole. Fajitas area always easy, and I will plan on making enough of everything to have leftovers. 

Sunday: out to dinner before the first day of school
Monday: Fig and Pancetta Pasta
Tuesday: grilled steak fajita salad
Wednesday: leftover pasta
Thursday: leftover fajitas 
Friday: Chicken and Summer Veggie Casserole
Saturday: leftovers 

What's on your menu for next week?

Fruits and Vegetables

How many servings per day? How much is a serving? This is a great resource for increasing fruit and vegetable consumption for our kids (& us)!

http://foodlets.com/2015/07/29/12-ways-kids-can-get-5-servings-of-fruit-veggies-a-day/

Weekly Meal Planning for Aug 2-8

JI am flying by the seat of my pants getting the next few days planned. We were away enjoying some rejuvenation time at a friend's lake house and came back earlier this evening. It is the last week before school starts so we will transition back to earlier bedtimes and early wake ups. And in the transition will be trying some easier meals for weeknights, and trying to use up herbs from the garden (that haven't dried up from the summer heat!).

Sunday: Greek salad, haloumi and watermelon, figs, boiled eggs 

Monday: salami, prosciutto, figs, cheese board at a concert (kids will have breakfast for dinner)

Tuesday: zucchini and yellow squash enchiladas 

Wednesday: grilled pesto salmon, green salad, pesto pasta 

Thursday: whole chicken in a crockpot, fetti with eggplant 

Friday: out to eat

Saturday: leftover chicken and eggplant 

What's on your weekly menu?

Online Memberships?

We all know about membership clubs like Sam's and Costco. Now there are a handful of online membership websites. Are you a member of any? I have seen Thrive Market show up here and there recently, so I decided to place a trial order. I received $15 off my first order (the discount was in the email I received after I joined) and free shipping for spending over $49 (before the discount!). It wasn't a large order, but I just wanted to try it out. I buy most things on sale anyway, so I need to do a little more sleuthing to see if the prices are that much cheaper even with the annual membership fee of $59.95. Their claim:

At average discounts of 35% to retail, with just $110 worth of purchases on Thrive Market, you will have made back your initial membership fee. That means that if you’re an average American family of four, buying just 25% of your monthly groceries at Thrive Market will pay back your membership fee in under one month. Just as importantly, your paid membership will sponsor a free annual membership for a low-income family. That’s free access for an entire year to healthy, wholesome products at prices lower than their highly-processed, unhealthy alternatives.

Some of the food products we buy are on there. We currently are on a free trial membership til mid-August so I will have to decide by then if it's worth keeping. Any other subscription style online shops you frequent?

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*If you're interested in trying it out, here's a code that will get both of us discounts: http://thrv.me/KQc4Yy
** Disclaimer: I am in no way associated with Thrive, nor do I receive benefits from them for posting.

Fruit of the Week

This week, I'm highlighting lychee fruit. It's not new to us but it's rarely in season. I have been looking for it for a few weeks at the farmers market, and finally found some again this week. My kids and I were all overjoyed. This fruit has a tough outer covering which comes off easily, a tender and very sweet flesh, and a smooth dark pit. It's easy to eat a couple (or ten) in one sitting. Enjoy!

Weekly Meal Planning for July 26-Aug 1

I'm flying by the seat of my pants this week, which I hate to do. So, bear with me. Sometimes, weeks like this will sneak up and there's just no plan in place. Thankfully, we have Sun-Wed covered. I will likely re-assess fridge/freezer contents on Wednesday, and then figure out Thursday and Friday.

Sunday: Family dinner at my mom's - burgers, green salad, grilled vegetables

Monday: leftovers 

Tuesday: pizza at the pool with school friends and cousins

Wednesday: green bean stew over rice

Thursday: 

Friday:

Saturday: at a friend's lake house 

What's on your menu this week?

Zucchini and Yellow Squash Enchiladas

I had a couple of requests for the enchilada recipe so I thought I would just post it here! I used what I had on hand and loosely based the dish on recipes I had previously used. I received some zucchini and yellow squash in the farm box yesterday, had some leftover refried black beans, and had stocked up on avocados because they were on sale last weekend.

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp avocado oil 

1/2 white onion, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped 

1 clove garlic, minced

1 cup refried black beans

1 zucchini, shredded 

2 yellow squash, shredded 

1 Tbsp chili powder + more for sauce 

1 Tbsp cumin + more for sauce 

1 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper 

8 tortillas (either flour or corn will work)

1 cup shredded cheese (I used cheddar because that's what I had on hand)

2 cups tomato sauce or canned diced tomatoes (I omitted because I didn't have any)

1/4 cup green chiles or chopped chipotle peppers in adobo sauce 

Toppings:

1 tomato, diced 

1 avocado, diced

Juice of 1 lime

Sour cream 

Directions:

Heat oil in pan, add onions and peppers, stir until softened. Add garlic until just fragrant. Add zucchini and squash. Stir in chili powder, cumin, salt, & pepper. Sauté for 5-7 minutes until all veggies are tender. Remove from heat. Stir in refried beans. 

In a small pot, heat tomato sauce (or diced tomatoes) with either chipotle peppers or chiles, over medium heat. Sprinkle cumin and chili powder into sauce. Keep warm. 

Place an eighth of the veggie mixture in each tortilla. Sprinkle some cheese on top of mixture. Roll each tortilla up and place, seam side down, in a baking dish. Top with the tomato sauce (optional) & remaining shredded cheese. Cover and bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes or until cheese is melted. 

Serve with toppings. Enjoy!

New Fruit!

While at the farmers market today, my oldest daughter caught her eye on some dragon fruit and asked to buy some. I had never had it before but I agreed that we could try one. After googling what to do with it, I figured out it was actually a pretty easy fruit. And it was delicious! If you like kiwi, you'll like dragon fruit. It was perfectly ripe but not too mushy, seedy but not annoyingly so, and sweet but not overly syrupy. The girls loved it, and even asked to save a bit so their daddy could try some in his lunch tomorrow. 

Weekly Meal Planning for July 19-25

We have very little going on this upcoming week, so I'm envisioning some evenings at the pool and I want to make sure to have dinners that are either easily made at the pool or easily transportable to the pool. 

Sunday: grilled chicken drumsticks, caprese salad, grilled broccoli with lemon juice 

Monday: chicken and beef shawarma, tabouli, & yellow rice 

Tuesday: zucchini and yellow squash enchiladas 

Wednesday: leftover shawarma

Thursday: out to eat with family

Friday: out to dinner, girls had super eggs

Saturday: sandwiches before heading to Stone Mountain 

What's on your weekly menu?

Weekly Meal Planning for July 12-18

I have a few meal goals this week. Our new deck project is well under way and the actual "deck" part is all finished. Our grill is back on there so for the first time, our kids will be able to join us on the deck while we cook. The old deck was so bad (and keep in mind, it was built just ten years ago by the old owners, right before we bought the house!) that the contractor doing the new deck said it came away from the house very easily during demo. If we had had more than just 3-4 adults on there, it would've come off. So scary! So, goal #1 is to grill something while we all enjoy being out there together. 

The second goal is related to my lovely guests this week. Two of my nephews will be with us as my sister packs up the remainder of her house two states over and moves back home. I want to have all lunches and dinners well prepared ahead of time. They (along with my kids) will be at a half-day camp all week so I will have time to myself to get everything ready, which will be a nice break from the usual summer chaos! 

So, in keeping with those goals, here is the meal plan so far:

Sunday: hamburgers and hot dogs on the grill, grilled onions, spinach salad with feta and blackberries, caprese salad
Monday: leftovers
Tuesday: chicken fajitas with onions, peppers, and the usual toppings
Wednesday: nachos with zucchini, black beans, onions, and peppers

Thursday: salad with grilled shrimp, grilled corn kernels, tomatoes, lemon juice and lemon olive oil 
Friday: at a friend's pool

Saturday: out for dinner

Tuesday's Meal

NWe are currently without a deck (which is where our grill usually sits) as we are getting a new one built. So when I planned the menu, I didn't really plan well. For the grilling of the salmon and cauliflower, I pulled out the grill onto our driveway to make it happen. I had the salmon, wanted to eat it, and didn't want it to go bad! So I was *that* neighbor, grilling in the middle of her driveway. Regardless, the end result was a tasty one! And called for a light summery Vinho Verde. Perfect non-salad summer dinner. 

Weekly Meal Planning for July 5-11

Last week's plans went awry and I ended up not cooking at all until Friday. That RARELY happens. So I am going to use some leftovers for Sunday and re-plan Saturday's meal for this week's meatless Monday meal. I am getting more peaches and red onions in the farm box, so I'll toss together a spinach salad on Tuesday. Also coming in the box is some zucchini so we will make zucchini bread for some easy breakfasts/snacks.

Sunday: leftover pork tacos
Monday: crockpot whole chicken w/ cauliflower, cucumbers from our garden  
Tuesday:  salmon, kale salad, grilled cauliflower tossed in lemon juice and olive oil
Wednesday: leftover chicken & cauliflower, red rice and eggplant 
Thursday: chicken, grilled corn, peaches, and feta tossed with romaine and balsamic reduction 
Friday: at a pool party
Saturday: out to dinner 

What's on your menu this week?

Happy 4th of July!

Weekly Meal Planning for June 28-July 4

This meal plan brought to you by:  PEACHES!!! We are getting SIX peaches in our farm box next week so I'm going to try a meal that my sister and brother-in-law made at the beach that we all loved. Also coming in the box are cabbage and corn (other ingredients in the meal) so I think it's meant to be for me to make it on Taco Tuesday Wednesday. We have dinner plans for the first three days, and Whole Foods is offering a great deal on a salmon and kale bundle so I'm hoping to be able to get there early on Friday so I can get it! 

Sunday: Dinner at FIL's
Monday: Swim Team Banquet
Tuesday: Dinner at my mom's
Wednesday: hummus and veggie pita sandwiches, watermelon at the pool
Thursday: out to eat with family
Friday: Grilled pork tacos, peach salsa, cabbage at the pool
Saturday: at a friend's lake house
Sunday: Whole Foods 4th of July bundle -- salmon, kale salad, cobbler!

What's on your menu for the 4th?

Starting Young

People ask me all the time how my kids eat as well as they do, or tell me that I'm so lucky that my kids eat the variety that they eat. Well, folks, I'm here to tell you that it's not luck. It takes a lot of work. And it's much easier if you start when they are young. What you offer, how you talk about food, the variety that YOU eat, and the healthy balance that you show as a role model - all are very important to keep in mind when you are teaching good eating habits.

When babies start eating solids, it's important to introduce a variety of different foods. There are some studies that discuss order of introduction, and whether or not that affects food preferences. There are also different ways of introducing foods including puréed and "baby led weaning" as two of the more popular ones. I won't get into which is better because families can make the best choice for themselves. With both of these methods, a key is feeding a variety of foods. As babies grow into toddlers, it's important to continue introducing new foods alongside familiar foods. Like most parents of toddlers, I understand the toddler tantrums and how easy it is to just offer the same thing day in and day out, but you're not setting your child up to love many different foods that way! 

As they get older, enlighten them. Talk to them about *how* to make healthier choices. Tell them to think about what else they have eaten when they are wanting some junk food, or ask for desserts, or even certain types of snacks. My kids love eating bars and my youngest would eat multiple in a day. Now we discuss how to eat balanced meals throughout the day (& week), and what they have and haven't eaten in order to get proper nutrients. 

Can you guess one of the biggest predictors in whether or not your child will be open to trying new foods? Yep, you guessed it. YOU. If your child doesn't see you eating the way you want them to eat, and being adventurous in food the way you want them to be, they will most likely not be open to new foods. Make sure you revamp your eating habits while you are working on your child's. It will make changing your child's habits easier!

And, as with everything parenting-related, consistency is key! Don't give in or take the easy road - this is a battle you DO want to fight, for the health of your child! So remember, start young, feed a variety of healthful meals and snacks often, and you too can be "lucky" to have a great eater! 

Weekly Meal Planning for June 21-27

This meal plan was created while we were headed back from the beach yesterday. It's still a work in progress but here is what we have so far:

Sunday: Burgers, grilled onions and zucchini, tomato mozzarella salad 

Monday: Grilled salmon with parsley/onion marinade, grilled purple cauliflower and sweet potato

Tuesday: Swim meet - spring mix/spinach salad with tomatoes, artichokes, cucumber (from the garden!), grilled chicken, feta, lemon juice, balsamic glaze, olive oil

Wednesday: last minute Chipotle run

Thursday: County swim meet - TBD

Friday: Maybe Fig, Spinach and Prosciutto Pizza

Saturday: Cookout at a friend's house

What's on YOUR menu this week?

Dinners by the sea

We spent a week in the 30A beaches area, and since we had a full kitchen, we cooked a few meals instead of going out the entire time. My sister's family was there, too, and we took turns cooking. Here are our eat-in meals:

Cobb Salad with balsamic vinegar and olive oil 

Grilled Pork tacos with shredded cabbage, peach salsa, and guacamole

Grilled whole red snapper, grilled cilantro/lime shrimp, grilled pineapple, arugula, watermelon + feta salad with lemon juice and olive oil

Our lunches were simple -- mainly salads and sandwiches. Ham and cheese sandwiches; BLTs; arugula + Parmesan salad; egg scramble with red pepper, onion, and avocado; a spread of hard boiled eggs, prosciutto, fig, Parmesan, haloumi, arugula, watermelon, and sundried tomato ciabatta; prosciutto, watermelon, cantaloupe, parmesan, tomato, avocado, and pita bread.

We did eat out for about half our dinner meals, too. There was a lot of shrimp and red snapper consumption! 

Food for Thought

Mid morning smoothie break!

My oldest is fueling up for strong and fast swim skills at her meet this afternoon. Coconut water, mango, spinach, and cucumber. Mmmmm!!

Roadtripping!

It's summertime! Time to hit the road! How many people go on road trips and just pull over to the first fast food joint they see when they are hungry? I will admit that we were one of those people. In fact, the only times my kids have ever eaten at McDonald's was on a road trip. We haven't done that in a few years though. Instead, we have either packed all our food and just pulled into a rest area to eat, or if we are going through a larger town or city, we pick out specific restaurants to go to. (We have recently stopped letting the kids eat while we drive based on many recommendations for choking hazard safety.) 

So, we pack and stop for breaks (if and) when we need to. And in all honesty, the food we pack isn't that different from what we eat on a regular basis. We do tend to have more packaged options like bars and crackers. And if we know we will be on the road for a meal, we will pack sandwiches in a cooler. We normally also include yogurt pouches (like these or these), fruit, raw veggies, and cheese sticks. Depending on what kind of sandwich is packed, we may pack some nut butter packets to spread on bananas, apples, or crackers. And lastly, if I'm motivated enough before leaving, I will bake some batches of muffins or breakfast breads for the road/vacation. 

What are your favorite foods or snacks to pack for road trips?

Weekly Meal Planning for June 7-13

I just received the email with the contents of my farm box which will be delivered on Monday. Most of the contents will be used for lunches or snacks. I will make one main dinner meal based on those contents, and we will be packing "lunch" style dinners at the pool a couple of days. I also like to do a "clean out" meal (or two or three) if I feel like there are things in the pantry fridge and freezer that are being neglected!

Sunday: grilled chicken skewers with tzatziki, grilled  veggies (onions, zucchini, bell peppers), steamed asparagus, tomato/cucumber salad with feta, grilled potatoes

Monday: broiled salmon, roasted potatoes and onions, lemony cauliflower, butter lettuce salad with egg and avocado

Tuesday: pita pockets with hummus & feta, spinach & cucumbers for swim meet 

Wednesday: at a friend's lake house

Thursday: at a cookout

Friday: lunch-style food at the pool

Saturday: "clean out" meal

What's on your menu this upcoming week?

Weekly Meal Planning for May 31-June 6

This is going to be a week with some wrenches with regards to meal planning. We have two swim meets scheduled, a family birthday dinner, and we are having a little family get together for hubby's birthday. I used to follow food bloggers pretty religiously a few years ago. I started a spreadsheet with links to recipes I wanted to try, and kept a weekly log of our meals. So, I referred back to it after not having been using it for over a year and got a couple of ideas. Here's what I have so far:

Sunday: Mexican steak sandwiches, corn on the cob, guacamole, refried beans, black bean and tomato salad, watermelon

Monday: crustless quiche

Tuesday: leftover Mexican sandwiches, corn, refried beans, and peach guacamole for swim meet

Wednesday: family birthday dinner at my sister-in-law's 

Thursday: swim meet/I'm out of town (up to my hubby) which means probably steak sandwich leftovers again

Friday: pasta leftovers from catered lunch at the pool, raw veggies

Saturday: salad with grilled vegetables and chicken