Memorial Day Weekend

This was our last long weekend before our new arrival gets here (I'll likely be in the hospital over the 4th of July) so we decided to take a family trip. On Friday we camped for one night in Wasatch Mountain State Park with my parents. Fortunately my mom took care of most of the packing and planning and also was kind enough to let us sleep in their trailer so it wasn't nearly as tough as it could have been but I still don't generally recommend it when you're 8 months pregnant. It was just for one night though and David enjoyed it so much that I'm still glad we went. 

The grass at the campsite had grown pretty unruly so David cheerfully volunteered to mow it.

The next morning we went to the Heber Valley Railroad's Day Out With Thomas and David got to ride on Thomas the Train. He was especially pleased when they played some of his favorite Thomas music during the ride and performed an impromptu dance on the seat.

You may have noticed that David is wearing a different shirt and hat in this photo. He also managed to  fenagle a toy train from Grandma and Grandpa as well. Getting that shirt off of him long enough to wash it was no easy feat.

After that my parents headed home and we got a hotel for one more night. We were hoping to take David to a carnival across the street but it was closed because of rain. Instead we went swimming (indoor pool) and out to dinner. We were literally getting ready to head out the door to go when I read Elizabeth's comment from my last post recommending the Dairy Keen. We had planned on somewhere else but decided to go ahead and give it a try. 

I actually think it was the highlight of the whole trip for David. They had a large model Thomas train that ran all along the ceiling as well as some smaller model trains and a train table for the kids to play at. I tried to get him to sit down and eat some food but he was so desperate to get to the train table that I just let him go. He wouldn't even come to the table for ice cream. The next day was Sunday and they were closed but we still stopped by on our way out of town and let him play on the train tables outside. Of course we had to try the door twice to prove that it really was locked and he couldn't get in to see Thomas on the ceiling again.

If you're wondering what David's doing here he's pulling the imaginary cord to blow the whistle and shrieking "CHOO CHOO!"

Meal Planning Week 21

I didn't cook any new recipes last week so there's none to review and I've tried to continue the theme of mainly simple (read easy) foods this week. We've only got a little over 4 weeks before this baby comes and pregnancy is definitely catching up with me. I had an actual meal planned for last night but was too exhausted from our trip and working earlier in the day that we all just sort of scrounged something up. I like sitting down to eat as a family so hopefully I can get my act together because I know things aren't going to get any easier for a very long time.

• Sunday: Tacos (we had a lot of leftovers last week and didn't get around to cooking everything)
• Monday: Leftovers
• Tuesday: African chicken peanut stew and homemade bread
• Wednesday: Broccoli quiche and fresh fruit
• Thursday: Pancakes
• Friday: Chicken salad wraps with carrots and cucumber sticks
• Saturday: Pasta with lemony broccoli, walnuts, and cannellini beans, salad

Meal Planning Week 20

So I managed to cook everything on our menu last week and there's several new recipes to review. I finally got around to making that salmon recipe. I'll admit that fish really isn't a huge favorite of mine (or Derek's) but I know it's good for me so it's one of those foods I'm trying to train myself to appreciate more. This recipe was fairly easy and the sauce did give the fish a pleasant tangy zip but of course it still tasted like fish so it's not a huge favorite just yet.

The swedish meatballs were delicious but they were fairly work-intensive and HOLY BUTTER! These definitely won't be earning any awards in the healthy department. I may make them again on occasion but it's not going to become a staple by any means.

As for the macaroni and cheese the sauce turned out waaay too runny. Maybe I should have simmered it more to thicken it? I've only made baked mac n cheese before. If the sauce had been the right consistency it would have been decent enough. Very classic flavor.

The mulligatawny soup was pretty tasty as well and took surprisingly little effort. I did sub the half/half for a can of coconut milk and added some potato and celery. Also I didn't use as much salt as the recipe called for but still found it bit too salty. Next time I'd probably try to tweak the spices as well. Maybe a little less curry powder and add some coriander or cardamom? Or using green curry paste instead of curry powder? Not sure but I'll probably make it again sometime and play around. I did love the taste of the apple and would have liked to add some carrot as well.

Lastly we tried the sausage, polenta and mozzarella casserole. I had some chicken sausage in the freezer but only 1/2 lb so I chopped up a zucchini and a large portabella mushroom to saute with the sausage. Derek doesn't particularly like fennel so I subbed some Italian seasoning and didn't bother with the fresh oregano. I also used regular mozzarella instead of fresh (yes I know fresh tastes divine, but it's also pricey) and it still tasted great. It was also pretty easy and painless to make (I used pre-made polenta) so we'll certainly be eating this again.

This next week we're going to be heading out of town. We're going to camp for one night and then my parents are treating David to a train ride at the Thomas and Friends festival at the Heber Valley Railroad (I'm sure he'll be miserable). Anyway, I've tried to keep meals fairly simple so I can (hopefully) focus on getting ready to go.

• Sunday: Black bean burgers (I've discovered these taste VERY yummy when coated with some wing sauce from Winger's restaurant) and baked cinnamon yams
• Monday: Meatball subs and salad (I'm cheating with frozen meatballs and a jar of sauce dumped in the crock pot before work. Can't get easier than that)
• Tuesday: Baked potatoes with broccoli and cheese, salad
• Wednesday: Tacos
• Thursday: Pancakes (probably with chocolate chips or blueberries added)
• Friday: Vacation
• Saturday: Vacation

Pictures!

Okay so I'm biased but I LOVE this little face! That's one of my favorite recent David photos. I know it's been awhile since I've posted anything other than menus so here's a few snapshots I've been meaning to share.

These are from Easter. David got a nice sugar fix compliments of the Easter Bunny as well as some eggs stuffed with matchbox cars. He had a lot of fun hunting for eggs although even with the eggs "hidden" in plain sight he still needed help finding some of them. We didn't get around to dying real eggs this year but he still thoroughly approves of this holiday.

Love at first sight

 

And then here's a few more just enjoying the beautiful spring weather that FINALLY decided to arrive!

Meal Planning Week 19

I can't believe another week's gone by! This week we've decided to tackle a vegetable garden and have been fairly busy getting everything ready to plant. My cousin recommended a book by a local author that outlines how to garden in this climate and it seems to have some good advice though I've always had a pretty brown thumb so only time will tell. If it turns out I'll obviously incorporate our produce into my menu planning and probably learn to can some tomatoes. We'll see. I've planted some tomatoes, zucchini, squash, red pepper, basil, parsley, and cilantro. For the fall I'm also hoping to grow some carrots, lettuce, spinach, and snap peas. Wish us luck!

The only recipe I haven't already reviewed from last week is the turkey burgers. These were scrumptious though I did make a few modifications. For one I halved the recipe and still got 8 good-sized patties made. I really can't imagine if I'd made them as big as the recipe called for. Also I didn't have any Major Grey's chutney so instead I chopped up a few mango chunks and fresh ginger and a dash of apple cider vinegar, cinnamon, cloves, and allspice (a little goes a long way). These would taste great fixed up luau style with some grilled pineapple.

• Sunday: Orange salmon with broccoli and rice (eventually I'll get around to making this)
• Monday: Swedish meatballs over egg noodles with salad 
• Tuesday: Macaroni and cheese with steamed broccoli, cauliflower and carrots
• Wednesday: Mulligatawny soup and bread (yes, another repeat)
• Thursday: Grilled hot dogs and veggie kabobs
• Friday: Polenta, sausage, and mozzarella casserole with salad
• Saturday: Leftovers or eat out

Meal Planning Week 18

Well this week it was Derek getting sick that interfered with the menu plan. Since the honey goat cheese pizza is one of Derek's favorites I decided to wait until he feels better to make it. And I also decided to make some soup for tonight. Hopefully he'll be able to eat it and next week will find all of us in good health.

• Saturday: Mulligatawny soup and bread
• Sunday: Lemon pesto ravioli and salad
• Monday: Turkey burgers and roasted cauliflower
• Tuesday: Honey goat cheese pizza with salad
• Wednesday: Frittata and fresh fruit
• Thursday: Taco salad with white bean chicken chili
• Friday: Going out to celebrate my grandma's birthday!
• Saturday: Orange sauced salmon with broccoli and brown rice