Meal Planning Week 13

I've really hit a wall when it comes to menu planning (and pretty much everything else). Thankfully tax season is coming to a close but we're all basically running on fumes at this point. And of course being a glutton for punishment I chose to potty train David in the midst of it all. I won't bore all of you with the details but want to warn any of you that haven't yet had the pleasure of potty training a little boy that you cannot simply sit them on a full-sized public toilet without making a mess. You either need to sit them backward or sideways or have them face frontwards but completely take off their pants so that they can sit far enough back that, ahem, the stream falls where it's supposed to. Not the most pleasant subject I know but now all of you who will someday deal with this can thank me for not letting you find all this out AFTER you had already spent weeks working on your toddler to finally get him to sit on a big unfamiliar potty so you could leave the house once in awhile. Now I've trained David to sit in a way that results in getting me or his clothes doused in pee half the time but he FLIPS OUT if I make him do it differently. So yeah, we're back to square one in that regard. If any of you parents who have already dealt with this really fun issue have any helpful suggestions I'd love to hear them.

And after that very appetizing introduction I'll get back to the food. Hey, I'm a nurse AND a mom. It takes a lot more than bodily fluids to phase me. No new recipes to review since I barely cooked. Here's what's up for this week.

• Sunday: Barbecue chicken salad wraps and cornbread muffins
• Monday: Pancakes
• Tuesday: Chana Masala with brown rice
• Wednesday: Baked cinnamon yams with salad and cornbread muffins
• Thursday: Egg sandwiches
• Friday: Tomato spinach tortellini with tuna and garlic toast
• Saturday: Leftovers or eat out

Meal Planning Week 12

Yes I realize I am late posting this. Last week did not go as planned. Most of my meals never got made as I was on call for work and wound up needing to go out almost every evening. That's another aspect of life that's a lot simpler when Derek's not working crazy tax season hours. Thankfully I have a back-up babysitter in place for nights that I'm on call but it's still a lot more hectic. Therefore this upcoming week's menu will look a little familiar.

I did make the apple tuna melts which I really enjoyed but Derek merely tolerated. He's usually not a big fan of fruit in salads though so I'm not surprised. The recipe called for a 6 oz can of tuna but at the store I could only find 5 or 7 oz. I used the 5 oz but wound up with lots of apple and very little tuna. Next time I would get the 7 oz can and only chop 1/2 an apple unless it was a really small one. 

• Sunday: Chicken Fajitas
• Monday: Macaroni spaghetti
• Tuesday: Mediterranean turkey hummus wraps
• Wednesday: Pancakes
• Thursday: English muffin pizzas
• Friday: Soup and grilled cheese (type of soup TBD)
• Saturday: Leftovers or eat out

Meal Planning Week 11

This week I've tried to keep things fairly simple as we're in the throes of potty training. David has done great so far but we're only a couple days in so it's still taking up a fair amount of time. Also my mother-in-law and Jim come into town on Thurs and I'm not really sure what plans we'll be making so I've tried make things pretty flexible. Anyway there's lots of recipes from last week to review so here's the run-down.

The english muffins turned out fairly well though they don't taste like store bought. The consistency inside is more like that of bread. Also I rolled the dough out to exactly 1/2 inch (I measured) before cutting out the muffins but then they wound up being too thick after rising. I set my griddle to medium heat and cooked them for 7 min on each side but they were still doughy in the middle so I finished them in the oven. It took a lot longer than I'd anticipated. If I make them again I will roll the dough out thiner and then just increase the rise time if needed. On the plus side David really loves them and they do make for a convenient snack/meal on the go.

I had tried the whole wheat pancakes recipe subbing milk with lemon juice for the buttermilk which tasted OK, but this time I used buttermilk and WOW! They were so light and fluffy. I never could have guessed that they were made with all whole wheat. The only disadvantage is that the batter is so thick that it doesn't pour so instead you need to plop them on the griddle and spread them out by hand but this contributes to the fluffy texture so don't try to thin them out. We'll definitely be having these again.

As for the lentil curry it was OK but I tend to like curries to be creamier and more flavorful. Mainly I was hoping David would enjoy it but he didn't give it much of a chance. At least it's a very healthy recipe.

The cream of asparagus was delicious. I used olive oil instead of butter and half/half instead of cream. I also halved the amount of thyme after reading the reviews. Cutting off the tips and then fishing them out before blending sounded like a hassle so I didn't bother nor did I strain it so it wound up being fairly easy too.

• Sun: Tuna melts with apple and cheddar and leftover asparagus soup
• Mon: French toast
• Tues: Spaghetti with macaroni noodles, garlic toast and peas
• Wed: English muffin pizzas
• Thurs: Chicken fajitas with black beans and rice
• Fri: Happy B-Day to Me! Derek's taking me out! (Thanks Grandma for babysitting)
• Sat: Freezer meal?

Meal Planning Week 10

10 consecutive weeks of planning menus may be some sort of record for me though I can't be sure as this is the first I've officially kept track. I finally got around to making some of the recipes I posted a couple weeks ago so here's the scoop. Hummus guacamole was very tasty, even to Derek and I who aren't huge guac lovers. David tried and liked it though he eventually preferred eating the chips plain. The only drawback was that the color was pretty unappetizing, probably at least in part because I used roasted red pepper hummus and also I think the red salsa juice may have contributed as well. If I were making this for guests I would use a light colored hummus like roasted garlic and sub the salsa for fresh pico.

Chana masala is still not my favorite Indian dish but the recipe was good and pretty easy to make though I do feel it needed a bit more salt. I didn't have whole cumin seeds so I just left them out. After the brown rice was cooked I stirred in a bunch of frozen peas into the hot rice which made for a nice touch. David absolutely loved it and managed to outeat me (which at this stage of pregnancy is saying something). Throughout all four (!) of his servings he eagerly exclaimed "Chickpeas! David like chickpeas! More chickpeas please!" so needless to say we'll be having it again despite it being a food neither Derek or I would choose on our own.

The butternut squash macaroni was another delicious find. Becca I'm not sure if Paela would be fooled into believing that it's traditional macaroni and cheese (especially with the tomatoes and chives added) as the texture is a bit different but it was yummy and the squash was not visible.

• Sun: Chicken enchiladas (Elizabeth's recipe of course!) My old roommate has a simple but awesome recipe for creamy chicken enchiladas. I might get around to posting it at some point but in the meantime email me if you're interested.
• Mon: Blueberry pancakes
• Tues: Lentil curry (the chana masala was such a success I thought we'd continue along that vein) with brown rice
• Wed: English muffin pizzas and salad (At least if the muffins I am attempting turn out. My friend who gave me the recipe told me that she used 2/3 whole wheat flour and 1/3 white with a couple T of gluten added)
• Thurs: Cream of asparagus soup with homemade bread (Happy St Patricks!)
• Fri: Leftovers or eat out
• Sat: Pulled pork sandwiches and coleslaw (I posted this coleslaw recipe before but never got around to reviewing it. I really enjoy the sweet tangy taste. It's like a cross between traditional coleslaw and pepper cabbage which is a Pennsylvania Dutch concoction that my in-laws introduced me to. I actually prefer pepper cabbage but Derek likes coleslaw so this is a nice happy medium for us.)

What's NOT For Dinner

By now you probably have a good idea of what we eat for dinner but since I have a toddler snacks are also a pretty important part of our food repertoire. If you're like me and try to shy away from highly processed foods then it can be a challenge to find foods that a toddler will also embrace. If David had his way he would eat crackers, cheerios, pretzels, etc morning, noon, and night. I'm not an extremist and he usually does get at least one of those things every day but I feel a lot better about giving it to him if I know he gets a fair amount of real food too. Here's some healthier alternatives that can hold their own against their goldfish counterparts. Adults and toddlers alike enjoy these at our house on a fairly regular basis.

• 5K granola: This recipe is a gem from my friend Amy. It goes great on yogurt or eaten plain. I've even poured milk over it and eaten it like cereal which is good too if you like it really crunchy.
• Whole wheat pitas (or bread) spread with humus
• Mango sorbet: This does freeze a little too hard in the freezer so they do need to be taken out to defrost ahead of time. Zapping them in the microwave works too though the consistency won't be as smooth. I imagine these would make awesome popsicles as well but haven't tried that yet. I'll let you know this summer.
• Yogurt: I haven't made my own yogurt yet though I would like to try it sometime. Instead of buying the individual flavored ones though I buy large cartons of plain and then sweeten it as needed with honey and occasionally pureed fruit. If you do add pureed fruit I suggest using greek yogurt as the fruit will thin it out a bit. Not only is this healthier (a 6 oz serving of commercially sweetened yogurt can contain as much sugar as a candy bar) but it's a lot less expensive. Also it's pretty convenient to only buy 1 kind of yogurt and be able to use it plain for cooking or sweetened for snacks. With this system it's rare for any to get wasted.
• Banana ice cream: I won't lie and say that it tastes exactly like real ice cream but it's pretty darn delicious and a whole lot healthier. To David any ice cream is a treat and this is no exception.
• Homemade muffins: They are a bit high in sugar but it's a great way to get some great nutrients in as well, especially if they're whole wheat. Apples, blueberries, zucchini, pumpkin, and flax seed are just a few. The sky's the limit. A batch of muffins can freeze well in freezer bags too so you can eat them 1 or 2 at a time
• Cinnamon rice: If I have leftover brown rice David loves to eat it with cinnamon and just a touch of butter and brown sugar
• Peanut butter dip for veggies or fruit: David loves being able to dip and paint pictures on his plate but regular peanut butter is just too thick, especially if you use the pure, freshly ground variety. Sometimes some of the fruit and veggies makes it into his mouth too. To make it mix 1 part peanut butter and 2 parts plain yogurt. Add a drizzle of honey if desired.
• Pancakes: Sometimes I'll make more pancakes than I need and then lay the leftovers out on a cookie tray in the freezer. Once they're fully frozen I stack them all in a large freezer bag and they won't stick together. Then I just zap in the microwave to reheat (works best if covered with a paper towel so it doesn't dry out). As a disclaimer I should add that these do NOT taste as good as fresh off the griddle cakes do, but they make it so that David can enjoy pancakes a lot more often than he otherwise would.
• Trail mix: Peanuts, raisins, and raw almonds makes for a super simple trail mix. Obviously you can add to or customize this pretty much any way you want but it makes for a great on-the-go snack
• Homemade whole wheat bread: I know this sounds crazy but for about the past month I've been baking all of our bread by hand to save money and to avoid all of the artificial preservatives, grain softeners, and coloring that store bread often contains (not to mention it tastes 10 times better). If you have a mixer with a dough attachment for kneading then that pretty much takes care of all the work for you. Rising and baking does take a bit of time but not much effort. I've been making 1-2 batches (yields 2-4 loaves) once a week and storing the extra loaves in the freezer until we need them. The recipe I've linked to is great though I substitute honey for the sugar and instead of adding the powdered milk I just substitute the 2 C of water with regular milk which has worked great.
• Fruit and spinach smoothies: Ok, I realize this also makes me sound a bit fanatical but David has been pretty resistant to eating solid fruits and veggies. I came across the suggestion of making smoothies and figured it was worth a try. Turns out it's his favorite food EVER. I was a bit skeptical about the spinach but it really doesn't affect the taste (though it can turn it green). If the color makes you squeamish I've found that using blueberries can mask it. You can use just about any ingredients but here's the recipe I usually use. It makes enough for all 3 of us to enjoy a good-sized glass in the mornings though if Derek and I don't drink ours fast enough David will come begging for some of ours after he's downed his own.
  
  
  1 peeled orange (no seeds) or 1 cup of fresh fruit (strawberries, blueberries, or pineapple all work well), 1 peeled banana, 1 cup fresh baby spinach, 1 1/2 C frozen fruit (we usually use mango, strawberry, and blueberries). About 6 oz fruit juice to thin to desired consistency (I've tried milk too but unfortunately it sometimes gives it a consistency almost like whipped cream which is pretty nasty. You can use water; it just will be a little less sweet). If you feel like adding ground flax seed or whey protein for an additional boost then go for it.

Meal Planning Week 9

It's a lot harder to stick to my plan when Derek's not around despite the easy meals. Actually I think it's especially because of that. Even though it takes some work I do enjoy cooking and trying out new recipes especially as Derek would normally take care of dishes and clean-up. And I REALLY love when all of us can sit around the table over a delicious home-cooked meal. Without that it's just so much less enticing, but I'll keep at it. In just 6 long weeks we'll get our lives back. Tax season always give me new appreciation for single parents. I think a marriage must be pretty bad for anyone to prefer it on their own, at least when small children are involved.

As for recipes, we didn't try any new ones last week so I don't really have any reviews to add, but I will include the Chicken Poppy recipe that I didn't have a link for because it's so yummy. I got it from my college roommate Auburn but I've made a couple modifications. This time I made 2 pans and froze one which wasn't much more work and I'm excited to cook it again. I didn't add the crackers or butter to the frozen one as I was afraid they'd get soggy so when I cook it I will put it in the oven frozen and then once it's fully defrosted I'll add the crackers and melted butter and cook as usual until done.

Chicken Poppy

• 2 cooked chicken breasts (or any chicken really) shredded or diced
• 3 C cooked rice (I use brown rice but any kind works)
• 2 C chopped veggies (This isn't part of the original recipe but I love veggies and it's healthier too. This time we used fresh broccoli and carrots but just about anything works. Frozen is good too.)
• 2 cans cream of chicken soup
• 16 oz sour cream (I like to sub plain yogurt)
• Poppy seeds
• 1 tube Ritz crackers, roughly crushed
• 1/2 cube melted butter

Mix the veggies into the rice and spread over the bottom of a 9x13 baking pan and top the rice with the chicken. Mix the soup and sour cream together and then pour over the chicken. Sprinkle liberally with poppy seeds and then with the crackers. Pour the melted butter over the crackers and bake at 350 degrees until pan is bubbly (about 30 min).

Here's what I'm planning for this week:

• Sun: White bean chicken chili with guac and chips
• Mon: Fried egg sandwiches (didn't get made last week)
• Tues: Spaghetti and peas
• Wed: Chana masala with brown rice (still haven't made it from a couple weeks ago)
• Thurs: Leftovers or eat out
• Fri: Butternut squash mac n cheese with green beans
• Sat: Asian style orange-sauced salmon with sesame seed broccoli and rice

Smarter Than I Give Him Credit For

I keep going back and forth as to whether to move David into a toddler bed before or after the baby gets here. On the one hand it would be nice to able to completely take down the crib for a few months before handing it over to the baby so he doesn't feel as though he's being booted out to make way for a sibling (though in reality that's pretty much the case). But on the other hand he is still happy in his crib and more to the point hasn't figured out how to climb out. Most nights he still wakes up at least once and I hear him jumping up and down on the crib mattress until he eventually tires out and (generally) falls back asleep. I have a feeling though that if he had the ability to get free and get to his toys (not to mention the rest of the house) that would all change so we may well leave him there until he can climb out and let the baby crash in a bassinet or playpen in the meantime.

Anyway, today I thought I'd just broach the subject to see how receptive to it he was. I found some online pictures of toddler beds and asked how he'd like to sleep in a big boy bed like that instead of in his crib. He immediately selected the above bedding set with planes, trains, and trucks (real shocker there) and wanted to go get it right away but then he paused and I could see the wheels turning in his head. All of a sudden he gets really serious and asks, "Mommy, where Baby Brudder sleep?"

I was floored! We've told him that he's going to get a baby brother in the summer but not much else. Since he's still so young we're waiting until the time gets a lot closer to really try and prepare him for any changes that might take place and don't discuss it too much in front of him. I was able to (truthfully) explain that when the baby is first born he will sleep in a little bed next to me but David didn't seem completely satisfied with that explanation. He pronounced then and there he was staying in his crib and immediately lost all interest in "big boy beds." Sheesh! Why does he have to be so darn perceptive?