The Week Ahead... 5/20/2013

It's yet another crazy week. I have a few evening meetings, my mother is having surgery on Thursday, and we leave for a camping trip with friends on Saturday morning, which is why I already know what we're eating next weekend.

We are going to the same campground the moms went to last fall. It will be the same moms, along with their families, as well as another family. I believe the total count is 10 adults and 9 kids, so it should be tons of fun. If all goes well with the food I'll be blogging on the trip later.


Menu for the Week of May 20th

Monday: Cuban-style black beans (source) with brown rice and tomatoes
Tuesday: Halloumi Quinoa (we didn't get to it last week)
Wednesday: Beet Salad
Thursday: leftovers
Friday: leftovers
Saturday: ham steak, grilled pineapple, foil sweet potatoes, s'mores!
Sunday: chicken foil packets with potato, bacon, apple, and onion, s'mores!

Mother's Day and The Week Ahead... 5/13/2013

Sometimes I look at my son and am so surprised. The whole biology of it is awe-inspiring. I see so much of both my husband and myself in him, yet he is truly unique. And, I love him so much... more than I ever thought I could (yes, it's cliche, but true.)

It's funny the things you live for when you're a parent, like the fact that I hate leaving for work if he hasn't woken up yet because I don't get to hear, "bye, Mommy" as I walk out the door. Or, the way he runs to me every afternoon when I pick him up at daycare. Or, a request to go look at the tower cranes.

When I was pregnant we referred to my son as "little man". About a year after he was born I heard a song by Eddie From Ohio called "Hey Little Man" and it brought me tears. As a stereotypical engineer, I do have a hard time putting my thoughts and emotions into words, but this song nailed it for me. Here's my favorite line, and my hope for my son as well:

"May luck be by your side and the spirit be your guide,
And may you know the blessing, and may you know the joy,
And may you know the love of a true friend"

I wish a happy mother's day to all the moms out there!


Menu for the Week of May 13th
I'm out of town Tuesday and won't be back in time for dinner on Wednesday, but the fridge is stocked with leftovers!

Monday: Curried Spinach and Chickpeas with rice (sweet potato for me)

Tuesday: leftovers

Wednesday: leftovers

Thursday: hot dogs, baked beans, raw veggies

Friday: Halloumi Quinoa

Saturday: farmer's market find! (bison steaks, asparagus?????)

The Week Ahead... 5/6/13

This week's calendar is kind of crazy, so I tried to keep the menu rather simple. There was a request from a certain 3 year old for Sloppy Joes, even though we had them last week. Since they taste amazing and are easy, I agreed. We did not get to the beet salad last week, so I've moved it to this week since I already had the beets.

Tonight's dinner is another favorite of the 3 year old... Cuban-style Beans. The recipe is from my wonderful nutritionist and is super easy, but it does take a while to cook the beans. I made the beans last night and will throw some brown rice in the rice cooker when I get home. I'm not actually eating beans these days as I'm essentially on a paleo diet while my nutritionist gets my thyroid perked up. Beans are perfect for tonight, though, as I'm going to yoga and won't be eating dinner. I used to do yoga a lot but haven't done it in about 4 years. Swimming is making my muscles tighter, so I figured I needed to counteract that with yoga. And, the bonus with the beans is that I can freeze the leftovers and the family can eat them as I'll be away a few nights in the coming weeks. Hopefully that will make the next few weeks not as crazy as they look on the calendar!


Menu for the Week of May 6, 2013

Monday: Cuban-style Beans (source) and rice with avocado and tomato

• prep salad

Tuesday: Make-ahead Layered Salad

• prep Sloppy Joes and bake Scrumptious Sandwich Bread (source)

Wednesday: Sloppy Joes with raw veggies

• cook beets

Thursday: Beet Salad

• cut veggies and chicken

Friday: chicken stir fry over quinoa

Swimming Update and Chard (or Kale) with Dates

I have to admit that I'm very proud of myself because I swam at least two times every week for the month of April. This is the best I've ever done with exercising and there are two reasons for my success: (1) I don't hate swimming so its not too much of a chore; (2) I'm trying to be a good role model for my son and show that regular exercise is just something we should incorporate into our lives. Clearly the latter reason is the most important and the one that really keeps my motivated to get up at 5 AM and get in the pool!

I'm definitely getting stronger and gaining stamina. I'm swimming about a 1/2 mile in 30 minutes. My abs, inner thighs, and arms are getting stronger. I just feel all around better. So, yay me!


Chard (or Kale) with Dates

• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 shallot, chopped
• 1 bunch chard or kale, washed, de-stemmed, and roughly chopped (I prefer chard)
• 4 dates, chopped
• salt and pepper

1. Heat olive oil in a skillet. I use a 12" skillet.
2. Sauté shallot until translucent.
3. Add chard or kale and stir occasionally until beginning to wilt.
4. Add in dates and stir occasionally until the greens have wilted.
5. Finish with salt and pepper, as needed.

This recipe has been shared on Vegetarian Mamma's Gluten Free Fridays, Diet, Dessert and Dogs' Wellness Weekend, and Allergy Free Alaska's Whole Food Fridays.

The Week Ahead... 4/29/2013

Menu for the Week of April 29th

Monday:  Curried Spinach and Chickpeas with rice (sweet potato for me)

• prep quinoa gratin

Tuesday:  quinoa gratin

• prep Sloppy Joes

Wednesday:  Sloppy Joes, raw veggies

• prep beets

Thursday:  Beet Salad

Friday:  Kale Salad over quinoa

Mister Rogers and Broccoli Apple Slaw

Between Boston and West, Texas there have been a lot of prayers lifted to those in need. There have been a lot of positive things said on social media, many accredited to Mister Rogers.  The quote I've seen the most is, "When I was a boy and would see scary things on the news, my mother would say to me, 'Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.'" I find it interesting that, even after his death, Mister Rogers can help children and adults alike deal with our feelings. I'm glad to part of the Mister Rogers generation.

***

This recipe was inspired by a kohlrabi-apple slaw in Nourishing Meals. My grocery store did not have kohlrabi, so I used broccoli. I've changed the flavor profile of the dressing to accommodate the broccoli and dried cranberries.


Broccoli Apple Slaw
This holds for a few days in the refrigerator.

• 2 crowns broccoli, cut into small pieces (I do this ahead of time)
• 2 apples, cut into small pieces (I like Fiji)
• ~1/4 c dried cranberries

Dressing (can be made ahead of time)

• 6 oz plain yogurt (any type - I use goat)
• 1 tbsp honey (or agave if vegan)
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp orange juice
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp salt

1. In a small bowl, mix together all of the dressing ingredients. Set aside.
2. Place broccoli, apples, and dried cranberries in a bowl.
3. Pour dressing over slaw and stir. It's best if you let it sit for at least 10 minutes before serving.

This recipe has been shared on Diet, Dessert and Dogs' Wellness Weekend, Vegetarian Mamma's Gluten Free Fridays, Allergy Free Alaska's Whole Food Fridays, and The Daily Dietribe's 5-Ingredient Mondays.

The Week Ahead... 4/14/2013

What an amazing weekend! We had lovely weather and got a lot accomplished.

We were home tonight instead of at my mom's for dinner. The pork chops were amazing; my husband declared them company-worthy!

Menu for the Week of April 14th

Sunday: Dijon and Honey Pork Chops, kale with dates

• prep salad

Monday: Make-ahead Layered Salad

• soak quinoa

Tuesday: Halloumi Quinoa

• cut potatoes

Wednesday: Cranberry Orange Chicken, Roasted Potatoes, and pan-roasted brocolli (I typically make this with roasted green beans but the store was out of them.)

• "rice" the cauliflower
• prep the dressing

Thursday: Thai-Inspired Mango & Avocado Salad with Cilantro "Rice", from the May/June 2013 Simply Gluten Free Magazine

Friday and Saturday: trip!