A long time ago, Aaron and I agreed that we should eat out when we want to eat something which we do not know how to make at home. We don't stick to this rule strictly, but we follow it most of the time. For example, we don't go out for pasta because we make pretty decent pasta at home. We do order pizza because we have not mastered pizza. Exceptions aside, it's a pretty good rule for us. We save money and really appreciate eating out when we do.
One of our regular eating out experiences is the local Indian restaurant. My kids love the Indian restaurant. The food is delicious; the staff is kind and patient; the prices are reasonable. Until this week, I never tried to cook Indian food. The idea of it intimidated me. Heck, I can't pronounce some of the food, so how could I cook it? Kids have a way of pushing our limits, of stretching us and introducing us to experiences we might have missed otherwise.
Caleb wanted butter chicken at home. Apparently butter chicken is also called "Chicken Makhani," but our local restaurant always labels it butter chicken. Thanks to the internet and living near a large metropolitan area, I found a great recipe and the ingredients required for it.
Click HERE for the recipe.
Since it was my first time making ANY Indian food, I didn't diverge from instructions much. I ended up tripling the recipe because I figured I might as well make enough for several meals. I was a bit short on the half and half, so I used some skim milk to top it off. I skipped the cayenne pepper for the kids' benefit, and Aaron sprinkled some on top of his. I served it with some jasmine rice from Trader Joe's (microwaveable rice - weirds me out to be honest, but the cooking required enough effort that I decided to make the rice even easier).
The kids absolutely loved it! Aaron loved it! My neighbor and her daughter loved it the next day! Yes, this recipe required more preparation than most of what I cook, but it was SO worth it. It's flavorful but not hot spicy. This is definitely worth trying with your families.
Monday, April 11, 2011
Monday, April 4, 2011
Mid-Week Check In
I know Wednesday is mid-week for the rest of the world. Since I start my menu on Thursdays, Sunday or Monday ends up being my mid-week. I thought I'd post a quick update on food, weight loss, and... gardening!
Food
Thursday's lentil and black bean chili was quite tasty but not well-received by the kidlets. The recipe called for some optional cayenne pepper, and I decided to add it since we were a bit short on chili powder. I'm pretty sure the kids would have eaten more of the chili had I skipped or reduced the cayenne.
Friday's dinner was nothing extraordinary, but I have managed to move my kids from regular fish sticks to a slightly less stick-like fish. Trader Joe's makes breaded halibut and breaded cod, both of which do not have stick shapes. Sure they are still breaded, pseudo-fried fish products, but they have a bit more verisimilitude to them.
Saturday we had delicious chicken on the grilled with Montreal Steak Spice (yes, steak spice and not chicken spice). I was excited to make the spice-roasted butternut squash again, but neither of my kids would eat it. Wah. Caleb declared it too sweet, which in turn meant Ellie wouldn't do more than lick it. On the bright side, both kids ate salad without dressing.
On Sunday, Aaron called for leftovers because our fridge was a bit full. OK, more than full. :)
As for tonight, I'm a bit nervous about presenting Mexican brown rice casserole to my kids again since they both summarily rejected it last time. I'll have to consider the spicing to see if I can make it more palatable to them.
Weight Loss
I've been in maintenance mode for the past month or so. Weight Watchers has this idea that if you maintain your goal weight for 6 weeks, you become a lifetime member. Lifetime membership means you no longer pay a monthly fee for meetings and online tools. This week will be my 6th weigh-in during maintenance, and I'm a bit nervous since I've been wobbling around between 150 and 152.4. I need to be at or below 152 to hit lifetime, and Ben and Jerry's Milk & Cookies is killing me. I would have hoped to learn some better self-control in the last year, but apparently I still have that battle.
I did make a decision to rid myself of many clothes which no longer fit. I promised myself never to be able to fit in those clothes again, so maybe a lack of internal self-control can be helped with some external controls.
Gardening
Several of my friends started their seeds indoors weeks ago. They are so organized, ordering their seeds, planning their plots. I am not so organized and I got angry at New England's weather. We had snow on April 1 (not a funny April Fools' joke), and today the weather wasn't sure whether to rain or snow. I don't trust my seeds outdoors in this weather, and I don't have enough gardening-savvy to start seeds indoors. Besides I or the WonderBeast kills any living green thing in the house. So I'm still waiting to plant outdoors.
BUT, I turned dirt! The kids and I took shovels and dug into our raised beds to "stir" the dirt. I raked it level when we were done. We also are able to resume composting now that the bin is accessible again. The snow had covered it and frozen it shut. I feel much better not wasting our food scraps. I probably should review composting to see whether I can speed up the process given our lousy temperatures. Anyway, now that we turned dirt, I can start to think about crops and layout/spacing.
I'm looking forward to keeping you posted on our garden (see the old posts for what you can look forward to!) and our eating experiences.
Food
Thursday's lentil and black bean chili was quite tasty but not well-received by the kidlets. The recipe called for some optional cayenne pepper, and I decided to add it since we were a bit short on chili powder. I'm pretty sure the kids would have eaten more of the chili had I skipped or reduced the cayenne.
Friday's dinner was nothing extraordinary, but I have managed to move my kids from regular fish sticks to a slightly less stick-like fish. Trader Joe's makes breaded halibut and breaded cod, both of which do not have stick shapes. Sure they are still breaded, pseudo-fried fish products, but they have a bit more verisimilitude to them.
Saturday we had delicious chicken on the grilled with Montreal Steak Spice (yes, steak spice and not chicken spice). I was excited to make the spice-roasted butternut squash again, but neither of my kids would eat it. Wah. Caleb declared it too sweet, which in turn meant Ellie wouldn't do more than lick it. On the bright side, both kids ate salad without dressing.
On Sunday, Aaron called for leftovers because our fridge was a bit full. OK, more than full. :)
As for tonight, I'm a bit nervous about presenting Mexican brown rice casserole to my kids again since they both summarily rejected it last time. I'll have to consider the spicing to see if I can make it more palatable to them.
Weight Loss
I've been in maintenance mode for the past month or so. Weight Watchers has this idea that if you maintain your goal weight for 6 weeks, you become a lifetime member. Lifetime membership means you no longer pay a monthly fee for meetings and online tools. This week will be my 6th weigh-in during maintenance, and I'm a bit nervous since I've been wobbling around between 150 and 152.4. I need to be at or below 152 to hit lifetime, and Ben and Jerry's Milk & Cookies is killing me. I would have hoped to learn some better self-control in the last year, but apparently I still have that battle.
I did make a decision to rid myself of many clothes which no longer fit. I promised myself never to be able to fit in those clothes again, so maybe a lack of internal self-control can be helped with some external controls.
Gardening
Several of my friends started their seeds indoors weeks ago. They are so organized, ordering their seeds, planning their plots. I am not so organized and I got angry at New England's weather. We had snow on April 1 (not a funny April Fools' joke), and today the weather wasn't sure whether to rain or snow. I don't trust my seeds outdoors in this weather, and I don't have enough gardening-savvy to start seeds indoors. Besides I or the WonderBeast kills any living green thing in the house. So I'm still waiting to plant outdoors.
BUT, I turned dirt! The kids and I took shovels and dug into our raised beds to "stir" the dirt. I raked it level when we were done. We also are able to resume composting now that the bin is accessible again. The snow had covered it and frozen it shut. I feel much better not wasting our food scraps. I probably should review composting to see whether I can speed up the process given our lousy temperatures. Anyway, now that we turned dirt, I can start to think about crops and layout/spacing.
I'm looking forward to keeping you posted on our garden (see the old posts for what you can look forward to!) and our eating experiences.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Back to the Posting
The lack of posting has so many reasons:
Thursday: lentil and black bean chili
Friday: fish, green veggie (probably broccoli), brown rice, challah
Saturday: chicken - maybe on the grill?, spice roasted butternut squash, salad
Sunday: Aaron's call since I don't get home until 3ish
Monday: Mexican brown rice casserole - hoping for better reception by the kidlets.
Tuesday: leftovers
Wednesday: Special dinner with Aaron (i.e., PIZZA!!!)
When I have a bit more time to post (i.e., I need to pay attention to the aforementioned kidlets), I will write about Caleb's birthday party food.
Good eats!
- Travel out of state for a week
- Caleb's birthday upon returning
- Work-life-blog balance issues
Thursday: lentil and black bean chili
Friday: fish, green veggie (probably broccoli), brown rice, challah
Saturday: chicken - maybe on the grill?, spice roasted butternut squash, salad
Sunday: Aaron's call since I don't get home until 3ish
Monday: Mexican brown rice casserole - hoping for better reception by the kidlets.
Tuesday: leftovers
Wednesday: Special dinner with Aaron (i.e., PIZZA!!!)
When I have a bit more time to post (i.e., I need to pay attention to the aforementioned kidlets), I will write about Caleb's birthday party food.
Good eats!
Monday, February 28, 2011
Hmm... Bread...
I have posted about the 5 Minute-a-Day artisan bread before. You can check out the cookbook about this bread here. Despite having written about baking bread before, I feel compelled to write about it again. OK, I just want to wax poetic about it. One of my high school friends has a blog in which she writes about her cooking experiences. She writes with such passion that some might find it overwhelming. Yet I had an experience like hers today with the most recent batch of bread.
After a hodge-podge of lunch with Ellie, I decided to have a piece of the bread I made for the soup we had for dinner last night. For the curious, the soup from last night was butternut squash. And for the really curious, the hodge-podge lunch for me was leftover pea soup and a chicken drumstick. Ellie had food nearly non-stop from about 10:30 through noontime - fruit leather, grape tomatoes, granola bar, breaded cod fillet (from TJ's), broccoli, 1-2 slices of apple, and I'm probably forgetting something before the bread.
ANYWAY...
I made this batch of bread with all-purpose flour, rosemary and thyme for herbs. The shape ended up less than ideal, but the texture and taste has been phenomenal. I sliced some of the roundish loaf for me and Ellie, buttered our pieces, and decided to sit with Ellie to keep her company. Little did I realize that I would *need* to sit down while eating the bread.
First I found myself amused at Ellie's attempts to eat the inside separate from the crust. Then I noticed that she actually was enjoying the crust. Next she told Tigger the Wonder Beast that he could not have her bread. Ha ha - Tiggers don't like bread. Or do they? He started begging from me too, so I gave him a crumb which he promptly devoured. I remembered reading somewhere about how you can tell real food from not-so-real-food by whether another animal desires and will eat the food item in question. So on to my bread experience now that the human and feline beasties were content.
I took a bite and just felt complete comfort and peace. The crusty exterior opened to a soft yet wonderfully chewy inside. The air pockets allowed space for the flavor to spread. The flour and cornmeal dusting added interesting texture and perhaps depth is the word I'm looking for. With each bite, I enjoyed the aroma of the rosemary and thyme, feeling as though I was in some idyllic outdoor setting like a quiet thick forest with a gentle breeze and old trees. I actually found myself closing my eyes and just smiling as though I knew some deep significant secret.
I know anyone reading this will think that I've gone off the deep end. I feel as sane as I've ever felt. I merely had one of my most amazing food experiences ever with something as simple as a piece of home-baked bread.
You simply must try to make your own. You owe it to yourself.
After a hodge-podge of lunch with Ellie, I decided to have a piece of the bread I made for the soup we had for dinner last night. For the curious, the soup from last night was butternut squash. And for the really curious, the hodge-podge lunch for me was leftover pea soup and a chicken drumstick. Ellie had food nearly non-stop from about 10:30 through noontime - fruit leather, grape tomatoes, granola bar, breaded cod fillet (from TJ's), broccoli, 1-2 slices of apple, and I'm probably forgetting something before the bread.
ANYWAY...
I made this batch of bread with all-purpose flour, rosemary and thyme for herbs. The shape ended up less than ideal, but the texture and taste has been phenomenal. I sliced some of the roundish loaf for me and Ellie, buttered our pieces, and decided to sit with Ellie to keep her company. Little did I realize that I would *need* to sit down while eating the bread.
First I found myself amused at Ellie's attempts to eat the inside separate from the crust. Then I noticed that she actually was enjoying the crust. Next she told Tigger the Wonder Beast that he could not have her bread. Ha ha - Tiggers don't like bread. Or do they? He started begging from me too, so I gave him a crumb which he promptly devoured. I remembered reading somewhere about how you can tell real food from not-so-real-food by whether another animal desires and will eat the food item in question. So on to my bread experience now that the human and feline beasties were content.
I took a bite and just felt complete comfort and peace. The crusty exterior opened to a soft yet wonderfully chewy inside. The air pockets allowed space for the flavor to spread. The flour and cornmeal dusting added interesting texture and perhaps depth is the word I'm looking for. With each bite, I enjoyed the aroma of the rosemary and thyme, feeling as though I was in some idyllic outdoor setting like a quiet thick forest with a gentle breeze and old trees. I actually found myself closing my eyes and just smiling as though I knew some deep significant secret.
I know anyone reading this will think that I've gone off the deep end. I feel as sane as I've ever felt. I merely had one of my most amazing food experiences ever with something as simple as a piece of home-baked bread.
You simply must try to make your own. You owe it to yourself.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Meal Plan: 2/24 - 3/2
I didn't post a meal plan last week because I was in a weight-loss funk. I had hit a nasty plateau in my weight-loss journey and I just didn't want to plan diddley-squat. I did end up with a plan for the week, but I never got around to posting it here. I did post 2 of the recipes, so I hope someone reading will enjoy those.
The plateau ended this week - huzzah! I reached my weight-loss goal, and so I'm feeling much better about my eating and cooking decisions. I didn't use my meeting time to write a menu last night, so I scrambled to put one together this morning. The scrambling was because I needed to figure out whether I would have to go to the store today or if procrastination was an option. Procrastination it is!
Thursday
Since Aaron is having a "man-date" this evening, I'm going to cook up the Trader Joe's BBQ teriyaki chicken with jasmine rice for the kids. I doubt this is the healthiest option for any of us, so my plan is to finish off the split pea soup we have.
Friday
Our usual Shabbat dinner: fish, green veggie, brown rice. I imagine we'll stick with broccoli for the green veggie, but I have been craving asparagus. It's just not the right season for it. I can wait until some semblance of Spring.
Saturday
Aaron has been asking to make grilled chicken or chicken in the slow-cooker. Honey, you're up!
Sunday
Soup and bread. I think I'll use up another butternut squash, but I might see whether the sugar pumpkin on my counter is still usable and go for the Tuscan Pumpkin-White Bean instead.
Monday
Since the turkey meatballs were a big hit, I'm going to try my hand at some turkey burgers. I'll need to decide on a recipe and a side dish, but I'm excited to try some new things. Besides, I found one of those hamburger maker things - you know, the thing you put the meat in and squish it down with a round plastic thing? Yeah, I'm really technical here. I've been itching to try it out.
Tuesday
Cheesy lentil rice casserole will make a reappearance on the menu. I love that I can use up extra veggies in it and that the kids eat it without complaint.
Wednesday
Pasta night for the kids; splurge night for me and Aaron. :)
What's on the menu at your house this week?
The plateau ended this week - huzzah! I reached my weight-loss goal, and so I'm feeling much better about my eating and cooking decisions. I didn't use my meeting time to write a menu last night, so I scrambled to put one together this morning. The scrambling was because I needed to figure out whether I would have to go to the store today or if procrastination was an option. Procrastination it is!
Thursday
Since Aaron is having a "man-date" this evening, I'm going to cook up the Trader Joe's BBQ teriyaki chicken with jasmine rice for the kids. I doubt this is the healthiest option for any of us, so my plan is to finish off the split pea soup we have.
Friday
Our usual Shabbat dinner: fish, green veggie, brown rice. I imagine we'll stick with broccoli for the green veggie, but I have been craving asparagus. It's just not the right season for it. I can wait until some semblance of Spring.
Saturday
Aaron has been asking to make grilled chicken or chicken in the slow-cooker. Honey, you're up!
Sunday
Soup and bread. I think I'll use up another butternut squash, but I might see whether the sugar pumpkin on my counter is still usable and go for the Tuscan Pumpkin-White Bean instead.
Monday
Since the turkey meatballs were a big hit, I'm going to try my hand at some turkey burgers. I'll need to decide on a recipe and a side dish, but I'm excited to try some new things. Besides, I found one of those hamburger maker things - you know, the thing you put the meat in and squish it down with a round plastic thing? Yeah, I'm really technical here. I've been itching to try it out.
Tuesday
Cheesy lentil rice casserole will make a reappearance on the menu. I love that I can use up extra veggies in it and that the kids eat it without complaint.
Wednesday
Pasta night for the kids; splurge night for me and Aaron. :)
What's on the menu at your house this week?
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Cheese-Stuffed Meatballs with Spaghetti
Another yummy recipe to share with you all! I decided that it was time for me to learn how to make meatballs. I don't know how I've reached the age of almost-35 and not made meatballs, but it is true that I have not made my own meatballs (as far as I can remember). I gained a great appreciation for those who do this on a regular basis or for restaurants who do this rather than purchasing premade meatballs. These meatballs were worth the effort, but I doubt I can find time each week for them. I bet I could make the meatballs in advance of need/want and freeze them though.
Cheese-Stuffed Meatballs w/Whole Wheat Spaghetti
From Weight Watchers - 10 PointsPlus per serving
Serves 4
Ingredients:
8 oz. ground turkey
1/2 c. grated parmesan cheese
1/4 c. breadcrumbs
1/4 chopped fresh parsley
1/4 fat-free milk
1 large egg white
1 clove garlic, minced
pinch cayenne
1 1oz. piece part-skim mozzarella, cut into 16 cubes (think string cheese)
2 c. fat-free marinara sauce
1/2 c. water
8 oz. whole-wheat spaghetti (or other pasta)
Instructions:
Mix turkey, 1/4 cup parm, bread crumbs, parsley, milk, egg white, garlic and cayenne in large bowl. Shape turkey mixture around cheese cubes to form 16 meatballs.
Bring sauce and water to simmer in large skillet. Add meatballs; cover and simmer, stirring gently a few times, until cooked through. About 10 mins
Meanwhile cook pasta.
Divide pasta among 4 plates; top evenly with meatballs and sauce. sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup parm cheese.
Notes/Changes:
Making meatballs is a messy, slimy endeavor. Be prepared to wash hands frequently during the process.
Changes I made: I used panko for breadcrumbs, 1% milk, and a generic EggBeaters product for the egg (1/4 c. = 1 egg). I had pre-minced garlic, and I skipped the cayenne for the kids. Aaron made a marinara sauce which included some spinach (maybe 10-16oz.?) I think the cookbook recipe actually calls for escarole to be tossed with the pasta for the last minute of cook time, but we put our greens in the sauce instead.
Cheese-Stuffed Meatballs w/Whole Wheat Spaghetti
From Weight Watchers - 10 PointsPlus per serving
Serves 4
Ingredients:
8 oz. ground turkey
1/2 c. grated parmesan cheese
1/4 c. breadcrumbs
1/4 chopped fresh parsley
1/4 fat-free milk
1 large egg white
1 clove garlic, minced
pinch cayenne
1 1oz. piece part-skim mozzarella, cut into 16 cubes (think string cheese)
2 c. fat-free marinara sauce
1/2 c. water
8 oz. whole-wheat spaghetti (or other pasta)
Instructions:
Mix turkey, 1/4 cup parm, bread crumbs, parsley, milk, egg white, garlic and cayenne in large bowl. Shape turkey mixture around cheese cubes to form 16 meatballs.
Bring sauce and water to simmer in large skillet. Add meatballs; cover and simmer, stirring gently a few times, until cooked through. About 10 mins
Meanwhile cook pasta.
Divide pasta among 4 plates; top evenly with meatballs and sauce. sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup parm cheese.
Notes/Changes:
Making meatballs is a messy, slimy endeavor. Be prepared to wash hands frequently during the process.
Changes I made: I used panko for breadcrumbs, 1% milk, and a generic EggBeaters product for the egg (1/4 c. = 1 egg). I had pre-minced garlic, and I skipped the cayenne for the kids. Aaron made a marinara sauce which included some spinach (maybe 10-16oz.?) I think the cookbook recipe actually calls for escarole to be tossed with the pasta for the last minute of cook time, but we put our greens in the sauce instead.
Friday, February 18, 2011
"Mexican" Brown Rice Casserole
Aaron has been craving Mexican-style food for a while now. Maybe he wouldn't call it a craving, but he has been asking for it. I've missed Mexican-style food since restarting my Weight Watchers journey. Most Mexican-style dishes I make have some kind of cheese in them. Cheese is rather high in PointsPlus value, unless I use lowfat or no-fat cheese. I don't like using no-fat cheese, and I like A LOT of cheese, so Mexican has been off the menu here for a while.
At my meeting this week, I read the weekly pamphlet and was delighted to see a Mexican-style meal that didn't require no-fat cheese. In fact, the ingredients are pretty basic, and the preparation looked super-easy. The recipe did not disappoint me. It was flavorful, reasonably filling, somewhat kid-approved, and has made for good leftovers.
"Mexican" Brown Rice Casserole
From Weight Watchers - 8 PointsPlus per serving
Serves 6
Ingredients:
1 spray cooking spray
4 c. cooked brown rice
1 1/4 c. fat-free salsa
1 tsp. ground cumin
15 oz. refried beans
10 oz. frozen corn, thawed
4 oz. canned green chili peppers, mild, diced
1 Tbsp. chili powder
10 oz. frozen spinach, or collard greens, thawed and set to drain in a strainer over a bowl
3/4 c. lowfat shredded Cheddar cheese, divided
2 Tbsp. cilantro, fresh, chopped (optional, for garnish)
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375. Coat a 2-quart rectangular, round or oval baking dish with cooking spray
In a large bowl, combine rice, salsa and cumin. Spoon 2 cups of rice mixture into prepared baking dish and spread out to evenly cover bottom of dish.
In another large bowl, combine refried beans, corn, chili peppers and chili powder. Using a rubber spatula, scrape bean mixture on top of rice layer and smooth out top.
Squeeze out any excess water from spinach or collard greens and then spread on top of bean layer; sprinkle with 6 tablespoons of cheese. Top with remaining rice mixture and smooth out top; sprinkle with remaining cheese.
Place casserole on a large rimmed baking sheet to catch any spillage. Bake until heated through and cheese is browned and bubbling, about 30 minutes. Sprinkle with cilantro (if desired), cut into 6 pieces and serve.
Notes/Changes:
I skipped the cilantro, but I'm sure the dish would be good with it. I didn't bother with the large baking sheet because I could see that the casserole wasn't going to overflow. I think I will use more spinach next time. This casserole also would make fantastic burrito/enchilada filling. And one last note, this casserole would be great for sports gatherings/tailgating.
Buen provecho!
At my meeting this week, I read the weekly pamphlet and was delighted to see a Mexican-style meal that didn't require no-fat cheese. In fact, the ingredients are pretty basic, and the preparation looked super-easy. The recipe did not disappoint me. It was flavorful, reasonably filling, somewhat kid-approved, and has made for good leftovers.
"Mexican" Brown Rice Casserole
From Weight Watchers - 8 PointsPlus per serving
Serves 6
Ingredients:
1 spray cooking spray
4 c. cooked brown rice
1 1/4 c. fat-free salsa
1 tsp. ground cumin
15 oz. refried beans
10 oz. frozen corn, thawed
4 oz. canned green chili peppers, mild, diced
1 Tbsp. chili powder
10 oz. frozen spinach, or collard greens, thawed and set to drain in a strainer over a bowl
3/4 c. lowfat shredded Cheddar cheese, divided
2 Tbsp. cilantro, fresh, chopped (optional, for garnish)
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375. Coat a 2-quart rectangular, round or oval baking dish with cooking spray
In a large bowl, combine rice, salsa and cumin. Spoon 2 cups of rice mixture into prepared baking dish and spread out to evenly cover bottom of dish.
In another large bowl, combine refried beans, corn, chili peppers and chili powder. Using a rubber spatula, scrape bean mixture on top of rice layer and smooth out top.
Squeeze out any excess water from spinach or collard greens and then spread on top of bean layer; sprinkle with 6 tablespoons of cheese. Top with remaining rice mixture and smooth out top; sprinkle with remaining cheese.
Place casserole on a large rimmed baking sheet to catch any spillage. Bake until heated through and cheese is browned and bubbling, about 30 minutes. Sprinkle with cilantro (if desired), cut into 6 pieces and serve.
Notes/Changes:
I skipped the cilantro, but I'm sure the dish would be good with it. I didn't bother with the large baking sheet because I could see that the casserole wasn't going to overflow. I think I will use more spinach next time. This casserole also would make fantastic burrito/enchilada filling. And one last note, this casserole would be great for sports gatherings/tailgating.
Buen provecho!
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