Monday: Taco Salad
Tuesday: Egg and Ratatouille Sandwiches
Wednesday: Hearty Lentil and Kale Pasta
Thursday: Chickpea Piccata over Mashed Potatoes
Friday: We're going out to celebrate our anniversary, the kids are having pancakes
Saturday: Pizza
Sunday: BBQ Salmon, Rosemary Caper Potatoes, Roasted Veggies, Fennel Bake, Spring Salad
Weekly Pantry List
Olive oil, fresh garlic, thyme, bread crumbs (2 Tbsp), white wine (about 1/3 cup), Montreal Steak Spice, mayonnaise, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, slivered almonds, sunflower seeds, pecans
Weekly Grocery List
Sour cream
Yogurt
Eggs
Cheddar cheese
Cranberry Goat Cheese
Romano cheese
Parmesan cheese
Feta cheese
Olives
Salmon fillet
Arugula (8 cups) or 4 of another lettuce for taco salad
Pea pods
2 russet potatoes (1 1/2 lbs)
1 1/2 lbs of baby potatoes (all different colors if you can find them)
cauliflower (need 1/2 head)
4 cups arugula
Mixed baby greens
1 lemon
1 lime
5 cobs of corn
Cucumber
Kale
Strawberries
1 avocado
4 tomatoes
2 zucchini
3 shallots (enough for about a cup)
3 onions
1 eggplant
2 red, green or yellow peppers
1 red pepper
1 yellow pepper
1 orange pepper
1 bunch asparagus
3 cups mushrooms
Fresh basil
Fresh thyme
Fresh dill
Fresh rosemary
Fresh Italian Parsley
Sundried tomatoes
1 jar capers
Lentils (canned or dried - you need 1 1/2 cups)
Veggie stock
1 can chickpeas (19 oz)
1 can black beans
Tortillas chips
Whole wheat penne
Salsa
English muffins
Taco Salad
It's election day...I'm not going to talk about it though, although I did explain to Hannah the reason we vote and why it is so important to participate (I've since seen the percentage of Canadians that voted and perhaps should have had this conversation with half of Canada).
I was amazed today by the girls when they asked me if they could draw some pictures. I got out the crayons, markers and some paper for them to draw on and went upstairs to put away the laundry. When I came back down a few minutes later both girls were completely content sitting at the table, neither one of them had drawn a thing. Hannah had named all the markers, for example the green marker was greeny and so on, and was playing with them like they were dolls. Harper was holding a crayon about an inch away from her face peeling every bit of paper off of it, there was a pile of crayon paper peelings around her and a stack of freshly peeled crayons beside her. They both continued to "draw" for the next 25 minutes never actually producing one drawing, they're so funny.
Recipe
Taco salad is one of my favorite ways to use up leftovers. Although I did go out and buy tortilla chips. the following is what I had to use up, really almost anything goes.
2 cobs of corn, cooked (mine were already cooked but they are really sweet and tasty raw), kernels cut off cob
handful of pea pods, chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped
Black beans, I had half a can but a full one would work too1/3 of a cucumber
1 avocado, chopped
juice of 1 lime
4 cups of arugula1 cup of grated cheddar cheese
tortilla chipssalsa
sour cream
(if you have cilantro add that too)
I mix all of the ingredients in a bowl except for the chips, salsa, sour cream and arugula. Place some arugula at the bottom of each bowl, add the salad and crush some chips over top (my kids love to crush their own), top with salsa and sour cream (or use ranch dressing if you have) and mix all together.
Egg and Ratatouille Sandwiches
Possession or ownership is a funny thing with Harper. It doesn't really matter what it is, as long as it belongs to her she's happy. If it doesn't belong to her then she needs to know who it belongs to and will wander around the house saying, "that Hannah's? that Mama's? that Daddy's?" It's very confusing to her when it doesn't actually belong to anybody in particular. For the past few days she has had a little cut on her foot (I'm pretty sure it's because I can't get her to keep her shoes on outside) and she sits on the floor, takes off her socks and shoes and points to it exclaiming with delight, "That MY booboo!" This morning when she went to check in with her booboo and it had healed, she was completely distraught as if she had lost a prized possession. No matter what I said there was no consoling her, luckily I found another booboo on her knee and was able to convince her that it had moved, this she found acceptable!
Recipe
The recipe for the roasted ratatouille comes from Moosewood: Simple Suppers. It's easy, delicious and very versatile. You could eat it as is, over rice, risotto, pasta or in an omelet or sandwich. I always hope for leftovers because it's so yummy, today I used it to dress up an egg sandwich.
English muffins
Eggs
Parmesan cheese (sliced with a veggie peeler)
Roasted ratatouille
1 zucchini
3 onions
1 eggplant
2 red, green or yellow peppers
6 garlic cloves, chopped
1/3 cup olive oil
1 cup packed fresh basil leaves, chopped
Preheat oven to 450F.
Cut all the veggies into 1 inch chunks and place in a roasting pan with garlic and toss all with olive oil. Spread them out in the pan and roast for about 40 minutes, stirring after 15.
Once it's done take it out of the the oven and mix in the fresh basil.
* If you don't have all the veggies don't worry, I often make this with just what I have laying around the garlic and the fresh basil are really key here.
Spray a pan and fry your eggs. Meanwhile, cut your English muffins and lay them on a cookie sheet brush them lightly with olive oil and put them under the broiler until they are very lightly toasted.
Once eggs are cooked layer the bottom of the Englishe muffin with Parmesan cheese, ratatouille, egg and then the top. We just had these on their own but a nice light green salad would go nicely.
Hearty Lentil and Kale Pasta
I'm a control freak. I can admit it, I feel safest when I'm in control. I have heard that there is no such thing as control, that it is an illusion, so let me change that statement to I feel better when I have the illusion of being in control. I even planned the Mother's Day Dinner Menu, and it's not because if I didn't we would have ended up having hot dogs, my husband is fully capable of planning and executing a nice meal, I'm a control freak especially in the kitchen. One of my biggest fears/challenges is that I won't be able to relinquish control enough to let my children learn for themselves. Today I found myself biting my tongue while Hannah poured her cereal and milk (little cereal lots of milk), put her toys away in different spots than they usually go and put her shirts in her pants drawer. I am determined to beat this though because, Hannah makes her own breakfast, puts her toys and laundry away - that's worth the tongue biting...oh, and I don't want to screw them up!
Recipe
This recipe is from The Wind Attack, the only thing I really changed was 1/4 fresh basil for 2 tsp dried (I don't like dried basil) and we all really liked it. I have to admit that Dave worked a little late and I prepped everything and then gave the girls a bath and it was all very busy and confusing with little girls doing nudy runs all over the place and after we finished eating (all of us clothed) I realized that I forgot the lentils! It was still good but I'm sure the lentils would have bulked it up nicely (and added some good protein). I hope you like it because I have promised that it will make more appearances on the menu.
 |
| Picture it with lentils! |
1/2 cup Oil-Packed Sun Dried Tomatoes, 1/4″ sliced
1/3 cup minced fresh Parsley
1/2 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
1/2 cup chopped Feta Cheese
5 cloves Garlic, minced
1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan Cheese
1/4 cup fresh basil
Fresh ground Pepper
1 1/2 cups cooked French Lentils
4 Cups Kale, chopped
1/2 lb Whole Wheat Penne Pasta
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Meanwhile, prep all of your ingredients.
When water is at a rapid boil, add the pasta. Cook until slightly firmer than desired, about 8 minutes. Add the Kale, stir and cook for about 2 additional minutes.
Turn off stove burner and drain the pasta save for a few tablespoons of the pasta water. Return the pasta to the pot. Add all the remaining ingredients. Stir until everything is evenly incorporated. Plate the pasta.
Tuesday and Thursday nights have become soccor nights for the next couple of months. Hannah is on the Cheetahs, they have yellow jerseys and a love for running. There's something so wonderful about watching a group of five year olds running their hearts out (most of them) up and down the field trying to score. Hannah got a chance to play goalie this game and even stopped a goal (and avoided getting kicked in the process, which is very good). She just has that look of sheer happiness when she plays and talks about playing which I love to see. She also sleeps really well the nights after she's played and then eats a huge breakfast the next morning - I have to say I love that too. What is it that makes me so happy to see her eat? Maybe because she's just a little ganglia thing, she's already a good eater, but something about watching her eat cereal and eggs and fruit in the morning makes me feel like I'm taking good care of her.
Recipe
Dave borrowed a cookbook from the library for me on my ereader called Appetite for Reduction. I don't think that I can have my cookbooks on ereader, for them I need the book and the glossy pictures but, it's nice to be able to try them out first before going out and buying it. I think that this one may be a keeper, I'll have to try a few more recipes before I make the final call. We all loved this, I believe they describe it as luscious in the book and I have to say, along with the word comfort, that best describes it.
Caulipots
2 russet potatoes (about 11/2 lbs) cut in 1 inch chunks
1/2 head cauliflower (about lb) cut in florets
1 Tbs olive oil
2 - 4 Tbs veggie broth
1/2 tsp salt
freshly cracked black pepper
Place the potatoes in a pot and cover with at least 4 inches of water (enough so you can later add the cauliflower) and boil. Once boiling add the cauliflower and simmer for 15 minutes or until both are tender. Drain and mash adding olive oil and 2 Tbsp of the veggie broth (add more if needed), salt and pepper.
1 tsp olive oil
1 scant cup shallots, thinly sliced
6 cloves garlic
2 Tbsp bread crumbs
2 cups veggie stock
1/3 cup white wine
freshly ground black pepper
1 19 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup capers with a little brine
3 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
4 cups arugula
Preheat a large, heavy- bottomed pan over medium heat. Saute the shallots and garlic for about 5 minutes, until golden. Add the bread crumbs and toast them by stirring constantly for about 2 minutes. They should turn a few shades darker.
Add the vegetable broth, wine, salt, pepper, and thyme. Turn up the heat, bring the mixture to a rolling boil, and let the sauce reduce by half; it should take about 7 minutes.
Add the chickpeas and capers and let heat through, about 3 minutes. Add the lemon juice and turn off the heat.
If you're serving the piccata with mashed potatoes, place the arugula in a wide bowl. Place the mashed potatoes on top of the arugula and ladle the piccata over the potatoes. The arugula will wilt and it will be lovely.
Out for dinner - the kids are having pancakes
I think that if there is an agency that takes pet fish away from neglectful owners they need to come and knock on my door. We have a fish that we bought Hannah for her 4th birthday and is surprisingly still alive. Hannah named her Babyfish and has since decided that Babyfish is her nickname and her real name is Chrysanthemum. She use to live in Hannah's old room but in this house she has found a home on the mantle. I'm not sure how she ended up there, I think I put her there on moving day with the intention of finding her a permanent home and never went back...almost entirely. She's too high for Hannah to feed her and so has become Dave and my responsibility...this is not good. Apparently asking us to care for one more thing other than our children is too much. We barely remember to feed her or clean her tank. We'll often talk about how we feel bad for her but still forget to feed her that day. We've also had this discussion about how she doesn't look so good and maybe we need to move her somewhere where she'll be in direct sun light (I know, she doesn't look so good because she's hungry). So, today I decided to clean her tank, change her rocks and put her on the dinning room table while the kids and I were outside (yes, I still forgot to feed her). So after an afternoon in the yard I came whirling in to make the kids dinner and get ready to go out and completely forgot that I had put her on the dinning room table (I know you see it coming don't you? I should have). I'm in the kitchen and Harper's wondered off (oh, yes) and I can hear banging and splashing and a little raspy voice saying, "Hi, ishy!" Oh, no, no, no! Harper's laying on the dinning room table pulling up the center piece part (long plant stuck to big square rocky thing on the bottom) and smashing it down...poor Babyfish! He's darting this way and that way in his little small tank, which is even smaller because I put too many new rocks in it, trying to avoid the rock of doom that Harper is lifting and dropping. He survived. I moved him back, and yes I forgot to feed him...luckily Dave remembered later.
Pizza
I don't have a lot to talk about today. It was a weird day with some early morning shopping, being banned from the house as Dave and the girls worked on something for tomorrow. We were in the yard a bit but the weather wavered between sunshine and showers all day. I did have this wonderful moment today though when I came upstairs after running. I came upstairs and entered the kitchen as if invisible, no one looked up as I sat down at the kitchen table and watched my brood on the couch. Dave was in the middle reading a story, changing the words and having the girls fill in the blanks as he read. Each girl was cuddled up beside him intently listening and laughing. I'm so lucky!
We had pizza tonight and topped it with some leftover sun dried tomatoes, olives, artichoke hearts, caramelized onions and feta cheese. It was delicious!
BBQ Salmon, Rosemary Caper Potatoes, Roasted Veggies, Fennel Bake, Spring Salad
Today Hannah made the connection that I have only had as many Mother's Days as she has been alive, I think I may have actually seen the light bulb go off above her head when she got it. It reminded me of something I got about a year or two after Hannah was born. I remember when I thought about how much I loved Hannah, I mean really there's just no measure for how much we love our children, and it dawned on me that my mom loved me that much. It was so strange to have never really fully grasped what that love was, eventhough I had lived feeling it my whole entire life. It's humbling, really. Thank you mom, I am truly grateful for you and I love you!
Recipe
Salmon Fillet drizzled with olive oil and BBQed (took about 10 minutes)
For a sauce for the fish I mixed together the following.
1 cup of mayonnaise
1 cup of plain yogurt
juice of 1/2 lemon
1/4 cup fresh dill
Roasted Baby Potatoes with Rosemary and Capers from epicurious.
3 pounds assorted baby potatoes (such as red-skinned, White Rose, and baby purple), halved
No comments:
Post a Comment