March Break Madness 2012!

Since we are still in the thick of it for illness, here's hoping we recover enough to enjoy the Spring Break!  I'm planning on keeping the time spent in the kitchen to a minimum so I've stocked the cupboards full of Kraft dinner and beans!  I'm sure there will be one rainy day that we'll stay home and I think I'll bake something fun with the kids and make a more fancy dinner.

Meal Plan:
Today: Left over baked beans with turkey sausage
Sat: Left over pasta and sauce
Sun:  Pork carnitas in the slow cooker
Mon: Kraft dinner with veggies
Tues: Baked potatoes with breaded pork cutlets
Wed: out
Thurs: out
Fri:  chicken nuggets with fries
Sat: St. Patrick's Day dinner
Sun: Duck l'orange with roasted potatoes & salad

Events: 
Mon: Maple festival and lunch at Mandarin
Tues: play date (stick close to home)
Wed: day with dad (zoo or Niagara or museum)
Thurs: Science Centre and lunch at grandma's
Fri:  TBA
Sat: Fun swim
Sun: stick close to home - walk at Jack Darling

Sicky Day

We are dealing with another bout of illness at home.  Little D was on his last day of antibiotics for his ear when it flared up again and now he is on round two.  Mr. T was feeling left out due to this ongoing illness with Little D so he has "sympathy stomach."  I had to drive to school twice to pick up each kid.  Spent the better part (two hours) of a lovely sunny day in a waiting room.  Not how I had imagined the day.  So with two sick kids in front of the TV I had some free time.  I decided to make us a nice, pick-me-up dinner.  Spaghetti with chicken meatballs, homemade sauce and a chocolate cake complete with frosting.  Needless to say we overate and that it was awesome!  Here are the recipes  (http://smittenkitchen.com/2009/10/baked-chicken-meatballs/ and  http://www.marthastewart.com/334278/busy-day-chocolate-cake)  and the pictures to drool over!

Smacznego!

The meatballs!

 Making frosting seems like such an extra bother, but it was so worth it!  The chocolaty cake and the vanilla butter cream frosting were a match made in heaven.  Plus, the cake isn't too big, so we won't be eating it for a week, which is nice, but gets a bit tedious.

Frosted cake is approved!

So good!

 My only hope is that the extra frosting will make the kids feel better again.  Wonders never cease!

No frosting left behind!

 

 

Busy Party Planner

That's what I feel like- a busy party planner, but I only plan my boys' parties.  It's just two boys but there are always at lease 4 parties plus day-of special events!  It's a lot for just one mom!  Oh cry me a river.  I am glad to do it but it does take more planning than I imagined.  Even for a party with pizza as the main feature there are still napkins, plates, hats and loot bags to buy!

So this weekend- there will be three parties back to back to back!  Friends, cousins and grandparents in that order.  And instead of baking, I am surfing the web and watching cooking shows!  Those are my little stress busters!

I am baking some vanilla cupcakes with white frosting for the kiddies.  Millionaire's bars for the cousins and a white butter cake for the grandparents.  Here is the recipe that Little D chose:  http://www.joyofbaking.com/WhiteCake.html
Let's hope it turns out.

If I survive, I will post some pictures.

Cheers!

Slightly surprised Birthday Boy!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Valentine's Day has always been a special day for Hubby and I and now, for seven years it has been even more special because our boy's birthday is the day before.  We have so much love to give...

For his special birthday Little D requested Chinese take out- so that made it easy.  Today, the boys requested a roast turkey- I'm making a roast chicken instead.  Going all out with the works- mashed potatoes, gravy, roasted veggies and a spinach salad.  And for dessert, again, by special request, vanilla ice-cream with warm strawberry sauce.  Can't wait for the feast and the love-in.

Happy Valentine's Day!  Hugs!

The dinner that almost never happened

Yesterday was one of those days where I was running around on all cylinders.  My plans were changing from minute to minute and at one point, we were going out to dinner so that stress fell away and I focused on all the other small stuff.  All that small stuff that you are not supposed to be sweating, like dust bunnies under the bed and the spiders coming out of hiding.  In the end, I ended up back home with the boys 40 minutes before our regularly schedule dinner and I rolled up my sleeves!  I made beef-barley soup with some help from some premade broth, but I made it my own by adding veggies and making some fresh barley.  The boys and hubby love barley!  That makes me so happy!  I grew up on the stuff and never thought that it would appeal to hubby since he is actually the pickiest eater in the family. 

In the end, that little bit of effort was worth it.  I paired the soup with some fresh rye bread with butter and marble cheese.  Everyone was happy, especially my waistline and bank account!

Upside down week

My meal plan looks great for this week, but I had to make some changes.  The cabbage I picked up at the store took up too much room in my fridge so I am starting off by making cabbage rolls and opening up some valuable space there.

Cabbage rolls

1 head of cabbage- boiled and leaves separated
3-4 cups of cooked white rice
1 large onion, sauteed in grape seed oil/butter
1 lbs of ground turkey
salt and pepper to taste

Tomato paste mixed with water for sauce (3 tablespoons of paste mixed with 1 1/2 cup water with salt and pepper)

Start by making the rice and sauteing the onions.  After boiling and separating the leaves of the cabbage,  let them cool.  Mix the ground meat - you could use whatever you like, my mom likes pork- with the rice and onions and season well with salt and pepper.   I added a little parsley to the mixture because I had some already chopped.  Place one to two tablespoons of stuffing into the leaves and roll up.  Line them up tightly in a casserole dish and pour the tomato paste over the cabbage rolls so that they steam while they cooks.  Cover with a few cabbage leaves, a lid or aluminium foil and place in the oven at 350 C for 1- 1 1/2hours.

Straight out of the oven

Dinner is served

While the cabbage rolls are baking, make extra sauce for serving.

Enjoy!  Smacznego!

This batch made 18 large cabbage rolls.  I divided them up and froze the second half for another day. To prepare them, simply place in the oven for an extra 30 minutes.  Easy peasy!

Hubby and I gobbled these up, but the boys only ate the stuffing and left the cabbage.  I am OK with that.  Baby steps are necessary with some foods, especially ones that have a strong taste, texture and smell.  We've already made progress because before, the boys refused to sit at the table when we ate things that they didn't like.  We have enough for another dinner, and I am hoping that I can get them to try a bite of the cabbage.  Here's hoping!

Another meal plan

While trying to eat more healthy and getting ready for back to school, I have been on a meal planning spree.  This coming week looks good!

Mon: Soup and garlic bread with salad (potato-leek)
Tues: left over lasagna and salad
Wed: Shrimp and broccoli stir fry
Thurs: Cabbage rolls (with turkey)
Fri: Beef-barley soup with veggies and dip
Sat: left over cabbage rolls
Sun: Roast chicken with root veg.

A New Year

The gluttony of the holidays is over, though there are still a few tempting leftovers in the fridge.  Now it is time for some healthy meals.

Goals for the new year:
1. Get healthy by being more active- walk the kids to school, use my yoga ball, do Wii Fit 4 days/week, sign up for something new
2. Get healthy by eating better - go meatless more and eat more seafood, plus try some new recipes
3. Get out more- with friends and family
4. Get organised- laundry and basement!
5. Read more
6. Yell less

Recipes to try in the new year:
More quinoa!
More kale!
Sweet potato gnocchi
home-made granola bars
air-popped popcorn
more roast chicken!
more seafood


Meal plan:

Wed: Turkey breast with gravy and roasted potatoes with honey glazed carrots
Thurs: Tilapia fillets with pesto and sweet potato fries & salad
Friday: Potato-leek soup with baguette
Sat: Brunch- waffles, fruit salad, sausage and devilled eggs
       Dinner- Pizza and salad
Sun:  Turkey lasagna with steamed broccoli