Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Tell All Tuesday: SUMMER!

Yay! The calendar says it is summer! Doesn't mean a dang thing in our neck of the woods, but, the calendar says it is so, so it must be. Right? RIGHT?

But, on with the confessions.

I ignored the social protocol of a parade, and allowed my child to play in and walk down the middle of the road. (As long as they weren't blocking anybody).


I have not had clean skivvies in over a week. I just go commando, because mine seem to NEVER make it into the laundry. Kid's comes first, ya know?


I can't, for the life of me, keep my youngest from taking my oldest down in a hug hold. He pretends to hug him, but really drops to the ground in a dead weight so he can sit on him, jump on him, and pull his hair. Frequently I don't intervene, hoping one day they will work it out.


Sunday, June 19, 2011

Meal Plan!

So, since the nicer weather is FINALLY deciding to peek out in our wet little corner of the Pacific Northwest, we don't really have a lesson plan. Just a "get the heck out of the house and go soak up some vitamin D" plan. So, I thought I would share my meal plan with you. Enjoy, and let me know if you need a recipe!


Sausage Dogs and Homemade mac'n'cheese

Chicken, Cheesy Potatoes, Broccoli

Quesadillas with homemade black beans

Spaghetti and Salad

Pork Loin, mashed potatoes, asparagus

Baked Ziti 

Mini Pizza

Fricase de Pollo con Papas
4 Chicken Thighs 
about a cup or how ever many you want bite size potatoe pieces
1/2 - 1 onion diced
1/4 - 1/2 green bell pepper diced
3 or 4 cloves of garlic minced
Can of tomato sauce
about 1/2 cup white cooking wine
olive oil

Sautee the onion, bell pepper and garlic for a few minutes until it's translucent. Add the thighs and brown them on all sides. Add the tomato sauce, cooking wine and enough water to cover the chicken. Stir and cover and simmer for about an hour. Stir every few minutes and let it thicken up and the chicken is ready when it starts to fall off the bone. Add the potatoes for the last 20 minutes or so. Not too early so that they don't fall apart. Serve over rice with the sauce. All the measurements are approximate. I always just eyeball it so feel free to put how ever much of the tomato sauce and cooking wine you want. It's really easy. It always comes out tasty. The longer it cooks the better it tastes.

Roasted chicken with cranberry sauce

Black Bean, corn and Yellow rice Enchiladas Gluten/Soy/Dairy Free
Olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, 1 smashed and 2 finely chopped
2tbsp ancho chili powder
2c dry red wine
1 can tomato puree (28oz)
2tbsp honey
3c water
salt
1c rice
1 tsp ground cumin
2tsp ground tumeric
8 corn tortillas
2c black beans, cooked (or 1 15.5oz can)
1c corn kernals
2 ripe avocados
juice from 1 lime
4tbsp fresh cilantro

Heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and finely chopped garlic and cook until softened, about 5 min. Add the tomato puree, honey wine and 1c water, cook for 15 min. Season with about 2tsp salt.

In a meduim sauceoan with a tight-fitting lid, combine the smashed garlic, rice, cumin, turmeric, 1 1/2 tsp salt and remaining 2c water; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cover, reduce the heat to low and simmer until the water is absorbed, about 15 min. Let sit, covered, for 5 min; fluff with a fork.

Preheat the oven to 450F. Grease a large baking dish. Place 1c chile sauce in a shallow bowl and, working one at a time, dip the tortillas in the sauce and place on a plate. Spoon 2 heaping tbsp rice, 1 heaping tbsp beans and 1 heaping tbsp corn down the center of the tortilla; roll up to enclose and and place seam side doewn in a prepared baking dish. Repeat with the remaining tortillas, rice, neams amd corn. Brush with the enchiladas with olive oil and bake, uncovered, until golden around the edges, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, to make the quacamole, mash together the avocados, like juice, 1/2 tsp salt and 2 tbsp cilantro

To assemble, pour the remaining sauce down the middle of the enchiladas and top with the remaining 2tbsp cilantro; serve with the guacamole. 

Masaman Curry

Crockpot veggies

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Tell All Tuesday

I found my son eating his dinner plate, for breakfast the next day. It had been left out, and I didn't stop him.

I haven't done any laundry all week. In fact, I went out and bought clothes when I had to go out without spares in case of accidents.


Go ahead, you're safe here. Confession is good for the soul!

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Tell All Tuesday

Well, since this is True Confessions, I thought we might start confessing. (Though, I can't offer absolution!) Its good for the soul, right? So, let it fly!



One day last week I let my children spend ALL MORNING (and some of the afternoon!) watching the same two episodes of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, running on FastPlay. I did play the DVD game with them, but mostly wasted time on the computer.

I frequently don't get them dressed all day, and wait until my husband is almost home to get dressed myself.

Even without changing clothes for everyone everyday, I STILL can't catch up with laundry.

Next week, I'll try to have some pictures to go with our Tell All Tuesday. Feel free to share yours!

Sunday, June 5, 2011

Lesson in a Picture Book Pt 5

So, we are off the Eric Carle wagon, and have moved swiftly onto the Dr. Suess train. Imagine my surprise when my 22mo sat still and listened to every page of Cat in the Hat! He carries it around with him, asks for it frequently, and insisted we have 2 copies of it from the library. (Also, L2 has started REQUESTING we go to the library! How awesome is that!?) So, it is time to delve into the world of Dr. Suess, and what could be better for my food loving boys that to start with Green Eggs and Ham? Though, when I was child, my parents read this book to my food finicky brother to encourage him to try new foods. It didn't work.

Green Eggs and Ham (I Can Read It All by Myself Beginner Books)
Monday: Making Green Eggs. Kind of. I don't really want to just dye eggs, but mixing green veggies with eggs for a yummy quiche souffle sounds right up our alley! It sounds fancy, but it really isn't hard.

Ingredients:
Eggs
Milk (we use almond milk)
Choice of veggies to add; we'll be using green peppers, green onions, and some asparagus.
Salt
Pepper

Whisk eggs and milk, pour into oiled ramekins. Add veggies, salt and pepper to taste. Place ramekins in pan (a cake pan or such) with about 1/2 in of water in the bottom. Bake at 350degrees until a pick comes out clean!

Tuesday: Exploring foods. My dad used to play a game with us where we would go to the grocery store and pick out anything we wanted. As long as we had NEVER eaten it before. So, we will head to the market and see what we can find. In the past it was things like caviar, sugar cane, and something we affectionately named booger fruit. (Kiwno Melon) Then everyone tries the new foods. Some are great, others...not so much.


Wednesday: Get crafty! Make green eggs and ham out of whatever: felt, construction paper, paint, ect. Then, act it out! Eat in a box? In the rain? 

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

L1 makes Ratatouille!

This was a little while ago, but someone asked for the recipe, so here it is! 

Wash your veggies!

Peel carrots!
(We left the skin on the other veggies.)
We use whatever is on hand, this time:
Yellow Squash
Carrots
Red Potatoes
Green Tomatoes
Onion
We use a mandolin to slice nice and evenly.

Use some olive oil to grease the dish. Salt occasional layers.

Start layering veggies.


L1's Julia Child impression. Or, he is eating.
Now for some garnish.
(We allow sharp knives with supervision, as sharper knives allow for better control and less chance of too much force causing slips and cuts.)


Add salt and pepper.



Cover with foil.
Bake at about 350 degrees for about 45 minutes, or until the veggies are cooked through.
It can be eaten alone, or we like with some chicken and rice!
Yummy!