Jan 29, 2011
Jan 25, 2011
A different approach to snow
Snow really brings out the differences in my kids:
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| Annie digs right in. |
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| Aiden enjoys the view while sipping his juice. |
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| And Norah just tries to survive the whole thing. |
Jan 24, 2011
Pajama Monday
Monday is my day. We don't get dressed, we stay home, everyone gets good naps. It is my get everything done day. At least when I wake up in the morning I think it will be my get everything done day. Then 12:00 hits and I realize very little has been done. But while I was sitting in the office not getting anything done I heard little giggles in the family room and walked out to this lovely couple. My first reaction was to yell at them for going through our stuff, but they made such a cute little mini Landon and Sarah that I had to giggle with them. Adorable. My favorite part is that Annie is wearing a sweater from Gap with a giant cowl neck and she has it on upside-down. It does make for a nice straight hanging skirt.
In other Monday news Norah has a cold. But she has learned to clap, which brightens her day considerably. She thinks she is pretty awesome and I agree. I still think she looks pretty cute with sick eyes and a green bean face.
Jan 23, 2011
Vegetarians Week Three
Monday: Fajita Tacos
Tuesday: Chinese Stir Fry
Wednesday: Whole Wheat Pancakes and Eggs
Thursday: Black Bean Soup and Quesadillas
Friday: Roasted Ratatouille and Polenta
Saturday: Roasted Vegetables with Tortellini in Light Cream Sauce
Actually, now that I'm typing this up I am realizing I only had one bad meal. But it was really, really bad.
Fajita Tacos
I'm a little embarrassed to write this one up because it is so easy. But this is by far my kids favorite meal so I will share it as my gift to you. If you cook up more of the vegetables, you don't even miss the meat.
3 Bell Peppers
1 Onion
Taco Seasoning
2 Cans black beans, drained
Taco Shells, Tortillas, or Tostada Shells
Sour Cream
Cheese
Salsa
Saute the peppers and onion. Mix the taco seasoning with 1/3 C water and dump in the hot pan with the pepper mixture. Saute for a few more minutes. Meanwhile, heat the cans of black beans with a little bit of water. Use an immersion blender or whatever you have to mash the beans. Serve the beans on a taco shell. Top with peppers, sour cream, cheese, and salsa.
Chinese Stir Fry
This was so disgusting that I'm not even going to share it with you.
Whole Wheat Pancakes
I'm not against feeding my family breakfast for dinner. Luckily, it is one of Landon's favorite meals. This is our go to recipe for pancakes. I think it is well worth the extra five minutes to make them from scratch.
2 C whole wheat flour (use a little more if using white flour)
2 T baking powder
2 T sugar
1 t salt
2 eggs
2 C milk
2 T oil
Mix dry ingredients and we ingredients separately and then combine them. Cook on a griddle. I love my pancakes topped with homemade syrup and an egg cooked sunny side up.
What is the recipe for homemade syrup you ask? I will share it with you gladly. Reader beware: this is a depression-era maple syrup substitute. It is simple and cheap. It is not fancy. But it sure does the trick.
Homemade Fake Maple Syrup
This is not thick like normal syrup. It is the consistency of water. I use it because it is dirt cheap and we always have the ingredients on hand which means no trips to the grocery store last minute.
1 C water
1 C sugar
1 t maple flavoring.
Black Bean Soup
Easy and delicious.
2 cans (3 1/2 C) black beans, drained
1 C salsa
1-2 C chicken broth
Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan and heat through. Put half of the soup in a blender, or use an immersion blender to mash up some of the beans. Serve with sour cream, cheese, cilantro, and/or lime.
Roasted Ratatouille on Polenta
Adapted From: Moosewood Restuarant's Simple Suppers
Ratatouille:
1 zucchini
3 onions
1 eggplant
2 bell peppers
2 tomatoes, or one container of cherry tomatoes
6 garlic cloves, minced or crushed
1/3 C olive oil
1 t salt
1 t dried basil
1 t dried parsley
Polenta:
1 C dried polenta or cornmeal
4 C liquid (broth, water, milk)
2 T butter
Cut all the vegetables into 3/4 inch chunks. You will want about 6 cups total. I substituted cauliflower for the zucchini because that is what I had on hand. Any combination of veggies will work. Coat the vegetables with the garlic, olive oil, salt, basil, and parsley. Spread on a roasting pan and roast at 450 degrees for 15 -25 minutes, until they are tender and juicy. While they are roasting cook the polenta. Bring the liquid to a rolling boil and slowly whisk in the polenta. Turn down heat to medium low and cook until thickened (about 10 minutes), stirring often so it doesn't stick. When it is done, stir in the butter. Serve the ratatouille on the polenta.
Roasted Vegetables with Tortellini and a Light Cream Sauce
This is a perfect eat-at-home weekend indulgence. Landon doesn't like thick white pasta sauces, So I came up with this one that has less cream and no butter like regular alfredo sauces. It is pretty thin, but I like it because it doesn't detract from the taste of the roasted vegetables. And it doesn't coat your mouth with the cheesy creamy film of regular alfredo sauce.
1 container of cherry tomatoes
1-2 zuchinni
1 container mushrooms
12 oz cheese-filled tortellini
1 C cream
3/4 C skim milk
3/4 C parmesan cheese, shredded
Coat the vegetables with oil and salt and pepper to taste. Roast for 20 minutes at 450 degrees. Meanwhile, cook the tortellini according to the package. Heat the cream and milk on medium high until almost boiling. Stir in the Parmesan cheese until melted. Combine vegetables and tortellini. Stir in the sauce until coated.
This week's thoughts:
*I'm a huge fan of roasting vegetables (can you tell?). It makes them sweet and condenses all their flavors. My sister-in-law Alicia gave me more roasting ideas that I'm excited to try next week.
*I got Landon Peter Reinhart's Artisan Bread Everyday from the library. Freshly baked bread really makes any meal fantastic. Thank you Landon.
*I'm not one of those people that can take pictures of all their meals. I'm usually way to frazzled by the time we are sitting down to remember to pull out my camera. As you can tell by the pictures, phone pictures are the best I can do.
Jan 19, 2011
Higher Education
On Thursday morning I was on my way to pick up Aiden's friend and drop them both off at preschool when my mom called. She said that Condoleeza Rice was speaking at BYU and she would be happy to help me watch my kids if I wanted to join her (she's finishing up her degree at BYU). So I dropped off Aiden's friend at preschool and headed down to Provo. I was feeling a little guilty about having Aiden miss preschool, but figured that listening (or at least seeing) a former Secretary of State was a much better education. It was slightly successful because he and Annie can still tell me her name if I ask. Listening to her was such a nice change of pace for me. My kids just aren't that eloquent. I don't agree with all of her policies but I have a lot of respect for her and liked mulling her ideas around in my own head.
After the speech and Q&A session, I rewarded my kids for their awesome (!) behavior by taking them to the Bean Museum. This museum is the most underrated and overlooked thing at BYU. We all loved seeing the animals, butterflies, insects, etc., Who knew that their were so many species of deer-like animals? Annie walked around saying, "Look at all these animals!!" for about thirty minutes straight.
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| Aiden took this lovely picture. |
Jan 14, 2011
Vegetarians: Week Two
Saturday: Veggie Burgers with Curried Couscous
Monday: Butternut Squash Pizza, Artichoke, Red Pepper, and Zucchini Pizza
Tuesday: Roasted Vegetable Curry
Wednesday: Mexican Rice
Thursday: Leftovers with Steamed Zucchini
Butternut Squash Pizza
Adapted from Allrecipes.com
This was my favorite recipe of the week. If your looking for a greasy, gooey pizza, this is not it. But give it a try, you may be surprised at how much you like it.
1/2 sliced red onion
1-2 Cups peeled, seeded, and thinly sliced (about 1/4 inch) butternut squash
2 T chopped sun-dried tomato
1 1/2 t dried rosemary
2 T olive oil
1 T balsamic vinegar (or to taste, this is what gives this pizza such a great flavor)
1/2 t kosher salt
Pizza crust that you like
cheese (mozzerella, parmesan, feta, or any combo)
Make the pizza dough. I used this recipe (from last week's pita bread). Tip: Last time I made this dough I par-baked two extra crusts (no toppings) for about five minutes then froze them. So all I had to do was pull them out of the freezer about 10 minutes before I needed them.
Coat the red onion and squash with the oil, rosemary and salt. Spread on a roasting pan and roast at 450 degrees for 15 minutes or until tender. Don't overdo it because it will cook more on the pizza. Pull out of the oven and spread them on a crust with the sun-dried tomatoes. (next time I wouldn't add the tomatoes, they were good but the pizza was flavorful enough without them). Sprinkle with cheese. I did mostly mozzarella, and Parmesan, with just a light sprinkling of feta. The stronger feta was delicious. It would also be good with goat cheese or even a mild bleu cheese. Bake for 10 minutes at 500 degrees, or until crust is golden and cheese is bubbly.
Artichoke Heart Pizza
From our family pizza repertoire
We make this pizza, or variations of this pizza, pretty often. I rarely use tomato sauce anymore and haven't missed it. If I want a saucy pizza, I order a greasy pepperoni from Dominos. Which, to be honest, I really like.
Marinated artichoke hearts
1 Roasted Red Pepper, chopped
Roasted Onion (from above, I just roasted a whole onion and used half on each pizza)
Thinly sliced zucchini
Mozzarella and Feta cheese
Put a layer of zucchini on the par-baked crust. Then add the mozzarella cheese. Top with artichoke hearts ( I like to cut mine), chopped red pepper, and roasted onion. top with more cheese. Bake 10 minutes at 500 degrees. This is super easy since the artichokes and red peppers are from a bottle.
Roasted Vegetable Curry
From Moosewood Restaurant's Simple Suppers
This was delicious. And really easy. It would be easy to swap out the vegetables for what you like and have on hand.
Vegetables:
1 large or 2 small sweet potatoes
1 onion
3 C cauliflower florets
2 T vegetable oil
1/2 t salt
Curry Sauce:
2 t grated ginger
2 T curry powder
1/2 t salt
1 C coconut milk
1 C diced tomato
Cut the vegetables into 3/4 inch chunks. Coat with oil and salt. Spread on an oiled cookie sheet and bake for 20 minutes at 450 degrees. Stir after 10 minutes.
In a pot, whisk together the ginger, curry powder, salt, and cocunt milk until smooth. Add the tomatoes. Add the roasted vegetables to sauce and stir to coat. Heat for about five minutes, until everything is hot.
Serve over rice. Top with raisins, nuts, cilantro, and yogurt.
Greek Frittata (from last week)
From Moosewood Restaurant's Simple Suppers
This was so so good, quick and healthy. It used almost a whole bag of spinach so it really packs in the nutrients. It also makes delicious leftovers.
1 C chopped scallions or onion
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 T olive oil
4 C packed baby spinach
1 t dried oregano
8 eggs
1 tomato, chopped
1 C feta cheese
In a large skillet, cook scallions and galic until soft. Add the spinach and oregano. Cook until spinach is wilted.
Beat the eggs, a tablespoon of water, and salt and pepper. Keep the stove on medium-low. Pour over the spinach mixture. When the eggs begin to set, use a spatula to cut through to the bottom in a couple of places in the center of the frittata and lift the cooked edges while you tilt the pan so the raw egg runs onto the hot skillet.
When the eggs are mostly set, spread tomatoes and feta over the top. Lower the heat and cover until feta is soft and eggs are set.
Curried Couscous Salad
Adapted from this recipe from foodnetwork.com
This was a pretty good side dish. It was really quick, which was perfect since I had about ten minutes to make it before our friends came over for dinner. The lemon juice is key.
1 C dried couscous
1 3/4 C water
1/4 C orange juice
3/4 C dried cranberries
1 T curry powder
1 t salt
1 t sugar
1/4 C plain yogurt or sour cream
lemon juice
Put dry couscous, cranberries, curry powder, salt, and sugar into a bowl, pour boiling water over it. Add orange juice. Stir, cover, and let sit for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, fluff with a fork and add some fresh yogurt or sour cream to make it stick together. Squeeze on lemon juice to taste.
Mexican Rice
A family favorite. I always cook this when we have leftover rice.
1-2 Cups cooked rice
1 can diced tomatoes with chilis
1 can black beans, drained
1/2 can corn
Cheddar Cheese
Combine everything in a large skillet. Stir occaisionally until heated through. Top with cheese, cover until cheese is melted. Serve with sour cream and tortillas.
A few more thoughts:
*Veggie Burgers aren't bad. But they really aren't that good.
*The large container of spring lettuce from Sam's Club lasts forever.
*I think I could become a permanent weeknight vegetarian, just eating meat on weekends. I really haven't missed it.
*In conjunction with this new eating endeavor, I have started working out more. I downloaded this Nike App on my phone and love the workouts. It is a lot of fun. I also took a spinning class which I absolutely loved. I tried a pilates class yesterday and decided it is not my cup of tea. At all. I was totally bored. But it did prove that my abs are really not what they used to be. I blame it on the three kids.
Monday: Butternut Squash Pizza, Artichoke, Red Pepper, and Zucchini Pizza
Tuesday: Roasted Vegetable Curry
Wednesday: Mexican Rice
Thursday: Leftovers with Steamed Zucchini
Butternut Squash Pizza
Adapted from Allrecipes.com
This was my favorite recipe of the week. If your looking for a greasy, gooey pizza, this is not it. But give it a try, you may be surprised at how much you like it.
1/2 sliced red onion
1-2 Cups peeled, seeded, and thinly sliced (about 1/4 inch) butternut squash
2 T chopped sun-dried tomato
1 1/2 t dried rosemary
2 T olive oil
1 T balsamic vinegar (or to taste, this is what gives this pizza such a great flavor)
1/2 t kosher salt
Pizza crust that you like
cheese (mozzerella, parmesan, feta, or any combo)
Make the pizza dough. I used this recipe (from last week's pita bread). Tip: Last time I made this dough I par-baked two extra crusts (no toppings) for about five minutes then froze them. So all I had to do was pull them out of the freezer about 10 minutes before I needed them.
Coat the red onion and squash with the oil, rosemary and salt. Spread on a roasting pan and roast at 450 degrees for 15 minutes or until tender. Don't overdo it because it will cook more on the pizza. Pull out of the oven and spread them on a crust with the sun-dried tomatoes. (next time I wouldn't add the tomatoes, they were good but the pizza was flavorful enough without them). Sprinkle with cheese. I did mostly mozzarella, and Parmesan, with just a light sprinkling of feta. The stronger feta was delicious. It would also be good with goat cheese or even a mild bleu cheese. Bake for 10 minutes at 500 degrees, or until crust is golden and cheese is bubbly.
Artichoke Heart Pizza
From our family pizza repertoire
We make this pizza, or variations of this pizza, pretty often. I rarely use tomato sauce anymore and haven't missed it. If I want a saucy pizza, I order a greasy pepperoni from Dominos. Which, to be honest, I really like.
Marinated artichoke hearts
1 Roasted Red Pepper, chopped
Roasted Onion (from above, I just roasted a whole onion and used half on each pizza)
Thinly sliced zucchini
Mozzarella and Feta cheese
Put a layer of zucchini on the par-baked crust. Then add the mozzarella cheese. Top with artichoke hearts ( I like to cut mine), chopped red pepper, and roasted onion. top with more cheese. Bake 10 minutes at 500 degrees. This is super easy since the artichokes and red peppers are from a bottle.
Roasted Vegetable Curry
From Moosewood Restaurant's Simple Suppers
This was delicious. And really easy. It would be easy to swap out the vegetables for what you like and have on hand.
Vegetables:
1 large or 2 small sweet potatoes
1 onion
3 C cauliflower florets
2 T vegetable oil
1/2 t salt
Curry Sauce:
2 t grated ginger
2 T curry powder
1/2 t salt
1 C coconut milk
1 C diced tomato
Cut the vegetables into 3/4 inch chunks. Coat with oil and salt. Spread on an oiled cookie sheet and bake for 20 minutes at 450 degrees. Stir after 10 minutes.
In a pot, whisk together the ginger, curry powder, salt, and cocunt milk until smooth. Add the tomatoes. Add the roasted vegetables to sauce and stir to coat. Heat for about five minutes, until everything is hot.
Serve over rice. Top with raisins, nuts, cilantro, and yogurt.
Greek Frittata (from last week)
From Moosewood Restaurant's Simple Suppers
This was so so good, quick and healthy. It used almost a whole bag of spinach so it really packs in the nutrients. It also makes delicious leftovers.
1 C chopped scallions or onion
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 T olive oil
4 C packed baby spinach
1 t dried oregano
8 eggs
1 tomato, chopped
1 C feta cheese
In a large skillet, cook scallions and galic until soft. Add the spinach and oregano. Cook until spinach is wilted.
Beat the eggs, a tablespoon of water, and salt and pepper. Keep the stove on medium-low. Pour over the spinach mixture. When the eggs begin to set, use a spatula to cut through to the bottom in a couple of places in the center of the frittata and lift the cooked edges while you tilt the pan so the raw egg runs onto the hot skillet.
When the eggs are mostly set, spread tomatoes and feta over the top. Lower the heat and cover until feta is soft and eggs are set.
Curried Couscous Salad
Adapted from this recipe from foodnetwork.com
This was a pretty good side dish. It was really quick, which was perfect since I had about ten minutes to make it before our friends came over for dinner. The lemon juice is key.
1 C dried couscous
1 3/4 C water
1/4 C orange juice
3/4 C dried cranberries
1 T curry powder
1 t salt
1 t sugar
1/4 C plain yogurt or sour cream
lemon juice
Put dry couscous, cranberries, curry powder, salt, and sugar into a bowl, pour boiling water over it. Add orange juice. Stir, cover, and let sit for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, fluff with a fork and add some fresh yogurt or sour cream to make it stick together. Squeeze on lemon juice to taste.
Mexican Rice
A family favorite. I always cook this when we have leftover rice.
1-2 Cups cooked rice
1 can diced tomatoes with chilis
1 can black beans, drained
1/2 can corn
Cheddar Cheese
Combine everything in a large skillet. Stir occaisionally until heated through. Top with cheese, cover until cheese is melted. Serve with sour cream and tortillas.
A few more thoughts:
*Veggie Burgers aren't bad. But they really aren't that good.
*The large container of spring lettuce from Sam's Club lasts forever.
*I think I could become a permanent weeknight vegetarian, just eating meat on weekends. I really haven't missed it.
*In conjunction with this new eating endeavor, I have started working out more. I downloaded this Nike App on my phone and love the workouts. It is a lot of fun. I also took a spinning class which I absolutely loved. I tried a pilates class yesterday and decided it is not my cup of tea. At all. I was totally bored. But it did prove that my abs are really not what they used to be. I blame it on the three kids.
Jan 11, 2011
Christmas
Christmas with little kids is SO much fun! I haven't enjoyed Christmas this much since I was ten. Instead of boring you with a long description, I'll just post some pictures.
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| Eating the customary breakfast of puffed wheat. We have to choke down a bowl before we can open presents. It's a tradition I have enjoyed passing down to my kids. And Landon loves it. |
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| All Aiden wanted from Santa Claus was a Superman shirt. Success. |
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| The kids gave Landon a soccer ball and orange cones for goals. Guess who picked the ball? |
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| Aiden got a bike. He said that it made his face cold. After testing it out we went to Grandma's house. |
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| Talking to my brother Michael on his mission. |
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| Annie testing out all the dress-ups at Grandma's house. |
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| Norah asleep in all the chaos. A close up. |
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| Norah asleep in all the chaos. A pull-back view. Look for her at the top of the picture in front of the pink puff. |
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| Mark got a new coat for Christmas. I think this picture should be seen by as many people as possible. |
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