Me: "You didn't eat all your Asian Pear for lunch today, how come?"
7 year old: "Well I couldn't eat my Asian Pear because it was Jicama, not Asian Pear."
Me: "No, I cut it, it's Asian Pear. The Jicama is still in the cupboard, see?"
Him: "Oh.... Asian Pear, I love Asian Pear!"..... as he inhales his pear.
Later on...
Him: "Mom, you know, you and I really like Asian foods. That's good. No one else in our family likes Asian foods as much as we do."
Think I'm raising a little Foodie?
Conversations from my kitchen
Menu Plan Monday: Pantry Challenge
Frugal bloggers around the world have been talking alot the last few weeks about a great challenge, the Eat From the Pantry Challenge, which challenges you to use what you have an avoid repeated trips to the grocery store. While it sounded like a great idea, I didn't pay much attention to it until last week. 
Last week, when we had a friend over for dinner and she could not find any room in my freezer to put something temporarily.
Last week, when I went way, way, way over budget on groceries, taking advantage of a few sale items at Farm Boy and making a trip down to the US for some items I can't get here.
My having a job and an income has allowed me some leeway in my budget, but that money would be so much better spent paying off some bills, or going into savings, than making sure I have six packages of sausage in my freezer!
So this week I am making my own pantry challenge and dragging my family along with me. I set myself a rule or two: No trips to the store for anymore more than milk and/or bread. No picking up dinner. And cash only for what little I do buy.
I did give myself a bit of relaxation with a few items I needed, such as garbage bags, toilet paper and kleenex. As in things we don't eat.
And the pantry/freezer challenge began Saturday night:
Saturday: Chicken finger and tortilla wraps with soup - frozen chicken fingers, wrapped up in flour tortillas with left over salad mix, shredded cheese and ranch dressing, soup from the pantry.
Sunday: Prime rib roast with roasted cauliflower. Roast from the freezer (a good deal in December, I bought a couple), cauliflower from the fridge.
Monday: Stew with mashed potatoes, carrots and mushrooms. Beef from the freezer, part of my cow from November, with the last of my pantry potatoes.
Tuesday: Spaghetti with meat sauce. Canned tomatoes and pasta from the pantry, either ground beef or sausage meat (or both) from the freezer.
Wednesday: I'm out tonight so the boys are on their own, hot dogs and fries, both from the freezer, including the buns.
Thursday: Stuffed chicken breast (freezer) with sauted veggies (freezer).
Friday: Lemon shrimp pasta. Lemon from my counter, shrimp from the freezer, pasta from the pantry.
While it isn't likely that next week's plan will involve not a single grocery trip, as I will need fresh fruit by then, I'll likely continue the freezer part. I've got an idea where I can get some good pork, but only when I take out a turkey and some other items from the freezer first.
For now, this is my submission to this week's Menu Plan Monday, hosted by I'm an Organizing Junkie.
Why I love the "I Hearts Cooking Clubs", but not Nigella
I was a regular contributor to Tyler Florence Fridays. Loved cooking with Tyler, loved the interaction of TFF and the ladies hosting. And I was unhappy that TFF was going to be ending, sad that I would not have the extra incentive to find the time to cook outside my list of regular dishes and get back to my blog.
When the "I Hearts (I can't find the symbol for a heart) Cooking Clubs" came up, this should have been my cue to jump right in with a new chef and have some fun. I wanted to, I really, really wanted to.
But the chef of choice was Nigella Lawson, and I have problems with that.
Nothing personal against Nigella. She is a beautiful woman who is entertaining to watch. Some of her recipes look stunning, some scream out to me to be tried.
But I have never had any luck whatsoever with her recipes. None at all.
Take this one, my choice for this week's theme of "Potluck":
This is supposed to be Easy Sticky-Toffee Dessert, found on page 216 of Nigella Bites.
Looks disgusting, doesn't it?
And it is the best of the two I made.
This was my second try at this recipe, in 12 hours. I made it last night, after dinner, and realized I'd made two mistakes with it almost immediately. First, I miss-measured my flour slightly, but not by a huge amount, and second, my pan, which had the right capacity, was not a good shape for this.
Still, I persevered and put it in the oven. Forty five minutes later, I had slightly bubbling water in a baking dish with something sludgy underneath, but no "springy and spongy" dessert. Thirty minutes later, the same.
I tried again this morning, more careful with my flour, different pan to give it more surface area for the boiling water to seep through the batter and make a sauce.
After more than 1 hour in the oven, I took it out and used a spoon to try and let some of the water get under the "cake", and then let it sit on the counter to meld together some.
Spooning it up looked like this:
Not very appetizing looking, and frankly, boring to eat. No toffee flavor at all, despite all the
sugar.
I may try something else from Nigella again, something savory where if the conversions are off, it won't destroy the recipe and create something awful.
For now, this is my contribution for the potluck party at I Hearts Cooking Club.
Foodie Fans of the Pioneer Woman: Veggies a cowboy eat
In this round of Foodie Fans of the Pioneer Woman, Muneeba and Debbie chose the very general theme of salads and vegetables.
Did you know cowboys ate veggies other than corn on the cobb from the bbq? And salads? Do cowboys really eat salads?
It's been awhile since I lived in Alberta and spent alot of time on a farm, with horses, cows, chickens and turkeys. And, yes, cowboys and cowgirls.
I was neither a cowboy or a cowgirl back then, though I was a tomboy, and from what I recall, those cowfolks ate just about everything, including salad.
Despite knowing this, I went vegetable and made PW's Pico de Gallo, along with her Guacamole, found on paes 16 -17, and pages 20-21.
Ree does a fine job of detailing this very simple recipes, so I'll follow her cues:
About equal amounts of tomato, onion and cilantro.
Enough jalapeno for flavor for the hubby and I, not so much that the kids run from the room screaming in pain. 
Just imagine I took a picture of my seasoning this bowl with salt and squeezing lime juice on it. Then testing it with a tortilla chip, a black corn one. Tasty!
Ignore the funky shape of my corn tortillas - I don't own a tortilla press and this was the best I could do with my rolling pin and my 7 year old helping me.
My pico de gallo, along with the guacamole, made with the pico de gallo, sat on top of a rib eye steak I had seasoned with cumin and chili powder, before grilling to medium rare, thinly slicing and mounding on top of a Monterey Jack laced tortilla. Yummy!
Poor hubby, though. He had to work late, and homemade corn tortillas do not sit well, so they weren't so yummy by the time he got home. Fortunately I had some flour tortillas in the freezer, so he got yummy for his lunch the next day, except for the guacamole.
I ate it with tortilla chips for my lunch instead.
Menu Plan Monday: I have time off this week
My usual Monday to Friday schedule has been changed slightly this week, due to various appointments, so I will actually have some time to do some baking and cooking during the week. While my freezer in no way will accept my premaking and freezing a few items, not without exploding, my family can benefit from my spending some time in the kitchen.
Because today, Monday, is one of the days I am going to have off, my husband is off the hook for making dinner tonight. He's going to work late instead.
So here is this week's submission to Menu Plan Monday:
Sunday: Braised Beef Ribs with mashed potatoes and sauted carrots. (Sorry, no recipe as my 7 year old and I just threw some stuff together after dredging the ribs in seasoned flour, browning them and then throwing them in a pot. We put a can of diced tomatoes, onions, garlic, fresh thyme and fresh bay leaf with the ribs and baked them for over 1 1/2 hours.)
Monday: Steak fajitas with corn tortillas and homemade salsa.
Tuesday: Pasta with sausage and tomato sauce.
Wednesday: Turkey stuffing burgers (I didn't get to this last week, so am trying for this week.)
Thursday: Pork chops with stuffed baked potatoes.
Friday: Whatever night.
Have a good week!
Menu Plan Monday: Is it summer yet?
Last week was a complete bust for me. The nasty cold/flu I had before New Years just would not go away and I ended up missing more work, being home sick. Even now, days later, I'm still coughing and feeling it in my chest. I am so ready for the cold weather to be over, taking with it all the winter weather illnesses that go with it.
Last week was our first week trying menu planning with my husband cooking during the week. We learned a few things from it: he isn't that comfortable in the kitchen anymore, and he has said he can't think of meal preparation and planning in advance. This wasn't an issue when he was only responsible for one meal a week and that meal was on Saturday, but since he is now making meals during the week, right after work, some planning and preparation is necessary.
We've reached a compromise on it for now - I will continue to plan the meals and get what's needed for him, so the planning part is done, and until he is more comfortable in the kitchen, I will also provide him with instructions. Yes, this does still involve work on my part, but alot less, and it will still keep both our stress levels down.
Let's see how things go this week!
Sunday: Pork roast with apple and fennel salad, green and yellow beans.
Monday: MYO pizza. I've bought premade crusts and toppings, they will make their own pizza to taste.
Tuesday: Penne with tomatoes, garlic and chili.
Wednesday: Lemon and garlic marinaded chicken breast with leeks and broccoli.
Thursday: Grilled cheese and soup.
Friday: Turkey stuffing burgers. Recipe to come later.
As usual, things are subject to change based on circumstances, including the whether: whether or not I feel like making and/or eating that particular item that day....
Do you have you own menu plan for Menu Plan Monday?
Foodie Fans of The Pioneer Woman: Cowgirl Food that everyone will love
I have to admit - I was a fan of The Pioneer Woman, Ree Drummond, long before she came out with a cookbook, so I was thrilled when my copy of the book showed up in the mail. I ignored my family and ran off with my new book, curled up in my bed and spend the rest of the night reading.
Some cookbooks are more fun to read than others. This one was too short for me. Or I read it too fast.
Either way, just about everything in it looked great to me (except the Sangria, I just don't get Sangria.)
I wasn't especially surprised when a blogging group came out celebrating this book and PW Ree. How can you not? Between the food and the "easy on the eyes" cowboy photo's, this book was bound to have fans everywhere!
I'm just a little late in getting into joining this lovely group, Foodie Fans of The Pioneer Woman, established by Muneeba, of An Edible Symphony, and Debbie, of A Feast for the Eyes, who have decided that this round up's theme is Cowgirl Food.
If you have your own copy of The Pioneer Woman Cooks, you know there is a section called Cowgirl Food, pages 194-209, where Ree provides recipes for things that Cowgirls love and Cowboys pretend not to love.
I chose to make creme brulee, a "low fat, no calorie" treat for my hubby, in belated celebration of his birthday (I was sick on his birthday and he was out at tkd with our boys.)
My only problem with this dessert was the little torch I have to brulee with - it was a thoughtful gift from my grandfather and hurt my hands trying to keep it on long enough to brulee the tops of these little babies.
Actually, I had another problem - eating more than two of these (my ramekins were much smaller than Ree's, I got 14 out of the recipe, just a few more than she did,) is overwhelming, but they are so good you want to eat more!
I'm hoping to be able to join in with this group on a regular basis, assuming I can remember to take pictures of the recipes I have made from this book.
Thanks Debbie and Muneeba for taking on the job of hosting and giving me an excuse to get the camera out again!
Menu Plan Monday: "Oh the weather outside is frightful....."
Do you think I'm doing a little wishful thinking with my choice of badge for this week's Menu Plan Monday? Well, I am. With the snow continuing to pile up around me, I can't wait for nicer weather. And it's only January. (Oh boy, am I in for a let down!)
To answer some questions from my lovely winter pictures, yes, BC, that is indeed the bbq I set fire to this summer, that has still not been repaired (if it can be) or removed or replaced. So, no, I don't have a cover for the bbq, as the bbq is essentially dead. Bbq's that have had a fire extinguisher taken to them are not generally good for cooking food on.
It does, however, look quite pretty all covered in snow. Snow, now, not ice. Lots and lots of snow. I mean lots.
So no salads or cool weather eating for this family this week, not with winter fully surrounding us!
We are making a slight change to how we do dinner, with me working until 6pm every night, and the hubby taking over the after school activities. I've always made dinner during the weekdays, asking only that hubby be responsible for dinner on Saturdays. Well these days Saturdays is one of the few days I get to cook, so instead he is going to make dinner on Monday and Tuesday, I'm going to start dinner for Thursday that he will finish off before he takes the kids to music, and I will be responsible for the rest of the week.
This may not end up working out for us, and will make a change to how I menu plan, but for now, this is what we are going to try.
Sunday: Pork loin chops in honey garlic sauce with rice and sauted carrots and bok choy. Sauce needed more honey.
Monday: Roast beef. Not sure what else he's making, but I know he's making roast.
Tuesday: Hamburgers, homemade.
Wednesday: It is the hubby's birthday, but we are going to wait until the weekend to celebrate, so tonight I will surprise him with something.
Thursday: Crock pot chicken.
Friday: Shortbread waffles with fruit. Just cause they are tasty and fun and I suspect by Friday I will need it.
Happy Birthday Mom
My mother's birthday is within days of Christmas. Not the best time of the year to have a birthday, being so close to a holiday.
For years my Grandparents made sure my mother always had a good birthday, and that she always received at least one gift, along with having a special dinner.
This year, however, they aren't well, and I knew that if I didn't do something, my mother would not get her traditional dinner of Hawaiian spare ribs and rice. 
Now it isn't my fault my mother chose to have prime rib instead of spare ribs. Can you blame her?
I did, however, make her the cake she has had for years: an angel food cake, layered, with a lightened custard, served with strawberries.
I've watched my grandmother make this cake for years, so I knew what to do, but still made a few modifications. My grandmother always bought the angel food cake, I made mine from scratch. My grandmother used Birds Eye Custard powder, lightened up with whipped heavy cream, I made a pastry cream, with lots of vanilla bean seeds in it, lightened up with whipped heavy cream.
My mother would have been happy if I'd have just given her the cream and a spoon.
It isn't fancy. Actually, when put together, it isn't even pretty. But it sure tastes good.
We had to cut our visit to my mother short (I'm sick as can be, still, and really not looking forward to trying to work tomorrow,) but at least we were there long enough to carry on some of the birthday tradition.
Custard Cake
1 angel food cake (store bought is fine, if you don't want to make your own), cut into three layers
1 recipe for custard, below, cooled
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 tsp sugar
Sliced fruit of your choice (my family has always used frozen strawberries, defrosted with a touch of sugar, as well as canned, sliced peaches in light syrup, though I admit I skipped that this year.)
Whip the heavy cream with the sugar and vanilla until it is light and fluffy, being careful not to over whip. Fold the cream into the custard, until well mixed.
Place the bottom layer of cake on a large platter, one that will contain the custard that will fall off the sides of the cake. Spoon 1/4 of the custard on top of the cake, spreading slightly. Repeat with the next two layers. Use the last 1/4 of the custard to try and "ice" the sides of the cake.
If there is any left over, place it in the middle hole of the angel food cake.
Or use your fingers to lick the bowl clean.
To serve, put a slice of cake on a plate or in a bowl, and top with your choice of fruit.
"Custard"
(I know, it's pastry cream, but my grandmother calls it her custard for her banana cream pies, and who am I to argue with her about it?)
1/4 cup corn starch
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups milk, scalded
3 slightly beaten egg yolks
2 tbsp butter
1/2 tsp vanilla (or the seeds of one vanilla bean)
Mix corn starch, sugar and salt together in a medium pot. Gradually add milk. Cook over medium low heat, stirring constantly, until all the sugar and cornstarch has been dissolved and the milk is hot.
Add a ladle full of hot milk into the eggs, whisking constantly to temper the eggs. Whisk the egg mixture back into the hot milk in the pot. Continue to cook for approximately 5 minutes, still stirring, until the mixture is thick and smooth.
Remove from the heat and add in the butter and the vanilla, whisking well to incorporate.
Allow to cool to room temperature.
To use for banana cream pie, pour into a pre baked pie shell that has been lined with slices of banana, then top with slightly sweetened whipped cream.
Menu Plan Monday: Leftovers take the stage
I hope everyone had a lovely Christmas. We did. We had family over for the afternoon and dinner. There was alot of laughter, people having fun, and lots of goodies to eat.
Christmas dinner was a joint effort, so no one was stuck in the kitchen all day long (unless they were stuck there munching on one of the appetizers we set out for snacking with.) But for some reason, everyone left every bit of leftovers with me! Considering we had both ham and turkey, plus potatoes, stuffing, veggies, buns, and three types of sauce, that's alot of leftovers!
So this week's Menu Plan Monday involves left overs.
Saturday: Straight ham, potatoes and veggies leftovers, warmed in the oven and then enjoyed.
Sunday: Left over turkey turned into club sandwiches, with fries and coleslaw.
Monday: Turkey noodle soup. I'm not making my own stock from the carcass, but am using the chicken stock I used for a fondue, which should be full of flavor from the chicken and veggies cooked in it. Plus I have some veggies left from that fondue to use. And the left over turkey.
Tuesday: Pasta, with sauce made from the rest of the left over veggies from the fondue (peppers and mushrooms.)
Wednesday: Pancakes and pickings. We are going out of town the next morning, to see more family and help my mother celebrate her birthday, so I don't want left overs.
Thursday: I'm making dinner at my mothers, prime rib roast. I have at least one request for dessert, a banana cream pie, so will also be making that as well as one other dessert.
This will also be doubling as our New Years Eve celebration.
Friday: Nachos', with a story.
Many years ago, when we were late teens, my hubby and I met working at the same part time job. We also met two other people, whom we now consider our best friends, who also eventually became a couple and were married. Whenever we could, the four of us (or sometimes just the three of us), got together and played cards and had nachos, which we could order from a local restaurant, and who conveniently delivered. Sure, we spent $15-20 having nachos, but considering all we did was play cards and eat nachos, it was a cheap evening for 3-4 people.
We still play cards with our friends, online when we are apart, which is most of the time, and in marathon proportions when we are together. Both families are also teaching our oldest children how to play the same game we've been playing for the last 20 years. Nachos are made at least once in a marathon (as in days long) game.
I will think fondly of our friends as we dig into an order of nachos on Friday: extra sour cream and jalapenos on the side please!
Well, that is it! Have a safe New Years!
Merry Christmas: A snack for Santa
It's Christmas Eve and my house just got a little quieter.
I had to work today and did not get home until about 6pm. Despite this, we still managed to have our traditional fondue for dinner (I added raw shrimp and a hot cheese dip this year, replacing beef and spinach dip, what a great change!).
A bit of a cuddle to watch a Christmas holiday movie and then it was time to get at least one child settled and off to bed.
Christmas Eve has a another couple of traditions for us: each year the boys get to unwrap one present, which is always a new pair of pajamas. After changing, they get Santa's snack ready for him, set it out and then head off to bed.
The choice of drink is always chocolate milk (Santa knows he can warm it up if he'd like), and it is always an apple for the reindeer, not carrots. Long discussion when into choosing this - we figure Santa gets white milk at every other house, so he'd like a bit of a change. And the reindeer always get carrots, but why shouldn't they get a treat and something different as well?
This year, the boys chose to leave Santa some caramel shortbread squares, something I have been making for a few years. They can be made ahead and frozen, so lack of baking time is no excuse not to try these.
If Santa likes these squares as much as my family does, there won't be anything but crumbs left on the plate tomorrow morning.
Caramel Shortbread Squares
This recipe can be found in my baking binder, hand written on a scrap of paper, with no source given.
1 1/2 cups butter, softened and divided
1/2 cup icing sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/4 cup flour
1 14oz can condensed milk*
3 Tbsp corn syrup
1 tsp vanilla
3 squares of semi sweet chocolate
Preheat oven to 350F.
In a large bowl, or with a stand mixer, beat together 1 cup of the butter with the icing sugar and salt, until light and fluffy. Add the flour and mix only until combined. Press into a 9x9, non-glass pan that has been buttered and floured.
Bake for 30-35 minutes, until golden. Allow to cool while you make the caramel.
In a medium sauce pan, melt the remaining 1/2 cup of butter over low heat. Stir in the condensed milk and the corn syrup. Keep an eye on this mixer and stir frequently until the caramel becomes golden and thick. When the caramel reaches your desired color, stir in the vanilla.
Pour the caramel over the crust, spreading evenly.
Melt the chocolate squares in the microwave, then drizzle the warm chocolate over the top of the caramel.
Chill for 3-4 hours before cutting into squares or bars. If you plan to freeze the squares, be sure to cut them before you freeze them.
Good at room temperature and still slightly frozen.
* Btw, a can of condensed milk in Canada reads 10 oz, whereas one from the US reads 14 - however I recently took a can from each country and weighed them. The can from Canada weighed 2 grams more than the one from the US, but it had a pull tab on the can. In other words, they are the same!
Product Review: PC Pad Thai Sauce
If you've ever looked at my FoodBuzz profile page, you'll note that I say my favorite restaurant is Sukhothai, a local Thai restaurant. My hubby and I like to go together and order an assortment of dishes and then eat too much food together.
We each have one dish that is always chosen, his being beef with chili and basil, and mine being Pad Thai with shrimp.
I've made Pad Thai from scratch before, and been disappointed. Despite this, when I was asked to try a bunch of the new President's Choice products from the Holiday Insider's Report, Pad Thai cooking sauce was my top choice.
A quick and easily put together meal, which I need lately, that is fairly well balanced with some veggies (I used carrots, bell peppers and bean sprouts), a healthy protein (shrimp), noodles and sauce.
Unfortunately, this did not make it to the plate without having lost votes already from our family of four: one child was sick and not eating (and still doesn't know we had shrimp without him, don't tell him please!), the other was unwilling to try it. Oh well, I thought - more for me!
I did mention I really like shrimp Pad Thai, right?
The final results were alright, the sweet and sticky sauce coating everything. It is a very good choice for someone who hasn't had very good Thai food and wants to try something in their own home. The instructions on the bottle were easy to follow and it made plenty of Pad Thai, even with only two of us eating it.
As for us, we are going to stick to Sukhothai for our Pad Thai in the future. Maybe when you've had one of the best, the rest just don't measure up.
You can purchase President's Choice Pad Thai Cooking Sauce at any President's Choice affiliated grocery store, such as Loblaws, Independent Grocer's, Value Mart, Superstore, or Zehrs.
Menu Plan Monday: A family effort
Has anyone noticed that the only post I do lately is my Menu Plan Monday post? I know, it's sad. I have ideas for posts. I even have some pictures for posts. I just am lacking in time.
This week, however, I might get at least one more post done, cause I'm not making every dinner this week and am 95% done my Christmas shopping.
So here we go, my Menu Plan for Menu Plan Monday!
Sunday: Tyler's Chili. I made this one, not exactly this recipe, but close enough.
Monday: Pasta with choice of sauce, Alfredo or Marinara, and garlic bread. To be made by my oldest son. He picked this while we were grocery shopping together, as a family, earlier today (something we do maybe once very two years.)
Tuesday: Eating out at IKEA night. I'm working until 6, my usual time, and the boys are all going to tkd class together, so they will meet me after class and we will have dinner together. No cooking, no dishes. (Okay, no dishes for me to do, but we will return our trays to tray return so that the dishes get done.)
Wednesday: Pork chops with mashed potatoes. Hubby is cooking tonight. Vegetable to be decided closer to dinner time.
Thursday: Christmas Eve. Normally on Christmas Eve we do a meat and veggie fondue, cooking them in a broth, but I am not sure I feel like doing that this year. I think we might make burgers. Or homemade pizza. I don't know yet what we will do.
Friday: Christmas Day. I'm making ham and potatoes and whatever else I feel like making. My MIL is making turkey. My SIL is making veggies and bringing an appetizer. Sounds like lots of fun to me!
Saturday: Left over buffet. Cause I'm sure there will be some.
If I don't make it back with another post this week (I promise to try!), have a wonderful Christmas!
Menu Plan Monday: The countdown begins
This morning my little one sat down with a paper and pen and figured out how many days it was until Christmas, just like they'd done at school to figure out how many days until the end of 2009. In doing so, he made me realize I should start giving some thought to what I'd like to make for both Christmas breakfast and dinner.
Since I try to stay within a certain budget for groceries, Christmas always throws things off.
This year I am trying things a bit different - instead of doing one huge shopping trip for everything I'll need, I'm trying to just get a few things each time I shop. My budget is still going to be affected, but not in one huge hit.
Here goes this week's plan, ready for Menu Plan Monday:
Sunday: Meatballs with buttered pasta. Recipe doubled for the freezer.
Monday: Pork roast in slow cooker, with apple sauce and smashed potatoes.
Tuesday: Not sure. Hubby is taking over this night, so whatever he makes.
Wednesday: Buttermilk chicken fingers with salad.
Thursday: Pick up night - we are doing a new schedule for Tkd that night and as a result, no one is getting home before 8pm.
Friday: We are going to try for hamburgers and hot dogs again. Try.
So what do you do to plan for the Christmas groceries?
Menu Plan Monday: It's a freezer week
I know, I'm a day late in posting this. I could have posted yesterday and been on time, but I chose to go to bed instead so I could get up early this morning and swim for a short while. I did get up early and made it to swimming, but I didn't get to be as early as I should have.
So this week's menu plan, which is going to be linked to Menu Plan Monday, is dedicated to my freezer. Everything comes from my freezer, and I'm glad I had the items in there for us. Unfortunately, that leaves me with very little that is premade, so I'm going to have to do some batch cooking (and, yeah, I think I will have time to this weekend!)
Sunday: My work Christmas party, hubby and I were out for dinner. I won a nice prize at the party too.
Monday: Chicken in pineapple sauce with rice. Frozen chicken and a slow cooker.
Tuesday: Stew with mashed potatoes. Both the stew and the potatoes are from the freezer.
Wednesday: Potential massive snow day, our first of the year, but I still reserve this day for broccoli and cheese stuffed chicken breast (premade in the freezer for the win!) with veggies, also from the freezer.
Thursday: Sheppard's Pie, from, you guessed it, in the freezer!
Friday: Either hamburgers and hot dogs, or going out for fish and chips. We shall wait and see.
Just over two weeks away from Christmas and I am not ready yet. I've done no baking. I've not finished my shopping. We don't have our tree up yet (we are still waiting for my furniture for the living room before we put up our tree,) or our lights, or my wreath for the front door. Good thing I have nothing planned for Saturday!
Menu Plan Monday: Just because
Another Sunday night and I'm ahead of things for this week. So far ahead, actually, that tomorrow night's dinner is made. And Tuesday night's dinner is almost ready.
Despite having a busy weekend here, I've gotten a tonne of stuff done. My little guy has been home sick since Wednesday night, and while he's better now, it has meant that instead of all of us doing things, we've taken turns so that one of us was always home. And I took advantage of that time to do a few things, like making meals.
So here is my contribution to this week's Menu Plan Monday:
Sunday: It is Grey Cup day (CFL football, for those of you who don't know) and I managed to throw together a last minute little buffet party. We had nachos, perogies, stuffed potato skins, pita with hummus and spinach dip, and some little appetizers made from crackers, cream cheese and hot pepper jelly. All finger foods that would be eaten on a little plate while watching football.
Monday: Lasagna. Currently sitting in the fridge ready to bake.
Tuesday: Slow cooker ribs. Still no idea what kind of sauce I want with them though.
Wednesday: Meatball subs with salad. Put frozen meatballs in pot with some sauce, jar or homemade, who knows, until heated. Toast buns, add meatballs, top with cheese, broil for 30 seconds. Then hand out the napkins!
Thursday: Tomato soup with grilled cheese sandwiches. I want to try making my own soup, but if it can't happen then, I'll find a can or two of some soup.
Friday: No plans yet. PD day for the kids, hubby staying home with them, we will see what happens.
Monday morning now, and my car has snow on it. Real snow, white and cold. I guess I will finally have to stop wearing my crocs outside. Bleh.
Have a nice Monday.
Menu Plan Monday: Thinking ahead for a change
It is Sunday night here, and I'm actually ready to post a menu plan for the week and get it onto Menu Plan Monday. What a change from the last few weeks! I hope some of it is from getting used to being back at work, but I know some of it is from too much changes to my plans lately. I've had good intentions, but it seems that by Thursday I am always picking something up.
A few changes from last week: The crock pot chicken was great, but we had it on Caesar salad, not with cheesy potatoes. Thursdays possible shrimp turned into Subway, and Friday's fish and chips turned into homemade chili. At least I still cooked on Friday.
Actually, I cooked this weekend too, mostly because I really wanted to. Yes, I'm tired and really did not want to mess up my kitchen more than it already was, but I also missed the calmness and creative outlet that cooking can be for me. I need to keep that in my mind this week when I'm leaving work at 6:15 and know I still have a 25 minute drive ahead of me before I start dinner.
So here is this week's plan, starting with today, Sunday:
Sunday: Pot luck dinner with our Taekwon-Do school. I made Spanikopita, feta cheese and spinach pie, made with phillo dough. I'm not sure if I've posted this recipe before, so I will do a search later and if I haven't, I'll take a picture of my left overs and get it up here!
Monday: Teriyaki pork tenderloin with carrots.
Tuesday: Pad Thai with shrimp - I'm trying out a new jarred sauce.
Wednesday: Homemade chicken fingers with salad.
Thursday: Meatloaf with mashed potatoes.
Friday: Spaghetti with meat sauce and garlic bread.
I hope everyone has a good week!
Menu Plan Monday: I'm back!
Did you miss me?
I had a nice weekend in Toronto with my youngest child. Didn't do much of anything, completely forgot to call Cream Puff until I was almost at Toronto, so didn't see her, and did not eat anywhere that did not involve fast food, but still managed to have a good time.
My little one and I were going for the purpose of seeing my uncle, who is a testament to how important organ donation is - he would not be alive today without someone's foresight and generosity. If you haven't done so, sign your organ donor card today and talk to your family! Even if you sign your card, or have it on your medic bracelet the way I do, your family can overrule you, so let them know you want to be an organ donor!
I admit I did not make my menu plan for the week until sometime this afternoon. We got in last night after 6pm, and were both very tired. Today we tried sleeping in but it didn't work very well for us, so we packed up his brother and went shopping in the US. The price of butter alone makes the trip worth while for me, plus the boys like to pick out things they can't get here, like Goobers, a combination of peanut butter and jelly in the same jar. Ugh to me, but they love it.
Here we go, still a work in progress, but what I'm submitting for this week's Menu Plan Monday:
Sunday: Sheppard's Pie, made by the hubby.
Monday: Pizza and salad, a chicken pizza and a 5 cheese pizza, from Costco.
Tuesday: Steak fajitas
Wednesday: Crockpot chicken and cheesy potatoes.
Thursday: Happy Shrimp with rice. I think. Maybe. Oh, who knows!
Friday: Fish and chips, homemade.
Life is good when you can make a little boy deliriously happy simply by taking him on the subway. For him, life is over the top fabulous when a subway trip is combined with a trip on the GO train and then a walk up to see just how tall the CN tower really is. Especially when he can follow on a map and see how far he walked and what the next stop on the train is.
Btw, I think my youngest child is in love! It is a toss up between Potter Barn for Kids and Crate and Barrel!
Menu Plan Monday: More cow and some paint
Paint and a cow is not a combination you expect to see when it comes to a menu plan, but this week, that's what I've got. First, I picked up my 1/4 of a cow last night, with the "help" and company of my Little SC. Then my oldest helped me count out the various packages as I put them into the freezer.
I think it is safe to say I won't run out of ground beef any time soon - not with 54 lbs of it!
No roasts in my freezer, though, just 'summer cuts' in steaks and braising ribs. That's fine, we'll live with that.
Now the connection to paint....
We've lived in this house for almost a year now and living with the decorating choices of the former owner has been pulling me down. Budget wise, however, I had to. That and the total repaint of our old home before we sold it had my hands cramping up every time I even thought about picking up a roller.
I finally could not stand it anymore, the gold glazed wall in my kitchen, with the sponge painted underside of bulkheads above my cabinets. And, more importantly, my hubby 'volunteered' to paint! Goodbye gold, glazed sponge paint!
So my kitchen has not exactly been functioning the last few days, which means the plan of sausages with tomatoes and mashed potatoes from last night is likely to happen tonight, and last night became pick up pizza on the way home night.
And my kitchen is so much lighter and brighter, so that was well worth a few pizzas!
Sunday: Left overs (I had a work meeting and ate there.)
Monday: Pizza from the local bar, pretty good.
Tuesday: Sausages with tomatoes and mashed potatoes (or sausages on a bun with chips.)
Wednesday: Rib eye steaks with salad.
Thursday: Homemade hamburgers
Friday: I'm out of town with my little one, so my two "big boys" get to fend for themselves.
Saturday: They are still on their own, I think they can handle it fine.
And that's my plan for the week, which I will be adding in to the plans from hundreds of others on Menu Plan Monday.
Pictures of my newly painted kitchen next week. Or after I find curtains for it.
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