Weekly Menu

Yes I'm alive! It's been two weeks since my last post but that doesn't mean we haven't been eating....just nothing exciting!

I spent the first week eating our way through the pantry, freezer and refrigerator.

I hate it when things start to pile up. We had weird combinations like pancakes-chicken-salad. I made several soups and salads with all sorts of things...a little steak here, and little chicken there...one sausage, a handful of dried beans...not to worry it got put into something. We ate through it all in one week.

Last week I was just plain lazy. I made two large salads, 1 whole bird, 1 slab of beef, and we ate wraps....all week. The kids mostly had grilled cheese sandwiches.

I lost 4 pounds during the two weeks so maybe it wasn't all bad, just not anything to write about. The wraps were really good though.


Back to usual now.

Weekly Menu

Monday- Chicken Enchiladas
Tuesday- Sweet Potato and Kale Soup (tastes better than it sounds)
Wednesday- Taco Salad
Thursday- Gnocchi with spinach and cream

Graze like a Rabbit and Weekly Dinners

If we can learn anything from a rabbit, it's that you can never eat enough ruffage. It's true. So when I'm asked, "what's a good late night snack?" I respond: salad.

I know it's not always fast to whip up a salad, after all there's a lot of chopping involved, and we want our snacks quick and easy. So what I like to do is always keep a ready made salad on hand. I keep it stored directly in the salad spinner and placed in the refrigerator.

The spinner, by design, keeps the moisture away from the produce allowing it to stay fresh for up to 9 days. (Hopefully you will have eaten it all by then!)

Enjoy!

Weekly Dinners

Sunday- Tri Tip, Roasted Root Veggies, and above salad

Monday- Burritos w/ Sauteed veggies and topped with the above salad

Tuesday- Grilled Chicken Wraps (also using the above salad as a topper)

Wednesday- Chili and maybe a side salad

Thursday- Homemade Mac and Cheese with a side salad

Do you get the picture? When you have a salad ready to go, you have an instant meal, side dish or snack.

Remember: Salad dressings are a downfall for many a salad. Make sure to make your own or simply use oil and vinegar. Penzey's Spice House also offers many great dry dressing bases that are free of mystery ingredients.

Happy New Year! Poblano Pepper Beef Recipe and Weekly Dinners

Poblano Beef over Cheesy Polenta (recipe Below)

The holidays are done and now is the time for resolutions.

I like to make resolutions that are fun and easy to keep. Past resolutions have been to be more fun, read more fiction, and make Beef Wellington.

This year I resolve to continue to run. Along with some friends, I will be running the Shriners 8k in June. Some cooking goals for 2010 are to actually make the Beef Wellington, a souffle, and buy a pasta machine.

Weekly Dinners

Sunday- Poblano Beef over Polenta

Monday- Handmade Gnocci w/ roasted delicata squash, bacon, peas, and browned butter

Tuesday- Out to dinner for my 35th birthday

Wednesday- Sloppy Joes

Thursday- Sausage Soup (a new favorite, recipe will be posted for sure)

Friday- Halibut w/ a wild Mushroom Cream sauce, brown rice and roasted Brussels Sprouts

Poblano Beef over Cheesy Polenta

Ingredients
2 Poblano peppers, seeded and sliced
1 large onion, sliced
3 cloves garlic, smashed or minced
1 T chili powder
Salt to taste
1 1/2 lb top sirloin, cut into 1 inch cubes
4 large tomatoes, chopped (or 28oz can of diced tomatoes)

Polenta
4 cups broth or water
1 cup dry polenta
1 cup grated jack cheese


Start the polenta first. While polenta is cooking make the beef.

Polenta: Boil water, add polenta and stir constantly for 1 minutes. Reduce heat to low and cook for 20 minutes, stirring frequently.

Beef: In a 12" pan, Saute onions and peppers until soft, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add garlic, chili pepper, salt, and beef. Continue to cook until beef is almost done about 5 to 7 minutes. Add tomatoes and simmer another 5 minutes. Serve over polenta.

Pears and Kefir Cheese

If you are looking for something really quick and tasty to add to your table, this is it.

Sliced pears tossed in fresh lemon juice to prevent browning with a side of Kefir Cheese.



What's Kefir cheese?

Sometimes called yogurt cheese, its thick and smooth and has a tangy flavor, similar to yogurt with a little added salt. In my opinion it's like a combination of yogurt (flavor) and cream cheese (texture).

It was so quick to put together, I will definitely be serving this as a part of our Christmas day breakfast.

Brought by my most awesome friend Jami, this addition to our brunch table was a huge hit. I polished off the last three pear slices after everyone left.

Mediterranean Quiche

This recipe came from my good friend Kristi. It was DEE-LISH. Serve along side the creamy-cheesy scalloped potatoes for that perfect brunch combination.

Mediterranean quiche:

Ingredients

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup sliced yellow onions
1 medium zucchini, chopped
1/4 pound mushrooms, wiped clean and sliced
1 teaspoon minced garlic
4 ounces oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and chopped
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 large eggs
1 1/4 cups half-and-half
1/2 cup grated Gruyere
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
Savory pie crust, recipe follows
3 ounces goat cheese, crumbled

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

In a large skillet melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the onions and zucchini and cook, stirring, for 6 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring, until the liquid is rendered and the vegetables are wilted, about 10 minutes.

Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.

Add the tomatoes, basil, and thyme and season lightly with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and let cool.

In a bowl, beat the eggs and half-and-half together. Add the salt, pepper, grated Gruyere, and crushed red pepper.

Spoon the vegetable mixture into the prepared piecrust, pour in the egg mixture, and crumble the goat cheese on top. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until set. Remove from the oven and let cool for 30 minutes before serving.

Persimmon-Apple Cookies

Looking for a way to use up those persimmons? These cookies are perfect for Santa (or yourself!)

I'm not a huge fan of persimmons, but I really like these cookies. Adapted from a recipe that I found online, these cookies have the perfect amount of spice.

With the addition of apples, the flavor is reminiscent of apple pie.

Ingredients

2 ripe persimmons, pureed
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 cup chopped apples

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).

Dissolve baking soda in persimmon pulp and set aside.
Sift flour, spices and salt together, set aside.

Cream together butter or margarine and sugar until fluffy, beat in egg and persimmon. Stir in dry ingredients. Stir in apples.

Drop by teaspoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet. Bake for 15 minutes.

Creamy-Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes

Oh these are so good. Perfect for brunch or a side dish at dinner. These can prepared a day or two before and cooked the day of your party, making these perfect for a holiday party side dish.

Ingredients

6 Medium Yukon Gold or Red Potatoes

2 Cups Cheddar Cheese

3 (approx) cups Bechamel Sauce (recipe below)

Directions

1. Boil potatoes until almost fully cooked. Should be soft enough to easily poke a fork into but not enough to where they fall apart. Drain and refrigerate until completely cool. Peeling is optional. I never peel my potatoes.

2. Once cooled, thinly slice potatoes.

3. Layer potatoes and cheese in a 9 inch square or round baking dish.

4. Pour bechamel sauce over the top

5. Bake on 350 for 1 to 1.5 hours (depending on how cooked your potatoes were before...the longer you boil the less you have to bake).

Bechamel Sauce

Ingredients

4 T Butter

4 T Flour

3 Cups of Milk

Salt and pepper to taste

Dash of Nutmeg

Directions

Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour stirring constantly until it makes a smooth paste. Add milk and continue to stir, slowly bringing to a boil. Once there, reduce temp and bring to a low simmer. Cook for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Sauce will become thick and creamy. Add salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste.

This post is part of the Make it From Scratch blog carnival.

Weekly Dinners

I can't do it anymore. No more. I'm done. I quit and I'm going back.....back to shopping on Fridays.

I tried the Tuesday Farmers Market and Whole Foods combo trip for 4 weeks. It makes sense to hit both places in one outing instead of breaking it up into two (Friday Whole Foods and Saturday Farmers Market). But alas, old habits are hard to quit.

I realized that I really like having a full fridge and pantry to play around with on the weekend. I also learned that while I like my weeknights meal planned, I like my weekends to be spontaneous. I also really miss my Saturday farmers. Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of great farmers at the Tuesday Market in Roseville, but I don't know them and they don't know me and there's something sad about that.

So, I am going back.

Meal planning on Thursday night or Friday morning.

Whole Foods on Friday morning.

Farmers Market on Saturday.

(On busy weeks or weeks where my meat supply is full, I will skip Whole Foods and hit Trader Joe's)

A set meal plan for the weeknights and the freedom to play around in the kitchen on the weekends.


This weeks menu:

Sunday- Sun dried Tomato and Roasted Garlic Pizza with Cream of Broccoli Soup.
Monday- Crab Cakes and Green Salad
Tuesday- Pot Roast, Green Beans and Potatoes
Wednesday- Enchiladas
Thursday- Chicken Pot Pie

John's Grass Fed Beef

Rarely do I endorse a product, but this is more than a just a mere product....this is a way of life.

Eating locally raised, pastured fed beef is reminiscent of a simpler time. A time where our food system was almost entirely comprised of local food sources. A time where "lifestyle diseases" were rare or unheard of.

As a holistic nutritionist, I encourage everyone to eat traditionally, and tailor your foods to your unique nutritional requirements (ie. many people are sensitive to gluten, dairy, soy. While these foods might be good for some, they aren't good for everyone...know your body and it's individual needs).

Also, consuming nutrient dense traditional and basic foods such as meat, poultry, dairy, whole grains, fruits, veggies, seafood, nuts, seeds and legumes, are better for you, period.

Grass fed beef is seasonal, and it's time to start thinking about making your reservation.

If you live in the Sacramento, CA area, and have a freezer big enough, please consider John's Grass Fed Beef.

From Mary @ John's Great Grass Fed Beef:

We are now taking reservations for our 2010 crop of delicious grass fed beef! We are going to be able to hold the price this year to the same as last year—or $3.92 per pound hanging weight. This includes all processing and the Cut & Wrap fee (many producers of locker beef quote their prices without including Cut & Wrap and make the buyer pay it themselves). The final price cut and wrapped in the freezer will probably work out to something in the ball park of $6.25 per pound, depending on the individual animal and how you want it cut. This of course averages the expensive steaks that you'd pay over $10 per pound for in the stores as well as the cheaper meat like hamburger.

To reserve beef you need to send a deposit of $100, and let us know if you want a whole, half or quarter beef. Deposits can be made by check or we can send you a PayPal invoice so you can use your credit card if you prefer.

As the time for processing the beef (May or June) gets close, everyone on our reservation list will have the chance to give their custom Cut and Wrap directions to the processor. The decisions to be made for the directions include things like whether you want some stew meat or all that type of meat ground for hamburger? How much fat content in the hamburger? Sirloin Steaks or Sirloin Roast? How thick to cut the steaks? How many steaks per package? The processor will gladly walk you through the decisions over the phone, but if it all seems like too much to decide you can simply ask for their Standard Cut and Wrap. The Standard seems to please most folks.

A half of a 1,000 lb steer will usually yield roughly 275 lb hanging beef, which in turn yields approximately 190 lb cut and wrapped beef in the freezer. A quarter will yield approximately 95 lb cut and wrapped. A whole beef will cost roughly $2,000, a half will cost roughly $1,000 and a quarter roughly $500. Of course 1,000 lb is an estimated average weight. The loss to hanging weight and then to cut and wrapped weight varies with each animal and how you have it cut.

Our beef is fed no antibiotics, hormones or other chemicals. Pretty much all the cattle eat is grass and clover pasture. They get a little hay in the winter and as bribes when we move them from pasture to pasture so that we don’t have to chase them.

Advantages of our grass fed beef:

Our beef is not given any hormones or other growth stimulants

Because our beef is fed only grass and perhaps a small amount of hay, we know for a fact that they do not eat any animal products, candy or other unsavory things

Research has shown that the ratio of Omega 6 fats to Omega 3 fats in grass fed beef is in the healthy range, while in grain fed beef it is not

Grass fed beef is a great source of CLA (conjugated linoleic acid), a fat that reduces the risk of cancer, obesity, diabetes, and a number of immune disorders

Grass fed beef has far more Vitamin E and Beta-Carotene than grain fed

Grass fed beef is better for the human eating it, better for the animal,better for the environment and encourages family farming. It is awin-win-win situation.

Most beef sold in stores, even health food stores, is not natural “real beef”. Even though it may be organic, the cattle are fed grains, and grains are not what cattle are designed to eat—grass is!

Beef, in its natural grass-fed state, is quite different from grain fed beef and is actually a healthy food

Our cattle live contentedly in natural grassy pastures rather than in crowded and unsanitary feed yards

Our beef is USDA Inspected

Our beef is healthier for you to eat. Even feeding grain for a short "finishing" period of 30 to 60 days drastically reduces the benefits of raising them on grass, so we do not do it

Our beef is DELICIOUS, TENDER and JUICY!

Easy Party Pinwheels

'Tis the season for parties. Seems like attending parties is all we're doing this week.

LOVE parties. LOVE appetizers and finger foods.

This simple and festive bite-size appetizer was easy and tasty.

Ingredients:

4-8oz jar pepper jelly

4-8 oz of goat cheese

2 12x12 (roughly 17 oz) sheets of puffed pastry

(This homemade pepper jelly came to me courtesy of my good friend Gina. It was made by her friend Jenny's mom!--thank you Gina and Jenny's mom for this delicious pepper jelly.)

Directions: (preheat oven to 400 degrees)

1. Roll out the puff pastry

2. Spread on goat cheese and pepper jelly (to taste).

3. Roll up

4. Slice in 1/2 inch sections

5. Place cut side down on baking sheet bake for 20 minutes.

YUM!

Cleansing After the Feast-Weekly Dinners

Boy was Thanksgiving good. My plate was full of turkey, mashed potatoes, (shredded) Brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes, and a cornmeal muffin. I won't mention all of the desserts.

My son's birthday falls a few days after Turkey Day, which means more overeating (at least it did for me!).

Now, I am ready to cleanse.

"Cleansing" Daily Diner style does NOT mean starving. Even in the most bloated of moments, I still love food and will continue to eat. What it means is to lighten up the meals by having more calories from unrefined, complex carbs (veggies, fruits, beans, whole grains) than fat and protein combined. These unrefined carbs are naturally cleansing.

The key word is more (not only). When I cleanse, I don't give up the animal fats, oils or protein rich foods, just limit them.

Since both myself and Hubby currently feel glutinous, I have created our weekly meal plan around these lighter, cleansing foods.

The good news is that these cooler months are the best time for local leafy greens, root veggies, winter squash, and cruciferous vegetables, so lightening the load will still be delicious.

Weekly Meal Plan:

This week will deviate from the usual way we meal plan.

Instead of having specific meals for each night, we will be eating "buffet style" from the refrigerator. In the fridge, there are three soups: lentil with root veggies, cabbage with onions and potatoes, and black bean-mushroom chili. To accompany these soups, there is really large salad made of butter leaf, red leaf, arugula, and cilantro as the base.

Each night, I will roast some red onions and veggies such as, Brussels sprouts, carrots, parsnips and turnips with balsamic and a little salt. These are intended for the salad.

I know it's sometimes hard to eat a salad in the winter....seems to cold too eat cool-crisp lettuce. To "winterize" a salad, let your greens sit out and become room temperature. Then add the roasted veggies while they're still warm. You can even warm the dressing. A nice warm oil and vinegar combo goes great and is super easy.

There will be meat involved too. I don't believe in avoiding (real, whole, unprocessed) foods. We'll just be tailoring them a little more by keeping the higher protein/fat meals to breakfast (the most important meal of the day).

Our lunches and dinners will consist of the soups and salads.

Eat Well!

Thanksgiving Week Meal Plans

I love Christmas, but Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. I love food, family, and friends and simply giving thanks (without gifts).

As usual, we are hosting Thanksgiving. Each year we have between 40 and 50 family members come and bring their favorite dish to share. Hubby will be making two turkeys, one on the smoker and one in the oven. Most all of the dishes are tradition turkey day grub: mashed potatoes and gravy, stuffing, sweet potatoes, green beans, Brussels sprouts, etc., and several desserts. I can't wait for the all day feast that begins at 1pm and will go into the late night hours.

This week (Monday-Wed) we're eating through everything in the pantry, freezer and refrigerator making plenty room for Thanksgiving day leftovers.

Weekly Meal Plan
Monday- Barley Beef Soup
Tuesday- Baked Chicken, Creamed Kale, Butter Beans and Hoecakes (That's Southern for "Lima beans and cornmeal cakes")
Wednesday- Winter Squash Medley Soup and leftovers.
Thursday is the big day and we'll be eating leftovers the rest of the week. YUM.

Winter Squash Drop Biscuits and Weekly Dinners

These seasonal drop biscuits are so good that I ate...well...too many.

Winter Squash Drop Biscuits

Ingredients

2 Cups Whole Wheat Flour

1/4 t salt

2 T Sucanat, Rapadura or regular brown sugar

2 t Baking Powder

6 T Cold Butter, cut into small pieces

1/2 Cup smashed or pureed winter squash (recipe below)

3/4 Cup half & half or heavy cream

In a bowl, stir together flour, salt, sugar and baking powder. Add squash and butter and mix with your hands until the butter is the size of small peas. Pour in half & half and lightly mix in with a fork. Using your hands, gently knead the dough a few times (do not over work). Drop the biscuits onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 17 minutes on 400 degrees. Makes 8 biscuits.

Smashed Roasted Winter Squash
Almost any sweet winter squash will do: delicata, pumpkin, kabocha, acorn, or butternut, all work great.

Simply cut the squash in half, scrape out the seeds, butter the flesh, place face down on a cookie sheet or baking dish and roast on 375 for 45-60 minutes or until flesh is really soft. Cool. Once cooled, pull the peal off. Hand smash with a fork.

Weekly Dinners

Tuesday- Steak Fajitas

Wednesday- Potato Leak Soup

Thursday- Orange Chicken Stir Fry over Brown Rice

Friday- Grilled Chicken with White Bean Puree and Spinach

Saturday- Pot Roast with Veg

Sunday- Roasted Winter Squash, Parsnips and Onions and

Rock Shrimp and White Bean Skillet with Bacon and Spinach

The original recipe came from a Cuisine at Home back in October in 2006. I had forgotten about it until last week when flipping through, looking for inspiration, it came to me.

I followed the recipe as it was written, but then remembered that I don't care for the bread crumbs on top. They add an extra step and don't add enough flavor (in my opinion).

Here it is (and believe it or not, but this is the simplified version!)....

Combine, Puree and Set Aside:

1 15 oz. can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

1/4 C chicken broth

2 T Parmesan, grated

1/4 t paprika

1/4 t cayenne

In a large pot, Saute for 2 to 3 minutes:

2 strips of bacon, diced

1 C onion, diced

1 red bell pepper, chopped

3 cloves garlic, mined

1/4 t red pepper flakes

Then add and cook down:

6 C fresh spinach, chopped

Pureed bean mixture

Salt and Pepper to taste

Stir in and cook:

1 lb of rock shrimp

2 T butter

1/4 c sherry or sweet vermouth

(you can then add panko bread crumbs and then put in under the broiler, but again, not worth it in my opinion).

Serves 3 to 4.

Soft Homemade Pretzels

These soft and salty pretzels were so fun and easy to make that we all wondered why we hadn't made them before.

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups warm (110 to 115 degrees F) water
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons real salt
2 t instant or Rapid Rise yeast
4 1/2 Cups whole wheat flour
4 T butter, melted
Olive oil, for pan

10 cups water
1/2 cup baking soda
1 large egg yolk beaten with 1 tablespoon water
Pretzel salt or any course salt (for topping)

Directions
Combine the water, sugar, yeast and salt in the bowl. Add the flour and butter and, using your hands knead the dough until well combined. Dough should be smooth and pull away from the side of the bowl. Remove the dough from the bowl, clean the bowl and then oil it well with olive oil. Return the dough to the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and sit in a warm place for approximately 50 to 55 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line 2 half-sheet pans with parchment paper and lightly brush with the olive oil. Set aside.

Bring the 10 cups of water and the baking soda to a rolling boil in an 8-quart saucepan or roasting pan.

In the meantime, turn the dough out onto a slightly oiled work surface and divide into 9 equal pieces. Roll out each piece of dough into a 24-inch rope. Make a U-shape with the rope, holding the ends of the rope, cross them over each other and press onto the bottom of the U in order to form the shape of a pretzel. Place onto the parchment-lined half sheet pan.

Place the pretzels into the boiling water, 1 by 1, for 30 seconds. Remove them from the water using a large flat spatula. Return to the half sheet pan, brush the top of each pretzel with the beaten egg yolk and water mixture and sprinkle with the pretzel salt. Bake until dark golden brown in color, approximately 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack for at least 5 minutes before serving.

Here are the kids rolling out the dough.




Kid #1 was very pleased that he was able to shape it without help.

Boil, brush, then bake. easy peasy.

This post is a part of the Fight Back Fridays by Food Renegade and Make it From Scratch Carnival.

Weekly Dinners

(Yummy Winter Squash: Butternut, Kabocha, Delicata, Acorn, Lumina, and Carnival)

3 weeks ago, I decided to switch our meal planning-shopping day from Friday and/or Saturday to Tuesday.

For 6 years, I have been enjoying the weekly Friday trips to Whole Foods Market and the Saturday morning stroll through the local Farmers Market.

But it's time for change.

Last year, a new Whole Foods Market opened about the same distance from my home in the opposite direction. Then, more recently, the Foothills Farmers Market Association introduced a year round farmers market in the new Whole Foods Markets parking lot. With one swoop, I can hit both places. Done.

I really like the idea of shopping on a Tuesday. After all, having my Saturday mornings free to spend with family or to teach a class, is nice. Plus, Saturdays are often occupied with sports. Tuesday afternoons are completely free--making Tuesdays, in theory, ideal.

But old habits are hard to break and meal planning on a Monday night is a little weird.

When changing a habit or getting used to something new, it's important to give it time. 6 months to a year is what "experts" have said. And so 3 weeks down and many weeks to go.



The good news is that I am really excited about this weeks menu.

Weekly Dinners

Tuesday- Penne with Italian Sausage, Portabella Mushrooms, Kale, and two sauces: Tomato and Bechemel.

Wednesday - Rock Shrimp Skillet with White Bean Puree, Spinach and Bacon

Thursday- Steak, Potatoes, and Green Beans

Friday- Potluck with friends with an Indian theme. We're bringing a vegetable salad with chickpea's and pomegranate seeds. The dressing is a cilantro-cumin-yogurt combo.

Saturday- Yukon and Sweet Potato Cakes with Butternut Squash Soup

Sunday- Chicken Hash with Delicata Squash and Kale

Monday- Hungarian (Turkey) Meatballs w/ Creamy Paprikash over Brown Rice

Shepards Pie

Shepard’s Pie

1 lb sustainably raised ground beef
mashed potatoes (recipe below)
1 large yellow onion, diced
Olive Oil
1 portabella mushroom
1 cups shredded carrots
1 cup peas
1 15 oz can of plain tomato sauce
2 or 3 cloves garlic, minced
1 T thyme
Salt and Pepper to taste

Mashed potatoes
4 Russet potatoes or 8 medium red potatoes
Milk (pour in enough to get desired consistency)
¼ Cup Cream Cheese
1 T horseradish sauce (optional)
3 t Butter
Salt
Pepper


In large sauté pan brown onions and ground beef with a little olive oil, salt and pepper. Add mushrooms, carrots, garlic and thyme, cook for approx 5 minutes or until carrots soften. Add in peas and tomato sauce and cook for a few minutes. Add more salt and pepper if desired.

Pour into 9x9 pan.

Prepare mashed potatoes and spread on top of mixture.

Cover and cook for 20 minutes* @ 400. Remove cover and bake an additional 5-10 minutes or until top is slightly browned.

*If you plan on preparing your meal ahead of time and placing in the refrigerator until later add 20 minutes to cooking time. In other words, cook covered for 40 minutes and then uncovered for 5 – 10 minutes.

This recipe is part of Fight Back Friday and Make it From Scratch.

Weekly Dinners, Halloween Recap, and Apple Hill Harvest Run

Where has the week gone?! It's just flying by.....it's Wednesday already!






How was your Halloween? Ours was good.

We got home from Tick or Treating around 8:45. I let the kids sort through their candy and then gorge themselves on as much as they could for about 10 minutes. They doubled over in pain shortly after that, which then prompted the question,

"Do you want to keep your candy or exchange for a visit by the Great Pumpkin?"

Both quickly replied with overwhelming enthusiasm for the Great Pumpkin.

I let them choose another 20 pieces, which they gobbled up the next day and were sick, again.
Needless to say, they were not sad when the candy was gone.

Is it mean to define a Halloween as "good" by the fact that it made my kids sick?!

The very next morning we were up at the crack of dawn, dressed and in the car heading up the hill to participate in the Apple Hill Harvest Run. The kids did a .5 mile fun run.

Here thy are with their medals.



My mom, "Mimi", and I ran along side the boys.

Here's Charlie, Kid #2, puffing along with his candy hangover. He wanted to run with his brother in the older division (You know, those older 6 to 10 year olds...he's 5). He was so cute. By the end he was basically in last place and the crowd was going wild with encouraging shout-outs. He kept looking around and behind him, confused. I leaned down (I was running next to him) and said "they are cheering for you"....he was so excited.

This is Kid #1 (in the middle). He was absolutely decided on NOT running in the race, hence the jeans and Vans. That was until he saw his baseball coach (right side of pic) and friend (on the left).

Running a half mile probably did not negate all of the candy consumed, but it does help to send an important message:

There is a time and place for everything, even candy. It's important to have a strong foundation of healthy habits which include eating well and being physically active. We don't need to strive for perfection...just balance.

Weekly Dinners

Sunday- Had a lovely dinner out with my Mother-In-Law (thank you!)

Monday- Halibut, Brown Rice and Spaghetti Squash

Tuesday- Fish Tacos with Spanish Rice (made entirely from leftovers, really good)

Wednesday- Spicy Thai Beef Salad

Thursday- Shepard's Pie

Friday- Orange Chicken and Veggie Stir Fry

Saturday- Chicken-Cheddar Chowder and Homemade Bread

*Note on the Weekly Meal Plan- I am trying out a new system by shopping on Tuesday's and hitting both Whole Foods and the NEW year round Farmers Market in the same trip. For years, I have done my shopping on Friday and/or Saturday, so we'll see if I can adjust.

Weekly Dinners, Kids and Running, and NEW Year Round Farmers Market

Getting the Kids Excited about Running--Who woulda thought?

Several months ago our friends, Kim and Grant, organized a motley crew of neighborhood kids and introduced them to fun and competitive running. They coined the group, the Gold River Runners.


Gold River Runners


We reluctantly joined.

My kids don't like to run, or so I thought. (This is why we should never underestimate our kids or transfer our interests onto them!)

Turns out, Kid #2 loves to run.

And while kid #1 didn't like the practices, he loved running in a race.

Each week the kids practiced by running a mile on our local trails. Their training culminated this past weekend as the group ran the Scary Scampers 1 mile fun-run, associated with the 4 Bridges 1/2 Marathon.



Like their momma, the kids have caught the running bug. Apparently it only takes one race, regardless of age.

Kid # 1 as he heads to the finish line.

Kid #2 as he crosses the finish line.

___________________________________________________________

Weekly Dinners

Sunday- Mild Italian Sausages, Ancho and Bell peppers (maybe the last of the season), onions, and tomatoes, over brown rice

Monday-Salmon, Broccoli, and Roasted Potatoes

Tuesday- Loaded Chicken Burritos-Chicken, Rice, Beans, and Veg

Wednesday- Butternut Squash Soup and BLT's

Thursday- Mushroom Stroganoff over Egg noodles

Friday- Leafy Green Salad with Warm Vegetables and Blue Cheese

___________________________________________________________

For Locals Only: NEW Year Round Farmers Market

We are so blessed to live where we do, and to have access to several year-round farmers markets.

Now there is one more. I am very happy that the Foothill Farmers Market Association has decided to make the Tuesday morning farmers market year round.

TUESDAYS
Roseville: Fountains Shopping Center (in front of Whole Foods Market)
Galleria Blvd. & E. Roseville Pkwy.
Tuesdays, 8:30 am – 1 pm, year round

Now we can hit Whole Foods Market and the Farmers Market in the same outing w/o extra driving. very exciting.

Halloween Tips and Tricks

Halloween '07

Candy season is among us.

My least favorite holiday is almost here, Halloween. I don't know why I dislike Halloween as much as I do...frankly, I am a bit of a Scrooge when it comes to this sweet day. I don't like costumes, or candy, or cheap and scary decorations, or creepy movies.

I do love the pumpkin patch, the only silver lining.

Of course, the kids love Halloween. They love everything about Halloween. The costumes, candy, the ghoulish decorations....the scarier the better....bring on the blood and guts for my boys.

But what's a health conscious parent to do with all that candy?

The Great Pumpkin.

The "Great Pumpkin" is mythical creature, like Santa Clause or the Tooth Fairy, except the kids know it's me.

On Halloween night, the kids go through their sugary loot and pick out their favorite 5-10-20 pieces (depending on their age). After choosing their treasures, they leave the rest on the front porch for the Great Pumpkin.

The mysterious Great Pumpkin descends upon the home in the wee hours of the night, swipes the candy and replaces it with a much wanted toy.

The kids get so excited about the new toy they hardly miss the candy.