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Tuesday, November 23, 2010

A Giveaway I Didn't Want To Miss (And You Shouldn't Either!)

Over at TodaysMama they are having a fantabulous giveaway in conjunction with GameStop. You should head over there and enter to win (but continue reading this first!). And if that's not enough, Cathy Z has a giveaway from them too. Check out her blog for a chance to win another great prize.

TodaysMama and GameStop are giving away a sleighful of gifts this holiday season and to enter I'm sharing this meme with you.


1. What is your holiday wish for your family?
I wish for continued growth (I do have little kids, you know), good health and bundles of happiness. What else is there?
2. What is your Christmas morning tradition?
Mom and Dad head downstairs first while kiddos wait upstairs (making sure to stay out-of-sight). Then, when cameras are ready, the kiddos come down the stairs to see what joys Santa left for them. The next 30 minutes include squeals of delight, shreds of wrapping paper and little plastic pieces everywhere. When all the gifts have been opened, we eat breakfast and get dressed for a day of celebrating with extended family.
3. If you could ask Santa for one, completely decadent wish for yourself, what would it be?
We have a first edition 1930s kitchen, complete with drawers that lose bits of wood when you use them, only two outlets in the whole room, a sink that's literally sinking into the cupboards below and a makeshift 2x4 island to increase our counter space from 8 square feet. I'd LOVE to get a revised second edition kitchen if Santa could spare a few elves to make it happen.
4. How do you make the holidays special without spending any money?
We decorate the Christmas tree and living room together (while sharing and making special memories). We bake cookies, decorate gingerbread houses and share our homemade goodies with others. And, best of all, we roast marshmallows in the fireplace. I'm sure Mary and Joseph didn't do that, but we still like it anyway.
5. What games did you play with your family growing up?
My siblings I used our imaginations a lot and made up our own games. Blockade, Spaceships and Rock Band were just a few of our favorites.
6. What holiday tradition have you carried on from your own childhood?
Drinking eggnog while decorating the Christmas tree together.
7. Where would you go for a Christmas-away-from-home trip?
It just wouldn't feel like Christmas if I weren't surrounded by all my family (parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc), so my destination of choice would be wherever I could go with 100 people in tow.
8. Check out GameStop and tell us, what are the top three on your GameStop wish list this year?
Xbox 360/Kinect bundle, along with the fitness and sports bundles to play on it.

Monday, November 22, 2010

Menu Planning Part 3

The first week, we picked our meal categories and brainstormed ideas for each category. The second week, we added our categories and meal ideas to a menu calendar and started our meal-management system.

This week, I'll share with you seven tricks I use to make food prep and planning a little easier.

Tip 1: Plan ahead.
One of the benefits of having a weekly meal plan is that you can think ahead to the things you might need later in the week and plan accordingly. For example, if you are serving steamed broccoli two nights, wash and cut it the first night you serve it and save the already-prepped broccoli for a second night. Or, better yet, wash and prep whatever you can over the weekend so that mid-week meals are as seamless as possible.

Tip 2: Repurpose leftovers.
For example, one of my favorite things to do during cold weather months is add leftovers into soup. I have found that my family really likes the Bear Creek dry soup mixes. Have some steamed broccoli that needs a home? How about some Cheddar Broccoli Soup? Leftover pork roast? Add it to Tortilla Soup. Not only is it a great way to repurpose foods, but the soup mixes are easy to make and ready in less than 30 minutes.

Tip 3: Stock your pantry.
I'm not just talking about the convenience dinners like Mac & Cheese (although those do come in handy). There are plenty of dinners you can make from a few ingredients you probably have in your pantry right now. Casserole dishes, pasta dinners and easy pan sauces all have their humble beginnings in the pantry. Stock it well and you'll have an easy dinner even when the fridge is bare.

Tip 4: Develop a freezer storage system (see tip #5 for why).
You will need freezer tape (available in the grocery store in the food storage area), colored permanent markers and storage containers. You can either invest in freezable storage containers and plastic bags or a vacuum-sealer. There are pros and cons to both ways of storing your food, but I've tried both and prefer the containers. But whatever the food goes into, use your colored markers and freezer tape to label it. Why the colored markers? To easily identify whether or not it needs to thaw first. For example, if the item can go from freezer to oven, then use a green pen to label it (name and directions). If it first needs to thaw in the fridge, label it red. Doesn't matter (or, in my case, too lazy to find a colored pen) use black. Why the freezer tape? It's not necessary, but I find that freezer tape works much better than regular masking tape or marking right on the container.

Tip 5: Make the freezer your friend.
A well-stocked freezer can save you hours of headache. And how do you get a well-stocked freezer? You start by making double batches of the foods you like. I made Bolognese Sauce a few weeks ago, labeled it and stuck it in the freezer.


The next pasta (or ethnic) night that I know will be hectic, I'll just pull it out of the freezer and use it. I've got enchiladas, meatballs, cookie dough and soups that all started as double batches.

Another way to stock your freezer is to portion out leftovers and freeze them. For example, when I make soup or pasta dishes, I will store the leftovers in single-serve containers and use them for lunches or desperate dinners.

Tip 6: Make the slow cooker your friend.
Yes, you are developing a lot of friendships these days. But trust me, these are the kind of friends you want. The slow cooker makes rice and beans (see tip #7), makes meals while you're gone, and in return asks only that you clean it after each use. What's not to like about a friend like that?

Tip 7: Buy in bulk and portion smaller.
For example, if you are trying to eat a lot of beans, buy a large bag of dry beans, cook them in the crockpot and store them in the freezer. Then, when you are ready to use it, you'll have your foods already portioned and ready to use. Or start some bread dough. The recipe makes enough for 4 loaves and keeps in the fridge for up to 2 weeks - you can have freshly baked bread any night of the week.

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

A Math Equation

+
=
A surprisingly good brownie
Here's what you need to do:
1. Drain and rinse the can of beans. Then pour the beans back into the can and fill the can back up with water. Pour the beans and water into a food processor or blender and puree. Get it as smooth as you can, but you'll probably still have some bits of skin.
2. Combine the brownie mix and bean puree together in a mixing bowl and stir until well combined (it'll be pretty soupy). Pour into prepared pan and follow package directions for baking.
Enjoy!

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Kids Say The Darndest Things #347

Yesterday, while Betsy and I were sitting down to circle time at preschool (I attend class with her on Mondays), I pointed out her teacher's pretty leopard print scarf. Betsy, not missing a beat, stood up and said,

"Teacher Angie, guess what! Your scarf is the same as my underpants!"

Monday, November 15, 2010

Menu Planning Part 2

Last week, we began by creating our dinner categories and compiling a list of meal ideas for each category. Now it's time to put our plan into action.

For this next step, you'll need a calendar, a three-ring binder and some sheet protectors (these are optional, but encouraged). Using your calendar, under the day of the week, label your categories for a one or two-week period, depending on the number of categories you have. Then, in the boxes, add in meal ideas from your meal lists (don't worry about take-out and CORN nights). You now have a working calendar of meal ideas for one or two weeks.

If you have only a few tried and true recipes (and not enough to fill 14 nights worth of meals), then add a "Try Something New" night to your menu plan. Before too long, you'll have more meal ideas than nights to cook them!

Here's a sample of a week's worth of meals at our house:
Monday (Vegetarian): Pan-seared fish with salad
Tuesday (Pasta): Spaghetti and meatballs with salad
Wednesday (Soup): Crockpot Stew with homemade bread
Thursday (Ethnic): Sausage and beans with steamed broccoli
Friday (CORN): Clean Out Refrigerator Night
Saturday (Beef): Pizza (yes, this is a loose interpretation, but that's okay!)
Sunday (Poultry): Chicken fingers with steamed broccoli

Next, add your calendar (if possible) and lists of meal ideas to your binder. The calendar I use is attached to the wall, so it isn't possible to add it to my binder. But if you are printing up a calendar especially for this or have one small enough to fit, I would recommend adding it to the cover or first page of your binder. After the calendar, put each category list in its own sheet protector. Finally, behind each category list, add in the actual recipes (in their own sheet protectors) or notes on where to find the recipe (e.g. the cookbook name and page number).

Here are a couple of examples from my binder:



Before too long, as you add new recipes and create more menu plans, your binder will start to look like this:

And for those who struggle with getting home-cooked meals prepared with little time to prepare them, stay tuned! Next week I'll share some tricks I use to help get meals on the table with as little effort as possible.

Saturday, November 13, 2010

The Snow Finally Arrived

The first snow fall of the season happened today (and is STILL happening). It started about 1am this morning and hasn't stopped. Bummer for those of us with sidewalks to shovel and places to be, but great for kiddos, dogs and snow mice.



Thursday, November 11, 2010

What I've Been Up To

Question:

What do you get when you add an over-zealous volunteer and a Type A personality?



Answer:

When Elliot started kindergarten, I knew that I wanted to be as involved in his school as my schedule would permit. Not only did I want my family to feel like we were part of a larger community, but I also wanted my children to have the advantage of my involvement in their education.

My schedule didn't really allow me to help out much last year. I did the best I could, but I wished I could have done more. So when the volunteer sign-up came home from school this fall, I jumped right in with both feet. And when I jump in, I JUMP IN.

I'm now in charge of the costumes for the school's winter musical, which is a revue of six different Broadway musicals. The school already has a supply of costumes from years past, but most of the costumes need alterations and some need to be made from scratch.

Here's what I'm making:
  • 10 school-girl skirts
  • 7 peasant outfits (skirt/top or dress)
  • 4 mermaid tails and tops
  • 1 seagull costume
  • 1 fish costume
  • 1 police uniform
  • 60+ bowties
There may be more eventually, but right now that's just enough to make it look like a bomb's been detonated in my living room.

Monday, November 8, 2010

Menu Planning Part 1

I am sure that many of you are just like me - you struggle to figure out what to cook for dinner each night. Some weeks are easy - the fridge is stocked and the kids are cooperative - but other weeks the struggle seems never-ending.

One of the easiest things you can do to lessen the meal-time madness is to develop a weekly meal plan. There are online tools to help with this (such as http://www.e-mealz.com/), but I've developed a plan that works pretty well for me. Hopefully, it will help you too!

First, create a list of general food categories. The categories should fit your family and lifestyle. Love take-out? Make it a category. Can't live without your comfort foods? Make it a category. Other categories could include anything from poultry and pasta to Asian and C.O.R.N. (Clean Out Refrigerator Night). To simplify the process, you'll want to create either 7 or 14 categories (one or two weeks' worth).

Second, assign each night of the week (or two weeks) with a category. As you are doing this, keep in mind what day of the week you shop and which foods spoil most quickly. For example, if you eat a lot of seafood, you'll want that night to be close to your shopping day. Also, keep in mind any weekly routines/conflicts you might have. Are Mondays crazy? Then make sure whatever you plan for Mondays is quick and simple.

I like to try many different recipes, so our categories are pretty flexible. Here's what our week looks like:
Monday - Vegetarian/Seafood
Tuesday - Pasta
Wednesday - Soup
Thursday - Ethnic
Friday - C.O.R.N. or take-out
Saturday - Beef/Pork
Sunday - Poultry

Third, make a list of possible meals within each category. Label the top of a sheet of paper with your category, grab your kids and your cookbooks, and then fill each page with your favorite recipes (you only need to list the name here). If you have categories like take-out or CORN, you obviously won't need to do those. And remember, some foods can fit more than one category. For example, macaroni and cheese could be a pasta dish and a comfort food, so put it on both lists. And if you get creative with your side dishes, be sure to create a category sheet for those as well.


Here are some of the meals on our lists:
Vegetarian - breakfast-for-dinner, fish filets, salmon burgers
Pasta - spaghetti and meatballs, pumpkin pasta with sausage
Soup - baked potato, tortellini white bean and spinach, tomato basil
Ethnic - chorizo and beans, quesadillas, peanut butter noodles
Beef/Pork - hungarian goulash, beef stroganoff, pulled pork sandwiches
Poultry - crispy chicken, chicken fingers, chicken and rice
Sides - sauteed spinach, steamed broccoli, balsamic green beans

You've now got the beginnings of a great meal plan. Next week I'll show you how to implement the plan.

Saturday, November 6, 2010

A Family Tradition

I dedicate this post to Do-Wrong, Flip-Out and Banana. May the next generation know the joy (and frustration) of footie pajamas.



Thursday, November 4, 2010

Celebrity Green Drinks

Dr. Oz recently shared the recipe for the green drink he enjoys every morning. And Martha Stewart also has a recipe she enjoys. So I thought I'd give them a try and see which one I like the best. Here are a few I found:

Mehmet's Recipe:
2 cups spinach
2 cups cucumber
1 head celery
1/2 inch or teaspoon ginger root
1 bunch parsley
2 apples
juice of 1 lime
juice of 1/2 lemon

Combine all ingredients together in a blender. This makes approximately 28-30 ounces, or 3-4 servings.

Martha's Recipe:
2 cups spinach
2 english cucumbers
1 green pear, such as Anjou, halved
2 slices lemon
1 (1-inch) piece ginger

Juice all ingredients together in a juicer. Stir and serve.

Donna Karan's Recipe:
5 apples
1/2 bunch celery
1/2 bulb fennel
1 cucumber
1/2 head romaine lettuce
1 (1-to-2-inch piece) ginger root
1 lemon, peeled
2 cups kale, spinach leaves or parsley sprigs

Juice all ingredients together in a juicer. Divide evenly between two glasses and serve.

The Verdict:

Hands down Martha's recipe wins. I'm sure a large part of her win is the difference between juicing and blending the foods. I don't have a super-duper blender, so there was a texture to my "Dr. Oz drink" that I didn't find appealing. Donna's was a close second to Martha's, but some of her ingredients were foods I don't normally have on-hand. And, therefore, Donna's score was deducted for unusual ingredients. So, Martha wins again!

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

I Really Did Take The Scissors Away This Time

The other night I noticed an odd tear in the curtains in our dining room. 

It's too high off the ground for a mouse or other small animal to have chewed on it.  And it's too low for a chair or other piece of furniture to have snagged it.  It almost seems to be at child height.  Hmmm...

On a completely unrelated note, for those who asked, here is a picture of Betsy's latest haircut.  When you look at her head-on, it isn't obvious that she cut her hair, but she doesn't look the same either.  Here are some top-down photos to give you a better angle on the damage.

Monday, November 1, 2010

Getting Ready for Cold Weather

Here's a little tutorial that will, hopefully, help all you moms make it through the winter with your sanity intact.

How to Make Mitten Ribbons:

Supplies Needed:
  • Child
  • Mittens
  • Coordinating ribbon and thread
  • Sewing machine

First, measure your child's arm span from fingertip to fingertip.  To this measurement, add 2 inches per arm for drop and 1 inch per arm for seam allowance (for a total of 6 inches).  In my case, my daughter's arm span was 34 inches, so my total was 40 inches.  Cut your ribbon to this length.
Second, fold one end of the ribbon in on itself so that a faw edge isn't exposed.  Next, pin it to the inside of the mitten on the palm side.
Third, sew the ribbon and mitten together being sure to sew along another seam line or as inconspicuous a place as possible.

This is what the inside and outside of the mitten will look like:


Repeat this process with the other mitten, being sure to keep the ribbon untangled and attached to the palm side.  Once both mittens are secured to the ribbon, thread each mitten through a jacket sleeve (making sure it is the appropriate hand) and you're done!
If you wish, you can make your Mitten Ribbon longer than your child's arm span to allow for growth.  If you do this, simply knot the ribbon inside the jacket until you need the extra length.  And give a big WOOT! for never losing a mitten again!